No More Learning

That is the theme of the 112th Psalm.
Man must stand in awe of God in order to get
wisdom. He who has wisdom will also get hap-
piness, the sort of happiness that is associated with
goodness and that will keep him uncorrupted by
the temptations of wealth and power, and un-
daunted by visitations of adversity--a happiness
that fills his heart with gracious and practical
sympathy for the difficulties and troubles of his
fellow-creatures. Happiness of mind is based on
the wisdom that leads to goodness; "The light that
dawneth out of darkness for the upright," as the
Psalmist puts it.
The spirit of verses 7 and 8 of Ps. cxii. is difficult
to render in exact translation. The word "desire"
in verse 8, used in the English Bible version,
is misleading, and does not occur in the Hebrew.
It seems to make the verse out of harmony with the
rest of the Psalm, and suggests a special meaning
as contrasted with the " desire of the wicked" in
the tenth verse.
But the real contrast to verse 10 of Ps. cxii. ," the
desire of the wicked perisheth," is to be found in the
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
Dote on preceding verse. "Righteousness" (the mirror of
ps. CXI. the goodness of God in the soul of man) "endureth. "
pS. CXII. For the work of God and His laws are everlasting,
whereas the "desire of the wicked" (the work of
mortal man) " perisheth. "
Verses 9 and 10 are in fact an expression of fervent
faith in the power of good over evil--a parallel
thought to " Magna est Veritas et prevalebit. "
PSALM CXIII.
Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the
Lord, praise the name of the Lord. 2 Blessed be
the name of the Lord from this time forth and for
evermore. 3 From the rising of the sun unto the
going down of the same the Lord's name is to be
praised. 4 The Lord is high above all nations, and
His glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like unto
the Lord our God, Who dwelleth on high, 6 Who
humbleth himself to behold the things that are in
heaven, and in the earth! 7 He raiseth up the poor
out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dung-
hill; 8 That He may set him with princes, even
with the princes of his people. 9 He maketh the
barren woman to keep bouse, and to be a joyful
mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.
? IRote on The series of Psalms of Praise, beginning with
ps. CXIII. the 113th and ending with the 118th Psalm, are used
in the Jewish Ritual as a special service of praise
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
One might paraphrase the picture of a good man's Hote on
courage in verses 7 and 8, thus :-- Ps? CXI.
"Evil tidings he may hear, (C)8. CXII.
Yet he feeleth nought of fear.
His heart is firm, his heart is fast,
Through trust in God all fear is cast.
No timid doubts perturb his calm,
Lest fate or fault may bring him harm. "
CXIII.
: niir Dtrnx $hn nirp nay hbn I nhhbn
it: >** v ~s ~ at: j**; = -i t --: i-
:naSiy--nn nm? 6 Tijaa rrtn* dt f *rv 2
it ^ -; t -1" |at: jt: j" <? ;
it: j" t *. ; a ; - v /v ? ?
niiaa Dwn bs rti? 1 D^ir^a-Sy Dn 4
l: 'Ft - $ at; t c it
h*BVfon e :nae'S wsuan wrbs nirva 5
* : -- v it t '? ? :-- a- v: . t :- -i
niBetab bi nsyo *aw 7 :pxai Dw'a nitnS
; at jttI" j? )*: I Vit t ? r- t - a
i ioy *anj Dy tranrw winS 8 ? max Dn*
:nnSSn niw Doan-ax rvan mpu 1 9
for the Holydays, and are called the Hallel (from mote on
bbn, "to praise *'). p8- CXUL
On the seventh day of Passover, the anniversary
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? the children's psalm-book
t\ote on of the drowning of the Egyptian warriors in the Red
ps. CXIII. sea, this service of rejoicing is curtailed. In the
spirit of the proverb which says, " Rejoice not when
thine enemy falleth," the joy of safety and liberty
was tempered with the sorrow that so many human
beings had met with a violent death.
The Hallel is also omitted from the service for
New Year's Day and the Day of Atonement, as the
leading thought on those days is one rather of solem-
PSALM CXIV.
When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of
Jacob from a people of strange language; 2 Judah
was His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion. 3 The
sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, and the little
hills like lambs. 5 What ailed thee, O thou sea, that
thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven
back? 6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams;
and ye little hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, thou
earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence
of the God of Jacob; 8 Which turned the rock
into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of
waters.
? Mote on Note for Older Children. --The 114th Psalm pro-
's. CXIV. ciaims the might of God as shown in marvels
such as the Israelites witnessed at the Red Sea
and on the banks of the Jordan; but which, as
some of the later verses of the Psalm imply, were
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
nity than of rejoicing. They are days of preparation mote on
to bear bravely and trustfully whatever trials and CXIII.
troubles the year may bring forth for us, and days of
high resolve--to break away from whatever we see
to be wrong in our ways, and to try hard to attain
to goodness in all our thoughts and acts.
The 113th Psalm pictures the eternal goodness
and lovingkindness of God to all human beings, high
and low alike.
but a few among the wonderful events in Nature, mote on
such as earthquakes and volcanic upheavals, causing CXIV.
massive mountains to quiver, and rocks to crack,
and springs of water to come and to vanish.
The Psalmist's vivid conception of the Infinite
CXIV. Tp
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on power and majesty of God leads him to realize in
J5s. CXIV. some measure the great world history of the globe.
At epoch-making moments in the history of Israel
he is comforted by the thought of the immeasurable
power of God as shewn in His control of the great
forces of Nature, and he pours out a series of glowing
word-pictures of the marvels of the Natural world.
To most of us the sight of Nature only suggests
the thought of the world as we see it now. But
those who have studied its various materials have
learnt to read the great silent history of creation.
Mountain peaks, ice-scarred rocks, fire-wrought
granite crags, waving hills taking the shape of the
PSALM CXV.
Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy
name give glory, for Thy mercy, and for Thy truth's
sake. 2 Wherefore should the heathen say, Where
is now their God? 3 But our God is in the
heavens: He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's
hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not:
eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears,
but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell
not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not:
feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they
through their throat. 8 They that make them are
like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
(Chorus)
9 O Israel, trust thou in the Lord: He is their
help and their shield.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
great ocean billows that once rolled over them, each mote on
tell their tale of the epochs of the process of creation.
When this history was first discovered, by infinitely
patient observation, "miracles" became better
understood. Scientific study gradually revealed the
marvellous processes through which the world has
passed, and is always passing, in obedience to the
great laws of Nature. These are so wonderful that
those who study them are constantly reminded of
the Infinite Wisdom of the Creator and---by realizing
the fallacies to which human reasoning has so often
led--of the limited wisdom of mankind.
CXV. 1I2P
-ht "fqa jfj ii ^ nP! 1 ^ ^
xi-rvK Dnan rpk\ rush 2 ? sjnaK-^ ^pn
Vti ;. * |tt j";" attI |viV V
:ona npin-n^x ^ ayjpy vrv oniaa 8
rva 10 :xn D3:ai cnty nirva ntoa f? xne>* 9
j? ? t -V -it it: V at |- j-; *? t; *
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
IPs. CXV. io O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is
their help and their shield.
ii Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord:
He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord hath been mindful of us: He will
bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will
bless the house of Aaron. 13 He will bless them
that fear the Lord, both small and great. 14 The
Lord shall increase you more and more, you and
your children. 15 Ye are blessed of the Lord which
made heaven and earth. 16 The heaven, even the
heavens, are the Lord's: but the earth hath he
given to the children of men. 17 The dead praise
not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the Lord from this time forth
and for evermore. Praise ye the Lord.
mote on The first three verses of the 115th Psalm utter
IPs. CXV. the thought so often expressed in all the Psalms
of praise--that when the children of men are
blessed, the glory is not the glory of man, but the
glory of the goodness and mercy of God, and that
the marvels of God's creation are ever praising Him
by their wondrousness.
The Psalmist then contrasts the work of God and
the work of Man.
The 9th, 10th, and nth verses are an exhortation,
not only to Israel and her priests, but to all human
beings to trust in the Lord. The refrain at the
end of each of these verses was evidently written
to be sung by an answering chorus. Hence the use
of the third person plural.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
11 :wn tnra rrtrva intDS nnxj>s. cxv.
j" :? I t 'It it: v at i- j ; ? I -;ai
rrirv 12 win taaw diw rtrva ^ntpa rrirv
t: I jtmt it;v at i- :* t ;t
jvrnx w rva-nx to to wnjr
/? ? v I "t: *? t; ? v I **t ;t p**t: *tt;
^nan-N^ 17 :d-ix-^ rn3 pxni rrirv1?
? **-i j itt -*: ? |/-t I vtt: at i-
Bearing in mind that the expression, "they that mote on
fear the Lord," conveys the thought not of cowardly Ps. CXV
fear but of awe and reverence, we realize the broad
spirit that breathes through the Psalm, invoking and
declaring trustfulness in the Divine lovingkindness
of God towards all the children of men.
The last six verses teem with the characteristic
spirit of Judaism. No mystic theory is woven to
guide mankind to a trust in the goodness of God and
to make that goodness an ever-present and ever-
guiding thought to the living children of man, to
whom God has given the earth for a dwelling-place.
But the Psalmist exhorts all mankind to be constantly
giving thanks and praise to God by ever striving to
live in the image of His goodness.
: prion t&ty-nn nnyo rv
It t w -; /tCi" T
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
PSALM CXVI.
I love the Lord, because He hath heard my
voice and my supplications. 2 Because He hath
inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon
Him as long as I live. 3 The sorrows of death com-
passed me, and the pains of the grave gat hold upon
me: I found trouble and sorrow. 4 Then called I
upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech
thee, deliver my soul. 5 Gracious is the Lord, and
righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 6 The Lord
preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and He
helped me. 7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for
the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. 8 For
Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes
from tears, and my feet from falling. 9 I will walk
before the Lord in the land of the living. 10 I
believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly
afflicted: 11 I said in my haste', All men are
liars.
12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all His
benefits toward me? 13 I will take the cup of
salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the
presence of all His people. 15 Precious in the sight
of the Lord is the death of His saints. 16 O Lord,
truly I am Thy servant; I am Thy servant, and the
son of Thine handmaid : Thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and will call upon the name of the Lord. 18 I will
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
CXVI. Vp
-*a 2 :**onpi tyfrm rrtrv I yoefc-*3 min
I- it -;r- ? | v at: :? f ? : - t
ma-^an i ^ssx 3 :mpn 'p^i *S ijtx ntsn
v t ;v ? < t tt|: v r t: a* j : t jt ?
jTM; it ; v I jt; ttt ? a t; j; j*'t;
nirv nan 5 j *trsa n^a nirr nax tnpw nin*
jt ; I j - 1* :- 't : - t; jt t at); v jt;
Ti1? ^ nin* Dwis . Qnia wrfon pnxi
- at; j* t; j** i" ~: j" i" J
Saa nirv *a *awaa1? *trfia *a^ 7 :ywv ^i
j- t t: |* ? :at :? r :-i << * i ? : j-:
nyftTjft'JT^ TM? ft Tsaimkn *a 8 :o^y
niinxa njnj osS ^? nm 9 :133ft ^TrH?
way 131n *a Wftta 10 :Dwnn
1: ? ,-t ? -: a? ? --; j- ? :- v:ivi c-|-
-no 12 cnMST^a *tsna vnan on"
,t I" jttit t , a' ; t: ? ;j-t ? -;l
niyi^-Dia 13: ^ntaoarrSa nirvS
TM ; I Itt 'j ;~ t atI" j't
rbm rmh *"nj 14 rrtrv nb>n
j" -- jt 1-- ~t;i It); v jt; l"; at V
nnian nin* o*ya >> ^ :tey-W? na'-rnaa
t : t - at: j. . ? ? : tti i - t: t t : v
TOa; ox '? jiaa njn* nax w :vTt>nS
nnifi nar nawn1? w :nDiaS nnns Wb&rta
at -4V - ;Vl j|; It" I . t . * Ia. * t , IV
-maa dWn nirvS ma w :tnpx nirr craty
t :v a" - . jt i- ~ t;i it|; v jt; i";
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
t>e. CXVJ. pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of
all His people, 19 In the courts of the Lord's
house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye
the Lord.
D? CXVin In the Il6th Psalm trie poet utters a personal
''prayer. He tells of his own suffering and misery,
and then in the passage ending with the poetic
words, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the
Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee," he tells of
the comfort that came to him from prayer.
He describes his bitterness of feeling towards his
fellow-creatures when he is soured by misfortune--
and how that bitterness is obliterated by his over-
whelming sense of gratitude to God. "I believed,
therefore will I declare. I was greatly afflicted. I
said in my haste, All men are liars. "
Perhaps no moral exhortation ever spoken brings
more forcibly home to our minds the wrong
of judging our fellow-creatures uncharitably.
Embittered by his own woes, the Psalmist speaks
bitterly of all men. But when he is in a calmer
frame of mind,--when his soul has returned to its
rest, he repents of his hasty judgment. When we
find ourselves judging others uncharitably, we too
should all do well to consider whether it may not be
the folly within ourselves that we know not of, which
colours our view of others.
This Psalm is a soliloquy, and each emotion that
seizes the poet is alluded to rather than described.
But his thoughts and feelings are so natural to us all
that we can easily follow them, and fill in the gaps.
He feels that even if his sufferings had ended
in death they had not been in vain. He is ready
to cry in the spirit of another Psalmist, "I
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
it -: i- >tt i:
know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, mote on
and Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. " He*s'cm
will be ever loyal to his belief in the goodness of
God. "O Lord, truly I am Thy servant. " He,
"the son of Thine hand-maiden," the inheritor by
birthright of the Divine message of the Unity and
Goodness of God, will proclaim to his brethren his
faith, his gratitude, and his trust in God, and he will
proclaim them in the courts of the Lord's house, in
the Temple where burned the beacon of pure religion.
The true meaning of prayer, the communion of
man with God, comes to us in this Psalm. It is
not mere asking for that which we desire should
happen. As a great preacher once said, "If that
were the meaning of prayer, the street beggar might
well pray, ' O Lord, may the next passer-by give me
eighteen pence. '"
But we lay our prayers before God in the spirit of
asking for help in our efforts to try to be worthy of
having our desires fulfilled, and to try to act
worthily, whatever trials may befall us.
Prayer is the act of throwing our mind and
soul into the loftiest mood of which they are
capable, trying to view our aims, hopes, and actions
by something as near to the light of the Divine
Judgment as we can attain to, and then praying for
strength to maintain that attitude amid the daily
incidents of life, be they joys or sorrows, work or
play. Whether winning our heart's desire or losing
it, whether in health or in sickness, the attitude of
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
mote on our mind in prayer is to trust in the justice, and
IPs. CXVJ. wisdom, and lovingkindness of God, to "be of
good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the Lord," * as David both said
and did, all through his eventful life.
David's prayerful attitude gave him courage to
slay the lion and the bear, and to face the giant
warrior. It gave him the serene hopefulness that
made him say, when he was a homeless outlaw in
constant danger of his life by reason of the unjust
enmity of King Saul, "I will bless the Lord at all
times. " And when he knew he had done wrong, the
* Psalm xxxi.
PSALM CXVII.
O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all
ye people. 2. For His merciful kindness is great
toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for
ever. Praise ye the Lord.
mote on No one is too little or too young to praise God--
3. CXVII. for He Js merciful to us au.
When the Psalmist says, " Praise the Lord," he
means praise Him by trying to be good and to be
PSALM CXVIII.
(Chorus? ) O give thanks unto the Lord: for
He is good: because His mercy endureth for ever.
2 Let Israel now say, that His mercy endureth for
ever. 3 Let the house of Aaron now say, that His
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
same prayerful attitude gave him courage to confess IRote on
his sins to God and to pray for forgiveness, in the (C)8. CXVI.
devout, humble, and noble spirit of true repentance.
"Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine
iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and
renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away
from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit
from me. '' *
Such is the spirit begotten by prayer; true heroism,
moral courage blended with physical courage, and
both upheld by perfect faith in the infinite righteous-
ness and mercy of God.
useful, and so to make the best use of God's tflote on
wonderful gifts to us all of hearts that can love,
and minds that can think, and bodies that can do.
* Psalm li. 9, 10, 11.
cxviii. rpp
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
CXVIII. mercy endureth for ever. 4 Let them now that fear
the Lord say, that His mercy endureth for ever.
5 I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord
answered me, and set me in a large place. 6 The
Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can
man do unto me? 7 The Lord taketh my part
with them that help me: therefore shall I see my
desire upon them that hate me.
[Chorus. ) 8 It is better to trust in the Lord
than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to
trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations compassed me about: but in the
name of the Lord will I destroy them. 11 They
compassed me about; yea, they compassed me
about: but in the name of the Lord I will destroy
them. 12 They compassed me about like bees; they
are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of
the Lord I will destroy them. 13 Thou hast thrust
sore at me that I might fall: but the Lord helped
me. 14 The Lord is my strength and song, and is
become my salvation.
[Chorus. ) 15 The voice of rejoicing and salvation
is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand
of the Lord doeth valiantly. 16 The right hand
of the Lord is exalted: the right hand of the Lord
doeth valiantly.
17 I shall not die, but live, and declare the works
of the Lord. 18 The Lord hath chastened me
sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
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? THE CHILDREN'S PSALM-BOOK
thuh >s nirr mtibk* 4 . non oSiyS *a cxvm.
jt : i? at ; j- :? t :i i : - jt ': f
rrtm 7 :dik ^ nfejE-ntp nn*x ^ nirv 6
jt; Itt j' V "I" - at ? j '1 jt:
nionS aia 8 :wjfea nxnx 0x1 nr'ya *S
'-:p |t : i: at:"i: n
nibaa rrtrva nionS nib 9 :Dnxa nibaa nirva
-- ;? ax p * -:i- Ittit - :* at i_
: dS? ox *a nisr n&z ^aao trir^a 10 :D*anja
*a<<D 12 :tfroK *a nirv Dtfa ^aairtu ^ao"
? <= - i- ? ~: j' t: ?