Vers. 1-3.-The consecration ef music. Instrumental music was associated with the Mosaic festivals; but the organization of music for ordinary religious worship is supposed to have been the work of David. The important differences between ideas of music in the ancient East and in the modern West needs to be carefully shown. Noise is cbiefil' considered in the East, harmonies are most valued in the West. Even the chanting at religious services was more like that which we call "Gregorian" than like the double tunes ordinarily used. Public services gained a new and attractive feature when music was introduced into them; nnd those gifted with the power of singing and pL1ying were allowed to take part in them. Then public services rose from being bare duty to become personal pleasure. Perhaps David's work in consecrating to God's worship poetical and musical gifts has never been worthily estimated. Thomson tells us that " the Orientals know nothing of harmony, and cannot appreciate it when heard." He went to a grand concert of instrumental musicians. "Seated on a raised JJlatform at one end of the room were half a dozen performers, discoursing strange music from curious instruments, interspersed with wild bursts of song, which seemed to electrify the e0ngrega.tion. They had a violin, two or three kinds of flutes, and a ta,nbourine. One man sat by himself, and bad a large harp." "No doubt the temple sen·ice, performed by those who trained for it, stirred the deepest fountains of feeling in the vast assemblies of Israel, at the great foasts." I. 'l'HE coNSECRA'l'ION OF MUSIC AND SUNG 'l'O Goo. All man's talents, gifts, and endowment.I! can be devoted to the service of God. Man has no power-poetical, artistic, musical, dramatic, or practical-in the use of which he cannot or may not 11erve God. Very strange was the notion once entertained that instrumental musio PS. LXXXT, 1-16.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 173
we.s not becoming to God's worship. And even yet there is II strange limitaUon to particular instruments, which alone a.re regar<led as appropriate. We need to see more clearly that every gift has its Divine sphere of service. II. TIii': 0ONBE0RATION OF MUSIC AND BONG TO MAN. Especially to man's artistic culture, and to man's pleasant and healthy recreation. The gifted in this direction are human benefactors. But we need to secure consecration to the highest and best inti;rests of man. The gifted should never pander to low tastes, or help to degrade their fellows. III. 'l'1m CONSECRATION OF MUSIC AND BONG TO THE SERVICE OF Goo THROUGH THE sEHVIOE OF MAN. This should be the high aim of all the gifted. In the use of their gifts so to serve their fellow-men, as that God should be glorified through their miuistry.-R. T. Ver. 4.-Authority in religion. "For this was e. statute for Israel." Reference is directly to the" blowing up the trnmpet in the new moon." However that might be done, because it was felt to be suitable, or because it was pleasant, it bad to be done because it was required; and it would have to be done, whether men could recognize its suitability or not, whether men found it pleasant or not. 'rhere is authority in relation to religious observances; some person3 more readily recognize and respond to that authority than others ; but all pious persons find somewhere and in something an ultimate basis of appeal. For some it is the inspired Scriptures, for some it is the witness of the universal Church, and for some it is the requirement of some duly authorized teacher. There has always been discussion as to the proper centre of authority in religion, and the universal Church is divided into sections by the variety of opinion on this subject. I. .AUTHORITY IN RELIGION MUST SATISFY MAN CONCERNillG THE TRUTH. So many men always have been, and some always must be, incompetent to decide perplexing doctrine.I or ethical questions for themselves. Some are unduly biassed by education; some have neither mental powers nor leiimre time for carrying on the necessary studies. In every department of truth, most men take their opinions on the authority of others; e.nd it is even more necessary, in regard to the higher truths of religion, that men should have their standards and their guides. True, we have the Bible; but men like .Anselm, .Augustine, Calvin, and Wesley, with the great teachers of later days, have been authorities in religious truth to thousands. II. .AUTHORITY IN RELIGION MUST LIMIT MAN'S VAGARIES. The speculative faculty leads men, in these times, to wander in all sorts of unknown regions ; and produces 11 restlessness and uncertainty which a.re seriously imperilling faith. Perhaps we read men's books too much, and God's book too little. Happy they who can rest in the " truths most surely believed among us," because they are declared with an authority which they can recognize. Ill. .AUTHORITY IN RELIGION MUST ENFORCE MAN'S DUTIES. Social life has changed the conception of what is becoming to e. Christian. We want guidance in the modern endeavour to live the Christian life. Self-indulgence weakens our will, and we want the help of distinct requirements in ordering our religious habits. But yielding to authority must be kept within healthy limitations, e.nd preserve personal independence e.nd responsibility.-R. T.
Ver. 5.-The unknown tongue. "I heard a language that I understood not." It is exceedingly difficult to trace the meaning of this seuteuce. The first suggestion is, that it may refer to the sojourning Israelites not understanding the language oi the Egyptians. Another suggestion is, that Israel did not understand the voice of God when heard from Sinai. Jennings e.nd Lowe give e. fresh and striking suggestion. They think the sentence is the utterance of God when passing over Egypt to judge it; e.nd they translate, speaking thus, "The saying, 'I know not,' I will hear." The reference is to the boastful saying of Pharaoh, " Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice? I know not the Lord." And God is represented as saying, " I will hear his speech; l will to.ke uotice of it; I will punish it." If we are to assume that God is speaking in this verse, e.s he seems to be in ver. 6, then this reference to Phare.oh ma.y be accepted. Another idea. is, that in this sentence the psalmist makes a sudden break, and abruptly 174 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. LXXXI. 1-10.