he knows the "lovingkindness" of the Lord; and he fears not to be driven from any favourite path he is upon, for his desire is to "walk habitually in his truth." "I love the Father," said Jesus, (John xiv 31). "I come to bear witness to the truth," (John xviii. 37). And we might thus go through the Psalm, and shew its application to Him. But more particularly observe verses 6, 7,— “I will wash my hands in innocency (i.e., I will touch no unclean thing, like Gen. xx. 5, Deut. xxi. 6): I will compass thine altar, O Lord; (as Jericho was compassed, Josh. vi. 3) That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving; And tell all thy wondrously accomplished works." The meaning is, that he will go round and round the altar, looking at it, looking at the blood on its base, and the blood on each of the four horns, towards north, south, east, and west, and beholding the smoke of the fire, and thinking of the sacrificial victim that has died there,-all in the way of joyful thanks, for salvation provided for men! It is a survey of redemption-work, taken by the Redeemer; such a survey, as every member of his body often takes after having felt the power of free forgiveness, and while aiming at "innocency." For the "compas ing" of the altar takes place after pardon: it is made in order to view it leisurely. Jesus loved the types, and that typical Temple, because they shewed forth his work; "Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, And the place where thine honour dwelleth”—(Ver. 8), where his Glory dwelt, and where God was shewn as just, while gracious. He hated the thought of sin; and though "numbered with transgressors," abhorred their company as hell. (Ver. 9, 10.) And is not this the feeling of every member of his mystical body? And do not all join in the resolution and prayer of verse 11? "The even We consider verse 12 as anticipating the future. place," seems to be the place of security, where no farther danger of falling shall occur; though it may express also the present sure standing of the soul in God's love. At all events, "In the congregations will I bless the Lord" (ver. 12),— points farther than to the assemblies of God's people on earth. However pleasant these may be, they are but types of better. They are but shadows of those multitudes, "numbers without number" in the kingdom, and their voice of praise but the prelude to the anthems that shall arise from "blessed voices uttering joy," when the Lord shall have gathered his great multitude that no man can number. Till that day dawns, let us use this Psalm, in order to enter fully into sympathy with the appeals of the Righteous One and his members. It is, throughout, a breathing forth of— The confidence of the Righteous in the Lord's righteousness. PSALM XXVII. A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid ? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, They stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: 4 One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: He shall set me upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. 7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8 When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9 Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10 When my father and my mother forsake, then the Lord will take me up. 11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. 12 Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, And he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. people. THE Righteous One does not walk without opposition. We Christ and his are led here to a field of conflict; or rather to the height, whence the Righteous One surveys the legions of foes that are embattled against him; and standing by his side, we hear his song of confidence, and cry of dependence, as he looks up to the Lord as his "light and salvation.” Is it Christ that we hear thus expressing what his soul felt? or is it one of his own who encounters the same foes? It is both; for David was taught by the Spirit to write the blessed experience of the Church and its Head. The Church's experience here is obvious. Let us dwell a little on her Lord's. me. Is this, then, "the light of the world" walking through Christ darkness, and staying himself on his Father? What an illustration of his own words, in John xvi. 32, 33, “The hour cometh when ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, for the Father is with In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." And then, soon after, his enemies “stumbled and fell," (Ver. 2). The band, with Judas at their head, “went backwards and fell to the ground" (John xviii. 6), as if in token of the future falling of all that come out against him; while Judas, their leader, stumbled over the corner-stone to his eternal ruin. So sure is this, that in verse 3 he appropriates to his own use, and the use of all the righteous, the protecting hosts that Elisha saw round Dothan. (2 Kings vi. 15.) Our Lord's words, "Thinkest thou not that I cannot pray to my Father, and He will presently give more than twelve legions of angels?" were at once a reference to the guard of Elisha, and a breathing forth of the strong confidence of this Psalm. The words, "IN THIS will I be confident," refer us back to The contenta the faith of verse 1, "I will be confident, that Jehovah is my light, salvation, strength.” We have our Lord's style, so to speak, in verse 4-" One Christ. thing." He, who on earth pointed out the "one thing lack ing," to the Ruler: and "the one thing needful," to Martha, declares what himself felt regarding that "one thing." To see the Lord, in his temple where everything spoke of redemption, -there to see the Father's "beauty," was the essence of his soul's desire. This "beauty," Dyi is the Lord's well-pleased look; such a look as the Father gave, when his voice proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." It also means, all that makes God an object of affection and delight to a soul.* Nothing could be more desirable to Christ, than this approving look of his Father, telling, as it did, his love to the uttermost. And nothing to us sinners, can equal this look of love; it is the essence of heaven now, and heaven for ever. It is the "one thing;" for from this holy love proceed all other blessings. To catch glimpses of this "beauty" in the temple was our Lord's aim; he engaged in no other pursuit on earth. Neither did David, this true disciple, amid the glory of a kingdom. In the light of this Divine smile, the soul is sure of deliverances manifold, deliverance from every evil, and eternal gladness; and can sing (ver. 7) even now, as if full deliverance were come already. Real assurance of salvation depends in our seeing the Father's " beauty,"his reconciled countenance, his heart of love; in seeing which, the soul feels certain beyond measure, that his future state will be well, for that love is too deep to change; and so it "sings and makes music to Jehovah." But verse 8 has a tinge of sadness again. It is, in our Lord's case, like John xii. 17, "Now is my soul troubled," after a season of peaceful rest. Never was there an experience so varied and full as our Lord's in his human nature; and never an experience which his saints so often turn to as their own. The cry for help ascends; and perhaps the broken words of verse 9 are intentional, being the difficult utterance of one in trouble quoting words of hope,— 'My heart says to thee, Seek ye my face.” My soul repeats to thee thine own call and encouragement. * Luther understood it. "The beautiful services of the Lord" in the Tabernacle (Tholuck); the spiritual truths reflected in the mirror of that symbolic worship. How often hast thou bidden us, "Seek my face?" My heart reminds thee of thine own words; I will not let thee go. To me, and to the sons of men, thou hast sent forth an invitation to this effect, "Seek ye my face;" therefore, my heart in all its distress holds up to thee this call of thine. I will seek thy face, and I will urge thee, "Hide not thy face," (ver. 9). In verse 10, the harp sings of a lonely, friendless, orphan state. My father and mother have left me!" But forthwith faith responds, "The Lord will take me in." (Josh. xx. 4, Judges xix. 5.) Our Lord, no doubt, felt as man the desire for a father's and a mother's sympathy and help. But in want of that sympathy and help, he turns to what he finds in Jehovah; for the Lord has a father's "heart," "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him,” (Ps. ciii. 13); and the mother's affections, too, "As one whom his mother. comforteth, so the Lord will comfort you," (Isa. lxvi. 13). Our Lord uses what is equivalent to "take me in," in Matt. xxv. 43. (Hengstenberg.) A shrill note of the harp touches upon reproach and calumny, in verses 13, 14, “false witnesscs are risen up." In Matt. xxvi. 62, 63, these false witnesses come in against our Lord, before the high priest; and on that occasion, our Lord bursts forth after long silence, with the declaration, "Hereafter ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." Is this the train of thought on this Psalm? For verse 15 sets forth the hope of seeing what Zechariah ix. 17 speaks of as yet future in a great measure, "His goodness. "The goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." Our Lord was content, as real man, to sustain his soul by faith and hope; resting on what He knew of his Father, and animating it in suffering and trouble, by the "hope set before Him," (Heb. xii. 2). Is not this his testimony (and the testimony of all his saints who have used this Psalm) to the advantages and blessedness of hope? The words in the Hebrew run thus “ Unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord." (Ver. 15.) There is no "I had fainted." It is an imperfect sentence. |