judgment ever being exercised; according to them will it finally proceed. And accorrlin'.!: to the measure of light granted to men, will be the standard by wl,ich they will be tried. Fuller li~ht on this theme comes to view in the New •restament. Peter's words (Acts x. 35; 1 ·Pet. iii. 18-iv. 6), Paul's words (Rom. ii. 16; xiv. 10; 2 Cor. v. 10), throw a. flood of light hereon, showing us that ere the final, judgment comes eve, y soul will come to know its relation to the Lord Jesus, and that according to itd response will be its destiny. 1 VI. WHAT ARE TRE PRINCIPLES ON WHICH JU.DGMENT WILL PROCEED? Five of these a.re indicated in the psalm. 1. 'fbat merely formal offerings are ofl'ensi vo to God (vers. 8~13). 2. That no measure of religiousness will be accepted if iniquity has prevailed in the heart and life (ver. 16). 3. That the truly acceptable worship is a life of consecration, fidelity, prayer, and praise (vers. 14, 15). 4. That whosoever has ordered his life after the revealed will of God, will see God's salvation (ver. 23). 5. That wherever the life has been one of forgetfulness and neglect of God, the guilty one will he confounded (ver. 22). VJI. ,vHAT ARE THE COMPLAINTS MADE BY THE GREAT JUDGE? One is negative, viz. the absence of the worship of the heart; another is positive-hypocrisy and guilL screened under a profession of religion, and the thought being cherished all tbe while that they would never be detected (ver. 21); VIII. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SOVEREIGN JUDGE? A life of (1) praise (ver. 23); (2) thanksgiving (ver. 14); (3) loyalty (ver. 14); (4) prayer (ver. 15); (5) glorifying God (ver. 15); (6) a good and upright conversation (ver. 23). Who does not see how infinitely such a life rises above that of merely formal lip-service? IX. WHAT WILL BE THE ISSUE OF THE JUDOI\IENT? Under varied forms of expression, the results are declared to be twofold, according to the main c!rifrs of character and life. 1. For those in the wrong, rejection, sin set in order, brought home, exposed, condemned (vers. 21, 22). 2. For those who are in the right-the salvation of God (Acts x. 35; xv. 8, 9, 11). Thus under every head, though in archaic form, and with light less full, the very same truths are declared by the psalmist that were afterwards brought out more fully by Jesus Christ and his apostles. x. 'fo WHOM IS THE 0ALL ADDRESSED TO BEAU ALL THIB, AND WHY? (Vers. l, 4.) The whole earth is called on to witness and to watch the severely discriminating judgments of God on his visible Church; and every one is called upon to hearken, because it is God who speaketh. The Apostle Peter raises a momentous qnestion iu 1 Pet. iv. 17, 18. Whether we are ready to face the last judgmcnt depends on how we stand in relation to that judgment which is going on every hour. Note: .After studying such a psalm as this, how vain does the question put by Roman Catholics nppea.r, "Where can I find God's true Church?" For this whole psalm is addressed to God's true Church. Yet whoever, even "in Zion," is at ease, or formal, or corrupt, will find that not even membership in any visible Church will save him. Only thoso will be saved whose hearts are purified by faith in Jesus Christ our Lorcl.-C.
Vere. 1-23.-God the rigliteous Judge. I. Trr.lT Gon WILL JUDGE ALL MEN, Even now there ie judgment. Every act of our lives has its moral character, and carrie& its consequences of good or evil. But this judgment is but partial and incom- plete. Heason, conscience, aud Holy Scripture proclaim a judgmont to come which will be perfect and final. The supreme Judge of all men is God. He and ho alone has the right and the power. He bas perfect knowledge, and cannot err; be has nbsolute righteousness, and cannot do injustice; ho has almighty power, and cannot bo prevented from carrying his judgment~ into effect. In the psalm the vision seems gradually to unfold itself till the great God stands before us in awful majesty and glory, "the Judge of the quick and the dead." II. THAT Gon's JUDGMENT WILL SETTLE FOR EVER TIIE DESTINIES OF MEN. God comes to us now, but it is in mercy. He ha'l no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but would rather that all should turn from their evil ways and live. Dut there is a great crisis near, when he will come as a Judge, and when all men shall be brought consciously before him for judgment. 'l'he judgment will be universal: not only Israel, but all the earth; but it will begin nt the house of God. Unavoidable: there will 1 See the present writer's book on 'Theories of Future Punishment,' 2nd edit. (Snow). 392 'rHE BOOK. OF PSALMS. [rs. L. 1-23.