LESSON XI. September 14th, 1884. Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity. Not only David's experience is set forth in this lesson, but also that of our Saviour-especially in vs. 6-9. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews (10: 5-9) confines the meaning to Him who came into the world to do the Father's will. In the wilderness of temptation, in Gethsemane and upon the cross, Jesus waited patiently for the Lord, and 66 was heard in that he cried." V. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord. This forcibly expresses the intense feeling of expectation-a waiting with the whole heart. of praise and thanksgiving. Christian joy finds expression in sacred song. Many shall see it-take note of the sinner's conversion or deliverance. This will lead them to stand in reverent fear of the great Deliverer; and they, too, will trust in Him for their deliverance. If God has saved others, they will be assured that He can save them also. V. 4. Blessed is the man. This is, literally, O the blessedness of the man that maketh the Lord his trust! The happiness of a Christian is manifold, many sided and abundant. He will never turn aside to lies-to proud and lofty-minded men for help; nor will he turn aside or swerve from God, and trust in lies-deceit, hypocrisy and vain things, such as idols or empty formali ties. God's "Waiting for the Lord is NOT (1) idly expecting the Lord to come and save us while we are seeking our own pleasure. (2) It is not waiting for a V. 5. Wonderful works denote God's more convenient season, nor (3) for interventions on our behalf. better circumstances or less opposition; thoughts toward us are His purposes for nor (4) some easier way of salvation. our salvation. They are more than can be numbered no one can set them forth in order when giving thanks to God. Waiting for the Lord Is (1) seeking earnestly for His salvation-ask and ye shall receive. (2) It is using all the means of salvation-prayer, the study of the Word, repentance, going to Je sus. (3) It is seizing all opportunities offered. (4) It is while thus earnestly seeking, waiting, persevering till we see the light, and experience the salva. tion." He inclined unto me, and heard my ery. God inclines towards us-lean forward as if to catch the first faint sound of prayer. God is far more ready to hear, than we are to pray. The Father meets the returning prodigal. So he rewards those who wait for fruit from their labors for others. V. 2. The horrible pit typifies the wretched condition in which the sinner lies. It is a state of destruction. The mire forbids his standing upright. Out of this pit only Jesus can lift the sinner, and set him upon the Rock-in contrast with the pit and its slimy bottom. Christ is the Rock of our salva tion. He also establishes our goings-that is, sets us in the right path, strengthens us and keeps us from stumbling and falling. "The wonders of the great salvation shall engage the counsels and fill up the praises of eternity; out the works and thoughts of Jehovah to our fallen race, especially as displayed in Christ Jesus, the Son of His love, shall far exceed all finite powers of calculation, and shall be forever telling, yet untold." V. 6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire. "The connection of the thoughts is clear: Great and manifold are the proofs of Thy kindness-how am I to render thanks to Thee for them? To this question he first of all gives a negative answer: God delights not in outward sacrifices." The meaning of sacrifices in the Old Testament was this-the consecration of the worshipper himself to God. The animal or gift was but a type of personal consecration. God did not desire such sacrifices-not as substitutes, or as sufficient of themselves to atone for sin, or to express thanks. He desired the offering of the man himself. "Mine ears hast thou opened-hast given a heart that is ever ready to hear Thy will and to obey Thy laws. Obedience is better than sacrifice. V. 3. He hath put a new song. Every V. 7-8. Lo, I come-that is, to prenew mercy of God calls for a new song sent myself a sacrifice. This was true V. 15. Those that deride us and say of Christ. All had been foretold of His V. 16. But let all that seek Thee re- ians delight in trying to do the will of dient people. It is an intercessory God. prayer. V. 17. Poor and needy. How hum Vs. 9-10. I have preached righteousness-announced or proclaimed it. Je- ble the Psalmist was! Yet he had great consolation in the fact that God thought upon him, remembered him and deliv sus never refrained His lips in publish- And Christians are not to hide their light, but to let it shine. They are to be living epistles, known and read of all men. 1. Prayer is the refuge of the troubled soul. 2. God will answer the earnest prayers of His people. THE BLIND RING. A wealthy lady lost a diamond ring and offered a large reward for its reA little girl, on her way to infant school, found the ring but the Five things are said to have been published: (1) God's righteousness--His equity or justice in all things. This is the great pillar of God's government. Covery. So long as God is just, there is hope for those who have a good cause. (2) God's | faithfulness-His stability, fidelity to engagements. (3) God's loving-kindness -His mercy, favor, goodness. (4) God's truth-including His sincerity and veracity. (5) God's salvation-delivering from sin and suffering. These attributes of God were not only manifested to David in his trials, and to Christ in His carrying our sorrows, but are shown to all His obedient people. Hence each one may make his own the prayer which follows. PRAYER FOR HELP IN TRIALS, VS. 11–13. "I hold it truth, with him who sings PRAYER AGAINST FOES. V. 14. Let them be ashamed, &c. He does not wish evil to his enemies, but prays that their plans and devices may fail. You can not wish well to wicked practices. diamond was lost. "See!" she said to ful.' FUNNY STORIES. may be Never tell a story to a class in Sunday School simply because it is funny. You may gain the attention of your scholars for the moment, but you will not be able to hold it when you begin to speak of serious things. A class soon gets into the way of expecting to be amused, and will watch for the funny sayings of their instructor without giv ing heed to his teachings. They will instinctively feel the impropriety of his course, and come to regard him with no more respect than if he were a clown in a circus. We do not say that an apt illustration should be rejected because it happens to be amusing, and least of all would we banish the cheerfulness which springs from a loving Christian heart, but the teacher should always remember the lofty character of the work in which he is engaged, and never say a word that might possibly detract from the dignity of his vocation. LESSON XII. FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. A SONG OF PRAISE. Ps. 103: 1-22. 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases ; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Sept. 21st, 1884. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him: 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. 19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul. GOLDEN TEXT: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. V. 2. CENTRAL TRUTH: God's mercies call for all our praise. NOTES. This Psalm was probably written by David set forth. Chide-find fault, reprove. Fear towards the close of his life. Verse 1. Bless-praise. Within me every faculty of mind, will, heart. 2. Forget not; the memory of God's mercies calls forth highest praise. 3-5 God (1) forgives iniquities, (2) heals diseases of soul and of body, (3) redeems, brings back from the doom of death, (4) crowns, confers highest honor and beauty, (5) Satisfies, gives meat and drink to supply every hunger and thirst. Notice the climax, each blessing rising higher than the previous one. 6. Executes righteousness, redresses all wrongs. 7. God's revelation is here acknowledged. 8-13. The mercy of Jehovah is here Him-reverence and obey Him. 14. Knoweth our frame-our infirmities and shortcomings. 16. Wind-the hot wind from the desert blasts vegetation. 17. Fear Him-this condition of our blessings is repeated over and over. 19. Prepared His throne-established it. Kingdom-sovereign power. 20-22. He calls upon the highest and mightiest angels to praise God. Hosts-the angelic bodies. Ministers-angels are His servants, His works-the whole Creation. My souleach one should join heart and voice in praise to God. QUESTIONS. 1-5. Who is probably the author of this psalm. Upon whom does this writer first call to praise God? What is he not to do? What does God do for our spirits? What for our bodies? From what does He redeem us? How? What is the destruction referred to? With what does He crown us? Through whom? What must we do in order to it? What is meant by "satisfieth thy mouth"? What two kinds of food are to be understood? To what does "like the eagle's" refer? the extent of His mercy compared? What is the kind of fear we are to have towards God? How complete is His forgiveness? 13-16. In what is God compared to a human father? How does He become our real father? Why does He have consideration for us? Why are we compared to dust? 17-18. What is the character of God's favor and mercy? How long does His righteousness last? What must we do? What is the covenant referred to? What are we to remember? What must we do besides? 6-7. What does God do for the oppressed? Who was Moses? Where and how did God 19-22. Where is God's throne established? make His will known to him? What is How far does His rule extend? What does mentioned as the quality of God's "ways"?"all" mean? Who are exhorted to bless the Who were the children of Israel? 8-12. What will God not always do? What does this mean? What does "keep his anger" mean? How has God not dealt with us? How has He dealt with us? To what is Lord? What are angels? In what do they excel? What do they do? Who are His hosts? What do they do? What else is to bless the Lord? What works are meant? What is our soul to do? CATECHISM. Ques. 7. Whence, then, proceeds this depravity of human nature? Ans. From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; hence our nature is become so corrupt, that we are all conceived and born in sin. Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity. LESSON XII. September 21st, 1884. renewal, by which the corruptions of our hearts are cured. New life is needed, and is given by God; and this is salvation. This song of praise consists of five parts. (1). "In vs. 1-5 the Psalmist calls upon his soul to praise God for rich personal experiences of the Divine mercy; (2) for His forgiving grace and righteous judgment to Israel in general (vs. 6-12; (3) for His tender consider ation of human infirmity (vs. 13-16); (4) for His faithful covenant mercy to such as fear Him everywhere (vs. 1718); (5) for His universal dominion, for which angels, men and all His works, should praise Him (vs. 19-22). The last clause of the Psalm repeats the sentiment of verse 1, thus rounding and completing this incomparable ode. FIRST PART (vs. 1-5). V. 1. Bless the Lord, O my soul. To "bless" God means to praise Him by declaring His attributes and works, and by offering thanksgiving in every appropriate way. To "bless" man is to invoke God's favor upon Him. O my soul. It is to be a soul work, not a mere formal or lip-service All that is within me every thought, faculty, power, the heart with all its affections, all are to join. The whole spiritual being, all in man that is best and highest, should be enlisted in this service. "Let others forbear, if they can bless the Lord, O my soul. Let others murmur, but do thou bless. Let others bless themselves, their idols, but do thou bless the Lord. Let others use only their tongue, but as for me, I will cry, bless the Lord, O my soul. Many are our faculties, emotions and capacities, but God has given them all to us, and they ought all to join in chorus to His praise."-Spurgeon. V. 2. Forget not all His benefits. Man is prone to remember what was disagreeable, and to forget the good things of the past. But we, as God's children, should correct this tendency, and recall the blessings received. V. 3. Forgiveth *** healeth. God pardons not in part, but all sins, so that not one is unforgiven, if He pardon at all. But sin is a disease, which causes sores and pain. Healing is, therefore, needed. With pardon there is also V. 4. Redeems life from destruction— from death and the grave. The word is elsewhere translated pit, grave, corruption. "It denotes a state of death in which the body returns to corruption from the grave, the germ of the Here, also, in the idea of resumption doctrine of the resurrection is discovered." Surely these would be blessings of all hearts; they even surpassed all enough to satisfy the wants and desires the hopes of man in his natural state. But God has yet more blessings in store for man. Crowneth thee with loving-kindnessthat is, gives joy and gladness, as when victors are crowned. Loving-kindness and tender mercies give this rejoicing to the heart. Satisfieth with good things. Some men seek their satisfying portion in the vanities of fleeting pleasures and treasures, and are miserably dissatisfied in the end. But the good things of God a e an abiding satisfaction to the soul. Youth renewed like the eagle's. The eagle gains fresh strength after the moulting of its feathers (Isaiah 40:31); so Christians recover fresh power after distresses; the Church gains strength from persecution; and the body will rise glorious from the grave. A Christian has perpetual youth-that is, the strength of heart, buoyancy of hope and gladness of spirit that usually characterize a healthy youth. SECOND PART (vs. 6-12.) For The Lord executeth righteousness. The Psalmist passes from his owen experience to that of the Jewish people. His range of vision is widened. the truth of his declarations he appeals to the history of the chosen people. God's righteous judgments gave release to the oppressed of Egypt. V. 7. He made known His ways. That is, He gave a revelation to the fathers by Moses. This great Leader was "made to see the manner in which the Lord deals with men; he saw this at each of the periods of his life in the Court (of Pharaoh), in retirement (in Arabia), and at the head of the tribes of Israel." But on Mt. Sinai God gave him the clearest manifestations of "His ways and "His acts." V. 8-9. The Lord is merciful and gracious The attributes of God are mercy, patience, kindness, good-will. He will not always chide, or judge. He has no pleasure in punishing sinners; and His chastisements are for our correction. God disciplines His children, that they may not perish with the enemies. Vs. 10-12. He has not dealt with us and makes them eternal like itself. This power is the mercy of God, which spans itself above all those who fear Him like an eternal heaven." The everlasting God gives to weak, frail man everlasting life and joy, But on condition that they fear Him-reverence and obey His laws. This is repeated several times. Do His commandments. FIFTH PART (vs. 19-22). The Psalmist calls upon angels, men and all creation to praise God for His universal dominion. V. 19. The Lord's throne is establish ed; God's power is absolute, supreme, and everywhere present. It is in the heavens, not merely upon our small globe. after our sins. Here the full and free forgiveness of sins is beautifully portrayed. In v. 10 we are first told what God has not done. "We ought to praise Him for what He has not wrought for us; even the negative side deserves strength are the archangels, cherubim V. 20. The angels that excel in our adoring gratitude. Up to this and seraphim. They do His commandmoment, at our very worst estate, we ments-execute His word; they are the have never suffered as we deserve to executive suffer; our daily lot has not been ap- Hearkening unto the voice denotes their messengers of Jehovah. portioned upon the rule of what we readiness to learn and promptness to merited, but on the far different meaobey. sure of undeserved kindness."-Spurgeon. V. 21. The hosts are the whole order of heavenly beings-God's faithful ministers. V. 22. Bless the Lord, O my soul. He closes as he began. So we close our worship with the doxology. Let each lesson end with thanksgiving, each day with praise, and life with hosannas OLD-TIME TITLES. Here are a few titles used by authors in the seventeenth century, in England: "A Most Delectable, Sweet-perfumed Nosegay for God's Saints to Smell at; " "The Snuffers of Divine Love;" "Hooks and Eyes for Believers' Breeches;" "High-Heel'd Shoes for Dwarfs in Holiness; "Crumbs of Comfort for the Chickens of the Covenant;" Seven Sobs of a Sorrowful Soul for Sin; or the Seven Penitential Psalms of the Princely Prophet David; where-" unto are also annexed William Hunnius' Handful of Honeysuckles, and Divers Godly and Pithy Ditties, now Newly Augmented;" "The Spiritual Mustard Pot to make the Soul Sneeze with Devotion." |