Ver. 8.-The supi·eme clioice of the soul. "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." "I have set Christ always before mo: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." I. THIS IS TO MAKE THE JOURNEY OF LIFE FULL OF LIGHT. Pillar of cloud and fire. And this, in whatever view you look at thi9 life-whether as a stage on which work has to be done, or on which good ha.s to be acquired, or as a journey to reach our destiny. By this light we can clearly see the nature of the work that must be done; the kind of good that must be sought; and the glorious destiny awaiting us. But let a man make himself or the world the light by which he walks, the guide he follows, then his work, his well-being, and the future all become dark. Some dark moments there will be, when God's way is through the clouds or through the great deep. II. 'l'ms WILL MAKE us TRULY STRONG. "I shall not be moved." We may know duty, self-interest, and the way to honour, and yet be too weak to follow them. \Veakness of purpose and will is our misery and guilt. It is not merely our mis- fortune, but our sin. Importance of strength. "Be strong in the Lor<l, and in the power of his might." The only way to become strong is by "looking unto Jesus." All other stimulants soon spend their strength and leave us prostrate. But the setting God always before us will endow us with all strength to resist all temptations, and all fortitude to endure. _ III. Tms JS TO MAKE THE AIM OF LIFE REALLY GREAT. Our lives are mostly paltry nLd little. ·we go about filled with little vanities and ambitions, aiming at little ends, and content with little results. Often under the guise of humility our larger aims are moRtly of the depraved or eeculnr sort-wealth; social position; fame on the battle- field, or in the senate, or in literature. But to "have God always before us" is the" real !.,sting greatness. This is the only true ideal of life. IV. 'l'HIS IS TO MAKE THE WAY OF LIFE SECURE. "Because he is nt my right h::1nd, I shall not be move<l." 1. Not moved with/ear. 2. Not movedf,om his hope. 3. Not moved from his righteousness.-S,
EXPOSITION. Do.vid's early style" (• Spenl:er'a Comme:i- PSALM XVII. tary '). The current of though~ and lo.ugunge Tme psnlm le termed "o. prnyer''-"a Prnyer is vehement and nbrupt ; tliero is n deep of Dnvid." It consists, no doubt, mo.inly of dependence upon God, and at the so.rnG o. series of petitions (vere. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, timo n wo.rmth of indignation ngninst the 14); but contains nlso n number of verses writer's enemies, fouud frequently in the whicll llave no preco.tory ohnracter (vers. 8, Daviclical psalws, and not very noticeable 4, 5, 10-12, 15); and, on the whole, it in the others. '!'hero is also nn earnest co.nnot be so.id to be occupied witll sup- faith iu a future life (vor. 15), wliioh was n plication to a greater extent than mo.ny of marked feature of David's character, but the compositions which are simply termed not ve,ry common among his con tern poro.ries. "pso.lms." Probo.bly it was called n Tue time in David's life towhioh the psl\lm "prayer" because the writer himself seemed belonga is uncertain; but it has been con- no to entitle it iu ver. I. Do.vid's author- jectured, withn carte.in amount of probability, sllip is genero.lly allowed, since the com- to have been written during tllo hco.t of tho position ho.s "the murked .cllo.rnoterietics of , persccutio:ii by So.ul, perllapd wllcu D"vid lM THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PS. xvn. 1-15.