double heart!" words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." Every word that comes from His lips is pure, and comforting, and true. It is like "silver, tried seven times" (that is, over and over again) in the fire; free from all dross, and unspeakably precious.

"The words of the Lord are pure

There is an encouraging promise towards the close of the Psalm. It is true that "the wicked walk on every side," and the "violent men" have the upper hand. And so it will be as long as the world lasts. But meanwhile the Lord is mindful of His people. He watches over them with more than a Father's love and tenderness. He holds them in His hand, so that no evil can befal them : “Thou shalt keep them, O Lord; thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever." However wicked any "generation" may be, God can preserve His people unhurt by their violence, and unstained by their sin.

Happy those who are thus watched over, who have the shield of the Almighty round them, and whom He keeps as the very apple of His eye!

PSALM XIII.

How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? Consider and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.

HERE

ERE we have, Ist, a Complaint; 2ndly, a Prayer; and 3rdly, a Joyful Expression of confidence in God.

Ist, there is the Psalmist's Complaint: "How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

If we are in trouble, and God does not at once interfere for our deliverance, we are apt to imagine that He is like a Friend who has forgotten us, or a Protector who turns away from us. But perhaps all the while His eye slumbereth not, His ear hears our faintest cry, and His powerful hand is already stretched out over us. For most true is that promise of His: "The needy shall not alway be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever." (Ps. ix. 18.)

The writer of this Psalm felt at the time much cast down, and longed for some assurance that God was near to help him. He speaks, in the second verse, as one who was wearied out with the perplexity of his soul, "taking counsel" so often, and yet not knowing which way to turn, or what course to take. He speaks also of the "sorrow in his heart," the sorrow which lay deeply embedded there. And he further mentions his distress lest his enemy should exult, and lord it over him. But the thing which grieved him most was the thought that God had turned away from him. This was the real sting of his pain, the throbbing pulse of his misery.

He does not

2ndly, we have his Prayer. merely look inward upon his sorrow, but he looks upward to his great Helper; "Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. He speaks here as one exhausted by trouble, and ready to die. grows dim, as it were, and he seems to feel as if death were near. He prays therefore that God would revive him by His timely aid.

His sight

How many when in deep distress have thus prayed for God's enlightening grace, and have found a brightness which they never knew before; a new life has begun within them, a life of joy and peace.

And now, 3rdly, we see David's happy and assured Confidence in God. He suddenly, as it were, seems to correct himself, to feel that he had somewhat distrusted his heavenly Father, and that he ought rather to rely upon His promised help; “I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. I will sing unto the Lord, because he hath dealt bountifully with me." His holy trust and confidence return, and now his heart rejoices.

And is there not One very near us in the hour of trial? Jesus came into the world, not only to be our sin-bearer, but our sorrow-bearer also. "He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." And depend upon it, no trouble is too great for Him to relieve, or too small for Him to notice. Be assured, He has an ear to hear us, if only we have a heart to pray.

This Psalm, as well as many others, has a mournful beginning and a triumphant ending. Oftentimes, when our souls are dark and sorrowful, light, under the influence of prayer, breaks in upon them; the clouds disperse, and all is sunshine. As the dew descends at night upon the parched soil, so do heavenly comforts come down upon us, giving us "the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

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PSALM XIV.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord? There were they in great fear; for God is in the generation of the righteous. Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the Lord is his refuge. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

THE corruption of mankind is mourned over in

this Psalm. It is shown,

Ist. In his secret unbelief; "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." To deny that God exists, and that He rules this world of ours, is utter folly; and yet such foolish deniers are to be met with. Very few are bold enough openly to avow such unbelief, but many a fool says it in his heart. He wishes that there was no God to bring him to account. He acts as if there were none. And he talks as if God was not in all his thoughts. His