Ver. 9.- War. "He maketh wars to cease." If we were asked to give in one short word the most prevailing character, the most striking feature, of human history-the history of all nations, civilized or sava.ge, ancient or modern-we must reply," War." If we were asked-What has been the severest scourge under which human life Bn,l happiness have suffered? we must again say, "War." If we were a.sked to furnish in one word the proC)f that human nature is sinful, q.d. that its passions are not hridled by justice or ruled by love, we must again answer, "War." Is this to be tho cnse alwnys? Will the time come when nations "shall learn wllr no more"? I. GoD ALONE CAN MAKE WARS TO CEASE. Science cannot do it. It enc. teach men how more skilfully to destroy each other, but not to love one another. Commcrco cannot do it. Some of the cruelest and wickedest wars have been wa.ged for the sake of trndo and revenue. Education cannot do it. The most highly educBted nations of tho world are the most military. Progress and civilization cannot; fur they do not make men unselfish. 'l'he source of war is not in outward circumstances, but in human nature; in the lust of gain, of power, of glory, of vengeance (Jae. iv.1). No power cBn subdue these but his who could say to the winds and waves, "Pta.cc, bo still I" II. GoD CAN DO IT. By miracle, if be sees IH; sink every war-ship, parnlyzo every soldier's arm or eye. But that is not God's way of ruling the world, Jlo will not make wars to cease unless the root'! out of which they grow be plucked np. \Vhile sin reigns, strife will reign. Only let justice anu. benevolence bccomo uniYersnlly recognized and obeyed, and war must die out. For, allowing that war may be just and even (in the long run) benevolent on one side, there never was and never can be a war tbat was just on both sides. How, then, can God make wa.r to cease? By ruakrng all men loving and righteous, wise and unselfish. '!'his does not imply nny imaginary impossible perfection. '!'here are tens of thousands who mako no pretence to perfection, yet are so governeu. by justice and inspired by kimluess, that if all were 252 TllE BOOK or PSALMS. [PS. XLVI, 1-11.
like them, war would be impossible. The love of God, the Spirit of God, and the truth of God, can do this, and are doing it daily. What God does in these cases he can do in others. Things impossible with men are possible with God. III. GoD HAS PROMISED TO no TIIU!. (Isa. ii. 4; J as. iii. 18.) No nobler title belongs to our Saviour than "Prince of Peace" (see Eph. ii. 14; Col. i. 20; Rom. v 1). If we are tempted to ask, "If God can make wars to cease, and has promised, why does war continue to seour~ mankind?" the answer must be, "Because men will not have God's remedy." As long as they are not at peace with God, so long they cannot, shall not, be at peace among themselves. Do not think that God looks down on human suffering with indifference. The whole Bible is in contradiction to such a thought; but, above all, the fact that bis beloved Son has taken our su:fferina flesh on him. God is the "Author of peace, and Lover of concord." But he wilt° have no remedy which does not go to the root. Righteousness must go first; peace follows (Isa. xxxii. 17; Jas. iii. 18). Meanwhile let us rejoice in the promise and prospect (Ps. lxxii. 7). Every triumph of the gospel, every heart yielded, every life consecrated to Christ, is a step towards the blessed reign of universal peace (Matt. v. 9).
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-11.-The saint's stronghold. This psalm is one of those "for the sons of Korab," on which see our remarks on Ps. xiii. It is "a song upon Alamoth," which, according to Fiirst,1 is the proper name of a musical choir. As the word "Alamoth" means "virgins," it is supposed that the song was for soprano voices. We have, however, to deal with the contents of the song itself. It bas long been a favourite with the people of God. "This is my psalm," said Luther. To this we owe his "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott," and many other songs of the sanctuary. It would seem to have been suggested by some one of the many deliverances which the Hebrews had from the onsets of their foes; but to which of those it specially refers, is and must be left an open question. There are phrases in it which remind us of the redemption from Egypt (cf. ver. 5 with Exod. xiv. 27, Hebrew). There are others which recall the deliverance for which Jehoshaphat prayed (cf. vers. 10, 11 with 2 Chron. xx. 17, 22, 23). Other words vividly set forth the boasting of Sennacherib and the destruction of his army (cf. vcrs. 3, 6 with 2 Kings xviii. 29-35; xix. 6, 7, 15-19, 28, 35). At each of these crises the four points of this psalm would be (1) a raging storm; (2) a commanding voice; (3) a humbled foe; (4) a jubilant song. And how many times this song has been sung by individuals, by families, by Churches, by nations,2 the closest students of history best can tell. And in setting forth this song for homiletic use, we might show that it records the repeated experience of the Church; that it becomes the grateful song of the family; that it fits the lips of the believer in recounting providential mercy; that it is the constant song of the saints in rehearsing redemp- tion's story. To deal with all these lines of thought would far exceed our space. We will confine ourselves to the last-named use of the words before us, showing that this forty-sixth psalm means far more on the lips of the Christian than it did on the lips of Old Testament believers. It is not the song itself that is our chief joy, but that revela- tion of God which has made such a song possible for believers-first under the Old Testament, and specially, in Christ, under the New Tesf;a.ment. I. Tm: SAINTS NOW HAVE A. CLEARER VIEW oF GoD. (Heb. i. 1, 2.) Of old, God spake through prophets; now he speaks in his Son. And when we hear our Lord say, "He that bath seen me, bath seen the Father," we know at once to whom to turn for the interpretation of that greatest of all words, "God." To the Hebrews, their covenant God was revealed in words (Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7); but to us he is revealed in the living Word, in the Person of the incarnate Son of God. "In him dwelleth all the folness of the Godhead bodily." II. 'fHE SAINTS NOW CAN RECORD A GREATER DELIVERANCE than Israel of old 1 Bee hi.a 'Lexicon,' ,ub verb. ; cf. 1 Chron. xv. 20 and ' Variorum Bible. • As in the great event which called forth the immortal words, "De118 cfflnvit, et d;_,;sipantur.' PB. XLVJ, 1-11,] 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 863