it mnkes aggressions on and even mocks at theology, religion, and religions people. (5) It will gradunlly dry up entirely the springs of social virtue. It may not do thi~ in the first generation, if the denier of God has first been cast by early Christian teaching in the mould of social morality and goodness; but Jet generation after generation of a.theists arise, and it will be seen that when the ties are snapped which bind men to their God, the ties which bind man to man are cut asunder as well! 3. Sv,ch atheism is fearfully w,idespread among "the children of men." "None that did understand, that did seek God." It is common among (1) the irreligious; (2) the free-thinkers; (3) philosophers, under the guise of philosophy; (4) scientific men, under the guise of science. '.l'he fact is, atheism is of the heart, not of the head. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked," and turns the very arguments which prove the Divine existence into an excuse for denying it! Its cry is, "Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us! " How grievous and terrible a. sight is a. world like this I How loathsome to infinite purity, when men are altogether become unprofitable, when there is "not one that doeth good, no, not one." Every expression in the psalm should be critically examined: they are all "gone aside; " they are all together become "filthy,'' "stinking," "corrupt," etc. There is a marvellous variety of words in the Hebrew for moral corruption. Nowhere in the whole world was the sense of sin, as sin, so deep as among the Hebrews. How was this? It will be seen how it was when we study our second question. II. WHEN AND FOR WHAT PURPOSE DID THE LORD LOOK DOWN ON THIS MABB OF EVIL? The meaning of the psalmist could not go beyond the range of his inspiration and enlightenment. We live in a. later age; the light is brighter now than then; an,l therefore the preacher will fa.II short a.like of his privileges and of his mission, if he does not open up from this point more truth than it was possible for the psalmist to know. 1. In an early stage of the world, God looked down on it to punish its iniquity. 'l'he Deluge. Sodom and Gomorrah. The desolations which have come on Egypt, Babylon, Tyre, Edom, Ammon, Moab, Philistia, Jerusalem. And when great calamities come, the most irreligious men become the greatest cowards. " There were they in great feo.r, where no fear was." 2. God looked on the wickedness of the sons of '171en, and resolved to call out therefrom a people for himself. (Cf. Isa. Ii. 1, 2, Hebrew.) God called Abraham; and how his people became a family, a. tribe, and a nation, the roll of sacred history records. And it is owing to this that the psalmist refers to "the generation of the righteous" (ver. 5), in distinction from "the children of men" (ver. l::). Hence it is and has ever been the case, that, however prevalent the dopravity of men may have become, there have ever been some trusting hearts who have found their refuge in God.1 3. God instituted a priesthood and sacrifices to instruct his people in the di·e~d evil of sin. 'l'he whole Levitical institute means this, and nothiog less than this. The Law was a. "child-guide," which took meu to school, and taught them that nothing was right with men till they were right with God. 4. God established a prophetic order, which should declaim agaimt sin. (See Isa. !ix. 1-20, specially the fifteenth verse.) The mission of all the prophets was to speak for God, and uphold his claims before the people. And as they prophesied, God's treatment of the world's sin was beiug unfolded, as we see in tho chapter from ls1Liah to which we have just referred. 6. Jn thefulness of the times, God sentforth his Son, who by his death should atone for sin, and who by his Spirit should conquer sin. This, then, is like a. God. We mil!:ht hiLve expected, from the psalmist's words, thnt God would take vengeance on the sinner and crush him. But no. He is a just God and a. Saviour; condemning sin and saving the sinner (Rom. iii.). 6. God has created i'n the hearts of his own a yearning after salvation and righteousness, which is in itself a. prophecy of God's ultimate triumph over sin, and of n time when the anguish of his people shall give place to joy (vor. 7) I These desires of the holy a.re prophetic germs. 'rhe aspiration in the closing verse of the psalm I is one the 1 See Hengstenberg on Psalms, vol. i. 216. • According to Dr. Payne Smith, the allusion therein i1 to the return of the iLrk from co.ptivity. 'fhe editor of the R.T.S. edition of the Ps1Llms reg11rds this last verso ns a liturgical o.ddition, which ftlo.y h1Lve been added about the time of Ezra. (See note hcrcon in 'The Cambridge Dible.') THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS, XIV, 1-7,
folfilment of which has been going on ever since, and will, till the Ilodccmor who has come out of Zion sball have completed his saving work.-C.