Vns. 1~9.-" This psalm is a stern upbi-aiding addressed to th~ man. who! unscru- pulous in tLc exercise of his power, and proud of bia wealth, finds his delight 1n all the arts of tlie practised liar." I. Tim AllI:OGANC:U: OF A WICKED MAN IN WOilLDLY POWER. 1. He boasts of tht1 evil which he does. He is not ashamed of his wickedooss. 2. He is bent upon ever new forms of mischief. Works deceitfully, and not openl,1', and bis tongue, as th? instrument of l1is m iurl, is ever plotting fresh devices of evil. 3. He loves false spealcing and false ways more tl,an the true. The wickedness is in~rained, and not merel.l'. resorted to for a p;;rp(Jse. 4. He exults in material riches. Thinks they can carry him through, and cn~.hle him to brave all consequences. II. 'I'm: CERTAINTY OF RIB OVERTHROW. 1. The goodness of God will enmre it. G0,l loves the goo<l; and his love for them endureth for ever-enHnring the overthrow of the wicked. 2. 'l'he sure connection of guilt and punishment, (Ver, 6.) 'l'ho rirnlwist bad no hesitation in predicting his future foll. re. tllt. 1-G.J 'l'HE BOOK OF PSALMs. 4ll
Irr. TnE BYMPATilY WIIIOIT GOOD MEN FEEL WITH Goo's BIGTITF.OUS WORK. (Ver. 6.) 'fhey are filled with a holy filial/ear; and they rejoice at the triumph of the right and tho true over the unjust and the untrue. IV. Goo's GOODNESS GIVES CONFIDENCE AND THANKFULNESS TO THE RIGHTEOUS (Vcrs. 8, O.) 'l'rust, praise, and patience wait upon thy Name.-S.
EXPOSITION. of iniquity "-n diil'crcnce wholly unimp0r- PSALIII LIII. tant. Ver. 5.-There were they in great fi:ir, Tms p~::ilm is" repctitio11 of Pa. xiv., wllh where no fear was. So long a phr,\sc ns certain nut very important varintions. The "wherenofoarwas"(i;,J ;r;,,t',)canscarcely most rcmnrkn.ble is the substitution through- have" fallen out," and mast have been nd<lc,I out of•• Elohim" for" Jehornh." The only intentionally to mark that, on the occasion vnrintions which Riter the senso are in in connection with which the revision was ver. 5. These cn.nnot be accounted for by made, there had been no ground at all fol' the panic. For Goi hath scattered the bo:ics corruption, and seem to indicate I\ retouch- of him that enoampeth against ths9. Ti.is ing of the original composition in order to clo.use tukes the place ol' the following i,1 adapt it to a special occasion. Pa. xiv.: "For Go,l is in the generation of The expression, "upon J\fohalath," or, the righteous"--e. very considerable chnngc, "eet to Mahalath," in the title. is thought "hich must certainly have been intentional. On the second occasion whereto the psalm to be a musical direction, and is explained wn.s made applicable, there must hn.vc been hy Dr. Kay as equivalent to the mo,lern o. very great co.lastrophc-some vust sln.ugl,- Mai!gloso. ter of an enemy who h::td been at open \'l"ar wiLh Ism.cl. Sennnchcrib is suggested V crs. 1 And 2 nre identicnl with the snme (Canon Cook). Thou hast put them to verses of Pa. xiv., with the singlo exception shame, baca.nsa Go:! hath despised them. that" ,Jehovnh "is replaceJ by" Elohiu1," Tile clo.uee in Pa. xiv. which this rcpln.ccs as the first word of ver. 2. runs o.s follows: "Ye havA sh:ime,l tlrn Ver. 8.-For "they are all gone nsido" cmrnsel of the poor, because the Lord is his (ic ',:i;,) in Ps. xiv., the present psalm ho.!!, llPfuge." 'Hero Bgn.in, both the phrll,Sl'S "every onn of them is gone back" (w 1S:i) used, o.nd the whole tenor of the thought in -o. diffcr,-nce which mn.y bo due to corrup- either case, a.re different. tion, nn,l which is, at auy rate, of no impor- Ver. 6.-Tllis verse is i<lentioal with Ps. tance. xiv. 7, except in the substitution of "Elo- Ver. 4.-For "tho workers of iniqnity" him" for "Jehovah," o.nd iJ2 tile pointin 6 in this verse, Ps. xiv. ho.s "all the workers of one word.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vcrs. 1, 2.-.All1eis1n contrmted with _qodlines.~. I. ATIIEISM. "No God." This Implies: 1. Denial of God's existence. This is folly. 'l'he ns,ertion proves nothi111,'., Negatives nre not arguments. Besides, there may be a God, though you, the deni,,r, have not found him. You have not yet explored the universe. 2. Denial of God's moral gov,rnment of tlie world. "No Go<l ! " if so, then there is nothing but chance. '!'here c:in be no Jaw without a lawgiver, no or,lcr w:thout a controllini;: min,I. '' No Go,!!" llll'n we are free to do our own pico.sure. "Lot us eat and drink; fur to- morrow we die." 3. Denwl of God's grace in the redemption of sinnors by Jesus Christ. ~•No God I " then the 13iblo is a fable, heaven aud hell are dreams, the l•cncfitd of the gospel are a delusion, faith iu Curi,t e.nd tho resurrection is a mockery and a lie. II. GODLINESS. "The fool hnth said in hi~ heart, Thero is no God;" but the wiso man says that there is n God, and that" he is the Rcwnrdcr of n.11 who diligontly seek him." Godliness implies: 1. Faith in God as revealed in Christ Jesus. Hero is the satisfaction of the soul. 2. Life ruled by the law of Christ, which is holy, just, and good. H,-re is the true ideal, a.nd the Spirit., by the gospel, shows hew it may b& U2 THE BOOK OF PSALMS. [PB, LIV, 1-7,
realized. 3. Prayer and holy endeavour to the end, We are not left to struggle alone, but ha"l"e the Word to guide us, the promises to cheer us, the love of Christ to inspire us, that we may go from strength to strength, and that when called hence we may enter upon the blessed 1md perfect life beyond this world. 'l'hus the godly witness for God. They testify to his being, for in him they live; to his character, for their aim is to be holy as he is holy; to his will anJ government, for they strive to do justly as he does justly, and to be merciful as he is merciful, who "maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." All the good in themselves, in society, in the wol'ld, is from God. What has been is in agreement with what is now. 'l'he progress of all things is towards a perfect end. The cross, which overthrew paganism, and triumphed over the eagles of Rome, is destined to win greater and :ret greater victories. Yet a little while, and the great "l"oices of heaven shall c,y, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev. xi. 15).-W. F.