The Denver star., 1917-12-22
MOODS OF WARTIME
How the PsaImist Voices Com.
fort, Cheer, Strength and
Courage to Human Heart.

SaSt tHy Duruen upon tne LOf0, an0
he shall sustain thee."-Ps. 4:22.
It is one of the marks of the in
spiration of the Psalms that we
turn quite naturally to their splendid
phrases to find expression for our
deepest thoughts. When our hearts
are stirred, the right words do not
always come to us. But we find them
in the Psalter. And, II mistake
not, there Is in the words of the
dfty-nfth Psalm quite extraordi-
nary appropriateness to our thoughts in
these great days Of alternate hope and
fear. and anger and grief. and pride
and patience. It is a Psalm for time
Of war; 1t Is war that the Psalmist had
in his thoughts. And 1t seems to e1.
press the varying moods which we OBJ
serve in our neighbors. and Of which
we are half conscious In ourselves, as
we try to keep our mental sanity, our
Christian faith. The Psalm begins and
ends with prayer, for 1t is the outpour-
ing Of his hearts desires by q goAly
man; but he passes through various
phases of thought as he prays-some
worthy of the highest Christian saint
liness-some not so worthy, for he had
humanity.
"Hear my prayer" So he begins. II
is the inevitable petition of an un-
quiet soul. Hear my prayer" But
the singer is afraid. for the danger is
near. 1.-THE ungodly cometh on SO fast |:
they are minded to do some mischief,
so maliciously are they set against
me-" He is fainthearted, he doubts
the ultimate issue. "My heart is dis
quieted within me-fearfulness and
trembling are common upon me-" And
he would fain escape from the horror
and misery of 1t all. "Oh, for the
wings of a dove, for then would l fee
away and be at rest. would get mo
away far off :" to the wilder
ness. If need be. II would make haste
to escape" "Oh, for the wings Of q
dovel" The words, when set to the
luscious music Of Mendelssohn. charm
the ear, and they find a response in
that desire for peace and rest which
Is the emotion Of every tender and
kindly heart, "Oh, for the wings Of .
dove!" Yet that is not the Christian
attitude to the stern realities Of life.
It is a mood through which our
thoughts may pass. But 1t is an up-
worthy mood. It is not the mood Of
faith, and another Psalm tells us 70.
sIn the Lord put my trust; how say
ye then to my soul that she should fiee
as a bird unto the hill?"
And so we pass on to the best
thought of all-the thought which IL
the true key to the brave old Psal.
mist's courage and hope. With 1t he
begins-"Hear my prayer" for that
Is the prayer Of faith as well as the
prayer Of fearfulness. To 1t he passes
on-sAs for me, will call upon God,
and the Lord shall save me. In thu
evening and morning and at MONDAY
will I pray, and that instantly; and
he shall hear my voice." For this Il
the mood Of prayer, Of the consecra.
hon Of all high endeavor, Of the hal
lowing Of pain. "Cast thy burden
apon the Lord, and he shall sustain
thee" Here is no counsel for a weak
ling or a craven, but of brave man
who has faced the worst. "Cast thy
burden upon the Lord" It does no,
mean that we shall leave the part d
danger to others, and rest in security
the while, craven-hearted. It Is moi
to sing. "Oh, for the wings Of a dove
that there may be a way Of escape
-; Nor does 1t mean that, as we fight, NJ
| curse the while. To fight withou
cursing in the cause Of righteousnssl
u to follow in the steps Of the grea'
Captain Of the Christian soul. And n
It means that we shall best fortify on
spirits By prayer.
And for us all, even while our heart
leap a. We read Of the deeds done b.
those Of our own blood and speech
for ~ all, the Psalmist's message 4
sCast thy burden upon the Lord
This II his nnal mood; this II the isgo
Il ms thought. Cast thy burden heyl