things in His presence. Now does this shew us that we think about
this earth, and the things in it, in a very different way from those
old Jews? They thought it a fit and proper thing to talk about corn
and wine and oil, and cattle and fishes, in the presence of Almighty
God, and we do not think it fit and proper. We read this psalm when
it comes in the Church-service as a matter of course, mainly because
we do not believe that God is here among us. We should not be so
ready to read it if we thought that Almighty God was so near us.

That is a great difference between us and the old Jews. Whether it
shews that we are better or not than they were in the main, I cannot
tell; perhaps some of them had such thoughts too, and said, 'It is
not respectful to God to talk about such commonplace earthly things
in His presence;' perhaps some of them thought themselves spiritual
and pure-minded for looking down on this psalm, and on David for
writing it. Very likely, for men have had such thoughts in all
ages, and will have them. But the man who wrote this psalm had no
such thoughts. He said himself, in this same psalm, that his words
would please God. Nay, he is not speaking and preaching ABOUT God
in this psalm, as I am now in my sermon, but he is doing more; he is
speaking TO God--a much more solemn thing if you will think of it.
He says, "O Lord my God, THOU art become exceeding glorious. Thou
deckest Thyself with light as with a garment. All the beasts wait
on Thee; when Thou givest them meat they gather it. Thou renewest
the face of the earth." When he turns and speaks of God as "He,"
saying, "He appointed the moon," and so on, he cannot help going
back to God, and pouring out his wonder, and delight, and awe, to
God Himself, as we would sooner speak TO any one we love and honour
than merely speak ABOUT them. He cannot take his mind off God. And
just at the last, when he does turn and speak to himself, it is to