of tbe Chri~li11n life into our I\Ctua\ practice, 2. They often mistake what are the good th.ings qf life, Many things, accounted good by the false judgments of the world, are bad. Things !!OOd for some men are bad for others. Things good for us at one time are bnd at another. But the absolutely good things~good independently of all circurustances--are meant in tbe text. To walk in God's light; to see all things in the light that fall~ from his cha1·acte:; to enj_oy his help and protection from spiritual danger; to have bis grace now and his glory In prospect ;-these are the good thin"S 0 they enjoy who walk uprightly.-S.
EXPOSITION. acknowledgment and silent adorntion PSALM LXXXV. seemed fitting. Hence the "selo.h," whioh Tms is a psalm written after a signal dis- is at the end of tue second vorse, not of the play of God's mercy towards Israel, but first, as Hengstenberg states. • when there was still muoh wanting to make Ver. 3.-Thou hast taken away all thy wrath. Forgiveness of sins implies the the condition of the people altogether cessation of wratu, though it does not neces- satisfactory. It consists of a thanksgiving sarily imply the cessation of puaishment. for the deliverance vouchsafed (vers. 1-3); Thou he.at turned thyself from the fieroe- a prayer for further and more complete ness of thine anger. This expresses the restoration to favour (vera. 4-7); and a meaning better than the marginal render- ing. joyful anticipation of the granting of the prayer, and of the bestowal on Israel, Vers. 4-7.-The prayer. Two things ultimately, of all temporal and spiritual are prayed for-first, that God will tarn the hearts of his people wholly towards blessings (vers. S-13). There are no euch himself (ver. 4); and secondly, that he will distinct and definite allusions in the psalm complete his work of deliverance by re- as t.o tie it down to any particular date ; moving the traces, that still exist, of his bat, on the whole, it wonld seem to suit past aager (vers. 5-7). Israel is still in best either the time of Zerabbabel (Ezra a state of great distress and weakness, suf- iii., iv.) or that of Ezra and Nehemiah fering from the natural consequences of its (Ezra ix., L; Neh. ii.-vi). sins, which. keep it depressed and sad. Vera. 1-3.-The thanksgiving. God is thanked for two things especially: (1) for Ver. 4.-Turn us, 0 God of our salvation. hal"ing granted his people forgiveness of Thou art tumed to us (ver. I); let us also be turned to thee. We canaot turn of our their sins (vers. 2, 3); and (2) for having, own mere wish to tarn; we need thy helping partially at any rate, removed his chasten- grace (comp. Ps. lx:u:. 3, 7, 19). And cause ing hand from them, and given them a thine anger toward us to oease. Verbally, return of prosperity (ver. 1). this contradicts ver. 3, whence it has been supposed by some to come from the mouth Ver. 1.-Lord, thou hast been favom-able of another speaker. But really there is no unto thy land; or, "thou art become gra- contradiction, if we understand, both hero cious" (Kay, Cueyne)-a preceding time and in the next verse, by God"s anger, the during which God was not gracious is im- effects of bis anger, which were still con- plied (comp. Ps. lxxvii. 7-9). Thou hast tinuing (comp. ~zra iii. 12, 13; iv. 4-24; brought back the O!l.ptivity of Ja.cob. It is ix. 2-15; Neh. i. 3; ii.17; iv.1-22; v. most natural to understand this of the re- 1-19). turn from the Babylonian captivity; but Ver. 5.-Wilt thou be angry with us for pobsible that some lighter affliction may be ever t This is equivalent to "Wilt thou intended, since n,:il:i is used, metaphorically, still go on punishing us?" Wilt thou for calamities short of actual captivity (see draw out thine anger to all generations t the comment on Job xlii. 10). or, "from generation to generation?" This Ver. 2.-Thou hast forgiven the in.iquity suits well the first period after the return of thy people ; thou hast oovered all their from the Captivity, when the depressed 11in. God's remission of punishment, and condition of Israel continued for several restoration of his people to favour, was a generations. full indication that he had "forgiven their Ver. 6.-Wi!t thou not revive u1 again t iniquity" and "covered tueir sius." This literally, wilt thou flot return and re-oiv,, tt• f was so vast a boon, the.t a pause for devout Ccomp. Ps. lxx.i. 20). So Ezra prays God PB, LXXXV, 1-18.] THE B()OK OF PSALMS. 203