I. THANKFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF MERCIES RECEIVED, (Vers. 1-3.)

II. EARNEST PRAYERS FOR YET GREATER ONES, (Vers. 4-7.)

III. CONFIDENT BELIEF THAT THE LORD WILL ANSWER, (Ver. 8)

IV. JOYFUL ANTICIPATION OF THE BLESSINGS THE LORD WILL GIVE. (Vers. 9-13) - S.C.

I. RECOGNIZING NATIONAL MERCIES IS A NATIONAL DUTY. Apply to ordinary mercies, such as are illustrated by the yearly harvest. Then the national heart turns to God; and a national voice of thanksgiving is uplifted to him. Apply to special mercies, such as:

1. Preservation from, or removal of, epidemic disease.

2. Mastery of elements of social disturbance.

3. Hopeful changes of political relationships.

4. Victory for the national army.

5. Removal of difficulties that put the national peace in peril.

II. HELPING THE NATION TO RECOGNIZE ITS MERCIES IS THE DUTY OF THE NATIONAL LEADERS. More especially of those who believe in God, and are consecrated to the work of rendering witness for him. Mistake is often made by limiting the work of God's ministers to the "spiritual" and "personal" parts of their work. Every true minister is a leader of his people in recognizing God's work in the nation, and in renewing national thanksgiving and trust. - R.T.

I. THERE IS A SENSE IN WHICH GOD'S REDEMPTIONS ARE NEVER COMPLETE. They are always redemptions from some calamities, not redemptions from all calamities. Every redemption is a beginning, holding within it the promise of something more that God is about to do. Open this fully out by showing that a spiritual redemption is to be followed by a bodily redemption. Christ wins the soul, and then proceeds to win the whole human sphere, and eventually all creation. The great redemption removes the soul penalties of sin; but it is not a perfect redemption until it has removed all the bodily penalties and disabilities of sin also. As a matter of Christian experience, we always feel, with the apostle, as if redemption were something yet to come. As we read our lives, they are still spheres for a divinely redemptive work. The full salvation "is ready to be revealed in the last time." Redemption thought of as complete checks a living dependence. Redemption thought of as incomplete keeps us in close reliance on the present and ever-working Redeemer.

II. THERE IS A SENSE IN WHICH GOD'S REDEMPTIONS ARE EVER IN PROGRESS. They are only incomplete as the building at which the workmen are working. Those exiles would be comforted as they realized God with them, delivering and rescuing, and carrying, in practical detail, to its perfection his gracious redemptive thought. - R.T.

I. NOTE THE CHIEF WORD OF THIS VERSE: "REVIVE." It implies:

1. Life. The new creation has been accomplished, the passing from death unto life has taken place.

2. But that life has declined, and therefore needs revival. How often this occurs! Our spiritual life is not as our natural life, which is weakest at the beginning and end; but the spiritual life is strong in the vigour of its first love, nor does it ever at the last hour fall from God, but in the midst of the years, like the wires of the telegraph between the posts, it often falls to its lowest. The causes are not a few, but may be summed up in one - the not abiding in Christ.

3. The life which has declined can be revived - the health and vigour come back again, the backsliding be healed.

II. WHAT IT EXPRESSES. It is an earnest prayer, an impassioned pleading for revival. It means, "Oh that thou wouldst revive us again!" Now, this reveals:

1. Consciousness of need. There may be the need, as at Laodicea, and no consciousness of it; but when such prayer as this is heard, it shows that the soul is wide awake to its needs.

2. Distress on account of it. Earnest anxiety is aroused; the work of conviction has been done; this prayer proves it.

3. The confession of it, and the casting of the soul on God for its need being met; and this could not be without there being also:

4. Confidence that God would answer his prayer. A child must see the look of "Yes" in his lather's face, or else he will soon give over asking; but when he does see that look, what a vehemency of asking then ensues! And so with the child of God here. He has seen that look of "Yes" on the Father's face, and hence this confident earnestness. Such are the characteristics of every such prayer as this. Note -

III. ITS PLEA. "That thy people may rejoice in thee." So then it is plainly taught that a low religious life and a joyous one are incompatible; there must be a reviving if there is to be rejoicing. Hence it is that to so many people religion seems rather a distress than a delight. They are, as it has been said, like a man with a headache; he would not like to lose his head, but he is very uncomfortable with it. A man was once invited to eat of some apples from a certain orchard, but he promptly declined. His friend was much surprised, and asked him the reason. "Oh," said he, "I took of some of your apples the other day, which were hanging over the hedge, and I am quite sure I do not want any more of them." "Ah," said the other, "I am not surprised; those apples were a poor lot; but I put them there on purpose for the boys, who are always taking what does not belong to them. But come into the middle of the orchard, and try the fruit there, which is of a very different sort." And so it is with many Christians; they take only the hard sour fruit of the religious life; that which is full of delight is in the midst of the garden of God, whither as yet they have never entered. It is good to be God's servants at all, better, far better, to be of those who rejoice, whose service of God is not a drudgery, but a delight; best of all when the rejoicing is in God, not in his blessings merely, but in him. God wants us to rejoice in him; the world will be more surely won for God when more joy characterizes his servants, and for ourselves, it is the surest guarantee of steadfastness. - S.C.

I. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST CONSTANTLY NEEDS REQUICKENING. This is true of all the ages. We have to take account of the ever-recurring tendency to flag and taint and fail. Men have never been able to keep up to the high levels which they may at times have attained. The whole history of Israel is a series of illustrations of this truth. Back from all reformations and revivals Israel constantly fell into indifference, or into formality. It may be shown that:

1. Times of special strain are followed by rebounds. An army is never in such peril as in the relaxed hours that follow a great victory.

2. Mere continuance tends to develop into formality. As with constant practice at the piano, the player comes to play without thinking.

3. Energetic people, who must be doing, are always in danger of neglecting the culture of the interior life. It may be well searchingly to examine ourselves, and see whether we need requickening.

II. REQUICKENING IS IN THE POWER OF GOD ALONE. We must not only admit that as an abstract truth; we must feel that as a truth bearing direct relations to ourselves. The limit of man's doing may be illustrated by the garden plants. We water them, and they do not care for our work, or respond to it. We can do little more than wash the dust from their leaves, and moisten the air around them. God rains his heavenly rains upon them, and they respond at once; lift up their heads, hold out firmly their leaves, and evidently feel the thrill of new life. One of the most delightful and inspiring views we can get of God sees him ever at work, restoring things that have gone wrong, and reviving things that are flagging. He is the Source of all life, - that we admit. He is the Restorer and Requickener of all life, - that we want to feel.

III. WHETHER WE BE REQUICKENED DEPENDS UPON OURSELVES. There are conditions in us for which God ever waits. His work cannot be all that he would have it be until we are in right condition.

1. We must see our need of requickening.

2. We must put away the self-indulging things which have been injuriously telling on our life.

3. We must be in attitude of prayer - of united prayer. - R.T.

I. ONE SIGN OF OUR TIMES IS VASTLY INCREASED INTELLIGENCE. Science has developed. Literature has unfolded. Education has become a mania. In our pride we are saying, "We are wiser than our fathers." But this is attended with perilous moral evils. It is so easy now to become proud in our imaginations, confident in our reasoning, and scornful of the higher powers of the soul, in our admiration of the powers of the mind.

II. ANOTHER SIGN IS THE INTENSE PURSUIT OF PLEASURE. Facilities are now afforded for meeting the cravings of bodily pleasure which have nourished the cravings into a soul mastering passion. The world of landscapes, of art, of science, of music, of poetry, of play, lays its treasures now at the feet of the poorest. And no good man can begrudge the world's toilers the relief which these later days can provide. But the passion for that which is pleasing is telling seriously on the sense of duty, and even on the higher moral qualities, on the reserve and self-restraint, which belong to the essence of noble character. What we like is coming to rule, rather than what we ought.

III. ANOTHER SIGN IS THE PRESSURE OF BUSINESS, AND THE HASTING TO BE RICH. Typified in the man who regretted the compulsory Sunday rest, because then he had no chance of making money. Success in life is fast becoming the modern Baal that outrivals Jehovah.

IV. ANOTHER SIGN IS THE CALL FOR INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL, RATHER THAN SPIRITUAL PREACHING. Men ask for "essays;" they chafe under "persuasions." They seek for "soothings;" they do not want "reproofs," "correction in righteousness," and inspirations to the pursuit of holiness.

V. ANOTHER SIGN IS THE MULTIPLICATION OF ORGANIZED FORMS OF CHRISTIAN WORK. Machinery taking the place of life. Men paying for the doing of what they should do themselves. Christ claims our personal service, the expression of our soul's vitality; and that claim can never be commuted for any money payment, or entrusted to any substitute. If, then, we can see signs of the Church's falling from its vocation, let us see that:

1. God must not be thought of as separated from the interests of a decaying Church. To cease to connect God with its condition is the last stage of a Church's decline.

2. God must be sought as the only Source of spiritual revival. We cannot remedy spiritual evils by any form of personal effort, if those are made apart from dependence on God.

3. The revival of God's Church begins in the revival of individual souls. - R.T.

1. A personal resolve. "I will hear." Some would not; others could not; others would offer to hear for him and report; but the psalmist makes the wise resolve that he will hear for himself. It is ever best to go direct to God, and employ no intermediaries.

2. It is also a firm resolve. Whether the word be rendered "I will," or "I would," or "let me hear," it denotes resolve. And no one will ever hear what God the Lord will speak unless his will be settled in that purpose. The devil hates such hearing of God, and will do all in his power by raising up every kind of hindrance - who knows not this? - to prevent it.

3. It is a sincere resolve. The hearing means no mere listless listening, but it is that of the heart, with real desire to hear what God the Lord will speak. Therefore the hearing will be, as it ever should be, attentive, prayerful, obedient. Consider -

I. THE SPEAKER. God the Lord. Three things are taught.

1. That God the Lord will speak. His very name involves this. He is the covenant God; hence his name Jehovah, Lord, is added, which declares him to be the God of Israel. But such name indicates that he will not be heedless of his people's prayer. And he has spoken of old time. Their records are full of the story of his interpositions in their times of need. And it is what we should expect, the need of his speaking being so great. Revelation, incarnation, atonement, the work of the Holy Ghost, are all antecedently probable; man, God's offspring, needing them so terribly.

2. That we can hear. This is man's distinction; he is a spiritual being, and can receive messages from God, who is a Spirit; he does perpetually receive and respond to them: "When thou saidst, Seek ye my face, my heart said," etc.

3. That what God speaks is what man needs to hear. Man has heard enough of what his own sinful heart has to say, and of what his fellow men say, in their doctrines, imaginations, counsels, and a miserable hubbub and confusion their discordant utterances make; but the psalmist resolves to come away from all this, and hear God. It is our wisdom as well as his.

II. WHAT HE SPEAKS. "Peace unto his people."

1. Peace with himself. They have quarrelled with him, rebelled again and again, but now when they turn to him his word shall be of peace.

2. And amongst themselves. "He stilleth... the tumult of the people:" the nations shall learn war no more.

3. And in their own hearts. "The Spirit beareth witness with our spirits," etc. (Romans 8.; Luke 7:48). None can over-estimate the worth of this peace, and none need be without it.

III. HOW DOES GOD SPEAK?

1. Authoritatively. "He speaks, and it is done."

2. My his Spirit.

3. Through the Holy Scriptures, and by the voice of his providence and the response of our conscience and reason.

IV. THE CONDITION ON WHICH HE SPEAKS. "Let them not turn again," etc.

1. It is implied that they have now turned from their folly. Note that name for sin; sometimes it is called by far sterner names. But is it not "folly"? All these prayers and vows show that there has been repentance.

2. Let them not turn again. There is no need that any should. And we never shall if we abide in Christ. - S.C.

I. THE ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY GIVES VALUE TO THE PRAYER. It declares that the man's heart was in it; that the subject was of vital interest to him; and that he believed in God as the "Prayer answerer." It does more than this. It reveals that in the prayer there was a true submission. The man who watches for answer cannot but feel that the answer depends on the infinite wisdom and good will of his heavenly Father. He who truly says, "Thy will be done," watches that he may know the will, in order that he may do it. A prayer that is not followed by watching is a prayer of which God need take little heed, seeing it is evident that the man who prays cares but little about that for which he prays.

II. THE ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY SHOWS FIRM GRIP OF THE PROMISES. What the promises connected with prayer assure is answer - some kind of answer. But not the particular form and kind of answer which we desire. The man of faith lays hold of this promise of answer. No prayer is disregarded by God. If we may use an earthly figure which is suggestive, he never leaves his letters unanswered. But expectancy always links with submission, and leaves the form of answer to the Infinite Love. Illustrate by the response that came to the psalmist. The social and moral evils, that seemed to limit the Divine restoration, were gradually mastered, and true hearts can recognize, in gradual removal of evils, specific answers to their prayers.

III. THE ATTITUDE OF EXPECTANCY NOURISHES THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER. Because it keeps up the sense of dependence on God; and prayer is but the expression of that dependence. It is a first impulse to pray, when the soul is full of the spirit of dependence. Lose that, and the soul makes prayer the last thing. Keep that, and prayer is always the first thing. Meeting our expectancy, Christ seems to say to us, "According to your faith be it unto you." - R.T.

I. THAT SELF-PLEASING IS FOLLY IS SHOWN BY THE NATURE OF THINGS. Mall is not an independent, self-ordered being. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." He is God's child, and is no more safe, going alone, than is any other child.

II. THAT SELF-PLEASING IS FOLLY IS SHOWN BY THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE. It is but the fact that we have fallen into needless perplexities, difficulties, and sorrows, when we have tried to take our own independent course. We never have been strong and safe except when we leaned on God, and fully opened our heart and life to Divine guidance. Find the things in life which have turned out to be foolish; and searchingly inquire into the moods of mind and heart that were related to them.

III. THAT SELF-PLEASING IS FOLLY IS DECLARED IN THE DIVINE WORD. (See Psalm 49:13, "This their way is their folly.") The self-pleasing of the Israelites is represented by the expression, "a stiff-necked and uncircumcised generation;" and in their history there are plentiful scenes of calamity into which their foolish self-willedness led them. The psalmist earnestly deprecates a return upon such self-pleasing which brings such needless difficulties. "He that sinneth," in his self-will, "sinneth against his own soul." It is true that he is wicked before God; but it is also true that he is foolish, in view of his highest interests. - R.T.

I. THE. BURDEN OF GOD'S SPEECH TO MAN. Peace. Peace with him.

1. The way of peace.

2. The nature of peace.

II. A DETERMINATION TO LISTEN. Man listens to man.

1. According to the claims of the speaker to be heard.

2. When the subject is interesting and important.

3. When the subject is important to him. Then we give the closest attention.

III. THE PRACTICAL EFFECT OF GOD'S SPEECH. "Let them not turn again to folly," i.e. wickedness. The wickedness will then be aggravated. It is then so well known to be wickedness. "If I hadn't spoken to them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloke for their sin." - S.

I. SPIRITUAL GLORY. How God is worshipped, loved, praised; how mightily his Spirit works in men's hearts, when he comes in saving power!

II. MORAL GLORY. The work of God in men's souls ever "makes for righteousness." Vice, profanity, and all ungodliness are abashed, and slink away when the power of God is made known.

III. NATIONAL GLORY. For "righteousness exalteth a nation:" when once has such a nation perished?

IV. SANCTUARY GLORY. To the Jew, the temple of the Lord was his glory. "The joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion." And what are all our sanctuaries and services if in them God's salvation is not seen?

V. HARVEST GLORY. (Cf. Psalm 67., "Then shall the earth yield," etc.) There is close connection between inward character and outward condition. - S.C.

I. IN GOD. In the wisdom of God when devising our salvation. Christ is the Wisdom of God, because in him, whilst mercy has full scope, nevertheless, the Law is magnified and made honourable. There was no compromise, no tampering with the holy Law of God, although God did so love the world as to save it (John 3:16). Love reigns, yet the Law is fulfilled as it never was or could be before, and is magnified in infinitely higher way than if in vindication of God's broken Law the whole human race bad been forever condemned (cf. Romans 8:4). All this was shadowed forth by the tables of the Law being placed within the ark of the covenant, on which rested the mercy seat, and whereon was sprinkled the atoning blood (1 John 2:2). Thus in God those attributes which seemed to be and were hostile to us, and those which alone seemed our friends, met together, were reconciled, and, as it were, kissed each other.

II. IN MAN. Probably this was the thought of the psalmist. He is exulting in the anticipation of the regenerated moral life of God's people when his salvation should come to them; cruelty and inhumanity should give way to mercy, and truth between man and man should replace their too common falsehood and lies; righteousness, justice, fair dealing, should prevail instead of fraud and wickedness, and peace should banish war. "Earth should be carpeted with truth as with fair flowers, and be canopied over by righteousness as with the beautiful sky, or as by night with the glorious stars." Men should "serve God in holiness and righteousness without fear, all the days of their life."

III. IN CHRIST. The text may be taken, has been so, as descriptive of the holy and beautiful life of our Lord - of him "who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." In him, as in no other, those contrasted qualities of our humanity, which in us are generally so ill balanced, found perfect equipoise and harmony. The Divine symmetry and fair proportions of the holy life, "the breadth, and length, and depth, and height" (Ephesians 3:18), were seen in all their beauty. He was "the perfect Man, Christ Jesus," the lovely Image on which the saints gazed with perpetual, adoring rapture, and grew towards whilst they gazed, and so became the saints, the holy ones, they were. Yes, in him our text was indeed fulfilled. And -

IV. IN GRACE. (See 1 Corinthians 1:30.) What is the true Christian but one who has known in his own experience the power of the perfect Christ? Some believe in a Christ whom they have fashioned to themselves, as all fondness and compassion and pity, who will not be stern with any one. Others conceive of him only as an awful Judge, launching out the thunderbolts of his wrath against wretched, sinful men. But the grace which saves is that told of Titus (Titus 2:11-14). Grace includes mercy and truth, righteousness and peace. - S.C.

I. GOD AND MAN IN OPPOSITION. What God wants, man refusing. Show the confusion thus caused. And the hopelessness of man's state, if he persists in "running on the bosses of Jehovah's buckler."

II. GOD AND MAN IS INDIFFERENCE. This represents the more usual state of things. Men are often not strong enough to actively resist; but they say, "Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him?" And they say to him, "Depart from us; we desire not the knowledge of thy ways!" But that indifference, which puts outside the Divine love and lead, is every whit as perilous for us as active opposition.

III. GOD AND MAN IN HARMONY. This is the ideal state - the relation designed in man's creation. Here naturally come in evangelical teachings respecting the way in which the designed harmony was lost, and the way in which that harmony can be recovered. The beauty of the scene suggested by these figures should be dwelt on. "This is a delicious scene. Earth yielding flowers of truth, and heaven shining with stars of holiness; the spheres echoing to each other, or being mirrors of each other's beauties. 'Earth carpeted with truth, and canopied with righteousness,' shall be a nether heaven. When God looks down in grace, man sends his heart upward in obedience" - R.T.

I. GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR FAITHFULNESS, IS ACTIVE FOR HIS PEOPLE'S GOOD. It is "going before him;" it is not quiescent. "God for us" means "God working for us."

II. GOD'S ACTIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS IS TRIUMPHANT OVER DIFFICULTIES. Opening ways implies that ways have been closed. Hindrances have blocked them.

III. GOD'S ACTIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS WORKS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE. There is an inspiring sense in which we may be sure that God must be true to himself. If he has purposed a thing, he will surely overcome all difficulties in the way of its accomplishment. If he has planned the full redemption and sanctification of believers, it does not matter how impossible that may seem to him; "God's righteousness will surely go before him, and make a way. - R.T.