6 O en'my! now destructions have Thou cities raz'd; perish'd with them 7 God shall endure for ay: he doth 9 God also will a refuge be for those that are opprest; A refuge will he be, in times of trouble, to distrest. 10 And they that know thy name, in thee their confidence will place: For thou hast not forsaken them 11 O sing ye praises to the Lord, 12 When he inquireth after blood, that call upon his name. 13 Lord, pity me, behold the grief which I from foes sustain, E'en thou, who from the gates of death dost raise me up again ; 14 That I, in Zion's daughters' gates, And that I may rejoice always 15 The heathen are sunk in the pit which they themselves prepar'd ; And in the net which they have hid, 16 The Lord is by the judgment known, 17 They who are wicked, into hell each one shall turned be, And all the nations that forget to seek the Lord most high. 18 For they that needy are shall not The expectation of the poor 19 Arise, Lord, let not man prevail, 20 That they may know themselves but men, the nations, Lord, affright. Ver. 5--Prov. x. 7. PARALLEL PASSAGES. 8-Rev. xx. 12. Ver. 10-Exod. xxxiv. 5. 18-Isaiah xlı. 17. PSALM X. THIS Psalm teaches us, in the first verse, that the people of God have not, at all times, the full experience of his favour and nearness. For wise and merciful purposes, our God sometimes stands "afar off" from us. From verse 2 to 11 David describes the enmity and relentless cruelty of the enemies of God, and prays for their conviction, and next for the confusion of their wicked plans. From verse 11 to 14 he intercedes for mercy and favour to the meek, the orphan, and the poor, and rejoices in the assurance that God will hear his prayers. In the midst of abounding iniquity and numerous enemies within and without, let us rejoice in the delightful truth conveyed in that text, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." The marks of the wicked are ever the same- -"boasting," 66 pride," "vain glory," "Be hold he prayeth" is still the characteristic of a regenerate man. [CHARMOUTH.] 1 WHEREFORE is it that thou, O Lord, In these devices they have fram'd, 3 The wicked of his heart's desire And in the counsels of his heart 5 His ways they always grievous are; he puffeth with despite. 6 Within his heart he thus hath said, And no adversity at all shall ever come to me. 7 His mouth with cursing, fraud, deceit, And underneath his tongue there is 8 He closely sits in villages, he slays the innocent; Against the poor, that pass him by, his cruel eyes are bent. 9 He, lion-like, lurks in his den, he waits the poor to take e; And when he draws him in his net, his prey he doth him make. 10 Himself he humbleth very low, he croucheth down withal, That so a multitude of poor may by his strong ones fall. 11 He thus hath said within his heart, The Lord hath quite forgot; He hides his countenance, and he 12 O Lord, do thou arise; O God, 13 Why is it that the wicked man thus doth the Lord despise? Because, that God will it require, he in his heart denies. 14 Thou hast it seen, for their mischief and spite thou wilt repay: The poor commits himself to thee, 15 The arm break of the wicked man, and of the evil one; Do thou seek out his wickedness 16 The Lord is King through ages all, e'en to eternity; The heathen people from his land 17 O Lord, of those that humble are, Thou wilt prepare their heart, and thou 18 To judge the fatherless, and those That man, that is but sprung of earth, PARALLEL PASSAGES. Ver 2-Prov. v. 22. Ver. 4-Eph. ii. 12. Ver. 17-Isaiah lxv. 24. PSALM XI. THE Psalmist, under the pressure of outward distress and inward trial, overcomes his invitations and tendency to seek refuge in any thing below, and resolves to trust entirely on his God. David reasons with his own heart, in verse 3, and sets forth the worst possible state of things in which the people of God may be placed; and yet he finds consolation and confidence in the great truth, that the righteous are not only, at all times and under all circumstances, seen, but favoured and protected of God, and destined to triumph in the end. He remembers the destiny of Sodom and Gomorrah, once wealthy and flourishing, but now burned up and destroyed; and then the destiny of Lot, for a season in trouble, but now in heaven. Trust in God is the surest refuge in trouble. [PALERMO.] 1 I IN the Lord do put my trust; how is it then that ye Say to my soul, Flee as a bird 2 For, lo! the wicked bend their bow, 3 If the foundations be destroy'd, what hath the righteous done? 4 God in his holy temple is, in heaven is his throne; |