I. WHERE THEY TAKE PLACE. (Cf. vers. 1, 2.) It is where God dwells. The soul that is the abiding place of God witnesses and shares in the triumphs of God as none other can do. Fitful and partial religion leaves the soul more often vanquished than victor, and can never sing such a psalm as this.

II. THEIR NATURE. It is threefold.

1. God destroys the weapons of the soul's great enemy. The arrows of evil thought; the shield of unbelief, love of sin, indifference - all that which wards off those words of God which are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies (Psalm 45.); the sword of the soul-slaying sin; the battle, the combined array of all the forces of evil.

2. Takes for himself the prey which the enemy had regarded as his own. (Ver. 4.) All the spoil of Judah, which Assyria had reckoned to gather on the mountains where they were encamped, all that spoil, together with what they already had, - all was taken from them (cf. Luke 11:22). So God takes from the evil one the possession of those human powers and faculties which he had usurped and claims, and keeps them as his own.

3. Keeps the enemy in the place of death. (Ver. 6.) It would be of little avail if our great spiritual foe were but for a time overcome, if after a little while he could come back with all his power. But our Lord came that he might give complete deliverance; and by the soul that continually trusts in him that deliverance is realized.

III. HOW THEY ARE ACCOMPLISHED. (Ver. 6, "At thy rebuke.") The moment we believe, our help comes. Not before. All our strivings and endeavours leave us pretty much where we were; but when abandoning ourselves to God, that he may save us, then his power is made known, the enemy is rebuked and slain. The life of faith is, through God's grace, the death of our foe.

IV. FOR WHOM ALL THIS IS DONE. (Ver. 9, "The meek of the earth.") Judah and Jerusalem were emptied of all self-trust, all pride and boasting, and had become meek, knowing that in quietness and in confidence was their strength. And so with the soul that is delivered by God.

V. THE IMPRESSION PRODUCED.

1. Holy fear. (Ver. 7.) God's mercy and deliverance will never destroy, but ever deepen, holy fear. And there is no argument for God so effectual amongst men as the witnessing his real spiritual deliverances of his people.

2. Disdain of the wrath of man. What can it do against us, if God be for us?

3. Exultant confession, adoration, and service, together with earnest endeavours to draw others unto God. - S.C.

I. NOTHING IS OF MORE IMPORTANCE TO MEN THAN THE KNOWLEDGE AND RIGHT ESTEEM OF GOD.

1. We see this in regard to nations. Such knowledge raises them from the degradation of sensuality and barbarity to purity and humanity.

2. So also in regard to individuals. Such knowledge ministers guidance for life, solace for the spirit, inspiration for righteousness. Thus important is it.

II. SUCH KNOWLEDGE IS THE SPECIAL POSSESSION AND PRIVILEGE OF THE CHURCH OF GOD. "In Judah is God known: his Name is great in Israel." Judah and Israel represent the Church of God, the company of believing, redeemed, God-fearing people, scattered throughout the world. Amongst them God is known by his Word, his people, his ordinances, his Spirit.

III. WHERE HE IS THUS KNOWN HE IS GREAT AMONGST THEM. Increase of knowledge of one another, familiarity with them, by no means always increases our esteem of them; but the more we know of God, the greater he becomes to us. See this in the Lord Jesus - the more his disciples knew of him the greater he became to them. For in the past, the present, the future, he is our All. - S.C.

I. THEY KNOW GOD WHO SUFFER UNDER HIS JUDGMENTS. Illustrate from the Assyrians. It is quite clear that the Assyrian general, Rabsbakeh, did not know Jehovah, or he never would have put him into comparison with the gods of the nations as he did (Isaiah 37:10-13). The Assyrians had to be taught that Jehovah was God alone; and that lesson they could only learn through such a manifestation of Jehovah's power as would declare him to stand alone. See the effect of Divine manifestation on Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:28, 29; Daniel 4:37); Darius (Daniel 6:26, 27). But God is known through his judgments even by his own people. Illustrative cases may be taken from the wilderness experiences, the times of Joshua, David, etc. And it is still true for the godly individual; he has sometimes to learn to know God fully by coming under Divine judgments. "Judgments" may, for the present purpose, be distinguished from "afflictions" or "chastisements," as meaning "irremediable calamities," such as this plague on the Assyrians. The point is an important one. The "irremediable" is more or less in every man's life; and the "irremediable" is a help to the fall knowledge of God.

II. THEY KNOW GOD WHO ARE DELIVERED THROUGH HIS JUDGMENTS. This leads us along more familiar and easy lines. Israel learned to know God through deliverances and redemptions. Those political and social difficulties of Hezekiah's time, which had their true rootage in mistaken views of Jehovah's relation to his people, were in part removed by the knowledge gained of God through this deliverance. - R.T.

I. THAT THE CHURCH IS GOD'S PECULIAR ABODE, WHERE THE MOST GLORIOUS REVELATIONS OF HIS POWER AND GRACE ARE SEEN. (Ver. 3.) The gospel is most emphatically the "power of God unto salvation."

II. THAT GOD'S GREATEST GLORY IS NOT IN DESTROYING, BUT IN SAVING AND REDEEMING, MEN. (Vers. 4 6.) Here his power for destruction is celebrated; but in the New Testament his work of salvation - his power to give life, not his power to take it away.

III. GOD IS TO BE FEARED MORE FOR HIS HOLINESS AND LOVE THAN FOR HIS PHYSICAL OMNIPOTENCE. (Vers. 7-9.) These excite filial affectionate fear; that excites an unworthy slavish fear.

IV. GOD IS ABLE TO OVERRULE THE REBELLION OF MEN SO THAT IN THE END IT SHALL ILLUSTRATE HIS PRAISE. (Ver. 10.) God's love can conquer human wrath, and so make it praise him.

V. THE ONLY ACCEPTABLE GIFTS WE CAN OFFER TO GOD ARE THOSE OF REPENTANCE AND A RENEWED LIFE. (Ver. 11.) "A broken and a contrite spirit; "To do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God;" "Let all that are around him do homage to his majesty." - S.

I. GOD MAY BE THOUGHT OF AS THE GOD OF A NATION. "Elohim" for all the world, God was "Jehovah" for Israel - by virtue of special relations and revelations, the "God of Israel." So there is a proper sense in which God may be spoken of as the "God of England;" and we rightly realize the unique relations in which he stands to us. Impress that effective education of the rising race includes the teaching of this special relation of God to our nation.

II. GOD MAY BE THOUGHT OF AS THE GOD OF A BUILDING. In the wilderness we read of "God's tabernacle;" in the later history we read of God's "dwelling place in Zion." So now we properly speak of God's house," and understand certain buildings to be consecrated to him. There he is pleased to manifest himself.

III. GOD MAY BE THOUGHT OF AS THE GOD OF A PERSON. God was, in a sense, in Moses, with Moses. God's Spirit dwelt "without measure" in Christ. Still God works through his ministers, making of them his earthly dwelling place.

IV. GOD MAY BE THOUGHT OF AS THE GOD OF A SYMBOL. As in the Shechinah-cloud, and as in the Holy Sacrament. God is everywhere. God is here. - R.T.

I. THE GREATNESS OF THE DISTRESS FROM WHICH WE ARE DELIVERED. Illustrate from the hopeless condition of Hezekiah at this time. He had no force effective to combat Assyria; and internal conflict broke up and weakened the little force he had. It was a time of uttermost distress; the very independence, the very existence, of the nation was imperilled. Then contrast the state of things when the hostile army became dead men. Imagine the relief, and the joy of the relief. Such feeling is thus expressed elsewhere: "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing." Lead on to show what that deliverance must be which God wrought, in Christ Jesus, for those whose hopeless distress is described in Romans 3:10-19.

II. OUR SENSE OF THE POWER SHOWN IN OUR DELIVERANCE. The agency used for the destruction of the Assyrian army cannot be certainly known. But we feel this - that destruction was a unique and amazing display of Divine power. There had been nothing like it before. God had lifted up a mighty hand, and stretched forth a strong arm. Show that, in Christ's dealings with the sin foe, the same impression is made on us. See the doxologies in the Book of Revelation.

III. OUR APPREHENSION OF THE FULNESS AND COMPLETENESS OF THE DELIVERANCE WROUGHT. Compare the results of God's intervention with the consequences of a mere victory on an ordinary battlefield; God wrought a perfect triumph. So Christ "leads captivity captive," and "saves to the uttermost." - R.T.

"And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride; And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf.

"And there lay the rider distorted and pale, With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail." God did but speak the word, as the God of Jacob that commands deliverances for Jacob, and, at his rebuke, the chariot and horse were both cast into a dead sleep. See the power and efficacy of God's rebukes. "It is impossible to mistake the allusion to the deeper sleep of death, falling on the sleeping Assyrian army, before the valiant men could 'find their hands,' in the half-waking grasp of weapons in the hour of danger."

I. GOD'S REBUKES ARE SOMETIMES WORDS. Illustrate by Moses' messages from God to Pharaoh. Or the case of the prophet who went to Bethel to rebuke Jeroboam. Or Nathan's rebuke of David. Or Elijah's rebuke of Ahab. What is it that specially calls for the Lord's rebuke? Wilfulness. Persistent forcing of a man's own way. And even more precisely, the daring of the man who forces his way when he knows it is contrary to the will of God, or when he means to put dishonour on God. This is the case before us now. Sennacherib was forcing his own way, with designed intention of insulting and humiliating the God of Israel. And still the Divine rebuke is called forth when we fall into the committal of "presumptuous sins."

II. GOD'S REBUKES ARE SOMETIMES DEEDS. But they are voiceful deeds. See here, the rebuke was a night blast that slew the tens of thousands, and drove Sennacherib back to his land, a defeated and humiliated man. God's rebuke to hardened Pharaoh was the flower of his army drowned in the Red Sea. God's rebuke to over confident David was three days' plague in the land. God's rebuke to Herod, who accepted the homage due alone to God, was a terrible disease, that carried him off in agony and disgrace. Read life aright, and we may find God's rebuke in disappointments that we have known, and disasters we have suffered. Blessed are they who

(1) receive, who

(2) heed, and who

(3) respond to, their Lord's rebuke! - R.T.

I. THE FORMS IT ASSUMES. There is:

1. The fear of terror. The dismay of the vanquished enemies of God seems specially to be pointed at here (cf. Revelation 6:16),

2. The fear of dread. The might and majesty of God awe the soul, as they well may.

3. The fear of reverence. The holy character of God, when seen, cannot but inspire this.

4. The fear of love. Such fear trembles and shrinks from causing pain to the object of its love. This is the sweet filial fear which is blessed indeed. It is but another form of the "love which casteth out fear." Some fear of God every soul must one day know: which shall it be for ourselves?

II. THE SOURCES WHENCE IT SPRINGS.

1. The beholding of God's judgment on his foes.

2. The experiencing of God's mercy to ourselves.

III. THE CHARACTER IT BEARS.

1. It will be the supreme motive of the soul. No matter which form it assumes, it will be the supreme motive whilst it reigns.

2. It will be exclusive. "Thou, even thou" - as if shutting out all other fear.

IV. THE BLESSINGS IT BRINGS.

1. The Christian life cannot be begun without it.

2. Nor perpetuated; for life without it has no root.

3. Nor perfected. - S.C.

I. THE SENSE IN WHICH GOD MAY BE ANGRY. Three terms need to be carefully defined and illustrated. Indignation is the proper revolt of all noble natures against wrong doing, and especially wrong doing of a mean character, as when the strong takes advantage of the weak. Anger is the state of mind suitable for a king, governor, or judge, in the presence of any form of public injustice or crime. Wrath is the term that brings in the additional idea of giving expression, in vigorous action, to vigorous feeling. In some senses, each term may be applied to God.

II. THE FEAR WHICH GOD'S ANGER MAY PROPERLY INSPIRE. Because it is associated with perfect wisdom, absolute righteousness, and irresistible power. We smile sometimes at the futile anger of men; for they can do nothing. We dare not smile at God's anger; for he can do everything. None can stand before him. - R.T.

I. GOD WORKS IN WAYS OF JUDGMENT. Illustrate from Bible history, both of nations and of individuals.

II. GOD WORKS IN WAYS OF SALVATION. Illustrate in a similar way.

III. WHEN WORTHILY APPREHENDED, THESE TWO ARE REALLY ONE, AND GOD'S JUDGMENT IS SALVATION. Lead up to illustrate from the sublime case of the Lord Jesus. "The Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all," and the judgment that fell on him was salvation for us. - R.T.

I. IT PRAISES GOD. The Bible is full of illustrations of this. It is part of God's universal purpose of overruling all evil for good. See this in the history of the Fall - it became the occasion of redemption. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ - it draws all men unto him. Persecution of the Church caused its world wide extension. The corruption of the Church led to the Reformation. See the hand of God in history continually compelling what is "meant in malice to be changed to blessing."

II. BUT IS NOT, THEREFORE, TO BE HELD GUILTLESS. (Cf. Romans 3:8, and St. Paul's reply.) If evil were to be held guiltless because overruled for good, then there could be no judgment of the world; all punishment of sin now would be wrong, and all wickedness would be justified.

III. BUT IS THE HEIGHT OF SINFUL FOLLY. What madness it is and has ever been found to be!

IV. THE PEOPLE OF GOD ARE NOT TO BE TERRIFIED BY IT. (See Job 1:12; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Psalm 2.) Let them praise God for the blessed alchemy of his grace, whereby he transmutes the wrath of man into his praise. - S.C.

I. THE LIFE FOES THAT WE KNOW AND ESTIMATE ARE WELL WITHIN THE CONTROL OF OUR GOD. And a man ought to understand what his besetting sins are, what his circumstances of temptation are. There are spiritual foes which "loom large" to our view - large as the vast host of Assyria did to Hezekiah. But "greater is he who is with us than all who can be against us." Those foes lose their power to affright us when once we can see that God will get his glory in dealing with them, and in delivering us from them.

II. THE LIFE FOES THAT ARE TOO SUBTLE AND INSIGNIFICANT FOR US TO OBSERVE ARE EQUALLY IN THE CONTROL OF OUR GOD. They may be represented by the remnant, or remainder, of the Assyrians. And after the disaster, Sennacherib might have collected his soldiers, stayed in the land, and done much mischief. God controlled that remnant, and sent him ignominiously back to his own country. Subtle foes, small foes, like ichneumon flies, who deposit their eggs in the caterpillar and eat up its life, could ruin us more surely than open foes, were it not that our God will be sure also to get his praise of them. - R.T.

I. OUR VOWS AT CONFIRMATION, AND UNION WITH CHRIST'S CHURCH.

II. OUR VOWS ON BIRTHDAYS, NEW YEAR DAYS, ETC.

III. OUR VOWS WHEN ENTERING ON NEW LIFE RELATIONSHIPS - MARRIAGE, ETC.

IV. OUR VOWS ON RESCUE FROM PERILS, OR RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS. Thinking over all these vows, who among us can fail to be impressed by the thought of how much is unpaid, and how much we owe to God? Never have we had a year of life in which our payment of vows matched our New Year promises. What a heap of unpaid vows the years have piled up! What a heap of imperfectly paid vows! Very seldom, indeed, have our vows been fully kept; and we search our lives almost in vain to find any single instances in which we have done better than we vowed. It is important that we should have solemn opportunities for calling our vows to remembrance, such as sacramental seasons provide. So we may be set on new efforts to "pay our vows." - R.T.