And praiae thy Name for thy loving-kindneas stnmling all God's glory and greatness, be and for thy truth. "Mercy " and " troth " condescends to look upon the lowly, to con- are God's two highest attributes (Exod. sider their needs, and to supply them (comp. xxxiv. 6). They wore especially shown to Isa. !vii. 15). Hence David feels sure that Israel in God's promises and his fidelity to he will not be overlooked (see vera. 7, 8). them. For thou hast magnifted thy Word :But the proud he knoweth af&r oif. God above all thy Name. Some would amend keeps proud men at a di,tnnce, does not draw the text, and read 1noN, "thy truth," for near to them, much less make his &bode with them, but leaves them to themselves 1n,oii, "thy Word." But if we keep the until they are ripe for punishment. text, and understand 1n,ot,t as "thy pro- Ver. 7.-Though I walk in the midst of mise," the sense will not be very different. trouble, thou wilt revive me (comp. Pa. God bas magnified bis promise, and his xxiii. 4). David" walked in the midst of faithfulness to it, above all his other revealed trouble" during the gre&ter part of his lire. attributes. When the persecution or Saul was over, he Ver. 3.-In the day when I cried thou h&d trouble from foreign enemies (2 Sam. answeredst me. Thy cmswer came to my v.-xii.); when the8e were subdued, bis prayer almost ne soon as it was out or domestic troubles began (2 Sam. xiii.- my month. And strengthenedst me with xix. ; 1 Kings v. 53). God, however, from strength in my soul. The promptness of time to time" gave him a reviving." Thou thy answer gave wy soul fresh strength. shalt stretoh forth thine hand ag&inst the Ver. 4.-All the kings of the earth shall wrath of mine enemies (comp. Pas. iii. 7; praise thee, 0 Lord. The world shall be ix. 3-6; xviii. 14-17, etc.). What God converted to thy worship when it is seen had so often done for him, David is con- how promptly and fully thou answerest fident that he will do a.gain. He will hre&k prayer (comp. Pss. lxviii. 31, 32; oii. 15). the power of bis enemies, and deliver him When they hear the words of thy mouth. from their mochino.tions. And thy right The promised tliat thou mo.kest, and thy hand. The symbol or strength. Sh&ll aave performance of them. me; or, "deliver me" (comp. Pee. xviii. 35; Ver. 5.-Yea, they shall Bing in the ways Ix. 5; lxiii. 8; cviii. 6, etc.). of the Lord. They, i.e. the kings, shall Ver. 8.-The Lord will perfect that which sing, no longer in their own misguided ooncemeth me; i.e. will complete what he heathen ways, but in the ways or the Lord, hns begun for me-will not leave his work in the mode prescribed by his Law and unfinished ( comp. Ps. lvii. 2; Phil. i. 6). practised in his temple (comp. Isa. xlix. 22, Thy mercy, 0 Lord, eudureth for ever. Does 23 ; b:. 3-5, etc.). For great is the glory not suddenly break off 11nd stop. Forsa.ke oftheLord. (Solsa. lx.1-3; lxvi.18.) n not the works of thine owu hands. This is is this "glory" wh~oh attracts "all nations probably more than e. mere personnl request. and tongues." David sees in God's co.re for himself e. por- Ver. 6.-Thcugh the Lord be high, yet tion or his gre11t providential scheme for hath he re1peot unto the lowly. Notwith- the redem ptio11 of &he world.
HOMILETIOS. Vera. 1-8.-The goodness of God. There are very Cow psalms where so much is crowded into a very small compaBB as in this. The writer in a very few strokes brings out those features in the character of God which mako him to be the One who is worthy of our deepest reverence, of our fullest confidence, of our most grateful praise. We have- I. Hrs LOVTNG-KINDNESS. (Ver. 2.) II. His FAI'l'HFULNEBS. (Ver. 2.) The psalmist gives thanks for II thy truth," and goes on to say that God bas done th&t for him which more than fulfils his word of promise (see Josh. xxiii. 14). It is not only in the ordering of our outw11rcl !if,,, but in his dealing with us in the gospel of his Son, that "God is faithful" (1 Cor. i. 9). It is II he that is true" who speaks to us from heaven (eee Rev. iii. 7), and summons us to his service and to his friendship. It is the unvarying tcRtimony of Christian men, as their course closes, that their Divine Lord bas been faithful to them, working in them aud doina for them all that he bad promised to them. III. THE coN;ITIONs OF HIS FELLOWSHIP. (Ver. 6.) There is nothing moro explicitly revealed, both in Old Testament and New, than this doctrine of humility. 304 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [Ps. oxxxvm. 1-8.