""Tis not the many oaths that make the ty "What other of Than honesty to honesty engaged "I'll take thy wo "Witty r How all not at all swe' les Malest i f God: ing, that until night "Wine is a soever is deCarlyle's 1). be read in con es thee, O free and tthis stupid porter pot am can bid thee come or Heavy wet, this can, and does! of Cedric the Saxon, but of thy es and this scoured dish of liquor. of thy liberty,' thou entire block (To be continued.) HAB. III. 2. CONDITIONS OF REVIVAL. 4 sense of its necessity. II. A recognition of its source. III. A prayer for its bestowment.-THOMAS BAROW. Ps. XVII. 15. I. Perfect vision of God. II. Perfect likeness to God. III. Perfect satisfaction in God.-THOMAS BAROW. LUKE XIX. 41. THE TEARS OF JESUS. In these tears see, I. The doom of the impenitent. II. The heart of God. III. The genius of Christianity.-THOMAS Barow. EXOD. XX. 24. I. The record of God's name. II. The promise of God's presence. Sketches on the Book of of ut men have gone philologically through uns, and have left us the rich results of their every Biblical student. To do the mere ven as well as it has been done, would be to conway of evoking or enforcing its Divine ideas. A at it has never yet received, and to this work we here ning to employ the best results of modern Biblical scholar ar plan of treatment will comprise four sections:-(1.) The passage. Lyric poetry, which the book is, is a delineation of living d the key, therefore, to unlock the meaning and reach the spirit of the Knowledge of the men and circumstances that the poet sketches with his ncil.-(2.) ANNOTATIONS of the passage. This will include short explanatory s on any ambiguous word, phrase, or allusion that may occur.-(3.) The ARGUENT of the passage. A knowledge of the main drift of an author is amongst the most essential conditions for interpreting his meaning.-(4.) The HOMILETICS of the passage. This is our main work. We shall endeavour so to group the Divine ideas that have been legitimately educed, as to suggest such thoughts, and indicate such sermonizing methods, as may promote the proficiency of modern pulpit ministra tions. Subject: Life Results of God's Inward Revelation to Man "Sacrifice and offering," etc.-PSALM xl. 6+10. HISTORY.-See page 268. ANNOTATIONS:Ver. 6.-" Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire.”— hast Thou opened." Margin, "digged." The meaning is, Thou hast Ver. 7.—" Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me."-The writer of the Hebrews (chap. x. 7) applies the whole passage to Christ: hence expositors have concluded that the writer here is speaking in a typical and predictive capacity; i.e., he is speaking for Christ. For my own part I feel that we cannot be too cautious in adopting an interpretation which makes such an imperfect man as David undoubtedly was, a type of Him who was "holy, All this accords most strictly with the word of God: Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink! that continue until night till wine inflame them!" (Isa. v. 11). "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (Prov. xx. 1). Carlyle's noble and characteristic utterance should be read in connection with this: "No man oppresses thee, O free and independent franchise! but does not this stupid porter pot oppress thee? No son of Adam can bid thee come or go; but this absurd pot of heavy wet, this can, and does! Thou art the thrall, not of Cedric the Saxon, but of thy own brutal appetites and this scoured dish of liquor. And thou pratest of thy liberty,' thou entire blockhead!" (To be continued.) HAB. III. 2. CONDITIONS OF REVIVAL. I. A sense of its necessity. II. A recognition of its source. III. A prayer for its bestowment.-THOMAS BAROW. Ps. XVII. 15. I. Perfect vision of God. II. Perfect likeness to God. III. Perfect satisfaction in God.-THOMAS BAROW. LUKE XIX. 41. THE TEARS OF JESUS. In these tears see, I. The doom of the impenitent. II. The heart of God. III. The genius of Christianity.-THOMAS BAROW. EXOD. XX. 24. I. The record of God's name. II. The promise of God's presence. III. The assurance of God's blessing.-THOMAS BAROW. Homiletic Sketches on the Book of Psalms. Our Purpose. Many learned and devout men have gone philologically through this TERELIM, this book of Hebrew hymns, and have left us the rich results of their inquiries in volumes within the reach of every Biblical student. To do the mere verbal hermeneutics of this book, even as well as it has been done, would be to contribute nothing fresh in the way of evoking or enforcing its Divine ideas. A thorough HOMILETIC treatment it has never yet received, and to this work we here commit ourselves, determining to employ the best results of modern Biblical scholarship. Our Method.-Our plan of treatment will comprise four sections:-(1.) The HISTORY of the passage. Lyric poetry, which the book is, is a delineation of living character; and the key, therefore, to unlock the meaning and reach the spirit of the words is a knowledge of the men and circumstances that the poet sketches with his lyric pencil.-(2.) ANNOTATIONS of the passage. This will include short explanatory notes on any ambiguous word, phrase, or allusion that may occur.-(3.) The ARGUMENT of the passage. A knowledge of the main drift of an author is amongst the most essential conditions for interpreting his meaning.-(4.) The HOMILETICS of the passage. This is our main work. We shall endeavour so to group the Divine ideas that have been legitimately educed, as to suggest such thoughts, and indicate such sermonizing methods, as may promote the proficiency of modern pulpit ministrations. Subject: Life Results of God's Inward Revelation to Man "Sacrifice and offering," etc.-PSALM xl. 6+10. HISTORY.-See page 268. ANNOTATIONS:Ver. 6.-" Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire.""The four words employed in this verse,-sacrifice, offering, burnt offering, sin offering,-embrace all the species of sacrifice and offerings known among the Hebrews: and the idea here is, that no such offering as they were accustomed to offer was required of him who is here referred to."-Barnes. The design of all the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Old Testament was to bring man to obedience. "Mine ears hast Thou opened." Margin, digged." The meaning is, Thou hast caused me to hear this truth, a truth against which the ear naturally is closed. The truth is, that God prefers obedience to sacrifice; it is the great truth that men require to know. 66 Ver. 7.-" Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me."-The writer of the Hebrews (chap. x. 7) applies the whole passage to Christ: hence expositors have concluded that the writer here is speaking in a typical and predictive capacity; i.e., he is speaking for Christ. For my own part I feel that we cannot be too cautious in adopting an interpretation which makes such an imperfect man as David undoubtedly was, a type of Him who was "holy, harmless, separate from sinners." Besides, where is the consistency of taking an isolated passage from a whole poem and applying it to Christ, and leaving the rest and a far greater portion as applicable to David? If I apply part, I must apply the whole; and the whole is utterly inapplicable. Does the language, "He brought me up out of a pit" and the "miry clay," apply to Christ? (See verses 2 and 3.) Does the language, "Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me" (ver. 12), apply to Christ? Does the language, "Let them be ashamed and confounded together, let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil," (ver. 14) apply to Christ? Would He that prayed for His enemies on the cross, use such imprecatory expressions? I will not dishonour the Son of God by regarding David in any way as His prophetic type. If it be asked, Why did the apostle quote the words? That question is to be answered when the apostle's purpose and point come to be inquired into. What David means to say here is this, that whilst he found sacrifices and offerings not required of him by God, he resolved on personal obedience. "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me." What volume does he refer? There is no way of answering that question with certitude. David's name might have been inscribed on some roll which was known only to himself. Ver. 8.-"I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart." Every good man has a pleasure in obeying the Divine will. In another place David said, “I will do all Thy will, I will run in the way of Thy commandment when Thou dost enlarge my heart." Paul, in his unrenewed state, said, "I delight in the law of God after the inner man." Delitzsch renders this verse thus, "To do Thy will, my God, do I desire, and Thy law is in my inward part." God has written His moral law on every human soul. Ver. 9.-"I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, Thou knowest." What he means is this, "I have publicly stood up for righteousness, and without restraint or hesitancy I have spoken for the right. This Thou knowest, O Jehovah." Ver. 10.-"I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation: I have not concealed Thy loving kindness and Thy truth from the great congregation." This is a repetition with greater fulness of the idea contained in the preceding verse, viz., that he had not concealed but spoken fully out all he knew concerning the "righteousness," " faithfulness,' 99 66 salvation," "lovingkindness," and "truth of the great God." ARGUMENT: These verses contain, 1. The declaration of the belief that religious rites are unessential. 2. That personal obedience is allimportant. 3. That personal obedience involves a faithful declaration of the Divine character. |