an oppressing, griping, worldly spirit is characterized, with its direct opposition to the spirit of God, which teaches, that sin is to be confessed with shame and sorrow; that in God alone man is to make his boast; and that it is more blessed to give, than to

receive.

4. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts; or, all his imaginations are, There is no God.

The counsels of heaven are not known by the wicked, because they are not sought after; and they are not sought after, because of a diabolical selfsufficiency, which, having taken possession of the heart, displays itself in the countenance, and reigns throughout the man. He wants no Prophet to teach him, no Priest to atone for him, no King to conduct him; he needs neither a Christ to redeem, nor a Spirit to sanctify him; he believes no Providence, adores no Creator, and fears no Judge. Thus he lives a stranger from the covenants of " promise, and without God in the world." Ephes. ii. 12. O that this character now existed only in the Psalmist's description!

5. His ways are always grievous, or, corrupt; thy judgements are far above out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

As are a man's principles, such will be his practices; and if he hath not God in his thoughts, his course of life will be corrupt and abominable, his end, his means, and his motives being all wrong, and polluted with concupiscence. There

would have been some chance of holding him by fear, but that is gone with his faith; for no man can ⚫ tremble at judgements in which he does not believe.

6. He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved; for I shall never be in adversity.

Prosperity begets presumption, and he who has been long accustomed to see his designs succeed, begins to think it impossible they should ever do otherwise. The long-suffering of God, instead of leading such an one to repentance, only hardens him in his iniquity. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, he thinks it will not be executed at all. He vaunteth himself, therefore, like the proud Chaldean monarch, in the Babylon which he hath erected, and fondly pronounceth it to be immortal. Such, it is too evident, are often the vain imaginations of triumphant wickedness.

7. His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and fraud; under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

From the thoughts of the sinner's "heart," mentioned in the preceding verse, David goes on to describe the words of his "mouth." And here we may illustrate the character of antichrist, by setting. that of Christ in opposition to it. The mouth of one poureth forth a torrent of curses and lies; from that of the other flowed a clear and copious stream of benediction and truth. Under the serpentine tongue of the former is a bag of mischief and vanity; but honey and milk were under the tongue of the latter, so pleasant and so nourishing to the spirits of men were all his communications.

8. He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

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From "words," the description proceeds to ac"tions." And with regard to these, as the Son of God went publicly preaching through cities and villages to save men's lives, so this child of Satan lieth in ambush to destroy them, privily bringing into the church, and diffusing among the people, pestilent errors, and damnable heresies, for that purpose.

9. He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

The disciples of Jesus, like their blessed Master, are ever vigilant to catch men in the evangelical net, in order to draw them from the world to God: the partisans of Satan, in imitation of their leader, arc employed in watching, from their lurking places, the footsteps of the Christian pilgrim, that they may spring upon him in an unguarded moment, and draw him from God to the world, and from thence to the devil.

10. He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

Our Lord, who is styled "the Lion of the tribe " of Judah," bécame a Lamb," for the salvation of mankind; but when his adversary at any time "humbleth" himself, when the wolf appears in sheep's clothing, let the flock beware; it is for their more effectual destruction. And if, allured by an outward show of moderation and benevolence, the simple ones shall venture themselves within his reach, they will soon find that his nature is disguised, but not altered.

11. He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten; he hideth his face, he will never see it.

For the chastisement of his people, God often suffers the enemy to prevail and prosper, who then ridicules the faith and hope of the church, and solaces himself in the conceit, that if there be a God, he either knows not, or cares not, what is done upon earth. These Epicurean notions, however absurd and unworthy of the Deity they may seem, do yet in some measure take possession of every man's mind at the instant of his committing a sin; since it is most certain, that, with a due impression of the divine omniscience upon his soul at the time, he would not commit it, for all that the tempter could offer him. But faith is apt to sleep, and then sin awakes.

12. Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand ; forget not the humble. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

The church now prays, that Jehovah, in vindication of his own honour and attributes, would arise to judgement, and make bare his glorious arm for the defence of his elect, who cry day and night unto him. Thus would the insolence of the wicked one and his agents, founded on the divine forbearance, be repressed, and all the world would see, that God had not forgotten, but still, as ever, remembered and regarded the low estate of his handmaid.

14. Thou hast seen it, for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thine hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

"The wicked," above, "saith in his heart, thou " wilt not requite it." But the faithful are taught other things by the promises in Scripture, and the experience of unnumbered histories. They know assuredly, that God beholds all that travail and vexation which some inflict, and others sustain, upon the earth; and that he will infallibly recompense to the former their deeds, to the latter their sufferings. Destitute should we be of every earthly help, in the state of beggars and orphans, yet in him will we trust, who, as the father and protector of all such, saith unto every one of us, " " I will never leave thee, nor "forsake thee."

15. Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.

This may be either a prayer, or a prediction, implying that the time will come, when the power of Jehovah will dash in pieces that of the enemy, by the demolition either of sin or the sinner, until wickedness be come utterly to an end, and righteousness be established for ever in the kingdom of Messiah. And, lo,

16. The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of the land.

Faith beholds the Lord Jesus, as already manifested in his glorious majesty, the kingdoms of this world become his, and the Canaanite no more in the land of promise. Each individual experiences in himself a happy prelude to this manifestation, when Christ