The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 306

all, man, the under-lord, has learnt to bind the forces of nature, and to make them execute his will. They are his servants under him, and he says to this one, "Come," and it cometh, and to another," Go," and it goeth. And so here he utters his command, "Let the sea roar,'' etc. JI. As FELLOW-WORSHIPPER. The scenes, the sounds, the movements of nature are t-0 the soul of the psalmist not merely scenes and sounds and movements, but show that, like himself, nature is a worshipper "before the Lord." Not that nature, the dead material world, can of itself render worship; only the soul can do that. And only a soul itself filled with the spirit of worship, can see and hear in the natural world what appears to be worship, joy, and praise. We speak of sacred music, but no sound of choir, or orf!8n, or instrument of any kind can utter sacred music unless it express sacred thought in some soul. But let the soul be filled with such high, holy thought and emotion, and, lo I all nature becomes one vast choir, and its varied sounds one glorious anthem of praise. Ill. As SHARER TOG!,;THEB WITH HIMSELF IN THE VICTORmfl OF Goo's GRAOE. The soul sees a.long with its own redemption, the redemption of nature (Rom. viii. 10 -21; Ps. lxvii. 6). The soul of the psalmist is looking on to the full victory of the Lord over all bis foes, and the consequent redemption: of man, and the earth likewise, under the Lord's righteous rule; and so he calls on all the powers of nature to join with him in praise. IV. As, LIKE HIMSELF, GLAD IN Goo. The undevout soul fails to see this, but the eye pnrged with the love of God in Christ beholds continually in all that is fair, beautiful, and good in the natural world-and how much there is of this!-the heart of nature praising God (see Keble's hymn," There is a book, who runs may read ").-S. C. Ver. 1.-The Lord's victory. "His right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory." This is to be treated as a joy-song of the returned Exiles, who regarded themselves as delivered and restored, because their God had fought for them, overcome ail their foe~, and mastered all their hindrances and difficulties. It was not their tight hand that had gotten them the victory. It was God's right hand that had gotten him the victory, of which they were permitted to reap the full benefit. This victory quickened thought, and brought to mind the assurances of the Prophet Isaiah, e.g. "The Lurd hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God" (Isa. lii. 10). And the victory brought to view the older Israelite history, from the great Red Sea victory and onward. It was plain enough that God had been always getting the victory, always redeeming, always recovering, rescuing, and restoring, always the Saviour. The type of the Divine relations with the people is given in the redemption from Egypt, and then Israel lift.>d a joy-song, acknowledging concerning Jehovah, "Thy right hand, 0 Lord, is become glorious in power; thy right hand, 0 Lord, bath dashed in pieces thine enemy." For a chorus to their song the women sang, "Sing ye to the Lord, for he bath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider bath he thrown into the sea." I. THE VICTORIBS WHICH THE LORD HAS WON. TI!ustrate: 1. Those won in the older ages, and kept on record in the Old Testament. 2. Those w~n in the times of Ci.irist, and kept on record in the New Testament. 3. Those won 1Il th~ ages of the Christian Church; especially in the missionary ages. 4. Those of which we have personal experience, as bearincr relation to our patit distresses. II. THE FIGHT IN WHICH TiE LORD IB NOW ENGAGED. It is not enough to say that it is with evil in all its forms; it is also with the consequences of evil in all their varieties: as these affect the race, the nation, the society, the family, or the individual, We recognize the fight, we do not al ways see that it is the Lord fighting-the Lord with us in the fi;sht. Ill. THE VICTORIES WHICH THE LORD WILL WIN. "Hi~ bow ever abides in strength;" "He goetb forth conquering and to conquer.". He will conqu~r i~ th~ o~e. He will couquer in the many. One day the final Victor over all evil will • deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and God Hhall l,e all in all."-R. 'I'. Ver. 3.-Tl,,e Lord'a memory. This is regarding God as if he were a man, and acted 1.8 men act. Men fi.od the memory of kindnesses they have done become a plea for PB. xovm. 1-9.) THE l'OOK OF PSALMS. 343