The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-25
SONGS OF THE SON OF IsAI.

rangement of the Psalms of David
by Helen Hughes Hielscher Of
Mankato, Minnesota, and bespeak
for it, what it so richly deserves,
the widest circulation among all
lovers of Holy Scripture.
| The. readers OF The Catholic
Bulletin need no introduction to
the authoress, with whose literary
ability,l both in prose and verse,
they are already familiar. A large
number Of the Psalms contained
in this volume first appeared in
their chaste and elegant English
drapings i'll the pages of this pa
per, and evoked words Of warm
commentator from persons well
qualified to judge of their literary
merit and of their value as an aid
in reaching a better understanding
Of the wealth Of spiritual meaning
enshrined in these songs of the
Royal Psalmist.
The purpose which inspired the
authoress to put into permanent
form, and thus make accessible to
a larger circle of readers, the
literary gems produced in the
spare moments Of a busy life, is
told in the ForeWord: "This
metrical arrangement of tho
Psalms is far from being com4
plete reproduction Of all their
beauty and spirit, but as light
wind, blowing over a garden Of
roses, may carry to the traveller
a breath Of fragrance that may
cause him to lift his eyes to the
beauty Of the whole garden, so
these simple verses may awaken
interest in the breasts Of the low
ers of the beautiful and true, and
bring them into more intimate
relation with the Psalms them
selves"
The volume is prefaced by an
interesting article on the "Author-
ship Of the Psalms, F" the principal
points of which may be thus sum-
married.: The Psalms Of David
were called Tehillim, that is,
songs Of praise, lin Hebrew.
They are not only the very heart
throbs of a great people, but the
vehicle Of many revelations from
God to man. The light Of prophecy
CLEANS starlike through the stately
verses.
The Psalms of David are songs
Of the relations of God and man,
and might be arranged in three
groups. In the first and by far the
largest, the dominant note is that
of worship. The second is purely
instructive; while the third,
though partaking Of the qualities
of worship and instruction, is more
strongly one of praise.
In the Psalms of David we have
not only picture of the man but
of his time and Of his people; his
virtues are the virtues of Israel
faith, zeal, love, and reverence;
these are the qualities that make
the Psalms what they are. Their
sublimity is as high above all
other songs as Heaven is above
earth, as faith is above unfaith.
The "holy writings" give a pic
ture OF David, when, as a shop
herd, he herded the Hocks of Isai
on the fields about Bethlehem be-
fore Samuel anolnted him king;
they picture him at the royal court
where his songs soothed the UNI
happy Saul as they have soothed
many restless heart since; they
record his defiance to the mighty
Goliath, and the fall of that proud
Philistine; they dwell on the love
that existed between him and
Jonathan and his flight into the
hills to escape the vengeance of
Saul; his proclamation as king of
Juda even before Saul S death and
the extension of his rule to all
Israel when Isboseth dies; his re-
covery of the Ark Of the Covenant,
and it's triumphal entry into Jeru-
salem when he danced before it.
David had now reached the height
of his ambition, but instead of
girding his loins for the battle he
relaxed into the lap Of luxury as
though his work were done. His
heart is silent and his tongue is
dumb as he drifts Oh waves of
pleasure over the years of his
prime. The only Psalm that can
be associated with him at this
period is the hundredth; but it
does not breathe the spirit of
praise, thanksgiving and prayer.
| 1t is the word of man who would
| dare to raise his head and judge
his .neighbor. Then the awful
| devastation Of sin came upon his
soul, robbing it of the virtues
which had adorned it and blotting
out from his eyes the vision of
the higher things of which he had
heretofore sung. But God S mercy
reached him even in the pit which
| he had digged for himself, aud