3. Faithfulness (v. 11)-i.e., He is a covenant-keeping God. 4. Righteousness (v. 12)-i.e., salvation for a sinner.

These four attributes of God are perfectly revealed in Christ Jesus. Heman had but a dark and gloomy prospect of them. This verse is translated, "Shall Thy mercy be told to those in the grave ; Thy truth known where the dead waste away?"

12. Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark : and thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten ?

Thy-1. Wonders among the dead.

▼. 10.

4. Wonderous work in the dark. v. 12.

5. Righteousness where all things are forgotten. v. 12.

Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? In this life we may sing of His wondrous works, but not in the grave. Thy wondrous works shall neither be wrought nor known in the dark, where one remembers nothing. And Thy righteousness, Thy mercy, Thy goodness, who shall think of them in the land of forgetfulness? If neither Thy works nor Thy mercy be remembered Thy glory shall not be extolled, nor Thy praises sung. Our souls shall both know and declare, but our dead bodies shall do neither, and it is of them the Psalmist is speaking. Job vii., 8; X., 21.

13. Unto thee have I cried, O Lord: and early shall my prayer come before thee.

Heman here gathers himself up afresh for prayer. Although crushed beneath all this load of woe, and brought to the very verge of the grave, yet "Unto thee have I cried, O Lord," still do I look and hope, and trust in Thee. God hears the " prayer of the destitute." Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee." Job. xxii., 27.

Early shall my prayer come before thee. God has often chosen morning to bestow his mercies.

Ex. xii., 31.

1. In the morning Israel left Egypt.
2. In the morning the Israelites found the manna. Ex. xvi., 13.
3. In the morning the law was given to Moses. Ex. xix., 16.

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord." Ps. v., 3; lix., 16. "His mercies are new every morning." Lam. iii., 23.

Morning mercies should

1. Afford comfort.

2. Awaken praise.

14. Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul: and hidest thou thy face

from me?

The Psalmist here struggles in prayer to penetrate the dark cloud, to reach God's love beyond. He will now reason with God concerning

"Lord,

the gloom of dread and despair which has overcast his soul. why dost thou cast off my soul?" (Ps. lxxxviii., 14.) The dreaded wrath of God is the believer's greatest trouble.

1. My soul cast off.

2. Thy face hid from me.

Wherefore, O Lord!

These are the arrows of the Almighty. They are hell to the unbeliever, but when darted against the believer they are caught in the hand of Jesus. Ps. ix., 17; S. Matt. xxii., 13; Is. liv., 8; lix., 2.

Hidest thy face.

This was Job's greatest trouble.

It was David's great sorrow.

xiii., 24.

Ps. xiii., 1.

And so with David's Lord. S. Matt. xxvii., 28.

15. I am in misery, and like unto him that is at the point to die : even from my youth up thy terrors have I suffered with

a troubled mind.

God's terrors have caused this. The terrors of God are His fierce wrath. They have almost taken away his life, he is ready to die. How long had Heman been thus afflicted? He says, "From my youth up." This long-dreaded anger of God proved a constant affliction, and nearly deprived him of life.

Even from my youth up thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind. My "misery" caused by Thy terrors." "From my youth."

This was the severe school of sorrow in which Heman was trained. So, too, the sorrows of our Lord began early. While cradled in the manger Herod sought His life? The Scribes and Pharisees constantly hunted Him with the same intention.

16. Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me and the fear of thee hath undone me.

Like waves of the sea the billows of God's wrath passed over him. This is not the punishment of an angry judge, but the correction of a loving father. Heman suffered all this, yet Heman was a man of God. then are ye bastards,

"If ye are without chastisement.

and not sons." ""

(Heb. xii., 8.) "We must, through much tribulation,

enter the kingdom of heaven." Acts xiv., 22.

Thy terrors have cut me off.

"The terrors of God do set themselves against me.' (Job vi., 4; ix., 34; xiii., 21.

I am undone because of Thy terrors.

17. They came round about me daily like water: and compassed me together on every side.

"Thy terrors," "Thy wrathful displeasure," "and the fear of Thee," are all combined, and like a flood overwhelm me; they are

K

afflictions too heavy for me to bear. The burnings of God's wrath, and His terrifying dispensations produce this mental weakness and exhaustion. Round me they come daily like water," and " on every side." The burnings become floods, and the floods come all round yawning to engulf. To this he compares the wrath of God. 18. My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me: and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight.

With this sigh of woe, with this mournful plaint, the Psalmist's harp seems to drop from his trembling hand. He seems to have outlived all who were near and dear to him.

66

Put away from me--i.e., into darkness, into the grave : The land of darkness and the shadow of death." Job. x., 21; Is. xiv., 9, 10; Ez. xxxii., 21.

Next to the comforts of religion, are those of our friends, and no friends remained to comfort Heman; hence the bitterness of his, complaint. Hope taken from the heart, and beloved ones removed: out of sight, these are sufficient grounds for despondency. Only a resurrection morn can cast gleams of joy over so dark a scene.

1. Salvation-Lat., salvatio, from salvus, safe, to rescue, to keep safè.. "He, (Jesus) shall save His people from their sins." Matt. i., 21.

This salvation is from God only. Ps. iii., 8; Is. xliii., 11;. Hos.. xiii., 14;. S. John iii., 15.

It is freely offered to all. Ez. xviii., 32; xxxii., 11: St. John i.. 9, 29;. 1 Tim. ii., 4; Titus ii., 11.

Through the mediation of Christ. S. John iii., 17; xii., 32; xiv., Acts iv., 12.

6;

Incline thine ear-bend down and listen with thine ear. Fr., incliner : Lat., inclino: Gr., klinoō, to lean towards. 2 Kings xix., 16; Ps..xxxi., 2;. Prov. xxii., 17.

2. Hell-Heb., Sheol, to make hollow; Ger., hölle, hell; höhle, a hollow— i.e., a hollow resting place for the dead. It is called

In the "deep." Job xi., 8.

In the "dark." Job xi., 21.

In the centre of the earth. Numb. xvi., 30; Deut. xxii., 22.

It has depths within depths. Prov. ix., 18.

Sheol often means no more than the grave, and as it is translated, it is often very vague and misleading.

4. Free among the dead-i.e., "one set free among the dead,"-i.e., already as good as dead. Freed from all connection with earthly relations.

Grave-The pit deep beneath; the dark regions; the submarine depths; deep under the earth; lower places of the earth. The grave is a place of rest for those only that rest in Christ. A.-S., græf, a pit.

5. Darkness-"A place of darkness and gloom." Job. x., 21, "land of darkness" is used for the state of the dead.

8. Prison-shut up, unable to go out of doors,

Here the

10. Destruction-Lat., de, and structus, to demolish, overthrow, destroy.

PSALM II.

There is very little resemblance between this Psalm and the first. In style and subject they are so different that it is difficult to refer them both to the same author. The writer of this Psalm looks with amazement upon the confederation of the heathen against the might of Jehovah. The Psalm describes

1. His indignant astonishment.

2. He mocks their folly.

3. Tells them "the earth is the Lord's," who is-
(a.) Merciful to those who trust Him.

(b.) Terrible to those who rebel against Him.

Title.-It has no inscription, but may fitly be entitled "The Psalm of Messiah, the Prince." It declares God's purpose to exalt His Son, and the triumph of Jesus over His enemies.

Author. However dissimilar in structure and diction it may be to many others composed by David, we are not therefore warranted in doubting that he is the author. In the Acts of the Apostles this is expressly stated, "Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said,-Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His anointed." (iv., 25.) There are many, notwithstanding this, who refuse to

attribute it to David.

Time.—There was one period, and probably only one, when the events in the life of David might afford the historical groundwork for this Psalm. In 2 Sam. x., 6, we find the heathen confederate against him, and consequently against the Lord who made him king. Why Appropriate. This is the first Psalm used at morning prayer on Easter Day. It is a Psalm of triumph.

1. It represents God's Anointed triumphing over his enemies. 2. It represents the offices of Messiah as Saviour and Judge. 3. It is to the work of Redemption and Judgment the Psalmist refers.

4. Jesus is declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection. Rom. i., 4.

5. "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten Thee." Acts xiii., 33.

But as "this day" is the resurrection, or Easter Day, the Psalm is most appropriate.

Prophecies and References.

1. King, Anointed, or Son of God, are understood only of Messias. Dan. ix., 25; S. Matt. xxvi., 63; S. John i., 49. 2. This Psalm is referred to Christ by

(a) The Apostles. Acts. iv., 25, 26.

(b) St. Paul.

(c) St. John.

Acts xiii,, 33; Heb. i., 5; v. 5.
Rev. ii., 27; xii., 5; xix., 15.

3. The King is called the Son of God.

v. 12.

4. The extent of his Kingdom is that ascribed to Messias. Is. ii., 2; Zech. xi., 10; Mic. iv., 1.

This is a Messianic Psalm, and although several of its predictions point in the first place to David, they refer in their highest sense to Christ. In 2 Sam. vii., 7, a perpetual kingdom is promised to David and his family. From many events in his life, he had occasion to desire the triumph of the promised King. His subjects at home and abroad had often rebelled, and been subdued by God's help. In this Psalm the Messiah's dignity and divine nature are described. This Psalm is represented dramatically. The personæ are—

1. Jehovah.

2. His Anointed.

3. The rebels.

Division. It may be divided into four parts, namely:

1. The raging heathen nations. v. 1, 2, 3.
2. Jehovah deriding them. v. 4, 5, 6.

3. The decree of the Son. v. 7, 8, 9.
4. He counsels the rebellious to submit.

v. 10, 11, 12.

1. Why do the heathen so furiously rage together: and why do the people imagine a vain thing?

Why?" The Psalmist is astonished at their hostile temerity. "The heathen rage." Against whom? The "Lord and His Anointed."

Rage." They rage with pride, anger, and tumult, as steeds for the battle.

This raging is groundless, fruitless, lawless, because it is emptiness imagined.

And why do the people imagine a vain thing?

To what purpose is this impotent rebellion?

2. The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together: against the Lord, and against his Anointed.