three several topics. In this, the first, we look at it as a song of praise for delivering mercy-for delivering mercy experienced by the psalmist himself, who, having written this grateful hymn, hands it "to the chief musician" for use in sanctuary service. Where ca.n our notes of praise for Divine interposition be more appropriately sung tha.n in the fellowship of the saints in the house of the Lord? We are left in doubt, indeed, a.e to whether the help thus celebrated was temporal or spiritual. Either way, the progression of thought in these ten verses is the same. For homiletical purposes we can scarcely let our remarks run on both lines at once. We shall, therefore, confine our thoughts to one kind of deliverance, viz. that from spiritual distress; while a pulpit expositor will find the progression of thought equally appropriate, should he desire to use it to incite to praise for temporal mercy. But our present theme is- praise /or delivering grace. I. HERE 1s A OABE OF BORE DIBTREBS.1 (Ver, 2.) ".An horrible pit;" "the miry clay." Two very striking expressions, which may well represent, figuratively, the wretchedness and peril of a man who is deep down in the mire of sin and guilt, and on whose conscience the load of guilt presses so heavily, that he seems to be sinking-to have no standing; as if he must soon be swallowed up in misery and des~air. II. THE DISTRESS LEADS TO PRAYER. (Ver. I.) There was a "cry ' sent up to God for help. And this help seemed long delayed. There was a prolonged waiting in agony of prayer, that deliverance would come. The Hebrew is not exactly, "I waited patiently," but "waiting, I waited," signifying "I waited long." He who, broken down under conviction of sin, pleads with God for mercy, and will not Jet him go except he blesses him,-such a one shall never wait in vain. III. PRAYER 18 ANSWERED, AND DELIVERING GRACE IS VOUCHSAFED. (Ver. 2.) How great the change I From sinking in a pit, the psalmist is lifted up and set upon a rock I How apt and beautiful the figure to set forth the cha.nge in the penitent's position, when, after being weighed down by sin, he is lifted up and set firmly on the Rock of Agee I IV. HENCE THERE m A NEW BONG m THE MOUTH. (Ver. 3.) How often do we read of a new song I The song of redeeming grace is new, snperadded to ·the song of creation. It will be ever new; whether on earth or in heaven, it can never grow old, it can Jose none of its freshness and glory I V . .As THE RESULT, THERE IS A TWOFOLD EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE. 1. Surrender of will, heart, life, and all, to God. (Vers. 6-8.) "In the roll of the book" it was prescribed that Israel's king was to fulfil the will of God, a.nd that such fulfilment of the will of God was more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Note: The doctrine here expressed is no mark of a later date than David (see 1 Sam. xii.; xv. 22; Pss. J.; li.16; Isa. i. 11; Jcr. vii. 21; Hos. vi. 6; Micah vi.1-8). 2. The proclamation of God's merciJ bejol'e men. (Vers. 9, 10.) There is nothing like the experience ,,f "grace 11bounding to the chief of sinners," to give power in spe11king for God. He who having been first "in the pit," then" on his knees," then "on the Rock," ia the man who will ha.ve power when he stands "in the pulpit."-C.
Vera. 11-17.-" Poor and needy:" a prayer and a plea, There are many psalms which begin in a sigh and end with II song, showing us that even in the act of waiting before God, and of waiting on God, the darkness often passes 11w11y. We find our burden rolling off in the very act· and energy of prayer, Iu this psalm, however, matters are reversed; and immediately following on a song of triumph and a vow or surrender, there is a piteous wail. This dissimilarity, nay, almost discordance, hns leu to a very gonernl opinion that what here seems to be the l11tter part of this psalm is actudly another psalm, which has somehow or other come to be attached to this one. The probability of this is confirmed by the fact that Ps. Jxx. is the same ns the close of P~. xl. But, of course, at this distance of time, data which would fully explain that cannot be expecl"l:d to be available. Still, it is a great comfort to bo permitted to think of this paragraph as being penned at a different time and under different circum- stances from those which called forth the preceding ton versos. It would be discournging, 1 Bishop Perowne'e notes throughout this psalm are even more tlum 11Bue.lly full nnd helpful. 316 THE BOOK OF PSALMS.