with this psalm, or with
any psalms or passages of the Old Testament which talk of God's
dealings with man, then we shall be altogether astonished at the
superiority of the Bible. The Bible will seem to us quite
infinitely wiser than heathen books, on this matter, as on others--
so much more simple, and yet so much more deep; so much more
rational also, and so much more true: agreeing so much more with
the facts which we see happen round us: agreeing so much more with
our own reason, experience, inward conscience, about what is just
and unjust:--that we shall begin to see as much difference between
heathen books and the Old Testament, as there is between the dim
dawn of morning, and the full blaze of noonday light.

One of the earliest heathen notions why troubles came was, it seems,
that the gods were offended with men, because they had not shown
them due honour, flattered them enough, or offered sacrifices enough
to them: or else they fancied that the gods envied men: grudged
their prosperity, did not like to see them too happy.

That dark and base notion gradually faded away, as men got higher
notions of right and wrong, and of the gods, as the judges and
avengers of wrong. Then they began to think these troubles were
punishments for doing wrong. The Gods, or God, punished sin;
inflicting so much pain for so much sin, very much as the heathens
are apt to punish their criminals still, and as Christian nations
used to punish theirs, namely, with shameful and horrible tortures;
before they began to find out that the end of punishment is not to
torment, but to reform, the criminal, wherever it is possible.

But then the thought would come--Why, after all, should God, if he
be just and merciful, punish my sin by pain and misery? How can it
profit God, how can it please God, to give me pain? Because it
satisfies his justice? How can it do that? It would not satisfy
mine. Suppose my child, or even my dog, disobeyed me, would it
satisfy my sense of justice to beat him? It might satisfy my
passion: but God has no passions. It would be base, blasphemous to
fancy that he takes pleasure in hurting me, as I take pleasure in
beating my dog when I lose my temper with it. God forbid! The old
prophets saw that, and cried--'Have I any pleasure in the death of
him, saith the Lord, and not rather that he should turn from his
wickedness, and live?'

Then, naturally, the thought would come into the mind of a wise an