think of him RS loving and merciful, "faithful and just to forgive," etc. (1 John i. 9), we she.11 learn to "love him, been.use he first loved us" (iv. 19); and lovin"', shall obey. And if we think of him as holy, we shall hate sin, and strive after holiness (Heb. xii. 14). Let us note (1) the wrong thought of God hero rebuked; (2) the equally darigeroits O[Jposite error; (3) the truth, which in a distorted, imperfect form is to be found in both. ' l. THE ERROR 0~' BRINGING DOWN OUR TIIOUGIITS OF GOD TO TIIE LEVEL OF HUMAN NATURE-measuring God by man. '"l'hou thoughtest," etc. This is the germ of idolatry. Man's nature makes him a worshipper. His reason demands God. Hia heart cries out for God. His weakness needs God. But his sinfulness shrinks from a righteous and holy God (see St. Paul's account of the matter, Rom. i. 19-25). But those to whom this warning is spo'.rnn are not idolaters, any more than they are :itheists. They "declare God's statutes" and "take his covenant in their mouth." Professed members of his Church, even teachers in it. But" in works they deny him" (Titus i. 16). Looking at this psalm as predictive, its first fulfilment was when our Saviour denounced the hypocrites of this day; as in Matt. xxiv. Its final fulfilment will be that of which he speaks in Matt. vii. 21-23. (The whole second chapter of Romans is a commentary on this psalm.) How is such self-deceiving hypocrisy possible? Through false thoughts of God. Men persuade themselves that he does not mean what he says; will not be hard on them; is too indulgent really to punish sin. Not only a fatal error, but one that adds to other sins that of insulting the Most High ! Terrible to think that men may set up an idol in their own thoughts -a false view of God's character and dealings, as unlike God as Baal or Juggernaut! II. THE OPPOSITE ERROR IS THAT OF SUPPOSmG THAT GoD IN NO RESPECT RESEMBLES MAN; on MAN, GoD. That there is nothing in our nature-conscience, reason, affections-from which we may infer some correspondence in "the Father of spirits." God is thus removed out of all reach of our knowledge, sympathy, love; and even trust and obedience. This is the error to which men are most prone in our own day, especially men of cultured intellect and science. They see themselves surrounded by an order so stupendous, laws so unchangeable, worlds and systems RO remote, so ancient, so infinite to our feeble thought, that the Creator seems infinitely removed- lost in the greatness of his own works. The world by wisdom knowa uot God. If such men worship, it is not the God revealed in the Bible and in Christ, but an idol- not of sense or imagination, but intellect-" tho Infinite," "the Absolute," "the Stream of tendency making for righteousness," "the Unknowable." III. IN DOTH THESE ERRORS THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRUTH. But only half the truth. Half-truths are often the most deadly errors, when mistaken for whole truths. But truth is not found by flyin11: from one error to the opposite extreme. The truth contained, but concealed and distorted, in idolatry, is that man's nature has something akin to God, so that man can converse with God. 'l'be truth contained, but perverted, in the philosophy which declares God to be "unknowable," is that our knowledge of him, though real and true, must needs bo very limited. Finite minds cannot comprehend the Infinite. The narrow limits of our knowledge of God, and its necessary imperfection, are amply taught in the Bible (see Exod. iii. 13, 14; Isa. xl. 25; Iv. 8, 9). But the main efforts and purpose of the Bible, from first to last, is not to weigh us down with God's incomprehensible greatness, but to lift us up and bring us near to him. Its opening pa"e shows us, not God in the lilceness of man, but man created in the image of God. Then the Scripture goes on to reveal God (1) by providence, dealing with individuals as well as nations and the race; (2) by law, binding us to him in duty and obedience; (3) by promise, binding himself to us in a personal moral relation, which we personally enter into by faith; by (4) miracle, making nature, where only dead law seems to reign, reveal bis living presence, power, and lovo; (5) by inspiration, communicating in human thought and speech all that we most need to know or him. Lastly, all these meet and are perfected in Christ (Heh. i. 1-3; John i. 18; xiv. 9).
Ver. 22.-Forgetfulness of God. "Now consider," etc. The prevailing character or ibe Book of Psalms is that Divine truth is clothed in the language of human experi- ence. But in this psalm God alone speaks. The personality of the psalmist vani~bes, Pl. L. 1-23.] THE BOOK. OF PSALMS. 81:19