Mote on Many centuries later the
Ps. XC. "Shall the earth be made to

prophet Isaiah said, bring forth in one day,

or shall a nation be born at once?" Just as seeds must lie in the earth and be vivified by rain and kindled by sunlight before they can grow into plants, so human beings must be braced by individual effort and elevated by collective responsibility before they can grow into a nation. The same thought was in the mind of Moses as he meditated on the stupendous task that lay before his brethren of fitting themselves for their high mission by shaking off the lowering influences of a harsh slavery, and, rising to a full sense of the responsibility of each human soul to God. He realized how little can be accomplished towards that great end in one brief generation. "We spend our years as a tale that is told.” Even if a life be a long one and a strong one, the work it can achieve is but small:-"For we are soon cut off, and we fly away. Even as Thy fear (the fear due to Thee), so is Thy wrath" (at human disobedience to Divine Law).'

Solomon, the wisest of all the kings of Israel, prayed for wisdom for himself, but Moses, the noblest and purest of all the heroes of Israel, prayed for wisdom for his people. "Give Thy servant an understanding heart, give me knowledge and wisdom," was the prayer of Solomon. "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom," are the impressive words of the prayer of Moses. The rapid and irrevocable flight of Time, the short duration of even the longest of human lives to

Not only the rapidity but also the meaning of the terse

even as Thy fear so is ") וּכְיִרְאָתְךָ עֶבְרָתֶךָ Hebrew phrase

Thy wrath") are somewhat lost in the translation. The English word "fear" brings the thought of cowardice, but the Hebrew T has the added meaning of awe and reverence.

achieve any great work, the inevitable failures and note on shortcomings of us all, depicted in the previous Ds. XC. verses, lend double force to the prayer, and bring vividly to our minds the duty of never wasting time, and of trying always to make the best use of our lives.

The next verse (13) recalls the other great prayer of Moses for the children of Israel when they stood on the verge of the Promised Land.1

Verses 14 and 15 help us to understand the religious duty of cheerfulness. If we are very happy in our childhood it puts a feeling in our hearts like unfading sunshine, and helps us always to be brave and cheerful, and to look on the best side of everything all through life. Whenever trouble and sorrow come to us we must always try to be brave and cheerful. We must seek happiness by trusting to the Infinite Wisdom and Infinite Goodness of God, and by feeling sure that He will have mercy upon us if we do our best to accept humbly and bear bravely whatever trials and troubles come to us.

Verse 16 and the first half of verse 17 echo and emphasize the same thought. If we trust in the mercy and have faith in the Justice of God, His work, and His glory, and His Blessedness will be manifest to us.2

The final prayer-" Establish Thou the work of

1 "Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now." And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word. (Numbers xiv. 19.)

2

The Hebrew word Dy does not exactly correspond to "beauty" as we use that word-in the sense of physical beauty. At the time the Psalms were translated into English, "beauty" meant something nearer to the Latin “beatitude,” from which it is derived, and which means blessedness.

Hote on our hands, O Lord, establish Thou it," is echoed by
Ps. XC. us all when we set about every task in life that

comes to our hands. The happiness of every human
being is dependent on work and effort. The wretch
concentred all on self," vainly aspires to happiness.
God has given us all that we have.
What can we
give Him in gratitude? The fruit of our work and
the conduct of our lives. The primitive offerings of
our forefathers when they sacrificed the choicest of
the beasts they had reared in the homestead were
typical of the eternal attitude of all mankind to the
Creator. Our sacrifices, like the sacrifices of old,

PSALM XCI.

(The messenger of God speaks.) "HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

2 (The soul of man speaks.) "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust.'

3 (The messenger of God speaks.) "Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but

must be without blemish; a pure life of honest, note on honourable effort to shed happiness and comfort on Ds. XC. our fellow-creatures, and to do to the very best of our powers whatever work comes to our hand. "Both young men and maidens, old men and children, let them praise the name of the Lord," says one of the Psalmists. Let us all, young and old, praise God by the practical prayer of trying to make the best possible use of all the powers of body and mind God has given us to carry out our life's work. Then with hopeful hearts we can pray in the words of Moses, “O Lord, prosper Thou it."

66

Ps. XCI. it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.”

Mote on
Ds. XCI.

9 (The soul of man speaks.) "For Thou, O God, art my Refuge."

(The messenger of God speaks.) "Thou hast put thy trust in the Most High. 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. II For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet." 14 Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him My salvation.

The ninety-first Psalm is in the form of an imaginary dialogue between the Messenger of God and the soul of man.

The voice of the Messenger of God utters the first verse, the leading thought of the whole Psalm.

That thought is not expressed directly, but is conveyed by poetic imagery which is difficult to follow in the translation. But if we realize the exact meaning of the words in the original Hebrew, it helps to bring the full sense of the verse before us.

Thus he that dwelleth "-means he who