(Continued from p. 331.)

We may briefly review what has already been before us in this series of papers on "Christ in the Psalms," by drawing attention to relationships in which Christ is prominently and constantly before us. The second psalm, as we have seen, is introductory. God's counsels are presented, and His King is exalted, to whom every earthly potentate must bow. Here He is presented as the Son of God.

In Ps. 8 the Son of Man is seen set over all things.

In Ps. 16,17 we have the dependent, trustful Man, righteous in all His ways, going into death, and finally risen, and in glory, the Man of joy.

Ps. 18 presents the Holy Sufferer in whom all God's ways centre for Israel.

Ps. 19,20 and 21 give the twofold witness of creation and Jehovah's statutes, and Messiah exalted, and in judgment on His enemies.

In Ps. 22 we have ATONEMENT, the grand foundation of all blessing, the remnant being especially in view, and finally those born in the millennium (see last verse).

Ps. 23 shows Jehovah as Shepherd caring for the sheep, in the path Christ trod; finally His place in glory in the Temple. This psalm and Ps. 24 show the result of atonement, a sort of supplement, revealing present and future glory.

This ends what has been developed as to the position of Christ in association with the remnant, first introduced in Ps. 16.

Ps. 22 is the most remarkable of the entire collection, since it discloses to us what the soul of our adorable Lord passed through when upon the cross as the Sin-bearer.

It occupies a central position (numerically) in the first book, which is significant, since this first book lays the ground-work for the entire collection, as Genesis (to which it corresponds) gives principles which lay the basis of all that is developed through the Scriptures.

The cross-centre of two eternities-has laid the everlasting foundation for all God's righteous ways, and insures the fulfilment of all His counsels and purposes. "All the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him amen, unto the glory of God."

As is frequently the case in the structure of the psalms, the theme is found in the opening verse, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me and from the words of My roaring?' The first part of the utterance, as we know, were the words which fell from the lips of the Holy Sufferer when upon the cross.

Much of the psalm breathes the anguish of spirit the righteous One experienced when He suffered at the hands of unrighteous man. This is given more in detail in Ps. 69. Taken by wicked hands, we see the Holy Sufferer "stricken, smitten and afflicted." Made the sport of cruel men, mocked, scourged, reviled, His back given to the smiter, and His cheek to those who plucked off the hair, He hid not His face from shame or spitting.

"This is your hour," were His words to the rabble throng to whom He delivered Himself. Man's hour had arrived!-that hour for which he had waited through the centuries, when at last he could pour out in full tide the bitter hatred and enmity to God which dwelt in the human heart. Men in unreasoning hate and violence, heartless in cruelty, were as "bulls of Bashan," as "dogs," and "ravening and roaring" lions, so that He said, "All My bones are out of joint, My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My bowels."

"Grief, grief of Love, that drew hate's ev'ry arrow!
Grief that Thy suff'ring heart only could meet!
Grief, whence Thy Face of love, shining in sorrow,
Draws us, adoring, Lord, low at Thy feet!"

These sufferings were all the more deeply felt because it was for Jehovah's sake He bore reproach. But the fathers had in measure tasted the same violence and reproach from unrighteous men. They trusted and were delivered (ver. 4). Jehovah had promised not to leave or forsake them (Deut. 31:6), and He was faithful that promised.

But here was a Sufferer outside the promise, who must go into death itself to make the promise sure to others! Here was a scene unparalleled in the history of eternity- it must stand alone-the wholly righteous One abandoned by God! It could not be repeated, as were the sacrifices under the law, else it would lose its holy character and annul the witness that God has been fully and completely glorified in the settlement of the question of good and evil. All that God is as a holy, righteous God, hating iniquity, has been fully manifested and made good.

But who could stand in the presence of the consuming fire? No sinner, surely, for it must inevitably mean eternal misery and despair. The blessed Son of God gave Himself for this, and He who alone could stand in the awful storm bore in deep humiliation the full weight of God's holy judgment against sin. "But Thou art holy," was His own answer to that bitter cry, and here alone can we get a-just estimate of what sin is in the sight of God. The holy, sinless, spotless One who had glorified God in every step of His pathway, was forsaken of God because, in His infinite love and devotion, He "offered Himself without spot to God," as the Sin-bearer. Here in holy reverence we may linger,"lost in wonder, love and praise." No human mind can fathom the depths of His sorrow nor tell the anguish of His holy soul. Here His perfection shines out most blessedly. He is perfect in His submission to the holy will of God; no will is displayed. He justified and glorified God, and sees only perfection in His ways. Here He cries, and says in deepest humility, "I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men and despised of the people." There, where His soul was made an offering for sin, where perfect obedience and absolute devotion to God were most blessedly manifested, He laid the foundation of everlasting righteousness, and brought in eternal blessing, fully and perfectly glorifying God, and laid the basis for the complete fulfilment of all His counsels.

What an answer is this to those who dwell only on His sufferings at the hand of man! The deeper and more bitter sufferings He endured as the Sin-bearer, and God, as Judge, poured out the vials of His judgment, the hiding of whose face was the climax of suffering.

But the hour of bitter sorrow must end. It was not possible that He should be holden of death. Having glorified God perfectly, even to death, righteousness demands that He be glorified, heard "from the horns of the unicorns." God on completion of that work raised Him from the dead and has given Him glory. His present place is but the earnest of that coming day when, as triumphant Victor, He will be displayed as King of glory (Ps. 24). "Lift up your heads, 0 ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory."
J. W. H. N.

(To be continued)

SACRIFICE