world without sin (1 John iii. 5); he died without sin (lleb. ix. 14). "Such an High Priest became us" (Heb. vii. 26). IV. ETERNALLY BEAUTIFUL. We read of "the beauty of holiness," and it is the supreme and perfect beauty of character. 1. Challenges our admiration. 2. Inspires our confidence. 3. Commands our love. Christ's holiness is not against us, but for us. It does not repel, but attract; it shows us what we ought to be, and thus humbles us under a sense of our sine; it shows us what we may become, and thus raises our hopes to heaven. It is because of hie holiness he is fitted to be our Saviour. He not only perfectly represents God to man, but also man to God. Never was it more needful than in our day to remember Christ's holiness. Men are ready enough to speak of Christ's truth, Christ's goodness, Christ's self-sacrifice, and so forth; but fe,v speak of bis holiness. But in the Old Testament and the New holiness has a. first place. Our Lord addressed God as" Holy Father" (John xvii. 11). He has taught us that without holiness no one shall see God ; and he, and he alone, reveals to us the way whereby we who are sinners may cleanse ourselves from a.II filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in God's fear. It is as we become holy that we grow up into Christ, to the stature of the perfect man. It is as we are holy that we can best serve Christ here, and sing his praise for ever (1 Pet. t. 15; ii. 5; Rev. iv. 8; xiv. 3). -W.F. Vera. 5--12.-The cha,igea and consolations of life. I. THE ORANGES OF LIFE. Health may give place to sickness, prosperity to adversity, joy to sorrow. To-day we may be lifted up and rejoicing in God's favour, to-morrow we may be cast down and in trouble because Ged is hiding his face from us. There are two things to be guarded against. First,presumption (ver. 6); next, despair. Come what will, we must cling to God (vers. 9, 10). II. THE CONSOLATIONS OF LIFE. 1. All changes are under the control of God. 2. That God's help is always available. Nothing can really prevent us from enjoying God's presence, but our own sin. 3. That the end of the Lord is merciful. 'l'he blessing will surely come to those who wait for it. "Anger" will give place to "favour;" the pain of the "moment" will be forgotten in the joy of renewed "life" and the ushering in of the glad eternal" day." The end is" praise."-,V. F.
Vera. 1-5.-The mercy of God. This psalm composed after recovery from some chastisement for sin, which had very nearly proved fatal. He praises Gou for lifting him up out of it, and calls upon others of a similar experience to join him in hi~ thanksgiving. I. HE CELEDR.ATEB WITH JOY THE MER0Y OF Goo TO m111. 1. His recovery had put an end to the malicious exultation of his foes. (Ver. 1.) Wicked men rejoice in the downfall and calamity of the good ; they accept it as a sign of hypocrisy and of the approaching downfall of goodnees and the good cause. And this was why the psalmist rejoiced that in his case they had been disappointed. We sympathize in the success of the cause that is dearest to our heart-the good with the good ; the bad with the bad. 2. God had Maled him of th1J sin which caused tM chastisement. (Ver. 2.) What the instance of the sin was may be seen in the sixth verse-overwe1J11ing pre- sumption and pride, produced by prosperity. It was that which threatened his safety, his very life; and it imperils the safety of all who are guilty of it. "Pride goeth before destruction," etc. His faults nothing as compared to virtues. And in bei11g healed of the sin he was restored and lifted back to life. 3. God had removed also thA chastisement of his sin. (Ver. 3.) It would not have been good to remove the chastisement till it had wrought repentance and brought him humility and trust and watchfulness. God always removes the sin before he takes away the chastise- ment. II. HE USES HIB OWN EXPERIENCE AS A LESSON OF TRUST TO OTHERS. (Vera. 4, 5.) l. Sympathy with men and gratitude to God both teach us to do this. Others who were then suffering what he had suffered were encouraged to trust in the goodness of God. But the special ground for praise here insisted on is: 2. That thlJ dark expe- riences of the righteous are transient, like the tears of a night; but their ~righe experiences as quickly return as the morning after the night. (Ver. 6.) Long-contrnued PSALMS, Q 226 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB. XXXI.1-24.
sorrow kills; joy is the life-giver which God sends when sorrow has brought us low The sorrow of the world worketh death, but godly sorrow life.-S.
Vers. 6-12.- Vain C011.fidenC(l. "And in my prosperity I said, I shall nover be moved," etc. Three stages here represented in the life of a good man. I. WoRLDLY PROSPERITY A SECURITY. "In my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved." 1. We say this in youth. All our castles in the air, we think, are built upon mountains. We think we can become anything and achieve anythin11: we please. 2. We say thi.s before we know our sinfulness. The ways of the world harden our be.arts about our sins. Success in life and the means we employ to reach it will often harden the conscience. Money, luxury, praise, are dreadful things to blind men to their real character and state before God. II. THE SENSE OF DANGER AND TROUBLE. 1. God hides his /au. We, in our vain confidence, think it is God that l:.as made our mountain to stand strong-till he hides his face, till a great black cloud (our sins) comes between us and God. This phrase, though often misapplied, expresses a very real fact. It is the blackness of darkness to many a terror-stricken sinner. 2. The terrors of death. Of death, na.tural and spiritua.l, get hold of us. The terror of death, natural and spiritual, is to be forsaken of God in it. This dreadful moment has come to nearly all good men. Some men never get beyond this second stage of life. III. RESTOllATIOK TO BEAL PBOSPEBITY AND SECURITY. 1. The prosperity of the bel,iever is real prosperity. It is the prosperity of the soul; it is prosperity from God, and not from ma.n; it is lasting, secu.re prosperity. 2. God is the Author of the second and third stages of a good man's life. "Thou didst hide .thy face; ••• thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing," etc.-S,