PSALM XLIV. 1–16.

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old. How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand, and plantedst them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out. For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto them. Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies; through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me. But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us. In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies. Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy; and they which hate us spoil for themselves. Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen. Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price. Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people. My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me, for the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and avenger.

THE

HE writer of this Psalm, in the first three verses, recounts the gracious dealings of the Lord with His people Israel; how He drove out the heathen possessors of Canaan, and made it over to His own people; and how He did this with His own right hand, and with His holy arm; thus reminding them that they owed it all, not to their own power, but to "the light of his countenance," or favour towards them.

And he goes on to state that God will still show Himself as the King and Deliverer of His people; and he declares that in His strength he is determined to fight the good fight; "Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob. Through thee will we push down our enemies : through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us."

In the sixth and seventh verses, he declares that he will never trust in an arm of flesh, but in the arm of God; and adds, "In God we boast all the day long;" that is, If we boast at all, it will be of His doings, and not of our own.

In our spiritual warfare, as well as temporal, it is our duty to use the appointed means, but we must not trust in them. We should ever look up to God, and place our whole reliance on Him who can alone insure the victory. In sickness it would be wrong not to use the prescribed remedies; but it would be equally wrong to place all our trust in

them. If our house were in flames, it would be folly to despise the fire-engine, or the escapeladder; but still we should feel that these would be utterly useless, except the Lord were willing to deliver us. And so in all our doings must our eye be ever turned towards Him who is the Saviour and Defender of His people. "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

In the ninth and following verses, the Psalmist describes the pitiable state of the Church and People by reason of persecution; so much so, that they felt for a time forsaken of God; "But thou hast cast off, and put us to shame; and goest not forth with our armies."

In the twelfth verse, he says, "Thou sellest thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price;" that is, Thou permittest them to be accounted as vile and worthless, and to be sold into slavery for little or nothing. And he adds, "Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us."

It is painful to think how often those who are dear to God are exposed to the scoffs of the unbelieving, and are made a byword among their enemies. It must be so; it will ever be so; else were the offence of the cross at an end. Well is it if no blame lies at our own door, and if there is nothing in our words or conduct to make the enemies of God blaspheme.

PSALM XLIV. 17-26.

All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death. If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies' sake.

THE

HE Psalmist had been speaking of the various calamities which had befallen him and his countrymen. And now he proceeds to declare that, in the midst of these, they had remained faithful to God; "All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant."

Of course there had been individual sins committed by them; but in the main the nation had been faithful, and that whilst they had been suffering deeply; "Though thou hast sore broken

us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death." He refers here to the desolation of their country, which had made it the abode of wild beasts, and had overspread it with a death-like gloom.

Thus does he describe his own misery, and that of his people, as a ground for God's interference. And again he speaks of their faithfulness, which not even the sorest persecutions could shake; “If we have forgotten the name of our God (that is, if we have been guilty of apostacy), or stretched out our hands to a strange God; shall not God search. this out?" He has too keen an eye not to detect it. But David and his brethren could appeal to Him, and say, "For thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter." Therefore awake, and rise up for our defence.

It often happens that God allows His people to suffer for a while, in order to show them their insufficiency, and to lead them to prayer. It was so with the Israelites in Egypt: they were oppressed, and bruised, and broken; and God seemed for a while regardless of their misery. But all the time He was sympathising with them; and then, at the right moment, He stepped forward and delivered them.

So too it was when the Disciples were in the storm; Jesus seemed to be unconcerned, until at length He was awakened by their cries, rose up to