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Emphatically a pilgrim-song, and by a poet who usually lived in the country. Describes the pleasure felt at invitation to join a party who were going up to one of the feasts. We have the joy and music of the journey; then the impressions on arrival, the first passionate delight of being in the holy city - a city beautifully built, well compacted, adorned with palaces, and strongly fortified. Observe the intense feeling with which Jerusalem was regarded by Jews. Beautifully situated, it was the center of national and religious interest. Relics of the national feeling remain in the desire of modern Jews to die within its walls, and in the scenes at the "Place of Wailing." Many of us can understand this. We have a Jerusalem round which our thoughts entwine - the church of our fathers and of our childhood. What associations we have with it! Three words are here connected - Peace, prosperity, and prayer.

I. PEACE VERY LARGELY DEPENDS UPON PROSPERITY. "Peace" is a word with an extensive, beautiful, and suggestive connotation. We, perhaps, cannot fully realize it by any aid of memory; we can only enter into it with the help of the familiar engravings of 'War' and 'Peace.' It is not possible to overrate the value of peace for nations, or for Churches, or for families. But it largely depends on prosperity. This may be illustrated by the inward life of the religious man. Devotion and work are allowed to flag, soul-prosperity fails, and at once doubts and fears come to spoil the soul's peace. It may be illustrated in the life of the Church. When work and zeal and spiritual life - the signs of Church prosperity - fail, then differences are sure to come, roots of bitterness spring up.

II. PROSPERITY VERY LARGELY DEPENDS UPON PRAYER, Show the natural influence of prayer. It lifts into strength the better nature. Show the supernatural influence of prayer in bringing to us spiritual power. Plead for renewal of interest in private and individual prayer; and for more frequent and earnest united prayer. Secret forces are the mighty ones. Men take little count of the atmosphere, but it holds up the clouds. Who is it, then, upholds the prosperity of the Churches? Who are the peacemakers and the peace-keepers? Look below the surface, and you will be sure to see the men and women of faith and prayer. They gain for us prosperity, which leads in peace. - R.T.

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KJV: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.

WEB: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Those who love you will prosper.