"In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availcth anything, nor uncircumoision, but a new creature" (Gal. vi. 15). IV. THE HATRED OF THE JEW DY THE GENTILE IS SUCCEEDED BY THE WOBLD 18 HATRED OF THE CHURCH. Where religiou is or has been regarded as a piece of state- craft, whether among pagans, Papists, or Protestants, divergence from the rites appointed by state or Church has been punished with fire and swol'd. And the Antio- chian persecution in the time of the Maccabees had its parallel in the Diocletian persecution in the Christian era. And although in our own land such treatment is not permitted, _yet there is, though largely unseen to the public eye, a fierce hatred by the ungodly ot pure and undefiled religion; and many and many a faithful soldier of the cross ha.s to endure petty insult, abuse, and scorn, to an extent known only to himself and his Lord. V. THE HATRED OF THE WORLD, WllTCH WA.S THE HEBREWS' DREAD, IS NOW THE CHRISTIAN'S BADGE OF HONOUR. It wa.s so with the apostles (Acts v. 41; Gal. vi. 17). It was so with private Christians in apostolic times (1 Pet. iv. 13-16). In enduring persecution in the early Christian centnries, believers so regarded it. And even now we have to remember the Master's words in John xv. 18-21. 'l'he ancient Hebrews could not bear the scorn of their foes; Christians regard it as "the fellowship of Christ's sufferings," and delighted in the words, 2 Cor. iv. 10, 11. VI. IN THE lllIDST OF FIERCEST PERSECUTION, CHRISTIANS II.AVE REALIZED THE OHANGELESSNESS OF DIVINE LOVE; even when they were "counttd as sheep for the slaughter." 1 Whel'e we have from the Hebrews a groan, we have from the Christians a song (Rom. viii. 35, 36; Stephen, Acts vi.15 and vii. 55-60; Matt. v. 12; Rom. v. 3; 2 Cor. xii. 10; Phil. i. 29; Heh. x. 3, 4; Jas. i. 2; 1 Pet. iv. 13, 16). Bdievers knew that nothing could ever separate them from Divine love; aml that the stroke that closed the life below set them free for the higher life "with Christ, which was very far better." 1 VII. HENCE CHRISTI.ANS !!.AW, WITH A CLEARNESS TO WEIOE HEBREW SAINTS COULD NOT .ATTA.IN, THAT THE CHUJICH EXISTS IN TWO WORLDS. So our Lord has taught in Matt. xvi. 18 (Revised Version); 3 Rev. i. 18. And the disclosure of this became even clearer through the visions granted to the seer in Patmos, when (Rev. vii.) he saw one part of the Church, below, sealed in the great tribulation, and another part of the Church, above, caught up out of it. Knowing this, as the early Christians did, they knew also that the rage and hate of the enemy could in no wise really harm. the Church, since their Lord was building it up in the realm above by the incoming of saints passing up from below. Hence even the slaughter of the people of God was bnt as a chariot of fire conducting them to the region where "they cannot die any more." VIIL THUS, INSTEAD OF .AN .AOONIZING CRY TO GOD TO INTERPOSE, THERE IS .A PE.AL OF TliIUMPH TH.AT NO INTERPOSITION IB NEEDED. "In e.11 these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." More than conquerors I What a gre.nd e.nd noble defiance of the enemy is there here I And how richly glorious is this proof of the development of the Divine intent to reveal his love more fully e.s the a~es rolled on! Note: If an expositor unfolds Pa. xliv. historically only, he must tr~ns_fer him.self to the ancient times; but if he will deal with that psalm from a Chnst1an standpoint, he will have a glorious field for expansion in contrasting the piteous wail of Ps. xliv. 22 with the gladsomeness with which the very same words are quoted e.nd applied in the eighth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. Blessed be God thn.t we live in the days of Christ's fulncss of light and life I Amen.--C.
Vers. 1-26.-" In the days of old." From this psalm we may learn three great lessons- !. VvE ARE TAUGHT TO SEE Goo's HAND IN HISTORY. There is no such thing as chance. "The chapter of accidents," as some one has well said, "is the Bible of the 1 The • Life of the Rev. J. G. Paton ' (first part) helpod us to realize these words aa no
otl,er recent hititory had done. ' See Nean<ler's 'Christian Life of the First Couturios,' eh. xiii.; nod Nean<ler's 'History of the Church,' vol. i. pp. 118-217 (Dohn). • Seo a serr,ion on thill text bv tho prl•aent wdter, in • To thu Lii.ht throuih the Orou 1 (Dickinsou). PB, XLIV, 1-20.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 31!)