Ver. 10.-Stmnge preferences. I. THOSE HEBE NAMED, 1. That a day spent in God's courts is better than a th-Ousand anywhere el.se. But such preference makes it certain that not any day in God's courts can be meant; for too many days are spent there which might just as well be spent elsewhere. They bring no good to any one, but rather harm. For the worship on such days is but formal, hypocritical, has no heart in it. But the day the psalm tells of must be one in which the soul really communes with God, in which God is worshipped in spirit and in truth. 2. That the humblest service in the house of God is better than the most rich and luxurious life in the unts of wickedness. But here again the service meant must be the reverse of formal, perf11nctory, grudging; for if the service were of such sort, one might almost as well be in the tents of wickedness. .And tba.t dwelling in those tents cannot mean an unwilling, a forced dwelling, like that told of in Ps. cxx. 5. Many servants of God have had and still have so to dwell amongst wickeduess; they are not happy in it, would not be where they are could they help it, but they cannot, Hence if they be "lights shining in the darkness," then they are rendering high service to God, and great shall be their reward. But the dwelling told of is one which is chosen and loved, But, the psalmist says, the meanest place in God's house is better than that. "'I had rather be a door-keeper," etc. II. SucH PREFERENCES ARE VERY STRANGE. For few sympathize with them ; even good people might be slow to make such affirmation a.bout a single da.y in God's house being better than a thousand anywhere else. Most people think that those who make such choice are either madmen or fools. They are despised as enthusia.Bts, or hypo- crites, or fanatics. III. NEVERTHELESS, SUCH PREFERENCES ARE REAL FACTS, He who wrote this psalm was but one of myriads more. He who doeR not put God first may have much good about him, as had the young rnler told of in the Gospels, but he cannot have eternal life. IV. AND THEY CAN BE ABUNDANTLY JUSTIFIED. 1. The first-named can-the one day over the thousand. For what gives value to time? Not its duration, but its employment, wbat you do with it. Which do we deem most worth-the compara- tively short-lived empire of Greece, or the thousands of years of Chinese life-if life it can be called ? There may be one day in your life which you remember more than whole years beside, for it more influenced and blessed you than all the myriad other' days which have gone by and are forgotten. It is the day filled with energies of the mind, heart, spirit; with memories of inspiring deeds; with influences which tell upon you and others. Cf. King Henry V.'s address to his soldiers at .Agincourt-- "'He that outlives this day and comes safe home, Will IJtand a tip-toe when this day is named," eto. But the day ofreal worship and communion with God is a day more filled with energies, memories, influences, than can any others be. How many of these others only drag down the 0-0ul I but a day with God I 2 . ..4.nd BO the humblest service/or God iB to be preferred, For such service is shared in by the noblest, unites us to God, breaks the cha.in of sin, prepares for heaven, robs care of its sting, etc. Therefore the psalmist's choice is right ; let it be ours 1-S. C. Ver. 1.-..4. te6t of our Bpiritual Btate. We may not, find Davidic associations with PI!. LXXXIV. 1-12.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 197
this pee.Im. It we.e composed by one of the musically gifted family known as the "sons of Korab;" e.nd may be compared witb. Pss. xiii., xliv. They were e. family of Levites wbose inheritance Ie.y on the eastern side of the Jordan. "Dwelling on the other side of Jordan, it we.a often impossible for them to reach Jerusalem. When thu river swelled e.nd rose with the melting snows of winter, or with the heavy tropice.l re.ins which fell on the northern hills and mountains, the fords of the Jordan became impassable; and the sons of Korab, even though their turn of duty had come round, were unable to go up to the house of the Lord. So, too, when the armies of Assyria, or some other foe, were encamped round the city, and no Hebrew wa8 per- ruitted to pass the line of sirge, they were shut out from the wordhip of the temple through all the summer mllnths. Many, if not most, of their psalms appear to have been composed e.t such times as these." 'fhe point suggested is that the spiritual condition of this writer can be tested by his feeling when deprived of religious privi- leges. Was he glad of the ease and relief? Or did he pine for restoration? So it may be shown that when Christians, through sickness or travelling, are separatfd from their usual wor~hipping associations, their spiritual state may be appraised by their feeling. Do they pine for them; regretfully remember them, and wish tb.ey had made better use of them ? I. Do WE LONG FOB Goo's WOBBHIP? It may be actually a possible thing for a man to live e. religious life without ever taking parL in any public services. He is a rara avis indeed who succeeds in accomplishing it. Most men not only yield to Divine command and invitation, by sharing in sanctuary services, but they feel also the positive necessity for such services, in the culture of their religious life, and the satisfaction of their religious wants. When souls are alive unto God, they are sure to desire to worship and praise him along with other~. 'l'his is the natural religious instinct. But it should be pointed out that the interest in God's worship may cease to be spiritual; it may become resthetic; it may even sink down to be a merely" formal habit." II. Is OUB LONGINO FOB Goo's HOUSE AND WORSHIP REALLY A LONGINO FOB THE SENSE OF HIS NEARNESS 'I The expression in ver. 2, "for the living God," suggests the deep spirituality of the writer. It was not the ritual he longed for, or the songs; it was the conscious presence of God, as the living Helper, Guide, and Comforter. Compare the Christian yearning for the close and conscious presence of the living Christ as Saviour and Sanctifier.-R. T.