Ver. 5. in the pit,] In the grave. If I die, I cannot shew forth to mankind Thy goodness and power; I cannot sing Thy praise, as I am resolved to do, if I live.

Ver. 6. wash I my bed,] My tears are so many, that they run down upon my bed.

Ver. 7. My beauty,] My good looks, the brightness of my eye, and the vigour of my bodily frame. How remarkably does this agree with Isaiah's description of "the Man of sorrows," the blessed Jesus, whom David represented: "many were astonished at thee his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men." Isaiah lii. 14.

Ver. 8. the Lord hath heard, &c.] David's grief is now turned into joy. He had mourned, he had repented, he had resolved to forsake sin, and he now rejoices in the full hope of pardon and peace. Then he proceeds to foretel the shame and confusion of his enemies, ver. 10.

If we grieve sincerely for our sins and transgressions, and look for pardon through Christ, we shall have no cause to be distressed about any thing else: if our sins are pardoned, we are reconciled to God; He is our friend, and we need not fear any enemy. Earthly troubles will arise; pain and sickness will come, the conscience will be burdened, and the flesh is weak: how happy then is it for us, that we have a physician, who can be touched with a feeling for our infirmities, seeing that He Himself once took them upon Him, and suffered for them, even unto the death of the cross, on which "His bones were vexed." To this physician let us go, without delay, while He may be found: hear His words, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt.xi. 28. Every broken spirit, every contrite heart, come to me for relief: come while ye may; there is no remedy in the grave. Come,

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and let us return unto the Lord; for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten, and He will bind us up." Hosea vi. 1.

QUESTIONS.

What is indignation ?-Chasten?-Displeasure?-What was the cause of David's sorrow?-What did he do in his sorrow? -With what did he wash his bed and water his couch ?-Why was he afterwards joyful?—What became of his enemies?

PSALM VII.

David declares that he is innocent of the crimes charged on him by his enemies, and foretels their destruction. The Psalm may be considered as foreshewing the perfect innocence of Christ, and the ruin of his persecutors.

1 O Lord my God, in Thee | mine enemies: arise up for me have I put my trust: save me in the judgment that Thou hast from all them that persecute commanded. me, and deliver me;

2 Lest he devour my soul like a lion, and tear it in pieces: while there is none to help.

3 O Lord my God, if I have done any such thing: or if there be any wickedness in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me: yea, I have delivered him that without any cause is mine enemy;

5 Then let mine enemy persecute my soul, and take me : yea, let him tread my life down upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust.

6 Stand up, O Lord, in thy wrath, and lift up thyself, because of the indignation of

7 And so shall the congregation of the people come about Thee: for their sakes therefore lift up Thyself again.

8 The Lord shall judge the people; give sentence with me, O Lord: according to my righteousness, and according to the innocency that is in me.

9 O let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end: but guide Thou the just.

10 For the righteous God: trieth the very hearts and reins.

11 My help cometh of God: who preserveth them that are true of heart.

12 God is a righteous judge, strong and patient: and God is provoked every day.

13 If a man will not turn, he

will whet his sword: he hath ged up a pit : and is fallen himbent his bow, and made itself into the destruction that he ready. made for other.

14 He hath prepared for him the instruments of death: he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.

17 For his travail shall come upon his own head: and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate.

15 Behold, he travaileth with 18 I will give thanks unto mischief: he hath conceived the Lord, according to his sorrow, and brought forth un-righteousness: and I will praise godliness. the Name of the Lord most

16 He hath graven and dig-high.

Ver. 1. persecute,] To follow any one with intent to kill or hurt.

Ver. 2. Lest he devour,] Lest my enemy devour; probably it means Saul, who persecuted David. 1 Sam. xxii. 9—19; xxiii. 26—28.

Ver. 3. any wickedness,] Any such wickedness as I am accused of: Jesus Christ alone, the true David, was altogether free from sin. 1 Pet. ii. 22.

Ver. 4. yea, I have delivered,] David was so far from having done evil to Saul, when at peace with him, that he twice saved the life of this his great enemy, who hated him without a cause. 1 Sam. xxiv. xxvi.

Ver. 5. lay mine honour, &c.] Let him destroy my character, let him bury my good name along with my body, in the grave.

Ver. 6. lift up thyself,] Go up, and sit upon thy high seat of justice: spoken after the custom of men. -the judgment, &c.] God had often commanded His servants to execute judgment upon His enemies: David therefore, since they would not turn, now calls upon God to cut them off from troubling His church; just as Christ denounced judgment upon the Jewish people.

Ver. 8. according to my righteousness, &c.] According as Thou knowest me to have been righteous in my conduct towards my enemies, and innocent of the evil laid to my charge.

Ver. 10. the very hearts and reins,] The most secret desires and thoughts. The reins are, properly, the kidneys.

Ver. 12. God is provoked, &c.] And yet, though provoked, in mercy delays his judgment, to see if men will repent. Though strong and able to punish, yet He is patient and forbearing. How ought this great goodness of God to lead us to repentance!" Rom. ii. 4.

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Ver. 13. He will whet, &c.] God will be making ready the instruments of destruction, as a warrior before the battle whets his sword, and bends his bow, and sets his arrows, (ver. 14.) against an enemy. The wrath of the Lord may be slow, but it is always will not turn and serve him.

sure, if men

Ver. 15. he travaileth with mischief,] He, that is, the ungodly man, has his heart big with mischief: he has been conceiving and plotting misery for me, but it shall fall upon himself: all his schemes are brought forth, or executed, in ungodliness; and so must end in ruin.

Ver. 16. He hath graven,] He hath cut in the ground a place for a pit, and digged it out. They used to dig pits to catch wild beasts in; so it means, "he has been secretly planning to catch and to kill me." Saul and others did so against David: the Jews did so continually against Christ.-fallen himself, &c. It is frequently seen in the world, that the wicked fall

into their own snares, and we have several examples of this in Scripture. Saul was overthrown by those Philistines, whom he would have made the instruments of cutting off David. 1 Sam. xxxi. 1—6. Haman was hanged on his own gallows. Esther vii. 10. The cruel people who cast Daniel into the den of lions, perished there themselves. Dan. vi. 24. And the Jews, who led the Romans to crucify Christ, were themselves, by the Romans, crucified in vast numbers; as we learn from Josephus, book v. chap. 11. So truly does Solomon say of the wicked, "Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices." Prov. i. 31.

Ver. 17. his travail,] That with which he was so big, his mischief.—pate.] Head.

We learn from this Psalm, that the wickedness of the ungodly shall come to an end; that God lets them alone and bears with them for a time: but if they go on in their wickedness, He prepares for them the punishments they deserve, and often makes them the instruments of their own ruin. Let us fear and serve the Lord betimes; let us avoid every thing which may expose us to His displeasure; and trust in Him for deliverance from every danger and every enemy. Thus we shall be able" to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." Eph. vi. 13. To stand even on the latter day, when men and angels shall lift up their voices and cry out together, "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and true is thy judgment.” Psal. cxix. 137.

QUESTIONS.

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What is it to persecute?-Who sought to devour David? What was he like?-What is the meaning of lay mine honour in the dust?'-How was God to lift up Himself?-In what sense was David righteous and without wickedness?-What do you mean by the hearts and reins?-How is God described as a Judge?-God will whet his sword?-Hath bent His bow?

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