not prevent the mental laws of our nature bind us to it. But the evil against which I utter my protest is, such an overrating of our own Church peculiarities, as to render us not only indifferent but often hostile to the excellencies of other communions. This is Churchism, or sectarianism, and this I denounce. Its adherents and abettors are "carnal and walk as men." What difference in Spirit and method is there between the religious, sectary, and the "carnal" man, the man of the world? Both are selfish and mercenary. The one trades in the temple and makes gain of godliness, the other in the market, and extracts pelf out of other things. The former, I verily believe, is the most venal and pernicious. In sooth, worldiness in what are now called Churches has become so ravenous and regnant that it loads our post office with begging circulars, disturbs our domestic regions with gambling bazaars, and weighs down the religious sentiment by the beseechments of Church hirelings. He who knows most of the religious world will be the most ready to endorse the fact that religious sectarianism is one of the most depraved things on earth. Churchism is bigotry, and bigotry is one of the chief devils in Christendom. Daniel O'Connell has, in his grand and powerful way, described this devil as a female monster. "She has no head and cannot think, no heart and cannot feel. When she moves it is in wrath, when she pauses it is amidst ruin, her prayers are curses, her God is a demon, her communion is death, her vengeance is eternity, her decalogue is written in the blood of her victims, and if she stops for a moment in her infernal flight, it is upon a kindred rock, to whet her vulture fang for a more sanguinary desolation."

The Preacher's Homiletical
Commentary.

HOMILETIC SKETCHES ON THE BOOK OF

PSALMS.

OUR PURPOSE.-Many learned and devout men have gone Philologically through this TEHELIM, this book of Hebrew hymns, and have left us the rich results of their inquiries in volumes within the reach of every Biblical student. To do the mere verbal hermeneutics of this book, even as well as it has been done, would be to contribute nothing fresh in the way of evoking or enforcing its Divine ideas. A thorough HOMILETIC treatment it has never yet received, and to this work we here com nit ourselves, determining to employ the best results of modern Biblical scholarship.

OUR METHOD.-Our plan of treatment will comprise four sections: (1) THE HISTORY of the passage. Lyric poetry, which the book is, is a delineation of living character; and the key, therefore, to unlock the meaning and reach the spirit of the words is a knowledge of the men and circumstances that the poet sketches with his lyric pencil.-(2) ANNOTATIONS of the passages. This will include short explanatory notes on any ambiguous word, phrase or allusion that may occur.-(3) The ARGUMENT of the passage. A knowledge of the main drift of an author is amongst the most essential conditions for interpreting his meaning.— (4) The HOMILETICS of the passage. This is our main work. We shall endeavour so to group the Divine ideas that have been legitimately educed, as to suggest such thoughts and indicate such sermonizing methods as may promote the proficiency of modern pulpit ministrations.

No. CLIX.

The Highest Service and the Highest Being.
"PRAISE YE THE LORD," &c.-Ps. cxiii. 1-9.

HISTORY-In the Episcopal

Church, for a reason which is not very clear, this Psalm is appointed to be read at the service on Easter Day. The six Psalms (cxiii.-cxviii.) were called by the Jews the "Hallel," and were sung at the three great feasts-at the Feast of Dedication, and at the new moons. At the Passover the two first

Psalms (cxiii. and cxiv.) were

sung in the early part of the meal, the remainder (cxv.cxviii.) after the filling of the fourth cup of wine. These last are supposed to have been the hymns sung by Christ and His apostles after the last supper, before they went out to Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi. 30; Mark xiv. 26). Prebendary Young.

occasion of its composition.— Canon Cook. This was exemplified in the case of Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, Rebekah, &c.

ARGUMENT:-This Psalm is a

song of praise. The first three verses celebrate the name of the Lord, the second His exaltation, and the third His condescension.

HOMILETICS:-The whole Psalm directs our attention to the highest service in which intelligent creatures can engage, and the highest Being intelligent creatures can contemplate. Our attention is directed to—

I. THE HIGHEST SERVICE in which intelligent creatures CAN ENGAGE. What is the highest service? Praise. "Praise ye the Lord." What is praise? Not verbal laudation, however enthusiastic in feeling, appropriate in language, or transporting in music. Thoughtless religionists attach this idea to it. Hence in giving out hymns in public, they say "Let us praise God." And hence, too, books are composed called "books of praise." What, then, is it to praise God? It is to have our whole souls, and being, attuned to His holy character, and to His benevolent purpose. A holy life is the only true anthem. Now this is the highest service. Why? First, Because its inspiration can alone give worth to all other services. There are numerous departments of activity in which men have to engage, but the duties of none can be rightly discharged without the true spirit of true praise. Secondly, Because it alone can harmoniously develop and satisfy all the faculties and aspirations of our nature. Therefore, there is this, earnest and repeated call to "praise the Lord." It is (1) A service for all men. "Praise, O ye servants of the Lord." (2) A service for all time. "From this time forth and for evermore." (3) A service for all space. "From the

rising of the sun unto the going down of the same. There are services confined to certain classes, certain times, certain places. But not so with the service of praise. Our attention is directed to

II. The HIGHEST BEING which intelligent creatures can CONTEMPLATE. Who is He? He is here called "The Lord our God." The eternal Jahve. There are four subjects of thought here in relation to Him. First: His character. "The name of the Lord." Human names do not represent human characters. More frequently, perhaps, if they have a meaning at all, they misrepresent the real character of the owner. But God's name means His character, all that He is, the All-wise, All-holy, All-merciful, &c., &c. Secondly: His incomparableness. "He is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens." To whom will ye compare Him? What are all the hierarchies of heaven to Him? Less than a spark to the central fires of the universe. What is the whole creation to Him? What are motes floating in the sunbeam to all the massive globes that roll through immensity? How great is He? "There is nothing great but God "-so exclaimed an eloquent French preacher over the coffin of his sovereign. Thirdly: His condescension. "Who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in the earth." This language is, of course, an accommodation to our way of estimating great and small. To the Infinite One there is nothing high or low, nothing great or small, nothing new or old. But we have the feeling, and it is an instinctive one, therefore not to be ignored. or disparaged, that for Him to notice us is an act of infinite condescension.