PSALM CXXX.

ARGUMENT.

THIS is the sixth of those which are styled " Penitential Psalms." It is calculated for the use of the church, or any member thereof; and contains a complaint of great distress; a confession of man's sinfulness; an act of faith in the divine mercy, and the promised redemption.

1. Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2. LORD, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

From the depths of sin, and the misery occasioned by sin, the penitent, like another Jonas, entombed in the whale's belly, and surrounded by all the waves of the ocean, cries unto God for help and salvation. Fervent prayer will find its way, through every obstruction, to the ears of him who sits upon his holy hill.

3. If thou, LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, O LORD, who shall stand?

A reason is here urged, why God should spare and pardon the suppliant, namely, because was he accurately to note the offences of the best men, and to produce them in judgment against the offenders, no man could stand in that judgment, but the whole race of Adam must continue to eternity under the dominion of sin and death; which a gracious and merciful God

would not permit to be the case. It is accordingly declared in the next verse, that measures had been taken to prevent so deplorable a catastrophe.

4. But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared.

True repentance is founded upon the sense of our own wretchedness, and faith in the divine mercy. Without the former, we should never seek for pardon and grace; without the latter, we should despair of finding them. The Psalmist, therefore, having, in the three preceding verses, expressed the one, now makes profession of the other. There is forgiveness with thee; thou wilt not mark iniquities, or leave us to the rigours of strict justice, but thou hast devised means that we perish not for ever: thou hast provided an atonement, and in virtue of that atonement, the sinner may obtain pardon; he needs not, therefore, reject thy service, and cast himself away in despair, but is encouraged to serve thee acceptably through faith, with godly fear: "there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayst be feared." Or the meaning may be, Thou forgivest man, that so, being restored to thy favour, and endued with thy grace, he may thenceforth fear, or serve thee, as it becomes one who hath obtained mercy to do.

5. I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6. My soul waiteth for the LORD, more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

The repetitions here do beautifully express that ardent desire which the contrite soul has for the salva

tion of God. Dr. Hammond seems to have given the true construction of ver. 6. "My soul to the Lord, that is, riseth, cometh, or hasteneth to the Lord, from the morning watches, that is, from the time when they hasten to their watches; in other words, the guards every morning that hasten to their watches, are not earlier than I am in my daily addresses to God. Who these watches or guards of the morning are, the Chaldee hath best expressed: They that observe the morning watches, that they may offer their morning oblation, that is, the priests which in their turns officiated; or rather, some officers of theirs, which were peculiarly appointed from a tower to expect the first appearance of break of day." With such earnestness did the ancient church expect the appearance of that day-spring from on high, which was, in the fulness of time, to visit the world. With equal earnestness have the faithful since looked out for the dawning of that last morning, which is to abolish sin, and put an end to sorrow.

7. Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities, or, sins.

These verses are perfectly evangelical. The church of Israel was exhorted to hope in Jehovah, because with him there was mercy, and plenteous redemption. And of what nature was that redemption? A redemption from sin; " he shall redeem Israel from all his SINS;" consequently, from all trouble and misery, which are but the effects of sin, and will cease

when their cause shall be finally taken away. Now what is this, but the Gospel itself? or where is the difference between this of the Psalmist," He shall redeem Israel from all his sins," and that of the Evangelist, "Thou shalt call his name JESUS, for he shall SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS?" The Israel of God, or church universal, hoping in the same mercy and the same plenteous redemption, expects the full accomplishment of this gracious promise, at the second advent of her Saviour, when the penalty of sin shall be taken off, and death be swallowed up in victory.

t

PSALM CXXXI.

ARGUMENT.

THIS Psalm contains a description of true humility, and resignation to the will of God, with an exhortation to the practice thereof. It is, most probably, a Psalm of David, and is eminently applicable to Messiah, in his state of humiliation on earth. Happy would it be for the world, if all his disciples could imbibe the spirit of this short but lovely Psalm, and copy after the example which it sets before them.

1. LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.

Pride begins in the heart, and discovers itself in the eyes, the countenance, and the carriage; thinking nothing too high for it, it is always aiming at still greater matters, scheming to be at the top of earthly grandeur; and, when there, restless because it can go no further. Of this disposition the Son of David, like his father and representative of old, was by his enemies affirmed to be; he was accused of affecting the sovereignty, and therefore hunted and persecuted even to death. But how truly do these words of the Psalmist delineate his real character! He was not haughty, but "meek and lowly in heart;" his eyes were not lofty, but kindly regarded the meanest ob