that God's choicest treasure of earth is the godly man; that he has set apart every such man for himself, for the reception of his own glorious moral attributes and character. The third and fourth verses describe the process of conversion-that it begins with solitary self-reflection, communing with one's own heart; passes thence to a determined amendment of life; and ends in an unfaltering trust in the mercy of God alone for salvation. The sixth verse asks what that good is, the possession of which will make man so entirely happy as to leave him nothing more to desire, and answers the question, by declaring the favour of God, the light of his countenance upon the soul, to be that good; and then it is affirmed in the verse following, that his smile puts a joy and gladness into the heart above any that the world can bestow. The eighth and last verse describes the man who is filled with the consciousness of possessing this good, falling asleep sweetly and securely in the midst of the greatest dangers. Who, then, would not desire to possess this all-sufficing good? It can be obtained by faith in Him through whose death it was purchased. Possess yourselves of that faith, and then will the weakest and most timid of you be enabled to say, not only at the close of each succeeding day, "I will at once lay me down in peace and sleep," but to say it also when the hour comes wherein you must compose yourself for that sleep that shall know no waking, until the trumpet of the angel of the resurrection breaks up for ever the slumbers of the dead.

LECTURE ON PSALM V.

DAVID seems to have been thoroughly persuaded that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; never to grow weary if an answer did not come as soon as was expected, or in the way desired. Prayer seems to have been as necessary to him as the play of his lungs and the pulsations of his heart. How many of his psalms open with a cry to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need! And so earnestly does his soul pant upwards to God, that he repeats the same thing over and over in nearly the same words; and yet always so that each succeeding repetition is still a variation, expressing another shade of the vehement intensity of his desires. Of this striking peculiarity of David's prayers we have an illustration in the first three verses of the psalm before us. Its fervid repetitions indicate a soul feeling that it cannot be denied. They remind one of the repetitions of Daniel pleading for the deliverance of captive Israel, saying, "O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not for thine own sake, O my God." They also remind one of the repetitions in the prayer of the Saviour in Gethsemane, a third time saying the same words. Matt. xxvi. 44. There is, however, although repetitions, no tautology in these petitions of David, for the petitions,

VERSE 1. Give ear unto my words, O Lord; consider my meditation,

indicate two distinct forms and phases of prayer.

"Give ear unto my words, O Lord," indicates the offering up of such desires as can be adequately expressed in words, whereas, "consider my meditation,” indicates the offering up to God of such desires as cannot be adequately expressed in words. The soul is capable of spiritual aspirations too intense for utterance. It is of such aspirations that the apostle speaks, when he says, "the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." Rom. viii. 26.

This accords with the experience of every humble, earnest child of God. How often is he conscious of hungerings and thirstings after righteousness, that can be expressed only in sighs! Bishop Horne translates the word meditation, "dove-like moanings." The moaning of the dove is one of the most plaintive sounds in nature. Its tones remind one more of a broken heart, bemoaning the absence of its chief delight, than anything else that can be conceived. It is thus that the broken heart and contrite spirit bemoans the absence of its chief delight, the light of God's countenance. It can only sigh after the grace it needs. Hence, in the words, "give ear to my words," and, "consider my meditation," David prays the Lord to grant him, not only the desires he has been able to clothe in language, but also the desires which he has been able to express only in sighs and plaintive moans. For God's ear, however, these sighs and moans have a louder tongue than words. The Lord looks upon the heart, sees all its unutterable desires, and answers them all as prayer.

VERSE 2. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God; for unto thee will I pray.

This verse describes an earnestness in prayer, which neither deliberately chosen words, nor sighs, nor moans, can adequately express. The vehemency of the desires finds utterance only in a cry for help. Of this form of prayer we have an illustration in the history of our Lord, who, in the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. Heb. v. 7. There are times when the powers of darkness so assail the soul, that an agonized cry for deliverance is its only language of prayer. They so assailed the soul of the Saviour, when he uttered that loud cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" Matt. xxvii. 46. Such an hour of darkness seems to have come upon the soul of David, and is liable to come upon the soul of every believer. This fact David indicates in the words, "Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God." He appeals unto the Lord, first, as his King, as one who cannot but protect and deliver his servant and subject; and then to him as his God, all-sufficient to satisfy his every want and realize his every desire. To thee, therefore, he says, will I pray. Here then in the first two verses of our psalm are three distinct varieties of prayer. "Give ear unto my words," is prayer that can be clothed in deliberately chosen language. "Consider my meditation,” is the prayer of unutterable desires. "Give ear unto my cry," is the prayer of agonized distress, of an overwhelming sense of sin and need of mercy. It is the cry of Peter sinking in the waves, "Lord, save! I perish!" These seem to have been David's prayers

during the night; and he resolves that they shall be his prayer also in the morning; for he adds,

VERSE 3. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee; and will look up.

Having passed the night in communion with God, David resolved to begin the day with him; wisely, too, for there is much more need of the blessing of God upon us during the trials and temptations of the day, than there is during the repose of the night. The right way, however, is both to begin and end the day with God, to open it with prayer, and close it with the same key. It was the Saviour's practice. And if He, holy, harmless, undefiled, needed such incessant prayer, how much more must we need it! "In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, O Lord:" not at night only, but also in the morning, I will spread out my desires and petitions in order before thee, and look up; keep my eye henceforth fixed upon thee to watch what answer thou wilt return to them. This seems to be the import of the words. It is too much the habit of Christians to pray without watching for an answer to their prayers. It was not so with David. As his prayers ascended, he looked up, followed them with his whole soul, to learn what report they would bring back. No man prays in earnest, who does not earnestly expect an answer to his prayers.

VERSE 4. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

In praying that wickedness may come to an end, and righteousness be established in its stead, we know that we are asking things that are agreeable