The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-12-12

deep sense is the keynote to the whole
Psalter. The Psalmist may well say that
Gods statutes have been his songs, when
the one and only subject of his Psalm
is the praise of the divine law Every
verse of it lovingly circles round the con-
temptation of Gods law, with marvellous
variety expressing to his own happy
heart it's priceless value. His one SUBJ
ject is praise of the law, the duty of stu
dying it, and the happiness of following
it. He never gets away from that, not
for single verse. The law covers his
whole life. There is nothing outside of
the blessed circle, nothing the law does
not touch and glorify The subject of all
his songs is Gods law, it's beauty and Joy
and peace, its power to control and direct
and comfort. Life is house of pilgrim
age, brief time of trial. and such songs
refresh him and sustain him. Life is
night of sleeplessnes and such songs be-
guile the waiting hours and solace his
WEAKNESS. Life is a journey, and the
road is long and sometimes hard but
such songs enliven every step of the way
And what are these magic songs? They
are the statutes turned into music, the
commandments delivered in perfect har-
mony, the law bursting into song, filling
the singing heart with joy till the whole
world joins in the harmony and reflects
back the radiance
The verse is also in one respect typical
of the whole Psalter The Book of
Psalms is in five books, to correspond
with the Pentateuch, the five Books of
the Law. This attempted correspondence
to the Pentateuch is in sense only for
NAL so far as numbers go, but it is also
very natural and appropriate. The Psal-
ter is the flower of the law, reflects the
essential spirit of Old Testament re-
ligion represents its best and highest
moods. The division of the Psalter into
five books expresses a great and true
thought; for the Psalter is indeed the
other side to the law, the completion of
it, the response to it. hymn is the
true fruit Of a commandment The Pen
tateuch states Gods will for man; and the
Psalter is mans reply to it, mans adora-
ton of God. 1t is the answer made by
religious Israel to the demands of Jeho-
yah in the law. Statutes need to be turn
ed into songs before their work can be
completed. The note is struck in the
very first Psalm, which speaks of the
blessedness of loving the Law and the
curse of hating it, The Psalter is the
blossom of the Law, preparing for it's
perfect fruit in obedient and joyful
hearts. When the law of God is turned
into songs in this the house of our pill
grimage, it has reached it's destined end
Thus this verse is really typical of the
whole Psalter. eff people," wrote Rus
kin, in Modern Painters would but
read the text Of their Bible with heartier
purpose of understanding it, instead of
superstitiously, they would see that
throughout the parts which they are in
tended to make most personally their
own (the Psalms) it is always the law
which is spoken of with chief Joy. The
Psalms respecting mercy are often sor-
rowful as in thought of what it cost; but
those respecting the law are always full
of delight David cannot contain himself
for joy in thinking of 1.-THE is never