the words of the living God, declaring the principles of eternal judgment. 11 In 11 magnificent vision the prophet to whom this psalm is d11e beholds the Almi"hty denouncing a solemn judgment against the degradation of his Name, and settin" forth the requirements of a spiritual religion." 1 In opening up this psalm, therefo~e, the expositor may well yearn to unfold it, "not as the word of man, but-, as it is in truth, the Word of God." In that spirit, and with that aim, we hope to deal with it now. There are some ten questions to be asked and answered concerning this disclosure of judgment which the psalm so sublimely sets before us. I. To WHOM DOES THE OFFICE OF JUDGE Bl!:LONG? In the sixth verse we read, "God is Judge himself." He allows none but himself to sit in judgment on others; for none else has the authority or the ability to do it. Dut he, whose great Trinity of names is given here, keeps all in infinite hands. "God," the Supreme Ruler; El- Elohim, the God of gods; Jehovah, the covenant God of Israel ;-he it is who is thus enthroned and speaks with his voice, on the eternal principles which are the basis of his throne. II. WHAT rs INCLUDED L'i THAT OFFICE? As here indicated, it includes the expression of his mind and will, as to the worship he requires, the conduct he approves or disapproves, the dec;sions he forms, the sentences he pronounces, the destinies he assigns. For long God may have seemed to keep silence hereon (ver, 21), but he will not be silent always (ver. 3). III. WHEN DOES THE JUDGMEh"'I' TAKE PLACE? It can scarcely be questioned that the remarkable words in ver. 3 point to a specific time when God shall come to judgment, and when attendant on the judgment there will be great signs and wonders in the heaven above and the earth beneath (see vers. 1, 3, 4). But three or four dis- tinctive forms of God's judgrnent are indicated in Scripture. 1. The judgment at the last day. This is brought before us in Matt. xxv. 31-46. 2. The judgment expressed in providential dispensations on the Jewish Church (Jer. vii.1-20; Ezek. ix. 4-6; 1 Pet. iv. 17). 3. The judgments that are brought upon Christian Churches that are nnlaiLhful. These are plainly enough shown us in the epistles to the seven Churches.~ 4. The judgment that is ever going on in every visible Church-a judgment by One whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and who walks in the midst of the golden lamps. This is God's" eternal judgrnent" (fleb. vi. 1), the principles of which never, never var.v. What they will be seen to be at the last day they are now, sean or unseen. lV. WHO AIIE THE JUDGED? (Ver. 5.) 'fhe heavens and the earth are called to be \\·itnc-sscs of God's judgment "of the covenant people" (Cheyne). "This psalm," says Dickson, "is a citing of the visible Church before God . . . to compear before the tribunal of God, now in time while mercy may be had, timously to consider the Lord's controver,y a"ainst the sinners in bis Church, that they may repent and be saved." "TLe psalm/' says Perowne, "deals with 'the sinners and the hypocrites in Zion,' but it reaches to all men, in all places, to the end of time." It contains the message of Divine indignation to those in Israel who were not of Israel; it specifies: 1. The superstitious-those who brought offerings of slain beasts in sacrifice, thinking that God accepted them as such, or who even, perhaps, stooped to ~ho pagan notion that such sacrifices were" food for the gods." Hence, though there 1s no rebuke over any offerings withbeld (ver. 8), yet there~ severe indignation against the low conceptions of God and Lis worship with which thcso offerings were brought (vors. 9-13). 2. There were the scribes (see Matlhew Poole), who expounded the Law, but kept 1t not (ver. 16). 3. There were those whose service was but a form-who vowed to God, but did not pay (ver.14). 4. '!'here were the openly wick_ed, who sought by profession of reli"ion to cloak their wickedness (vers. 17-20). Thmk of such a heterogeneous mass being collected together in one visible Church I Is it any wonder that" judgment must begin at the house of God"? V. \VnAT JB THE BASIB oF JUDG:lli;NT? (Ver. 2.) "Out of Zion God hath shined." As from Mount Sinai he declared hi~ will in the legislation of Moses, so from Zion he hath declared his will in the proclamations of prophet, apostle, saint, and seer; nnd according to those principles of truth and righteousuess thus proclaimed is God's 1 'The Psalms, chronologically arranged,' by Four Friends, p. 168. See also the twenty.
firth lecture in Mr. Fo.usset's ' Studies in the Pso.lms.' • Sce the present writer's articles thereon, in 'Pulpit Commento.ry.' PB. L, 1-23.] 'l'IlE BoOK OF PSALMS. 391