of his personal life, how instructive is this picture of the patriot
which the 122nd Psalm sets before us. We see thus first of all how he
feels the unity of his people--their one pervading life, and himself a
part of it, though possibly far away--"Jerusalem is built as a city that
is at unity in itself: thither the tribes go up." Those were times when
Israel suffered from division of tribe against tribe, times when the
pulse of common life hardly beat at all, times of isolation or of
jealousy; but the true patriot in Israel, as everywhere, was always
possessed by the intense feeling of the oneness of his people under one
Lord; and whenever this feeling fails, we look in vain for the higher
forms of common life.

But we note, too, this Psalmist's passionate personal devotion to the
object of his patriotic love--"They shall prosper that love thee"--"For
my brethren and companions' sakes I will wish thee prosperity." Who can
read unmoved these noble and generous outpourings?

We see, moreover, how his feeling expresses itself, as true love always
does express itself in the desire to do good to its object, and, above
all, how it breathes the spirit of moral and religious earnestness. "Yea,
because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek to do thee good." If
ever you desire to test the sincerity and the worth of any love you bear
to person, place, institution, or society, you have only to turn to this
Psalm, and see if these words fit your thoughts, desires, and
endeavours--"They shall prosper that love thee--For my brethren and
companions' sakes I will wish thee prosperity--Yea, because of the house
of the Lord our God I will seek to do thee good." Here are the notes of
true patriotic feeling--personal love, public spirit, sanctified by moral
and religious purpose, desire to do good. These are the qualities which
are the salt of all societies, and it is by virtue of these that they win