he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

The disciples of Jesus, like their blessed Master, are ever vigilant to catch men in the evangelical net, in order to draw them from the world to God; the partisans of Satan, in imitation of their leader, are employed in watching from their lurking-places, the footsteps of the Christian pilgrim, that they may spring upon him in an unguarded moment, and draw him from God to the world, and from thence to the devil.

10. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

Our Lord, who is styled the Lion of the tribe of Judah,' became a Lamb,' for the salvation of mankind: but when his adversary at any time 'humbleth' himself, when the wolf appears in sheep's clothing, let the flock beware; it is for their more effectual destruction. And if, allured by an outward show of moderation and benevolence, the simple ones shall venture themselves within his reach, they will soon find that his nature is disguised, but not altered.

11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten; he hideth his face; he will never see it.

For the chastisement of his people, God often suffers the enemy to prevail and prosper, who then ridicules the faith and hope of the church, and solaces himself in the conceit, that if there be a God, he either knows not, or cares not what is done upon earth. These Epicurean notions, however absurd and unworthy of the Deity they may seem, do yet in some measure take possession of

every man's mind at the instant of his committing a sin; since it is most certain, that, with a due impression of the divine omniscience upon his soul at the time, he would not commit it, for all that the tempter could offer him. But faith is apt to sleep, and then sin awakes.

12. Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up thine hand; forget not the humble. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in heart, Thou wilt not requite it.

The church now prays, that Jehovah, in vindiIcation of his own honour and attributes, would arise to judgment, and make bare his glorious arm for the defence of his elect, who cry day and night unto him. Thus would the insolence of the wicked one and his agents, founded on the divine forbearance, be repressed, and all the world would see, that God had not forgotten, but still, as ever, remembered and regarded the low estate of his handmaid.

14. Thou hast seen it, for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thine hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

The wicked,' above, 'saith in his heart, Thou wilt not requite it.' But the faithful are taught other things by the promises in Scripture, and the experience of unnumbered histories. They know assuredly, that God beholds all that travail and vexation which some inflict, and others sustain, upon the earth; and that he will infallibly recompense to the former their deeds, to the latter their sufferings. Destitute should we be of every earthly

help, in the state of beggars and orphans, yet in him will we trust, who, as the father and protector of all such, saith unto every one of us, 'I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.'

15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

This may be either a prayer, or a prediction, implying that the time will come, when the power of Jehovah will dash in pieces that of the enemy, by the demolition either of sin or the sinner, until wickedness be come utterly to an end, and righteousness be established for ever in the kingdom of Messiah. And, lo,

16. The Lord is King for ever and ever; the heathen are perished out of the land.

Faith beholds the Lord Jesus, as already manifested in his glorious majesty, the kingdoms of this world become his, and the Canaanite no more in the land of promise. Each individual experiences in himself a happy prelude to this manifestation, when Christ rules in his heart by the Spirit, and every appetite and affection is obedient to the sceptre of his kingdom.

17. Lord, thou hast heard, or, hearest, the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare, or thou preparest, their heart: thou wilt cause or, thou causest thine ear to hear.

How many important and comforting truths have we here, in a few words! As, that the 'humble' and lowly, whatever they may suffer in the world, are the favourites of Jehovah: that he attends to the very 'desires' of their hearts: that

such hearts prepared' to prayer, are so many instruments strung and tuned by the hand of heaven : and that their prayer is as music, to which the Almighty himself listens with pleasure.

18. To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

For the sake of the elect, and their prayers, the days of persecution and tribulation will be shortened; the insolence of the earth-born oppressor, the man of sin, will be chastised; the cause of the church will be heard at the tribunal of God; and victory, triumph, and glory will be given unto her. In the foregoing exposition, regard has been chiefly had to the case of the church, and to her sufferings from the spirit of antichrist, in whomsoever existing and acting, from time to time, in the world; this being judged the most generally useful application, which Christians as such, can make of the Psalm. Particular accommodations of it to the various oppressions of innocent poverty by iniquitous opulence, will meet the eye, and offer themselves at once to persons so circumstanced, for their support and comfort, under their respective afflictions; which will be also not a little alleviated by the consideration, that the whole church of God groaneth with them, and travaileth in pain, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body. Then, and not till then, tears shall cease to run down the cheeks of misery; and sorrow and sighing shall fly away, to return no more for

ever.

PSALM XI.

ARGUMENT.-The Psalmist, under persecution, 1—3. declareth himself resolved to trust in God alone, at a time when he was advised to fly to some place of refuge; 4. he expresses his faith in the omniscience and overruling power of Jehovah ; 5. assigns the reason why good men are afflicted; who, after that the wicked, 6. shall be destroyed, will appear to have been all along, 7. the favoured of God.

1. In the Lord put I my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?

The Christian, like David, in perilous times, should make God his fortress, and continue doing his duty in his station; he should not, at the instigation of those about him, like a poor, silly, timorous, inconstant bird, either fly for refuge to the devices of worldly wisdom, or desert his post, and retire into solitude, while he can serve the cause in which he is engaged. Nor indeed is there any 'mountain' on earth out of the reach of care and trouble. Temptations are everywhere; and so is the grace of God.

2. For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.

These seem to be still the words of David's friends, representing to him, as a motive for his flight, the extreme danger he was in from the ' arrows' of the enemy, already, as it were, fitted to the 'string,' and pointed at him 'in secret,' so that not knowing from whence they were to come, he could not guard against them. The Christian's danger from the darts of the infernal archers, lying