kingdom it is "the meek" especially who e. viand for which even the satisfied ar4 ehnll cnt, o.nd bo sntisfied, feeling that thoy hungry; and, on the other hand, the mosl ho.ve all their wuh lon!?' for-o. full banquet, needy and most miserable fire not excln,lecl" of tl!o very crumbs of which they are not (' Commentnry on the Pdalms,' vol. i. p. worthy. They shall praise the Lord that 396). All they that go down to the dust shall seek him. The service shnll be emphati- bo;v before him; i.e. all mortal men wliat- cally one of prnise. Your heart shall live soever-all that are on their way to the for ever. The result shall be life for ever- tomb-sholl how before Christ, either will- more; for the body o.nd blood of the Lord ingly as his worshippers, or unwillingly as Jesus Christ, worthily received, preserve his conquere<l enemies, made to lick the men's bodies and souls to everlasting life. dust at his feet. And nona can keep alive Ver. 27.-All the ends of the wo,ld shs.ll his own soul Life is Christ's gift; thi: soul remember e.nd tum unto the Lord. 'l'he cannot be kept alive except throu~h him, Gentiles from every qu~rter shall come into by his quickening Spirit (John vi. 53, G:~)- the new kiugdom, remembering him whom Ver. 3J.-A seed shall serve him. The they had so ioug forgotten, Jehovah, the Church is follllded on a rock, ana the gatea true God. And all the kindreds of the of hell sha.11 not prevail against it. So long nations shall worship before thee. Pleo- as the world endures, Christ shall ahrnys ne.stic. A repetition of the idea contained have worshippers-a "seed" which will in the preceding clause. (For the fulfilment, "serve" him. It shall b3 e.ocounted to the history of missions must be consulted.) the Lord for e. generation. If we accept Ver. 2B.-For the kingdom is the Lord's this rendering, we must understand that the (comp. Pss. xcvi. 10; xcvii. l). Christ ho.s seed of the first set of worshippers shall be ta.ken the kingdom, and even now rules on the Lord's people for one generation, the the earth-not yet wholly over willing seed of the next for another, and so on. Dut subjects, but over a Church tho.t is ever ex- it is suggested that the true meaning is, panding more a.ml more, and tending to "This shall be told of the Lord to genera- become uni versa!. And he is tho Governor tion after generntion" (so Hengstcnberg, among the nations. Not the Governor of Kay, Alexunder, and our Revisers). one nation only, but of all. Ver. 31.-They shall comJ, and shall r: Ver. 29.-All they that be fat upon earth declare his rig!ltcousness unto e. peo:ile that shall eat and wo~ehip, The Christian fro.at shall ba born, that he hath dona this. One is not for the poor and needy only, like generation nfter another shall come, and Jewish so.crificinl feasts, but for the "fat shall report God's righteousness, as shown ones.." of the earth ns well-the rich nnd forth in Obrist, eacl1 to its succrssor-a prosperous. As Hengstenborg observes, people yet to be born-telling them tho.t "This great spirituo.l feast is not unworthy God" has done this;" i.e. effected I\Il tho.t of the presence even of those who Ii ve in is here sketched out, and so accomplished the greatest abundo.nce : it contains n costly the work of redemption, vie.nu, which nll their plenty cannot give- ,
HOMILETICS. Ver. 4.-.A pedigree of faith and piety. "Otir fathers trusted," etc. The Bihle takes great nccou'lt of pedigree. Yet not on those grounds in which men commonly glory -rnnk, title, wel\lth, fame; but in the line of faith and piety. These words contain- !. A THANKFUi, l\EMEMDRANCE. It is no small honour and blessing to spring from o. godly stock. Those who have not this happiness in family linel\ge may yet claim it by adoption. A true Christian has all past generations of God'~ people as spiritual ancestors (Gal. iii. 29; Rom. iv. 16, 17). II. A HOLY EXAMPLF., powerfully moving to faith, prayer, and holiness ([lt:b. Yi. 12; xii. 1; 2 Tim. i. 3-5). Noblesse oblige. 11 T. A IIUMnr,E CLAIM ON Goo's FAITIIFULNEoS, Because: 1. The trust and prayers of God's people in 11ast generations were not for themselves only, but for their children (Gen. xvii. 18, 20). Ancestro.l prnyers are a rich inheritance. 2. God's promises have regard to the children of his people (Ps. ciii. 17, 18; Acts ii. 30; iii. 25). IV. .A.N ENCOURAGEMENT TO FAITH, The experience of those who ho.ve goue before us, the consenting testimony of so many generations, and so innumerable a multitude of believers, to the truth of the Bible, the power of prnyer, the reality of God's grace, the fulfilment of his promises, is no small or feeble aid to our faith (Ps. xxxiv. 4-8; Heb. xi. 32-40). CONCLUSION. 1. 1Ve inlie1·it the pa.•t. The wise thoughts, immortal words, noblo 156 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. xxn. 1-31.