The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-01-30
ECCLESIASTICAL COLUMN.
Songs of Degrees.

VI oolAo Dooho COuG@lHluS IHe
F'chapter headings" have doubtless
noticed that all the Psalms from
100 to 134 ale named ga Song of
Degrees" 1t is safe to say outside
of the New Testament there is no
other portio9 of Gods Word which
contains, within the same space, so
many lofty outbursts of praise to
God as these "songs of degrees. :"
1t is not the intention of the writer
to enter INTO any exegetical com
mentarY or historical analysis of
these beautiful Psalms, (even if he
possessed the ability to do SOY,
If this article will serge to direct
the attention of single reader to
this mine Of precious truth the OBJ
iect Of the writer shall have been
accomplished.
In the "Help to the study of the
Bible the Psalter is compared to
an Oratorio IN five parts. The Sec
ond subdivision of the fifth part is
entitled, 1.-The return to the sanct-
uary Of God. =" This subdivision
comprises the fifteen Psalms under
consideration and shows according
to the best Judgment of many COM
mentators, these Psalms were songs
sung by the different bands of pill
grim Jews at different stages of
their journey as they travelled up to
Jerusalem, and to the temple; to
the great yearly feasts which were
held in the city of David all of these
fifteen Psalms have certain features
in common: "With one exception
1.-THE 1872 Psalm) they are all shOrt;"
the utterance of a single thought or
feeling, sigh, a joy. They are
alike IN tone, in diction, in rhythm
and climatic form. They are all
pervaded by the same quiet, grace
full, tender beauty, the charm of
which was so felt by Spanish com
mentator that he does not hesitate
to say, "that this collection is to the
rest Of the Psalms what Paradise
was to the rest of the world" Pc
rowne's book of Psalms vol. 2,
p. 1863.
Only the most general intimation
can be given as to the contents of
these inspired songs. They will
amply repay careful, prayerful
reading. No christian can read
these products of genuine zeal for
Gods House and filial devotion and
praise to Almighty God without
having his religious nature stirred
to its depths.
In the first of these "Songs of
Degrees" Psi. 1907 the pilgrim or
pilgrims is or are at great dist
ance from Jerusalem surrounded by
enemies travelling through strange
land. In the second he recognizes
that all his true help must come
"from the Lord which made heaven
and earth and that the Lord is his
keeper and shall preserve mis- "going
out and coming in from this time
forth, and even forevermore. =" He
is made glad by other pilgrims or
bonds who give him an invitation
to join their company, in the third
''song of assent The fourth song
has been beautifully named by
Alsted OculuS SperaRS: 1.-The Eye
of Hope" Luther says of this
Psalm, sit is deep sigh of a panied
heart, which looks around on all
sides and seeks friends, protectors
and comforters, but can find none,
therefore it says, unto thee lift | ur
mine eyes, 0 thou that dwellest in
the Heavens. >" While the last
Psalm many have been the sigh OF
an exile. The next two (the fifth
and sixth) songs of gong up, are
made up OF joyful acknowledge.
ment that deliverence has been
vouchsafed (Psl. 124) and a descrIp
ton of the safety of the pilgrim OF
pilgrims grit round by the protec.
tion of Jehovah, "as the mountains
are about Jerusalem" psi. 1857.
In the seventh the pious Jew finds
himself again in his own native lane
and nearing the holy city. The
joyful fac seemed too good to bt