EXPOSITION. Though God from time to time comes for- PSALM xcm w1i.rd, as it were, and asserts his sovereignty, yet it is no new rule that he sets up. He has LIKE the preceding, a psalm of pmise. always been the King both of heaven ond ,Jehovah Ill set forth 1\8 manifesting him- earth. Thou art from everle.sting. Not self in the character of King. He robes merely from "of old," but from all eternity himself in majesty, and reigns openly. The ( comp. Ps. :xc. 2; Prov. viii. 23; Isa.. l:xiii. world, nnstable as it may seem, is in reality 15; Micah v. 2: Hab. i. 12). Ver. 3.-The 11.oods he.ve lifted up, 0 Lord, fixed under his sway. His throne, i.e. his the 11.oods he.ve lifted up their voioe. By" tlle rule, has been established from everlasting floods" seem to be meant the world.powers, (vers. I, 2). Yet there is resistance to his God's enemies; perhaps especially Egypt, sway. The waters toss themselves; i.e. the Assyria, and Be.bylon. Inve.ding hosts are powers of the world array themselves in op- conste.ntly compared to" floods" or "rivers" in Scripture (see Isa.. viii. 7, 8; :x.xviii. 2; position to God (ver. 3). Vainly, however; :xvii. 12, 13; li:x. 19; Jer. xlvi. 8, eto.). God in heaven is mightier than they (ver. The floods lift up their we.ves; or, "their 4). His might is especially shown in his din," "their roaring" (comp. Ps. l:xv. 7, "house" and in his "testimonies." The " Which stilleth the noise of the see.a, the noise of their we.ves, and the tumult of the latter are " eure," the former is in violate. people"). Ver. 4.-The Lord on high (comp. Ps. xcii. Ver. 1.-The Lord reigueth; rather, i, 8) is mightier than the noise of me.ny becomeKing(lfJanl"-•vtr,P, LXX.); comp.Pas. waters; literally, than the "1/0ices of many :x. 16; :xlvii. 6; :xcvi. 10; :xcvii. 1, etc. God waters (comp. ver. 3). All the waters re- is regarded as having for a time laid aside, or present angry 'llations, the poet speaks not hidden, his sovereignty, but as now at length only or their "noise," but of their "voices." coming forward and inaugurating the theo- Yeo, than the mighty waves of the &ea.; or, cracy. The writer may have in his mind "the glorious breakers of ocean" (so Kay; some recent manifestation of Divine power, and comp. Exod. :xv. 10). or he may be anticipating the final estab- Ver. 5.-Thy tastim.onies a.re very sure. lishment of the reign of Messiah. He is God's" testimonies" are his commandments, clothed with majesty; or, " he hath robed considered as witnesses to man of his nature hiffl!Jelj in majesty " (Cheyne). The Lord is e.nd his will respecting them. They a.re clothed with strength, wherewith he hath " very sure," i.e. firm ltll<l unalterable, par- girded lrimself; literally I f1'e Lord ill ilothed, taking of his unchangeability (J as. i. 17). he hath girded himaelf, with strength (comp. Holiness becomet:!J. thine house, 0 Lord, for .. Awake, awa.ke, put on strength, 0 arm of ever. "Holiness" here seems to mean the Lord," Isa. li. 9). The world also is " sanctity," " inviolability" (Koy, Cheyne; ■tablished, that it C&llll.Ot be moved. When comp. 1 Sam. vi. 20; Isa. vi. 13). This is God "takes his kingdom," he firmly estab- a tacit appeal to God to keep his temple lishes his sway over the earth, with its in- free from all profanation and pollution in hRbitants, in such sort that " it cannot be the future. The psalmist does not really moved "-it can suffer no violent agitation ask that it shall continue inviolate "for or distnrbance. ever," but "to length of days," i.e. for an Ver. 2.-Thy throne is established ot old. ample period.
HOMILETICS. Ver. 2-The eternity of God. "Thou art from everlasting." There are truths i;elf-evident, yet incomprehensible. We can neither doubt nor grasp them. Light, which reveals all things else, dazzles, even blinds, if we gaze on it, So these truths, in whose light reason sees all things, baffle and confound our reason. One of these is the eternity of God. We speak of time sometimes as "flying," as though we ourselves stood still. Sometimes of ourselves as "travelling on." Either way, we feel that eternity is "behind Ill!, not increased by our past years; eternity is before us, uodi· minished a.a the future becomes present. God fills eternity (Isa.. lvii. 15). Human language is employed in the Scriptures (Rev. i. 4; iv. 8). But with God, reason assures re. xorrr. 1-5.] TilE BOOK OF PSALMS. 295 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - us, can be no past, present, future, as with creatures. He is (Pa. xc. 2). The eternity of God, ns tanght in the Scriptures, is- I. A PII00F OF D1v1NF. INSPIRATION. The wonder of God's works is never so clearly Reen 11s when we compare with man's (e.g. in t.he microscope). Heathen mythologie9 nnd philosophies utterly fail here. Painful, pitiable, to see the struggles of the ancient Greel, mind to grapple with this problem, in the monstrous fables of the origin of the gods, or in its ever-shifting theories and i;uesses of philosophers. The Oriental mind, mystic, subtle, contemplative, lost itself in labyrinths of speculation. The Hindus distingui~h the original fountain of being from the Creator, and even to the Creator no temples are built, nor worship offered. "Gods many and lords many" come between him and the worshipper. The Bible only shows us the eternal Creator as the Father of spirits. Its whole purpose is to teach us how near God is to us, and bring us near to him. This could never be man's invention; it is God's own voice. II. Yet this is A CONTEMPLATION J'ULL OF AWE. One of the strongest motives to worship. Our cold Northern temperament, commercial hardness, keen pursuit of know- ledge we can prove and analyze, frigid intellectualism, indispo~e us to worship. An Englishman may have "an idol in his heart "--something he puts in place of God; but he cannot comprehend why a Hindu falls down before an image. Yet worship is a real, deep need of the human heart. God's eternity is presented in the Scriptures, not as mere doctrine to be believed, but in the language of worship (see texts quoted above). Ill. A BEAUTIFUL, REASSURING CONSIDERATION. 1. Rest fur our thought, our heart, our love. Let all else change, God abides. "God is love." 2. Light on the mystery of God's c.ealings. If at such a moment, or critical turn, we could see good emerging from evil, the perplexity caused by the long continuance of sin and misery would be almost removed (Ps. xciv. 3). But God is working for eternity, in eternity (2 Pet. iii. 8, 9). IV. 'l'his glorious attribute IS ASCR.IBED TO THE LORD JESUS, and CLAIMED BY Illll. (Heh. xiii. 8; Rev. i. 8, 11; xxii. 13, 16.) CoNCLUSION. Show the beari □ g of this doctrine on sin; on salvation; en Christian work.