87, 93, 105, 130, with Ezra ix. 8. Tender melancholy relieved by God's word. "Ezra a ready scribe in the law," Ezra viii. 6-11. Ps. cxix. the law in epitome, versified to inscribe it on the nation's memory. Naturally follows the public reading of the law: Neh. viii. 1-8, 18; as the preceding Psalm cxviii. was connected with that reading Pages 273-275 LECTURE XXXII. "Songs of degrees," pilgrim songs in going up to the great feasts. Style simple, brief; transitions by repeating a word; cxx.-cxxxiv., ten new songs grouped round David's four and Solomon's one. CXX. 3, "Thou false tongue;” “I dwell in Kedar," ver. 5; "I... for peace, they . . . for war,' ver. 7. So Neh. iv. 2, 7, 8, "the Arabians." cxxi., pilgrims' even-song at first sight of hills round Jerusalem. Jehovah 'keeps' (Shamar, Samaria) and 'sleeps not,' with Neh. iv. 9, 11, 14, 22. This Psalm embodies Nehemiah's prayer. 'Jehovah is upon thy right hand," ver. 5, with Zech. iii. 1. Ps. cxxiii. 3, "We are exceedingly filled with contempt," ver. 3, with Neh. iv. 3, 4. Ps. cxxv. 3, “The rod of the wicked (world-power) shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous (Israel), lest,” etc. "Such as turn aside unto ... crooked ways," ver. 5, with Neh. vi. 10-14, 17-19. Ps. cxxvi. 2, "Our mouth filled with laughter said ... heathen, Jehovah hath done great things for them,” with Ezra iv. 16, 22, Neh. viii. 9, 17, xii. 42, 43. "They that sow in tears . reap in joy," ver. 5, with Neh. viii. 9, 10. "Thy children . . . olive plants," Ps. cxxviii. 3, with Zech. viii. 5. Ps. cxxix. afflicted me . . . the Lord is righteous," with Ezra ix. 15, Neh. ix. 33, Dan. ix. 7. Ps. cxxx. I, "Out of the depths I cried," with Lam. iii. 55. "Forgiveness with Thee," ver. 4, with Dan. ix. 9. Ps. cxxxii., prayer, and answer échoing prayer: Jehovah's unchangeable oath the ground. Ps. cxxxiv., Epilogue. Pilgrims' address. Priests' reply Pages 276-281 66 not... ... LECTURE XXXIII. 1-3, Many a time they "Put Pss. cxxxv., cxxxvi., cxxxvii., imply Israel's need of deliverance. "His peculiar treasure," cxxxv. 4, with the contemporary Malachi, iii. 17, Ex. xix. 5, 6. Made up of cxv. and cxxxiv. cxxxvi. 23, “Remembered in our low estate,” in Babylon. cxxxvii. 1 : Babylonia a net of canals fringed with 'willows': ver. 7, “in the day of Jerusalem's overthrow, Edom said, Lay it bare": ver. 9, ‘Happy he that dasheth thy little ones!" not a prayer of malice; founded on God's fore-announcement: Jer. xlix. 7-22, fulfilled by Darius Hystaspes. cxlvi., etc., begin and end with Hallelujah. By Haggai and Zechariah. trust in princes," ver. 3, with Ezra iv. All the five Psalms joyous : so Neh. vi. 15, 16, xii. 43. cxlvii. 13, "Strengthened . thy gates," with Neh. iii., xii. 27-43. cxlvi. 6, "which made heaven,” etc.: cxlviii. 4 with Neh. ix. 6. Ps. cxlix. 19, "He showeth His statutes... judgments," with Neh. ix. 13, 14, x. 29, Deut. iv. 32-34. "Build up Jerusalem . . . gathereth . . outcasts of Israel," Ps. cxlvii. 2, with Neh. ii. 5, iii. 6, 15. Lord's coming in glory as 'King,' cxlix. 2. "Let . . . a two-edged sword in their hand," ver. 6, with Neh. iv. 16-18, xii. 31, Rev. i. 16, xix. 15. The 'saints' shall join in judging: cxlix. 6-9, Dan. vii. 22, 1 Cor. vi. 2, Rev. xx. 4. Musical instruments same in Ps. cl. as in dedicating the walls, Neh. xi. 27 Pages 282-285 ... STUDIES IN THE CL. A LECTURE I PSALMS VII. XXXV. XLI. CI. MONG Paley's valuable contributions to Christian Apologetics, none is more so than his "Horæ Paulinæ." Few, if any, candid readers can resist the instinctive conviction, that the coincidences therein traced out between the Epistles of St. Paul and the independent history of St. Luke, the Acts of the Apostles, are so unobtrusive and incidental, as to exclude the possibility of design; at the same time so real and unmistakable, that they can be accounted for only on the supposition that both the Epistles and the history are authentic and genuine. In an age when the Old Testament is being subjected to the same ordeal of rationalistic criticism as the New, it may be of profit to see how far the same argument from undesigned coincidence will hold good in comparing the Davidic Psalms with the independent histories in the books of Kings and Chronicles. We will take, for the present, the seventh Psalm in future Lectures, we hope to be able to adduce other instances. But first it is to be premised, that if the particulars brought forward may seem petty, circuitous, and indirect, it should be remembered that this very minuteness and indirectness, and even subtilty, is just what gives point to the argument. Coincidences obvious, explicit, and direct, might result from truth, but would be compatible also with forgery. But oblique allusions, wherein the coincidence has to be pointed out, and does not lie on the surface, are just such as nature and truth would produce, and which no forger would ever insert. Blunt has carried out the same line of argument on other parts of both the Old and the New Testaments, including some instances from the life of David, in his "Undesigned Coincidences." The book of Psalms, however, which he passes by, affords, perhaps, a better sample of this valuable line of argument; for here we have David's inner life mirrored forth with a fulness of individuality, not to be looked for in the histories which deal more with his outward life: and at the same time incidental allusions occur, which take for granted the facts narrated in the histories, and even curiously in some cases correspond (evidently without design) in the very modes of expression. The same characteristics mark David in both,a tender spirit, and yet one undaunted by adversities, because he put his trust in Jehovah (compare I Sam. xxx. 6 with Ps. xlii. 5, lvi. 3); a prudent spirit, such as was engendered by the exigencies of his critical position in relation to King Saul, and such as characterised the persecuted Jews of the middle ages. (Compare the undesigned coincidence of Ps. ci. 2, "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart," with I Sam. xviii. 5, 14, 15, 30, "David behaved himself wisely-very wisely-in all his ways—more wisely than all the servants of Saul; and Jehovah was with him.") A spirit buoyed up by the promises of God, to the assured expectation and prophetical announcement of the glories of the Messianic kingdom, about, according to Nathan's inspired declaration, (2 Sam. vii.,) to be set up in his future seed. The title of THE SEVENTH PSALM runs thus: Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite." THE GENUINENESS OF THE TITLES may be assumed, when we consider (1) their antiquity, which ap pears from the fact, that they in some cases were unintelligible to the Septuagint Greek translators, in the beginning of the second century B.C., (2) their presence in most manuscripts, and (3) in fragments of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. Their very obscurity (4) and want of obvious connection with the contents of their respective Psalms, are precisely the features which would never emanate from forgers. Moreover (5) the Orientals generally prefix titles to their poems, as, for instance, Hab. iii. 1, Isa. xxxviii. 9. (6) The enigmatical style of titles is exclusively confined to those Psalms which either David himself, or his singers, composed. An exact parallel occurs in the history (2 Sam. i. 18), where David prefixes to his beautiful elegy on Saul and Jonathan the title "The Bow," (not as the Authorised Version, "the use of the bow," an enigmatical designation for "the song on him expert with the bow:" (compare verse 22, "From the blood of the slain,... the bow of Jonathan turned not back.") Hengstenberg well said, "The titles are too poetical, spirited, and profound for any later collector." If they were added by later hands, (7) how is it that they are wanting in those Psalms where conjecture could most easily have had place, namely, in the fourth (Psalms xc.-cvi.) and fifth books (Psalms cvii.-cl.), whereas they appear in the most regular and complete form in the Davidic Psalms? Now these are just the ones where conjecture is given no room for exercise. For the titles do not apparently illustrate these Psalms, but are a memorial of the events which most deeply impressed the mind of David. "The "Shiggaion" comes from the Hebrew root Shagah [],"to err." The aberrations of Saul from God's law, culminating in his deadly persecution of one who not only had not wronged him, but even had risked life in his behalf, are before David's mind. But David, though evil had been returned for his good, did not suffer himself to be tempted to return evil for evil, and herein displayed a holy magnanimity which has its source, not in nature, but in grace. The triad of the ancient British Church well expresses it, "There are three |