Ver. 3.-The .<anctffying ministry ef music. "Upon the harp with a solemn sound." 'l'her~ seem _to have been trumpet-blasts connected with the worship of J chovah from the ~1me of its orderly _arrangem~nt br Moses. But what may be called distinguishing music, the accompamment of mtelhgent sonii;, seems to have been introduced by David. 1'he associa1ion of music and song with worship changed public worship from a oeremo11y to a service, from something done for men to something done by men, It made public worshipping personally pleasant to the worshipper; glorifieu duty; kindled and exercised holy emotion. It seems a strange thing that objection should ever have been made to the introduction or instrumental music into Divine worship. On the principle of consecrating the use of all gifts and talents to the Divine service, the gifts of varied music should have been taken over and sanctified. And the lutes, and ps.'llteries, and harp~, aud cymbals, of the older time, do but represent the c.ornets and violins and organs of this newer time. Not only artistically, but also devotion- ally, music is a most valuable background to song, and it may be fairly urged that the most beautiful, the most perfect, the most varied music the world can produce should be associated with the sanctuaries of the Most High. I. Music ministers to our sanctifying by its RESTFULh"'ESS. Nothing in the world is so soothing to us. David's power on the half-mad king Saul is but a type of the influence of music that we feel. How often nothing will quiet the tossing, restless sufferer, until some one croons a holy song I Who does not feel the cathedral song steal into bis very soul, hushing down every passion, and breathing peace? .And surely, tempest-tossed every week, we need sabbath music. II. Music ministers to our sanctifying by its RELATION TO oua EMOTIONS. Illustrate by the march of a regiment to its music. The instant effect produced by dance-music. The influence of tunes in the minor key, etc. Then our sensitiveness makes music, well chosen and well rendered, an actual, moral, and religious force, Music may be 11 means of grace. III. Music ministers to our sanctifying by its WINSOMENESS. See the crowds attracted by Salvation Army bands; or by services of song. The power of music to win has not yet been fully realized by the Christian Church.-R. T.
Ver. 5.-Goa's thougl,ts seen in Goa's works. "How great are thy works I and thy thoughts are ,·ery deep." Reminding us of the fine passage in Isa. lv. 8, 9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." 'l.'he "thoughts" of God, his purposes a11d plannings, bring him before us as a moral Being, the sublime-moral Being. .And just as we read a man's character by his acts, so we may know God's mind by the study of his works. A man is always greater, always better, than anything he does; and Jet it is only from what he does that we can gain our apprehension of the man. So God is infinitely above and beyond anything of his handiwork; and yet only through the handiwork can we get to know him. It is not enough to say that God's moral government is illustrated in nature; we must say that God himself-and it is in what God is we find the secret of the character of his government-is known through the works of his hands. The point suggested by the first sentences of this verse is that the more man studies God's works, the more he feels their greatness, their mystery, tbtir beyondness. .And then he can no longer be surprised that God's thoughts and purposeF, the higher moral eu<ls he ever keeps in view and works towards, should be deep, al together out of his reach. I. THE KNOWN BEVEALING WHAT CAN BE KNOWN OF Goo. We can understand much of God's handiwork. We can see God's purpose in much, and use many things as God designed they should be used. We can see the moral message in much of God's work. So argues St. Paul, in Acts xiv. 15-17; Row. i. 19, 20. 1Ne may I.now, thus, all the natural attributes of God, and gain also some apprehension of the moral attributes. But what ca11 be k11own of God in this way mllllt alway!I bQ '.ncomplete. rs. XOII, 1-15.J THE BOOK OF PSALMS, 291
II. TlIE UNKNOWN Bl'JVB:ALING THAT THERE 18 AN UNKNOWN IN Goo. "His thouuhts nro very deep;" quite beyond mau's plummet. There is mystery in Nature. She holds secrete which even man's science cannot force her to disclose. And those mys- teries declare that there must be deeper mysteries in him who holds the secret of them all. He is more mysterious than they.-R. T.
Yer. 6.-Eyes dimmed to spiritual things. Two terms are used to describe those who are unable to discern either the greatness of God's works or the depth of God's thoughts. "A brutish man." "A fool." The distinction between them seems to be this-a "brute" cannot, and a "fool" will not, see spiritual things. But both inca- pacity and self-willedness a.re regarded as sins. The brutish man has made himself brutish; and the fool encourages his self-will. The Prayer-book Version gives" unwise" for "brutish." But the Hebrew words suggest, for "brutish," the mere animal nature, the man who lives for his appetite; and for "fool," the stupid, inconsiderate man. "In the one case the moral sense has not come :nto play at all; in the other it is over- grown by sensuality, so that spiritual discernment, insight into the glories of the Divine mind, are impossible." I. lN SOME MEN THE FACULTY OF BPIBITUAL DISCERNMENT NEEDS TO BE AROUSED. In a sense this is true of every man. The spiritual faculty is dormant, as is the mental faculty. The educational element has its place in material as well as in spiritual knowledge. Usually, in religious spheres, the spiritual faculty is cultured. But vast masses of humanity, at home and abroad, have little chance of getting beyond the animal stage. The psalmist, however, is evidently thinking of those who volun- tarily imprison their thoughts and interests in the things of the flesh and sense. To be a natural brute when we may be a man, is an infinite pity; to be a willing brute when we might be a son of God, is an infinite shame. II. IN SOME MEN TlIE FACULTY OF SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT NEEDS TO BE DELIVERED. It has been o.roused. It has had times of power. But business, pleasure, intellectual pride, material interests, have dimmed it. The man has become a "fool" to his best interests. He bas persistently limited his vision to this world, until he has come really to believe that there is no world but this. Press this conclusion: We are responsible for our attitude towards spiritual things; and for our capacity to apprehend spiritual truths. If we po.mper the body, we shall be sure to dim the spiritual vision.-R. T.