HOMILETICS. Ver. 4.-Man's littleness and his greatness. ",vhat is man," eto.? Tho liltlcncss nnd greatness of man arc set before us here in powerful contrast. In view of this vast magnificent universe, he seems a speck, an atom, a vapour that nppears and vnnishes (Jns. iv. 14). But the love, care, grace of his Maker lift him to a height where he sees the ,rnrld at bis fret; be is endowed with a life, heir ton glory, that shall enduro when the earth and the hc.-ivens pass away. I. There is THE EARTHLY SIDE OF RUMAN LIFE. Its littlencs~. frailty, brevity. "W!iat is D?an?" 1. Com~re tho actual littlencs§ ~n<l bod!ly weakness of man with the 1mmens1ty of the ma"teriit umverse, fhe awfiirnngbt of its never-wearying forces, the st.al1ility of its structure, the unswerving, unJcuying constancy of its laws. Jllus- trnte from the discoveries of astronomy, geology, etc. Compare a long human life with that of an oak of a tbousand years. But a thousand years are but a day-a few minutes-compared with tho mighty past, the eternal future (1 Cbron. xxix. 15; Ps. :i.e. 3-6). 2. Consider the narrow limits of hnmnn life. Deduct from the effective force of even a well-spent1ile1Iiii-fime afisorbed bJ inlaiify, sleep, sickness, trifles, out- ward hindrances, weakness, and decay. llow great a proportion of the race is immersed in barbarism! How limited is man's knowledge, even with the vast accessions of this century, compared with bis illimitable ignorance! How powerless is be in the grasp of circumstances! If the Earth but stirs in her sleep, bis cities foll. If the wind blows in its strength, his navies are wrecked. If the invisible seeds of pestilence crowd the air, he must breathe or die-his science is baffled. If the clouds withhold rain or pour out too much, famine enters bis home. If the earth refuses him gold, or yields it too rapidly and easily, his commerce is deranged (Ps. xxxix. 5, 6). 3. Consider, to; tbe_J>cri,bing, vanishing_ nature of m~greatest acbievemen!,s, richest ·posscs- 605, 6"\'i"cetcst earthly joys and liopes. It is no wonder that, with those who meditnto deeply on human life, and observe largely, seein_q only its earthly 11ide, philosophy should turn sour and curdle into "pessimism." "b life worth living?" II. THE Drvnn~ SIDE. "Thou art mindful of him; . . . thou visitest him.'' The greatness and glor.v of man's nature are seen: 1. In its origin. (Ver. 5.) Man is tbe child of God (Gen. i. 26, 27; Acts xvii. 28, 29). 2. In the care of God's :ez:ovi- dence. In those unmeasured ages, beforo man arrived, which 60 oppress our imagfiiil- tlon, God was preparing the earth for man. For other creatures also, it is true, but not as for him. To each lower creature be gave its own haunt, its own food; but they sow no harvests, plant no forest~, quarry no hills, pasture no flocks, navigate no seas; know nothing of nature as a whole-its beauty, mystery, wcaHb of enjoyment. Frr man was made the whole (vers. G-8). It is God who bas made the universo n,an's storehouse, and "ministcreth seed," etc. (2 Car. ix. 10). 3. In what we may call d?eiritual 12_rovidence; the grace and love ~bicb ~r~cr_ the life of ~?eh one of -~ad's chil en, making sorrow and trouble a gracious d1sc1phne (Heh. xu. 6, 7; xm. 5). 4. Above all, in God's an.M)eakable Gif.L (1 John v. ll.) In the incarnate Son of G cd our humanityTa exaltedio the supreme height of glory (Phil. ii. 9-11; Heb. ii. 6-9). To the image of his glory the humblest believer is to be raised (Rom. viii. 29; 1 John iii. 2). LESSONS. 1. Humility. 2. Faith. 3. Adoration,
Ver. 6.-Man-nature-God. "Thou hast put •.. feet." This brief but majestio psalm is remarkable for world-wide breadth; it shines with light transcending human genius. The name by which the Almighty Maker is address~d is his covenant name with Israel-the name which speaks not of power, but of personal being, "Jehovah." But here is no reference to Israel; nothing national, limited, ceremonial, local, tem- porary. This psalm is a sufficient refutation of the mean, narrow views of the Old Testament Scriptures, which lower the religion of Israel to the rank of one among the rnany national religions. Here we are concerned only with these three supreme ideas: man; nature; God. Jehovah is invoked as the Author of nature and God of all mankind. Consider this sublime declaration-first, as it stands bcro in the Old 'l'estament Scriptures; secondly, as interpreted in the New Testament Scripturea, PfJ, VIII, 1-9.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 51