PSALM LIX. 9-17.

Because of his strength will I wait upon thee; for God is my defence. The God of my mercy shall prevent me: God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies. Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride; and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. And at evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied. But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning; for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing; for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.

BECAUSE of his strength (David says) will I

wait upon thee; for God is my defence." By this he means, that seeing that his enemies are so strong and violent, it is beyond his power to resist them; and therefore he looks up to God as his defender.

He speaks of God as the God of his mercy; "The God of my mercy shall prevent me." He shall anticipate my wants, and be forward in

rendering me the help I need. What a blessing to be able to look upon God in this light, not only as a merciful God, but One who has ever shown mercy unto me;" as the God from whom in days gone by I have received ten thousand blessings, and who is still dealing graciously with me! On His help I can surely rely.

In the verses which follow, David entreats the Lord to inflict a just punishment upon his enemies; not to slay them at once, but so to punish them that men may plainly see that God is avenging His servants; "Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

The Lord acted so with Cain. Instead of taking away his life at once, He made him a wanderer upon earth, a living proof of that justice which avenges murder. So was it also with the Jews. As a punishment for their repeated sins, instead of being entirely rooted up, they were scattered among the nations, a continued monument of God's wrath.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth verses, these wicked persons are spoken of as returning to the city with hopeless disappointment; "At evening let them return; and let them make a noise like a dog, and go round about the city. Let them wander up and down for meat, and grudge if they be not satisfied." Having raged like furious dogs

against the righteous, let them suffer as hungry dogs for their sin. Such is often the portion of those who array themselves against the Lord and against His anointed.

"But I (says David) will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy." Whilst the enemies of God are suffering the punishment they have brought upon themselves, His friends raise a song of thankfulness for His saving grace and sheltering care.

Let us look upon the Lord as our Shield and our Defence; and having committed ourselves to Him, let us feel perfectly safe. In the time of our weakness let us remember that He is our strength; and in the day of trouble, instead of looking here and there for help, let us betake ourselves to Him who can heal our wounds, and dry up all our tears.

PSALM LX.

O God, thou hast cast us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased; O turn thyself to us again. Thou hast made the earth to tremble; thou hast broken it: heal the breaches thereof; for it shaketh. Thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. That thy beloved may be delivered; save with thy right hand, and hear me. God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver; Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me. Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom? Wilt not thou, O God, which hadst cast us off? and thou, O God, which didst not go out with our armies? Give us help from trouble; for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly; for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

'HE disasters which had befallen the Lord's

THE

people are here referred to. They had by their sins rejected God, and He seemed for a while to reject them. But now their prayer is, "O turn thyself to us again." And truly, when

we return to God with humble penitence, He is ready to receive us and to help us.

"Thou hast showed thy people hard things: thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment;" that is, Thou hast caused us to see reverses, disappointments, and trials: but still Thou art our Helper, and the Captain of our salvation.

"Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of thy truth." Thou hast bidden us go forth lifting up our standard in Thy name, and displaying it in the cause of the true God.

From the sixth verse to the end, he speaks of the conquests already made, and of those which would follow; "God hath spoken in his holiness;" that is, a holy God has promised to give us the Land as our inheritance, and He will fulfil His promise. His holiness is pledged to its perform

ance.

"I will rejoice;" that is, I will gladly go forth to the work, trusting to this promise, and therefore assured of success. "I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth;" I will make those divisions among the several tribes which the Lord appointed.

David speaks of Gilead and Manasseh on the east, and Ephraim and Judah on the west, as a part of his wide dominion. He describes Ephraim as "the strength of his head," or that on which he mainly relied; and Judah as having much