terrible, Amidst tho darkness, and with fears on every side: 1. God's indignation is deprecated. Affliction is hard to bear; but with God's wrath it would be overwbelmin". 2. God's pity is appealed to. Weakness is pleaded, and the hope expressed that in deserved wrath God will remember mercy. His smile will turn the darkness to light. 3. God's deliverance is entreated. It is craved on the ground of God's mercies (ver. 4). H is urged on account of the brevity of life, and because death will put an end to the power of serving God in this world (vcr. 5). It is claimed as the only relief for the helpless and miserable (ver. 7). II. 'l'HE RESPONSE OF A GRACIOUS GoD. It is said the darkest hour is that before the dawn. So here the psalmist, in his utter weakness and woe, turning from sin unto God, finds help. A light surprises him like sunrise breaking in suddenly on a dark night (vers. 8, 9). The answer from God is not only quick and timely, but effectual. 'fhrice the glad heart says, "God bas beard," thus confirming to itself the news which seems almost too good to be true.-W. F. Vers. I-10.-Night and morning in the soul. I. NIGHT. There is darkness. God hides himself. 'l'here is dreariness. The soul is left alone with sad aod distressing thoughts. There is depression. The ghosts of past misdeeds rise up. There are nameless terrors. But though perplexed, there need not be despair. God is near, He can help. He can even give songs in the night. II. MonNING. Light comes, bringing hope and peace. God bas heard the cry of his child. Such deliverances are comforting. They not only show Go<.l's mercy an<.l truth, but they prophesy of complete redemption. If there be night, let us wait for tbo morning. The weary traveller, the tempest-tossed mariner, the city watch- man dreading the assault of the foe, comfort themselves with the thought that the morning cometh, So let us look up, for our redemption draweth nigh (Luke xxi. 28). -W.l<'. Vers. 1-10.-Great affiictions, greater consolation. The langun.ge in this psalm mny seem exaggerated and unreal. But it is not so. "\Vant of imagination and sympathy in some, and want of experience in others, make them unlit judges. We neither know our strength nor our weakness till we are tried. 'l'he man who may have stood up to help others in their troubles may bo cast down and disconsolate when visited with trouble himself (Job iv. 3-5). Learn- I. 'l'nAT THERE ARE WORSI!: AFFLICTIONS TRAN WE KNOW OF. Wo must not make our life the limit-, nor our experience the standard. Besides what v,e see, there is what we only hear of, and besides all thes~, there are miseries beyond our wildest imaginings. Even as to ourselves, let our case be ever so bad, we can conceive of its brcomi □ g worse. What a glimpse have we of the dread possibilities of the future in that solemn word of our Lonl to the man who bad for thirty and oight years been a helpless cripple, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" (John v. 14) I II. THAT TllERE ABE ADEQUATE CONBOLA'l'IONB FOR THE SEVEREST TRIALS. Come what will, God is our Refuge and our Strength. Let us therefore be patient and trust. Let us nlso be thankful. Things might be far worse than they are. Let us also bear ourselves gently and kindly to others who suffer. It is thoso who have themselves been sorely tried who can best sympathize, as it ie those who have themselves been comforted who can best comfort others (2 Cor. i. 3-5).-W. F.
Vers. 1-I0.-Deliverancefrom sore trouble. "In the malice of bis enemies David sees the rod of God's chastisement, and therefore makes his prayer to Go<l for <.leliver- auce. The struggle has lasted so long, the grief is so bilter, that his health has given w11y, aud he bns been brought to the g11tes of the grave. But ere long light and peace visit him, and he breaks forth into the joy of thanksgiving." I. A PICTURE OF COMPLICA'l'ED DISTUESS. 1. Danger from outward foes. Producin7. constant fear and anxiety, and perhar-s threatening his life. 2. A sense of being uncle~ the chastising /,and of God. 'fhe malice of his enemies was regarded as the rod by which God in his anger was punishing him-an Old 'l'estamcnt view. "As many as I love I rebuke and chasten "-the New 'l'estarnent view. 3. 'l'hese two things wused the prostration of both body and soul. Mental troubles aro the causes of our severest 42 TRE DOOK OF PSALMS. [rs. vu. 1-17.
:iffiictions and sufferings. Threatened by man, frowned upon by God, laid lo\V bJ disease,-tb:it is the picture here given. lI. ARGUMENTS USED IN SUPPORT OF TIIE CRY FOR DELIVERANCE, "Let thine anger cease ; " " Forgive my sins." 1. Because of the extremity of my su_fferings. Ho "languished" (ver. 2). His" bones were terrified" (ver. 2). His" soul sore vexed" (ver. 3). His bed swam with his te:irs (ver. 6). His eye wasted and grew dim with his grief (ver. 7). It is an nppeal to the Divine pity. "He will not keep his anger for ever." 2. His power of endurance was exhausted. "0 Jehovah, how long? " I cannot endure the severity of thy judgments. "How long?" was all Calvin said in his most inte~se grief. Here it means," Do not quite destroy me, for I am well-nigh spent." Still a cry for mercy. 3. Because his death would put an end to his power to pi-aise God. " There is here the childlike confidence which fears not to advance the plea that God's glory is concerned in granting his request." And that is the ground of all true prayer-the grnnting will honour thee. Those in Sbeol lived a spectral, :,lrndowy life, apart from the light of God's presence, and could not praise him. "The living, the living, be shall praise thee." The meaning here is-it is pleasing to God to be praised, and pleasing to himself to praise. UL THE TRIUMI'H OF BELmVING, PENITENTIAL PRAYER. Salvation from his enemies had become a patent fact. God bad forgiven, and he was safe, and could now rejoice. The psalm epitomizes bis experience, and that accounts for the sudden change in the eighth verse. Our sins are our greatest foes, and when God, through Christ, forgives them, that is the hour of our greatest trinmpb.-S.