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juice of the grape, and the cup of salvation. Teach us, O Lord, to discern this difference, and to choose aright.

8. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for thou, LORD, only makest me to dwell in safety.

This conclusion affords ample matter for profitable and delightful meditation, if it be considered, first, as spoken by David, or any other believer, when lying down to rest, full of the joys of a good conscience, and faith unfeigned; secondly, as pronounced by the true David, when composing himself to his rest, in certain hope of a resurrection. And happy the Christian, who having nightly, with this verse, committed himself to his bed, as to his grave, shall at last, with the same words, resign himself to his grave as to his bed, from which he expects in due time to arise, and sing a morning hymn, with the children of the resurrection.

PSALM V.

ARGUMENT.

The Psalmist in affliction, 1-3. continues, and resolves to continue, instant in prayer; 4-6. declares the irreconcileable hatred which God bears to sin, and 7. his own confidence of being accepted; 8. he petitions for grace to direct and preserve him in the way; 9. sets forth the wickedness of his enemies; 10. foretells their punishment, and 11, 12. the salvation of the faithful.

1. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation, or, my dove-like mournings.

Although nothing can really hinder or divert the divine attention, yet God is represented as "not hearing," when either the person is unacceptable, or the petition improper, or when he would thoroughly prove the faith and patience of the petitioner. Christ, the church, and the believing soul, are all in scripture styled "doves," from their possessing the amiable properties of that bird of meekness and innocence, purity and love. The "mournings" of such are always heard and attended to in heaven. 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

The voice of the suppliant's cry will be in proportion to the sense which he hath of his sin. Whom should a subject solicit, but his King? to whom should a sinner pray, but to his God? Let us often think upon the strong cryings of him who suffered

for the sins of the world, and upon that intercession, by which the pardon of those sins was procured.

3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer, Heb. dispose, or set myself in order, unto, or for thee, and will look up.

He who is in good earnest, and hath his heart fully bent upon the work of salvation, like other skilful and diligent artificers, will be "early" in his application to it; he will get the start of the world, and take the advantage of the "sweet hour of prime," to "dispose," and "set himself in order," for the day. What is a slothful sinner to think of himself, when he reads, concerning the holy Jesus, that "in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed!" Mark i. 35.

4. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with thee.

The Psalmist was encouraged to make his early prayers to God in the day of trouble, upon this consideration, that his righteous cause must finally prosper, and the divine counsels be accomplished in his exaltation, and the depression of his enemies, who were likewise the enemies of God. The same was the case and the confidence of a suffering Messiah; and such is that of his church and people in the world, where "wickedness" may prosper, and "evil" not only live, but reign. Nevertheless, we know that "God hath no pleasure" in them, nor shall they "dwell with him," as we hope to do.

5. The foolish, Heb. mad, shall not stand in thy sight; for thou hatest all workers of iniquity. 6. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing, or falsehood; the LORD doth abhor both the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

No objects of the senses can be so nauseous to them, as the various kinds of sin are in the sight of God. O could we but think, as he does, concerning these, we should rather choose "madness" than transgression, and as soon fall in love with a plague-sore, as a temptation. "Falsehood, blood-thirstiness, and "deceitfulness," are marked out as characteristical of the enemies of David, of Christ, and the church; and the history evinces them so to have been. Let us never go within the infection of such pestilential crimes.

7. But as for me, I will come into thy house, in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy temple. Wisdom, righteousness, truth, mercy, and sincerity, form a character the reverse of that drawn in the preceding verses, and

such an one as God will accept, when appearing before him in his house, and offering with humility and reverence the sacrifices of the new law, as David did those of the old, through faith in him who alone filled up the character, and procured acceptance for believers and their oblations.

8. Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies: make thy way strait before my face.

The child of God, admitted into his holy temple, there prefers this petition, praying to be led by the divine Spirit in a course of holy obedience, all impediments being removed out of the way, which otherwise might obstruct the progress, or cause the fall of one beginning to walk in the path of life; of one who had many "enemies" ready to contrive, to take advantage of, to rejoice and triumph, in his ruin. Thus a man's enemies, while they oblige him to pray more fervently, and to watch more narrowly over his conduct, oftentimes become his best friends.

9. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth, their inward part is wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre, they flatter with their tongue.

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A part of this verse is cited, Rom. iii. 13. together with several other passages from the Psalms and prophets, to evince the depravity of mankind, whether Jews or Gentiles, till justified by faith, and renewed by grace. It is plain, therefore, that the description was designed for others, besides the enemies of the literal David, and is of more general import, reaching to the world of the ungodly, and to the enemies of all righteousness, as manifested in the person of Messiah, and in his church. The charge brought against these is, that "truth" and "fidelity” were not to be found in their dealings with God or each other; that their inward parts" were very wickedness; their first thoughts and imaginations were defiled, and the stream was poisoned at the fountain; that their "throat was an open sepulchre," continually emitting, in obscere and impious language, the noisome and infectious exhalations of a putrid heart, entombed in a body of sin; and that if ever they put on the appearance of goodness, they "flattered with their tongue," in order the more effectually to deceive and destroy. So low is human nature fallen! "O thou Adam, what hast thou done? For though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee." 2 Esd. vii. 48.

10. Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels: cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against thee.

Concerning passages of this imprecatory kind in the book of Psalms, it is to be observed, that they are not spoken of private and personal enemies, but of the opposers of God and his Anointed; nor of any among these, but the irreclaimable and finally impenitent; and this by way of prediction rather than imprecation; which would appear, if the original verbs were translated uniformly in the future tense, as they might be, and indeed, to cut off all occasion from them which desire it, should be, translated. The verse before us would then run thus, "Thou wilt destroy them, O God; they shall perish by their own counsels; thou wilt cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against thee." The words, when rendered in this form, contain a prophecy of the infatuation, rejection, and destruction of such as should obstinately persevere in their opposition to the counsels of heaven, whether relating to David, to Christ, or to the church. The fate of Ahitophel and Absalom, of Judas and the Jews, should warn others not to offend after the same example.

11. But let all those that trust in thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them; let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Heb. All they that trust in thee shall rejoice, &c.

As the last verse foretold the perdition of the ungodly, this describes the felicity of the saints; who, trusting in God, rejoice evermore, and sing aloud in the church the praises of their Saviour and mighty defender; the love of whose name fills their hearts with joy unspeakable, while they experience the comforts of grace, and expect the rewards of glory.

12. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

The "blessing" of God descends upon us through Jesus Christ "the righteous" or "just one," as of old it did upon Israel through David, whom, for the benefit of his chosen, God protected, delivered, and placed upon the throne. Thou, O Christ, art the righteous Saviour, thou art the King of Israel, thou art the blessed of Jehovah, the fountain of blessing to all believers, and thy "favour" is the defence and protection of the church militant.

I DAY.

EVENING PRAYER.

ARGUMENT.

PSALM VI.

This is the first of those Psalms which are styled penitential. It contains, 1. deprecation of eternal vengeance, and 2, 3. a peti

tion for pardon; which is enforced from a consideration of the penitent's sufferings; 4. from that of the divine mercy; 5. from that of the praise and glory which God would fail to receive, if man were destroyed; 6, 7. from that of the penitent's humiliation and contrition; 8-10. the strain changes into one of joy and triumph, upon the success and return of the prayer.

1. O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.

Let us suppose a sinner awakened to a true sense of his condition, and looking around him for help. Above is an angry God preparing to take vengeance; beneath, the fiery gulf ready to receive him; without him, a world in flames; within the gnawing worm. Thus situated, he begins, in extreme agony of spirit, “O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure." He expects that God will "rebuke" him, but only prays that it may not be in "anger," finally to destroy him; he desires to be chastened, but chastened in fatherly love, not in the hot displeasure" of an inexorable judge. As often as we are led thus to express our sense of sin, and dread of punishment, let us reflect on Him whose righteous soul, endued with a sensibility peculiar to itself, sustained the sins of the world, and the displeasure of the Father.

2. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak: O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed, Heb. shaken or made to tremble.

The penitent entreats for mercy, first, by representing his pitiable case, under the image of sickness. He describes his soul as deprived of all its health and vigour, as languishing and fainting, by reason of sin, which had eat out the vitals, and shaken all the powers and supporters of the spiritual frame, so that the breath of life seemed to be departing. Enough however was left, to supplicate the healing aid of the God of mercy and comfort; to petition for oil and wine at the hands of the Physician of spirits. How happy is it for us, that we have a Physician, who cannot but be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, seeing that he himself once took them upon him, and suffered for them even unto the death of the cross, under which he "fainted,” and on which "his bones were vexed."

3. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? Another argument is drawn from the sense which the penitent hath of this his woful condition, and the consternation and anxiety produced thereby in his troubled mind. These cause him to fly for refuge to the hope set before him. the heart sick;" he is therefore beautifully represented as crying

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Hope deferred maketh

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