Ver. 6.-Expectancy of grace. lllustrate by the words of the Prophet Habakknk (ii. I), "I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what be will say unto me." The psalmist had been praying for full restoration, and gracious requickening of the national life. And the text reveal, his attitude a[ter prayer. Of answer he felt assured. Then for it he waits watchfully. His attitude is one of expectancy. And that attitude honours God. 'fhe New Testament commends "praying," and " watching thereunto." I. THE ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY GIVES VAT,UE TO THE PRAYER. It declares that the man's heart was in it; that the subject was of vital interest to him ; and that he believed in God as the "Prayer-answerer." It does more than this. It reveals that in the prayer there was a true submission. 'fhe man who watches for answer cannot but feel that the answer depends on the infinite wisdom and good will of his heavenly Father. He who truly says, "Thy will be done," watches that he may know the will, in order that he may do it. A prayer that is not followed by watching is a prayer of which God need take little heed, seeing it is evident that the man who prays cares but little about that for which he prays. II. THE ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY SHOWS FIRM GRIP OF THE PROMISES. What the promises connected with prayer assure is answer-some kind of answer. But not the particular form and kind of answer which we desire. The man of faith lays hold of this promise of answer. No prayer is disregarded by God. If we may use an earthly figure which is suggestive, he never leaves his letters unanswered, But expectancy always links with submi~sion, and leaves the form of answer to the Infinite Love. Illustrate by the respon~e that came to the psalmist. The social and moral evils, that seemed to limit the Divine restoration, were gradually mastered, and true hearts can recognize, in gradual removal of evils, specific answers to their prayers. III. THE ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY NOURISHES THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER. BecauMe it keeps up the sense of dependence ou God; and prayer is but the expression of that dependence. It is a first impulse to pray, when the soul is full of the spirit of dependence. Lose that, and the soul makes pra.ver the last thing. Keep that, and prayer is always the first thing. Meeting our expectancy, Christ seems to say to us, "According to your faith be it unto you."-R. T. Ver. 6.-Self-pleasing is folly. "But let them not again turn to folly," or presumption. Sometimes the infatuation of ~in is meant by the term "folly." Sometimes it is a synonym for "idolatry." Here the thing which is regarded as foolish is "following the devices and desires of their own heart," rather than watching for and doing the will of their God. A book was written some years ago to show that "all sin is folly." \,Vrong-doing, in the long run, serves nobody's real interests. And it has often been shown that the skill devoted to evil schemes would have accomplished valuable results, if only it bad been devot.ed to right and good things. The special point in the text is, that the saints are those who have been set rig/it, delivered from self-pleasing, and it is folly indeed for them to turn back upon the old spirit and the old ways. I. THAT Bl!:LF·PLEASING IS FOLLY IS SHOWN BY THE NATURE OF THINGS. ifan is not an independent, self-ordered being, "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." He is God's child, and is no more safe, going alone, than is any other child. II, THAT SELF'-PLEASING IS FOLLY IS SHOWN BY THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE. It is but the fact that we have fallen into needless perplexities, difficulties. and sorrows, when we hnve tried to take our own independent course. We never have been strong and safe except when we leaned on God, and fully opened our heart and life to Divine guidance. Find the things in life which have turned aut ta be foolish; and searchingly inquire into the moods of miml and heart that were related to them. III. 'l'HAT SELF-PLEASING IS FOLLY IB DECLARED IN THE DIVINE WORD. (See P6. xlix. 13, "This their way is their folly.") The self-pleasing of the Israelites is represented by the expression, "a stiff-necked and uncircumcised generntion ; " aud TIIE BOOK OF PSALMS. [I'll, LXXXV, 1-13,
in their hi,tory there are plentiful scenes of calamity into which their foolish eelf- willed □ ess l_ed th~m. The psalmist earnestly deprecates a return upon such solf- pleasrng which bnngs such needless difficulties. "Ho that sinncth "in his self-will "sinneth against his own soul." It is true that he is wicked bcfo/e God· but it i; also true that he is foolish, in view of his highest interests.-R. T. '