ask for daily blessings. "Ask and ye shall receive." "Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." S. John xiv., 13, 14. 26. Blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord: we have wished you good luck, ye that are of the house of the Lord. This was Aaron's benediction on the children of Israel, and continued to be the priestly blessing. Numb. vi., 24-27; Deut. xxi., 5; 2 Sam. vi., 18; S. Luke xix., 38.

In the Name of the Lord. In this name he conquered. In this name he rose to power. In this name he comes to the temple to give God thanks. To this name he gives all the praise from first to last.

He that cometh. The coming One is the Son of man. "I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ." And Andrew, Simon, Peter's brother declared "We have found the Messias." We praise Him for having come, and "daily shall He be praised" till He come again. We have wished you good luck, ye that are of the house of the Lord; or "We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord." The priests and Levites on the Temple-hill thus received the congregation that came up. As the people were coming the priests blessed them. From the "house of the Lord" they blessed those who came. The place of blessing was "the house of the Lord." Christ Jesus came to bless, and His ministers still pronounce a blessing in His Name.

27. God is the Lord who hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, yea, even unto the horns of the altar.

"God is Jehovah," or "Mighty is Jehovah." He hath shewed us light. It was by this light that the Psalmist discerned that the stone which the builders rejected was the head stone of the corner. He showed us the light of His presence in the cloud and pillar of fire, and in the Shekinah. "God is the Father of lights, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift." "He hath shewed us the light" of truth and saving knowledge. And Christ is the light of the world. He is the true light to lighten every man. He is a light to lighten the Gentiles. It is the duty of all who love the Lord Jesus to hold forth this light. Men love darkness rather than light.

Bind the sacrifice with cords, yea, even unto the horns of the altar. Having received light then follows the duty, "Bind the sacrifice." Having received from God, He asks now for something in return. Bind the sacrifice. The word sacrifice often denotes a feast, but here it means the victim offered at the feast.

With cords. These cords were decorated with wreaths, and looked like a garland. And with them the sacrifice was bound.

Unto the horns. The horns of the altar were the projections resembling horns which stuck out from its four corners.

"Unto "

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may mean as far as to" the horns of the altar; or it may mean "bind to the horns of the altar." We have an altar to which we are bound. Jesus Christ is that altar, and the bands of His constraining love are the cords which bind us thereto.

28. Thou art my God, and I will thank thee: thou art my God, and I will praise thee.

Thou art my God.

I will thank thee.

I will praise thee.

The Psalmist could do no less when he had counted up God's mercies to him. If we but reckon up the catalogue of mercies acknowledged in this Psalm, we shall not be surprised at this genuine outburst of hearty thanksgiving. But to be able to call such a God of mercy "My God" is the greatest privilege, and the highest happiness. The Psalmist grasped the privilege, and appropriated the author of such mercies to himself. "Thou art My God." I can have no interest in a God that is not my God. But when God is such a good and merciful God, and, above all, when He is my God, I can trust Him, I can rest upon Him, and in Him I have perfect peace, and perfect safety.

29. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious: and his mercy endureth for ever.

Not only does the Psalmist praise God himself, but he calls on others to join him. It is not merely for temporary mercies we desire to thank Him. It is especially for that mercy, the gift of His dear Son, which endureth for ever. He is a covenant keeping God, and not a single promise will fail those who trust in Him. High and low, priests and people, with united voices, swelled the chorus of gratitude and thanksgiving in this grand and lofty strain. The Hallel was ended, the music was hushed, and the multitudes dispersed with hearts full of gratitude to God for His mercy.

PSALM VIII.

The theme of this Psalm is "the greatness of God, and His good

It is the First Psalm appointed for Morning Prayer on Ascension Day.

Title. "To the Chief Musician upon Gittith, a Psalm of David." The meaning of the word Gittith is not apparent. The following are some of the many attempts to explain what must ever remain a matter of conjecture.

1. It may refer to Gath, a city of the Philistines- i.e., upon the harp, or in the style of Gath.

(a) To a tune commonly sung there.

(b) To an instrument of music invented there.

2. It may be a song of Obededom, the Gittite, in whose house the ark rested.

3. A song of victory sung by David in triumph over Goliath of Gath.

4. The musical instrument with which they accompanied their songs of rejoicing after the vintage.

5. The Philistine cithern on which was played joyous musicperhaps a march of the Gittite guard. 2 Sam. xv., 18.

Author. It was composed by David, and is almost unanimously ascribed to him. It contains much that coincides with his experience in youth and in age, when he was a shepherd, and when he was a king.

Time.-We have no Psalm of David which was composed by him previous to his anointing. (2 Sam. xxiii., 1.) It was not therefore when he was a shepherd that he sang the beauties of creation herein recorded, but after he attained to the dignity and glory of King and Ruler. He composed this song either with the starry heavens bright above him, or with the scene vividly pictured in his imagination.

Subject.

1. Earth reads God's glory in the face of the heavens.

2. When we contemplate God's greatness in His works, we are amazed that He should take notice of man.

3. God's greatness is manifested in the glory of the heavens, and in His love to men.

This song is a night-piece, and the world has never let it die.

Why Appropriate.-For Ascension Day it is choicely appropriate.

1. It declares man's dignity through our Lord's Ascension. He is higher than the Angels. And this is true simply because Christ is both God and Man.

2. What the first Adam lost, the second Adam redeemed and restored.

3. In Christ human nature again possessed all it lost in Adam. 4. We see "all things subject to Christ" by the power of his resurrection.

5. We see Jesus "crowned with such glory and honour" as can apply to none beside.

6. He was the "Son of Man," a title belonging to Christ only.

Prophecies and References.-That the whole scope of this Psalm points to Christ is evident, although it contains no direct prophetic intimations.

The following may serve as samples :

1. "Thy glory above the heavens."

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2. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength." Matt. xxi., 16.

3.

That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."

4. "The Son of Man."

5. "To crown Him with glory and honour."

6. "All things under His feet."

7. With 4-6 compare 1 Cor. xv., 27, 28; Eph. i., 22; Heb. ii.,

6-9.

These all point to Christ and have their fulfilment in Him alone. Division. The theme of this Psalm is two-fold.

1. The greatness of God.

2. His goodness towards men.

I. 1. The greatness and glory of Jehovah as manifested in creation. 2. This is made known even to children who sing His praises. v. 1, 2.

II. 1. The effect of this must fill man with

(a) Wonder.

(b) Gratitude.

(1) For crowning Him with honour.

(2) For giving him dominion.

(3) For making him ruler.

(4) For putting all things into his hands. v. 3-9.

1. O Lord our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world: thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens !

"Our God;"" Thy Name;" "Thy glory;"

;""Thy heavens." Nature is full of God. The glory of creation reflects the glory of its Creator.

The glory of God is His goodness. "How excellent!"

And it is everywhere. "In all the earth."

"O Lord, our Lord." He is ours then; our Father and our Friend. Our. The speakers are the members of the Church of God.

Thou hast set thy glory above the heavens.

"He ascended far above all heavens." From thence He sent His name through all the world by His Holy Spirit.

2. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength, because of thine enemies: that thou mightest

still the enemy, and the avenger. S. Matt. xi., 25; xviii., 3; xxi., 16.

"It is a bold conception to found God's power on that which is feeblest on earth."

Not only the heavens above, but the earth beneath, proclaim God's majesty, and sing His praises.

Not only children, but babes and sucklings show forth His praise. Hebrew children were never weaned till their third year.

That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger, or " revengeful.” The "revengeful" are those who vilify and repudiate revelation. Jehovah uses the mouths of children to rebuke and condemn them. He has chosen that which is foolish and weak to put to shame that which is wise and strong. 1 Cor. i., 27.

The "enemy" and "revengeful" are united.

3. For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers: the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.

David is surveying the firmament, and he sings of the wonders he contemplates. The "moon and the stars," why not the sun? Because this is David's midnight meditations when the sun was no longer visible. The objects of his admiration only are recorded.

This Psalm seems to refer to the Mosaic account of creation. Gen. i. 4. What is man, that thou art mindful of him : and the son of man, that thou visited him?

When we consider the heavens, the sun, moon, and stars, we may well exclaim, What is man? The world was created for service, man for dominion. Job vii., 17, 18; Is. lvii., 15; Ezek. xvi., 1-5; S. Matt. viii., 8-10.

What is man?

1. Grass. "All flesh is grass."
2. A lie. "A lie and deceit."
3. Dust. "For dust thou art,

return." Gen. iii., 19.

Is. xl., 6.
Ps. lxii., 9.

and unto dust shalt thou

4. A beast. "Like unto the beasts that perish." Ps. xlix., 12. 5. A worm. "I am a worm and no man." Ps. xxii., 6.