with David when he looked forward to the fulfilment of all God had told him as to the perpetuation of his kingdom? " Although my house be not so with God: yet hath He made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; this is all my salvation and all my desire, although He make it not to grow' (2 Sam. xxiii. 5).

The antecedent portion of this Psalm may be most profitably made the subject of close examination. There is the appeal to God's power in verse 11; the eternal rule of God as King, and especially His rule as King of Israel; the great manifestations of His power, verses 12-15; His excellence as Creator, verse 16, which should be compared with Jeremiah xxxi. 35, 36: all which is brought to bear upon the covenant which bound such a God to the suffering people.

There is nothing in the translations that demands particular notice. They are all in agreement with the English. It is well to notice, however, that the Septuagint translates the Hebrew for 'land' by the word T1, which often signifies a portion of the world. In Parkhurst iii. and iv. several instances are given of its being used to signify the land of Canaan; and in Schleusner iv. we have, 'Speciatim ita dicitur Palæstina, terra Israelitarum.' I could not go so far as to say that the use of the word in this passage proves that the Psalm is prophetic of Israel's great day of trial. Holding the prophetic views which I do, it has much weight with me, and is certainly of sufficient importance to suggest a careful and unprejudiced consideration to others. Gesenius refers us to no less than four passages in Ps. xxxvii. in which the word is used in a connection and sense very similar to that here before us (see verses 9, 11, 22, 29; also Ps. xliv. 4 (3).

ארץ

PSALM lxxiv. 23.

'Forget not the voice of Thine enemies: the tumult of those that rise up against Thee increaseth continually.'

The margin gives instead of 'increaseth' the word 'ascendeth.' The Revised Version adopts the translation 'ascendeth' absolutely, with a marginal annotation, 'which ascendeth.' Our translation may claim some authority; e.g., the same word is used in 1 Kings xxii. 35 (and the battle increased that day'), and the rendering of the Revised Version is in that place the same as that of the Authorised Version. In fact, it would be difficult to find any better English word to express the din and tumult of the battle.

But the primary and literal sense of the word by is to ascend; and there is a connection, no doubt, between this very marked sense of it and the rising of tumult and far-sounding rage; and there is consequently no opposition between them of such a character as to cause a difficulty of interpretation.

We are here brought face to face with a great and important truth. We are taught that not only does the prayer of the righteous, and all which God's grace creates in him, come up before God, and enter into the ears and meet the keenly discerning eye of the Lord of Hosts; but the curse, the lawless act, the secret sin, the now unavenged persecution of the godly, ascendeth up to God. It is a solemn thought forcibly put in this passage, not to be passed over lightly. It is so generally accepted, and so often adverted to, that the prayers, sighing, etc., of the righteous ascend to the throne of grace, that, comforting although that truth is, I do not think it necessary to cite passages to that effect. I will, however,

cite two which seem to me perfectly to elucidate the truth before us.

In 1 Kings xix. 28 there is the following: 'Because thy rage against Me and thy tumult is come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook in thy nose and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.' In Jonah i. 2: Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before Me.' What a sound must this be in the ears of a holy God! Understand, ye brutish among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?' (Ps. xciv. 8, 9).

Septuagint : Ἡ ὑπερηφανία . . . ἀναβαίη (corrected ἀνέβη) διαπαντὸς πρὸς σέ.

Vulgate Superbia eorum, qui Te oderunt, ascendit semper.'

6

Diodati Contr' a Te sale del continuo al cielo.'

Ostervald 'Monte continuellement.'

Patre Scio: 'Sube continuamente.'

Martin Luther: 'Das Toben deiner Widerwärtigen wird je länger je grösser.

PSALM 1XXV. 2.

'When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly.' Of this verse there are two renderings: the one given above, which is that of our Authorised Version; the other in our margins, 'Shall I take a set time?' which is adopted as to its general sense in the Revised Version, 'When I shall find the set time.' In both the same truth seems to be taught, namely, that the Lord hath a set time to favour Zion.' If we adopt the rendering of the text of the Authorised Version, the passage teaches that God will at a set time gather together and vindicate His people.

Revised Version, the mind is fixed more directly upon the fact that God has an appointed time. The second verse seems to be an answer from God to the first.

The following extract from Calvin (in loco) is worthy of transcription: 'As it is certain that God is here introduced as speaking, either of these senses will agree with the scope of the passage: it may be viewed either as denoting that, having gathered His people to Himself, He will restore to due order matters which were in a state of distraction and disorder; or else that He will make a choice of a fit time for exercising his judgment.' He concludes his remarks upon the passage thus: 'God therefore declares that it is His office to set in order and adjust those things which are in confusion, that, entertaining this expectation, we may be sustained and comforted by means of it in all our afflictions.'

How slowly do we learn to await God's time! How often do we feel ready to charge God with forgetfulness! What need is there of remembering continually the exhortation in Heb. x. 35, 37: Cast not away, therefore, your confidence which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry'! When Israel groaned in Egypt, God was no indifferent spectator of the affliction. Not all the oppression, not all the might of Pharaoh, could hinder the carrying out of His purpose at the set time: Even the self-same day it came to pass that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt' (Exod. xii. 41). They were the hosts of the Lord,' even when subject to the Egyptians, although they realized it not.

It will be seen that the translations differ a little from

each other, but the rendering in the sense of set time prevails. Before inserting the translations, I may explain in few words how it is that both renderings become a possibility. The Hebrew verb signifies to fix or appoint, especially with authority. This verb is the root of the word TD, which is found in this verse with the renderings above noticed. As assemblies are of necessity convened at set times and places, the signification of ' assembly' attaches to the noun, which is also repeatedly used in Scripture for 'seasons,' 'festivals,' etc.; in fact, for all such things as are connected with set time.

Septuagint : Οταν λάβω καιρὸν.

Vulgate Cum accepero tempus.'

Patre Scio: 'Quando yo tomare el tiempo.'

Ostervald 'Quand j'aurai trouvé le tems propre.'

Diodati: 'Quando io avrò preso il Luogo della Raunanza,' Martin Luther: 'Denn zu seiner Zeit so werde ich recht richten,'

PSALM 1XXV. 3.

"The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved: I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.'

This is a most important verse. Although the language is decidedly figurative, it is full of assurance to all who trust in God that He holds the whole course of the world in His hands, and that all is regulated, weighed, and adjusted by Him. 'I bear up the pillars' is not a very clear rendering of the word; 'proportioned' in the margin of the Revised Version is better. Gesenius gives 'to set up,' 'to fix,' 'to adjust;' e.g., by a level or plumb. The world will undergo many changes, physical and moral; but God has a well-proportioned standing-place whereon to erect His superstructure. Changes have