very much, both in his ecclesiastical theories and his theological views, from which many who listen to me would widely differ? And, to be frank, let me say there was very much from which, with great diffidence, I should presume most strongly to differ. But our meditation to-night has had to do, not with his ecclesiasticism, not with his theology, but with his religion, which was his life; with the union of his spirit with God through Christ, and of his fellowship with the Father through the Son. And however nobly true the description of our text may have been of that life, we rejoice to think that now it is true of him with a more thorough completeness. It is some consolation to those who feel that by his almost sudden death "we miss one of the brightest, and tenderest, and most beautiful spirits we have had among us this generation" to know that he has only passed through a short porch of pain and suffering into that glorious Temple above, where God's servants serve Him day and night. And into that Temple may God in His infinite mercy bring us all. Bristol. "Where that innumerable throng Of saints and angels mingle song, Where wrought with hands, no temples rise, Nor priests are needed, in the abode Where the whole hosts are priests to God; Think what a Sabbath there shall be The Sabbath of eternity." URIJAH R. THOMAS. 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 commit 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. CLXI. Genuine Religious Consciousness. HISTORY. It has been thought unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake." This verse is considered to be rather the language of praise than of prayer, the repetition "not unto us expressing a deep sense of unworthiness. The plea for the Divine favour is grounded, not on the worshiness of the suppliant, but on the mercy and truth of Jehovah. Ver 2" Wherefore should the heathen say, where is now their God"? A challenge this often addressed by the worldly to the godly man. Because the Almighty does not interpose visibly on behalf of His people, in terrible crisis the unbeliever utters reproaches like this. Ver. 3: "But our God is in the heavens : He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased." A triumphant answer to the sceptic's scorn. Our God not only exists, but exists as a mighty sovereign, enthroned in the heavens and ruling over all. Ver. 4-8.-"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hearnot: Noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: Feet have they, but they walk not: Neither speak they through their throat: They that make them are like unto them; So is every one that trusteth in them." In what a contemptible contrast are the gods of the heathen here brought to the One True and Living God. They are made, the One in the heavens is uncreated. They are formed of matter-silver and gold, the One in the heavens is a spirit. They are mere dead forms having no "mouths," no power of utterance, "eyes," but no power of vision, "ears," but dead to every sound, "hands," but they have no sensibility or motion, "feet," but cannot move a hair's breadth from their position. They are not only dead matter formed by human hands, but miserable impostors, representing in their forms, powers and organs which they possess not. Ver. 9-11:"O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield. Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield." "There is manifestly a change here in the musical and liturgical use of the Psalm. It is thought that while the first eight verses were rendered by the whole choir, the first clause of this and of the two following verses was sung as a solo by one of the Levites, and the second clause, "He is their help and their shield," chanted as a refrain by the chorus. The threefold division into “ Israel,” the “house of Aaron," and those "who fear the Lord," is the same as in Psalm cxviii. 2-4. In Psalm cxxxv. 19-20, the house of Levi is added."—Young. Ver. 12:-"The Lord hath been mindful of us: He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron." The voice that had commanded. Israel in the preceding verses to "trust in the Lord," now proclaims the kindness of God to them in past times, and the blessings He will bestow upon them in times to come. Ver. 13:-" He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great." There is no respect of persons with God. Those that fear the Lordthe godly-however humble, shall be blessed, as well as those who are highly exalted. Ver. 14-15:-" The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children, ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth." Some translate "blessed be ye." The title "Maker of heaven and earth" is here probably mentioned in reference to the contemptible idols who were made, and could themselves make nothing. Ver. 16-17: "The heaven, even the heavens are the Lord's; but the earth hath He given to the children of men. The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into dead cannot praise Him as they do and will, who are all but in His glorious presence." -Canon Cook. Ver. 18.-"But we will bless the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the resolution, we the living in body and soul, we will praise Him from this time forth and for evermore. ARGUMENT: God is entreated by His people to vindicate not their honour but His own, ver. 1-2 which is contrasted with the impotence of idols. and their worshippers, ver. 3-8, and urged as a reason why his people should trust in him, for a large increase, ver. 9-15, and a fulfilment of his purpose to glorify himself by the praises of the living, not the dead, ver. 1617, in the promotion of which end the church declares her resolution to co-operate for ever, ver. 18. The general tenor of the Psalm, thus stated, and its particular contents, make it perfectly well suited to the state of things in the which the series is supposed to have been written, namely, that succeeding the return from exile but before the rebuilding of the temple.-Dr. Alexander. HOMILETICS :-Homiletically, these words may be regarded as presenting for illustration, genuine religious consciousness. The subjects of this consciousness are various in their nature and tendency, yet withal harmonious. We have four things here presented : I. A consciousness of GOD'S GREATNESS LEADING TO A CONTEMPT FOR ALL IDOLS. Mark here what the Psalmist says in relation to-First: The majesty of God. He indicates (1) That God is great in His moral excellence. "Unto Thy name give glory for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake." "Mercy" and "truth" lie at the foundation of all moral greatness. The grand mission of Christ was to bring these into the world. in the most impressive forms. "The law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Jesus Christ." All virtuous affections and tendencies have their origin in mercy or love. All sound beliefs or convictions are based on truth or reality. Without love all is selfishness, and selfishness is the essence of sin. Without truth all is sham, and sham is the curse of the world. In God these two exist in essential unity and in infinite perfection. He indicates that (2) God is great in His sovereignty. "Our God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." He is over all. There is no being above Him, the highest are infinitely below Him, and in all His operations He is absolutely free. "He hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." He hath no counsellor to teach Him new methods of action, no power to restrain Him in any course. He acts according to His own good pleasure, the only being who is absolutely free, independent, and irresponsible. Mark what the Psalmist says of-Secondly: The worthlessness of idols. The author had an impression |