18. For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

They who remember God shall infallibly be remembered by Him; and let this be their anchor, in the most tempestuous seasons. The body of a martyr is buried in the earth; and so is the root of the fairest flower; but neither of them 'perisheth for ever.' Let but the winter pass and the spring return, and, lo, the faded and withered flower blooms; the body sown in corruption, dishonour, and weakness, rises in incorruption, glory, and power.

19. Arise, O Lord, let not men prevail; let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

And now, the Spirit and the Bride say, Come; Arise, O Lord Jesus, from thy throne of glory, and come quickly; 'let not' the 'man' of sin 'prevail' against thy church; but let the long-depending cause between her and her adversaries, 'be judged' and finally determined in thy sight.'

20. Put them in fear, O Lord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men.

Strange, that man, dust in his original, sinful by his fall, and continually reminded of both by every thing in him and about him, should yet stand in need of some sharp affliction, some severe visitation from God, to bring him to the knowledge of himself, and make him feel, who, and what he is. But this is frequently the case; and when it is, as there are wounds which cannot be healed without a previous application of caustics, mercy is necessitated to begin her work with an infliction of judgment.

PSALM.X.

ARGUMENT.-This Psalm is, in the LXX., joined to the preceding, but, in the Hebrew, divided from it. The church, under persecution from the spirit of antichrist in the world, after, 1. an humble expostulation with her Lord, setteth down the marks whereby that spirit may be known; such as, 2. hatred of the faithful; 3. self-willedness and worldly-mindedness; 4. infidelity; 5, 6. profligacy and pride; 7. profaneness and perjury; 8-10. subtilty and treachery employed against the people of God; 11. security and presumption. From the persecutions of such a spirit the church, 12-15. prayeth earnestly to be delivered; and, 16-18. through faith, rejoiceth in tribulation.

1. Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? Why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

During the conflict between the church and her adversaries, God is represented as one withdrawng to a distance, instead of affording succour; nay, as one concealing himself, so as not to be found by those who petitioned for aid, or counsel. To behold the righteous cause oppressed, and good men seemingly deserted by heaven, at a time when they most need its assistance, is apt to offend the weak, and oftentimes stagger those who are strong. It is indeed a sore trial, but intended to make us perfect in the practice of three most important duties, humility, resignation, and faith. That we may not faint under the severity of this discipline, let us ever bear in mind, that the beloved Son of the Father, the Son in whom he was well pleased, had once occasion to utter these words, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'

2. The wicked in his pride doth persecute the

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poor; let them, or they shall, be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

Inconceivable is that malignant fury, with which a 'conceited infidel persecutes an humble believer, though that believer hath no otherwise offended him than by being such. And what wonder? since it is a copy of the hatred which Satan bears to Christ. But the devices of the adversaries, like those of their leader, will end in their own eternal confusion.

3. For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth.

The first part of this verse points out that alarming symptom of a reprobate mind, a disposition to exult and glory in those lusts, which are the shame and disgrace of human nature, whether the world or the flesh be their object. The latter clause is differently rendered, as implying either that the wicked blesseth the covetous, whom God abhorreth,' or that the wicked, being covetous or oppressive, blesseth himself and abhorreth God.' Either way, an oppressing, griping, worldly spirit is characterized, with its direct opposition to the spirit of God, which teaches, that sin is to be confessed with shame and sorrow; that in God alone man is to make his boast; and that it is more blessed to give, than to receive.

4. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts; or, all his imaginations are, There is no God.

The counsels of heaven are not known by the wicked, because they are not sought after; and

they are not sought after, because of a diabolical self-sufficiency, which, having taken possession of the heart, displays itself in the countenance, and reigns throughout the man. He wants no Prophet to teach him, no Priest to atone for him, no King to conduct him; he needs neither a Christ to redeem, nor a Spirit to sanctify him he believes no Providence, adores no Creator, and fears no Judge. Thus he lives a 'stranger from the covenants of promise, and without God in the world.' Ephes. ii. 12. O that this character now existed only in the Psalmist's description;

5. His ways are always grievous, or, corrupt; thy judgments are far above out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he puffeth at him.

As are a man's principles, such will be his practices; and if he hath not God in his thoughts, his course of life will be corrupt and abominable, his end, his means, and his motives being all wrong, and polluted with concupiscence. There would have been some chance of holding him by fear, but that is gone with his faith; for no man can tremble at judgments in which he does not believe.

6. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved; for I shall never be in adversity.

Prosperity begets presumption; and he who has been long accustomed to see his designs succeed, begins to think it impossible they should ever do otherwise. The long-suffering of God, instead of leading such an one to repentance, only hardens him in his iniquity. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, he thinks it

will not be executed at all. He vaunteth himself, therefore, like the proud Chaldean monarch, in the Babylon which he hath erected, and fondly pronounceth it to be immortal. Such, it is too evident, are often the vain imaginations of triumphant wickedness.

7. His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud; under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

From the thoughts of the sinner's heart,' mentioned in the preceding verse, David goes on to describe the words of his mouth.' And here we may illustrate the character of antichrist, by setting that of Christ in opposition to it. The mouth of one poureth forth a torrent of curses and lies; from that of the other flowed a clear and copious stream of benediction and truth. Under the serpentine tongue of the former is a bag of mischief and vanity; but honey and milk were under the tongue of the latter, so pleasant and so nourishing to the spirits of men were all his communications.

8. He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

From words,' the description proceeds to actions.' And with regard to these, as the Son of God went publicly preaching through cities and villages to save men's lives, so this child of Satan lieth in ambush to destroy them, privily bringing into the church, and diffusing among the people, pestilent errors, and damnable heresies for that purpose.

9. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den;