II. WHAT IB REVEALED BY THE MOOD 011' MIND THAT FLEES TO Goo. 1. A right apprehension of God. Wholly consistent with reverent thoucrht of God is a restful confidence in him. No man apprehends God aright who only knows him as good; he must know that he is good to him. Hie knowing this is seen in his fleeing to hide in him. 2. A right apprehension of self. This involves cherished assurance of dependence, and absence of all desire to be other than dependent. Only to the depen- dent soul can God ever reveal himself. 3. A full confidence of safety in the defence of God. That full confidence involves the assurance of safety from perilous self as well as from treacherous foes.-R. T. Vers. 11, 12.- Vindications left with God. "Whatever of human frailty may attach to the desire of vengeance, yet the fact remains that to smite the oppressor of righteousness is a part of • the goodness' of God." "It is worthy of observation that the psalmist pleads God's righteousness as the foundation on which he bases his suppli- cation for the deliverance of bis soul out of trouble; and God's loving-kindness or mercy as that on which he grouncls his prayer, or his conviction, that God will destroy hie enemies." I. WHAT A MAN MAY DO WITH HIS ENEMIES, Submit and suffer; or oppose and suffer. A man may take dealing with his enemies into his own hands; aud spend his life in seeking opportunities for crushing them and avenging himself. But then one of two things will happen. (1) He may fail, and bring ruin upon himself by his attempts. Or (2) he may succeed, but only nt the cost of his own moral ruin ; for he fatally injures his own character by cherishing hateful, revengeful feeling through the long years. Can a man ever safely avenge himself? Tho answer is an emphatic No. He cannot do it wisely. He cannot help injnring himself in the doing. "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves." II. \VHAT A MAN IIAD BETTER DO WITH HIS ENEMIES. Leave them with God. But that may involve keeping the slur upon our reputation. Never mind, God can vindicate us in his own time and way. His own approval of us is the pledge that everybody else will approve of us sooner or later. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." We may always be sure of two things. (1) In the economy of life punishment works out for the wrong-doer; and (2) God will surely see that tbo outworking is not interfered with. But leaving our enemies with God meaos praying to God about them. Not praying to God against them. Not telling God what we wish hi~ to do with t.hem. Only commending them to his consideration in such a way that we shall be wholly relieved of the burden of dealing with them.-R. 'l'.
Vere. 1-12.-.A complaint and a prayer. This the last of the penitential psalms. The authorship and occasion of it uncertain. Pervaded by a deep tone of sorrow an,l anguish and a deep sense of sic. Rnughly divided, the.first rnrt (vers. 1-6) coot:\ins the complaint; and the second (ven. 7-12), the prayer founJed on that compbint. I. 'l'HE COMPLAINT. 1. His enemies overwhelmed with a sense of desolation. (Vers. 3, 4.) "His life was smitten down;" he dwelt as in the darkness of death; his heart was desolate. No friend was left ; no protection from the cruel injustice of men. Ho was as if forsaken of God. All this was the means of revealing the sinful- ness aud misery of his own heart. 2. The contrast between his past and present experience. (Ver. 6.) This embittered his anguish and added to the sense of his desolation. 3. He stands as one imploring help. (Ver. 6.) Dut to whom, as yet, help has not come. As parched land thirsts for rain, so ho pants for the help of God. II. THE PRAYER. '!'he petitions in vers. 7-12 may bo thus ~rouped: 1. Prayer for speedy loving-kindness and direction. (Vere. 7, 8.) 2. For deliverance from enemies and fuller lcnowledge of God's will. (Vers. 9, 10.) And for power to obey that will when thus made known. 3. For new life and deliverance from tlie sufferings caused by his enemies. (Vers. 11, 12.) A new internal and external life-a complete change. 4. The ground of the several petitions is the personal relation of the psalmist to God. "Thou art my God;" "In thee have I trusted;" "I nm thy servant;" etc. Man is God's child, 'l'hese the strongest appeals that could bo mad<'.-8. 862 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. OXLIV. 1-16.
EXPOSITION.