For every idle word account must be given in the day of judgment. But through the satisfaction of Christ, God can punish and yet pardon.

Every sin marked against the sinner is atoned for by the Surety. The Law declares God cannot and will not acquit the guilty; the Gospel points to Calvary, and says-The guiltless One became the guilty One, and suffered the penalty "to the uttermost ;" paid it to the "last farthing.'

4. For there is mercy with Thee: therefore shalt Thou be feared. He is willing to forgive that He may be feared. He forgives for His Name's sake. Therefore He will be reverenced. His love, compassion, and fidelity are shown in His willingness to forgive. (Ex. xxxiv., 6, 7.) He is slow to anger, and swift to show mercy. Were there no hope of pardon man would despair. But a sinner forgiven has a holy fear of offending God again. Joel ii., 13; S. Matt. iii., 2; Hos. iii., 5, 1.

1. "There is forgiveness with Thee."
2. "Thou wilt not mark iniquities.'

"

3. "Therefore Thou mayest be feared."

5. I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for Him: in His word is my trust.

1. "I wait for the Lord."

2. "My soul waits for the Lord."

3. "I trust in His word."

I wait till He show me forgiving love.

My soul waits-i.e., in sincerity, and with my whole heart, and not with words and profession.

1. I am expecting health and comfort.

2. I look for them coming.

3. I will continue waiting till they do come.

What gives the Psalmist such confidence?

"In His Word," he says, "is my trust." Now this Word contains promise of pardon to the penitent; and we trust because God has promised. The perfection of Christian life consists in—

1. Believing God-i.e., trusting in His mercy.

2. Fearing God-i.e., fearing His name. Ps. cxix., 81.

6. My soul fleeth unto the Lord: before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.

1. " My soul doth wait for the Lord," v. 5.

2. "My soul fleeth unto the Lord," v. 6.

He turns longing, waiting, and expecting the Lord, "as those who watch for the morning." The night is long to the watchman; he longs for the dawn, but he knows it will come. So to the sorrowful and the mourning the night of weeping is long; but He

too knows that, though "weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning." Ps. xxx., 5.

On the tower, as the watchman fixes his eyes on the east to catch the first gleam of dawn, so do those, sunk in sorrow, look eagerly for the first tokens of God's returning mercy. "The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord.'

7.

Ps. cxlv., 15; Is. xxi., 11. Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy : and with him is plenteous redemption.

"I have called" (v. 1); "I look" (v. 5); "I trust" (v. 5); because "with the Lord there is mercy." But " Hope thou, too, Israel," for "with Him there is plenteous redemption." O, Israel, trust! Your need is as great as mine; and the Lord is "plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Him." Ps. lxxxvi., 5.

"He is gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy," ciii., 8. And with Him is plenteous redemption.

1. He "turns away ungodliness from Jacob." Rom. xi., 26. "He saves his people from their sins."

2.

3. "He redeems them from all iniquity."

Matt. i., 21.
Tit. ii., 14.

4. Is. xliii., 25; xxv., 4; viii., 17; Acts iv., 12; 1 John ii., 1, 2.

8. And he shall redeem Israel: from all his sins.

"Out of all his troubles" (Ps. xxv., 22)-i.e., not only suffering, but the cause of his troubles-i.e., sin. "For this is my covenant unto them." "The Redeemer shall come to Zion; therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged." Is. lix., 20; xxvii., 9.

The Jews, as a people, are now rejected; but the Jews, as a people, shall be restored. The Redeemer, the Deliverer, shall come for the salvation of Jacob. Zach. xii., 10.

1. The Deep-often used as an image of extreme danger. water, mire, pit. Ps. lxix., 2, 14; Is. li., 10.

Otherwise called

2. Voice of my complaint-God hears the faintest whisper, as well as the loudest cry. "Hear the voice of my supplications." xxviii., 2; lxiv. 1; cxix., 149; cxxx., 2.

3. Extreme to mark-mark-i.e., to keep, watch, observe, notice. Amissiniquities. Stand, in the judgment. lxxvi., 7; Neh. i., 6.

4. Mercy forgiveness. 1 John i., 9; Heb. ix., 22; Eph. i., 7; Col. i., 14; Heb. x., 1, 2.

6. Morning Watch-the Jews had three watches. (1) The First Watch, Lam. ii, 19; (2) The Middle Watch, Judg. vii., 19; (3) The Morning Watch, S. Mark xiii., 35; Ex. xiv., 24. The Romans had four watches.

7. Israel the posterity of Jacob (Gen. xxxii., 28)-i.e., "thou hast contended," or "soldiers of God." It became the national name of the twelve tribes. But afterwards it was restricted to the Northern Kingdom, excluding Judah, Benjamin, Levi, Dan, and Simeon. The returned exiles resumed the name of Israel.

Plenteous Redemption-Lit. redemption plenteously; Lat. plenus, full, ample, abundant, copious supply.

Redemption-Lat. re, back again; emo, to buy-i.e., bought back by Christ after we had sold ourselves to sin, and become the slaves of Satan. Eph. i, 7; Col. i., 14; Heb. ix., 15.

PSALM CXLIII.

This is the Seventh and last of the Penitential Psalms. It is also the last Psalm of those appointed for Evening Service on Ash Wednesday.

Title. In the Hebrew it is styled "A Psalm of David," but in the Septuagint it has no inscription at all. In some versions it is called "A Psalm of David when pursued by Absolom." But where there is conflicting testimony, without absolute proof, it is impossible to give this Psalm a Title which is not open to doubt, or diverse opinion.

Author. If this Psalm was not composed by David, it contains strong evidence of David's spirit, and David's mode of expression. If it be not fresh from the royal Davidic fountain, it is at least the produce of one of the streams fed by it; and if it cannot claim David for its Author, it was certainly composed after David's model. It has been often attributed to David. and where internal evidence makes this doubtful, no other name has been associated with it.

Date. Those who attribute this Psalm to David mention two events in his life to which it may refer. First, to his distress and danger when persecuted and pursued by Saul. Second, when he had to flee from his rebel son Absolom. But it is probable that it is the composition of some pious exile who, in sorrow and anguish, and a deep sense of sin, thus pours forth his distress and his hope, and his supplications at the throne of grace.

Subject.-This Psalm is a Prayer, divided into two parts of six verses each. The first part contains two petitions, representing1. The prayer. 2. The hope.

1. The distress.

I.

2. The complaint.

II.

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The second half of the Psalm (v. 6-12) contains eleven particular petitions or requests, viz.—

5. "Deliver me, O Lord." v. 9.

id.

v. 8.

6. "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee."
7. "Let thy loving spirit lead me.' id.

8. "Quicken me, O Lord."

v. 11.

9. "Bring my soul out of trouble." id.

10.

Slay mine enemies."

11.

v. 12.

Destroy them that vex my soul." id.

v. 10.

Why appropriate to Ash Wednesday. It is pervaded by a sense of deep melancholy, arising from sorrow for conscious guilt.

It contains expressions such as in verse 2, which have placed it in the list of those which the Church regards as of primary importance, and for which it has found a place among the penitential Psalms. Although it refers first to the individual who speaks, it represents the house of David, and includes the Church of God in the ages to

NOTE. This verse is used as the tenth sentence at the beginning of the Morning and Evening Prayer.

Days of old."

Ps. lxxvii, 5, 11.

v. 6. "Thirsteth." Ps. lxiii., 1; xlii., 2; S. John vii., 37. v. 7. "Go down to

18, 24; Ps. xxviii., 1.

the pit.' Numb. xvi., 30; Job xxxiii.,

v. 8. "In the morning.'

2; Ez. xii., 8.

v. 9. "I flee... to hide." Is. x., 3; Ps. xvii., 8; xxvii., 5; xxxii., 7. v. 10. "Teach me." Mich. iv. 2; Ps. xxv., 4; xxvii., 11; cxix., 12; cxliii., 10.

Although this Psalm refers to the Church of God, and is applicable to every believer in seasons of sorrow, it contains no direct prophecy, and from it there is no literal quotation in the New Testament. Division.

v. 1. Cries out in distress.

v. 2. Declares his helplessness.

v. 3. The persecution he has endured.

v. 4. The result of his suffering

v. 5, 6. His conduct in suffering.

v. 7. That God would show him favour.

v. 8. That He would guide and direct him.

v. 9, 10. That He would deliver him out of his trouble.

v. 11, 12. That He would support him, and punish his enemies.

1. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire: hearken to me

for thy truth and righteousness' sake.

'

These I implore for thy "truth" and righteousness' sake. Upon this foundation he rests his petition, and "looks up" for an The poet's two motives are :—

answer.

1. God's truthfulness to fulfil promises made. 2 Sam. vii., 24.

2. His righteousness to give everyone his own.

li., 15; xxxvi., 5, 6.

Ps. cxxxix;

2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

We have no righteousness: all are guilty before God. (2 Chron. vi., 37; Rom. iii., 12.) But righteousness is absolutely necessary to salvation. Wherein then shall the ungodly and the sinner be justified? Only by the righteousness of the sinners' surety, the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon God's pardoning mercy promised the Psalmist relies, which, because God is righteous, must be given. Ps. xix., 13.

1. The sinner cannot demand it.

2. But God, because of His nature, must give it.

Enter not into judgment with thy servant. (1 John i., 9; Job. ix., 32; xiv., 3; xxii., 4.) God cannot go into judgment with his servants. (Ps. cxviii., 18.) He chastises them, but will not, on account of their failings, give them over to destruction. There are three things we cannot plead :—

1. That we have any righteousness of our own.

2. That our sins do not deserve death.

3. That we have any satisfaction of our own to offer.

3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness as the men that have been long dead.

The enemy. Those who would make David the Author of this Psalm make Saul the enemy. But as it is applicable to an exiled poet, so is it to the Holy One, and to His members in every age.

1. "He hath persecuted my soul."

2. He hath smitten my life to the ground."

3. "He hath laid me in the darkness."

Persecuted my soul. "Let mine enemy persecute my soul." Ps. vii., 5.

Smitten my life. "Let Him tread my life down upon the earth-id. The vanquished were frequently trampled in battle by men and horses.

In the darkness, or dark places. Ps. lxxxviii., 5.

When darkness fell on Abraham it was to reveal God's covenant. When Jonah was in the darkness of the great deep, provision had been already made to place him safe on dry land.

4. Therefore is my spirit vexed within me: and my heart within me is desolate.

1. My spirit is vexed.
2. My heart is desolate.

Dan. ii., 3; Prov. xv., 13.

Jer. viii., 18; iv., 19; Is. xlix., 21.