itself prophesies of the just judgments of God. "If they do these things in a green tree, wh11t shall be done in the dry?" (Luke xxiii. 31), God's people may await with confidence the result. IV. CALLS FORTH THE HALLELUJAIIS OF Tm: GOOD. Tuere is the joy of trust (ver. 13), of gratituile (ver. 14), of hope (vers. 15-20). By faith we see the King in hi11 beauty, and rejoice in his rejoicing.-W. F. Vers. 1-6.-Thanksgiving. This ani! the following psalm ha.ve been considered one poem, written by the sa.me author. This one is in a continued str~in of triumph throughout, and was composed, perhaps, by David at the conclusion of the Syro- Ammonite War, or after one of his victories over the Philistines. I. NATURE OF THE PSALMIST'S THANKSGIVING. 1. .All his powers of mind and soul tool~ part in it. "With my whole heart." He ascribed his deliverances to God, and not to himself; therefore he was not half-hearted in Lis praise. 2. Be gathered vp in his mental vision the mercies of a lifetime. "All thy marvellous works." He was filled with a sense of wonder when he thought of the long succession of God's marvel- lous ways towards him. The last deliverance did not blot out the memory of those that had gone before. 3. God's condescension filled him with rejdcing _qratitude. He felt that God was "most High," and tha.t he had wonderfully stooped to regard him and his affairs-the same thought as in the previous psalm. II. 'l'HE GROUNDS OF THE PSALMIST'S THANKSGIVING. Spenking generally, it was for deliverance from his enemies. The la.ngua.ge here suggests : I. That the sense of God's presence u-ith us nerves us against our greatest dangers. (Ver. 3.) Perils a.nil. temptations loso their power over us when wo know God to be with us. 2. God's deliverances from evil spring out of his regard /01· what is right. (Ver. 4.) God's righteousness is as much concerned for our salvation as his love and mercy. The rescue of a soul from sin satisfies the sense of infinite right, and is part of the eternal administration of God. 3. The psalmist saw in prospect the certain destruction of all wickedness, both individual and social. (Vers. 5, 6.) The prospect of the prevalence and reign of righteousness filled him with holy gladness and thanksgiving. Not only himself, but all righteous persons, would then enjoy peace and safety. One evil man ca.n do much miscliief, a.nd work wide ruin; but when cities ani! governments become corrupt, their power for evil sweeps all virtue out of its pa.th. 'l'hereforo David rejoiced in their extirpation. Let us cultivate a· thankful spirit for all the wonderful deliverances which God has made possible and actual to us.-S. Vers. 1-6.-The cause of gratitude. To derive benefit from the study of any sncient writings, we must translate them into our present forms of thought and wa.ys of thiuking. David as king sang these hymns to God for the nation and to the nntion, and fur himself; for he and the people were one. It is difficult for us to renlize this, being, as we are, in lower stations and with an intenser feeling of our individuality. I. 'fRE PRELUDE TO THIS BONG. He praises God for his marvellous works aml for J,is supremary. 1. They captivated and subdued his whole nature: "With my whole heart." 2. 'l'hey filled him with joy. 3. He published them to others. II. THE SPECIAL CAUSES OF ms GRATITUDE. God had judged his cnuso and mnin- tnincd the right by subduing his enemiee. 1. We too have enemies to be subdued- difficulties and temptations a.nil. hindrances which threaten our safety and destroy our peace, 2. David overlooks his own instrumentality in his victo-1es by thinking only of the great First Cause of them. He saw God in everything. We lose sight of the cause in the instrument, and are not so devout as he. We see law where he saw a person. 'l'he highest men see both-the la.w which prescribes tho way of conquest, and him who imparts the needed strength to obey. III. DAVID RF.J0ICED OVER THE COMPLETE DESTRUCTION 01" ms ENEMIES. 1. He thouaht it right to rejoice over the destruction of human life; for he thought God 1anctioned and did it. 2. Our outlva.rd difficulties may vanish, while the inward may remain. 3. We shall fully rejoico only when all our enemies, inward and outward, 11re vanquiehed.-S.
Vere. 7-12.-.A righteous God. Experience is the great teacher; and especially ns 64 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS, IX, 1-20.