The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-24
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for April
3. 1892.
Subject: The Good Man and the Bad Contrasted.
Ps., 1:1-1.

| Subject: The Good Man and the Bad COntrasted.
Ps., 1:1-1.
| Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
INTRODUCTION.
We are now to have seven lessons in the
Psalms. There is life in this literature The
| story of the comfort instruction, inspiration
gotten from the Psalms would itself be a vol
ume worthy the study of devotce, scientist,
men and women of greatest culture. In its in
| fluence tho volume of Psalms has no compcti.
| tor. Was it prophecy of the superiority of
| this Hebrew poetry over classical literature
| when ST. Augustine erased from its parchment
Cicero's dialog, De RepuJlica, and instead spread
! over the velum his renowned commentary on
the Psalms? Surely that palimpsest at least,
sets one to thinking of the comparative value
| of the two lteratures. Somebody said, Alex
ander kept Homers Had in Persian casket
of gold and pearl as jewel of priceless value.
and the people of Rhodes engraved an ode of
Pndar in letters Of gold for their temple. But
one touch of David's heavenly harp is far above
all the buskined raptures and vanities of pro-
| fame wits"
In 1886 Bishop Harrington was made mar
| tyr by order of King Medanga, of Uganda,
Africa. We have the journal of The good Bishop.
1t covers particulars of every days experience
in the last week of his life. For those seven
days he was constantly abused. Part of the
| time was spent by him imprisoned in moi
| some hut. full Of vermin and decaying ba"
nanas." One who had access to the diary says:
Throughout the week there are frequent en-
| tries referring to the comfort he derived from
| reading the Psalms" No wonder Paul Ger
hart said of the Psalms: "a deep sea in which
are hid the most costly pearls, paradise of
| most delicious fruits and flowers" And Lam
N
broken on the steps of the temple, shedding its
odor to all humanity"
Milton died while the music of the Psalms
comforted him.
John Vance Cheney wrote series of articles
in AppletOn's journal on "Thc Poets of Amer
ica." In article he states that the first book
published in our country was q version of the
Psalms gotten up by a combination Of the min
listers of New England. 1t was issued 1910 1t
has queer preface, including meek apology,
as follows: ST. therefore, the verses not
always so smooth and elegant as some may de-
sire or expect let them consider that Gods altar
needs not our polishings."
/. THE FIRST PSALM.
It Is fit the entire Book of Psalms begin with
such Psalm as is the first 1t pictures the
whole book. 1t is an eptome of the entire $50
Psalms 1t sets forth in concrete way the
qualities of righteousness and ungodliness. The
heading in our Received Version is Happy State
Of the Cody" The Vulgate is simply render
ing of the first five words in Latin, Beatus vir,
qui mol abit." The Psalm has, in fact, no title.
This is the ease with "a of the Psalms. Some
have thought the first Psalm is, in fact, an in.
PRODUCTION to the Book of Psalms. (St Luke
20: ~; Acts, 1: 20.) So DR.. A. 2. Barnes says
I" 1t has all the marks of being general intro
duction, and of having been designed to ex-
press i'll q few sentences tho substance of the
entire collection, or to state the great principle
which would be found to run through the whole
of it, that righteous life will be attended with
prosperity and happiness, and that the life of
the wicked will be followed by sorrow and ruin.
This was the great principle of the Jewish
theocracy, and was of sufficient Importance to
be stated clearly in the commencement of q
book that was designed to illustrate so fully the
nature and the value Of true religion"
In some manuscripts no number is given to |
the first Psalm. 1t is thus treated as though
preface, and some manuscripts have the first |
and second Psalms connected as if they we're
but single psalm.
We not quite sure who was the author of |
the first Psalm, but the general opinion gives it
to David. Whoever wrote it failed to give
any intimation of the circumstances which |
originated it. We may date its composition at |
about 297i A. NJ, Or 1893 b. c.
Perowne supposes Solomon wrote the first |
Psalm AS an introduction to smaller collection
OF Psalms, perhaps Of those alone which his
father composed. It's thought Ezra completed
the collation. of the Psalms practically we
now have them, still preserving the first Psalm
as prolog to all the rest
2. ANALYSIS.
II. Data. Ps. l 16'
q Time. 1893, b. CO
g. Place. Jerusalem.
A. Author. David.(?)
s. Occasion. Unknown.
I 1. Walks not in |
bad counsel. |