was among them, and became their leader; Jeshua was chief among the priests. Some of the Psalms, especially the beautiful Psalms of "degrees" or of going up, may well have been sung by the people on their way, or afterwards in memory of the journey.

We must read some of these Psalms. You seem to see

"His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree."-Hosea xiv. 6.

the pilgrims coming back to Zion. You feel, too, that these Psalms are songs of the heavenly journey, given to encourage us all on our way.

First the longing of the captives to be set free.

A SONG OF DEGREES.

In my distress I cried unto the LORD,

And he heard me.

Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips,

And from a deceitful tongue.

What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee,

Thou false tongue?

Sharp arrows of the mighty,

With coals of juniper.

*A song of ascents. A pilgrim-song.

Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mesech,
That I dwell in the tents of Kedar! †
My soul hath long dwelt

With him that hateth peace.

I am for peace:

But when I speak, they are for war.

-Psalm CXX.

Then the looking with hope towards the holy mountains.

A SONG OF DEGREES.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
From whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the LORD,
Which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
He that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper:

The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day,

Nor the moon by night.

The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil:

He shall preserve thy soul.

The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
From this time forth, and even for evermore.

Then the coming into the holy city.

south.

A SONG OF DEGREES OF DAVID.

I was glad when they said unto me,

Let us go into the house of the LORD.

Our feet shall stand

Within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is builded

As a city that is compact together:

-Psalm CXXI.

Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD,
Unto the testimony of Israel,

To give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

For there are set thrones of judgment,

The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
They shall prosper that love thee.

Wild tribes far from Canaan, Mesech to the north and Kedar to the

Peace be within thy walls,

And prosperity within thy palaces.

For my brethren and companions' sakes,
I will now say, Peace be within thee.

Because of the house of the LORD our God
I will seek thy good.

Other songs of going up.

A SONG OF DEGREES.

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion,

We were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter,

And our tongue with singing:

Then said they among the heathen,

The LORD hath done great things for them.

The LORD hath done great things for us;
Whereof we are glad.

Turn again our captivity, O LORD,

As the streams in the south.

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

-Psalm CXXII.

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed,

Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

-Psalm CXXVI.

A SONG OF DEGREES FOR SOLOMON.

Except the LORD build the house,
They labour in vain that build it:
Except the LORD keep the city,

The watchman waketh but in vain.

It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows:

For so he giveth his beloved sleep.

-Psalm CXXVII. 1, 2.

A SONG OF DEGREES OF DAVID.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious ointment upon the head,

That ran down upon the beard,

Even Aaron's beard:

That went down to the skirts of his garments;

As the dew of Hermon,

And as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion:

For there the LORD commanded the blessing,

Even life for evermore.

-Psalm CXXXIII.

A SONG OF DEGREES.

Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD,

Which by night stand in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,

And bless the LORD.

The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

-Psalm CXXXIV.

REBUILDING JERUSALEM.

WHEN the pilgrims came back from Babylon to Jerusalem, the first thing that they thought of was the temple, and they began rebuilding it, singing Psalms as they worked. But they refused the help of the people of Samaria and made them their enemies. Then for a good while work on the temple was stopped by command of the Persian king.

At that time the prophets Haggai and Zechariah began to speak their message from the Lord to encourage the people. Haggai was old and perhaps had seen the temple of Solomon before it was destroyed. Zechariah was younger. So work was begun again, and the king gave the people help, and the temple was finished, a poor rude building compared with the temple of Solomon, and yet the Lord's own temple.

We will read some of the words spoken by Zechariah, promising peace and blessing to Jerusalem. The promise is one of heavenly blessing to all who are brave and faithful in the Lord's work.

Again the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I was jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I was jealous for her with great fury. Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; and I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness. Thus saith the LORD of hosts;

Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction: for I set all men every one against his neighbour. But now I will not be unto the residue of this people as in the former days, saith the LORD of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong. For thus saith the LORD of hosts; As I thought to punish you, when your fathers provoked me to wrath, saith the LORD of hosts, and I repented not: so again have I thought in these

days to do well unto Jerusalem and to the house of Judah: fear ye not. These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

And the word of the LORD of hosts came unto me, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: and the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In