Instead of iuflicting pain, poverty, misery, death-the wagee of sin-God hae (1) spared to us our life anrl our health; (2) multiplied to us our comforts and our joys; (3) offered to us, in Jesus Christ, a full restoratiom to his Divine favour; (4) planted within our hearts the seeds of piety and holiness; (5) made us heirs of eternal life. The mercy of God, in Christ Jesus, bas such immeasurable heights and breadths (vers. 11, 12). 4. Divine pity. (Ver. 13.) Nothing can exceed the pity of the parent for his or her child when in pain or trouble. Then the very tenderest and strongest as well as the purest emotions of the human heart are stirred. "As one whom his mother com- forteth "-with such perfect sympathy, such exquisite tendcmess--does God comfort us (Isa. lxvi.13). God's pity for his children is felt (1) in their various distresses, and may be counted upon in all time of need (see Heh. iv. 15, 16); (2) in their spiritual endeavours and struggles, when the work is hard, and the soul is weak, and the issue is uncertain. .And here we have, as we may well rejoice to have, the assurance of: 6. Divine consideratenl!8s, (Ver. 14.) Christian service is imperfect; our character is blemished, and our work is faulty; but it is sincere; it is rooted in faith; it is animated by love; it is purified by prayer. .And be who accepted the service of his apostles in the garden," knowing their frame" and the weakness of the flesh (Matt. xxvi.41); he who has owned and blessed the spiritual endeavour and the earnest labours of his people in every age and in every Church since then ;-will accept our service and crown our labours now, though in t.b.e one and in the other we fall far short even of our own iJeal. Well, indeed, would it be if we made as generous allowance for one another as our Master makes for us a.II. 6. Divine continuance. (Vera. 15--17.) With the brevity of all human things we contrast the continuance of the Divine. We ourselves pass away and are forgotten, but God's mercy and his righteousness remain for ever. We can always count on them. Men may be very true and very kind, but they pass to where they cannot reach and help us. Let us commit ourselves to the goodness and the faithfulness of God, for on that we may build with absolute security. This is the true confidence of the children of God. But we are reminded in one verse (7) of- III. 'l'HE ONLY HOPE OF THE DISLOYAL. God revealed himself, "his ways, and his acts," to Moses, but grace and truth have come by Jesus Christ (John i. 17). In the gospel God has revealed himself as the Divine Father, who waits to receive his way- ward but penitent children. Those that are obdurate and impenitent may not plead his promises, may not appropriate to themselves the sustaining assurance which apply to other persons. But they may-they must-return in humility and in faith to the Father whom they have forsaken ; and, once at home with him, they may rest in his loving favour and rejoice in his upholding Word. Vers. 19-22.-The range of God's rule and claim. We have here- I. THE WIDE RANGE OF Goo's RULE. (Ver. 19.) If his throne were "prepared" anywhere on earth, while within sight of a. few, it would be out of sight of and, in that sense, far away from many cities and provinces; but being "prepared in the heavens," it is (in thought and feeling) in view of all, and is thus near to all, and "his kingdom ruleth over a.II." "The Lord looketh from heaven, he beholdeth all the sons of men ; from the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth" (Ps. xxxiii. 13, 14). To our imagiuation, and therefore practically to ourselves, the heavens are much nearer to us, much more "central," than any Jerusalem could he. Every kingdom, every city, every human home, is in the regard, under the control, subject to the rightful sway, of the Divine Sovereign. II. THE FULNESS OF THE DIVINE OLAIM. God's claim: 1. .Ascends to tho highest intelligences ; the "angels that excel in strength" owe to him their homage ; they ,lo, indeed, hearken and obey. 2. Doscends to inanimate nature. .All his works praise him; unconsciously they "declare his glory." "Thore's not a plant nor flower below llut makes his glory known." 3. Includes all that come between. Whatever or whoever are intended by the "hosts" and "'ministers" of ver. 21, it is certain that the psalmist included the children of men. It may, indeed, be said that it is impossible to conceive of any of God's creatures or children who owe him so much as we do. For our creation, our rndowment, our PSALMS-II. 2 C 386 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS, [rs. cm. 1-22.
temporal mercies, our redemption at an infinite cost, and for all the Divine love, patience, considerateness (see above), we have been receiving from him, we owo him" perpetual songs of praise." Ill. 'l'HE THOROUGHNESS OF OUR sERVIOE, 1, Our praise is to be the devout expression of our deep feeling; much more than a reverent attitude or an appropriate deliverance: "all that is within us" (ver.1) is to come forth in grateful utterance; our song is to express our soul; it is to be the natural, unbidden voice of our homage, onr attention, our love, our submission, our consecration. 2. We may be concerned about the piety of our neigh hour; but the first thing to do is to address ourselves: "Bless the Lord, 0 my soul I"