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"out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed!" Mark i. 35.

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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 pros per, 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. 63 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing, or falsehood; the LORD doth abhor the blood-thirsty 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 plaguesore, as a temptation. "Falsehood, blood-thirsti

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ness, and deceitfulness," are marked out as characteristical of the enemies of David, of Christ, and the church; and 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 straight 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 very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

A part of this verse is cited, Rom. iii. 13. together with several other passages from the Psalms and Pro

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phets, 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 de filed, and the stream was poisoned at the fountain; that their "throat was an open sepulchre," continually emitting, in obscene 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. 05

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 imprecatóry 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 impe

nitent; 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

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destroy them, O God; they shall perish by their "own counsels: thou wilt cast them out in the mul❝titude 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 Ahithophel 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

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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 to the church militant.

FIRST DAY.-EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM VI.

ARGUMENT.

This is the first of those Psalms which are styled penitential. It contains, 1. a deprecation of eternal vengeance, and 2, 3. a petition for pardon; which is enforced from the 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; with

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