PSALM XXIII-CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD.

THIS short but most comforting Psalm bears no internal evidence of being Messianic; nor will our use of it in that light at all interfere with its being still viewed as the expression of a believer's Faith in his Heavenly Father. But neither can we be wrong in also applying it to Him who said "I am the good shepherd," John x. 11, and of whom both Isaiah and Ezekiah spoke, under the same image: Isaiah xl. 11, Ezekiel xxxiv. In Him was openly manifested the secret love of God (comp. Coloss. ii. 9): and his presence is the pledge and the hannel of the mercies here described.

Let us look at I.-MAN'S WANTS AND DANGERS.

II.-CHRIST'S FULNESS OF GRACE.

I.-MAN'S WANTS AND DANGERS are set before us, under the similitude of the condition of sheep. Thus the supply of his earthly wants, -the provision made for his body, and the sustenance needful for his soul,- -are represented by the image of the flock feeding in verdant meadows and reposing quietly beside the still waters, verse 2; as the sheep of the flock are ever liable to wander if they neglect to follow their shepherd's guidance, so we go astray like lost sheep," Ps. cxix. 176. In all our seasons of spiritual weakness, in the day of trial and temptation, in the season of affliction, and time of danger, the Good Shepherd "restoreth the soul" verse 3, renews it to repentance, restrains its wanderings, and so strengthens it that by His guidance it is lead "in the path of righteousness" and peace, verse 3. Enemies surround us in our pilgrimage through life: yet in the midst of them, a "feast of joy and consolation" is prepared for the believer,"a table" spread with the bread of life, the "cup" of salvation, running over, the oil of gladness. verse 5. And even when the prospect of death is near, when the dark valley is reached, which separates the mount Zion of the church militant, from the Heavenly Jerusalem, the sheep of God's pasture "fear no evil." Death is but "the shadow to them, for its real power over them has been destroyed by Him whose presence will especially comfort them there. Hence God's people are encouraged by their experience of past mercy to rest upon His goodness and mercy for the future: verse 6. But let us not fail to observe that it is by

II.-CHRIST'S FULNESS OF GRACE, that we are thus enabled to rejoice as the sheep of His pasture. He is "the good shepherd" who provides for His people. John x. 9-11. How gently and tenderly He cares for, and protects them, we see in Isa. xl. 11., and how fully He offers them the water of life, from Rev. xxii. 17. He is their leader, and if they follow Him, they never want. It may be said of them, as of the poor man's ewe lamb: 2 Sam. xii. 3. He allows no enemy to overcome them: John x. 11-15. Yet if they wander from His fold, and turn aside into by paths, He restores them: Luke xv. 4-7 to seek, Matt. xviii. 11. He brings them back into the way of duty, verse 3. While his church is in the wilderness, his people are not free from danger: spiritual enemies surround them, verse 5; but the Good Shepherd will, in the midst of those who oppose His people, give them abundance of temporal and spiritual blessings. But in the last great struggle with the last Enemy that shall be destroyed, Death, 1 Cor. xv. 26, Christ is their "great shepherd" Heb. xiii. 20. He himself passed through the dark valley that He might enable us to say "O death where is thy sting?" There is no fear for them, for Christ has overcome him who hath the power of death. His presence will shed light upon the path through which he passed to glory that we might follow in it. His rod and staff, the emblems of the Shepherd's care and power, will comfort us, because in that trying hour, underneath us are "the everlasting arms," Deut. xxxiii. 27.

PSALM LI. CONFESSION AND PRAYER.

Our young Scholars must not too hastily Where the Spirit dwells,

We now begin another Series of Psalms-those relating the heart's history; the temptations, trials, dangers, duties, triumphs of God's people. may know but little, as yet, of these deeper feelings, but we conclude that they know or can know nothing of them. He teaches even the young their own unworthiness and weakness, and his own Divine Grace. And we may render them invaluable help by enabling them to understand and use the Prayers and Praises we shall now meet with. All these Psalms need to be (for children) amply illustrated by Scripture Examples. Look first at David's sad fall: 2 Sam. xi. What a picture of what we may become, if we wander away from God! 1 Cor. x. 12.

Then note in the Psalm

I. WHAT SIN IS, in God's sight.

II. WHAT GOD LEADS A REPENTANT SINNER TO PRAY FOR.
III. WHAT A PARDONED SINNER WILL DO TO SHOW HIS LOVE.

I. WHAT SIN IS, in God's sight, we see by the deep humility and abhorrence of it, which David expresses when, by God's grace, he is led to see its enormity, and to confess and repent of it. He speaks first of original sin, v. 5—that proneness to evil, and disinclination for God which is born with us in our corrupt nature. But his actual sin was odious: it was a stain upon his soul, a defilement and corruption upon which God could not look, and yet not punish, v. 2, and which must separate the sinner from communion with God until it is removed, and blotted out, v. 9. See God's anger at the sin of Cain, Gen. iv. 11; Eli, 1 Sam. iii. 13, 14; Gehazi, 2 Kings v. 27; David, on the occasion which suggested this Psalm, 2 Sam. xii. 9-14; Sennacherib and the Assyrian host, 2 Kings xix. 35-37; Judas, Acts i. 17, 18; Ananias and Sapphira, Acts v. 1-10; Herod, Acts xii. 23.

II. But next see, WHAT GOD LEADS A REPENTANT SINNER TO PRAY FOR. Mercy is the first need of a humbled soul, v. 1; Luke xviii. 13. Confession of sin is necessary to obtain it, Luke xv. 18, 19; 1 John i. 9; and the removal of the Divine displeasure will be the first desire of the heart sorry for sin, v. 9. There can be no comfort for the soul which is not at peace with God, Isa. lvii. 19—21. Next will be the desire for purification, v. 6; sin has left a stain behind which must be taken away. The blood of Christ is the blood of sprinkling, Heb. xii. 24, by which the soul is purged as with hyssop, v. 7; Heb. ix. 13, 14, and rendered free from its defilement, Isa. i. 18. The sense of pardon, the assurance of forgiveness, can alone restore to joy and gladness, the penitent whose sorrow of heart is as painful as the broken bone, v. 8. Nor will this end his prayer. Purification, the sanctifying grace of that Holy Spirit whose presence had been withdrawn will be again desired, v. 10, 11 (John xvii. 17) that he may begin to feel once more the joy of salvation, and be upheld against future transgression, 2 Cor. iii. 17.

III. Next see WHAT A PARDONED SINNER WILL DO TO SHOW HIS LOVE, v. 13-19. "I will teach transgressors thy ways," v. 13. David had transgressed, and returned to God: and being penitent he could show the way to others, Luke xxii. 32. Solomon did this, see Ecclesiastes, and Paul after his conversion, Acts x. 20-22; and it carries a blessing with it, James v. 20. While the sacrifices of the law would avail nothing, v. 16, yet a heart humbled by the fear of offending God, like Josiah's, 2 Chron. xxxiv. 27, is accepted by God, Joel ii. 13. Out of the abundance of the heart's gratitude, will the mouth, after having been closed by sin, open with praise to God for his mercy, and in praying that like blessings to those which we have ourselves obtained may descend upon others, v. 18, 19.

PSALM LXXXVI.-THE PLEA OF THE POOR IN SPIRIT.

OUR Lord declares the poor in spirit" to be blessed, as partakers of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Psalm now before us is the language of one who was thus "poor" and felt himself so weak as to depend wholly on God's help; whilst at the same time he rested in Faith on God's Mercies, Faithfulness, and Power, gathering from past deliverance (verse 13) the assurance of continued safety.

Note I.-HUMAN WEAKNESS (spiritual poverty).

II.—THE BELIEVER CLINGING TO GOD.

III.-GOD'S MERCY AND POWER THE SAFEGUARDS OF HIS PEOPLE. I.-HUMAN WEAKNESS is confessed by David, and in the consciousness of it he is filled with humility, and importunity to Him who alone can supply his need. They that are poor in spirit, who see themselves empty of all that is good, and needing constant supplies of strength in their souls, are most welcome to the God of power and grace, verses 1-2. Every child of God feels that it is only by His infinite love that his soul has been delivered from death and destruction, verse 13, and that he is still surrounded by foes many and powerful who are too strong for the arm of flesh to resist verse 14, and opposed by an evil tendency within, which can only be overcome by the help of Divine grace: Rom. vii. 18-19.

II.-Hence the necessity for the BELIEVER CLINGING TO GOD. He lifts up his soul, on the wings of faith and holy desire to God, praying Him to condescend to bow down His ear to his prayers verses 1-6. The soul is in danger, and who can preserve it but God alone? verse 2. No merit of our own can be urged why we should thus claim God's mercy and protection. Yet David pleads his relation to Him as his servant, verse 2, his distress and necessity, and the mercy which God has shown to others both in his readiness to forgive, and to bestow what they needed for the supply of their wants verses 4-5. We can plead the precious merits of Christ our Saviour as a reason why God should listen to us, when we seek pardon and peace through Him, Heb. x. 19-22, and as He is the way, and the Truth, we may both learn Christ and walk in Him, John xiv. 6. We may look to God for comfort on our way, verse 4, and expect as we cling to Him to find joy and peace in believing; and thus "a token for good" verse 17, will be given to those around us that God owns us and gives us His blessing.

III.-GOD'S MERCY AND POWER ARE THE SAFEGUARDS OF HIS PEOPLE. They do not cling to Him in vain. He is of infinite perfection, and none who are called gods are like unto Him: verse 8. His kingdom is universal, and all nations shall be brought to worship before Him: verse 19, Isa. lxvi. 23., Rev. vii. 9. He is full of mercy and compassion: Exod. xxxiv. 6-7. But while we thus adore God's goodness to all, and the infinity of His power, yet we have each reason to confess His especial love and mercy to us. Not only has He done "wondrous things" in creating and preserving the world, in redeeming mankind by giving His Son, and by sending to them the light of His Holy Spirit,-but each one can say, "great is thy mercy towards me "and recall God's providential dealings with them in the past, when they have been delivered from great dangers or granted special favours-when they have been, by His grace, awakened to see their sinfulness and to seek pardon where alone it can be found, Heb. ix. 28, and to obtain that daily renewal in their souls, by which they have withstood all temptations, and are still trusting to the arm of their Heavenly Father to be their safeguard against future trials or dangers, and to carry them through their journey to His everlasting kingdom (2 Tim. iv. 8. 18).

WHEN David uttered these words he was an exile from the Tabernacle, 1 Sam. xxii,, driven away by Saul's malice (verse 9) into a land spiritually "dry." And he thus pours out the longings of his heart for God's Sanctuary, to which he had been wont to go with joy; v. 2, Ps. lxxxiv. But Faith mingles with his pleadings : he believes in God's promise to give him the kingdom, v. 11, to subdue his enemies, v. 9, 10, and to save him in every sense of the word, v. 3, 5, 7, 8. Few children can know much of this "longing" for God; but we need not conclude that they have no feelings of that kind. Rather let us hope that their hearts are being taught so to long for God, and try to impress on them WHY we need to have that feeling, and what will be GOD'S ANSWER. Ps. cvii. 9 (true both temporally and spiritually).

I. GOD IS THE ONE CHIEF OBJECT TO BE LONGED FOR AND SOUGHT AFTER. II. THEY THAT THUS SEEK HIM WILL SURELY FIND HIM.

I. GOD IS THE ONE CHIEF OBJECT TO BE LONGED FOR AND SOUGHT AFTER.David, while in the wilderness of Judah, found no trial so great as separation from the sanctuary of God. Yet he felt that He was still his God, and therefore resolved to seek His favour as his best possession; so he sought Him early and eagerly, v. 1, that so in the consciousness of His presence, he might find comfort in the dreary land where there was nothing else to satisfy him. He longed to behold His power and glory in the wilderness, as we know that others have since done; as Ezekiel in Babylon, and St. John in Patmos. He had found God's lovingkindness to be better than life itself and all its comforts and enjoyments, great though these were: see Job. ii. 4. The thought of God filled him with joy and gladness: it was as delicious to his soul as the best of food to the body: v. 5, it gave him a contentment of heart, which left him nothing to long for but the continuance and increase of the Divine favour. So deep and heartfelt was the feeling that "in the night-watches," he found it pleasanter to "remember" God than to sleep. v. 6. Thus it is good for all His children to seek acquaintance with God by His word, by prayer, by calling to remembrance his past mercies; and thus to sing "songs in the night," and to make the darkness of affliction a day of cheerful dependence upon and longing for God. And further,

II. THEY THAT THUS SEEK HIM WILL SURELY FIND HIM.—Recollections of past mercies are a motive for present trust in the giver of them. "Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice," v. 7, an expression signifying reliance upon his power and tenderness, Ps. xci. 1, 2; Exod. xix. 4; Matt. xxiii. 37. Although it might have been difficult, amid so many trials and distractions, David kept up his communion with God, v. 8, and as the result, he found "Thy right hand upholdeth me." He was not separated from his God, though deprived of the ordinances of his worship in the sanctuary: nor was he overcome by his enemies, but had a full confidence that they would be vanquished, and that he would always have reason to rejoice in God, v. 11.

Thus are we encouraged to seek God, and to seek him early, Isa. lv. 6, assured of obtaining our desire, because Christ is our High-priest, Heb. iv. 14—16, in whom all blessings are granted to us, Ephes. i. 3. But have we this longing for God's mercy? Let us enquire what is the chief desire of our hearts? Is His favour and blessing dearer to us than all the world can give? Are we "satisfied"" with what he bestows, and denies to us? Is the Saviour souls, and the hope of His presence in glory our future recompense of reward?

"all in all" to our

ON comparing this Psalm with the lxiii (the previous lesson) we find a likeness in the two features-distress and faith-but the former is expressed much more strongly. There is probably a sufficient historical reason for this, as David's expulsion by Absalom must have been a far deeper trial to him that Saul's persecutions. In Ps. lxiii he longs for a return to God's Sanc'uary-in Ps. xlii he has fallen deeper, because from higher ground; and the anguish of his soul is the keener for the sense of richer privileges lost.

Taking David then as a Type of Believers, we see here

I. THE BELIEVER'S TROUBLES.

II. THE BELIEVER'S REFUGE.

I. THE BELIEVER'S TROUBLES often appear greater from the contrast between the darkness of the present affliction, and the past happiness enjoyed in communion with God. David had so sweetly experienced the delight of realizing God's love and favour, that when it was withdrawn or hidden, he could find no peace. The thirst for the water-brooks felt by the weary hart, chased in sultry weather over dusty plains, is the figure by which in verse 1, he expresses the longing desire of his soul towards God, and his wish to drink at the wells of salvation; Matt. v. 6. His grief was, not only that he was deprived of the ordinances of God's worship, but of the assurance of His grace and favour, v. 4. The past joy in God's presence contrasted sadly with his present deep distress, which was augmented by the reproaches of those around him, who appeared to see in his trouble the proof that God cared not for His people, v. 3. Thus despondency takes possession of the soul, v. 6, and it requires the exercise of a lively faith to recall, in such seasons, the remembrance of God's mercies, and to forget in them, our present troubles. "Deep calleth unto deep," one calamity invites and brings on another, v. 7, until the eye of sense leads the afflicted child of God to feel very bitterly the reproach of the scorner, "Where is thy God?" v. 10.

II. But faith recalls to view THE BELIEVER'S REFUGE, asks "Why art thou disquieted, O my soul ?" and revives that trust in God which was struggling for the mastery. "Hope thou in God,” v. 8, is the true remedy for despondency. Present sorrows will pass away, and there are still seasons of joy and gladness in His gift to bestow upon us. God's loving-kindness in the day-time, will succeed the night of weeping, v. 8, in the midst of which "his song" shall be with His people, Job. xxxv. 10. The billows may go over the soul, their power may be like the waterspouts, v. 7; but God is the "Rock," v. 9, upon which every trusting child of his will find a sure refuge from the storm. We have the "Rock of Ages," in whom is everlasting strength, to rest upon; and while secure in Him, we need not fear the present affliction, however severe in itself, because we shall yet praise Him, v. 11, for deliverance from it. Like Paul and Silas we may sing songs in the midst of our troubles, Acts xvi. 25, and we may overcome the questionings of our own hearts, by remembering that God will never willingly afflict His people. Heb. xii. v. 7—11, will never allow them to be tried by temptations greater than they can bear, 1 Cor. x. 13, and will in the end bring them to that bleet abode, where there are no more griefs or fears, and where he shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, Rev. xxi. 3, 4.