15. Thou hast mightily delivered Thy people even the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

The way of God is eternally holy. He comes to us in holiness; He would lead us to Himself by the way of holiness; and His Holy One came to be Himself the way. Who or what is great as our God in righteousness, in patience, in pity, in love? He hath done wonders from the beginning of the creation; and especially in watching over and protecting them who trust in Him. He has made and will make all the peoples of the earth to know His power and to confess His truth. This He shewed in that strange deliverance by which He brought His people, the seed of Abraham, the twelve tribes who were the children of Jacob and of Joseph, out of the land of Egypt, confounding their oppressors with a mighty arm.

16. The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee, and were afraid the depths also were troubled.

17. The clouds poured out water, the air thundered and Thine arrows went abroad.

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18. The voice of Thy thunder was heard round about the lightnings shone upon the ground; the earth was moved, and shook withal.

Then the waters of the Red Sea saw the Lord, and retired like a timid slave from before his master; the depths were uncovered to make a way for His

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people. Each one of the elements did the bidding of its Lord the air and the fire, the water and the earth, were ministers to execute His command of destruction upon the proud and hardened tyrant and his hosts. And so too at that mightier deliverance which God wrought by His Son all the people of the world, when they saw Him, were afraid for their sins, the depths of their consciences were troubled; the teachings of His Gospel were poured down like water from the clouds, the proclaimings of His righteousness went abroad like thunderings and lightnings, and the earth was shaken by that mighty message which declared that God was made man.

19. Thy way is in the sea, and Thy paths in the great waters and Thy footsteps are not known.

20. Thou leddest Thy people like sheep : by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Thus He made 'His people to pass a wonderful way out of the Red Sea, out of the violent stream, as a green field.' In the great waters was a road of safety for them, which was covered again by the waves, and lost when the Egyptians entered upon it. In His way none can follow but those He wills to follow Him. He Who then led His people through the sea, was that same Lord Who afterwards came to His disciples walking upon the sea. He led His people like a flock of sheep by the hand of Moses the prophet and Aaron the priest, Who came in after-time that He might Himself

lead them through the mystic paths of holy Baptism, into the better Canaan, and be at once their Prophet, their Priest, and their King. Let us therefore, His sheep, follow our Shepherd whither He would lead us; let us follow Him suffering, by self-denial; let us follow Him rising, by newness of life; let us follow Him ascending, by setting our affections on things above. In Him is comfort in all trouble; in Him lies an unfailing assurance of eternal mercy.

This Psalm is inscribed "to the Chief Musician Jeduthun, a Psalm of Asaph." Its tone is melancholy, and among the sorrows of the present the poet turns for comfort to the wonders and the glories of the past. It was probably written by the second Asaph during the distresses and troubles of the kingdom of Judah, which were brought upon them for their idolatry and neglect of the laws of Moses.

Evening Prayer.

PSALM lxxviii. Attendite, popule.

1. HEAR my law, O my people : incline your ears unto the words of my mouth.

2. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will declare hard sentences of old;

All wisdom flows from the Fount of wisdom. All right teachings and all holy knowledge, though they may come through the mouth of man, proceed from the wisdom and Word of God. The discipline of the law and the instructions of prophets were given

by that One great Prophet Who in the fulness of time came forth from the Father into the world. Asaph recounted the parables and the marvels of the history of Israel, but it was Christ Who set them before His people, and opened them to their understanding by their fulfilment in Himself and in His Church. These things spake Jesus to the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the beginning of the world.' The Light of the world shone on these dark sayings of old, and, lo, they were all images and pictures of Himself.

3. Which we have heard and known and such as our fathers have told us;

4. That we should not hide them from the children of the generations to come but to shew the honour of the Lord, His mighty and wonderful works that He hath done.

Full of warning and of instruction was the history of the people of Israel. Each mercy that had been shewn them, each glory that had been given them, each judgment that had fallen on them, had its own peculiar lesson, and was a parable full of meaning. These things their fathers had told them, and these things they were to teach their children, that they might honour their eternal God and ever abide in His faith and fear. The wonderful works of God should

be the theme of our meditation on earth, for they will form that of our songs in heaven.

5. He made a

gave Israel a law

covenant with Jacob, and

which He commanded our

forefathers to teach their children;

6. That their posterity might know it and the children which were yet unborn;

7. To the intent that when they came up : they might shew their children the same;

8. That they might put their trust in God: and not to forget the works of God, but to keep His commandments;

9. And not to be as their forefathers, a faithless and stubborn generation a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit cleaveth not stedfastly unto God;

10. Like as the children of Ephraim who being harnessed, and carrying bows, turned themselves back in the day of battle.

The Almighty God confirmed His covenant with Israel, and gave them by the hand of Moses His holy law. His command was, 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children.' His law was to be obeyed from generation to generation each one who had learned its precepts from