HOMILETICS. Vers. 3, 4.-Joy in God. "Let the righteous be glad," etc. The Bible, like human life, has its dark as well as bright side. Rather say, shows human life thus double- sided-half in light of happiness, knowledge, goodness; half in night of weeping. And as the earth in her path round the sun makes her own night, rolling into her own shadow; so the darkness of life results from man's turning away from God, the source of light, life, joy. No depths of sorrow so dark as those the Bible reveals. No heights of joy so bright. Almost the first page records the incoming of sin and death. Almost the last page, the forecast of doom. But before the record of sin, the declaration that man was created in God's imago ; and that all which God had made was good. After prophecy of judgments, the promise of new heavens and earth-the unclouded glory of the heavenly city. The text, in harmony with large part of Psalter, brings before us the bright side of life-joy in God. I. GROUNDS OF TBIB JOY. 1. Deepest and highest of all reasons for joy in God- his character: righteousness, truth, mercy, or (as same word beautifully translateJ) loving-kindness; eternal opposition to evil, and delight in good. All this is summed up in two words : "holiness," "love." 'l'hese do not divide God's character; each describes the whole. In regard to his own perfection-pattern and fountain of all goodness-God is holy. In regard to his creatures, God is love. Peculiar inalienable glory of Bible-it lays this moral spiritual basis for religion. Worship, which regards the infinite greatness and glory of the Creator; obedience (" the fear of God"), which regards his authority and power as Lord of all ;-these are everywhere inseparably joined withfaith (trust), which goodness alone can command or warrant. 'fhe more we disinter the relics of ancient religions (inscriptions, sacred books, etc.), the more evident how widely the knowledge of the true God was once diffused; how gradually the darkness swallowed up the light (Rom. i. 1). We meet with wonderful and beautiful settings- forth of Divine glory. Yet the contrast with religions teaching of Bible only grows more marked. One reason-nowhere else clo we find a practical revelation, even the very notion or pretence, of Goifs character by continuous course of dealings and messages, parallel with human history. Nowhere else any hint., much less full unfold- ing, of a Di vine message to the whole human race, "God so loved the world;" to every individual, "Be ye reconciled to God." 2. Second ground of joy--oui· personal relation to God. New Testament full of this. "Children of God" (Gal. iii. 26; 1 John iii. 1). Modern heresy of substituting whnt is ea.lied "the universal Father- hood of God" for message of gospel, substitutes a general for a personal relation. Throws back religion into Genesis. Each Hebrew, under Law of :Moses, was brought into personal relation to God: (1) by the covenant at Sinai, to which" his Name Jah" (equivalent to "Jehovah") referred; (2) by sacrifices, which had direct reference to his own sins. Conversion to God cnnnot be more truly described than as coming consciously, joyfully, trustfully, though penitently, into personal relation with Goel, in and through Christ. The vital question for every one is, "On what footing am I 48 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, LXVIIl, 1-35,
with the Father of spirits?" le it possible-not even on speaking terms, Or, if not so bad as that, yet so that you cannot, dare not, sny, "My God ; my Father" ? Then yo~ ~annot rejoice in God. 3. 'l'hird re~son for joy in <;lod-hia unchangeableness, This 1s whRt gn·es value 1? all pnst revelat10ns; trustworthmess to promises; security for the future; for eternity; 4-. Fourth reason-the assured triumph of right over m·ong; good over evil, because God reigns. A severe side to this. Perfect goodness cannot but have its severe side, in world swar_ming wit~ injustice, cruelty, falsehood, lust. Powerful tendency of present day to ignore this; look only on soft side of goodness. But perfect love must include perfect hatred of all that debases and ruins human life. Illust. : Father sees child maimed or blinded, throuo-b carelessness or cruelty; Ch,istian meekness represses desire of vengeance; but not to feel righteous anger would be monstrous insensibility. And welfare of society may demand exem- plary punishment. God's character assures us that he has" no plea.sure in the death of a sinner;" but equally, that "the wages of sin is death." II. hTLUENCE OF THIS JOY IN Goo. Suppose the agnostic riaht; 0 revelation an illusion; faith a blind conjecture flung out into void of ignorance. Even so, it would remain trne that the believer has spring of unselfish motive, inspiration of pure, lofty aim, fount of comfort and joy, the world cannot give or take away. But "we have not followed ..• fables." lf deprived of this wonderful Book of Psalms, of whole story of God's dealings and messages down to nineteen hundred years ago, this would not alter glory or certainty of fact that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselr."