_In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and He heard me._ THE SONGS OF DEGREES How came this and fourteen following psalms to be put together, and to receive their distinctive title? It has been suggested that they were thus called from peculiarity in rhythm; but perhaps, in this respect, some of th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips._ LYING LIPS A watch that cannot be depended upon is of very little use. It may have a beautiful gold case, it may be sparkling with jewels, but yet it will be of no service to me as a watch unless I can depend on what it tells me about the time. And so on... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper._ “SHARP ARROWS OF THE MIGHTY, WITH COALS OF JUNIPER” Thy arrows are not pointless, and thou aimest them with some precision; but on my side is the Almighty Warrior. Thou art able to scorch me for a season; but the vengeance of my Deliverer upon th... [ Continue Reading ]
_Woe is me, that I sojourn in Mosech._ THE SOJOURN IN MESECH Mesech was the son of Japheth, from whom were descended the men who inhabited that most barbarous of all regions, according to the opinion of the ancients, the northern parts of Muscovy or Moscow, and Russia. The inhabitants of the tents... [ Continue Reading ]
_My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace._ HATERS OF PEACE What an appalling picture have we hero of unreasonable and wicked men! As they love lies, so they hate peace. Is not this the very spirit of him, who was both a liar and a murderer from the beginning? They hate that which is belo... [ Continue Reading ]