The burden of fear and dread lies sore and weighty upon them who have suffered from the treachery of those whom they have trusted in, but let them cast it upon their righteous God, and He will make it light. He Who gives us each day our daily bread, will comfort each daily with our daily comfort, and sustain us each day with our daily grace.

24. And as for them: Thou, O God, shalt bring them into the pit of destruction.

25. The blood-thirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days: nevertheless, my trust shall be in Thee, O Lord.

He will not suffer them to fall who trust in Him; but He Himself brings to the pit of destruction them who wilfully and without repentance despise His law. The blood-thirsty and deceitful have their days made short. Absalom perished by the hand of Joab in the wood of Ephraim. When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he arose, and gat him home to his house, and hanged himself, and died.' Judas 'falling headlong, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.' All things, both providence and grace, teach us that hardened sin must perish, and that our safety lies in trusting in the will and in the love of God.

This Psalm was appointed for the temple-service. Its title is "to the chief Musician, on Neginoth or the harps, a Maschil of David." It was doubtless called forth by the cutting treachery and cruelty of Absalom and Ahithophel, (2 Sam. xv.) In the treachery used to David the Christian sees a type of the treachery used to the Saviour.

B b

1. BE merciful unto me, O God, for man goeth about to devour me he is daily fighting, and troubling me.

2. Mine enemies are daily in hand to swallow me up for they be many that fight against me, O Thou most Highest.

As David in the midst of the Philistines in Gath, when they watched him and endeavoured to accuse him before Achish their king, felt utterly desolate and alone, persecuted and driven from his own. country by Saul and his fellow-countrymen, and allowed no rest or safety by the strangers to whom he had fled; so was the Lord of Glory silent when both the people of Israel and the heathen were gathered together against Him, as many birds of prey around a timid dove. He appealed to God for mercy, for there was no mercy in man.

3. Nevertheless, though I am sometime afraid yet put I my trust in Thee.

LXX. The many who war against me shall be made afraid : But I will hope in Thee.

4. I will praise God, because of His word : I have put my trust in God, and will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

When fear comes to the believing soul then comes

trust we must fear danger before we can have trust in a deliverer. When we have known and trusted in our Deliverer, then can we confess His love and mercy, then can we declare the firm truth of His promises; and having full confidence in His Almighty love we need no longer be concerned as to what any arm of flesh can do against us. Nay, if we have firm faith in His grace and truth, we need not fear even what we do against ourselves.

5. They daily mistake my words: all that they imagine is to do me evil.

6. They hold all together, and keep themselves close and mark my steps, when they lay wait for my soul.

7. Shall they escape for their wickedness: Thou, O God, in Thy displeasure shalt cast them down.

Heb. In wickedness they hope for escape.

In anger cast Thou down the peoples.

The servant shall not be above his master. As the Philistines watched David, so did His enemies, both seen and unseen, watch the Son of God. They strove to entangle Him in His talk; they took counsel against Him to put Him to death; they came out against Him as against a thief. They took Him indeed, but they escaped not themselves: by their craft and cruelty in taking Him they cut off their own escape from the wrath of God, and cast themselves down to where they could not arise. If the Lord thus suffered, the disciple must be patient in

suffering too; there are misrepresentations and false accusings for each citizen of the heavenly country while he is sojourning in the strange land of this world; and under them he must be silent, as the Lamb of God was silent.

8. Thou tellest my flittings; put my tears into Thy bottle are not these things noted in Thy book?

LXX. I have related my life to Thee.

Lay up my tears before Thee,

As also in Thy promise.

Our temptations and our escapes, our wanderings and our flights, when like a frightened dove we would flee away and be at rest, He Who made us knows and recollects. He gathers up our tears of repentance and of sorrow as precious and dear unto Himself. The tears of penitents are the wine of the angels. They are quickly dried on earth, but He preserves them in heaven, to be for us as a wine of consolation in that day when all tears shall be wiped from off all faces. Our patience and our prayers, our trials and our good works, are alike recorded in the Book of Life in which the names of the elect are written.

9. Whensoever I call upon Thee, then shall mine enemies be put to flight this I know; for God is on my side.

10. In God's word will I rejoice in the Lord's word will I comfort me.

11. Yea, in God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

By prayer do we put to flight our enemies who are also the enemies of God. That God is love, we know; that He loves us, we know; and by appealing to His love do we become conquerors. I know that God is mine,-this is a weapon which will put to flight the Evil One. The word of promise becomes a word of assurance. In that which God has spoken there lie treasures of joy and untold consolation; the soul becomes not only confident but bold and fearless, as it draws nearer and nearer to Him Who is love. What can evil men or evil angels do to them on whose side is God?

12. Unto Thee, O God, will I pay my vows : unto Thee will I give thanks.

13. For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, and my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living.

Therefore, though sorrowful and silent, and alone among strangers and foes, yet the believing soul can already be alway rejoicing before God, paying the vows it vowed in its trouble as being already delivered, thanking Him as having received all that it was craving for in the earnest of His love. A way is opened for its deliverance on earth; before the face of its Father it is delivered already. His grace, Who is the Light of the world, saves the soul from the death of sin, and comforts the fainting spirit: His