~hcpberd-boy, bad cast an observant eye on the works of God, both in the heavens above and the earth beneath; aud the habit of doing this reverently and devoutly grew wilh bis growth; so that, though we are entirely ignorant as to what period of bis li[e it wns in which he penned this 1isalm, it is manifestly an echo of the thoughts which, in his early shepherd-days, had fille,l bis mind and inspired him to son<>, At that period in the world's history, only a Hebrew could have written such a ps~lm as this. Observant men in other nations might have written similar poetry, setting forth the glory of Nature's works; only a. Hebrew saint could have so gloried in the great Worker whose majesty was" above the heavens," and of whom he could speak as "our Lord." Note: It is only as we know the Divine Worker that wo can duly appreciate and fully enjoy the work. And as Science is, in her onward march, ever revealing more of the work, we have so much the more need to pray that the disclosures per- petually being made of the marvels of nature may be to us a book to reveal, and not a veil to conceal, the living and the true God. In dealing with this psalm we pro- pose to let our exposition turn upon the expression, "Lord, what is man?" Let •ls note- I. TIIE INSIGNIFICANCE OF JIIAN WHEN COMPARED WITH THE STUPENDOUS UNIVERSE, The heavens, the earth, the moon, the stars : how much more do these terms convey to us than they did to the psalmist! His inspiration, it is probable, did ~ot extend to thE realm of physical scieuce; and his views of the wonders of the earth and of the heavens would be limited by the knowledge of his day. But since the telescope has shown us that our world is but as an atom, and the microscope that in every atom there is e. world; since millions on millions of stars have come into the astronomer's field of vision; and since the conceptions of the time during which the orbs have been revolving and the earth bas been preparing for man's use have so immeasurably grown,-the larger the universe seems, the more does man dwindle to a speck, And when we look at tho slender frame of man, his weakness, and the momentary duration of his life, compared with the vast masses, the ceaseless energy, the incalculable duration to which the universe bears wimess,-it is no wonder if at the greatness in which we are lost we stand appalled, and are ready to say, "In the midst of all this sublimity, what am I? A shred of entity, a phantom, a breath, e. passing form on this earthly stage. Here is thi.'i great machine, with a mighty Unknown behind it, rolling and grinding, grinding and rolling, raising np one and setting down another. Ever and anon a wave of liquid fire -will heave up mountains and overturn cities and hurl them into an abyss, and the cries of myriads will rend the air; and never will nature spare one relenting sigh or drop one sympathizing tear. All is fixed. Law is everywhere. What I am, or do, or say, or think, can matter nothing to the Great Unknown. Prayer is but empty breath. Amid the vastness I am lost, e.nd can be of no more consequence than e. mote in the sunbeam, and were I and all this generation to be swept away in the twinkling of an eye, we should no more be missed than a grain of dust when blown into the crater of e. volcano! What is man?" So men argue. Even good men are overwhelmed with such thouuhts, and say, "Our way is hid from the Lord, and our judgment is passed over fro;{ our God." While the unbeliever declares that a being so insignificant can never be the subject of Divine care, slill less of Divine love; that man is no more to tlie Supreme than are the insects of a summer's day. 1 But this is only one side cf a 11:reat question. Let us therefore note- II. 'J.'HE DIGNITY OF JIIAN AS DISCLOSED BY THE GBAOIOUS VISITATION OF GOD, J. Bis actual dignity. (1) In"the structure and capacity of his nature. Mass however great, force however persistent, can never equal in quality the power of thinking, loving, worshipping, suffering, sinning. One soul outweighs in valuo myriads of worlds. Our estimate of things must bo qualitative as well as quantitative. And a being who can measure the distance of a star. is infinitely greater than the star whose distance he measures. Mani~ made in the image of God (a) mentally,-he thinks as God thinks; (b) morally; (c) spiritually; (d) regally, to have domjnion. Ma~ is made tu see God in all things. Babes and sucklings in this put to shame the rebellious atheist. (2) God has revealed his" Name" to man; and this gracious visitation from the Father of our race has raised man in the scale of being. (3) When renewed by tho 1 Dr. CLalmcre'e 'Astronomical l)ieco-qrse~' are of permanent v11luo in OQQQection with
such a thcu:o as tLi~, PS, Vilt. 1-!'J.] 'rIIE BOOK OF PSALMS. 53
Holy Ghost, he is elevated still higher in the scale, for "artcr God he is created in righteousness and true holiness." (4) When the Son of God became" the second Man, even the Lord from heaven," then, indeed, was our nature "crowned with glory anrl honour." Nothing so exalted our race as the Son of God inserting himself into it by his incarnation, and so becoming the Son of man. 2. llis prospective dignity. The psalm includes the vision of the seer as well as the song of the saint. Its repeated quotation (1 Cor. xv. 27; Heh. ii. 6-9) in the New Testament shows us that its words await o. grantler fulfilment than ever.1 'fhe preacher may indefinitely ex panel and illustrate the following points: (1) The dominion of man over nature is vastly greater even now than it was in David's time, and is destined to be more complete than it even now is. David includes the sheep and oxen, beasts of the field, etc. Now fire, water, light, air, lightning, etc., are made to serve man. (2) The renewing process is going forward in the Christianized part of man. The image of God in man is to be perfected. (3) All things are now put under man's feet, in being put under Christ's feet as the Lord of all. But, as Bishop Perowne suggestively remarks, St. Paul's" all things" arc immeasurably more than David's "all things." Just so. This is a beautiful illustration of the progress of revelation. The later the date, the brighter the light. And words caught from men who were in the ancient time borne along by the Holy Ghost, are shown to have a very much broader arnl deeper meaning than their human penmen could possibly have conceived. "The New Testament is latent in the Old. 'l'he Old Testament is patent in the New" (Augustine). Note: 1. The true greatness of man can only be manifested as he is renewed by the Spirit of God; and comes to grow up into him in all things who is the Head, even Christ. 2. How incomplete would the plan have been of permitting roan to have dominion over nature, without the corresponding purpose of God's love gaining dominion over man ! Dominion is safe only where there is righteousness.-C.