" Psa. 42:2. Taken out of their
connection, these words might be understood of his desire to enjoy the
beatific vision of God in heaven. But the context shows that the writer
had in mind God's earthly sanctuary, from which he was banished: "My
tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto
me, Where is thy God? When I remember these things, I pour out my soul
in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house
of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept
holy-day" (ver. 3, 4).

Again the psalmist says: "The king's daughter is all glorious within"
(Psa. 45:13); words that have more than once been applied directly to
the inward spiritual beauty of the church, the bride of Christ. This is,
indeed, the idea that we gain from a true interpretation of them. But it
comes not directly, but through a beautiful figure. The primary meaning
of the words is, that the royal bride appearing _within the palace_ in
raiment of wrought gold is all glorious to the beholder's view.
Undoubtedly she represents the church espoused to Christ; dwelling, so
to speak, in his kingly mansion, and gloriously adorned with his
righteousness. Rev. 19:8.

The question may naturally occur to the reader: Within what limits is
the context to be consulted? The answer must be, that no definite limits
can be prescribed. The entire web of discourse must be carefully
studied, including the more remote as well as the nearer context; for
the inspired writers do not, as a general rule, proceed according to
formal divisions and subdivisions. The train of argument is often
interrupted by parenthetical remarks, particularly in the writings of
the apostle Paul, or it is resumed in an informal way after extended
digressions. The true connection of thought, then, is to be gathered not
so much from our modern notions of what logical accuracy would require,
as from the repeated and careful perusal of the writing in question. In
this way alone can we place ourselves in the author's position, and look
at the subject under discussion from his point of view; that is to say,
in this way alone can we enter into his modes of thinking and reasoning,
and thus qualify ourselves to be the expounders of them to others.

In some cases no context exists, and none is to be sought. In a large
part of the book of Proverbs, for example, each separate aphorism shines
by its own light. If it have any connection with what pr