Wisdom, out according to all their wishes," (Hengst.). They find "majesty and glory" therein; they find (ver. 4)" He has erected a memorial for his wonderful works,” i. e., made them as certainly to be remembered as when men erect a memorial edifice. At verse 7 the unchangeableness of his ways is the leading thought, occurring in verses 8 and 9 again. And then this sweet song of Zion closes with (ver. 10) the solemn expression of entire satisfaction in the Lord and his ways. It is worth noticing that verse 10 sings, "The beginning of wisdom is Jehovah's fear." Job had declared that truth to the sons of men in the earliest ages, xxviii. 28. In after days, Solomon (Prov. i. 7) declared it. with all the authority of his unparalleled wisdom and greatness. But here, Messiah and his members may be regarded as singing it, not on earth only, but in the kingdom-in "The assembly of the upright." They shall tell for ever of all true wisdom being found in the Lord. Never till they knew Him did any of them know ought that could satisfy; but in knowing Him, all found eternal life. Out of this Fountain of Wisdom they drink for evermore. Holy and fearful is his name!" PSALM CXII. 1 PRAISE ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, 2 His seed shall be mighty upon earth: The generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches shall be in his house: And his righteousness endureth for ever. 4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth : he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlast- He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the 8 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon 9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; His righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. 10 The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; He shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked “Hal ing theme. ANOTHER Alphabetic Psalm. The 111th celebrated the cha The distinguish. racter and ways of the Lord; this song celebrates the blessings of those that are his, and speaks of the many points in which God's people are like God. Like the last, it is a lelujah" song, fit to be sung by Messiah, and by each of his members, here on earth and hereafter in the kingdom. It tells of the reward of those that are the Lord's, while its description of their character prevents any mistake as to the persons meant. From verse 1 the features of character which mark the true The contents. fearer of God are noticed, carrying us back to verse 10 of Psalm cxi. It is Messiah who exhibits these in perfection; he is mighty," a, far above that conqueror mentioned in Gen. x. 8. In verses 2, 3, the blessing, which follows this character as the shadow does the substance, is spread before us; and as a crowning element of blessing, the clause, “To the upright ariseth light in darkness," intimates that all the darkness of the upright, his trials, sorrows, temptations, will end in light. It is a precious clause, applicable to Christ's day of sorrow, and applicable to each member's, telling us of present deliverances prepared for the righteous, and of the grand deliverance when the light" of the Day of God appears (Mal. iv. 2). 66 In verses 4, 5, the features of likeness to God are spoken of. Of these, Messiah is the great exemplar; merciful and gracious (Exod. xxxiv. 6), and righteous. Happy the man! (Isa. iii. 10.) He sheweth favour and lendeth !” Inverses 6-8, his sure, unchanging bliss is proclaimed. He Y is never moved;" he is remembered by God for ever, as the high priest had the names of Israel ever on his heart. No tidings can overwhelm him; he is fixed for ever. In verse 9 his "cups of cold water' are spoken of. “He gave to the poor;" for as Christ did (Acts xx. 35), so each member has ever counted it more blessed to give than to receive. And this “righteousness,” i. e., righteous conduct. is not forgotten; it is recorded in the book of remembrance, (see ver. 3, and 2 Cor. ix. 9). In verses 10, 11, his triumph is proclaimed. He is exalted; the wicked is for ever fallen. This is the day of Glory-the time of rewards. How verily true of Christ the Head! "His horn exalted.” And thus every holy stream pours itself at last into the ocean of glory, meeting it on the day when Messiah and his members are glorified together. And this is the burden of this Psalm which the righteous might often sing in their dwellings in joyful anticipation The recompense of Messiah and his seed. The Hallel 1 PRAISE ye the Lord. PSALM CXIII. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore. 3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised. 4. The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, 6 Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! 7 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill, 8 That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord. THE Jews have handed down the tradition, that this Psalm, and those that follow on to the 118th, were all sung at the Passover; and they are denominated "The Great Hallel." This tradition shews, at all events, that the ancient Jews perceived in these six Psalms some link of close connection. They all sing of God the Redeemer, in some aspect of his redeeming character; and this being so, while they suited the paschal feast, we can see how appropriate they would be in the lips of the Redeemer, in his Upper Room.* Thus In Psa. cxiii., he sang praise to Him who redeems from the lowest depth. In Psa. cxiv., he sang praise to Him who once redeemed Israel, and shall redeem Israel again. In Psa. cxv., he uttered a song-over earth's fallen idolsto Him who blesses Israel and the world. In Psa. cxvi., he sang his resurrection-song of thanksgiving by anticipation. In Psa. cxvii., he led the song of praise for the great congregation. In Psa. cxviii. (just before leaving the Upper Room to go to Gethsemane), he poured forth the story of his suffering, conflict, triumph, and glorification. commencement. Our I'salm, then, begins with a twice-repeated invitation to The Psalm's all God's servants to join in praise. It is sometimes true, that for the soul, "solitude is best society;" but in the matter of praise, the reverse may be oftenest held. The society of kindred souls is the best help to each individual soul; every voice in the great multitude touches the heart-fibres of yonder sweet singer, as the wind does the Eolian harp. Hence it is that so many Psalms begin with "Hallelujah!" calling on others all around to praise-not that the "harper harping with his harp" means to delegate this blessed duty to others, but he seeks to tune his own soul by hearing their voices ascend. The warmth of their hearts fires his own. The persons invited (ver. 1), to praise, are "Jehovah's ser vants;" all those (as Nehemiah i. 10 expands the words) whom he has redeemed. The time (ver. 2) for praise is specially * The term used in Matt. xxvi. 30, is iμvnoavres, the word used in Heb. ii. 12; and by the Sept. for and occasionally. T "henceforth," from the date of this redemption. The place (ver. 3, 4) where it is to be celebrated is all the earth, not Israel's land alone; for all nations are to hear what Jehovah has done on the theatre of that land. The object of praise (ver. 5) is Jehovah, he to whom they sang at the Red Sea, “Who is like unto thee?" (Exod. xv. 11.) "Who is like to Jehovah our God? He who is exalted high, as to his dwelling (ö vinλ015 zarov.-Sept.) Then follows the special subject of celebration (ver. *7, 8, 9) -what He does for the fallen. Hannah's song in 1 Sam. ii. 5, 6, 7, 8, seems kept in view, as well as God's own words to David, 2 Sam. vii. 8, 9, all to furnish suitable language to express redemption-acts. And the long "barren woman" of verse 9, while it reminds us of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Manoah's wife, Elizabeth, who all in the end were filled with joy, may point to one and the same period of the world's history for its full and final illustration, as does Isaiah liv. 1. Isaiah seems expressly to allude to this Psalm as receiving its fulfilment to the full when Messiah's work of suffering (Isa. liii.) issues in illimitable blessing to Israel and the world. The redemption celebrated includes glory as well as grace; for we have princes (ver. 8) spoken of, and these "sit" with them, becoming associates of the noble-thus highly exalted, though once fit for the lowest hell. It is an expression parallel to Hannah's "throne of glory,” (2 Sam. ii. 8). And lo! the once barren one of the house "sits a joyful mother of sons." Whether we look upon the speaker as Christ praising the Father, or as the Church of Christ, and every member of Christ praising the Father because of Christ, the theme cannot be mistaken. It is Praise to Him who redeems from the lowest depth. |