The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 122

porous voyages I For a season of local scarcity, how many plenteous harvests! For one home in mourning, how many bright with health and love !-how many happy years, perhaps, in that very home! In a word, our Saviour sums up all we can say of the gracious gentleness of our Father's providence (Luke xii. 6, 7; Matt. vi. 26-30). II. THE GENTLENESS OF Goo's REVELATION OF HIMSELF IN HIS WORD 18 OUR HIGHEST WISDOM. The Bible is a wonderfully different; book from anything the wisest of men could have imagined as a revelation of God. Philosophers and men of ,zenius, had they been consulted, would have agreed that it must be a book for the select few, not the multitude. The notion of teaching peasants, slaves, children, the deep things of God, would have seemed to them folly. llat "the foolishness of God is wiser than men." He has given us a book for the cottage, the schoolroom, the sick-chamber, as well as for the college, the palace, the cathedral. A compilation of short books that look M though collected by chance, yet with wondrous living unity. Depth is concealed by clearness; sublimity by simplicity. Its deepest, highest lessons are given in words a child may understand. No words a.re too homely, no eimilitudes too humble, if only they can point the arrow of truth, or wing it home to the heart. We read of God's eye, ear, hand, face; his throne, footstool, sword; of his remembering, forgetting, being angry, grieved, repenting, being well-pleased (look at Amos ii. 13; Mai. i. 6 ; Isa. i. 3, 14, 18; xlix. 15, 16 ; Rev. vii. 17). A long unlovely name has been invented by learned men to express this setting forth of Divine things in human language, "anthropomorphism." It is used as though a reproach, indicating the ignorance and narrowness of the sacred writers. Suppose the Bible had been a book to please philo- sophic critics, what would have been its value to mankind? Suppose our heavenly Father had disdained to speak to us in our own language, how should we have learned that we are his children? The aim of his Word, his messa~e to men, is not to make us philosophers, but to bring us sinners home to God. That teaching which best secures this end is worthiest of God. III. THE GENTLENESS OF GoD IS THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF OUR PRAYERS. It would seem reasonable for God to say to u.q, "Prayer is needless; I know all your wants and desires, Presumptuous; I am the Judge, not you, of what is best. Useless; you cannot change my all-wise purposes." 'l'hon we should have been deprived of the main comfort of life; our sheet-anchor in trouble; our closest, happiest, highest fellow- ship with our Maker and Father. Look at Abraham interceding for the guilty cities; Moses interceding for apostate Israel; Jonah crying from the sea-depths; Peter pray- ing by the corpse of Dorcas; Paul over that of Eutychus. Read tho promises to pro.yer. Consult the experience of all Christians in all ages. In prayer, our weakness takes hold on God's strength. Bia gentleness makes us yreat. IV. Lastly, Gon's GENTLENESS IS SEEN IN HIS MEilCY TOWARDS SINNERS. The Biblo, like Nature, h!Ls a severe side; a severity solely aimed 1Lgainst that which is man's deadliest enemy-sin. It is possible so to rend it th!Lt terror and judgment seem to overshadow mercy and love. This is to misread it utterly. It is to forgot that the terrible judgments it records-such as the Deluge, the destruction of Sodom, tho plagues of Egypt, the destruction of the sinful nations, the overthrow of J erusaloru, of Babylon-stand as sure warnings, indispensably necessary, in the long thousands of ye!Lrs during which God has made the sun to shine and his rain to fall on the evil nnd unthnnkful, "not willing that any should perish" (Matt. v. 45; 2 Pet. iii. 9). Above all, the crowning revelation of God to mnn, for which the whole Old 'l'estnment l!Lw and history were the preparation, is "the meekness and gentleness of Christ." He is "the Brightness of the Father's glory, the express Image of his Person." All power is hie. That brightness might have blinded us; that power crushed us. But "though he was rich, yet for our s1Lkes he became poor, that we through his po,.erty might be rich." His gentleness makes us great. He stoops to lift us to God. Jesus, the Man of sorrows, the Friend of sinners, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, weeping by the grave, bidding the weary come to him for rest, taking the children in his nrms, wash- ing hie disciples' feet, led as a Jamb to the slaughter, praying for hi~ murderers, bearing our sins in his own body on the tree, asks us, as he asked his apostles, "llavc ye understood all these things?" And if our hearts can answer, "Yea, Lord," he replies, "He that hath seen me hath seen the F.ither." 124 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [l>R, XVIII, 1-50,