II 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. CLI. The Commendable Conduct of Man under Trial. "OUT OF THE DEPTHS HAVE I CRIED UNTO THEE, O LORD," &c.— Ps. cxxx. 1-8. * HISTORY:-Neither the author or date of this Psalm can be determined. The general impression is that its reference is to the time of the captivity. Israel is in distress, and the author identifies himself in its sorrows and its sentiments. The church of Rome appropriates this Psalm to its especial use, and makes it speak the distresses and the longings of the souls who are in purgatory; and makes * it a mass song in connection with the religious services of the departed. If there be a purgatory beyond the grave or not no one can determine. One thing is certain, that there are souls on this earth that are in purgatorial fires, overwhelmed with distress, and crying mightily to God. ANNOTATIONS :—Ver. 1. "Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord." "Out of the depths do I call to Thee, * Articles on Psalms cxix, to cxxix. will be found in Vols. xlviii, and xlix. waters are often employed as a symbol of great sorrow, hence elsewhere we have these words, "Save me, O God, for the waters are come in to my soul, I sink in deep mire," &c. Ver. 2.- "" Lord, hear my voice, let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications." How natural it is for men in overwhelming distress to cry to heaven for relief. Ver. 3. "If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" The word "mark" here means literally keep or preserve, hence Delitzsch translates the clause, "If thou keepest iniquities, Jahve, Lord, who can stand?" The Almighty does not keep the iniquities of His creatures, as the man of vengeance keeps the insults and injuries of his offender. Were it so who could stand? Ver. 4.-"But there is forgive ness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared." Forgiveness is elsewhere spoken of as God burying sins in the sea, separating the sinner from them as far as the east is from the west, casting the sins behind His back. God does not keep iniquities, but in mercy throws them away, and that, in order that men 66 Ver. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning. I say more than they that watch for the morning." "My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the night watchers for the morning; the night watchers for the morning." -Delitzsch. "The phrase is repeated," says Dr. Murphy, "for poetical emphasis." Ver. 7.-"Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is mercy." Literally "the mercy," that is, mercy in all its plenitude, adequate to meet the needs of all men. "And with Him is plenteous redemption." "It is like the sea," says Dr. Young, "which, however largely you may draw from it, is still inexhaustible." Ver. 8.-" And He shall redeem (or release) Israel from all his iniquities." This is the author's faith in the redeemed future of Israel. ARGUMENT: "" This is the sixth of the penitential Psalms. The sinner, conscious of the degradation and guilt of sin, encourages himself with the thought that there is a greater deep, viz., the deep of God's mercy, a deep which nothing can exhaust. It is a deep not of mercy only, but of plenteous and complete salvation; and whosoever believes and trusts in it can never be disappointed." HOMILETICS :-The subject which this Psalm presses on our attention, and serves to illustrate, is the commendable conduct of man under great trial. Here we have man under great trials doing four things: imploring heaven, confessing sin, waiting on God, and exhorting others. Here we have man under trial— I. IMPLORING HEAVEN. "Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord." Into what abysses of sorrow and suffering do men often sink in this life! But why appeal to heaven in such terrible exigencies? First Because heaven alone can deliver. No individual strugglings, however strenuous and constant; no priesthoods of any Church can effect a deliverance. Secondly Because from the greatest depths heaven can hear the cries. God heard Jeremiah in the dungeon, Daniel in the lion's den, Jonah in the abysses of the sea. This appeal to God, therefore, in our trial is commendable, wise, right, necessary. Here we have man under trial II. CONFESSING SIN. 66 If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark (keep) iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared." First He identifies suffering with sin. This is commendable, for sin is the cause of sorrow, it "brought death into our world and all its woe." All evils, physical, intellectual, social, religious and political, spring from moral evil. All the billows of agony that beat on human nature, have their well spring in sin. Secondly: He identifies deliverance with God's mercy. 66 If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" This is commendable: (1) God is so merciful that He does not "mark iniquities," that is, He does not keep, retain them. Malign natures never forget injuries, benevolent natures cannot retain them. Were He to mark them "who should stand?" The whole human race would be blotted out of existence. (2) God is so merciful that He forgives men their iniquities. "There is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared." The highest form of love is the forgiving love. (3) Because He is thus so merciful, men can trust Him. "That Thou mayest be feared." Not servilely, but trustfully, lovingly, loyally, cheerfully. Had He not forgiveness in His nature, what rational soul could reverence Him? Here we have man under trial III. WAITING ON GOD. "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait." Waiting on God implies: (1) Trusting in God. Trusting in His wisdom, goodness, and rectitude. (2) Expecting from God. Expecting that He will interpose in mercy, and grant the necessary relief. (3) Vigilance of soul. It is not a passive state of mind, it is watchful and earnest. "My soul warteth for the Lord, more than they that watch for the morning." The season of great suffering is a stormy, starless season. "More than they that watch for the morning." There is a morning for humanity. Now is not this a commendable state of mind for man in trial? Here we have man under trial IV. EXHORTING OTHERS. "Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with The exhortation is Him is plenteous redemption." addressed to Israel, and is thus rendered, "Wait Israel for Jahve, for with Jahve is the mercy. He exhorts Israel to trust in the Lord for three reasons: First, Because there is mercy with Him. The mercy which the sufferer requires, mercy to succour and deliver. Secondly: Because there is plenteous redemption with Him. There is no limit to His redemptive willingness and ability. "Where sin abounded grace doth much more abound." Thirdly: Because all Israel will one day be redeemed. "He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities." The author, undoubtedly, had the belief that all evil will one day be swept from the face of the earth. Does not the Gospel intimate this? Did not Christ come into the world to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself, to destroy the works of the devil? Did He not give Himself "to redeem us from our iniquity?" Now is this not commendable in trial ? Great trials sometimes bury in the sufferer all consideration for others, he is absorbed in his poignant distresses. It is noble, therefore, to see a man overwhelmed with trials, looking out on the world with sympathy, and exhorting others to pursue the true methods of deliverance. No. CXLII. The Negative and Positive Excellencies of True Religion. · LORD, MY HEART IS NOT HAUGHTY," &c.-Ps. cxxxi. 1-3. HISTORY. The general impres sion of Biblical critics concerning this Psalm, is that David was the author. Some regard it as his reply to |