dominion over the works of Thy hands? Hast Thou done all this? What is man, that Thou so visitest him? and the son of man, that Thou art mindful of him?' Observe the expression Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands' is repeated under a different form in the words 'Thou hast put all things under his feet.' He left nothing that is not put under him. • But when He saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that He is excepted, which did put all things under him.' So writes St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians. Here then is man, a very small portion of creation, and yet the whole heavens above and earth beneath are to be put under him. In Heb. ii. 8, 9, we read, 'But now we see not yet all things put under him,' that is, under man; then comes in that most blessed and precious truth, ‘BUT we see Jesus! Yes, by faith we see Him who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.' This announcement is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ! He was 'bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh,' and all things shall be put under Him. For the Father hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of man. Then with this light upon it, how sweetly come in those closing words of praise, O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!' It is indeed a clasp that suits well with that other clasp at the beginning, for it is of Him that these words testify, under Him that all these things shall be put in subjection, and His alone is the Name which is above every name.' How excellent is that Name in all the earth.'

And now, beloved, before closing, there are three points to which I wish to draw your attention, so deeply precious and instructive that we lose much of the rich blessing herein contained if we fail to note them. First, then, the power, dominion, and kingship of Jesus are not derived

It is not

simply from the fact that He became man. merely because He assumed flesh that all this has come about. But here lies the great and blessed truth, on which it all rests, that He, the Son of God, 'in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily,' came down to earth, to suffer and to die; tasting death for every man,' that He might be crowned with glory and honour.' This truth can never be realised, my beloved friends, save with the consciousness that He, our Lord and Master, made His way up to that Throne, won His way towards it, simply by the Cross of Calvary. And oh! beloved, if such was His love for us that He underwent untold suffering, that He died at length a death of shame, in order that through the grave and gate of death' He might open up to us the way of everlasting life, what return of love do we give to Him? He has done all for us, and all He asks is that we should give Him our hearts; that we should 'love Him,' who so greatly 'first loved us.'

Then, secondly, poor, struggling, trembling pilgrims in this world as we are, fightings without and fears within, where is our help to be found? Where but in David's Son and David's Lord'? Ah! He will be to us, if we only trust Him, Father, Mother, Brother, Sister, Friend; aye, and far more than all these, for they may fail, but Jesus— never! Do not be afraid of His going back from you, or forsaking you. That is not the way He deals with His children. He has come into the world, and lived, and suffered, and known what weakness is; and so again and again He will come back to the poor, penitent prodigal, and with a word and a touch of His gentle, loving Hand, will raise him up again, and cheer and comfort him with His own most blessed presence and love. Ah! it sometimes seems as if in this world the very words of our friends, which would fain be words of comfort, are after all but drawn swords.' But oh! it

Only believe this Man! He will never leave nor midst of darkness and

is not, never can be so with Him. only trust Him! only try Him! forsake you; and even in the storms and conflicts, you shall hear amid the roar of the tempest a still small voice saying, 'Peace, be still.' And oh, what a calm when the poor trembling heart hears from its gracious Master those loving words, 'It is I, be not afraid!' His own loving Master; what then can he fear? Ah! beloved, when we get that, we need nothing more! We are safe for Time, and safe for Eternity!

And then, once more, the simpler our faith, the more shall we show forth His praise. It is hard sometimes to have a single eye, and simple faith, but oh! the blessedness of that joyful confiding trust in God, when fully realised! I like that expression, Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.' Confidence ever seems to be more like faith in its heavenly form; ever joying in His presence, resting in His love, and basking in the sunshine of His Face.

Oh! beloved, let us trust in this blessed Jesus! Let us give our hearts to Him, without reservation, in true, tender, loving, constant devotedness; and then from the simplicity of our faith, out of which He has ordained strength,' He will most surely also perfect praise!' And to those of us to whom He has given more especially to labour in His vineyard, and to watch for souls, as they that must give account, I doubt not that He will enable us, at that day, amid much of past errors and shortcomings, to count up in His presence the many 'crowns of rejoicing' which He has given us, and to rejoice that by a simple, childlike faith in Him we not only had 'strength' given us, but that from our poor, weak, faltering lips He has indeed perfected praise.'

THANKSGIVING FOR THE PAST.-TRUST FOR THE FUTURE. 43

PSALM IX.

THANKSGIVING FOR THE PAST.-TRUST FOR THE FUTURE.

'I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvellous works.

'I will be glad and rejoice in Thee: I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou most High.

'When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at Thy presence.

'For Thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in the throne judging right.

Thou hast rebuked the heathen, Thou hast destroyed the wicked, Thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

'O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

'But the Lord shall endure for ever: He hath prepared His throne for judgment.

And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee: for Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.

'Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people His doings.

'When He maketh inquisition for blood, He remembereth them: He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

'Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death :

That I may show forth all Thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in Thy salvation.

'The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

The Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

"The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

'Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in Thy sight.

'Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.'

I Do not attempt, my beloved friends, anything like a full explanation of this Psalm, which would of course require more time than is before us at present. We can only so far consider it as to see how fitly it comes in the course of the book which we are now studying, both as regards the general structure of the Psalm, and also its special features.

We have here, you see, the acknowledgment on the part of the child of God of all His past mercies and lovingkindnesses, and the expression of his full assurance of faith and hope that He will continue to do great things for him in the future; while he closes by an earnest prayer that he may be permitted to praise Him and to magnify His Holy Name.

This Psalm is one of those which may be called 'double,' as you will observe. The first six verses set forth the view to which we have alluded, viz. the believer's acknowledgment of God's past mercies and lovingkindnesses. Verses 7-12 express his perfect trust and confidence in God for the future; verses 13 and 14, following upon this and because of it, contain an earnest prayer for all that he so greatly needs. Thus, so far, the first half of the Psalm; and now, from the 15th verse onwards, the Psalmist gives expression to these same views in a variety of forms and in brief. Thus the 15th and 16th verses are the same in some degree as the first six; the 17th and 18th correspond with the second six; while the 19th and 20th close again with prayer, as in the 13th and 14th verses.

Observe how very striking is the whole structure of this Psalm, presenting before us, as it does, that which is so blessed a feature in the history of the believer, viz. his clear perception of God's great mercy toward him in the past, and of his perfect safety in God, and freedom from the power of the enemy, and forgiveness full and free; the work of salvation done for him, and