The National tribune., 1892-05-05
SUNDAY3qM MEDITATION.
A Study Of tas International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for May
Is, 1892.
Subject: Enumeration of BENEFITS Derived
from God. Ps., 1913.

Subject: Enumeration of Benefits Derived
from God. Ps., 1913.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
indicated abovc.I a.
| INTRODUCTION.
We DO not tire of the Psalms. They have
| taken fast hold of Christian hearts, and can
never be driven oat from the Church BY any
modern hymns. An exchange of the former
for the latter would be an unfortunate bargain.
| 1t would be- too generally, as silver for pewter
Praise will always be- an essential and large
| part of the worship Of God, aud never can lam
| guage be composed which SO matches the as
pirations of the soul in devotion IS is realized
| in the Psalms.
Rev. Dr. Cenant, in the introduction to his
Version of the Psalms, says: That 7iich dis
tnguishes the poetry of the Psalms in its spirit,
the essential and pervadng characteristic is
religions sentiment. God, revealing Himself
! in nature and Ills word as the Greater and
! Sovereign of the Universe as God of ai the
| Nations of the earth and in special gcnso Of
| His chosen people-these are the themes OF the
| Hebrew poet and the basis of all his religious
| and moral views and sentiments. Whatever is
sublime or beautiful in nature is sung only in
praise of its more glorious Author. The at
| tributes of the Divine Being the principles of
| His government. His purposes with regard to
the destiny of man, His past. present, and
prospective dealings with individuals and Ma
| tions, are here exhibited with sill the resources
| of poetic art. Religious experience is delineated
| in its various forms, and under every condi-
| ton and relation in life. But the National
traits are everywhere preserved. All is domes-
! tic The various fortunes of the Hebrew race,
| in its earlier history, furn ;shed ample mate
| rails for historical illustration, whilst the
gorgeous scenery of the Holy Land. its sublime
mountains, its lovely hills and valleys. plains,
and rivers and its romantic pastoral life, sup
piled inexhaustible stores of imagery from ma
ture for every purpose of poetic illustration
| and establishment"
Daniel Webster was fond of hunting. He
often went across from Marshfed, N. H., to
the Plymouth woods, where he met a company
of hunters at the cabin of Uncle Branch"
| He once found himself in that cabin alone with
the family. storm keeping away the usual
group of huntsmen. The Worcester Spy de-
scribes the scene: "Mr. Webster, who often
made small occasions great by his wonderful
genius, wss not at loss for entertainment
Adapting himself to the peculiar religious in
clinatons of his hosts while they pursued their
homely occu patons he read and repeated from
memory multitude of the Psalms and hymns
with which much reading had made him ia
miiar. Hour after hour the great statesman
paced the floor of that cabin kitchen, repeating
with his magnificent voice the inspired Psalms
of David aud Watts's undying hymns, with
only Branch Pierce and his wife for listeners
| No church or cathedral ever resounded to
erander or sweeter m usic th an that with which
| Daniel Webster that day filed the cabin of
the hunter Of Plymouth woods, and no audi
encc ever listened to his own triumphant elo-
quence with such delight as its humble ten
ants listened to the familiar Psalms which for
them received new inspiration as they rolled
from his marvellous lips
The Psalms are peculiar in that they are
adapted not only for public worship and family
devotion, but also for private or individual re-
| IgiouS med tation.
st. Augustine (354-430) said what words
did | utter to Thee Omy God, when | read the
Psalms of David, those faithful songs, those
pious breathings, which suffer no swelling
spirit of pride? - What words did
utter to Thee in those Psalms? How was my
love to Thee infamed thereby? How did /
burn to recite Them were it possible, through
| the whole world?"
Bishop Taylor declares as fact: 1.-THE Prim-
| tive Church would admit no man to the su-
peror orders of tho clergy unless, among other
pre-required dispositions, he could say all Da-
vids Psalter by heart"
EXPLANATION OF Psalm lob.
l. Preliminary.
Psalm 103 is a favorte. Sturgeon said of it:
"As in the lofty Alps some peaks rise above
| Others so among even the inspired Psalms
there are nights of song which overtop the
rest. This 103 Psalm has ever seemed to Us to
be the Monte Rosa of the divine chain of
mountains of praise, glowing with a ruddier
light than any of the rest 1t is the apple-tree
| among the trees of the wood, and its golden
fruit has flavor such az no fruit ever bears
unless it has been ripened in the full sunshine
Of mercy. 1t is mans reply to the benedc-
tions of his God, his song on the mount an
swering to his Redeemers sermon on the
mount. There is too much in the Psalm for a
thousand pens to write. 1t is one Of those all
comprehcnding scriptures which is Bible in
itself"
Dir. Adam Clarke wrote: at is Psalm of
nimitable sweetness and excellence contains
the most affectionate sentiments Of gratitude
! to God for his mercies and the most consoling
motives to continue to trust in God and be
obedicnt to Him.
Hardly another Psalm has called forth in Its
praise many Communications. We cannot
give these. Alexander said: cit is favorite
vehicle of thankful praise among the pious of
all ages" The commentator Henry remarks !:
This Psalm calls more for devotion than OK
position"
Only one title of God is used throughout the
Psalm. That is Jehovah in the Hebrew, rem
dered in English in all cases by LORD.
The Psalm is given up to praise. We do not
The title is, A Psalm OF David" The itali
cizing Of the word Psalm shows it is not in the
original (Hebrew) and is hence supplied in the
English translation. We find this same thing
done in Psalms II, a. IS, %, %, 81, 3d. 81, SO,
80, 81, GO, 10 II, ST. 13S, 144, las
2. AttiOr.
We see no reason to question David's author
ship. Dr. Adam Clarke doubts it, while Alex
ander, Deloyney, Morrison, Plumer and Scott
give David the credit. If no can be as
signed why David did not write it, our better
plan is to accept the title,
g. Time.
There is objection to tho date given by
Scott-B. C., 1890 This supposes David was
| the author.
We may locate the composition in Jerusalem.
| S. The Occasion.
We shall fad it difficult to give a history of
the origin of the Psalm. 1t is quite general,
and could fit into the experience of almost any
Christian, and that at different periods Of his
| life. We eau conceive several instances when
it vol matched the state OF Davids mind.
g. Divisions.
We have three parts into which the Psalm
can be divided:
l. INTRODUCTION. VS. !, 2.