Cush to deal with, there was always some sabled soul ready to betray and calumniate him.

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ANNOTATIONS.-" Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto the Lord, concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite." 'Shiggaion" denotes some particular kind of poem, as is evident from its use by Habakkuk (chap. iii. 1); but its meaning is doubtful. Some think it is merely a song," some a dithyrambic or irregular ode, others an elegy; whilst some suppose that it refers to the occasion of the composition. The word indicates irregularity, and rightly designates the character of this ode, which has not much regard either to rhyme or the laws of metre. A soul flooded with boisterous emotions will generally in its utterance set the laws of composition at defiance. Its poem will be a Shiggaion," something wandering and irregular.

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O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust." The word rendered "trust," means to flee, and is applied to taking protection under the shadow or protection of one (Judges ix. 15, Isa. xxx. 2, Psa. lvii. 1; lxi. 4.) The words may be thus rendered, "Jehovah my God, in thee have I put my trust."

"Save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me. Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it to pieces, while there is none to deliver." "All them that persecute were all those who are represented by the character, and influenced by the spirit of this Cush, who like a "lion" threaten to rend his very soul-his life to pieces.

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Oh Lord my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands. If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy).' If I have done this "— this wickedness, whatever it is, which this Cush has charged against me. If there be iniquity in my hands," that is, iniquity not in relation to God nor to man, but in relation to the evils for which he was charged. If I have rewarded evil unto him that is at peace with me." If in any case I have returned evil for good. As if he had said, I have never injured a friend. Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy.' "An instance of this kind actually occurred in the life of David, in his treatment of Saul. (1 Sam. xxiv. 10, 11.) And it is possible that David referred to that case, and meant to say that that was a vindication of his character, and of his manner of treating others. Those who suppose that the whole Psalm refers to Saul, of course regard this as the specific case referred to. There may have been other instances of the same kind in the life of David, and there is no improbability in supposing that on some occasion he had treated this very man, Cush, in this way, and that he refers here to that fact." (Barnes.)

"Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it." Let the enemy pursue my soul. This expresses his willingness that his enemy should pursue him even until death, if he were guilty of the charges brought against him; it means, if I am guilty I am ready to suffer.

"Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth.”

"The allusion

here is," says a modern expositor, "to the manner in which the vanquished were often treated in battle, when they were rode over by horses, or trampled by man into the dust. The idea of David is, that if he was guilty he would be willing that his enemy should triumph over him, should subdue him, should treat him with the utmost indignity and scorn."

"And lay mine honour in the dust. Selah." He means to say, not only let my life go-let my very existence be trampled to the dust-but let that which is dearer than life itself go, let my good name go. "Selah":-Mark this. So conscious was he of not being guilty of the charges his enemy had brought against him, that he imprecates on himself the destruction of his own life and honour in case he should prove so.

"Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself, because of the rage of mine enemies; and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. "The sense directly intended seems to be that, as his enemies are raging, it is time for God to rise in anger too. As they rage against him, he calls upon God to rise in anger against them. And awake,' a still stronger figure than arise, because implying sleep as well as inactivity. Awake unto me,' at my call and for my benefit. 'Judgment hast thou commanded,' or ordained. Let that judgment now be executed. He appeals to the general administration of God's justice, as a ground for expecting it in this one case. As it was part of the divine plan or purpose to do justice, both on friends and foes, here was an opportunity to put it into execution." (Alexander.) "So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about; for their sakes therefore return thou on high." The meaning of this verse seems to be that the vindication of his innocence, and the punishment of his unrighteous enemies, would inspire God's true saints with fresh confidence in his character, and draw them around him in gratitude and praise; he pleads this as a reason." For their sakes therefore return thou on high." Ascend thy judgment throne and deal out justice between me and mine enemies. "The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me. This means, Thou wilt judge the world and redress all wrongs one day, therefore judge me now.

"Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just." David was groaning under the tyranny of wickedness, and feeling its enormity, he prays that the world may be delivered of it, wherever it is found, and that in its place rectitude may be established, the wrong put down and the right enthroned. Good prayer this!

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"For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." The word heart," stands for the spring and fountain of our spiritual nature, and the "reins," the deepest depths of that fountain. God knows us thoroughly. The figure, here, is often employed to describe the Omniscience of Jehovah (Jer. xi. 30; xvii. 10; xx. 12; Psa. xxvi. 2; cxix. 13; Rev. ii. 23.)

"My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." My shield

is upon God, that is, my protection and defence depends on him alone. The idea seems to be God saves the upright, therefore I am well guarded.

"God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day." The word "wicked" is supplied by our translations. Anger in God has little or nothing that corresponds with anger in man. Anger in man is a passion, a passion that gives pain, a passion that seeks at once to injure its object; it is malevolence excited. God's anger is the anger of benevolence; it is not a passion, but a principle; it is antagonism to wrong. And all that this verse states is, that God's opposition (anger) to wickedness is constant " every day."

"If he turn not he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready." "To whet the sword," and "to bend the bow," are military figures intended to express the idea, that unless the sinner turns from his wickedness, there will be preparation for his punishment.

"He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." The language here again is military, and expresses an idea in advance of the idea pressed in the former verse, not that the instruments of punishment are being made ready, but that they are ready. He means to say, he makes his arrows flaming, alluding to the ancient custom of shooting burning arrows into cities or camps. "Behold he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.' The wicked man is here represented as labouring to produce wickedness with parturition pains, and giving birth to falsehood. The general idea, perhaps, is that wickedness, although painfully laboriously, is abortive "falsehood," that is, vanity is the result.

"

"He made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate." Another idea of wickedness is figured in these words, not its laboriousness and its abortiveness, but its retributiveness, it reacts on the sinner's own head. "I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.' Whilst the sinner, as if the Psalmist had said, is made to execute his own punishment. I will praise the Lord Jehovah, &c.

ARGUMENTS.- "The Psalmist still prays for deliverance from his enemies, ver. 1 and 2, on the ground that he is innocent of that wherewith they charge him, ver. 3-5. He prays for justice to himself and on his enemies, as a part of the great judicial process which belongs to God as the Universal Judge, ver. 6-9; he trusts in the divine discrimination between innocence and guilt, ver. 10,11; he anticipates God's vengeance on unpenitent offenders, ver, 12, 13; He sees them forced to act as self destroyers, ver. 14-16; at the same time he rejoices in God's mercy to himself and to the whole class whom he represents, ver. 17." (Alexander.)

HOMILETICS.-This whole Psalm may be used homiletically as an illustration of exemplary conduct under great social trial.

LL men suffering under the calumny, persecution, tyranny, and cruelty of their fellow-men, may look to this Psalm and find much, not only worthy of their attention, but worthy of their imitation. David's conduct here, as indicated in this Psalm, includes three things.

I. EARNEST APPLICATION. In the midst of his trial he looks to heaven. Man in extreme anguish and peril, instinctively turns to the everlasting Father. In his supplication we discover several things.

First: A strong confidence in God. "O Lord, my God, in thee do I put my trust." He felt that Jehovah was his refuge. The good are authorized to feel this. What a refuge is God-(1) ever accessible-(2) equal to all emergencies(3) large enough to receive all sufferers-(4) immutable amidst the revolution of ages. "God is my refuge and strength," &c., &c.

Secondly: A terrible sense of danger. "Lest he tear my soul like a lion," &c. Whoever was the ferocious enemy who, like a lion, was about to tear him to pieces, one thing is certain, there is a roaring lion who goes about threatening our spiritual ruin. Fear not him that can kill the body, but fear Him who can cast both body and soul into hell.

Thirdly: A deep consciousness of innocence. "Oh Lord, my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands," &c. The innocency of which he was conscious, was not innocency towards God, nor in relation to all other men, but innocency in relation to those to whom he was referring. He felt what his great Master felt after him, that his enemies hated him "without a cause.' A consciousness of innocence under suffering is a buoy to bear up the soul amidst the dashing waves.

Fourthly: An earnest invocation for help. "Arise, O Lord, in thine anger (opposition), lift up thyself," &c. His ideas of God are, throughout this Psalm, very anthropomorhic. God appears to him, under his sufferings, as a warrior sitting down, or in a sleep, whilst his enemies are raging around him. Hence the cry, "Arise, lift up thyself," &c. It is impossible for man to divest his God of human attributes. Is not the Father asleep or distant who does

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not hasten to succour his loving child in suffering? Thus the distressed heart reasons. In his invocation for help he has respect for three things: (a) The spiritual good of his country. "So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about for their sakes, therefore return thou on high." His idea is, show that righteousness to me, that the good may gather around thee to worship. True prayer is never selfish. Elsewhere David prays for the restoration of divine favour, and his argument is, "Then will I teach transgressors thy way," &c. (b) The administrative justice of God. "The Lord shall judge the people." He believed that justice would be shown one day. "That although clouds were round about him, yet that justice and judgment were the habitation of his throne." (c) The universal extension of wickedness. "O, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end," &c. What a philanthropic prayer this is! it is not the destruction of the wicked He seeks here, but the destruction of their wickedness. What a comprehensive prayer this is! to destroy wickedness on the earth is to destroy all the evils that afflict humanity. David's conduct here indicates

II. DEVOUT MEDITATIONS. From the tenth to the sixteenth verse he engages in reflections on two subjects.

First: On the character of God. He thinks of God (1) As a friend of the just. "He saveth the upright, he judgeth the righteous." God is just, essentially, eternally, administratively just. (2) As an enemy of the wicked. "He is angry with the wicked every day." His opposition is (a) Constant "every day." (b) Terrible--" whet his sword." He has punishment ready (c) Avoidable-" if he turn not.” If the sinner turns the opposition is at an end. God does not, cannot change. But the sinner can and must. "Let the wicked forsake his ways."

Secondly: On the condition of sinners. He regards his position (1) As painfully laborious. "Behold, he travaileth with iniquity." There is the throe of anguish in the life of sin. The way of transgressors is hard." (2) Abortively laborious. After all the angonizing travail, what is produced ?" And brought forth falsehood." Wrecked purposes, disappointed expectations, blighted hopes, vanity, emptiness. "What fruit had he in those things?" (3)