their apostasy and warned them ; for it would be of no use indeed to warn those to whom the revelation was not immediately given. And the object of the apostle farther is, to illustrate the character of the Jewish nation generally in that remarkable crisis of its history in which he lived, in which they were filling up the measure of their father's iniquities, because then wrath was coming on them to the uttermost.h For it is in times of crisis, that the Scriptures of God become more especially applicable to the circumstances both of saints and sinners. In ordinary times God imposes many restraints upon the wrath of men,i and in various ways represses it; insomuch that the enmity of the carnal heart has in numerous instances no opportunity of manifesting its malignity, and many who are yet carnal pass for decent and moral, or even religious characters. It is in times of crisis that God loosens these moral restraints, and affords greater scope for the evil principles of the natural man to develope themselves; and then persons, who had previously walked respectably, betray that there was no root in them, and the great multitude fall precipitately into evil, as the swine who had been quietly grazing rushed headlong into the sea, as soon as permission was given to the devils to take full possession of them.

But it must not be forgotten that as the Scriptures are particularly applicable to times of crisis, or the winding up of a dispensation of mercy, so are they still more especially adapted to the last crisis, which will be the winding up of all. And, more especially, if this verse, because it is contained in the Law, spake not so much to the men of David's time, as to all who were

under the Law; so likewise, because it is now by St. Paul quoted from the Law and engrafted into the Gospel, it speaks most signifi. cantly to all who are under the Gospel, or New Testament Dispensation, and warns them of that greater crisis of apostasy which is coming.

"

Verse 10. The Psalmist however now again, but in the imperative form, predicts their ruin :-" 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. Their wrath appears to be only directed against man, and the powers wielded by him; but it is in reality directed against God: for it is the principles of divine revelation, as followed out in the polities and institutions of kingdoms and societies, that are attacked by them: and though these are charged home by them on men, as the fruits of their bigotry and fanaticism, they are as much raging against God as Paul was, when he was brought up in his course by Saul, Saul, wherefore persecutest thou ME?"k And it is farther worthy of remark, that the time of trouble and peril which terminates in their destruction is the fruit of their " own counsels," they dig a pit for others and fall into the midst of it themselves.1

It may not be amiss to notice, as this imperative form of prediction frequently occurs in the Psalms, the absurd prejudice which many, who profess to be believers, entertain against it when it is imprecatory. It arises from the squeamishness and unbelief of the human heart, which affects, in its presumption and morbid sentimentality, to be more merciful than God. It is the identical spirit, which, when the earth opened and swallowed up Korah and his

1 Ps. LVII. 6.

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his darling among the lions, before he arises and breaks their jaw bones; and they will be weary with groaning for indeed "except those days should be shortened no flesh should be saved; but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." is in anticipation of this period that the Holy Ghost in Peter exhorts us : Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you :"r showing how important it is to be duly apprised of these things, lest they come unawares to any, and take them by surprise and unprepared, and they be scorched by the flame and burned up.

It is farther worthy of remark, that the object of the true church amid this tribulation is, to glorify God; which shews that the chastening is effectual in them that love God and are the called according to his purpose. For they only fear being overwhelmed by it on account of God's cause, lest he should be left without a witness: so at least I understand the fifth verse; the expressions "no remembrance of thee," and " I who shall give thee thanks," having the farther sense, in the original, of making mention of God and glorifying him by confessing his name before men. This evidently cannot be accomplished in the grave: for however departed souls may be enabled to render their own praises to God, as the Apocalypse plainly teaches us they do, yet they cannot longer confess God, or make mention of him, before men in the flesh.

Verses 8, 9. And it is also evident that the church, though she passes into the tribulation, will be preserved in it. This may indeed be inferred from the fact, that the whole prayer, as before observed, is of the Holy Ghost; and we cannot suppose that

q Matt. XXIV. 22. r1 Pet. IV. 12.

The Psalm we now enter upon would require an extended notice, were it not that most of the particulars it contains have already been anticipated; so that to place the text simply before the reader will in general be sufficient to lead him to a right apprehension of the prophetical view of the subject.

Verses 1, 2. O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me: lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

This evidently alludes to the same subject as in the last Psalm,-viz. the tribulation of the church from the faction of evil doers; which faction is here again addressed as the mystical body of Antichrist

Save me from all them that persecute me; lest he tear my soul like a lion."

Verses 3-5. O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with t Judges v. 31; see also Matt. XIII. 42.

me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy ;) let the enemy persecute my soul; and take it, yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.

The Targum and several eminent Rabbins agree with the Septuagint in rendering the fourth verse differently, which will make the passage thus: "O Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands; if I have rendered evil to those who have recompensed evil to me ;-Then let me fall as a fool by my enemies; let the enemy &c. The meekness and righteousness of the persecuted party is here insisted

on.

This is preeminent in the instance of the head, Christ Jesus: but the Church has also a righteousness, through the Spirit of Christ, which she may plead in some circumstances before the world; though she has no room for boasting before God, who hath wrought all her works in her. It seems then from this, that the hand from which the blow will come will have been in the first instance apparently friendly, but will now act treacherously. And though the visible church will doubtless always have a sufficiency of defects to afford a handle to ungodly men to mouth against her, as they do this day; yet shall she, in her mystical body, be enabled to plead her benevolence toward her enemies.

I need not say what melancholy indications there are in the present day of a beginning of these things in one section of the visible church; which, whilst in a state of unparalleled revival, as acknowledged by her adversaries, has been unprovokedly attacked by those, who, only just the moment before, were affect ing to boast of the peace and harmony existing between her members and themselves, and the glori

ous sight displayed to the world by the union of Christians of all denominations. The next verses however again assure us, that the lifting up of the horn of the wicked on high will be suddenly confounded.

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Verse 6. Arise O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. The judgment commanded," is evidently the same as "the judgment written" of Psalm CXLIX. 9, and has been already treated of in Psalm 1. 5,-"Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous :" which congregation of the righteous is also the same as that mentioned in verse 7 of this Psalm-So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about: for their sakes therefore return Thou on high.

And the distinction in verse 6 of Psalm 1. why the righteous shall stand in the judgment, (viz. because the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish ;) is also sustained here:-The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to the integrity that is in me, Oh! let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end: but establish the just. For the righteous God TRIETH THE HEARTS AND REINS; (whereby he knows the way of the righteous) My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart; God judgeth the righteous; and God is angry with the wicked every day. Verses 8-11.

In all this Christ cannot be speaking of himself individually, as the head of the mystical body; for he is the Lord here supplicated, as the judge of the people and of the righteous; (vv. 8, 11,) for all judgment is committed to the Son.w

The party supplicating must therefore be the church, who pleads that uprightness of purpose and intent which she has through grace;-the walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh; and unto such there is no condemnation. Whatever may be the malignity of those who lay any thing to the charge of God's elect, it is God that justifieth them :y for indeed Christ does so far speak here, as that when the Spirit says, "Judge me O Lord according to my righteousness," it is Christ's righteousness which belongs to them, -which is made theirs,-which is unto and upon them,—and which is also fulfilled in them who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit,

The 11th verse has a beautiful turn given to it in the Septuagint"God is a righteous judge, both mighty and forbearing, not being daily angered," or, as St. Paul has it of Charity, "is not easily provoked."*

Verses 12, 13. If he turn not He will whet his sword; He hath bent his bow and made it ready: He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors.

hath prepared for him the instruments of death," as if speaking of a single individual; then, in the next clause, He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors," in the plural.

The metaphor here made use of to indicate the coming wrath of God against the persecutors; viz.— his ordained arrows, plainly points out at the same time the signal period which the Holy Ghost has in view. Take the following instances" He sent out his arrows and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings and discomfited them." This is when he bows the heavens and comes down at the intercession of his church.† Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies, whereby the people fall under thee."z This is when the King comes forth in his glory, his right hand teaching him terrible things, immediately previous to his nuptials with the church. Again, this false or leasing tongue is to be punished with "sharp arrows of the Mighty, with coals of juniper."a And when Habakkuk describes the Lord going forth for the salvation of the people, wounding the head over the house of the wicked, marching through the land in indignation and thrashing the heathen in anger, he says, "at the light of thine arrows they went,-at the shining of thy glittering spear.'

bיי

Verses 14-16. Behold he travail