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THE general subject of this psalm is the same as of the two preceding. It is a prayer for grace and

power-a notion which the word "trembling" not at all conveys in our language. Serve the Lord, says the Psalmist, with fear, and rejoice; take satisfaction, joy and glory to yourselves in becoming his servants. But let it be a holy temperate joy, fearful of offence, not heedless and presumptuous, verging on the licentious

kind.

mercy, and for God's protection against the atheistical faction. But it is distinguished from many of the like general argument, that it is a prayer offered in a particular place, at a particular time, in a particular character. The place, the inner-court of the temple [see verse 4. & 7.]-the time, the hour of morning-sacrifice, [verse 3.]-the character, that of a Priest or Levite, as may be inferred from the sacrifical terms TX and YN in the 3d verse.

This psalm, therefore, is the private prayer of a Priest or Levite, at the foot of the altar of burntoffering, when he comes to set things in order for the morning-sacrifice. But in the character of this priest is typified, that of a true member of the Christian church, one taught in the mysteries of the gospel, and admitted to the privileges of the faithful, in opposition to idolaters and infidels.

A PRAYER OF THE MESSIAH, IN THE CHARACTER OF A PRIEST, COMING AT AN EARLY HOUR TO PREPARE THE ALTAR OF BURNT-OFFERING FOR THE MORNING SACRIFICE.

1 GIVE ear, O Jehovah, to my words,

Consider my sighing. [A]

2 Hearken to the sound of my cry, my King,

And my God, for unto thee I pray.

3 O Jehovah, in the morning thou shalt hear my voice,

In the morning I set every-thing-in-order before thee, and watch for thee. [B]

4 Truly not a God that delighteth in a-wickedperson art Thou,

An-evil-person shall not be-thy-guest. [C]

5 The foolish shall not present themselves in thy sight;

Thou hatest all workers of vanity : *

6 Thou wilt destroy all speakers of untruth:† The man of blood and guile ‡ Jehovah holds-inabomination.

* Vanity, i. e. the rites of the idolatrous religion.

true.

Propagators of the idolatrous religion, and opposers of the

‡ "The man of blood and guile,"—the persecutor of the truth,

A 4

7 But I, in the abundance of thy mercy, come in

to thy house;

In fear of thee, I worship [D] at thy holy temple.

8 O Jehovah, lead me in thy righteousness Because of them-that-watch-me, make thy way straight before my face. *

9 For no constancy [E] is in their mouth;
Within them is extreme-depravity:
Their throat is an open sepulchre,
They set-a-polish with their tongue. [F]

10 Convict † them, O God;

Let them fall by their own counsels.

Cast them down in the abundance of their trans

gressions,+

For they-are-rebels-against thee.

* Or, according to the LXX,-my way-before thy face. The word may signify either to convict, or to condemn. I prefer the former sense, "make their guilt evident."

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Transgressions" is a weak word to express the original, which signifies overt-acts of positive wilful disloyalty to the rightful sovereign.

11. But, let every one rejoice that seeketh-shelter under thee ;

Let them be joyful evermore, and cover thou

them over;

Let them triumph in thee who love thy name.

12. Yes; Thou wilt bless the Just One,† O Jehovah,

As a Shield of Good-will thou wilt guard around him. [G]

PSALM VI.

[See Notes.]

* Or, "be thou a covering over them."

+ The psalmist, speaking with the highest assurance of the final deliverance and happy condition of the good, is driven, as it were, by the Spirit that inspired him, to a choice of words, fixing the Blessing to a single person; to him who is Blessed above all, and the cause of Blessing.

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