HOMILIES BY VA.RIOUS AUTHORS. \'ers. 1-18.-The saddest p~alm in the p,qalter. For in well-nigh all others though there may be darkness of soul, a very night of darkness, yet we see the ligl;t arise• though we see '' weeping endure for the night," yet we see also that "joy cometh i~ \.be morning." But in this psalm we do not see such coming of joy. The believer who wrote it was one who was called to "walk in darkness, and had no liabt." But he is holding on; he pray~, and perseveres in pmyer; ho recognizes the ba.;'d of God in his trouble. "Thou bast laid me," etc. (vers. 6-8). He confesses that God is the Lord God of bis salvl\lion (ver. 1); he attributes to God lovina-kinrlness 0 faith- fulness, power, and righteousness (vers. 11, 12); and he declares bis purpose (;er. 13) to continue in prayer. No doubt the light did come, though the psalm ends first. "The belie"l"er in his worst time still continues to pray; God's rod flogs bis child not from him, but to him. Our griefs are waves which wash us on to the rock. But never- theless, the best child of God may be the greatest sufferer, and bis sufferings may be, ~s tl!ose told of here, utterly crushing, killing, and overwhelming." Now let us rnqlllrc- 1. WHY DOES Gon ALLOW SUCH SUFFERING TO OOME TO HIS PEOPLE? We may reply: 1. Suffering is the lot of all. The mrn of this world do not escape it more than the scrrnnt of God, and, all things considered, probably they suffer more, because the alleYiations and consolations which belong to the child of God they know nothing of. But if suffering, which is the lot of all, did not come to the child of God; if faith were the passport to immunity from those varied ills which flesh is heir to, what a crowd of mere loaves and fishes seekers we should have I 2. For spiritua.l discipY:fie. The soul needs training, exercise, and development as much as the body, and bow but by trial can this be secured? There is not one fruit of the Spirit that can be fully perfected sa"l"e in this way. 3. In self-revelation. Many men live continually in a perfect mist of mistake about themselves. How strong Peter thought himself! But his trial and his sad fall revealed him to himself as nothing else could. 4. For driving us nearer God. \Ve do not wrench ourselves a.way from God, but we are perpetually in peril of drifting, and this unconsciously. Hence we need to be from time to time roused to this fact-that we have got away from God, and that we must come back. 6. That we may give testimony. The world marks how the Christian bears trial ; if meekly, patiently, both towards God and towards men, the world notes it, and confesses the grace of God. 6. And that we may learn to sympathize. How could we if we knew nothing of suffering ? lL How ARE sucH OONDITlONB BROUGHT ABOUT? Through: 1. Circumstances. 1'he troubles of life, personal or relative-losses, bereavements, siclmess, e!c. 2. Wrong thr,ughts of God. How many such !here are in this paalm I A great deal that the psalmist has said is exaggerated and untrue. \Vhat he says existed not in reality, but in Lis own bewildered imagination. 3. Failure of hope for the future. What terrible things he says about death I To him the grave is all dark and dreadful. It is "the pit," a mere cbarnel-house. Now, the OJ,1 Testament writers, though they bad not our folness of hope, yet had hope. But in this psalm the writer seems to have lost it. Perhaps there had been: 4. Neglect of communion with God. Ifwe fail here, farewell to all joy in God, and when trouble comes it finds us all unprepared, and we go down befure it into the depths. 5. Love. For that which touches the beloved touches the heart that loves. Christ loved us intensely, and became of necessity "the Man of sorrows;" for he saw and pitied our misery so much that it led him straight to Geth- sema1:&e and the cross. And all love linkB itself to pain. III. WHAT TO DO UND!!:R sucR OONDITIONS. 1. Inquire of God as to the cause of your troub'le, if you do not know what it is. 2. Humble yourself beneath his hand. Say over and over again, until your heart assents, "Thy will be done." 3. Get nearer God than ever. This is what, he desires to see you do. 4. Be careful to obey his every c<YTTMnand. 5. Go and try to comfort other troubled ones. 6. Meditate much upon Christ's 1ufferir,gs. Along such channels as these help, peace, rest, relief, will come.-8. C.
Yers. 10-12.-Mour,iful views of de,ath. These verses are by no means the only PB. LXXXVllt, 1-18,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 233