world. They are not merely historical incidents. They are not merely isolated calamities. They are linly seen and apprehended aright when they are seen to be Divine permissions, and even tnken up and used for high moral ends by/Diviae power. They are one form in which God's Church is disciplined, and, through d'iscipline, perfected. Illustrate from the Book of Revelation, which deals so 1.-rgely with the persecution of Christ's Church, but shows us the Church being sanctified through its tribulation. Illustrative cases of persecution may be taken from (1) Old Testament history; e.g. the times of Jezebel. (2) New Testament history; e.g._the time succeed- ing Stephen's martyrdom. (3) Early Church history; e.g. the persecution under Diocletian. (4) Middle Age history; give some account of the work of the Inquisition in Spain. (5) Modern Age history; see the persecution of the native Christians in Madagascar, under the Queen Ranavalona. The historical associations of this psalm with the seventy-fourth, which is singularly like it, cannot be certainlv assured. It ill generally agreed that it must refer to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, or to the sack of the city by Antiochus Epiphanes. If the latter is referred to, we must recognize that some of the psalms belong to the Maccabean period. The details of these two sieges may be given, and the psalm treated as helping us to realize the misery and distress of God's people at such a time. The points which may be opened out profitably are these; 1. Judgments on the wicked bring disabilities on the righteous. The invasion of Nebuchadnezzar was a distinct Divine judgment on the Israelite nation. The Babylonians did but execute the Divine judgment, as Israel itself had, in previous ages, executed the Divine judgments on the Canaanites. Sometimes God was pleased to spare the few faithful ones, as in the case of Noah; the prophets preserved by Obadiah; and the Christians at the Roman siege of Jerusalem. But usually the jndgments affected the pious and the wicked; and the attitude of the pious under the judgment became an appeal and an example. It should, however, be noticed that judgments on the wicked are only chastisements to the righteous. 2. The trouble of the righteous is the insult offered to God, rather than the damage done to themselves. Here the defiling of God's temple is the chief complaint. This better suits an association with Antiochus Epiphanes. In all times of public calamity, the good man is chiefly concerned about God's honour, as Joshua was when he cried, "What wilt thou do unto thy great Name? 11 Such concern for God's honour is one of the surest signs of right-heartedness.-R. T, Ver. 5.-Expected limitations of the D-ivine wrath. "How long, 0 Jehovah, wilt thou be angry for ever?" The duration of Divine judgment may seem long to pious feeling; it is known not to be long, when faith begins to read it aright. The Di vine wrath is ever in the control of the Divine righteousness and the Divine love. There is no personal feeling-in it. When its ends are reached, the Divine wrath is satisfied. God's people may comfort themselves with the assurance that there are three limitations always being put on the Divine wrath. I. THE DIVINE HONOUR. Of that honour God is jealous. We may be quite sure that he will never act, or continue to act, in such ways ae would reasonably give men wrong thoughts concerning him. Take one thing: the good man may be quite sure that God will never so act as to produce impressions of personal vindictiveness. We may not think of God as "hating" anything that he has made. His judgments are official, parts of the wise ordering of his kingdom. No man could have high ideas of the Divine honour who failed to realize the strict limitations of the Divine wrath. J udgments on frail men could not honour the God of righteousness and love, if they were continued for ever. 'fhey end when their object is gained. II. THE Drv1NE PURPOSE. This too must be seen to be official, not personal. The well-being of the creature, not his own pleasure, we are to regard as the purpose ever set before God. It is, however, a moral purµose concerning a moral being; and can be best represented by the aims cherished in the family life. Parents hold ever before them the good manhood and womanhood of their children; and in their efforts to secure these things, strict limitations have to be put on times of wrath and judgment. If God's purpose is to fit us to be with him, and to have us with him, his anger can but be a "hiding of his face for a little moment;" it cannot be for ever. If God's purpose is our betterment, no agency used by him can be unduly continued. If it were, 152 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. LXXIX. 1-18,
"our soul6 would fail before him." Illustrate from the Church in the wilderness; the times of the prophets; such Christian times as the age of our Queen Mary. 'Iba Divina purpose of dispensations of wrath must be fully accomplished; and therefore troubles calamities, and persecutions may have to stay wearyingly long, until the souls of th~ martyred cry out, "How long, 0 Lord, how long I '' Uut God has the lonO'0 ages to work in, and his purposes are ever "ripening fast, unfolding every hour." III. 'rHE Drvurn PITY. The psalmist found comfort in thinking of this. "He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust." His judgments nnd his chastisements are always strictly limited to that which we are able to bear. '!'here is something very like untrustfulness in the plaint of our text. He who is sure of the Divine pity and love has no voice in which to utter the fear that his judgments can be '' for ever."-R. T.