the world's homage, as to find a despised doctrine "grow and multiply" in spite of them, and by means which they cannot investigate, by powers which they cannot analyze? Such was the nature of the Church's triumph over heathenism; and what the counter triumph of heathenism would be over the Church, was plain before the event. "It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel'." The Church made progress, and the world persecuted. The Kingdom was set up, but it was set up in obloquy, ill-usage, suffering, in much weakness, in fear and trembling. It triumphed as a Church, it suffered in its members. Such, in its measure, has been its lot ever since. The age of Martyrs, indeed, is well nigh over; but scarce a Saint, but has been in his place and degree a Confessor. Hardly has any one done right without provoking the world to do him wrong." All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution," says St. Paul; and our Lord, "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake 3."

But now to return to the Psalter. If the Church be what has been described; if it be great, and widespreading, yet ever open to attack; if it be ever strong, yet ever weak, weak in itself, strong in the Lord; ever persecuted, yet ever blessed and prospered; do you not see that the tenour of the book of Psalms does most exactly and minutely express what the feelings of the Church will be under such circumstances? The Church

is holy, and the Church is defenceless. Now what is

1 Gen. iii. 15.

2 Tim. iii. 12.

Matt. v. 11.

the Psalter, from beginning to end, but a supplication to God to rescue the poor and needy, and to justify the righteous? the very petitions which the Church has such urgent cause to offer.

It contains two main ideas; the defeat of God's enemies, yet the suffering of God's people. I will now quote passages from it at some length, in illustration and proof of what I have said; that is, not merely isolated texts, such as we all know to be prophetic, or to admit of a reference to the great events of the New Testament, but such prayers and aspirations as occur in course, and in a context which cannot be applied merely to our Lord's history; which need a sense if they are to be used by Christians, and which find a sufficient one in the view of the Gospel Church which I have been taking.

1. Now, on the one hand, when we sing the Psalms we triumph in the Church's exultation over the might of this world. "In Jewry is God known, His Name is great in Israel'." What is meant by Israel, but the chosen people, even us Christians? The Psalm must say that God's Name is great in us; else, why read we the Psalms? Let us proceed. "At Salem is His

There brake He

tabernacle, and His dwelling in Sion. the arrows of the bow, the shield, the sword, and the battle. Thou art of more honour and might than the hills of the robbers." The earth is filled with robbery, plunder, violence, cruelty, except so far as it is Christian. All states of the world, all governments, except so far as they are Christian, except so far as they act upon Christian principles, are scarcely more than robbers and

1 Ps. lxxvi.

men of blood; and against these God exalts Himself; against these He is ever exalting Himself; against these at this very time is He rising, as in all times; against all states, all governments, all power of man which does not acknowledge Him, and bow before Him. And "the nation and kingdom that will not serve Him, or rather, as the Prophet says, His Church, "shall perish." To proceed: "The proud are robbed, they have slept their sleep, and all the men whose hands were mighty have found nothing. At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are fallen." Do we ask how this is fulfilled now? Have we not seen in our own time, or did not our fathers see a great antichristian power in the world, exalting itself against religion, and especially against Christ's Church? and did it not seem sure of success? and yet has it not, after all its threats and triumphs, ceased to be, leaving nought behind it but the Egyptians upon the seashore, and a small dust and ashes, for its worshippers fondly to hang over? And this is but one instance of what takes place in every age, the triumph of the Church over the world. "Thou, even Thou art to be feared, and who may stand in Thy sight when Thou art angry? Thou didst cause Thy judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth trembled, and was still, when God arose to judgment, and to help all the meek upon earth." The meek of the earth; for it is pledged to them that they shall "inherit" it. "The fierceness of men shall turn to Thy praise, and the fierceness of them shalt Thou refrain. He shall refrain the spirit of princes, and is wonderful among the kings of the earth."

Again; the same triumph of God's Name in His chosen people over the mighty of the earth is spoken of in Psalm 93: "The floods are risen, O Lord, the floods have lift up their voice, the floods lift up their waves. The waves of the sea are mighty, and rage horribly; but yet the Lord who dwelleth on high is mightier."

Or again, in the 82nd, "God standeth in the congregation of princes; He is a Judge among gods," that is, among princes and rulers. "How long will ye give wrong judgment, and accept the persons of the ungodly? Defend the poor and fatherless; see that such as are in need and necessity have right. Deliver the outcast and poor; save them from the hand of the ungodly." Here the Church in her devotions speaks to the world, exhorting great men, and those who are rich in this world, to justice, impartiality, and mercy, and defending the poor, needy, and desolate-two of her special offices; but they will not listen: "they will not be learned, nor understand, but walk on still in darkness." Accordingly the Psalm ends, "Arise, O God, and judge Thou the earth; for Thou shalt take all heathen to Thine inheritance:" which is, in other words, calling on God to extend His kingdom into all lands.

Other notes of triumph at the sovereignty of the chosen people over the powers of the earth are such as the following:-" He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. . . . The princes of the people are joined unto the people of the God of Abraham'." Again, "Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised in the city of our God, even upon His holy hill.

1 Ps. xlvii. 3. 9.

The hill of Sion is a fair place, and the joy of the whole earth.... God is well known in her palaces as a sure refuge. For lo, the kings of the earth are gathered, and gone by together. They marvelled to see such things; they were astonished and suddenly cast down. ... Walk about Sion"-that is, the Church of Christ-" and go round about her, and tell the towers thereof. Mark well her bulwarks, set up her houses, that ye may tell them that come after '." And again, "Jerusalem is built as a city that is at unity in itself. . . . There are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. . . . O pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and plenteousness within thy palaces "." And again, "The Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for Himself: He hath longed for her. This shall be My rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein "." Who or what is Sion? What do we mean when we read this Psalm, and say, "The Lord hath chosen Sion"? We mean the Church which He set up when He went away. The Psalm proceeds to speak of David-by whom, in like manner, is meant Christ: "As for His enemies, I shall clothe them with shame; but upon Himself shall His crown flourish."

2. So much on the one side. But now let us turn to the other aspect of the Christian Kingdom, which is much more frequently brought before us in the Psalms, and to which I wish principally to draw attention: the suffering, troublous state which, in this world, naturally befalls an empire so large, so aggressive, so engrossing,

Ps. xlviii. 1-12. 'Ps. cxxii. 3. 5. 7. 3 Ps. cxxxii. 14-18.