have our steps declined from thy way: 19. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

It is certain that God is provoked, by the sins of a church, to let loose the fury of the oppressor upon her. This is acknowledged by Daniel in his prayer; ch. ix.; by the three children in the furnace; Song, ver. 5, 6; by the Maccabean martyrs, suffering under Antiochus; 2 Macc. vii. 18; and by Cyprian, and others, in the primitive times. It is not less certain, that no mere man can say, he is free from transgression. The verses now under consideration, are not, therefore, spoken by the whole church, but by the faithful remnant; nor do they imply an exemption from all sin, but a steadfast perseverance in the profession of God's true religion, from which it is the aim of persecution to seduce, or to force them. The malice of the tormentors is here compared to the venom of 'serpents; and the state of a suffering church, to the gloom of 'death' itself. Happy the soul, that, in the extremity of affliction, can, with humble confidence, thus make her appeal to God, as having held fast her integrity against all the efforts made to wrest it from her, and not having suffered the blasts of adverse fortune, by wearing out patience, to part her from the anchor of faith.

20. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; 21. Shall not God search this out; for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

The consideration, that God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things,' I John, iii. 20,

ought to be strongly impressed on our minds at all times; but more particularly when we are tempted by the world (as, one way or other, we all frequently are) to deny our Master, either by word or deed; and when we have occasion to call heaven to witness our uprightness, under such temptation.

22. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long: we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

The sufferings of the martyrs were a sufficient proof that they had not yielded to the temptations of the enemy. St. Paul, Rom. viii. 36, cites this verse as predictive of the persecutions then beginning to be raised against the Christians. All may apply it to themselves, who are in circumstances of the same nature; and persecution is generally consistent with itself, contriving, by some means or other, to be rid of those who stand in its way. It is a storm, before which all must either bend or be broken.

23. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression ?

There is a time, when the triumphs of the adversary, and the afflictions of the church, tempt men to think that the eye of Providence is closed, or turned away, and that the Almighty hath ceased to remember their sad estate. But the truth is, that God only giveth his people an opportunity of feeling their own insufficiency; and waiteth till, by fervent and importunate prayer, they solicit his help. For so the holy Jesus slept, while the ship was covered with the waves; until, awakened by

the cries of his disciples, he arose to their assistance, and spoke the tempest into a perfect calm.

25. For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

They who are not brought into this state of humiliation by outward sufferings, should bring themselves into it by inward mortification and selfdenial, by contrition and abasement, if they would put up such prayers as the Majesty of heaven will deign to accept and answer; if they would repeat with our church, in the spirit of the Litany, the concluding verse of this Psalm

26. Arise for our help, and redeem us, for thy mercies' sake.

PSALM XLV.

ARGUMENT.-In this Psalm, which is one of those appointed to be used on Christmas-day, the prophet, after, 1. proposing his subject, proceeds to celebrate King Messiah, 2. for his spiritual beauty and eloquence; 3, 4, 5. his power and victories; 6. his throne and sceptre; 7. his righteousness and inauguration; 8. his royal robes, and glorious palace. 9. The church is introduced as his spouse; her appearance and dress are described; 10, 11, 12. it is foretold, that the nations shall bring their offerings to her; 13, 14, 15. her attire, her presentation to Christ, with her attendant train, and the universal joy and gladness, occasioned by the solemnization of the nuptials, are set forth. 16. The prophet predicteth the fruits of this divine union; and, 17. the use that should be made of his sacred epithalamium by the faithful, from generation to generation.

1. My heart is inditing, Heb. boileth, or, bubbleth up, a good matter, or, the good word: I speak of the

things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

'The Spirit of the Lord,' saith David elsewhere, 2 Sam. xxiii. 2, ' spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.' In like manner, we are to conceive the prophet here to be full of the divine Spirit, which inspired him with the 'good word,' or the glad tidings of salvation. The sacred fire, inclosed in his heart, expanded itself within, till at length it brake forth with impetuosity, to enlighten and to revive mankind with this glorious prediction, ' touching the King,' Messiah; and this was uttered by his tongue, under the guidance of the Spirit, as in writing the pen is directed by the hand that holds it.

2. Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

After a short introduction, the prophet stays not to enter regularly upon the subject, in the formal way of narration; but, as if he saw the Divine Person, whom he was about to celebrate, standing before him, he breaks out in ecstatic admiration of the second Adam, so different from all the descendants of the first! compounded of a soul fair above all created spirits, and a body pure and perfect, and now brighter than the meridian sun; being invested with the unutterable effulgence of the Divine nature. Next to the spiritual beauty of Messiah, the prophet is astonished (as those who heard him speak, in the days of his flesh, afterwards were) at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth,' Luke, iv. 22, through the grace poured into his lips.' Such honey and milk were

under his tongue, so delightful and salutary was his doctrine, that even his enemies found themselves obliged to confess, never man spake like this man.' John, vii. 46. His word instructed the ignorant, resolved the doubtful, comforted the mourners, reclaimed the wicked, silenced his adversaries, healed diseases, controlled the elements, and raised the dead. Therefore hath the Father loved, and exalted, and blessed him for evermore.

3. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

The prophet having described the beauty and the eloquence of the king, proceedeth now to set forth his power, and to arm him, as a warrior, for the battle. The sword' of Messiah is his Word, which, in the language of St. Paul, is said to be 'quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,' and is represented by St. John as a sharp two-edged sword, coming out of the mouth of Christ. Heb. iv. 12; Rev. i. 16. With this weapon he prevailed, and thereby made his 'glory and majesty' to be known throughout the world.

4. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because, or, for the sake, of truth, and meekness, and righteousness: and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible, or, wonderful things.'

Messiah is in these words magnificently described, as making his progress among the nations, seated in his triumphal chariot, adorned with all

"The sense, perhaps, may be this: Thy right hand, by its promptness to encounter danger, shall bring thee acquainted with terrible things: thy right hand shall know its office; by habitual exercise, shall render thee expert in war, and lead thee on from conquest to conquest." Merrick.