Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.

II. David was grateful to God for his great Victories. Zion had been a fortress held by the Jebusites at Jerusalem. Before the troops of David that fort fell, and a place for the ark was prepared. Hence the term, the City of David, the name which was given afterwards to that fortress, when he erected a palace. The Philistines encamped in the valley of Rephaim, on the southwest of Jerusalem. But David heard the sound of God in the tops of the mulberry-trees; at that signal he fought and won. Having scattered the enemies of Israel, he called the people to united expressions of praise. 9. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works. God had given them power over the Philistines and Syrians. III. David expressed gratitude to God for the preservation of Israel. Read vv. 12—20. And when they went from nation to nation. He suffered no man to do them wrong. He makes mention of Abraham and Jacob to remind the people of the power which God manifested for the salvation of Israel. The plagues of Egypt, the passage of the Red Sea, their preservation in the wilderness for thirty-nine years. The Lord opened their way-22. Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were princes and were honoured by the kings, Abimelech and Pharaoh. Cyrus was called the anointed of God because he was chosen to a special office. So were the patriarchs (Kimchi). Others think that the term anointed refers to all Israel as they were baptized unto God in the cloud and in the sea.

IV. David exalted the name of God above all the gods of the heathen nations. 26. For the gods of the people are idols; but the Lord made the heavens. The gods of the heathen were mere empty names, things without power, but the sun, moon, and stars, proclaimed the power of the God of Israel.

V. David praised God heartily. Read vv. 27-33. The soul of David was full. He called on the heavens and the earth, the sea, and the trees, to praise God. The king was so full of joy because of the goodness of the Lord, that he wanted all creation to shout for joy.

Formal worship is not enough. God demands the homage of the heart. Is your soul full of the love of Christ? Are you bold in praising God? David was. Are you ashamed to praise God before men? Why? Is He not worthy of your praise?

March 5.

DAVID'S PRAYER OF GRATITUDE. 2 Samuel vii. 18-29.

GOLDEN TEXT.

Deuteronomy vii. 9. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.

I. David's prayer followed a disappointment. The king had purposed to erect a house for God, and a permanent place of worship instead of a tent. He had made his purpose known to Nathan, the prophet, and Nathan approved of the king's plan, and said to him, 'Go do all that is in thine heart; for the

Lord is with thee.' The prophet evidently made that statement without divine authority, for the Lord corrected both the prophet and the king. God would not allow the temple to be erected until the reign of Solomon. David, was, no doubt, greatly disappointed in not being allowed to erect the temple, still he gracefully submitted to the will of God.

II. The posture of David in prayer. We read of a kneeling posture. 2 Chronicles vi. 13; Psalm v. 14; Daniel vi. 10; Luke xxii. 41, and Acts xx. 36. Sometimes the suppliant is represented in a state of entire prostration. Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces and prayed. Numbers xvi. 22, Joshua also fell upon his face to the earth, in deep humility, before the Lord. See Joshua v. 14. Sometimes men stood to pray; the publican stood afar off and prayed'God be merciful to me a sinner.' But it is stated here that David sat before the Lord-18. Then went king David in, and sat before the Lord. He sat before the ark, which was the symbol of the Divine presence. Sitting in religious services has been a custom for thousands of years. But sitting was not allowed in the tabernacle nor in the temple. The Talmudists have this saying 'It was not lawful for any one to sit in the court of the house of God; but only for the king of the house of David.' The gate of the inner court was generally shut on week-days, but was open on the Sabbath. The king was directed to enter by that gate, and to stand by the post of the gate. The king is also represented as standing by the pillar. See 2 Kings xi. 14; 2 Chron. xxiii. 13, and Ezekiel xlvi. 2. Some translate remained before the Lord, not sat. Others admit that when David entered he sat, but that he did not sit at prayer.

He had been re

III. David in his prayer recognized the goodness of God. minded of the sheep-cote, and the manner in which God had dealt with him in raising him to the throne of Israel. And the king in the true spirit of prayer said,—18. Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto. David could not boast that he was the son of a king. When Samuel was sent to anoint David, the youth was not at home, but was keeping his father's sheep, and when he came to Samuel the Lord said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.' God raised him to honour and power. And in this prayer he acknowledges the blessings which God had bestowed on Israel. Read vv. 20-24.

IV. David's prayer was full of expectation and hope. God promised stability to the throne of David. The temple was promised for the future. David had struggled hard to make his kingdom a power in the earth. The future was full of promised blessing. 27. For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house. The throne of David in the Gospel of Christ shall endure for ever. The kingdom of God cannot be moved.

March 12.

A PENITENTIAL PRAYER. Psalm li. 1-19.

GOLDEN TEXT.

Psalm li. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Notice-I. David's confession of sin. His sin was heavy upon his conscience.

1. He confessed his own sin. We readily notice the sins of others, but David felt his own sin. 1. Blot out my transgressions. True penitence leads men personally to confess their sins before God. 2. His sin was constantly in his memory. He could not get clear of it by any human power. God only can remove sin. Sin cannot remain secret. It will come out. 3. He had sinned against mercy. 4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. He had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, but he specially felt his sin as committed against God. God has His eye upon every sin. There is a law that binds a man's sins to himself. Everything is under law-an oak-tree is an oak-tree to-day because an unseen law prevents it from being anything else. He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. Gal. vi. 8. There is no getting away from sin by any means except the one Way which God has provided.

II. David confessed that his sinfulness was inborn. He was not only a bad man in his conduct towards Uriah, but he was bad at heart. 5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity. He had a sinful disposition. Sin has its seat in the heart. Hence religion is provided for the heart. We have sinful inclinations A child has the disposition to sin, and children show sinful tendencies even before they have any knowlege of the word of God, or of the plan of Redemption.

III. David prayed for spiritual purity. He desired a clean heart. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Religious purity must commence in the heart. The Spirit of God sanctifies the heart. The heart is the seat of thought. When the heart is pure the thoughts will be pure also. Pure thoughts will be clothed with pure words. There is joy in purity. When Christians live near to God in prayer, they have much joy. Sin destroys all pure joy. David was in trouble. Sin is full of trouble. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation. Yes, there it is. Salvation is full of joy; but sin is full of misery. Salvation leads to the joys of heaven. Sin leads to the miseries of hell.

IV. David desired to be fully consecrated to the service of God. 1. He wished for his to be consecrated lips. 15. O Lord, open thou my lips. If lips were more fully under the control of the Spirit of God, there would be more good words spoken than there is now. The king wished to use his lips for a good purpose. 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. When churches are filled with members whose lips, hearts, and lives are devoted to the service of God sinners are sure to be converted. A holy and earnestly devoted church full of faith and work cannot be unfruitful.

Have you personally devoted yourself to God? Do you know that you are saved by the blood of Christ? If you are not under the power of Christ, you are under the power of sin. Sin will rob you of every comfort, and will spoil your best opportunities for good. Do as David did; take your sins to Jesus. Do it privately. Do it publicly. Do it now. Receive Christ by faith, and live a good and useful life,

INTERNATIONAL LESSONS.

February 19.

PARABLE OF THE SOWER. Mark iv. 1-20.

GOLDEN TEXT.

Luke viii. 18. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

PREFATORY REMARKS.- By a parable we understand an invented narrative taken from nature or daily life, wherein weighty duties, truths, or promises, are set forth in a pictorial manner.' The parabolical form of teaching was very popular among the ancient Jews and Arabians, suiting well their fiery and poetic temperament. Our Lord frequently employed it in His ministry, for the purpose of setting forth the nature, methods, and design of His kingdom. He often said to His hearers that the kingdom of heaven was 'like' some object or process in nature, or some operation belonging to their everyday life with which they were well acquainted, that He might lead those who were willing to learn the things of God to the knowledge of the great salvation. The parable of the sower is one of His efforts in that direction. The figures are borrowed from a familiar and important branch of Jewish industry-the growing of corn; and the great truth which Christ wanted the people to receive was, that the gospel had been sent among them for their good, but that the result, whether of produce or barrenness, would depend mainly on themselves.

EXPOSITORY NOTES.-Seated in a ship, with the multitude ranged along the shore, Jesus expounded His doctrine, commencing with an earnest and solemn exhortation- Hearken.' The section may be divided into three parts. I. The description of the sowing. 4. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. The fields of the Jewish husbandman were not commonly enclosed within fences as our fields generally are. Footpaths went along the sides of them, so that such portions, in addition to not being ploughed, became very hard by frequent treading, and consequently the grain that chanced to fall there lay on the surface, and thus became a prey to the birds, being lost to the owner. 5, 6. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth, &c. This was not ground in which earth and stones were mixed together, but rock covered with a thin layer of soil, so that the plant, not being able to grow far enough downwards, speedily shot upwards, but soon perished for want of moisture and nourishment. 7. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. In this case the roots of the thorns had been left in the ground, so that when the season of growth came, new shoots appeared, and flourished more rapidly than the corn, and prevented it coming to maturity, so that if ears were formed, they contained no grain. 8. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, &c. This was ground with a sufficient depth of suitable soil, that had been broken up with the plough, and freed from thorns. In such conditions a grain of corn will sometimes produce

more than a hundredfold. Dr. Clarke mentions one that he planted which yielded 119 grains.

II. The conversation about Christ's method of teaching.—10—13. In Matt. xiii. 10-17, we have a much more lengthy account of this conversation than we get from either Mark or Luke. It appears that the question proposed by the disciples did not relate so much to the meaning of this particular parable, as to the Saviour's reason for adopting the parabolic style in teaching the people. In replying to the question, He quotes Isa. vi. 9, 10, and intimates that what had happened to Israel in the prophet's time, had come to pass also in His own. The covenant people had closed their eyes, ears, and hearts against divine things, and thereby brought themselves under the law of God according to which He determines that when men have resolved not to know the truth, that truth shall be hid from them, and even become in some cases an occasion of their stumbling, and falling into still greater hardness of heart. Matthew Henry says of these Jews, 'They wilfully shut their eyes against the light, and therefore justly did Christ put it into the dark-lantern of a parable, which had a bright side towards those who applied it to themselves, and were willing to be guided by it; but to those who were only willing for a season to play with it, it only gave a flash of light now and then, but sent them away in the dark. It is just with God to say of those that will not see, that they shall not see.' The foundation of this arrangement is clearly set forth in the golden text. There is an intimation in v. 13, that this parable of the sower is the groundwork and key to all the rest.

III. The explanation of the parable. 14. The sower soweth the word. The seed is the word of God spoken by Christ concerning the kingdom of heaven. 15. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, &c. Some hearts are so trodden down by fleshly lusts, and the temptations of the wicked one, that they are like a footpath over which men are continually walking, and so is altogether unfit to receive seed. The gospel truth that falls upon such souls is not understood by them. Nor do they care for it as men should do. They may hear the message, but they do not heed it; and so the enemy, who is ever on the look out like some half famished bird, prevents the word taking effect. With a great many he succeeds only too well. He does not appropriate the seed to his own use. His work is a piece of spiteful robbery, and is intended to destroy men by separating the grace of God from their hearts and lives. 16, 17. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, &c. The right hearing of God's word is seldom attended with gladness in the first instance. Painful disclosures are made, lustful opposition is evoked, severe struggles with old habits and notions have to be maintained, and there is a serious counting of the cost of following Jesus through good report and ill. In such cases the joy comes after the battle has been fought and won. Some, in the excitement which the novelty of the thing creates, seem quite zealously affected by the word, but their enthusiasm soon subsides; the reality is not according to the fancy picture they had formed, and having no depth of conviction, conscience, and the fear of God, they become offended, and fall away, as parched corn withers and dies in the summer drought. 18, 19. And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as