whom he was asso.i\ed, reproached, and slandered. From them he appeals to God. By the heading of the psalm we are pointed to David as the author. And there is no reason for questioning that. Mr. Fa.uSBet, in his most suggestive book, • Hora, Psalmicm,' working along the line of "undesigned coincidencel'," remarks, "Another feature of undesigned coincidence is the uum.istakable identity of David's character, as he reveals it in the Psalms, and 88 the independent historian describes it in the Books of Samuel and Chronicles. Thns the same ardent love to the house of God appears in both. How instinctively one feel~ the harmony between the character self~ portrayed in Ps. xxvi. 8; Ps. xxvii. 4; and Ps. lxix. 9 ! Compare the historian's record of his words to Zadok (2 Sa.m. xv. 25), and still more in 1 Chron. xxix. 2, 3." 1 Undoubtedly, thus read and compared, the Psalms and the history mutually throw light upon and confirm each other. But in following out our plan in this section-of dealing with each psalm as a unity-we lind this, 88 well as all the rest, furnishing material for pulpit exposition, which we could ill afford to lose. Our topic is-Assailed integrity's final appeal. I. WE HAVE HERE THE CHARACTER OF AN UPRIGHT llUN, SKETCHED BY HIMSELF, It may not be a very wholesome exercise for a man to be engaged in-to sketch a moral portraiture of himself. Painters have often painted their own portraita; that requires but an outward gaze on one's outer self; but to delineate one's own likeness morally requires much introspection. Few can carry on much of that without becoming morbid through the process; and fewer still, perhaps, have fidelity enough to do it adequately and correctly. Yet there may be circumstances under which such abuormal work becomes even necessary (as we shall point out presently). And when such is the case, it is well if we can honestly point to such features of character and life as are presented to us here. 1. The psalmist has a goodly /O'Undation on which his life was built up. (1) Trust in Jehovah (ver. 1). (2) God's loving-kindness (ver. 3). (3) God's truth (vcr. 3); i.e. God's faithfulness. Note: That all the supports of the psalmist's integrity were outside himself. Happy is the man that, under all the circumstances of lire, can stay his mind and heart on Divine faithfulness and love. If such underlying props cease to sustain, moral and spiritual worth will soon pine from lack of motive and hope. It is one ,·f the evils of the day that some of our most popular novelists delineate religion without God.3 2. The life lrui7t up on tliis foundation was one which may with advantage be imitated. It was a life of: (1) fotegrity (ver. 11). (2) Straightforward progress (ver. 1). No sliding. (3) Avoidance of evil associa- tions (vers. 4, 5). (4) Cultivation of holy worship, song, and thanksgiving in tho sanctuary 3 (vers. 6-8, 12). Note: (a) Thoso to whom God is the support of their life, will show a life worthy of such support. (b) 'l'hui;e who most value communion with God and a life hidden with him, will most fully appreciate and most diligcutly cultivate that stimulus and comfort which como from mingling with Go,l's people in the worship of the sanctuary. II. 'fHE MOST UPRIGHT OF MEN MAY llE MISUNDERSTOOD, UNAPPRECIATED, MIS- REPRESENTED, AND ASSAILED. Speo.king roughly and generally, it is no doubt true tho.t, on the whole, a man's reputation will be the reflection of what he is, and that most men go for what they are worth. And yet, so long as there aro envious hearts, jealous dispositions, unbridled t-0ngues, few can be regarded a~ absolutely safe from detraction and slander. Our Lord JeRus implies anti even states as much as this (cf. Matt. v. 44; x. 25; xviii. 6, 7; John xv. 18). See Peter's words (1 Pet. ii. 12; iv. 14); sec Paul's words (Hom. xii. 18, 19). Paul had to bear much in the way of psalm, "Tho psalmiat lived during one of the darker parts of the period between Ezra and the Macoobbees." llut not an atom of proof is given of that statement. All we know is ipse di:,;it. We abide by the heading of tbe psalm, until aome rea,011 for the co11trary is show11; but see note 3. 1 • Horm Psalmiom,' pp. 49, 75.
• For a masterly exposw·e of this evil, ■ee Rev. Wm. Arthur's work,' Religion without Goo.' • The word rendered "compass thine altin," otc., is thought by Ewald and Lengerke to refer to David's religious dances round the nltar (soe Geikie, 'Hours with the Dible,' vol. iii. p. 235). If so, Cheyne•~ assertion ne to d11to ie still more mt1nifestly unjustifi11blt1 11ud rw1h. 106 TIIE BOOK OF PSA.Ll\lS. (PS, XXVI, 1-12.