bath he epokon, and shall he not make it good?" Men sometimes are neither right nor wiso in keeping their word, lJecanse they had promised una.<lvisedly, had spoken impulsively; there had been no sufficient thought behind their promise. That fear ce.n never be e.pplied to God. We may e.lways be sure that efficient knowledge and e.dequate thought lie behind all his promises. And these come fully to view when the blessings promised are realized. God is glorified to our view when his word is kept, because we read him through the blessing his fulfilled promise becomes to us. II. Oon GLORIFIED IN THE WAYS IN WHICH HE FUl,FILS BIB PROMISES. For he fulfils them through the orderings of his providence, and these are often full of surprises, which ex:cite our admiration of the Wonder-worker. Illustrate from the providential order that brought e.bout the return of the exiles. Who could have expected Cyrus to appear on the scene? Ill. Goo GLORIFIED IN THE TIMES BE ARRANGES FOR THE FULFILMENT OF ms PROMISES. He promised restoration from Babylon, and we can see that the time chosen was the only time when, in o.ny sense, an independent Jewish national life could be resumed. The shirtings of authority in the great Eastern nations made that possible just then. So the coming of Messiah is declared to have been just at the "fuloess of times "-tho precise time of the world's peace, and of the universal sway of Rorne, when he could be the " Saviour of the world."-R. 'l'. Vera. 23, 24.-Prayer for renewal of imperi1led life, All love life, and desire to have it prolonged. Dut the psalmist does not ask for its renewal on merely personal grounds. He pleads that he is so sure God's restoring mercie, are just at hand; and, if he could see them realized, he could die in peace. Compare SimeoD's song as he held the Babe-Saviour. D~ath coming when a man is in the very midst of life's work is the most trying of human experiences. We always feel inteDsely sorry for Moses, though he was eo aged, because he must leave his life-work incomplete. See the intense distress of Hezekiah, because his "purposes were broken off." This was the special bitterness of his grief: "I said, I shall not see the Lord, even the Lord, in the land of the living." So with this psalmist of the Exile. He shrank from dying just at the time when he was expecting that manifestation of the Divine power for which he had been so long hoping and waiting. To die on this side of our promised land is always hard work. Death is dreaded in the midst of (1) manhood; (2) prosperity; (3) responsibility; (4) spiritual growth; (5) Christian work, etc. l. 'l'HE MISSION OF DEATH IN THE MIDST OF LIFE '1'0 lllll WHO DIES. Show how supreme a moral test it may be. It tries a man's submission. It reveals incomplete- ness of culture. It shows what an undue hold the world may have gained on a man. It puts him on proving the power of prayer. It humbles him by showing that he is not so essential to the well-being of humanity as he had thought. Sickness, imperil- ling life, coming to a man in the midst of his days, often proves to be a most humbling o.nd sanctifying experience. II. '!'HE MISSION OF DEATH IN THE MIDST OF LIFE TO THOSE WHO HAVE TO LIVE ON. Nothing so effectively convinces of the uncertainty of life. Nothing better pleads for the faithful doing of the duty of every hour. Nothing more effectively convinces that no man is necessary to God's work in the world. It teaches us that e.s our life-work may be "rounded off" at any moment, it should always be ready for "rounding off." The imperilleo. may pray for renewed life and lengthened days, but not in any uncon- ditional way, since length of life is no supreme and necessary good. Such prayer must wait on the holy will.-R. T
EXPOSITION. of him upon his heavenly throne (ver. 19), PSALM CIII. and a oa.11 on all creation to praise him A PB.\LM of joy and thanksgiving for God's (vers. 20-22). The "title" assigns the manifold mercies, especially for his loving- pse.lm to David, aud this view of its a.uthor- kindness in Corgi ving sin and transgression sbip is taken by Hengstenberg and Pro- (vers. S, 8-12, 17) passing into aclorntion fessor Alexander. But other critics see in 382 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PI!, Olli, 1-22,