The plan.

PSALM CXL.

To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

1 DELIVER me, O Lord, from the evil man, preserve me from the violent man, 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart. Continually are they gathered

together for war:

3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent;

Adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

Preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.

5 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords;

They have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah. 6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

8 Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked:

Further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah.

9 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them,

10 Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire,

Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

11 Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth:

Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him;

12 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right

of the poor.

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name:

The upright shall dwell in thy presence.

The Psalmist. ANOTHER Psalm "of David," to be sung by all saints, even as it was used by their Head, David's Son. In it we have (ver. 1-3) the picture of the wicked, with a “Selah," that bids us pause over its dark colours. Then we have (ver. 4, 5) a view of the snares spread by the wicked, with another "Selah-" pause. Thereafter, we see a soul in the attitude of faith (ver. 6-8). They are laying their snares, but calm as Elisha beholding the Syrian host assembling (2 Kings vi. 15), the stayed soul sings"I have said to the Lord, My God art thou ;" And then he prays, putting a "Sela" at the close, that we may again pause and survey the scene.

* We meet with Selah here for the first time since Psa. lxxxix. From Psa. xc. to Psa. cxl. no Selah occurs. Why omitted in these fifty, we cannot tell, any more than why so often occurring in others. However, there are only about forty Psalms in all in which it is used.

In ver. 9-11 we have the certainty of the wicked's overthrow. It is spoken of as a thing to be realised as a matter of course. It is a glance at the great day of the Lord, when he destroys the Man of Sin, and all such foes.

"Coals of fire shall be thrown upon them;

He will precipitate them into raging gulfs (ibhp);

They shall rise no more."

And then we have (ver. 12, 13) the calm assurance of blessing to the righteous, introduced by an expression that sends our thoughts away to Job's memorable utterance of his hope that the Redeemer would appear on the earth at the latter day, (xix. 25). I know," says the Psalmist--

"I know that Jehovah will execute

The judgment of the poor, the right of the needy.”

And then in verse 13 the expression, like that in Psa. lxxiii. 1, intimates that these are inferences drawn from previous reflection. The issue shall be this, the righteous shall praise his name, and dwell before his face for ever. They shall inherit the promised kingdom, entering in with songs, and continuing their songs for ever. Such is this song of the sweet singer of Israel, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, setting forth The Righteous One amid snares, confidently expecting the ruin of the ungodly, and his own reward.

PSALM CXLI.

A Psalm of David.

1 LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me! give ear unto my voice when I cry unto thee.

2 Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense;

And the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth: keep the door of my lips.

4 Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity:

And let me not eat of their dainties.

5 Let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness:

And let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head:

For yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities.

The tone of the Psalm.

The plan.

6 When their judges are overthrown in stony places,

They shall hear my words; for they are sweet.

Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth,

As when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

8 But mine eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord!

In thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

9 Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape.

A PSALM of David, for the Church's Head and the Church's

members in every age. For may the members not cry, and might not the Head cry, with as much urgency as verses 1, 2, asking for as speedy an answer as that given to Daniel at the hour of the evening sacrifice (ix. 19-21)? And should not prayer and alms-giving go together, now as of old as in the days of Cornelius (Acts x. 3)? Here, the "lifting up of hands," is, whatever our hands bring to God, by way of offering or service (see 2 Sam. xi. 8). The "incense" represented the sweet savour arising from the blood on the altar's horns, and from the atoning sacrifice in general.

In all ages, help against temptation has been needed, as in verses 3-5. Surely we need still to pray in this self-indulging age, as verse 4, Let me not be ensnared by their prosperity, "Let me not eat of their dainties.”

Nay, rather, instead of this self-indulgence,

"Let the righteous smite, it is mercy ;

My head refuses not the oil for the head." (Hengst.)

This oil for the head is better to me than all that these guests find at their festive board. Yes, and if tempted to avenge myself (Matt. xxv. 51), I will pray instead. The force of the clause may be thus given—“ For still while it continues, my prayer shall ascend in the midst of their evil," (Hengst.). The Church has in every age needed the help of hope, when her persecutors were strong; and this we have in verses 6, 7

“ Their judges are overthrown in (precipitated on) the sides of the rock,” (2 Chron. xxv. 12; 2 Kings ix. 33, Jezebel rock). Selah. they who were leaders of the oppressing crew are fallen! crushed! dashed in pieces by the mighty hand of the Judge of all! And though now they refuse to listen to warning, yet it is their interest so to do; "Let them hear my words;" for

there is no terror in them, no bitterness if listened to now (comp. Psa. ii. 12); "they are sweet."

In verse 7, "Our bones are scattered, like one ploughing and clearing (making furrows in) the earth," has been supposed to contain an allusion to Resurrection, as if the Psalmist said. These persecutions are the precursors of a time when the seed shall spring up. The Church never doubts, and never in any age has doubted, that soon shall come her final escape from all snares, "from the hands of the snare" (ver. 9); and this we have in the closing verses, verses 8-10. They remind us much of Paul's words in 2 Tim. iv. 18-" And the Lord shall preserve me from every evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom." Like Jehoshaphat in 2 Chron. xix. 12, the Church fixes her eye on the Lord (ver. 8) whatever be her case, imitating her Lord in the days of his flesh, when he, too, used this Psalm, most emphatically praying, “Leave not my soul bare" (y), when about to pour out his soul (Isa. liii. 12. It is interesting to notice that the last words of the Psalm are literally,

"Until that I pass over.”

reference.

Go on overthrowing them till they are annihilated; go on de- Prophetic stroying them till thy people are safely in the kingdom“passed over” into Canaan, as when the ark stood keeping back Jordan's waters for them; or as when Israel passed the Red Sea and entered on the conquest of the land, for the expression is the same as occurs in Exod. xv. 16. Augustine was wrong in thinking the reference was to the Passover; for that is expressed by a peculiar term, whereas this is the usual yy. He has been followed by others, e. g., one who paraphrases the clause thus

"And let my saints escape with me;

My blood their passover shall be.”

•

But the allusion is to the passing into Canaan, and so reminds us more directly of the glory. Christ and his host of ransomed ones march in triumph into possession of the kingdom, while his and their enemies are falling on every side, like snow falling on fire. The whole Psalm is

A prayer of the Head and his Members to be kept from every evil work and preserved to the kingdom.

The title.

The contents.

PSALM CXLII.

Maschil of David. A Prayer when he was in the cave.

I CRIED unto the Lord with my voice;

With my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.

2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me:

Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

I cried unto thee, O Lord!

I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

6 Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low:

Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.

7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name:

The righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Maschil-“ A prayer of David, when he was in the cave,” or, more closely adhering to the order of the original, “Maschil, (i. e., as in Psa. xxxii., which see) of David, when he was in the cave; a prayer." The cave of Adullam echoed these holy strains; and David's men, "the distressed, the debtors, the bitter of soul," (1 Sam. xxii. 2,) heard, as did the prisoners in Philippi when Paul and Silas sung, and were not only soothed but sanctified, when the Holy Ghost used the same harp that had calmed Saul's spirit, to cast out the evil that wrought in that strange band. But is it not written for all ages? David's Son, and all that follow him, use it when "bitter in soul," or in distress."

Let us see how beautifully it utters our Master's heart as "A prayer

Verse 1. The cry of the Son of David--" I cry unto Jehovah, who has so often heard my voice; I supplicate Jehovah with my voice." Is not this suitable in the lips of him who was ever calling on his Father, and whose agony drew forth all the more that filial cry, "O my Father!" Verse 2. "I pour forth my complaint before him." Compare the title of Psa. cii., and remember the Lord's words in the garden, "Let this cup pass!" when reading I shewed before him my distress."