which he had purchased for her, and oftentimes wrought in her; and, conscious of her demerits, makes her prayer for " mercy."

2. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing, or falsehood?

If the Israelitish monarch conceived he had just cause to expostulate with his enemies, for despising the royal majesty with which Jehovah had invested his Anointed; of how much severer reproof shall they be thought worthy, who blaspheme the essential "glory" of King Messiah, which shines forth by his Gospel in the church? Thou, O Christ, art everlasting Truth; all is "vanity and falsehood," transient and fallacious, but the love of thee!

3. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call upon him.

Be the opinions or the practices of men what they will, the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Is David " set apart" for the kingdom of Israel? Saul shall not be able to detain, nor Absalom to wrest, it from him. Is Messiah ordained to be King of the Israel of God? death and hell shall not prevent it. Are his disciples appointed to reign with him? infallibly they shall. Our intercessor is already on high; and for his sake, "the Lord will hear us "when we call upon him."

What, then, can be

said for us, if we neglect to call upon him?

4. Stand in awe, Heb. tremble, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.

The enemies of Christ, as well as those of David, are here called to repentance, and the process of conversion is described. The above-mentioned consideration of the divine counsel, and the certainty of its being carried into execution, by the salvation of the righteous, and the confusion of their enemies, makes the wicked "tremble." "The fear of the "Lord is the beginning of wisdom;" it arrests the sinner in his course, and he "sins not;" he goes no farther in the way of sin, but stops, and reflects upon what he has been doing: he "communes with his "own heart upon his bed, and is still;" his conscience suffers him not to rest in the night, but takes the advantage of solitude and silence, to set before him his transgressions, with all the terrors of death and judgement; stirring him up to confess the former, and deprecate the latter, with unfeigned compunction and sorrow of heart; to turn unto the Lord, and do works meet for repentance; to learn to do good, as well as to cease from doing evil.

5. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

The Jews are no longer to offer the shadowy sacrifices of their law, since He, who is the substance of them all, is come into the world. The Gentiles are no more to offer their idolatrous sacrifices, since their idols have fallen before the cross. But returning sinners, whether Jews or Gentiles, are to offer: the same "sacrifices of" evangelical "righteous"ness;" not "putting their trust" in them, but "in the Lord" Jesus, through whose spirit they are enabled to offer, and through whose blood their offer

ings are acceptable unto God. Faith, hope, and charity, mutually strengthen each other, and compose "a threefold cord," which is not easily broken.

6. There be many that say, Who will show us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us!

The two former verses were addressed to rebellious sinners, inviting them to repentance and reformation. This seems to relate to the righteous, who, in times of calamity and persecution, like the friends of distressed David, are tempted to despond, on seeing no end of their troubles. The Psalmist therefore prescribes prayer to all such, as an antidote against the temptation; he directs them, in the darkest night, to look towards heaven, nor doubt the return of day, when the rising sun shall diffuse light and salvation, and sorrow and sighing shall fly away. How many are continually asking the question in this verse! How few applying to Him, who alone can give an answer of peace and comfort!

7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

No sooner is the prayer preferred, but the answer is given; and the devout soul declares herself to experience a joy in the midst of tribulation, far superior to the joy with which men rejoice in the time of harvest, or that of vintage; a joy, bright and pure, as the regions from whence it descends. Such is the difference between the bread of earth, and that of heaven; between the 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 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. foretels 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 good in 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 "dis

pose," 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 morn"ing, rising up a great while before day, he went