9. Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

10. When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

11. So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days.

and the forsaking of their sins. It was this change for which Nehemiah prayed. For unless God wrought in the people a new life, by his Spirit and by his providence, Nehemiah's work would prove a failure. Browning speaks of our "paying the price of lies" by being "compelled to lie on still." The price of continuing in evil conducts, neglect of God's covenant, oppressions and wrongs, would be more of the same evils.

Luther's vision. It is said that Luther during a serious illness seemed to see Satan coming to him with a great scroll, on which were written all the sins and errors of his life. Looking at him with a triumphant smile, he unrolled it before the saint: "These are your sins. There is no hope of your going to heaven." Luther read the long list, with growing consternation, when suddenly it flashed upon his mind that there was one thing not written there. He said aloud, "One thing you have forgotten. The rest is all true, but one thing you have forgotten. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."

The answer to Nehemiah's Prayer for Judah was God's forgiveness of their sins. They could say in words familiar to them in their Temple songs :

Of all things far, I love the best
The distance from the east to west,
For by that space, and all within
God's mercy parts me from my sin.
"And best I love, of all things high,
The space between the earth and sky,
For by that height beyond all ken,
God's love exceeds the love of men.
"I love, of deep things undefiled,
A father's pity for his child;
For by that depth, so far, so clear,
God pities all that faint and fear."
-Amos R. Wells.

They were yet far from what they might be, or ought to be; but they were feeling the pulses of a new life, with new longings and hopes. And they had some degree of Paul's experience, when he said :

"I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.

Fourth Answer, the Success of Nehemiah's Mission, vs. 9-11.

When all was ready Nehemiah left Shushan under the protection of a guard sent by the king, consisting of captains of the army and horsemen. It was not only a protection, but also an assurance to those for whom he had letters, that the king had sent him, and the letters were by his authority and must be obeyed. One of the governors was Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, who, with his secretary Tobiah, was opposed to the development of the city and growth of the Jews. But with the royal letters in his hand he could not do much to hinder.

Science and Prayer. Has modern science demonstrated that prayer is futile? Does the immutability of the laws of nature show the folly of prayer? The answer in a word is this: Although laws are immutable, yet they may be so adjusted, the one to the other, as to control their operation without destroying or violating them. In Professor Palmer's "The Problem of Freedom "there are two admirable illustrations, used by him for another purpose, but directly in point here. A physician finds fever germs working out their immutable law upon a patient; but he at once introduces a germ-destroying medicine, and thus counteracts one immutable law by another. So the Gothic builder sees his walls inclined to topple from each side; but he simply

draws the walls closer together, and makes the one support the other. In other words he so adjusts the immutable law of the attraction of gravitation as to make his walls stand instead of fall. If man can do this, may not God so adjust his own laws as to produce results which would appear impossible to human wisdom and human limitations ?

But this is not all. Modern thought has been developing along lines which tend to make prayer reasonable from a scientific point of view. The influence of the mind over the body, the power of suggestion, the realm of the subconscious the accentuation of these things has suggested spiritual possibilities which are almost limitless. Through prayer contact may be made with the Divine stores of energy. Higher laws may be brought in to modify and control the laws that are more familiar. — From A Review of Galusha Anderson's Science and Prayer (Pilgrim Press).

THE TEACHER AND HIS CLASS.

There are many beautiful and blessed Psalms. But Psalm 103 is the one I love best of them all. Dr. W. E. Barton of Oak Park, Chicago, writes in The Psalms and their Story; "One of the purest and sweetest Psalms of Praise in the world's literature is Psalm 103. It is the joyful utterance of a healthy, forgiven, worshipful soul. There is no passage of equal length in the entire Bible that contains so exalted and comprehensive an analysis of the character of God as this."

It is especially fitting that we should have this Psalm for our study at the time of our National thanksgiving, and when in our last lesson we rejoiced in Nehemiah's Thanksgiving for the answer to his prayer, and the opportunity to help his country to a larger and better life.

Psalm 103.

- Ps. 103:2.

The Psalms in Human Life, by Roland
E. Prothero.

Spurgeon's Treasury of David.
Professor Cheyne on The Psalms.
Professor Delitzsch on The Psalms.

THE ROUND TABLE.

FOR RESEARCH AND DISCUSSION. Note the list of things to be thankful for, vs. 3-5. Why do we have thanksgiving days? What examples and illustrations of this do you find in Old Testament history (vs. 6, 7)? Why does God love to forgive? How is this proved by his sending his Son Jesus to save us? on what condition only can God forgive? What improvement does the Am. R. translation "Loving-kindness" give over the word "Mercy? How does the life and work of Jesus express the loving

kindness of God?

PLAN OF THE LESSON. SUBJECT: A Psalm of Thanksgiving. I. A THANKSGIVING SONG, VS. 1-5. ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PAST HISTORY, vs. 6, 7.

THE LESSON IN ITS SETTING. Author and Date. 66 Nothing certain can be said as to the author and date of II. the Psalm. The Hebrew title gives it to David, the Syriac still more definitely assigns it David's old age." Perowne.

But the Psalm is universal in its nature, and fits many occasions in Hebrew history; and has a world-wide application to every age, and to all God's people.

LEARN BY HEART.

All of Psalm 103.

At the least, vs. 1−5, 10-12, 13-18.
THE TEACHER'S LIBRARY.
Professor Perowne on The Psalms,
vol. 2.
Cowles on The Psalms.

III.

IV.

GOD'S FORGIVING LOVE, vs. 8-12.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. A CON-
TRAST, VS. 13-18.

V. A CALL FOR ALL BEINGS TO PRAISE
THE LORD, vs. 19-22.

THE LESSON IN LITERATURE. "This Psalm is to Hebrew Literature what Whittier's poem, 'Eternal Goodness' is to American poetry." A. R. Wells. Every Day Poems. all things far I love the Best."

Barton.

"Of

The Stars and the Earth on v. II. A beautiful illustration (now out of print).

Call to
Praise

Benefits

Illustra

tions

from

Jewish
History

God's forgiving Love

Loving

kindness of God

God's power to Save

Angels
Men

Creation

in one great Chorus

I. Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless his holy name. 2. Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all his benefits:

3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Who healeth all thy diseases;

4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;

5.

Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies:
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;

So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6. The LORD executeth righteousness

And judgment for all that are oppressed. 7. He made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.

8. The LORD is merciful and gracious,

Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. 9. He will not always chide;

Neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

II. For as the heaven is high above the earth,

So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.

12. As far as the east is from the west,

So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13. Like as a father pitieth his children,

So the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

14. For he knoweth our frame;

He remembereth that we are dust.

15. As for man, his days are as grass;

As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;

And the place thereof shall know it no more.

17. But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,

And his righteousness unto children's children;

18. To such as keep his covenant,

And to those that remember his commandments to do
them.

19. The LORD hath established his throne in the heavens:
And his kingdom ruleth over all.

20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels

That excell in strength, that do his Commandments,
Hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21. Bless the LORD, all ye his hosts;

Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

22. Bless the LORD, all his works,

In all places of his dominion:
Bless the LORD, O my soul.

I. A THANKSGIVING SONG, vs. 1-5. "This beautiful Psalm is the outpouring of a full heart in thanksgiving to Jehovah for his grace and compassion, both as experienced by the Psalmist in his own life, and also as manifested to his nation in their history. It celebrates especially God's mercy in the forgiveness of sin, and that tender pity, as of a human father, wherewith he remembers the frailty, and stoops to the weakness, of his children."-Perowne.

Bless the Lord. "Bless" when referring to God, is " to praise, extol, or glorify, as the giver of benefits, with thankful acknowledgment of benefits received." Century Dictionary. It is to express our feelings of gratitude and love toward God for his goodness, his loving-kindness, his wonderful greatness and willingness to be our God and friend. O my soul all that is within me, expressing the desire to enlist every thought, power, faculty of the heart, with all its affections, the will, the conscience, the reason, in a word the whole spiritual being, all in man that is highest and best, in the same heavenly service." Perowne.

=

Bless his holy name. The name is the outward expression of all that is in God, his goodness, his character, his attributes. Just as when a man signs his name to a note, all that the man is and possesses stands back of it.

2. Forget not all his benefits, "i.e. the sum, which is infinitely great, of his benefits." Cook. "So many crooked steps. So many wanderings. So little to commend. So little of God in our hearts. And yet how good He has been to us. Life, health, friends, comforts, have been ours, not to speak of His Word, Promises, Himself. So we lift up our voices and sing, Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.'"

The First Benefit. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. "The first and greatest of all the Divine benefits to the soul burdened with a sense of guilt and defilement, is the forgiveness of sins. Perowne.

"The need of forgiveness is universal. It was not some vile wretch, it was one of the saintliest of men who said, 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive.' How can any self-satisfied Pharisee strut down the aisle, saying by his haughty bearing, 'Thank God I am not as other men are

I have no personal need of the divine forgiveness.' The only possible attitude for an honest soul is the one which says, ' Have mercy upon me, O God against thee have I sinned."" Charles R. Brown.

Prof.

And there is no one who can forgive our sins against God but God himself. We cannot forgive our own sins. We may for a time forget them, but we cannot blot them out; we cannot wash away the stain; we cannot change the fact. Even from those human sins and imperfections which have marred us

A Pharisee.

almost unconsciously, sometimes ignorantly, we cannot escape of ourselves. We may be like the man in Ethelwyn Wetherald's poem, and say

But no man by himself can change the man he is into the man he might have been. God sent his son Jesus into this world on purpose to win men to repentance so that

whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. He alone can transform any one into " the man he might have been."

Second Benefit. Who healeth all thy disease. God has given even inanimate nature a healing power. He has also given many a plant the power to aid in the healing of human diseases.

As the fruits which grow on planted trees are as really the gift of God as they would be if created by a word, so the bodily healings which come from the right medicines which he has created, and from the true care of the body, are as really the gift of God as were the miraculous healings of the apostles. "Would you be cured by faith or by medicine?" was asked of a sick person. By both; for both are from God, both the faith and the means. All the healing power of the body is from God. He also leads to the right medicines and care of the body, to healthful habits; and this way as really heals our diseases as if God should heal us without means. Jesus came healing the diseases for those who were willing to be healed body and soul. He desired to heal them, but he could not heal those who refused to believe, that is to give up the sins which caused the diseases. One of the most wonderful effects of the Gospel is its influence in healing diseases, and preventing disease. Compare what has been done by medical missions, hospitals, antidotes to disease, new means of cure in Christian lands, with what has been done in heathen lands. And the gaining of victory over disease is advancing as fast and as far as Christianity is gaining. Compare what has been done by the banishing of mosquitoes, in overcoming yellow fever and malaria; and by various antitoxins for diphtheria, small-pox, etc.

Third Benefit. 4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, or " from the grave," from the loss of the soul. "Glory be to our great Substitute, who delivered us from going down into the pit by giving Himself to be our ransom. Redemption will ever constitute one of the sweetest notes in the believer's grateful song." - Spurgeon.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

Fourth Benefit. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness, and tender mercies. "Makes his children kings, and weaves their crown out of his own glorious attributes of loving-kindness and tender mercies." Perowne. "The figure of crowning suggests the ideas of dignity and beauty, while the absence of merit in the object, and the sovereign freeness of the gift, are indicated by making the crown itself a crown of mercy and compassions.' Alexander.

"The blessings of her quiet life

Fell on us like the dew.

And good thoughts, where her footsteps pressed
Like fairy blossoms grew.'

"That best portion of a good man's life,
His little nameless unremembered acts
Of kindness and of love."

Fifth Benefit. 5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things. Thy mouth. Through the mouth are given the things which satisfy hunger; and therefore is the type or symbol of all the desires of the body and soul. Murphy says, "The satisfaction of all legitimate desires is indicated." The soul is full of thirsts and longings. No earthly things can satisfy them. This is the experience of every one who has made the experiment, even of those who have had the most that the world can give. It is like drinking the salt waters of the sea, which intensify the thirst instead of satisfying it. God never made a soul so small that the whole world could give it satisfaction. The real satisfactions are those that come from loving and serving God, from helping others as Jesus helped them, and seeking to make this world into the kingdom of heaven.

Sixth Benefit. So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. Better as Am. R., "eagle,' ," "lest the psalmist should be made responsible for the fable of the eagle's renewing his youth." The meaning is, so that in strength and vigor thou art like the eagle, of highest flight, and keenest vision." Thus God promised to his obedient people, in the last verses of the fortieth chapter of Isaiah:

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.