Ver. 80.-The spiritual spring. '!'he natural is as the sphitual- I. IN WHAT IT 1B. An awakening from seeming death. In regMd to the soul, 4.08 THE BOO~ OF PSALMS. [t•s, 01v. 1-3G.
St. Paul speaks of its condition ere its spring as actually "dead." Certainly to all appenrances it was so. But when the grace of God comes to the soul, then it awakes, as doth the earth in spring. There hnd been long preparation for it. Obrist uses all manner of means t-0 accomplish this. It is all hie work. IL I?, WHAT IT POSSESSES. New life. So in nature, so in grace. If the manifestn- tions of the new life in nature are beautiful, yet more are they in grace. See the fruits of the Spirit," Love, joy, peace," etc. A.nd we are to go on to this; not to be satisfied with conversion only; there must be the new life. A.nd Christ, who began the work, will carry it on. III. IN WHAT IT LEADS TO. Spring is the forerunner of summer with all its flowers, and autumn with all its harvests. A.nd 1,0 is the spiritual spring the forerunner of all the glorious possibilities of the spiritual harvest. All its holiness and joy of service, etc.-S. C. Ver. 31.-The Lord's joy in his workll. Then joy is an element in God's nature. He is "the happy and only Potentate." When we see what a large element it is in our nature, how we delight in it, how we seek after it, we might argue that in being in the Divine image, God must rejoice; and in the text we are distinctly told he does. A.nd- L IN HIS WORKS IN THE NATURAL WORLD. 1. How beautiful they a,rB I They clearly show the Divine love of beauty. The vision of beauty delights us; and the lavish bestowment of it shows that it delights God. 2. How innumerable I A.ll powers of computation utterly break down when we try to enumerate the works of God. The psalm t.ells of many, but how far many more are left unnamed? God cannot turn his gaze in any direction but he will behold the works of his hand. 3. And how TJaried I "Lord, how manifold are thy works I" not many only. 4. And how successful I " In wisdom hast thou made them all." What joy a human inventor has, when, after long study and toil, he at length has discovered how to secure the successful werking of that which he has me.de I The old story of the ancient philosopher rushing from his bath, and crying " Eureka I" because he had hit upon the solution of some knotty problem which had long perplexed him, is an illustration of the inventor's joy. .And the observation of the smooth, successful working of his Divine plans cannot but be a further element of joy, even to him. 5. Yet more. because so beneficent. His creatures are "filled with good" by what he has done. While they delight us they also delight him. 11. IN PROVIDENCE. 1. Here, perhaps, we pause. We think of the darker side of life-of the unspeakable suEering, of the bitter sorrows, of the dread problem of evil. .And of not a little of this we are compelled io say, "It is the Lord's doing." The beautiful other side of life-happy homes, successful work, health, love, strength, and all the rest; we can see how fruitful of joy to both giver and receiver it must be; but this dark side, what of that? How can the Lord rejoice in that? 2. Well, remember, God sees the whole of life; we only a mere fragment of it. The shipbuilder enters his yard. Dust, din, clatter, intolerable noise, and dirt and disorder meet him on every hand. The gaunt ribs of some ship on the stocks are the occasion of all this. But the shipbuilder looks quite pleased. Why is this? Because he has in his mind the vision of the completed ship, when fair, graceful, strong, she spreads her sails, and, laden with rich cargo, she sails the ocean like a thing of life. He sees her in all her future glory, to which all that now is leads the way. The application is easy. We believe, with the poet- .. That nothing walks with aimless feet ; That not one life shall be destroy'd, Or cast as rubbish to the void, When God bath made the pile complete." "Known unto God are all his works from the IJeginning;" and we stay our souls on that sure truth, and we spurn the atheistic sug~estions which havo no proof, and only land us in deeper darkness than before. Ill. IN RIB SPlllITUAL WORKS. Forgiveness, peace, purity, power, eternal life. Do we CQ•operaie with him in these ?-S. C. P!I, OIV, 1-35,] 'rHE BOOK OF PSALMS. 409
Ver. 34-,-The blessed meditation of God. The text is true- I. BEOAUBl!l BUOH MEDITATION BO AIDS BOTH KNOWLEDGE AND MEMORY, II. IT WA.RMB THE HEART. "Whilst I we.s musing the fire burned," etc. (P~. xxx;J:,). IIJ. DELIVEilB "US FROM Bmll'UL THOUGHTS. IV. ROUSES THE ENERGIES OF OUB WILL FOR DUTY. v. PnoMOTEB GREATLY OUR ADVANCE IN THE LIFE 011 GOD. VI. PnoFITAnLY FILLS UP THE MARGINS AND ODD MOlllENTS OF OUR TIME. VII. PURGES oun EYEBI<lnT, so that we see the silver lining of tho clouds that distress ua. , VIII. ENABLES us TO OONVEHBE WITH Goo, and to enjoy him, as otherwise we could not.-S. C. -