THE TYPE. THE FEAST OF FIRST FRUITS.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENT was most clearly typical, but we now come to feasts which are less strikingly so-their main object being apparently fullfilled as they were celebrated. Yet in each some points of resemblance to Gospel days.

FULFILLED.

The remarkable language of Deut. xxvi. 1-11, especially verse 2, seems to fix the character of this feast as one of thanksgiving for UNDESERVED PROMISES The Jew openly proclaimed God's FAITHFULNESS in accomplishing what God's SOVEREIGN MERCY had promised; and as tokens of the debt he thus owed, he brought the First Fruits of his Harvest, offering to God before supplying his own wants. "God chose my forefathers when obscure and needy. He promised them a rich country. I am here to acknowledge publicly that He has given us this country, and therefore I offer to Him the first of my harvest, all being his gift to me."

Thus the Feast seemed to bring out

I. THE RICHNESS OF GOD'S PROMISES, made, as they were, to those who had no claim to them. The pious Jew would feel that he and every one of his favoured nation, must use Jacob's words, Gen. xxxii. 10. But how abundantly God had promised, Ex. vi. 7; for that expression includes all that man could seek of God. II. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS IN FULFILLING THOSE PROMISES. He could neither forget nor fail. His people often provoked Him to abandon them, but his word had been given, and He would not go back from it. Ps. cvi. 43—45; lxxviii. 38-41. Year by year, for more than 800 years, that acknowledgment was made. III. THE RETURN GOD CLAIMS OF MAN. Comp. David's words, 1 Chron. xxix. 14. To a pious Jew that claim would always seem supreme. His land, his worship, his home, his family, his harvest, all were the gifts of Israel's God, who, indeed, dwelt among them to bless them. God had claimed the return, reminding them continually that they themselves (as well as all they possessed) were his, Ex. iv. 22; xix. 6; Deut. iv. 34.

THE CONNECTION.

This rests on no Scripture, but appears warranted by the acknowledged truth that God's dealings with the Jews were generally typical of his dealings with his people now. And in this view the three points apply most truly, if we consider THE ANTITYPE, CHRISTIAN SERVICE.

That is, the return the Jew made, in that feast, and the words he uttered may well be applied to the return believers now ought to make to God, and the acknow. ledgments of their indebtedness.

I. SEE GOD'S RICH PROMISES. The great blessings He bestowed on the Jews are surpassed everyway by his gifts to Christians. See for instance, Rom. viii. 32. He promises a New Heart, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. His Holy Spirit, Isa. xliv. 3. Earthly support, Matt. vi. 32. Comfort in trouble, Isa. xliii. 2. Peace in death, Ps. xxiii. 4. A happy Immortality, Rev. ii. 10. What more can we want? II. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS. Comp. Isaiah xl. 8; Mark xiii. 31. His Word never was and never will be broken. For instance Isa. liv. 10. Jer. xxxiii. 20, 21; 2 Tim. ii. 13. If our safety depended on our clinging to God, our hope would be poor indeed, but HE KEEPS US, so we are safe: John x. 28, 29. The sins of unfaithfulness in us too often grieve Him, but HE abideth faithful, 1 Thess. v. 24. III. But WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE IN RETURN? Of what value can our Love, Obedience, Service, be to Him? We have no right to ask ourselves such a question-it is enough that HE CLAIMS THEM ALL. Let us give Him the Love of our Hearts, the Obedience of our will, the Service of our whole powers of mind and body-spending and being spent for Him. 1 Cor. vi. 20.

THE TYPE.-THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES.

THIS Feast is also called the Feast of Ingathering, Ex. xxiii. 16; xxxiv. 22; as it marked the end of the various Harvests, the beginning of which had been celebrated in the Feast of First-Fruits. It was one of the three Great Feasts, at which all Jews were required to attend: Deut. xvi. 16. The nature and design of it are both related in Lev. xxiii. 40-43, where the booths in which the Jews were directed to dwell for seven days, are stated to be intended to remind them of their Wilderness Life. DISTINCT therefore from its Typical character, the Feast was a COMMEMORATIVE one, and this needs to be noticed first. The Jews were reminded by it, of the wandering life of their forefathers, and the hardships of the Exodus, on purpose to contrast them with their own comforts and rich blessings: thus they were led to thankfulness and joy : Lev. xxiv. 40 ; Nehem. viii. 14—17 : whilst at the same time, and by the same act, they acknowledged that they owed all their blessings to God. Thus He would keep them humble, and watchful against forgetfulness of Him: comp. Deut. viii., repeating continually the Lessons of their Wilderness Life. But a Feast may be both Commemorative of the Past, and Typical of the Present and the Future; the Lord's Supper is such. And in this Feast there are three ideas that seem to us brought out.

I. The PILGRIMAGE LIFE, as seen in the fragile, temporary booths, only adapted for a few days' use and then removed. These supplied the nearest signs that could be had of that forty years' weary wandering in the wilderness, when everything, temporal or spiritual, was only in a state of preparation, not complete. II.-In contrast with this, THE SETTLED LIFE OF CANAAN. The Jew returned at the week's end to his own comfortable house. For a few days he acted as if a wanderer still, but all the while in joyful remembrance that his lot was far better. Canaan was his, not now by Faith alone, but by actual possession.

III.-The next step was to acknowledge that THIS WAS GOD'S DOING. (Compare in both senses, 1 Chron. xxix. 12-16.) Their joy was religious joy: Lev. xxiii. 40; Deut. xvi. 14, 15. The God of their Fathers had blessed them, and no one good thing He had promised was wanting: Joshua xxi. 45; 1 Kings viii. 56.

THE CONNECTION.

The very nature of this Feast, already described, forbids our expecting direct intimations of its being typical: but the language of Heb. xi. 9, 13-16, allows our treating the Feast as representing

THE ANITITYPE,-THE CHRISTIAN'S PILGRIMAGE.

Canaan was a Type of Heaven, therefore no one here below stands in the position answering to the Jew settled in the Holy Land. We are yet on our Pilgrimage, looking for and hoping for (which we do not yet possess) a City with foundations, i.e., no temporary abode, but fixed, firm, and lasting, Heb. xi. 10; xiii. 14.

We may, from that blest abode, look back on our life here, in the spirit of Deut. viii. 2: and who can fore-imagine the full joy of feeling that all dangers are over and we are safe for ever?

Then answering to the third head, the happy dwellers in that bright world will indeed acknowledge that God alone brought them thither; as for instance, Rev. v. 9. But our chief use of this Feast, is the Lesson as to our being NOW in our PILGRIMAGE LIFE. This World is not (or should not be) our Home. It has its comforts, as God cared for the Jews in the Wilderness, but our hearts should be fixed not on the passing scenes of this life, but in the fulness of Joy in Heaven. Comp. Matt. vi. 19-21. THAT IS THE LIFE OF FAITH.

NOTES OF LESSONS ON THE PSALMS.

PSALM LXIX. 1—21.—CHRIST'S HUMILIATION.

IN reading this Psalm, we are at once so deeply impressed with its Messianic character, that we may lose altogether its primary application. But we must remember that these words are David's own, and literally represent his own experience. The type is not to be altogether forgotten in the antitype, for the former (as well as the latter) is set forth by Divine wisdom for our teaching.

Let us, then, view its leading points, first, as true of David, and then as prophetical of Messiah.

Note I. DEEP MENTAL DISTRESS, WITH A SENSE OF GUILT.

II. PERSECUTION BY NUMEROUS AND BITTER FOES.

III. AN APPEAL TO GOD'S LOVING KINDNESS, in consciousness of belonging to Him.

I. David's burden pressed heavily on his soul. The bitter waters of affliction oppressed his heart with grief, his mind with fears. His cries were constant, “Save me:" yet so long did the affliction last, and so far away seemed to be the deliver. ance, that he grew weary even of seeking help, and lost, for awhile, his trusting confidence in God's help, verses 1-3. Mingled with his complainings is the sense of guilt, verses 5-6. God's omniscience humbles the soul of the true penitent; for He knows the corruption of our nature, our foolish proneness to go wrong, and the most secret instances of our disobedience, Heb. iv. 13.

II. Yet while acknowledging his guilt before God, the Psalmist resents the injustice of his persecuting enemies. They compelled him to restore that which he had not taken from them, verse 4. His friends and relations forsook him when oppressed by foes, verse 8; and contempt became his portion, because he humbled himself and honoured God, verses 9-12. The judges, "they that sit in the gate,' verse 12, who might have been expected to defend a righteous man spoke against him, and the drunkards made merry in their scorn of him.

III. But no reproaches really destroyed David's dependence on GOD'S LOVING KINDNESS. "Hear me," is still his cry; that so He who ruleth the waves might temper the fury of the storm, prevent the flood of waters from overflowing, verses 13-15, and set his feet upon a rock, Ps. xl. 2. His wretchedness, and the indignity to which he was exposed, are the arguments he uses to urge God to be gracious to him, verses 16-21.

David's experience was typical of that HUMILIATION OF CHRIST which is so distinctly prefigured in this Psalm. Let us, then, look at it again, in reference to our Lord.

His mental agony,

I. HIS SUFFERINGS UNDERGONE FOR THE SINS OF MEN. at many times, but especially at Gethsemane, and on the cross, are here referred to. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful.” 'Why hast Thou forsaken me?" are his cries, Heb. v. 7. No sin of his could cause Him to suffer, for in Him ". was no sin;" "but the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” Isa. liii. 8.

II. HIS PERSECUTION BY NUMEROUS AND BITTER FOES, verses 9-12. The Jews were his brethren according to the flesh, yet they received Him not, John i. 11, and despised his teaching, John ix. 29. Verse 9 is applied to Christ, in John ü. 13—15, when He drove buyers and sellers from the Temple; and again in Rom. xv. 3. The fasting and lowliness of Jesus caused even the rulers of the people to set him at nought, and the rude multitude to despise Him, Luke xxiii. 11, 35, 36. III. As Christ pursued his sorrowful way, He turned alone to HIS FATHER'S LOVING-KINDNESS for comfort, John xi 42; xvii.; Luke xxiii. 44. "There was none to take pity," verse 20, when His last trial came, for "all forsook Him and fled," Matt. xxvii. 56, and the exact instance of cruelty, referred to in verse 21, was offered to Him, see John xix. 28, 29. Thus did HE empty the cup of sorrow FOR US.

PSALM XXII.-CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS.

THE remark made on the previous Lesson, is true here. The quotations from this Psalm in the New Testament show us that we are treading on prophetical ground, but David's history proves typical of Messiah's, and each application is true, though the force of the first is insignificant in comparison with that of the latter. See each then,-I. FORSAKEN BY GOD.

II.
III.

PERSECUTED BY MAN.

RESTING ON THE LORD, IN SPITE OF ALL TRIALS.

I. The sorest trial to the children of God is to feel their communion with God interrupted, the withdrawal of the Divine presence from their souls, and the terror consequent on being left to themselves. David felt thus forsaken of God, v. 1, 2: but though He did not answer his cry by day and by night, he sought Him still, and confessed His holiness and truth, His love and kindness towards His people in times past, as a motive for his own adherence to His promised help, v. 3—5.

II. PERSECUTED BY MAN. David felt an additional pang, as he recalled men's injustice to him. They were as furious as the bulls fed in the rich pastures of Bashan, v. 12; the multitude beset him as fiercely "as dogs,” v. 16, and his enemies spoiled his goods, and took from him his substance, v. 18. No wonder that under such trials, bodily weakness and decay were felt, v. 14—17.

III.-Yet we find David RESTING ON THE LORD in spite of all trials. He thought of His holiness, v. 3, the salvation vouchsafed to the people of old time, v. 4, 5-of the watchfulness of God's Providence over him in and from his birth, V. 9, 10, and therefore besought God not to be far from him, v. 19. Though he could not sing praises, he would rest on the strength of the Lord, and commend his soul—his dearest possession, "his darling," v. 20,-to His protection, from the power of his spiritual enemies, verses 20-1.

Thus in general terms David described his own sufferings and condition of soul: but he expressed them in such figures, as were afterwards literally fulfilled in the Messiah. For

I. We see Christ FORSAKEN BY GOD, uttering on the cross the first words of this Psalm, when he was deprived for a time of the Divine presence while he suffered for our sins, Matt. xxvi. 46. He cried to His Father in the day-time on the Cross, and in the night-season in the garden, that if it were possible the agony might pass away, Luke xxii. 42: but "it pleased the Lord to bruise him," Isa. liii. 10. II.—Jesus, too, was PERSECUTED BY MEN: He was reproached as a blasphemer, a false prophet, an enemy to Cæsar, a confederate of Beelzebub; he was despised as of poor parentage, a deceiver of others, if not of himself, verse 6. And while suffering on the Cross, the scoffing multitude used the very gestures and words of scorn which David prophetically described in verses 7, 8. See Matt. xxvii. 39-43. A Lamb, in the midst of wild bulls and lions, verses 12, 13, or a hart hunted by dogs, verse 16, was a fitting figure to represent the crowd of persecutors around his Cross, when there was none to help, verse 11, for all "forsook him and fled." Verses 16-18, refer exclusively to the agony of the Cross: they [pierced Christ's hands and feet; they divided his garments among the soldiery (John xix. 23, 24) ; while by the position of our Lord's body, the skin and flesh were so distended, that the bones might be seen and counted. Thus was Christ brought into “the dust of death," verse 15.

III.—In all this bitter suffering, Christ RESTED ON HIS FATHER'S LOVE, Heb. v. 7, 8; and committed His spirit to His keeping, Luke xxiii. 46. God had heard Him before, in seasons of trial, John xi. 41, 42, and He now accepted His atonement. Never was sorrow like to His sorrow-nor love like to His love!

PSALM XVI.-CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.

In this Psalm David rises above his own experience; and, after some verses, which were strictly true of himself, uses expressions which Scripture itself tells us could only apply to Messiah, Acts ii. 25—31; xiii. 35-37. In applying it to David, then, we note

I. FAITH.

II. FAITHFUL DEVOTEDNESS.

III. THANKFULNESS.

And when we apply these to our Saviour, we see—

IV. THE RESURRECTION FORETOLD, with the glory that should follow.

I. David's FAITH is indicated by seeking God's presence for comfort, and his strength to preserve him in his distress, verses 1, 2, 8. It is good for us to look upon Him as our chief good, our Ruler, Guide, and Benefactor; for thus we obtain the confidence to bear all things which He may ordain for us, Acts xx. 24.

II. DEVOTEDNESS is the consequence of faith. Those who trust in God devote themselves to His honour, and to the service of his people. We can do nothing for God, nor would all we possess be of any value to Him, 1 Chron. xxix. 4. Yet we may do good to his servants, for His sake (Gal. vi. 10), and choose them especially for our friends, verse 3. Thus shall we be kept faithful, and, like David, abhorring idolatry, and keeping steadfast unto God, suffer Him to order all our goings, verses 4, 5.

III. THANKFULNESS arises as the happiness of the faithful servant of God is felt. "Pleasant places are the portions measured out by God for his people; and a "goodly heritage" have they who covet more of God, but not more than God, verse 6. And it is to his "counsel" and grace, to his influence over their "reins," verse 7, (their inward thoughts and affections), that, like David, they must attribute their safety amid temptation and danger. To some extent, although not fully, the Psalmist, doubtless, realized the cheerful prospect of resurrection and glory which is set before us in verses 8-12. He could feel that God would not forsake him even in death, but would eventually deliver him from its power, and quicken him again to enjoy a glorious immortality. But we have Apostolic authority for looking at this passage, as

IV. FORETELLING CHRIST'S RESURRECTION, in whom-the Holy One-it could only be perfectly fulfilled. Although, from the first, He knew that the death of the Cross must be accomplished, if men were to be saved, He was "not moved” (verse 8) by the dread of it, but bore all its horrors, till He could say of our redemption, "It is finished." He came to do the will of Him that sent Him, and He laid down his life, confident that He should take it again, John x. 17, 18. This extended (verse 24) to the knowledge that his flesh should not see corruption by remaining long in the grave, verse 10; John ii. 19-21. Even "a path of life" was to be made through the dark valley of the shadow of death, leading up to the Father's throne of glory in heaven. Thus, not long before the crucifixion, He spoke of his heavenly glory to his Father, John xvii. 5; and it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the Cross, Heb. xii. 2. Yet, further, we know that, as the Head of his mystical body, the Church, He hath opened unto us, if we are his people, the gate of everlasting life; and Is. liii. 10, 11 teaches us to regard the joy and pleasure of our Mediator in seeing his seed enjoying the benefits resulting from the success of his atonement, and subsequent glorification as their Redeemer. Can we each say, "My flesh shall rest in hope" of joyful resurrection after death, because now I have set the Lord always before me ?"

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