well. He thinks of those who are never away from the Lord, and covets their bliss. But he rises up, verses 5, 6, and journeys on, comforted and strengthened by the thought that they are already blessed whose "strength is in Thee”—and

“In whose hearts are ways,”

pilgrim-ways, the roads that are cast up for travelling. Blessed it is to have the resolution to traverse these ways, instead of slothfully abiding at home (Jer. xxxi. 21). They are willing to endure hardship and inconvenience, taking what they find, less or more.

"Passing through the valley of Baca,

They make it a well

Yea, the pools which the rain has filled."

Little as there may be of water, that little suffices them on their way. It is a well to them. They find only "pools (which) the early rain has (barely) covered"—but are content with the supply by the way. It is as good and sufficient to them as if showers of the heavy autumnal rains had filled the well. Pilgrims forget the scanty supply at an Inn, when they have abundance in view at the end. Israelites going up to the Passover made light of deficient water, for their hearts were set on reaching Jerusalem. Our Elder Brother, the leader of the pilgrim-band, endured such hardships for the joy set before him ―aye, even endured to be "thirsty" on the cross under infinite wrath-and in this he set us an example, as well as wrought out salvation.

In verse 7 we see the arrival of the pilgrims at the city. In verses 8, 9, we hear their prayer when arrived--

“O God, see our shield! (the position of is peculiar)

Behold the face of thine Anointed !”

Israel's Priest was "shield and anointed" to the worshippers; Christ is all this in antitype. Christ himself could use this prayer. Identifying himself with the pilgrim-band, they might be supposed pointing to him and saying, “Our shield look

* Valley of tear-shrubs (Hengst), or mulberries. Valley of lamentation, Jammerthal, (Gesen.)-some sterile, gloomy spot, on the way to Jerusalem, like that near the barren knoll of Scopos, where Nob once stood. Others suppose the spot where the mulberry-trees grew, 1 Chron. xiv. 15.

upon, O God!" While he himself might be supposed seconding the plea by calling the Lord's attention to himself—“Behold the face of thine Anointed One.”"

And now, verses 10, 12, you are made to hear the report of the place given by those who reach it. Israelites would thus commend God's holy place to their fellows; but they who reach the kingdom, of which all this was the shadow, what would they not say of the glory, and beauty, and bliss, and peace ? If a day in the Lord's typical courts was so satisfying, what would be a day in the kingdom? And if one day, what the Eternal Day," dies sempiternus, cui non cedit hesternus, quem non urget crastinus?" (August.)

"For the Lord is a sun and shield;

God giveth grace and glory;

The Lord withholds no good

From them that walk uprightly.'

The Lord is all brightness and no gloom, and all safety. He gives "honour and glory," (see Prov. iv. 9, &c.). He leaves not one unsatisfied wish. Not one in that kingdom but ever sings. (and O that all on earth heard it now!)-

"O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee !” This is the heartfelt utterance of each one that has travelled thither; the testimony, ungrudging and unqualified, of The Righteous One on his way to the city of the Living God.

PSALM LXXXV.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

1 LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land:

Thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.

2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.

3 Thou hast taken away all thy wrath:

Thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.

4 Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.

5 Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?

6 Wilt thou not revive us again! that thy people may rejoice in thee?

7 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak:

For he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints:

But let them not turn again to folly.

9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

12 Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her

increase.

13 Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set us in the way of his steps.

WHEN Israel ceased to be pilgrims to the city of God, the Lord The title. made them in another sense pilgrims and strangers, "tribes of the wandering foot and weary breast." The captivity of Babylon was only a foretaste of centuries of exile and oppression. But, on the other hand, the restoration under Ezra and Nehemiah is, after all, but a foretaste of the final restoration of that people, still beloved for their fathers' sakes. The sons of Korah" sang this song, perhaps first by Babel's streams, and then at Jerusalem when the few thousands returned.

They pray for full deliverance, from verse 1 to 7. The The contents. burden of it is; "Lord, thou hast in other times been gracious, thou didst in former days turn back Jacob's captivity; thou didst forgive his sins"-pausing in the midst of the review, Selah"--and the returning to their plea.

“Wilt thou not quicken us again? (give us life again.)

And thy people (no more scattered) shall rejoice in thee." (Ver. 6.)

And that "life" to them as a nation (1) is what Paul refers to as "life from the dead to the world," (Rom. ix. 15).

They get an answer, verse 8. The people as one body (Hengst.) suddenly hear a voice from the Holy One. "Let me hear what God the Lord speaketh !" It may be their priest, as representative of the nation, that says, DN “Let me hear," in which case we might see Christ, their long-rejected Priest, becoming their Intercessor, and bringing them the Lord's message from the true Holy of Holies. The nation is waiting,

and their representative says, "Let me hear"for it is worth hearing, it is glorious news,

"For he speaks peace to his people!"

words like those of Jeremiah" Thoughts of peace and not of evil!" But, besides, he seems to tell of their being instrumental, as “life from the dead," in blessing the nations; for while he speaks peace, it is to Israel, but not to them only, it is to

"His people, and to his saints.

And they shall turn no more to folly !"

The time of millennial blessedness has come.

The time for

displaying grace to the full has come. Jew and Gentile shall meet, like David and Araunah, at the altar on Moriah.

Surely, (

as Psa. Ixxiii. 1) his salvation is near them that fear him, So that glory tabernacles in our Land.”

*

The salvation of Israel has come out of Zion. The Saviour has come, the Redeemer, "the glory," in its fullest sense, antitype of the cloud of glory. And what a full display of divine perfections now in the salvation of Jerusalem-sinners, Mannasseh-sinners, unbelieving souls! The Redeemer is there, and hence "grace and truth" have met, for "merry and truth" here, are the "grace and truth" of John i. 17, of which Messiah is the full vessel, the living fountain. "Righteousness and peace” also for here is the true Melchizedec, who is “first king of righteousness, and then king of peace." The harmonised perfections of the Holy One shine bright over Israel restored; these, guiltiest once of all unbelieving ones, illustrate in their conversion every attribute which the cross has magnified. They are received on principles of righteousness and truth, as well as love and mercy, because received through Christ's atoning sacrifice; and then they reflect these attributes (as the sea does the sky above it) in their life. "What were joined as attributes in Christ, ought not as virtues to be separated in a Christian who may learn to resemble his blessed Lord and Master by

* It is said in Romans xi. 31-"At present they have not believed your mercy (ỷzeißnoav ty iμetegy êλses) in order that they may be objects of mercy” -monuments of what that very mercy can do.

رہا

observing that short but complete rule of life, Shew mercy and speak truth; do righteousness and follow peace." (Horne.) Restored and converted Israel walk in a singular land! for their heaven over them is righteousness, and the soil under their feet yields truth. God's unbroken word is illustrated by them in manifold ways, so that it is as if " Truth sprang up like the flowers of their land" when the rains are over and gone; and then, all is done in righteousness, their sins being forgiven through atoning blood; so that, "righteousness" is their canopy," look'ng down from heaven."* "A carpet of truth! a canopy of righteousness!"

« Truly Jehovah giveth what is good; (Exod. xxxiii. 19)

And our land yieldeth its increase.”

In verse 13 our attention is turned again to the magnifying of his "righteousness;" for now more than ever his character is manifested as "righteous," since it is the work of a law-fulfilling Redeemer no longer rejected by Israel, but heartily embraced, that has brought about these glorious changes on the nation.

"Righteousness goeth before Him,

And sets His steps on the way." (Ver. 13.)

His steps are not straitened as he walks through Israel's land; righteousness itself, as a "royal harbinger," makes a way for his footsteps. Such is

The bringing back of Israel's captivity expected by the righteous.

* This “looking down,”

rendered generally by ragazurro in the Greek, implies such a look as in 1 Pet. i. 12 angels give into the things of salvation, and such a look as the disciples gave into the sepulchre. It is really the Righteous One who is resting over them in complacent love, not as in Psa. xiv. 2, and liii. 3, but fulfilling Psa. cii. 20.