INTRODUCTION

memorable picture of the suffering for a time in this world of sin of the Messenger of God (Ps. xxii.), we recognise, indeed, the pathetic utterance of the soul of the persecuted Psalmist himself, and yet, even had not Our Lord on the Cross taken this utterance as His own, we could hardly have failed to read in the whole Psalm a marvellous foreshadowing, even in its details, of the great Passion on Calvary-corresponding from the side of inner consciousness to the celebrated picture from without of the Suffering Messiah in Is. liii. In these instances, as in many others, the general principle is clearly brought out. As Christian life is the conscious reproduction of the Life of Christ manifested on earth, so, far more vaguely but still truly, the godly life of the ancient servants of God was a foreshadowing of that which was to be revealed. It is in virtue of this fundamental principle that all Christian ages have followed the early Apostolic teaching, by acknowledging in the Psalms a typical witness of Christ.

(VI.) THE FORM OF THE PSALMS.-It remains now only to notice briefly the peculiar poetical form of the Psalm, and the various methods of its musical recitation.

The poetry of the Psalm, like all other Hebrew poetry, is marked by a PARALLELISM of idea, generally expressed within the limits of each verse, sometimes extending to groups of verses. Each verse

is mostly of the nature of a distich, in which there is a close correspondence of the two members in three chief relations.

(a) Most frequently this relation is a relation of Identity-the latter half of the verse simply repeating the idea of the former in different words; as

Or

"The Lord hath heard my petition,
The Lord will receive my prayer."

"His travail shall come on his own head,

His wickedness shall fall on his own pate."

(b) Sometimes the relation is of Antithesis-the latter clause supplying an idea exactly opposite to that of the former; as

Or

"The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous;
But the way of the ungodly shall perish."

"There is neither speech nor language:

But their voices are heard among them."

(c) Sometimes the relation is of Inference-the latter clause containing a conclusion drawn from the former; as

"The Lord is known to execute judgment;

The ungodly is trapped in the work of his own hands." Or

"The Lord is my Shepherd:

Therefore can I lack nothing."

Occasionally, but more rarely, the verse assumes the character of a tristich, or three-line stanza-the latter member being (so to speak) enlarged; as

Or

"Thou shalt show me the path of life:

In Thy Presence is fulness of joy;

At Thy right hand is pleasure for evermore."

"My heart was glad;

My glory rejoiced;

My flesh shall rest in hope."

Occasionally even of a tetrastich or four-line stanza; as―

"The ungodly have drawn the sword,

They have bent their bow:

To cast down the poor and needy,

To slay such as are of right conversation."

Besides, however, this parallelism in successive verses, we find cases in which the correspondence extends over groups of successive verses; as

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates,

Be lift up, ye everlasting doors;

And the King of glory shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

The Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;

Be lift up, ye everlasting doors:

And the King of Glory shall come in.

Who is the King of Glory?

The Lord of Hosts:

He is the King of Glory."

In this case, as in some others, the beginning and end of the connected group of verses is marked by the insertion of "Selah," indicating (as we have seen) the interposition of a musical symphony. By this (for example) we see that Ps. iii. is divided into three stanzas; the first two of two verses each, contrasting the sense of trouble expressed in vs. 1, 2, with the sense of God's protection in vs. 3, 4; the last of four verses applying both in mingled prayer and thanksgiving. So again Ps. Ixi. is similarly divided into two stanzas, each of four verses.

In other cases this division of idea is marked by the recurrence of a burden with or without the interposed "Selah." Thus in Ps. xlvi., the last two sections (vs. 4-7, 8-11) end with the joyful exclamation—

"The Lord of Hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge."

INTRODUCTION

Again, in Ps. xlii., xliii., which are virtually one Psalm, we have three such sections-each ended with the cry

Why art thou so heavy, O my soul?

Why art thou so disquieted within me?
Put thy trust in God;

I will yet give Him thanks;

Who is the help of my countenance and my God."

The grandest instance is, however, Ps. cvii., in which the first four sections, containing distinct pictures of life's vicissitudes, are ended with a burden, of which the first member is always the

same

"O that men would praise God for His goodness,

And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" while the second member varies at each successive repetition. In a few Psalms the acrostic principle is preserved in successive clauses (as in Ps. cxi., cxii.); in successive verses (as in Ps. XXV., xxxiv.); or in successive groups of verses (as in Ps. xxxvii., cxix.). This is, however, exceptional; it has more artificiality of system than usual, and tends to break up the sense of the Psalm into separate ideas or maxims. It was probably adopted as a help to memory.

In these various ways, without being subjected to the rigid fetters of rhythm or rhyme, the language of the Psalms has impressed upon it that modulation and partial artificiality of form, which in all literatures seems to intensify, by confining within limits, the imaginative force of poetry. It is remarkable, and singularly conducive to the universal use of the Psalter, that since this kind of poetic form, unlike those of more modern poetry, attaches to idea more than word, it admits of free rendering in all the various languages into which the Psalms have been translated.

THE MUSICAL RECITATION OF THE PSALMS.-In some degree correspondent to this parallelism is the nature of the music, to which in the Christian Church the Psalms have been set. Of the methods of musical recitation of the Psalms, as they existed in the Jewish Church, although much speculation, more or less probable, has been employed, we cannot be said to know anything with certainty. In the Christian Church we not only know from very early times that, as their original intention demanded, they were sung and not said, and, where there was opportunity, musically accompanied; but we learn of three methods of singing them. Sometimes they were sung in full by the whole congrega tion; sometimes they were sung responsively, a Precentor singing alternate verses and Congregation or Choir taking up the others; sometimes, and most frequently of all, they were sung antiphonally by the two sides of the Choir or the Congregation. The last method is of immemorial antiquity in the East, and it is said to have been introduced into the West by St. Ambrose in the

fifth century. With this introduction is connected the origination of the old Ambrosian settings, which were afterwards improved by Gregory the Great (about A.D. 600) into the well-known Gregorian Tones. From that time onwards the prevalence of antiphonal singing-not, however, without some exemplifications of the other two forms-has been the rule of the Church; and various forms of Chant have been introduced, all having the same character of correspondence, as is perceptible in the idea of the Psalms themselves, and all the older forms preserving the completeness of each verse as a whole. Like other preservations of ancient usage, it was attacked by the more extreme Puritan party, who would have superseded its congregational use by the new Hymnody, and in plain disregard of the intrinsic character of the Psalter, claimed that it should be used only as other parts of Holy Scripture are used. Even in 1689, among other proposals of the Revisers, it was suggested that all chanting should be abolished. But happily these proposals have never been carried out. In her use of the Psalter the Church of England has remained in harmony with the best traditions of the ancient Church; and the Psalms have continued to be the leading element in her Service of Praise, and a most powerful influence over the spiritual devotion of her members.

[It should be noticed that the Psalter in the Prayer Book is still taken from the older Version of the "Great Bible" of 1540; which by familiarity had been so endeared to the people, that it was felt undesirable to change it, even for the more accurate translation of 1611; and which, indeed, seems to lend itself with special appropriateness and beauty to Liturgical use.]

THE

PSALMS OF DAVID.

Morning Prayer.

PSALM 1. Beatus vir, qui non abiit, &c. LESSED is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law will he exercise himself day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side that will bring forth his fruit in due

WHY do the heathen so fu- defender thou art my worship,