soon shew that he has not been "forgotten" (xlii. 9); and soon his God shall be his jubilee-song, "joy of his joy," and the harp shall celebrate the well pleased countenance of "Eloi, Eloi," my God, who once seemed to stand afar of members. To Christ and to his members, the highest gladness (spoken of Christ and his verse 4) comes from The altar, with its accepted sacrifice. Christ risen, and Christ ascended, are pointed out therein; and it is in his resurrection and ascension that we see the sacrifice accepted, and our hearts learn true joy. No doubt this same source of joy is to be opened up to us more fully still when He appears the second time "without sin " unto salvation, and all enemies are put under him. He, too, shall rejoice afresh in that day, drinking of the coolest of the longed-for water brooks. Let us, meanwhile, read and sing this Psalm in happy confidence, as The Righteous One's claiming his right to full refreshment. PSALM XLIV. To the chief Musician, for the sons of Korah. Maschil. 1 We have heard with our ears, () Co, our fathers have told us, What work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. 2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; How thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. 3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, Neither did their own arm save them: But thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, 4 Thou art my King, O God! command deliverance for Jacob. 5 Through thee will we push down our enemies Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. 7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. 8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah. 9 But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armics! 10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy; and they which hate spoil for themselves. 11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; And hast scattered us among the heathen. 12 Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. A series. The title. The contents. 13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, A scorn and derision to them that are round about us. 14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. 15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me; 16 For the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger. 17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. 18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have ur steps declined from thy way; 19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, And covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange God, 21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. 23 Awake! why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise! cast us not off for ever. pression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. 26 Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake. THERE is apparently a series commencing here and extending to Psalm 1, wherein the Head is addressed, and the various phenomena of his actings described, by the members of his body. This Psalm, committed to "the Sons of Korah," is the cry of David and any other true followers of the Lord, in times of trial, when the witnesses prophesy in sackcloth. It is not so much a national Psalm, as one for the Church Universal, inasmuch as verses 17-22, humbly protest (what Israel as a nation could not) firm, unfaltering adherence to his name; and in Rom. viii. 36, are applied by Paul as expressive of the believer's state in a persecuting world. The Maschil is a musical reference. It is the cry, or appeal, of the slaughtered sheep to their Shepherd. They begin by recalling to mind his great deeds in behalf of his people coming out of Egypt. They lay all the stress of that deliverance on Himself, on his holy arm alone. (Ver. 2.) "THOU (N) didst drive out the heathen," &c. This "Thou" is emphatic, quite similar to the use of the tr pronoun in Ezekiel xxxvii. 3, "THOU (N), and none else, knowest ;" and then verse 5, "I (N), and none else, will cause the Spirit of life to enter into you." Or like the pronoun (Rev. iv. 11), “For thou (v), and none else, hast created all things.' Then in verse 5, there is an emphatic N, "O God, thou art he, my King." Not less significant is that other monosyllable (ver. 9),—— "BUT (N) thou hast cast off.”— A Selah-pause (ver. 8) had for a moment brought the harp to silence; and when its strings are touched again, it is to breathe forth lamentation. It seems to reverse the case stated in Leviticus xxvi. 44, where, after long tribulation, there is hope of the removing of the calamity introduced by N, which the Jews have marked on this account as a golden ," speaking as it does of a change to prosperity. All different here! The tide has ebbed, and no prospect of its coming in appears! We are sold for the most trifling sum, as if the master were only anxious to get his sheep off his hand. (Ver. 12.) We are a by-word (ver. 14), and are put to shame by "the enemy and the avenger," whom thou couldest so easily still. (Psa. viii. 2.) And yet the sheep own no Shepherd but Jehovah. Their protest is without reserve. “ Thou hast broken us, (and laid us helpless,) in the place of dragons, And covered us with the shadow of death, If we have forgotten the name of our God Or (if) we have stretched out our hands to a strange God” We are cut off from the society of our fellow-men, we are thrust out into dens and caves, we flee to where serpents are the only inhabitants, we are lingering on the brink of the grave. Yet we can appeal "If we have forgotten!" This "If" is a form of strong asseveration. It is the same form as our Lord employs in Luke xix. 42, "IF thou hadst known"--then would blessing have come. It is like Exod. xxxii. 32, "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin." It is like Psa. xev. 7, "To-day, if ye will hear his voice"-then ye shall enter into rest. Having made this protestation, they add, "Shall not God search this out?" He knoweth all things; He knoweth that we love Him; He knoweth that "our bely is grovelling on the earth," like the serpent. “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord ?" (Ver. 23.) Hope dawns. Their God shall hear. He allows them to awaken Him, and they in a manner cry through the curtains of his Pavilion," Up! why sleepest thou?" (Prayer Book version.) The Banner of the Deliverer appears through the gloom. The sleeping Saviour awakes at the cry of his disciples, and is about to arise and still the storm "For his mercies' sake” (ver, 26), --for the sake of the tender love he bears to them. In the Latter Day we shall see, what is meant by this arising, in its full glory. Such is this Psalm The cry of the slaughtered sheep to the Shepherd. PSALM XLV. To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah. Maschil. A Song of loves. 1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching The King! My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. 2 Thou art fairer than the children of men! grace is poured into thy lips! Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. 3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O Most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. 4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously-because of truth and meekness and righteousness; And thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. 5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies: Whereby the people fall under thee. 6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever! The sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. 7 Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above 8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, 9 Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women : 11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: For he is thy Lord; and worship thou him. 12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; Even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour. 13 The king's daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold: 14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework. The virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. 15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king's palace. 16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: Therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. THE appeal made to the Shepherd, by the sheep led to the Connection. slaughter, is heard. Here is what Hengstenberg would call a “matter-of-fact reply." The Shepherd at the bleating of his flock appears in glory to help them; but appears in the character of a Mighty Conqueror. The Lamb is the Lion of Judah. 66 The title given to this I'salm corresponds to its glowing The title. words and theme. Upon Shoshannim," the lily-instrument, some Temple instrument of music, peculiarly adapted for the celebration of themes that were fresh and bright and beautiful. "For the sons of Korah," and "To the Chief Musician". the services of the Chief Singer, and the help of the whole choir of singers are put in requisition. It is also "Maschil," what calls for skill in the musician as being the product of great skill in the Singer of Israel who writes it, whether he were David or Solomon, and whether or not the occasion of its composition were the marriage festivities of the royal Court. And once more; it is "A song of loves;" or rather "of the Beloved," viz., the Bride. At least the word "77" may mean this. It is used in Jeremiah xii. 7, as a term for Israel while Israel was God's Beloved (God's Spouse), and He the Husband; and so it corresponds to Jedidiah, "Beloved of Jehovah," just as Shulamite does to Solomon. If so, it is a Song concerning The contents. The Bride, as well as concerning The King, the Bridegroom. "My heart boils with goodly words. My work is for the King! My tongue is the pen of a ready writer !" (Ver. 1). Abrupt and fervent surely-the Holy Spirit thus using the K |