implies, further, that there is a resplendent beauty and glory in God Himself. This is self-existent brilliancy; but shining as the sun shines upon those objects that are within the range of its beams. God has an uncreatable glory, the enjoyment of which, whether seen as no man can now behold it, or in the face of Jesus Christ, will be happiness beyond all conception, as the hiding of His countenance is the blackness of darkness for ever.' In the Psalms especially do we meet with the words 'the light of His countenance,' and 'make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant' (see Ps. xxxi. 16.; cxix. 135); and in Dan. ix. 19: Cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary.' Clouds may intervene, and our experiences are not always the same, but faith knows that God is ever bright. Faith, however, may keep a firm hold when comforts are not enjoyed. The Christian alone knows what the blessing of the light of God's countenance is. This Psalm regards the blessing in a somewhat different light from the like blessing in our spiritual dispensation. It seems here to be associated particularly with temporal favours. This would be the case in a Jewish dispensation, more or less, either of the past or in the future. So far as temporal blessings are concerned, they can never fill the soul of a child of God with joy, of themselves. How true are the words of Leighton: 'The displeased withdrawal of God's countenance makes a sad night amidst all these; as when the sun is absent, it is night still, notwithstanding all the stars.' Again, Beveridge has these words: 'And this knowing and beholding God face to face is, I believe, the very heaven of heavens, even the highest happiness that it is possible a creature should be made capable of.' How is the through Jesus Christ, then the believer longs to heaven, to behold the fountain-head of all grac glory.'-(Traill). It will be perceived, I hope, that I wish to draw tion to the double force contained in the two expre unitedly, namely, favour of God, as expressed b face; all the glory and other sources of joy con with light, as expressed 'cause to shine.' It w seen that the translations convey somewhat the thought: Septuagint : 'Επιφάναι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. Diodati: 'Faccia risplendere il suo volto.' I must add here a quotation of which I am very 'O Light,' prayed the pious Augustine, 'before W all other light is darkness, which no light can dam obstruction intercept, no blindness shut out, receiv in Thy brightness, that I may see Thee in myself myself in Thee, and all things else under Thee Thou withdraw Thy light, the clouds of my ignor gather, and I am overwhelmed with sin and error. is black, all evil without Thee. For what can poss be good which is destitute of Thee, the true, the c the only good?'-(Extracted from Kennaway's ser The Light of the World.") PSALM lxvii. 4. 'O let the nations be glad, and sing for joy; for Thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah.' The word here translated govern' does not convey the same thought as the word 'ruleth' in Ps. lxvi. 7. Power, in its absolute sense and controlling force, when necessary, is prominent in the latter verse, but in this Psalm the gentle and tender leading of God is lovingly presented to us. A gracious character marks the whole of the Psalm, and the word accords therewith. As I notice this word for the sake of spiritual instruction, and not in order to criticize a translation correct as it stands, but still more so as 'lead' in the margin, I will refer to several of the passages in which it is found in Holy Writ. It is used very often in connection with God's guidance of Israel; oftentimes in a manner tenderly expressive. In Exod. xiii. 21 we read, 'And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to go by day and night.' In Exod. xxxii. 34 God spake thus to Moses: Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee;' and in Deut. xxxii. 12: So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him;' and in Ps. lxxvii. 20: 'Thou leddest Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.' There are many other passages of a similar character, but I cannot refer to them all. I must, however, notice a few more. One is in the form of a prayer. Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path because of mine enemies.' Another is expressed in the language of assurance: 'Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and "afterward receive me to glory.' And lastly, we find the word twice in the form of a precious promise in the following words: 'I have seen his ways and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts to him and to his mourners.' And, 'The Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be as a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not' (Ps. xxvii. 11; lxxiii. 24; Isa. lvii. 18; lviii. 11). I do not add the different translations. They have the word guide,' conduct, or direct, of necessity. The manner of guidance is the real point for consideration, and this no one word could express. The best single word seems to be that of the Septuagint, ódnynoes. It is, I would say finally, the teaching and fatherly guidance of God as connected with His own people specially, and His general providence in His tender mercies over all His works, which is here considered, calling forth, as is due, 'Let the people praise Thee, O God: let all the people praise Thee.' Matthew Poole, in his annotations, has these words: 'Govern, Heb. lead-to wit, gently, as a shepherd does his sheep, and not rule them with rigour, as other lords had done.' PSALM lxviii. 7. 'O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness. Selah.' No doubt the Psalmist was directed to remind Israel in this Psalm, both of the gracious dealings of God towards them in the wilderness, and also of the wonderful and even terrible things which He had wrought there. We know how often the chosen people are exhorted to recall to mind what God had done for them, in miraculously supporting and gently leading them; so that it is no more than we might expect, to find the word 'Selah' attached to this verse. Moses, before his death, impresses upon them how they were circumstanced when God undertook for them, just brought out of Egypt as they were. The words used are very striking, and, to my mind, very beautiful; and the Hebrew word used in Deut. xxxii. 10 for desert' is the same as that used here. It comes from a root signifying to be desolate;' and consequently contrasts forcibly with the recorded care and sustaining love of God, Who 'made rivers in the desert.' The contrast is forcibly brought out in Deut. xxxii. 10: 'He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about; He instructed him; He kept him as the apple of His eye.' Desert mercies are amongst the very sweetest remembrances of God's people; and no doubt the retrospect in glory calls forth many a song of praise. I have often thought that, had I been amongst the Israelites who crossed Jordan to the promised land, I should have sorrowed over the ceasing of the manna which, morning by morning, told me of the care of Israel's God, and bid my faith to trust Him day by day (Josh. v. 12). I notice this verse (Ps. lxviii. 7) for another reason also. Some of my readers may not understand why the Revised Version has altered verse 4, giving us the word 'deserts' instead of heavens,' without even a marginal apology for so doing. I may explain it thus. The word in question has a primary meaning of interweaving, or mixture, and this leads to its being used to express, |