Vers. 29, 30, 128, 163.-The fal,se way and the false word. The love of Divine truth cannot coexist with the tolerance of any kind of falsity; they are mutually exclusive. We have- • I. THE FALSE WAY AND THE FALSE WORD. 1. The false way. This may be the way of (1) religious error, involving the miserable falsities and the dark immoralities of heathenism; (2) religious Rffectation, the making pretence of conviction which is not held, and of feelings which are not felt; (3) vice, which cheats by promising con- tinued pleasure and yielding dissatisfaction, pain, shame, and death; (4) vanity which also fails to keep its promise, holding out high hopes at the start, but end.in"0 in disenchantment, dreariness, and disgust; (5) procrastination, which becruiles and betrays. 2. The false word. This may be either (1) falsehood itself-.'.the open, unblushing lie; or (2) false suggestion-keeping to the truth in word, but conveyin" an essentially false idea; or (3) exaggeration, which is one part truth and one part falsehood, the former being often just enough to float the latter without excusing or even extenuating the wrong. II. THE HOLY AND WISE HATRED OF EVIL. "I hate;" "I hate and abhor." These strong words are not too strong. We are " to abhor that which is evil; " to tum towards it a spirit of uttermost aversion. This is: 1. Holy; for it is God-like. "Lying lips are an abomination" to him. It is Christ-like. We know what he thought of the pretentiousness of an unreal and worldly pietism (see Matt. xxiii.). 2. It is wise; for falsity of thought and speech undermines character, dissociates from the true and good, leads down to spiritual and eternal death. III. THE RIGHT AFFECTION. It is well, indeed, for those who can say, "Now love I thy Law;" it is everything to delight in the loving, cleansing, upholding truth of God; and, more especially, to love and therefore follow him who himself is the Truth 11,nd the Wisdom of God (John xiv. 6; 1 Cor. i. 24).
HOMILIES BY VA.RIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-176.-Introductory to whole psalm I. WHOM WAS IT WRITTEN BY? 1. Some assert that it is David's work. 'l'hey pro1'ess to be able to find proofs of his sty le and manner, and there is no limit to the laudatione they pass on this psalm; but extravagant rhetoric proves nothing. 2. But all Ow chief and most reliable ef f¾IYfositors refuse to admit the Davidic authorship. 'l'he style is far later than that of David. In the Lamentations of Jeremiah there is a similar alphabetical composition. It is alto- gether an artificial and diclactic composition, widely different from that which we have most reason to assign to the age and pen of David. Moreover, so far as we know, that general reading of the Law, which this psalm presuppose~, coul~ not have been w~thout the wide circulation of copies of the Law. But of such c1rculat1on we have no evidence until the time of Ezra. Moreover, the life of David, as it is portrayed in the Scriptures, seems quite out of keeping with the tone, spirit, and allusions of this psalm. 3. lt ia not possible (o name any individual person as the author. But we gather from the psalm that it was written by a devoted servant of God, whoever ho may have been; that he was probably a young man-one of those of whom St. John would say," I_ have written unto you young men, because ye i.re strong, and have overcome the wicked one." Vere. 9, 99, 100, warrant the supposition that he was young. But, nover- t heless, deeply taught of God to love the Word of God, and to continually feed upon it. Very lowly minded and humble lefore God. See the general tone of tho p~alm, and especi.illy•the last eig'rl verses. He serms to have been much tried (vere. 21, 23, 36,37). PS, Oll'.llt, 1-176.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 123