ness, o.nd trustworthiness. And let the God them," if it were only to tee.eh them by his of my salvation be exalted. "The God of example, and lead them on (owarcls th, my salvation" is a favourite phrase with worship uf the true Goel. And sing praises David (see Pss. xxv. 5; xxvii. 9; xxxviii. unto thy Nam, ; i.e. to th!J Person-God 22; Ii. 14; lxxxviii. 1), Other writers nse being in his Name. it rarely. When David prays that the God Ver. 50.-Great deliverance giveth he to of his salvation (i.e. the God who con• his king; lilcro.l!y, he maanifies salutatiom tinually saves him and preserves him) may tn his king. The primary reference seems be "exalted," he probably desires that he to be to the gracious message which Got! may be praised and honoured of all men. sent to David by Nath1m when he bad Ver. 47.-It is God that avengeth me; brought the tabernacle into Jerusalem, and rather, even the God a11engeth me (comp. purposed to build a "house" worthy of it vera. 3, 6, H, 17, etc.). And subdueth the (ace 2 Sam. vii. 8-16). God had then people under me; rather, the peoples; i.e. ••saluted" David as" his servant" (ver. 5), the nations (comp. vera. 37-42). and sent him a message of the moat gracious Yer. 48.-He delivereth me from mine character, even promising the kingdom to enemies. The "deliverance " was especially him and to his seed "for ever" (vers. 13, from domestic foes (see vera. 17, 19). His 16). And showeth mercy to his anointed, foreign foes seem never to have brought to David. No doubt David is primarily David into much peril. Yea, thou li!test intended, both by the "king" of tlie first me up al;ove those that risa up againBt me. clause. 11nd by the '' anoiuted" of tho 'l'he "lifting up" was nbove enemies of second; but the combination of the two, both kinds (see \'er. 43). Thou hast delivered and the immediate mention of the "seed" me from tha violent man (comp. ver. 17). which is to reign "for ever," carry the 'l'here is no reason to doubt that in passage beyond the psalmist inclividno.l!y, both places Saul is intended. He was at and give to the conclusion of the psalm, at once David's "enemy," and a "man of o.ny re.le, a semi-Messianic charo.cter. As violence." Were the question open other- llengstenl:erg says, "Psnlms of this kinrl wise, it would be closed by the stntem~nt are distinguished from those which 11,ny in the title. more strictly be called lllessianic, only by Ver. 49.-Therefore will I give thanks this-that in the le.tier the l\Ie~sinh excl1t- unto thee, 0 Lord, among the heathen. As, Bively is brought into view, while here ho in some sense, "the t.ead of the heathen" is presented to our notice only as o. member (ver. 43), David was bound to offer prayer, of the seed of David" (' Commentary on the and praise, and tbanksgiviDg " o.mong Psolms,' vol. i. p. 82-1, Engl. trans.).
HOMILETICS. Vere. 25, 26.-God's revelation of himself is suited to man's capacity, "With the morciful," etc. We see who.t we have eyes to see; hear what we have ears to hear; feel what we have capacity to feel. Suppose four listeners to the same piece of music. 'l'o one, with a critical ear, it is a rendering, good or ill, of the musician's composition; to a 8econd, o. strain of national music; to a third, full of memories of childhood; to n fourth, who has no ear for music, a tedious noise. Suppose o. group watching a lamb skipping in a field. One is a painter; another, a naturalist; another, o. shephenl; another, a butcher. Each sees something the rest cannot see, Perhaps a simplo Christian coming by sees what none of them perceives-a reminder of the good Shep- herd, who gathers the lambs in his arms. As in outward things, so in spiritual. As with bodily sight, hearing, feeling, so with spiritual perception. Ile tho.t has oyes will see. "He that hnth ears to hear, let him hear." '£herefore the lesson of the text is a great and widely npplicable truth-God's revelation of himself is suited to men'a ,piritual capacity. Different souls get dilferent views of God. I. Tms IS TRUE OF Goo's DEALIN(lS. 1. They appear different to d~(ferent eye.~. Visit two homes, perhaps in the same street, in which there is similar lrouble-sick- nese, or bereavement, or failure in business, or sore poverty. In one, nil is gloom, repining, comfortless perplexity. In tho other, there is light in the darkness, a rainbow on the storm. 'l'o one sufferer God's ways are hard, dark, mysterious; he is even ready to think thorn unjust. 'l'he other says, "I could not bear it in my own strength, but the Lord stands by me and strengthens me. God's will must bo right, lie cannot make mistakes or be unfaithful. He is my Refuge and Strength." So with Gocl's govern- ment of the world nod general providence, One minu fastens on the pain, sorrow, 122 THE DOOK OF PSALMS. [Ps. xvnr. 1--60.