Ver 17.-For when he dieth he shall "honour, reverence, and troops of friends," oarry nothing away. Nothing iri the way who will ndmire them and flatter them, of enrthly possessions-nothing but the Ver. 19.-Ke shall go to the generation of qualities which he hns imprinted on his his fathers. In the Hebrew it is "thou ehalt soul, and made part and parcel of himself, go," or " it (the soul) shall go;" but tho The heathen nntions, foolishly, were accus- meaning is well expressed by the Autho1·ized tomed to bury clothes, nnd arms, 1tnd vessels, Version. However much the wioked man and stores of gold with the departed, as delights in his life, 1mrl. clings to it, never- though they could take these with them into theless he has to die (ver. 10), to join the the other world (see the author's 'Herodo- "generations of his fathers," to go where tus,' vol. iii. pp. 59-62, and notes 9, 1, 2). they have gone before him. And, once in Tile writer of the psalm, and those whom he Sheol (ver. 14), they shall never see light. addressed, were equally aware of the foolish- God will redeem the sonl of the righteous ness of such customs. His glory shall not from the power of Sheol (ver. 15); but the descend after him. Whatever "glory" hie rich ungodly man, and those to whom he wealth has rncured to him in this life shall goes-men of his sort-shall for evermore be left behind. He shall be imprisoned in Mt see light. Sheol, with death to sbepherd him (ver. H), Ver.20.-Man that is inhononr,and under- and with no hope of returning to the" light" standeth not, is like the beasts that perish. (rnr. 19). In var. 12 the writer had said of all moo, Ver. 18.-Thongh while he lived he blessed that they are " like the beasts that perish," his soul (comp. Ps. x. 3; Luke xii. 19). He which is true in one sense ; i.t, in reference thought himself happy, and congratulated to this life, Now, having taken a loftier himself on hi.s good fortune. And men will flight, and embraced in his mento.l vision praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. the whole life ofmau, he makes an important A parenthetic remark. Not only do such qualification of what he bad said. All meu men congratulate themselves, but the world's die; but only those who are "without applause follows on them. So long as they understanding" die without hope-" like are well-to-do, and keep themselves in the the beasts : " for others there remains the forefront of the battle of life, lhey will have hope enunciated in ver. 15.
HOMILETICS. Ver. 8.-I11finite redemption. "The redemption," etc. The same astonishing spectacle presents itself to this unknown psalmist which so sorely perplexed bis brother psalmist, Asaph-" the prosperity of the wicked." Dut instead of being" envious at the foolish," or finding a painful enigma in their wealth and pride, he summons men of all lands-rich or poor, high or lowly-to listen while he "opens bis dark saying," expounds the riddle. The world's pageant is transparent to the prophet's eye. Behind it are eternal realities. The shadow of death dime its glory. Death, like a spectral shepherd, waits by the grave's mouth to gather hie flock. What can, then, the rich man's wealth avail (vere. 7-9)? Primarily, then, these words refer to the present life-the impotence of wealth and earthly glory to ward off death. But in ver. 15 clearly "soul" means more than the life that now is-ven a life of which this is but shadow and prelude, and a "second death." Following out, therefore, the thought of the text, we have (1) the infinite value of the soul, and its need of redemption; (2) the infinite cost at which it has been redeemed; (3) the infinite issues of the redemption of a soul. I. Gon BESTOWED IN THE BEGINNING AN INFINITE VALUE ON THE SOUL OF MAN. Man was made in the image of God, capable of knowing, loving, obeying, resembling his Maker. His complex nature bas its lower side-" of the earth, earthy." Hie animal frame allies him to the lower creatures (vers. 12, 20). Learned leaders of science in our day are labouring to emphasize this side of humanity. Man, they say, bas grown up from lower forms-is but a glori6ecl, highly developed ape. "But there is a spirit in man" (Job xxxii. 8). 'fhis sp!ritu~l na~u~e lau_ghs ~o scorn the a~~empt to class it with "beasts that perish," and claims its D1vrne b1rthr1ght (Acts xv11. 29). Enoch and Abraham, David, Isaiah, John, Paul, had something_within them of which there is no trace, no speck or germ, in the lower ranks of hfe. So, too, has the humblest Christian-nay, the lowest savage, if but his heart will open to the message o[ God in Jesus. 1. God loves the soul-fallen, sinful, at enmity with him though it iB, and juHtly condemned-yea, with infinite love (John iii, 16), It is in ruins i but re. XLIX. 1-20.] THE BOOK OF PSALM!:!. 381