Address —
1 . The self-righteous and self-sufficient —
[How unlike are you to David, or indeed to any other of the saints of God! Look at Job1, Isaiah"1, Paul"; Are you better than they ? Seek then to possess more of their spirit : for it is " he who humbleth himself, and he only, that shall ever be exalted " ]
2. The broken-hearted and contrite —
[Be not discouraged because you see your vileness ; but rather be thankful to God, who has made you sensible of your desert. And do not imagine, that, because you cannot be jus- tified by any thing of your own, you cannot be justified at all: for Christ came into the world for such as you ; " He came to seek and to save that which was lost : " and the vilest person in the universe, if with a penitent and contrite heart he believe in Christ, is authorized confidently to say, " In the Lord have I righteousness and strength0" ]
1 Job ix. 20, 21, 30, 31, 32. and xlii. 6. m Isai. vi. 5. n Rom. vii. 18. ° Isai. xlv. 22, 24.
Ps. cxliii. 7 — 10. Hear me speedily, 0 Lord! my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit. Cause me to hear thy loving -kindness in the morning ; for in thee do I trust : cause me to knozv the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Deliver me, 0 Lord, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
THIS is the last of what are called the Penitential Psalms ; and it is appointed by the Church to be read at the beginning of Lent, as being peculiarly suited to that season which is more particularly consecrated to humiliation before God. It is supposed, by many, that it was written at the time of Absalom's rebellion : but I conceive that it must rather have been penned during the persecutions which he suffered at the hands of Saul : because his trouble had evidently been of long continuance3 ; whereas that which arose from Absalom's rebellion was soon terminated. However
a ver. 3.