Ver. 4.-Man's thoughts. I. MAN IIAS THOUGHTS. He can direct his mind to the past, the present, the future. He can speculate as to the manifold things that come before him and affect Lis interests. It is his glory that he can think; it is his shame that he so often thinks foolishly. II. MAN's THOUGHTS DEPEND UPON BIS MOB.AL CONDITION. We are creatures of feeling. What is uppermost in our hearts will be uppermost in our thoughts. The good man has good thoughts, the evil man evil thoughts. Change the character of the heart, and you change the character of the thoughts (Prov. xii. 5; xv. 26; Matt. xii. 33). III. WHEN THE MORAL DISPOSITION JS CORRUPT, THE TENDENCY JS TO EX0LUDE Goo FROM THE THOUGHTS, The plan, the labours, the enjoyments of life are too often without God (Luke xii. 19, 20; Jas. iv. 13). This is irrational, criminal, and ruinous (Ps. c:xlvi. 4).-W. F. Vers. 17, 18.-Trial in three aspects. L TRIAL A8 A PAINFUL INFLI0TION. "For the present . . . grievous" (Heb. x:iL 11). II. As A HOLY DISCIPLINE. There is a "needs be." God means us good, to make us partakers of his holiness. III. As A SALUTARY EXPERIENCE. David says, "It was good for me that I was afflicted," and he gives reasous for this. Looking back, humbled and awed, but grateful, we can praise God for his judgments as well as for his mercies. We have the witness in ourselves that God is love, and that when he chastens us it is for our good. Thus we learn t-0 suffer and to wait. The future is bright with hope. In the heavenly world to which we aspire there shall be no more pain, no more sorrow, nor crying, nor tears. Christ will make all things new.-W. F. Vers. 1-18.-The righltous God. The one grand throught which runs through this psalm and most of the Old Testament literature is that God, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary, is a _Righteous Bei~g, ~nd that all wickC?°:ess ~ust be punished and overthrown. In this psalm two prmctpal thoughts are v1v1dly pictured forth, and a prayer. I. A COMPLAINT TO GOD OF THE DARING ATHEISM OF THE WICKED. (Vers.1-11.) 1. He imagines J,imself to be above all, restraint, human or Divine. (Vere. 2-4.) Proud, ll(Jastful, blessincr the robber, despising God, blind. "He requiretb not; there is no God." 2. He feels safe° and prosperous. (Vere. 6, 6.) 3. His ways are full of deceit and t1iolence. (Vera. 7, 8.) '!'his is a description of the wicked mnn in the very fulness rs. xt.1-7.J 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMS. 71
nnd monstrosity of his evil power. 4. The cr1telty of his ways. (Vers. 9-11.) He is compared ton ravenous lion, His ferocity is entirely unrestrained, because either thero is no God or he will not concern himself with the fate of the oppressed and affiicted, II. A PRAYER FOR Goo's INTERPOSITION, (Vet9. 12-15.) 1. Founderl upon the contrast between the thou_qhts of the wicked and t[le act,1,al conduct of Gorl. (Vers. 12-14.) 2. And upon the expectations of the helpless and the forlorn. (Ver. 14.) "The belples~ leaveth it to thee, and thou wilt not disappoint him." 3, Wickedness can be destroyed and made to disappear from amongst men. (Ver. 15.) III. 'l'HE TRIUMPH OF FAITH. The psalmist looks upon God's work of comfort ann salvation as being quite as certain in the future as if they bad been works done in the past. 1. Jehovah is King fur ever and ever. (Ver. 16.) Nothing can overturn his tternal will. 2. The future triumph of Goa's righteousness is regarded as already com- pleted. (Vera. 17, 18.) The beginning of the work which he has seen gives him faith that it will be perfected. "Perfect that which concerneth us." "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ."-S.