They may hope for redemption, who so "trust in God," as to trust in nothing beside him; for all else is "vanity," and will deceive.

7. I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy; for thou hast considered my trouble: and hast known my soul in adversities; 8. And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; thou hast set my feet in a large

room.

The considerations that make the soul "cheerful" in the hour of affliction, are, that God is merciful; that as he is not ignorant, so neither is he unmindful of our troubles; that he is a friend, who "knows" us in adversity no less than in prosperity; that he hath not subjected us to the necessity of being overcome by our spiritual enemies; but hath, "with the temptation, made a way for us to escape."

9. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul, or, animal frame, and my belly.

Upon the strength of the foregoing considerations, supplication is here made for deliverance from troubles, which wasted the eyes with weeping, and exhausted the strength and vigour of the frame. Such were the troubles of David, and, more emphatically, those of Christ: and sickness and sorrow will one day teach us all to use the same expressions.

10. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

Do we not, in these words, hear the voice of the "man of sorrows, suffering, not indeed for his own iniquity," but for ours, of which, he frequently, in the Psalms, speaks, as if it were his own? If sin was punished in the innocent Lamb of God, let us not expect that it should be unpunished in us, unless we repent; and let our punishment never fail to remind us of our guilt.

11. I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance; they that did see me without, fled from me.

These particulars were never more applicable to David, than they were to the Son of David, when his acquaintance, at beholding him reviled by his enemies, were terrified from attending him, and when "all the disciples forsook him, and fled." The same things are often too true of the faith and the church. They are true likewise of every man, when he suffers the dishonours of the last enemy, death; when he is "a fear" to his dearest friends, and they are obliged to forsake him.

12. I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind: I am like a broken vessel.

This was literally the case of Christ, when laid in the sepulchre, and esteemed no longer the object of hope by his friends, or of fear by his enemies. That he should be so "forgotten," while dead, is less wonderful, than that this should have happened since his glorious resurrection, and ascension into heaven.

13. For I have heard the slander of many, fear was on every side, while they took counsel together against me they devised to take away my life.

The slander of Shemei, and the counsel of Ahitophel against king David, direct us to the slanders of the Jews, and the counsels of Judas and the Sanhedrim against the beloved Son of God, who, in his church, will be persecuted in like manner by the ungodly to the world's end.

14. But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, thou art wy God. 15. My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant: save me for thy mercies sake.

In all our afflictions, after the example of the typical, and of the true David, we are to have recourse to the prayer of faith; we are to consider, that Jehovah is our God and Saviour; that the times and the seasons of prosperity and adversity, of life and death, are in his hand; and therefore on him we are to wait, till the day of mercy shall dawn, and the shadows fly away.

17. Let me not be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon thee; let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave. 18. Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Ahitophel, for his treason against David; and Judas, for his treachery against Christ, felt the force of this prophetical imprecation, or prediction, which will also, one day, take its full effect, in the confusion of all impenitent calumniators and traitors.

19. O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee: which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men.

Peace of conscience, the comforts of the Spirit, and the hope of future glory, will teach the soul, even in the darkest night of affliction, to break forth into this exulting strain of gratitude and praise, for the blessings experienced by those who confess their Saviour before men.

20. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride, Hev. conspiracies of men; thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

In times of contention and persecution, there is a refuge for the faithful in the tabernacle of David," which is the mystical body of Christ, inhabited by the presence of God. In this sacred" раvilion," they enjoy the pleasures of contemplation and devotion, regardless of the distant tumult and confusion of the world.

21. Blessed be the LORD; for he hath showed me marvellous kindness in a strong city.

The man Christ, and the church with him, like David of old, here rejoice in the protection and saving power of God, in the same manner as in Isai. xxvi. 1. "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.”

22. For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes; nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my supplications, when I cried unto thee.

Whoever shall consider the troubles of the beloved Son of God, bereaved for a season of the light of heaven, only that it might afterwards arise upon him with a greater lustre, will be taught never to faint under the chastisement of the Lord; since the darkness of the night argues the approaching dawn of the day.

23. O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully reward th the proud doer. 24. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

The exhortation is raised from the consideration of the deliverance of Christ, with the destruction of his enemies; which ought to strengthen and comfort the hearts of believers under all their affictions here below; that so, after having suffered courageously with their Master, they may triumphantly enter into his joy and glory.

VI DAY. EVENING PRAYER. PSALM XXXII.

ARGUMENT.

In this Psalm, which is the second of those styled penitential, David, as a model of true repentance, 1, 2. extolleth the blessedness of those whose sins are forgiven them; 3, 4. describeth the torment endured by him, before he confessed his sin; and, 5. the goodness of God in pardoning it, when confessed; 6. he foretelleth that others, after his example, should obtain the like mercy; 7. declareth his hope and confidence in his God; who, 8. is introduced, promising wisdom and grace to the penitent; 9, 10.

sinners are warned against obstinacy; and, 11. the righteous exhorted to rejoice in God their Saviour.

1. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

As the sick man is eloquent in the praise of health, so the sin ner beginneth this his confession of sin with an encomium on righteousness, longing earnestly to be made a partaker of the evangelical "blessedness;" to be delivered from the guilt and the power of sin; to be pardoned and sanctified, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. See Rom. iv. 6.

3. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long.

In opposition to the blessedness above-mentioned, the penitent now proceeds to declare his own wretched estate, occasioned by his "keeping silence," or not confessing his sin, which therefore rankled and festered inwardly, occasioning torment inexpressible. The disorders of the mind, as well as those of the body, should be communicated to persons skilful in assuaging and removing them. Many might thereby be saved from the horrible crime of self-murder, which is generally committed in agonies of solitary remorse and despair.

4. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer.

Outward calamities, and inward pangs of conscience, are the strokes of God's hand, designed to humble the sinner, and lead him to confession; and in the infliction of these, such severity is sometimes necessary, that the patient is brought to death's door, before a turn can be given to the disease; but the pain of a blow upon an ulcerated part, however exquisite, is well compensated for, if, by promoting a discharge, it effect a cure.

5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.

What is this, but the Gospel itself" If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins," 1 John i. 9. And thus it happened, in one case, to David, who had no sooner confessed his sin to the prophet Nathan, but an answer of peace was instantly vouchsafed-"The LORD hath put away thy sin," 2 Sam. xii. 13. Were angels to descend from heaven, to comfort the dejected spirit of a sinner, they could say nothing more effectual for the purpose, than what is said in this verse of our Psalm. But practice will be the best comment upon it.

6. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Encouraged by this example and declaration of David, to hope for mercy, on confession of sin, it is here foretold, that humble penitents shall be led to make their prayer unto God in the acceptable time, and in the day of salvation, while he "may be found;" that so they may be forgiven, and preserved from great and overwhelming calamities; from the fears of death, and the terrors of judgment.

7. Thou art my hiding place, thou shalt preserve me from trouble: thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.

The penitent, happily returned to the house of his heavenly Father, now esteemeth himself safe under his protection: and resteth in full assurance that all his sorrows shall one day be turned into joy, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

8. I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way in which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.

The Redeemer is here introduced, returning an answer to the penitent's declarations of his humility and faith; promising "instruction" in that wisdom which every man wants, who continues in sin, together with the direction of the Spirit in the way of righteousness, and the superintendence of his watchful care. Man cannot prevent evils, because he cannot foresee them. "Next therefore to the protecting power of God's Wing, is the securing prospect of his Eye," saith Dr. South.

9. Be ye not as the horse, or, as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

The person speaking in the former verse, or the prophet himself, exhorts sinners to repent at the invitation and encouragement afforded them; and not to continue, like brutes, fierce, obstinate, and senseless, until, like them, they must be tamed and managed by force, and the severity of discipline.

10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

They who are not to be reformed by gentler methods, must learn righteousness under the rod of affliction, in the school of the cross; and happy are they, if their" sorrows" may so turn to their advan. tage. But happier are those, who, led by the goodness of God to repentance and faith, enjoy the light and protection of "mercy."