pass concerning each individual, between the Accuser of the brethren and the eternal Intercessor, in the court of heaven.

5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

To the victory of Christ succeeded the overthrow of Satan's empire in the pagan world. "The heathen were rebuked,” when, through the power of the Spirit in those who preached the gospel, men were convinced of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; "The wicked were destroyed, and their name put out for ever," when the Roman power became Christian, and the ancient idolatry sunk, to rise no more. A day is coming, when all iniquity shall perish, and be forgotten in like manner.

6. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: or, the destructions of the enemy are completed to the utmost; and thou, O God, hast destroyed their cities, their memorial is perished with them!*

The Christian church when repeating these words, may be supposed to take a retrospective view of the successive fall of those empires, with their capital "cities," in which the "enemy" had from time to time fixed his residence, and which had vexed and persecuted the people of God in different ages. Such were the Assyrian, or Babylonian, the Persian and the Grecian monarchies. All these vanished away, and came to nothing. Nay, the very "memorial" of the stupendous Nineveh and Babylon is so "perished with them," that the place where they once stood is now no more to be found. The Roman empire was the last of the pagan persecuting powers; and when the church saw "that" under her feet, well might she cry out, "The destructions of the enemy are completed to the utmost!" How lovely will this song be in the day when the last enemy shall be destroyed, and the world itself shall become what Babylon is at present. Next to the glory and triumph of that day, is the jubilee which the Christian celebrates, upon his conquest over the body of sin.

7. But the LORD shall endure for ever; he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8. And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

In opposition to the transient nature of the earthly kingdoms, the eternal duration of Messiah's kingdom is asserted; as also

Bishop Lowth renders this verse to the same effect. "Desolations have consumed the enemy for ever: and as to the cities which thou, O God, hast destroyed, their memory is perished with them." See Merrick's Annotations on the Psalms, p. 9.

its universality, extending over the whole "world;" together with the consummate rectitude of its administration. To him, as supreme Judge in an unerring court of equity, lies an appeal from the unjust determinations here below: and by him in person shall every cause be reheard, when that court shall sit, and all nations shall be summoned to appear before it.

9. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in time of trouble.

In the mean time, and until he returneth to judgment, the poor in spirit, the meek and lowly penitent, however "oppressed in times of trouble," by worldly and ungodly men, and by the frequent assaults of the wicked one, still finding a refuge in Jesus; who renews his strength by fresh supplies of grace, arms him with faith and patience, and animates him with the hope of glory.

10. And they that know thy name, will put their trust in thee; for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Therefore, they who "know God's name," that is, who are acquainted with, and have experienced his merciful nature and disposition, expressed in that name, will take no unlawful methods to escape affliction, nor "put their trust" in any but him for deliverance; since a most undoubted truth (and O, what a comfortable truth) it is, that "thou Lord Jesus, hast not forsaken," nor ever wilt finally "forsake them that" sincerely and diligently, with their whole heart "seek" to "thee" for help; as a child, upon apprehension of danger, flies to the arms of its tender and indulgent parent.

11. Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion; declare among the people his doings.

The church, having celebrated the power and the goodness of her Lord, exhorteth all her children to lift up their voices and sing together in full chorus, the praises of him whose tabernacle is in "Zion," who resides with men upon the mountain of his holiness, and saith," Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." And thus, not only "among the people,” but also to principalities and powers in heavenly places, will be "declared" and made known by the voice of thanksgiving in the church, the manifold wisdom and mercy of God, in his "doings" towards man. See Ephes. iii. 10.

12. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them, and forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

An objection might be started to the so much extolled lovingkindness of God, namely, that in this world his faithful people are often afflicted and persecuted; nay, sometimes suffered to be killed

all the day long, as sheep appointed to the slaughter. But this is obviated by the consideration, that all is not over, as wicked men may suppose, at death; that a strict "inquisition" will be appointed hereafter, when the "blood" of martyrs, and the sufferings of confessors shall not be "forgotten." He remembereth THEM, that is, those who seek him, mentioned verse 10. so that the exhortation to "sing praises," &c. ver. 11. seems parenthetic. 13. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, consider the trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death.

We are now come to the second part of this Psalm. The church, after having, in a former part, strengthened her faith by commemoration of the mighty works God had wrought for her, proceeds, in this, to pour forth a prayer for farther and final deliverance. She speaks, as still militant upon earth, still in an ene my's country, surrounded by them that hate her, and suffering much from them. To whom therefore should she address herself, but to him, whose high prerogative it is, literally to "raise from the gates of death;" to him who is, in every possible sense, "the resurrec< tion and the life?"

14. That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in thy salvation.

The members of the church militant despair of being able to "show forth all God's praise," till they become members of the church triumphant. There is a beautiful contrast between "the gates of death," in the preceding verse, and "the gates of the daughter of Zion," or the heavenly Jerusalem, in this: The one lead down to the pit, the other up to the mount of God; the one open into perpetual darkness, the other into light eternal; from the one proceeds nothing but what is evil, from the other nothing but what is good; infernal spirits watch at the one, the other are unbarred by the hands of angels. What a blessing then is it, to be snatched from the former, and transported to the latter! Who but must "rejoice" in such "salvation!"

15. The heathen are sunk, or sink down in the pit that they made; in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16. The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.

Faith beholds, as already executed, that righteous judgment, whereby wicked men and evil spirits will fall into the perdition which they had prepared for others, either openly by persecution, or more covertly by temptation. See Psa. vii. 15, 16.

17. The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

All wickedness came originally with the wicked one from hell; thither it will be again remitted, and they who hold on its side must accompany it on its return to that place of torment, there to be shut up for ever. The true state both of" nations," and the individuals of which they are composed, is to be estimated from one single circumstance, namely, whether in their doings they remember, or "forget God." Remembrance of Him is the well-spring of virtue; forgetfulness of Him, the fountain of vice.

18. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

They who remember God shall infallibly be remembered by Him, and let this be their anchor, in the most tempestuous seasons. The body of a martyr is buried in the earth; and so is the root of the fairest flower; but neither of them "perisheth for ever." Let but the winter pass, and the spring return, and lo, the faded and withered flower blooms; the body sown in corruption, dishonour, and weakness, rises in incorruption, glory, and power.

19. Arise, O LORD, let not men prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

And now, the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; Arise, O Lord Jesus, from thy throne of glory, and come quickly; "let not" the "man" of sin "prevail" against thy church; but let the long-depending cause between her and her adversaries, "be judged" and finally determined "in thy sight."

20. Put them in fear, O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.

Strange, that man, dust in his original, sinful by his fall, and continually reminded of both, by every thing in him and about him, should yet stand in need of some sharp affliction, some severe visitation from God, to bring him to the knowledge of himself, and make him feel who, and what he is. But this is frequently the case; and when it is, as there are wounds which cannot be healed without a previous application of caustics, mercy is necessitated to begin her work with an infliction of judgment.

PSALM X.
ARGUMENT.

This Psalm is, in the LXX. joined to the preceding, but in the Hebrew divided from it. The church under persecution from the spirit of Antichrist in the world, after 1. an humble expostu

lation with her Lord, setteth down the marks whereby that spirit may be known; such as 2. hatred of the faithful; 3. self-willedness and worldly-mindedness; 4. infidelity; 5, 6. profligacy and pride; 7. profaneness and perjury; 8-10. subtlety and treachery employed against the people of God; 11. security and presumption. From the persecutions of such a spirit the church, 12-15. prayeth earnestly to be delivered; and, 16-18. through faith, rejoiceth in tribulation.

1. Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

During the conflict between the church and her adversaries, God is represented as one withdrawing to a distance, instead of affording succour; nay, as one concealing himself, so as not to be found by those who petitioned for aid or counsel. To behold the righteous cause oppressed, and good men seemingly deserted by heaven, at a time when they most need its assistance, is apt to offend the weak, and oftentimes stagger those who are strong. It is indeed a sore trial, but intended to make us perfect in the practice of three most important duties, humility, resignation, and faith. That we may not faint under the severity of this discipline, let us ever bear in mind that the beloved Son of the Father, the Son in whom he was well pleased, had occasion to utter these words, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor; let them, or they shall be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

Inconceivable is that malignant fury, with which a conceited infidel persecutes a humble believer, though that believer hath no otherwise offended him than by being such. And what wonder? Since it is a copy of the hatred which Satan bears to Christ. But the devices of the adversaries, like those of their leader, will end in their own eternal confusion.

3. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the LORD abhorreth.

The first part of this verse points out that alarming symptom of a reprobate mind, a disposition to exult and glory in those lusts, which are the shame and disgrace of human nature, whether the world or the flesh be their object. The latter clause is differently rendered, as implying either that "the wicked blesseth the covetous whom God abhorreth," or that "the wicked, being covetous, or oppressive, blesseth himself and abhorreth God." Either way, an oppressing, griping, worldly spirit is characterized, with its direct opposition to the Spirit of God, which teaches, that sin is to be confessed with shame and sorrow; that in God alone man is to