stumbling-block to Christian readers. But there they are, and we cannot get rid of them. 2. They are very natural. The spirit of resentment and revenge is a definite part of human nature; it may manifest itself in varied forms, more or less barbaric, nccording to the degree of civilization which has been reached, but it exists in all. 3. .And in Israel of old it was not wrong. For it must ever be remembered that to them no revelation of the future life, still less of the future judgment, had been given. Had there been any Scripture plainly teaching this doctrine which Christians know so well from the New Testament, our Lord, in showing to the Sadducees who believed no such doctrine, would not have appealed to a text which, unless he had told us so, we should n!lver have regarded as teaching that doctrine at all. Before our Lord do explained it, it had not been recognized that the oft-repeated words, "I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac," etc., involved the truth of the future life. Ilut there was no more evident text, or it would have been appealed to. Hence, and for many other reasons, we conclude that the truth of the future life and immortality, still lesd of judgment to come, had not been brought to light when these psnlms were written. If this were so, theu such as the psalmist could only vindicate the righteousness of God by appealing to his visible acts of judgment and retribution here and now. Were they not seen, who would believe in a righteous God at all? Hence was it that so often, and so prominently, not to say so fiercely, the ancient psalmists nnd prophets appealed to God ns in this psalm. Had they known what we do, there would have been no such appeals made. It was not mere personal revenge or nntionnl hate, but jenlousy for the honour of God's Name, o.nd therefore we say that, however wrong such sentiments would be for us, in them they were not wrong. 4. B-ut for us they would be wrong, being o.ltogether opposed to the Spirit of Christ, 6. All this does 11ot condemn either natio11al or personul self• defence. III. How WE MAY LAWFULLY ADOPT FOR OURSELVES THIS WIIOLE PSALM AKD ALL IIUOH l'BALMB. By turning all those prnyers for the destruction of enemies against tho 160 THE BOOK OF PSALMS, [P!!, LXXIX, 1-13.
hosts of spiritual wickedneS!!, "the gates of bell" which do sore assail, and seek to prevail over the people of God. They are the heathen, the defilel'll, the destroyers, the sbedders of blood, the mockers, the oppressors. Not against our fellow-men, but against them, we may and should thus pray. 'l'he devil and his angels are no mere myth or superstition, but terrible realities, and eve,y faithful aoul knows sadly well their cruel tyranny, and seemingly invincible might.-S. O.
Ver. 8.-" Brought very low." I. THIS A CONDITION VERY COMMON. Sometimes it is throug_h: 1. Mental di.stress, _helplessne~s, so_rrow, despair. 2. Or sickness of body, as Hezekiah. 3. Or outward di..•aster, aR m this psalm. TI. ITS CAUSES GENERALLY TRACEABLE: 1. To ourselties---our own sin or folly. 2. To others with whom we are associated. See this verse, where "former iniquities" mean the iniquities of people who _have lived before us. Parents, ancestors. We all are members one of another, and 1f one suffer, all others suffer with him. Hence it may be their sin or folly rather than our own. 3. To God. He, as with Job, may see fit to let us be brought very low. III. lTs REASONS VARIOUS. 1. Punishment. 2. Discipline. 3. Fo,· the drawing of the soul nearer God. 4. For opportunity of testifying to God's IJ'IJ,Staining grace. 5. To teach sympathy. IV. BESET WlTH PERIL. The devil loves to hit a man when he is down. Hence he assails the mind with thoughts hard, bitter, unbelieving, desperate. Shipwreck of faith and good conscience lies near at hand. V. BuT MAY BECOME THE MEANS OF GREAT SPIRITUAL ATTAINllENT. Even our Lord " learned obedience" so.-S. C.
Ver. 10.-TI!e heathen taunt. I. THE HEATHEN DID BAY THIS-Where is their God? The Jew had talked so much of his God, how great and glorious he was, what wonder- ful works he had done, the victories he had given them, that now, in view of their burning city, their desecrated temple, the heaps of slain in their streets, Lhe heathen in pride and scorn :flung this taunt in their face-Where is your God? II. AND THE HEATHEN SAY IT STILL. Missionaries go to them, and tell them of God, so holy, merciful, righteous, that many of them are won for God; but lo I there come, soon after, fellow-countrymen of the missionaries-traders, sailors, and others, who bring vile alcoholic drinks, murderous weapons, vices unnamable, and much else with them, and do their bad best to make the heathen's home a hell: what wonder if they should ask, as they do-Where is your God? III. .Al."'D MEN GODLESS AS HEATHENS SAY IT HEBE m OUR OWN LAND. 1. So-called scientific men. One of them, the other day, contemptuously declared that he had been lookiug down a microscope for some thirty years, and he hadn't found God yet; and he was sure he should have found him if there was a God to be found. And many others scoff at the idea of God, and deny his existence, or, at any rate, defy you to prove it. 2. Others, because of the problems of moral and physical evil, refuse to believe in God. 3. Others ,i,nder the pressure of trial and earthly care: hence they have become bitter and hard, and so cast off all faith. 4. Many others, as they mark the glal'ing inconsistencies of professed Christians. They condemn them all as false, hypocritical, and insincere. IV. But we ask-WHEREFORE SHOULD THEY BAY TIDB? 1. Wherefore the man of science 1 For God is known by the spirit, not the intellect. 2. Ur the mind baffled by moral problems 1 Our children trust us, when they cannot understand: should not God's children trust him? 3. Or the care-embittered soul, Does the denial of God make care lighter? Would it not be better to humble one's self before God, and to hide in the shelter of his love? 4. .Artd the dedaimer against the inconsistencies of the Church , He exaggerates them, and ignores the mass of true-hearted believers. CoNCLUSION. But let us take care to give no occasion for the heathen to say- Where, etc. ?-S. C.
Vers. 1-4.-Time., of persecution. Such times have been repeated over and over ngain. They must be recognized a.a parts of the Divine administration, and we must inquire how they are made to bea.r on- the spiritual iotorests of God's Ohurch in tho PII, LXXIX, 1-13.) 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 15J