God; so there must be many inheritances which are intrusted to them; whence it comes to pass, that many deceivers and scatterers of the same, will rise up in different places.

And this also shows the great feeling concern of the Psalmist,―his calling the people of God an inheritance rather than, a church, a people, or an assembly: because he thereby excites greater envy in the scatterers of it, and produces a more gracious feeling in himself and other pastors like him. For if an inheritance is that which every one loves, and is most zealously anxious about, how much more so must it be with God. Hence he saith, Exodus xix. 5, "And ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me." And hence also David saith of these destroyers, for they have rebelled against thee, O Lord.'

And indeed, the metaphor contained in the title, 'for the inheritances,' at once shows the scope of the whole Psalm. For inheritances must be cultivated, tilled, and wrought in, in order that they may be fruitful and improved. And for that reason, they will have many snares and hinderances thrown in their way, and will meet with many enemies and destroyers. And therefore, the people of God will need their labourers, their teachers, and their rulers: by the industry of whom, the inheritance is cultivated for God, and wrought on and prepared by his Word: while it is also, on the other hand, laid waste and destroyed by wicked teachers. Hence it is that this Psalm is entitled, for the inheritances' and their cultivators.

And we may add this also, that the present Psalm is not only to be understood of the church of Christ in general, but also of every part of the people of God in every age, all of whom ever have their seducers and persecutors so that the Psalm in general, agreeably to its title, is for the inheritances.' Nor should I make any objection, nay I would rather coincide with him, if any one should wish by inheritances,' to understand the two contrary classes of men; that is, those who depend upon their own strength, and those who depend upon the

grace of God; for this all comes to the point before mentioned.

Verse 1.-Give ear unto my words, O Lord, consider my cry.

Verse 2.-Hearken unto the voice of my prayer, my King and my God: for unto thee will I pray.

This is the way in which the Hebrew divides these two verses; though our common translation annexes the last clause of the second verse to the beginning of the third, making it commence thus, " For unto thee, O Lord," &c. And the rendering of Hieronimus differs very little from this our received translation; excepting that, for "my cry," he has my roaring;' and Lyra has my meditation;' and for "the voice of my prayer," he has the voice of my cry.'

And here also I must venture my opinion concerning the meaning of the Psalm. As I said above, this Psalm especially strikes at self-justifiers and wicked teachers; the aim of all whom is one and the same,-to feed their own pride. For the blessed Virgin has described such where she says, "He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts," Luke i. 51. Because all wicked doctrines derive their origin from pride; and therefore, Augustine in many places calls pride the mother of all heresies: for it is humility alone that teacheth rightly. Hence it is said, Proverbs xi. 2, " When pride cometh, then cometh contention; but where there is humility, there is wisdom." For it is impossible but the proud man must be contumelious and contentious: he must judge and condemn all others: as we see it evidenced in the Pharisee in the Gospel, in his conduct towards that poor humbled sinner, the publican, Luke xviii.; and also those in the house of Simon the leper, in their conduct towards the woman who was a sinner, Luke vii.

The prophet, therefore, is intent upon inveighing against the hypocrites of his time: who, from being puffed up in a wonderful manner with their own righte

ousness and works, thought nothing at all of the enormous sins of envy, pride, avarice, and the like, nor believed that they had any need of the grace of God, walking securely in their own way without any fear of God: and this is what all proud men of this kind always do, always have done, and always will do.

David begins the Psalm humbly with prayer, seeking the grace of God: and thereby he plainly and powerfully, at the very outset, condemns their pride. For it is as if he had said, These ungodly characters are full, are holy, are righteous, are whole; and, therefore, they want not any physician, nor do they seek, O Lord, thy grace to be justified thereby. But I, who am a poor needy creature, full of every sin, and brought to despair of myself and all my works and powers, can do nothing but pray unto thee and implore thy grace and mercy.

We have here given us, therefore, a beautifully marked difference between the law and faith, or between the letter and the Spirit. And this Augustine, in his work upon the difference between the letter and the Spirit, sets forth thus :- The law of works (says he) saith to the man, Do what I command; but the law of faith saith unto God, Give what thou commandest.' And again, saith he, 'What the law of works commands with threatening; that the law of faith obtains by believing.' Hence the people of the law, (that is selfjusticiaries and their teachers,) say, I have done so and so: and they boast in pride, as if they were justified by the works of the law: but the people of faith say, I pray that I may be enabled to do it. The former, trusting in works, do not seek the mercy of God: the latter, accounting all their righteousness as dung, breathe after the mercy of God only. Hence the Apostle saith of the former, Rom. x. 3, "For they, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Therefore the letter always puffeth up and killeth; but the Spirit humbleth and giveth life. "For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble," James iv. 6.

And again, he that prays in this threefold petition, must pray with a deeply feeling mind. And he assigns no other reason for his thus praying, than his confidence that he should both pray and be heard; For I will pray unto thee in the morning (saith he), and thou shalt hear me.' And why, David, wilt thou pray in the morning? and why shalt thou be heard? Because (saith he) thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness." And what is the meaning of this? Why, that God loveth humble supplicators for his mercy, but hateth the proud that presume upon their own righteousness. Behold, (saith he,) for this reason will I pray, because I know that this pleases thee, that thou desirest this, and that thou hast commanded this: that man should acknowledge himself a sinner, and that his whole life should be nothing else but a state of praying for, desiring, groaning after, and sighing after thy mercy: even as Luke xviii. 1, records the precept, "That men ought always to pray and not to faint." And Psalm cv. 4, it is said, "Seek his face evermore." But this, saith David, these ungodly presumers never do: or perhaps they may occasionally do it for a moment, or rather may pretend to do it, though they are all the while in reality full and satisfied: and therefore thou, O Lord, hatest them, seeing that they neither acknowledge their own things nor thine.

And now, observe the order and force of the words, "" my cry, ""the voice of my prayer ;" and also, "give ear, "consider," "hearken." These expressions all evince the urgency and energy of David's feelings and petitions. First we have, "Give ear;" that is, hear me. But, it is of little service for the words to be heard, unless the cry,' or the roaring, or the meditation, be' considered.' As if he had said, in a common way of expression, I speak with deep anxiety and concern, but with a failing utterance; and I cannot express myself, nor make myself understood as I wish. Do thou, therefore, understand from my feelings, more than I am able to express in words. And therefore, I add my cry;" that what I cannot express in words for thee to hear, I may by my cry signify to thine understanding. And

when thou hast understood me, then, O Lord, "Hearken unto the voice of my prayer," and despise not what thou hast thus heard and understood.

We are not however to understand, that hearing, understanding, and hearkening, are all different acts in God, in the same way as they are in us; but that our feelings towards God are to be thus varied and increased; that is, that we are first to desire to be heard, and then, that our prayers which are heard may be understood, and then that, being understood, they may be hearkened unto, that is, not disregarded. And of these three parts it is that the exordium of this prayer of David consists : whereby he desires that God would be favourably inclined towards him, would fully understand him, and would regard his petitions: and that, because his requests are worthy of God's attention, easy for him to grant, and to his honour to accomplish, and also most necessary for himself.

My King and my God," continues he. Herein he plainly strikes at all ungodly self-justiciaries, who act without any law and without any God, being sufficient of themselves. This is one of the passages of this Psalm which contains its scope and design. For, to have a King and a God, is for a man to presume nothing in and of himself, but to yield himself up to be governed and ruled by God, and to become altogether tractable; and also, to ascribe unto God every thing that has been received, or that shall be received. This is what those self-righteous ones never do; or at least they only do it feignedly, because they ascribe not a little to themselves also. Nay, in fact, as they do not ascribe all things unto God, they ascribe nothing: for he that ascribes any thing unto himself, ascribes unto himself all the glory of it also: and they who ascribe the glory unto themselves, ascribe all unto themselves and nothing unto God; because he must have all the glory, or he can have none : for he never divides his glory, nor has any partner therein : as he saith, Isaiah xlviii. 11, "I will not give my glory to another." Such men, therefore, do certainly reign, but not by God; they are their own kings, and their own