What we find written in the Psalms is primarily connected with the Jews, or the Lord Jesus Himself, and particularly as Messiah. They have a special reference to the godly remnant in the latter day. Many of their expressions wholly belong to the Jews, and cannot be used by the Church:hence the true solution of those passages which have been such a terrible stumbling to Christians not seeing it. The saints of the present dispensation cannot rightly be looking for the destruction of their enemies as a way of escape from their sorrows. But in the time of trouble such as never has been, that is to come, it will be quite proper for the suffering Jews to look for judgments as a way of deliverance. They are God's promises, and what their hope rests upon. But the Church looks to be caught up and escape from sorrow by being with the Lord in the heavens, while it is quite true that she has His sympathy in her sorrow down here. But what the Psalms are chiefly occupied with is the suffering of the soul, the sorrows of the godly Jews and remnant, and God coming in judgment, as their deliverer, by the execution of vengeance on all their foes. Christ is viewed there as associated with Israel, and enters into all the sufferings of the holy remnant.

Then there are certain psalms which belong personally to Himself. They show out the character of the Spirit of Christ, as the Gospels show His walk and work. The Gospels display the One in whom was no selfishness. They tell out the heart that was ready for everybody. No matter how deep His own sorrow, He always cared for others. He could warn Peter in Gethsemane, and comfort the dying thief on the cross. His heart was above circumstances, never acting under them, but ever according to God in them. We see that He was always sensible to them, and we often get in the Psalms expressions of what His heart felt in them:" I am poured out like water"; "My bones are out of joint"; "My heart is like wax." He was the tried Man; and as such we are called to follow Him. We should forget self, and the things belonging to self, in showing love to others. The true effect of being near Christ is that we are put into fellowship with Himself about others, instead of being under our own circumstances. How can we be turning our heart to the joys of one and the sorrows of another unless we are living close to Christ, and getting the heart filled with Him instead of self ? What we find all through the life of Christ, as shown out in the Gospels, is the total absence of selfishness-never acting for self in any way whatever. He could rejoice with those who had joy, and grieve with those in sorrow. He could cheer, warn, or rebuke, as need arose. Whatever love dictated, that He did.

In psalm 22 we see Christ alone, suffering under God, enduring the wrath due to sin, but continuing the righteous Man, crying unto God, and justifying Him, even when forsaken by Him; or, if we look at Him as in psalm 69, suffering rather from men, God is still His refuge. His heart goes through all the sorrow sin could bring on One who takes the sinner's place. He passed through the deepest exercises heart could endure, but He brings all to God. We find the greatest difficulty often in bringing our sorrow to God. "How can I do so," the soul of some may be saying, " as my sorrow is the fruit of my sin ?How can I take it to God ?If it was suffering for righteousness" sake, then I would; but I am suffering for my sin ; and can I, in the integrity of my heart toward God, take my sorrows to Him, knowing I deserve them ?" Yes, christ has been to God about them. This, then, is the ground on which I can go. There has been perfect atonement for all my sins; Christ has been judged for them. There can therefore be no condemnation for me. So I go to Him on the ground of atonement, and God can afford to meet me in all my sorrow, because Christ's work has been so perfectly done. In the main, all sorrow is from sin, and all help is grounded upon the atonement. There would be no possibility of my trusting in God, had not all His just dealings with sin been put upon Christ.

God could not be indifferent about sin. Peter knew that when he said, " Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."The holy character of God has been fully exercised in putting away sin. He has dealt with Christ about it, according to all that He is. I may have to taste the bitterness of its fruits; God may make me to feel the effects of my sin because He is not going to judge me for it." As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ." I get my conscience perfectly purged through the blood of Christ, shed in perfect love. My heart is free:I can go to God about my sin because He has dealt with Christ on the cross about it. I can go to Him in all my sorrow on account of it. I can confess my sin; yea, more, I can say, '' Search me, O, God, and try me, .. . and see if there be any wicked way in me," etc. Through grace I am before God, as Christ is, and the ground of it all is the atonement.

We find divine utterance in the Psalms for all our sorrows; and it is blessed to look at them in this way. Christ entered into the full effects of sin as none other can-in a way we never shall; and when He had been at the "horns of the unicorn"-the very transit of death, as it were-and had settled every question with God about sin, He could then say, "I will declare Thy name unto My brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.' We shall never lose Him as our companion. What a comfort! We shall follow Him to the glory. We are going to be with Him. His presence will be our delight. What a place the saints are brought to in Christ-all sorrow past!

We get in psalm 16 expressions of the Lord's own proper joy-the joy of Him whom God called His Fellow. Peter, on the mount of transfiguration, would have put Him on a level with Moses and Elias:but God said, "No:He is My Fellow, not man's." When the young man in the Gospel went to Him, saying, "Good Master"-coming to Him as man-He said, "Why call Me good? there is none good but God." Goodness was not to be looked for in man, not even in Him if He had been only man. The saints are Christ's constant delight; and the poor sinner who puts his trust in God has the Lord Jesus for his comforter; and He, having been tempted, knows how to help as none other can.

In the days of John the Baptist all who repented came to the waters of baptism; Jesus did the same. He could not repent, since He had no sins; but He would not be separated from them, and said, "Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness":I will take My place with you-with the saints in the earth; I will bear the sins you confess.

What abundant consolation faith gives the man who hangs on God! Christ, when down here, could say, " I set Jehovah always before Me "; and should not we ? In the details of life do we not constantly need Him ? How continually we get moved by circumstances! He alone can stay us. He once took the dependent place. He was raised by the power of the Spirit, through God the Father. He could have raised Himself; death had no power over Him. But one delights in dependence when conscious of being loved. He was the Father's delight. The Father's heart was bound up in the Son. He would choose dependence on His Father therefore rather than do for Himself.

That we are loved by Christ is needless to mention here. How then are we acting toward Him now? Do we take all our concerns to Him? Do we make Him the uppermost thought in all our need, in every exercise of soul, and also in our seasons of joy ? This is the way to learn Him, and to know the love that is in His heart.

There is no condition but what we may in it have Him for our companion. He has gone into the fullest depths of our sorrow. " Deep crieth unto deep," He could say. There is not a place faith cannot find Christ in. " Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth ? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that He might fill all things." Are we going on in the world with Him ? Are our joys such as we can share along with Him ? Are we walking with Him in our everyday life? The heart that is cast upon Christ finds constant comfort. The heart that keeps close to Christ gets nothing apart from Him. The time will come when all our sorrow will be over, but our Friend will remain. He is our tried and true Friend. He has entered into the deepest woes of our heart, and will make us the sharers of His joy forever. Our blessing, our safety, our hope, is all grounded on the atonement. Is there a soul reading this who cannot rejoice in Christ, who knows Him not as his portion ? Is there one who is saying, "My sin is too great to be pardoned ? " To feel about your sin is right; but to be in despair about it is quite wrong. You are virtually saying, "My sin is greater than the grace of God." You will not dare to say so if you are looking at Christ. Is Christ come short ? Is grace beneath your need, or above it ? Christ is the portion of every poor soul who believes on Him. The atoning work is done. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth from all sin.