as these, remembering how often by the way we were ready to ask, "Has God forgotten to be gracious?" We are taught by the harp of Asaph, in moments of despondency, to “remember the days of old," and assure ourselves that the God of Israel liveth-the God of the Passover-night, the God of the Red Sea, the God of the Pillar-cloud, the God of Sinai, the God of the wilderness, the God of Jordan,-the God, too, we may add, of Calvary, and the God of Bethany, who shall lead us as he led Israel, even when earth shakes again, till that day when he comes to cast some light on "his way that was in the sea, and his paths that were in the great waters, and his footsteps" that were a mystery. Asaph has been the instrument of the Holy Ghost to cheer us here, by bidding us look on this picture of The Righteous One under the cloud recalling to mind the Lord's former doings. PSALM LXXVIII. Maschil of Asaph. 1 GIVE ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old : 3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4 We will not hide them from their children, Shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. 5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, When he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; Who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God. 9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. 10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; 11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. 12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as an heap. 14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. 15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths. 16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. 17 And they sinned yet more against him, by provoking the Most High in the wilderness, 18 And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust. 19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? 20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? 21 Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: So a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel; 22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation, 23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, 24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. 24 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full. 26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven : And by his power he brought in the north wind. 27 He rained flesh upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: 28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. 29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire. 30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, 31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, And smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. 34 When he slew them, then they sought him : And they returned and inquired early after God. 35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. 36 Nevertheless they did flatter with their mouth, And they lied unto him with their tongues. 37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: Yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. 40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! 41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. 43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: 44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. 45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; And frogs, which destroyed them. 46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust. 47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost. 48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. 49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, By sending evil angels among them. 50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence: 51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; The chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham 52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, Even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. 55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, And made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. 56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies : 57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: They were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, And moved him to jealousy with their graven images. 59 When God heard this he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: 60 So that he forsook the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men ; 61 And delivered his Strength into captivity, and his Glory into the enemy's hand. 62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his in heritance. 'The title. Christ here. The contents. 63 The fire consumed their young men and their maidens were not given to marriage. 64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. 65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, And like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. 66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder part: he put them to a perpetual reproach. 67 Moreover, he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. 69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, Like the earth which he hath established for ever. 70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds : 71 From following the ewes great with young He brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. 72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. "Maschil," referring to the music. "By Asaph," who wrote Psalm lxxiv. See Jesus in the ship, teaching parables. Compare him that day by the sea-side with the Singer here, whose words, though neither new nor dark, are yet meant to convey hidden meanings. From verse 2, compared with Matt. xiii. 34, 35, we are led to conclude that Asaph here was directed to foreshadow Messiah, the Prophet, disclosing the mind and ways of God, where these were hidden from the gaze of the common eye. There is throughout this Psalm a "concealed background of instruction" (Hengst.), intimated at verse 2, just as Jesus, in speaking very obvious and plain things about the seed and the sower, the leaven and the mustard-tree, meant all the while to lead disciples to a "concealed background of instruction"-God's ways toward man, and man's toward God. We can easily believe that our Master, in using this Psalm, would not hesitate to say, verse 3, " We have heard," identifying himself with us; for he does so in Psalm xxii. 4, “Our fathers," yours and mine; and he does so in the Prayer he taught us, "Our Father in heaven," mine and yours. On the other hand, in saying, verse 4, " We will not hide them from their children," is he not assuming the tone of Godhead? for it is the very same voice we hear in Gen. xviii. 19, "Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do?" He brings before us most affectingly God's ways in contrast to man's! Thus, verse 5, God's mercies to the infant nation. Prophets, priests, Levites, Moses, the Tabernacle, all are implied in "He set up a testimony in Israel;" and all was meant to make permanent among them the knowledge and love of the glorious Jehovah. This was an act of grace; for verse 8 recalls the perverseness of their fathers, "stubborn, rebellious, not right, not stedfast with God." Truly, His ways are not our ways; and soon that after generation shewed their fathers' corruption, refusing to face Anak (ver. 9; see Num. xiii. 33, and xiv. 1-4), and to go whither God would. But, again, His guiding mercies from Egypt onward (ver. 17). How numerous ! every one how marvellous! all so undeserved, all so constant! The Red Sea divided, the cloud, the smitten rock! Yet they provoked the Most High! Again, His un-upbraiding mercies (ver. 18-29). The history of the manna shews this-instinct with wonders of Grace! for see how the everyday shower comes to a people most ungrateful, and forgetful, and unbelieving! "Each man did eat," as Exodus xvi. 16; each had his omer every day. Again, His chastising mercies (ver. 30-33). He tries them with fatherly chastenings, and for a time the wayward children feel. But these, too, avail not. Shall he then leave them? No, he has more kindness in reserve for them. Again, he sings of His long-suffering mercies (ver. 34-41). Amid frowardness, how very pitiful! how tender! how sympathising! “For he remembered that they were but flesh, A wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. And all this while they insulted him." ("Set a mark on Israel's Holy But to deepen the contrast, he sings of his judgments on their foes (ver. 42–53); and then of Canaan-mercies to themselves, (ver. 54-58); and of Canaan-chastisements, (ver. 5864). What a God! What a people! How glorious in grace the One! How low sunk in sin the other! How low must mercy condescend in helping such a people! But he has still another note to the praise of grace. His mercies in the days of David (ver. 65 to the end), when the |