in which David in his afflictions was a type | making preparation. To-day we will take the 68th Psalm. This Psalm will serve as an illustration of the way in which David, when in the height of his prosperity and greatness, is a type of Christ in His exaltation;-of Christ when after His victory over Death He ascended to the right hand of God, and sent the Blessing of the Comforter which He had promised to His Apostles. There are very many psalms which belong to the period of David's reign, from the time when he first set up his throne at Jerusalem, and moved the Ark of God to its resting-place on the Holy Hill of Zion. If we could certainly assign each to its proper date and original circumstances, the several psalms would serve as a kind of inspired handbook to the spiritual meaning and interpretation of almost all the leading events in the life of the typical king of God's chosen people. This it is not always easy to do, but with respect to the present Psalm we think there need be but little doubt. There is a Psalm, we mean the 24th, which belongs to the occasion when the Ark of God was first carried in solemn state from the house of Obed-Edom to its place upon Mount Zion, and when the priests in their long procession sang, "Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of Glory shall come in." This Psalm therefore belongs to the beginning of David's royal greatness, to the commencement of his reign in Jerusalem, to the period when he had overcome his early enemies, and finally emerged from his early difficulties. Accordingly we sing this Psalm every year on Ascension Day, the day when we commemorate the beginning of our Lord's reign in Heaven, the close of His incarnate life on earth, His victory over all the powers of evil, and His triumphant return to His Holy Place above. Exactly in the same way, we believe, does Psalm lxviii. belong to some great festival towards the end of David's reign, to some such festival as that related in 1 Chronicles, xxviii. xxix., when David was looking forward to the building of the glorious Temple for which he had been It is mentioned as being so used in one of Augustine's sermons. Augustine was Bishop of Hippo, A. D. 395. The modern town on the site of the ancient Hippo is Bona. Thus Psalm xxiv. belongs to the commencement of David's glorious reign; while Psalm lxviii. belongs to its yet more glorious close, to the time when he is looking forward to the still brighter days, when God's worship shall be established in hitherto unknown splendours, when God's people rejoice in an abundance of peace to which they had hitherto been strangers, and when they should enjoy the fruits of all his victories in yet fuller measure. The 68th Psalm, therefore, is one of our Whit Sunday Psalms, just as the 24th is sung on Ascension Day. On Ascension Day we commemorate our Lord's victory over His enemies, and His return into His Glory. On Whit Sunday, we commemorate not merely His victory, but the ever abiding and increasing fruits of victory. We commemorate the beginnings of the hitherto unknown glories of the Church of God, the Temple of the Holy Ghost, glorious with the Divine Presence, typified by the Temple which David prepared for, and which Solomon was to build. We celebrate the gift of the Spirit, and with Him the gift of that Peace which passeth all understanding, inward peace in outward troubles, a peace won for us by the victories of our Lord, as the peace of God's people under the reign of Solomon was fruit of the long and arduous career of David the type of Christ. Let us recur for one moment to our concluding remarks upon Psalm xxii. In that Psalm we saw David's trials set forth as a type of Christ's sufferings, David's hopes echoing beforehand the utterances of Christ, his thoughts reflecting in some measure the mind of Christ. There we saw how in his deepest sorrows he was cheered by the certainty of victory, and how the thought of victory brought him no visions of selfish aggrandisement, but only of the glory of God, and the blessings which mankind at large were to inherit under a righteous rule. It is the same here also. We are standing now at the culminating point of David's life. From the summit of his present greatness he looks back on the past, with its perils, its providences, its deliverances, (see, generally, the verses from 5 to 23.) he looks forward to the future laden with the fruits of the victories which have been won. And what are those fruits? Who are to enjoy them? Is it David himself? Not so. Throughout the whole Psalm there is what we may perhaps best describe as a Divine self-forgetfulness, in itself a most speaking type of the character of Him who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." We turn to the verse round which the whole Psalm evidently circles, (the verse which St. Paul quotes in Ephesians, iv. 8, of the spiritual gifts of Christ,) "Thou art gone up on high. Thou hast led captivity captive, and received gifts for men; yea, even for Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them." (Psalm 1xviii. 18.) Taking then the first meaning of the Psalm as it referred primarily to the Temple to be built in Zion, it is clear that David was as far as possible from regarding it, as a merely secular-minded prince would have done, as the crown and seal of his own personal greatness and achievements. This Psalm expresses his feelings on the occasion. He was not thinking of himself. He was not even thinking chiefly of the temporal good of his people. He was thinking of the Divine Presence and Blessing. He was regarding the future Temple as the Divine centre from whence blessings from the Lord were to flow forth in rich abundance, an abundance not even restricted to the good and the obedient, but which should extend "even to Thine enemies, that the Lord God might dwell among them." And thus our minds are led on, not only to Christ the antitype of David, but further also. They are led onwards to the Holy Ghost the Comforter, and to the Christian Church the antitype of the Jewish Temple, which Christ in His Pentecostal "gifts" has rendered the storehouse of all spiritual blessings. We look onward to those gifts for men," first shed abroad upon apostles in the descent of the Spirit on the first Whit Sunday;-gifts not for themselves alone, or for the good and obedient alone, but "even for the enemies that the Lord God might dwell among them" also, even until the knowledge of the Lord should cover the earth as the waters cover the sea." that David seems to be the great crowning type of Christ towards whom all former prophets and judges seem to lead up as in a gradual progression, so also we must notice how he appears to designate the future Temple as being all that the Tabernacle of Moses had been, and yet more also. The Psalm opens with the chant which Moses uttered at the successive removals of the Ark, and which seems to signify that all which had been promised to the Tabernacle was to be accomplished here; while the verse "This is God's hill, in which it pleaseth Him to dwell; yea, the Lord will abide in it for ever," (Verse 16.) lays claim to the peculiar glory of the Tabernacle as henceforward belonging to Zion. So again in verse 17,* we have a very bold declaration that the Divine Presence hitherto vouchsafed to the Jews in their Mosaic Tabernacle, was henceforward to be specially manifested in the City of David, and on the Hill of Zion. Tabernacle and Temple have now passed away, but the Presence which was their glory is our blessing in a fuller measure, in that we have come to that which is the antitype of both;-"we are come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the general assembly and Church of the firstborn, which are written in Heaven." (Heb. xii. 22, 23.) Jesus, the antitype alike of Moses and of David, having fulfilled all types, has set up His Spiritual Temple, the centre of all blessings; Himself is its light and its life, His members are His Temple, of which He says, "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (St. Matt. xxviii. 20.) A. R. A. This verse may be translated, "Sinai is in the And as we began last Sunday by saying Sanctuary." QUESTIONS ON THE EPISTLES. THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 1. WHAT is the first command of St. Peter? 2. What is being subject? A. Being under. 3. How can we be subject to one another? A. By not being above being ruled by another. 4. Where had our Lord taught St. Peter this? St. Mark, x. 41-44. 5. Where do we repeat this rule in the Duty to our Neighbour? 6. What is the grace that will make us submit to others? 7. What is humility? 8. How does St. Paul teach us humility? Phil. ii. 3. 9. What is the word used by St. Peter for our being humble? 10. Then what is to be all round us like a dress? 11. Look at the Epistle for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany, and see what St. Paul there bids us to clothe ourselves in? 12. What reason does St. Peter give for this being dressed in lowliness? 13. Where does he take this verse from? Psalm cxxxviii. 6. 14. How does He resist the proud? A. He will not hear them, and overthrows their plans. 15. Where does the Blessed Virgin say so in her song? 16. What does our Lord say is the way to be exalted? 17. How does St. Peter here repeat that what must we expect? 62. How does St. call? 18. What is being exalted? A. | have had troubles and conquered them, Being made high. 19. Where are we to make ourselves low? A. On earth. 20. Where shall we then be made high? 21. What is the way to be really lowly here? A. To think nothing too mean for us if it is not wrong. 22. What Example had St. Peter seen of thinking no service too low to be paid to another? 23. Who puts us up or sets us down in this world? 24. Where do the Psalms say so? Psalm lxxv. 8. 25. From Whose Hand, then, does our lot in life come? 26. How does St. Peter remind us that it is God who thus disposes of us? 27. What may we then cast upon Him? 28. What is casting our care on Him? A. To make sure that He will do what is best for us, and so not to vex ourselves. 29. Why can we safely cast our care on Him? 30. When had St. Peter heard this from Himself? St. Luke, xii. 22-28. 31. What is it then that we need not be careful for? 32. But why have we need to be always on the watch? 33. What is being sober? 34. What is being vigilant? A. Watchful. 35. When had that very warning been given to St. Peter? St. Mark, xiv. 38. 36. Why must we be vigilant? 37. What is an adversary? A. One who is against us. 38. Who is our adversary? [39. What do the angels call him? Rev. xii. 10. last part of verse. 40. How does St. Paul show us his great strength? Eph. vi. xii.] 41. How does he watch round us? 42. How do we read of wild beasts seeking their prey round sheep-folds? 43. What would befall those who strayed carelessly, or did not keep watch? 44. How can we stray? 45. The instant we go wrong, by idle thoughts or words or disobedient ways, who watches to tempt us further? What sheep-fold does that lion prowl round? 47. What will he do to us if he can tempt us into his grounds? 48. What hope is there still for us held out in the Gospel? 49. But is it not better not to go astray? 50. What should we do instead of being led away by the tempter? 51. What will happen if we resist him? James, iv. 7. [52. What promise have we that he shall not be able to hurt us if we keep in the right way? Isaiah, xxxv. 9. 53. What shall be the end of a Christian's resistance? Psalm xci. 13. 54. But what must make us strong to resist? 55. How does St. Paul tell us to be steadfast? Eph. vi. 14. 56. How does St. Paul tell us faith must be our defence? Eph. vi. 16. 57. How does the Collect show us how to call for God's help? 58. When we are sorely tried, what may we remember for our comfort? 59. Has nobody ever been tried or tempted but ourselves? 60. Has ever any good Christian gone through the world without any troubles? 61. Then, if they 46. FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER 88. 1. By whom is this Epistle? 2. To whom is this Epistle? 3. Of what right of inheritance had St. Paul just reminded us? Rom. viii. 16, 17. 4. If we are heirs with Christ, what must we bear like Him in this life? 5. What is St. Paul's reckoning about the suffering of this life? 6. What did St. Peter tell us last Sunday was the use of such suffering? 7. St. Paul says he reckons, as if he weighed the troubles of this life against the glory hereafter why does he say it matters so little? 8. How long can grief or pain last? 9. How long does glory in Heaven last? 10. How long was Lazarus in pain and hunger? 11. How long has he been in Abraham's bosom? 12. Has his rest there ended yet? 13. Is it nearer to an end? 14. So what does St. 2 Paul elsewhere say of such sorrows? Cor. iv. 17. 15. How does our Lord describe the proportion of the reward in today's Gospel? 16. What does the Collect call the things of this life? 17. What does it call the things of the next life? 18. What was the glory that St. John saw in vision? Rev. vii. 9. 19. Who are those that enjoy that glory? Rev. vii. 14. 20. What is at an end with them for ever? Rev. vii. 16. 21. What are all looking forward to? 29. 22. When is the time of glory to come? 23. What is the expression here used for looking forward? 24. What is meant by "the creature?" A. All creation. 25. What is manifestation? 26. When will it be known who are the true children of God? 27. How comes it that there is any sorrow and trial in the world? 28. When did death come into the world? When did suffering come into the world? 30. When was the sentence of working hard given? 31. Why was this sentence of sorrow, pain, and labour given? 32. Was it only man that was made subject to them? 33. What was said of the whole world? Genesis, iii. 17. 34. So what is all the world under? 35. What does St. Paul call all the things in this earth? 36. How does he express their being under the curse? 37. What is vanity? A. Weakness or emptiness. 38. "The creature was made subject to vanity"-what does this mean? 39. Let us see how this is proved. What becomes of all animals? 40. And are they free from pain? 41. Yet did they sin? 42. What becomes even of the trees and flowers? 43. Does anything last? 44. And is anything-even of the works of God-as beautiful in all its parts as it seems as if it could be? 45. Yet what did God say of them when first created? 46. What, then, is it that has gone wrong with all the fair and innocent things in creation? 47. Who was made the master of this earth? Genesis, i. 26. 48. Whom did Adam and Eve make prince over them by their sin? 49. And what befell all the earth and the works of God when its master gave himself up to Satan? 50. Was it the fault of these things which were made very good, that they became subject to decay, pain, and death? 51. In what words does St. Paul say it was not their own doing? 52. But whose doing was it? 53. For whose sake was the ground cursed? 54. How is this here expressed? 55. And is this weakness of all created things to last for ever? 56. How is it expressed that this is not to last for ever? 57. What is the hope? 58. From what bondage shall creation be delivered? 59. What is corruption? How have we been shown that creation is subject to corruption? 61. Why is this decay and imperfection called a bondage? 62. But when shall this sad state of things 60. 69. Who 70. Where 71. How Gal. v. 1. Gal. iv. 4. Gal. come to an end? 63. How did St. John see it ended in vision? Rev. xxi. 1. 64. How does Isaiah describe the beauty in this new earth? Isaiah, Iv. 13. 65. How the peace of all the animals together? Isaiah, xi. 6, 7, 8. 66. What shall all creation then enjoy? 67. What is the word here used for freedom? 68. Who already enjoy that freedom? bought their freedom for them? are we told so? Col. i. 13, 14. does St. Paul bid us stand? 72. When were we set free? 73. What were we adopted to be? iv. 5. 74. What part of us was set free? 75. Which part of us then has died, and been new born to the new state of things? 76. Which part of us belongs still to the old imperfect state of things under the curse? 77. To what, therefore, is our body subject? 78. How is it expressed that all creation is suffering and waiting for better things? 79. What is meant by "not only they?" 80. What are we looking forward to? 81. To which state of things do we belong? 82. Who has come out of the new unseen world to prepare us for it? 83. What does St. Paul, therefore, call the Holy Spirit? 84. What does he call the Holy Spirit in writing to the Ephesians? Eph. i. 13, 14. 85. What were first-fruits? 86. What would they show as to the entire crop? 87. What is an earnest? A. Something given beforehand as security for the 88. Whence does the Holy Spirit come? 89. How, then, is He the Firstfruits of Heaven? 90. How is He the Earnest of Heaven? 91. What does He mark us out for? 92. What are we waiting for? 93. When were we first adopted? 94. When shall we be more fully adopted? 95. Shall we be in any danger of falling away when that adoption comes? 96. Where shall we be at home? 97. What is meant by "to wit?" A. That is to say. 98. What shall then be fully redeemed? 99. What price has been already paid for us? 100. When shall we be perfectly free beyond Satan's reach? 101. When will our body be set entirely free likewise? 102. How does St. Paul say he watches for this time? 103. Where does he elsewhere speak of that longing? 2 Cor. v. 4. 104. How does the Collect ask that we may prepare for that time? 105. Who must guide us through this imperfect world so as to fit us for the perfect world? 106. What rules does our Saviour give in the Gospel for walking in the old world as those belonging to the new? rest. FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 1. WHOSE writing is this Epistle taken from? 2. What do we hear of St. Peter in the Gospel? 3. What was he called to become? 4. What was the net he was to gather them into? 5. Whither would he draw the contents of that net, the Church? 6. If we are not good fishes in that net, shall we be safe? 7. Then here St. Peter is teaching us how to keep as good fishes in the net, so as to come safe to land. What are the first words? 8. How can we be all of one mind? 9. How can we be of the same mind in love? 10. How can we be of the same mind in hope? 11. How did St. Paul, in the Epistle for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, show us that we might feel together? 12. What is the word here used for feeling for one another? 13. If we all feel together, how shall we live together? 14. How should we treat one another? 15. What is being courteous? A. Being civil and gentle to one another. 16. What is our Lord's lesson to us in courtesy? St. Luke, xiv. 8. 17. What is St. Paul's lesson to us in courtesy in the same Epistle for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany? 18. If we meet with ill usage, how are we to meet it? 19. What is rendering evil for evil? 20. Where on the Third Sunday after Epiphany was rendering evil for evil forbidden? 21. What is railing? 22. When are we tempted to render railing for railing? 23. But what are we to return instead of hard words? 24. Where did our Lord say we should render contrariwise blessing? St. Luke, vi. 12. 25. What is said of a soft answer? Prov. xv. 1. 26. What should show us that it is our very business to bear hard words and ill usage patiently? 27. What does thereunto stand for? 28. Where on the Second Sunday after Easter were we shown by St. Peter that it belongs to Christians to accept ill usage gladly and quietly? 29. What did he there say is thankworthy? 30. What Example does he set before us of patience? 31. What does he here say we are called to do? 32. And what does he set before us? 33. What is that blessing? St. Matt. v. 11, 12. 34. What promise of blessing does St. Peter quote from the Old Testament? 35. Whence do these verses come? Psalm xxxiv. 36. Who wrote that Psalm? 37. When is David thought to have composed it? A. When he was wandering, and persecuted by Saul. 38. Whom was he instructing? A. The followers who lived with him in the cave. 39. How does he address them in the verse that comes before this that St. Peter quotes? 40. How does he tell them is the way to have a happy life? 41. What is refraining? A. Reining in. 42. What did St. James teach us is the way to treat our tongues? 43. What are they to be reined up from? 44. What are our lips to be shut up from? 45. What is guile? A. Deceit. 46. To Whom is falsehood hate A. 54. 55. ful? 47. Can good days come to anyone who deceives? 48. What must he eschew? 49. What is meant by eschewing? Avoiding. 50. When did we promise to eschew evil? 51. In what words did we promise to eschew evil? 52. What are we to do? 53. What are we to seek? What is ensuing? A. Following. Why is this a safe rule for bringing good and happy days? 56. Who is sure to be favourable to the righteous? 57. What is He ready to hear? 58. But against whom does He turn? 59. What does St. Peter add to show that this is the way to live happily and quietly? 60. Is anyone likely to hurt those who follow what is good? 61. What did St. Paul (on the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany) say to show that those who live quietly have nothing to fear? 62. What is the prayer in the Collect? 63. How are we here taught by St. Peter to live in godly quietness? 64. But suppose God does not see fit to order the course of this world peaceably, and if we are tried by ill usage, what does he say to comfort us? 65. What is suffering for righteousness' sake? 66. Who have suffered for righteousness' sake? 67. Do any persons now suffer for righteousness' sake? 68. If we get into trouble by being steady in doing right, why may we be said to suffer? 69. What are we if we so suffer? 70. Why is such suffering happiness? 71. What are we not to be afraid of? 72. Of whose terror? 73. Why need nothing frighten us? 74. Whom did our Lord tell us not to fear? 75. Was St. Stephen afraid? 76. What comforted him? 77. Who was with him? 78. With Whom was his heart? 79. Who will be present with our hearts? 80. To what will He turn all trials rightly borne? A. To holiness. 81. Then what is the way to be always at peace within ourselves? 82. How shall we keep peace with others as far as lies in us? 83. How shall we still be peaceful when trouble and danger is round us? 84. What did our Lord say of the peace He left with us? St. John, xiv. 27. 85. What does St. Paul call that peace in the blessing when we leave church? SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. 1. WHAT does St. Paul tell us we ought to know? 2. On the Sunday before last, what did we say of all creation? 3. Why was creation made subject to vanity? 4. What did our Lord come to endure for us? 5. What did He bear the punishment of? 6. What is the punishment of sin? 7. When He had once died for our sin, was He liable to suffer for it any more? 8. How is this expressed in the latter part of |