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The Church.

It is like Jeremiah xxx. 21,

“Who is this that has engaged his heart to approach to me? saith the Lord." And the reply also is the Father's, who tells of his Son that he has gained victories and overcome in battles, and so won the Kingdom. But when the proclamation is repeated, and wondering onlookers half incredulous again put the question, “Who is this King?" the Father's reply is,

"The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of Glory."

thus proclaiming the oneness of our King with Jehovah, before all creation.

'Selah" ends the Psalm-a solemn pause ere the people depart from the spot where they heard this lofty song.

It is a glorious hymn for the Church in all ages. Paul writing to Corinth (1 Cor. x. 26), claims a believer's right to the things of earth, on the ground that this Psalm claims for God a right to it: "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof." Evidently Paul associated himself and his fellowsaints with "The King of Glory," in whose train we also expect to enter through the everlasting gates. The Psalm describes our mode of joining the royal procession, and so passing on to glory with the King. There is no Psalm which, with such sublime and simple grandeur, describes—

The path of the Righteous to the throne of glory.

PSALM XXV.

A Psalm of David.

1, 2. UNTO thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee! Let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:

Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me :

For thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses;

For they have been ever of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions:

According to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness sake, O Lord

8 Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth

Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11 For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is' great.
12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that
he shall choose.

13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the

net.

16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted,

17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my dis

tresses.

18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel

hatred.

20 O keep my soul, and deliver me! let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

the Psalm.

THE inquiry may have crossed the reader's mind, Why was The position of this Psalm placed next such a one as the 24th? We almost think we can answer that question; and if our answer is right, it gives us a key to the structure of the Psalm. We suppose that the resemblance of verse 12 to the style of the closing verses of Psalm xxiv. may account for the juxtaposition. The rcemblance is much closer than appears at first sight.

As in Psalm xxiv. 8 (like Jer. xxx. 21) we had Messiah in- Messiah in it. troduced to our notice by the question,, so in ver. 12 of this Psalm we find suddenly the question put,

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"Who is this man who feareth the Lord ?”

Up to that verse, we may suppose the Psalmist speaks in the name of a member of the Church, such as himself, amid snares (ver. 15) and troubles (ver. 17) at a time when Israel, too, was tried (ver. 22)-times when David was as a partridge on the mountains. This member of the Church prays for deliverance and guidance, appealing to the Lord's compassions. He

Appeal to mercy.

feels sure that the Lord "will guide the meek," (ie., those who give up their will to His) "in judgment,” i e., on the the highway where all is lawful and right. At verse 11 he utters the appeal, "Pardon mine iniquity for thy name's sake,” throwing his burden down as too heavy for him to bear; "For it is great." At this point the scene changes. An answer is coming to the petitioner. His eyes fix on the Perfect One, who seems suddenly to come in sight.

WHO IS THIS MAN that feareth the Lord,

Whom he teacheth the way that he shall choose?

His soul lodgeth at ease,

And His seed shall inherit the earth,"

What a blessed vision! What a sweet sketch of Messiah

and his blessings! Himself in his glorious rest, and his seed filling the earth! Instantly, in verse 14th, it is added that a share in this bliss belongs to all who fear the Lord:-

"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him,

And he will shew them his covenant."

All the blessings of the covenant are yours; the hidden treasures of the Lord's friendship ("secret") are yours, O fearer of Jehovah. Having seen and heard all this, the Psalmist exclaims,

“ MINE EYES ARE EVER TOWARDS THE LORD,"

who provides such blessings, present and future, and thus makes my soul dwell at ease, while I behold Him. And so he prays again in full hope and confidence. When he reaches verse 20, "Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in thee," we are reminded of Coriolanus betaking himself to the hall of Attius Tullus, and sitting as a helpless stranger there, claiming the king's hospitality, though aware of his having deserved to die at his hands. The Psalmist throws himself on the compassions of an injured God with similar feelings; "I trust in Thee!"

It is to be noticed, that throughout the appeals of this Psalm are far more to the compassion and mercy of the Lord than to any other attribute. Only let his pity awake, and he has a righteous channel down which to pour it. In Psalm xxvi., ast we shall see, it is different. But here the general strain of all the appeals is that of verses 5-8, 10, 11.

*

Psalm.

It is the first fully Alphabetic Psalm; that is, the first in- An Alphabetis stance we have met with where every verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in succession. There seems nothing peculiar in this sort of composition; and as if to guard us against the idea of any mystery in it, the regularity is twice broken in upon in this Psalm, as in most of the others of the same structure. Nor are these irregularities the effect of careless transcription; for every MS. agrees in the readings, and the ancient versions shew that the text existed in its present state from the earliest times. The only lesson which the use of the Alphabetic form may teach is this: that the Holy Spirit was willing to throw his words into all the moulds of human thought and speech; and whatever ingenuity man may exhibit in intellectual efforts, he should consecrate these to his Lord, making him the “ Alpha and Omega" of his pursuits.†

It is a Psalm, then, wherein the letters of the Hebrew alphaLet are made use of to help the memory and to vary the structure-all with the view of enabling the Church in every age to do as the Psalmist does here, viz., confess and pray for pardon, help, guidance, deliverance, with the eye on Him who is set before us in verse 12, "This Man," the true pattern of the fear of God, and the bestower of blessing from himself on all that fear the Lord. And who would not say with the Church in every land, and with the souls under the altar, as well as with David here,

"Redeem Israel, O God, from all his troubles!" (Ver. 22.)

If the day when that prayer was first answered by David being raised to the throne was glorious, what will be the day when the true David ascends his throne and dwells at ease, and his seed inherit the earth? Let us learn to use the Psalm if we would fully enter into

The confidence of the Righteous in the Lord's mercies.

* We met with partially alphabetic Psalms in Psalms ix. and x.

+ Psalms xxv., xxxiv., xxxvii., exi., exii., exix., and cxlv., are all written in this manner,—so that there are seven Alphabetic Psalms, thus exhibiting a full specimen of this form of writing. Fry, Horsley, and others insist on trying to rectify the omitted letters in those cases where there is a deficiency, quite unwarrantably.

The tone.

Christ in it as

well as his Members.

PSALM XXVI.

A Psalm of David.

1 JUDGE me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity:

I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide.

2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.

3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy
truth.

4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the
wicked.

6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O
Lord:

7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.

8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men :

10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful

unto me.

12 My foot standeth in an even place in the congregations will I bless the Lord.

THE distinguishing peculiarity of this Psalm, in the tone of its appeals, is, that it dwells so much on the righteousness of Jehovah's character. Having in the preceding one dealt much with his mercies, it was fitting in this one to trace the channel down which these mercies flow to sinners.

Our Head himself speaks here as well as his members. We may consider Him as teaching his members to take up his words, and address them to the Father in his name.

"Judge me, O Lord," &c., (Ver. 1). Who could so well speak thus, as He who prayed that prayer and held that converse in John xvii.—

"Examine me, O Lord, and prove me ;

"My heart and reins have been tried". -as gold is tried, (Ver. 2). John xvii. 4.

And who could so well say as Jesus, in verse 3,—

"Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes ;-(as Deut. vi. 8, frontlets.) And I have walked in thy truth.”

He fears not to invite this searching of heart and reins, for

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