his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

IO There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any

11, 12. The fact that the devil quoted these verses, and that with a view to suggest presumptuous confidence, is very striking and instructive.

14-16. The assurance given by the Almighty. What marvellous words! "Set His love upon me," "known my name," show the nature of this trust, not in the God of

Psalm 92.

A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath Day.

I IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and

plague come nigh thy dwelling.

II For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.

4 For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.

5 O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.

6 A brutish man knoweth neither doth a fool

not; understand this.

7 When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do

WRITER: Unknown.
OCCASION: Unknown.
CHARACTER: Doctrinal.

Why the title ("for the Sabbath day") was given, it is hard to say. There is nothing peculiar to the Sabbath in it. The Jews make it their Sabbath portion for reading. It treats of God's ruling upon earth, and when that is perfect it will be all Sabbath, rest perfect and for ever. 2 Pet. iii. 13; Heb. iv. 9.

1-3. "A good thing" to praise. Note this here and elsewhere, and put it into practice. The neverceasing cause, God's "loving-kindness" and "faithfulness." Every day and every night.

4. The personal experience. It is manifest from what follows, that the "works" meant are not so much those of creation as of providence. Like Ps. xxxvii. and Ps. lxxiii. Only the full ring of confidence in that providence.

flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:

8 But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.

9 For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

10 But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

II Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.

12 The righteous shall

5, 6. From ver. 5 to end, a commentary on this subject of the works of God in providence. How 66 great" in extent (both in vastness and minuteness); how "deep" in design. "Brutish," compare Ps. lxxiii. 22, and Ps. cvii. 43.

7. The broad truth. Earthly prosperity no certain sign of God's favour, but sometimes of the reverse. Note this. It is erroneously thought that the teaching of the Old Testament is contrary to that of the New on this point.

8. The blessed truth that is the back-bone of the psalm, and of all true comfort in life.

IO. "My horn": why? Because, by grace, not an enemy (ver. 9). The exaltation and refreshment seem to be in the time of this life. How would it apply to those persecuted unto death? Surely, in any case there would be the "fresh oil."

12. “Like the palm tree” which is always green, and marvellously

CHARACTER: Practical.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

time spoken of in such passages as Isa. ii. 2.

3, 4. "The floods" are

some

danger.

1, 2. Grand expressions, showing how, in spite of appearances, the Lord reigns and his throne is established in reference even to this earth. Not shall reign, but "reigneth." No doubt the complete fulfilment will not be till the

taken in the truth stated in vers. The practical application

I, 2. of it.

QUOTED IN New Testament.

Ver. 11, in 1 Cor. iii. 20.

Psalm 94.

I O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.

2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

3 LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity

boast themselves?

5 They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.

WRITER: Unknown.

OCCASION: Unknown.

CHARACTER: Practical.

6 They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

7 Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.

8 Understand, ye brutish among the people and ye fools, when will ye be wise?

9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?

IO He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know ?

II The LORD knoweth the

thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

12 Blessed is the man

people": not heathen. The argument from common sense. "Chas

tiseth the heathen," emphasis on heathen; think well of this.

If

oppression.

"Teacheth man knowledge," a hint for self-satisfied philosophers.

II. The true source of such want of common sense: the "vanity" (not the want of knowledge) of human nature. This is much to be noticed. However great the intellectual ability, and however extensive and correct the knowledge in other matters, there is a radical defect, a vanity, in man's mind which leads him in one way or other to believe a lie. 2 Thess. ii. II. See also Rom. i. 21-23. 12-15. Comfortable thoughts. In fact an answer to vers. 1-4. "The Lord will not cast off His people." Ver. 15 is not an easy one; perhaps

whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;

13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.

14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.

15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

18 When I said, My foot

the meaning is that one day judgment will become righteous generally in the world: and, in the meantime, God's people ("the upright in heart") must cleave to what is right, even though oppressed.

16-19. This confidence in God and in His final deliverance leads

to immediate effort. "Who is on my side? who?" Vers. 18, 19 are two very memorable ones. Man's extremity is God's opportunity,

QUOTED IN NEW TESTAMENT. (1.) Vers. 7-11, in Heb. iii. 7-11. (2.) Vers. 7, 8, in Heb. iv. 7.

Psalm 95.

I O COME, let us sing unto

slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.

23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their Own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.