part of his life. It contains many expressions which have occurred already in those Psalms which David wrote. Its words of earnest prayer would be found full of comfort by Hezekiah and his people, both in their repentance and in the dangers which came upon them.

PSALM lxxxvii. Fundamenta ejus.

1. HER foundations are upon the holy hills : the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Heb. His foundations are in the holy mountains.

The foundations of that city which God has built for Himself, and which He calls His own, are indeed upon the holy mountains. The Lord of heaven chose one country out of all countries, and one city out of all its cities, and one hill out of all its hills, to be holy to Himself; and this as being a shadow and type of His heavenly city. The earthly Jerusalem was built upon Sion and Moriah; the heavenly Jerusalem was built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the head corner-stone.' He is the saint of saints, and the foundation of foundations. foundations of Sion were set upon the mountains, her beauty was seen from afar off; so is the Church exalted to be the light of the world, a 'city set upon a hill which cannot be hid.' There are twelve gates

The

to that eternal city, and yet but one entrance; for the twelve Apostles, and the doctrine which they proclaimed unto the world, are one in Christ. The gates of Sion are the doctrines of the Gospel, the

tabernacles of Jacob are the teachings of the law; the law was accomplished in the Gospel; therefore it is said that the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than the dwellings of Jacob.

2. Very excellent things are spoken of thee: thou city of God.

Glorious things were said of the earthly Jerusalem; she was called the beautiful city, and the joy of the earth. She was crowned with the temple of her God, and the glory of His presence dwelt within her. But if excellent things were spoken of the shadow and the figure, what shall be said of the reality and the truth! The earthly city fell, and the shadow passed away. The spiritual city abideth for ever; its building is begun on earth and completed in heaven, it standeth for the ages of eternity; and there is 'no temple therein; for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it; and it has 'no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.'

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3. I will think upon Rahab and Babylon : with them that know me.

4. Behold ye the Philistines also: and they of Tyre, with the Morians; lo, there was He born.

5. And of Sion it shall be reported that He was born in her and the most High shall stablish her.

Heb. I will announce Rahab and Babylon
Amongst them who acknowledge Me.
Behold Philistia, and Tyre, and Cush:
This one was born there.

And of Sion it shall be said,

This man and this man is born in her:

And He establishes her Who is the most High.

God Himself proclaims her glory, when He declares that Egypt and Babylon shall be among those who confess His Name. For this is the glory of the Church, that into her the fulness of the nations shall enter, the proud from Egypt, who for her haughtiness is called Rahab, the worldly from Babylon, the city of confusion,-the wrathful from Philistia, so long the enemies of Israel,-the covetous from Tyre, the rich city of the traders, and the slaves of ignorance from Cush, and from the land of Ham,-all these shall learn the love of Christ and confess His truth, and shall enter into that all-glorious city, and be admitted and acknowledged as citizens of the celestial Sion. Each one, whatever be his nation, who is born again of water and of the Holy Ghost, is born within the walls of the new Jerusalem, 'which is the mother of us all.' Her glory shall not pass away. The eternal God hath established His Church for ever; Ile will enlarge her gates and multiply her children, and will be with her always, even to the end.

6. The Lord shall rehearse it when He writeth up the people that He was born there.

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Heb. The Lord shall count in the writing down of the

nations,

This one was born there.

LXX. The Lord shall declare it in the enrolment of the people and the princes,

Of them who have been born in her.

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To be enrolled in the number of her citizens is to be written in the book of life; therefore all the elect of God, whose names are written in heaven,' shall be counted to be born in her. 'One shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.' And greatest and most glorious of all, He shall be counted among her citizens Who was her Builder and Creator. Unto her a child was born-the Child of Mary; unto her a son was given -the Son of God. Yea, it shall be said even of Him Whose goings forth were from everlasting, 'This Man was born there.'

7. The singers also and trumpeters shall He rehearse All my fresh springs shall be in thee.

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Heb. Singing and dancing. they shall say,

All my fountains of joy are in thee.

As the Church shall glory in the redeemed, so shall the redeemed rejoice in the Church, and in Christ, Who is her Spouse and King. For it is He Who hath written the names of His saints in that book which is the Book of Life. Filled with immortal gladness, they shall own in the songs of heaven, that

the fountains of grace which refreshed their earthly pilgrimage, and the well-spring of glory which is opened to them in eternity, flowed to them from Him through the channel of His body, even His Church.

This is "a joyful Psalm by the sons of Korah," in which, St. Athanasius declares, they foretel the calling of the Gentiles, and the future revealing of the Only-begotten to the Church in the mystery of the Incarnation. The words of the Psalm in itself are somewhat obscure and difficult. It was possibly written in the reign of Hezekiah, when the enemies of Jerusalem were defeated and driven back, and the neighbouring nations heard of the glory of Jerusalem and brought presents. It seems to describe the eagerness with which the various nations of the world would desire to acknowledge the God of Israel, and to have their names enrolled as citizens of Sion. (Compare Isa. iv. 3; xliv. 5; xlv. 14; lx. 4.)

FOR GOOD-FRIDAY.

PSALM 1xxxviii. Domine Deus.

1. O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before Thee: O let my prayer enter into Thy presence, incline Thine ear unto my calling.

Christ our Lord in His agony and death prayed to the Almighty Father in that form of man in which He suffered. He cried to Him in the day of His passion upon the Cross of Calvary, and in the night of His bitter agony in the garden of Gethsemane; yea, His whole life was one long passion, and one long prayer. His prayer entered into His Father's presence, and was accepted by Him; He inclined His ear unto the Son of Man, and heard Him in His mercy.