III. SOME TROUBLE THEMSELVES ABOUT IT WHO SHOULD NOT, Many aged people of God are distressed because they cannot-so they think-see any of this blessed fruit. But this may be owing: I. To mistaking feeling for fruil. They cann,,t summon up those strong rapturous feelings in worship and prayer, and hence they fear lest they have lost their religion. It is not so, for God looks not at feelings-they come and go like the cloud8-but at the heart, the will which alone is the true man. That may be true to God when feeling is but faint and fitful, and has but little rapture and glow. 2. To forgetfulness of the Jo.et that "they also serve who only sfond and wait." .Activity and toil are possible only to the stron11; and vigorous. Patient wait- ing upon God, meek resignation to his will,-tbese are the i'rnits of o!d age, and are no less acceptable to God than the strenuous activity of the young and strong. IV. SOME DO NOT TROUBLE THEMSELVES ABOUT IT WHO SHOULD. For they bring forth no fruit. The world has them too surely; their hearts are not right with God. They find fault with others, and complain that the former times were better than these. The me:ms of grace they do not avail themselves of, :md they present the sad spectacle of men from whom much might have been expected, but who yield little or no fruit in old age. V. IT IS INFINITELY DESIRABLE. 1. For our own peace and comfort, the esteem of our fellow-Christians, and the approval of couscience, depend upon it. 2. Our power to help and bless others. For t.hey will see and reverence fruit in old age, and will own the power of Divine grace and the blessedness of it; whilst, on the other hand, where there is little or no such fruit., they wi II be confirmed in their own sin and harden themselves yet more against God. 3. For Ohrist's sake. It will gladden and glorify him. VI. ITs GREAT GUAilANTEE AND AIDS. 1. The abiding grace of God. "Without me," said Christ, "ye can do nothing." 2. Self-examination. .Ask of yourself whether you are bringing forth fruit. 3. Diligent use of means of grace-prayer, study of the Scriptures, attendance at the house of God, Holy Communion. 4. Definite endeavours to bring others to God. Great is the help of such faithful aggressive work. 5. Bring- ing forthfruit now ere old age comes.~. C. Ver. 1.-.A dai7y good work. Something the good man does every morning and every night. The Talmud speaks of this psalm as being sung on the morning of the sabbath at the drink offering which followed the sacrifice of the first lamb. What is here said to be" a good thing" is the act of recognizing and acknowledging God's direct relation to our lives. He is closely related to them. We may, and we ought to, feel the relation, but it is right to say so, and it does us good to say so, day by day. The psalm may be used as a plea for the value of morning and evening devotions and worship. When Richard Baxter exerted so gracious an influence at Kidderminster, one important part of his work was securing family prayer in every house. It is said of the Christianized Fiji Islanders, that in every family there is morning and evening worship. Moses provided for thank-offerings, because he understood human nature, and knew that to the thankful the outward sign of thankfulness would be an addition to thankfulness. ".At a.II times man has mercies enough given him to make them a subject of thankfulness unto God." In saying that giving thanks daily is a" good thing," two ideas may be included. (1) It is a right thing. (2) It is a desirable, delightful thing. If begun as duty, it will soon come to be a personal joy. We have always abundant (1) cause for gratitude to God. We ought always to cherish (2) the feeling of gratitude. .And we only satisfy right impulses when we (3) make due expression of our gratitude. But the point which may be opened with some fresh- ness is suggested by the two terms used in ver. 2. 'l'he word "loving-kindness" is associated with our morning praise; the word "faithfulness" is associated with our evening praise. I. WHAT IS Goo TO us WHEN WE MAKE NO CONSCIOUS DEMANDS ON HIM? We make no demands in our sleep. .And what seems first to come to our thought, when we wake in the morning, is the "loving-kindness" of God's preservations and restorations. "Through sleep and darkness safely brought, Restored to lire, and power, and thought." II. WHAT 18 GOD TO US WHEN WE MAKE CONSCIOUS DEMANDS ON RIM? That we do for every day, and all clay long: for all the activities and rela.Uons of life. So l'SAUIB-Il, ll' 290 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, XOII, 1-15,
what comes to mind "every night" is God's" faithfulness" to the promises on which we have been relying.-R. T.