(III. Prayer heard and answered.)

8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; For the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. 9 The Lord hath heard my supplication;

The Lord will receive my prayer.

10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: Let them return and be ashamed suddenly.

REFLECTIONS.

1. Consider the prayer of the penitent. He is in distress; in deep spiritual affliction. He sees himself exposed to God's anger and displeasure.

He

prays that he may be graciously dealt with; he prays for mercy, for spiritual health, for salvation, for restoration to God's favour. He pleads his cause: there is "no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither" he goes.

2. Consider his complaint. His grief is intense, and exhausts his powers of body and mind. His enemies are many and strong. What a slight thing is repentance in the view of many! What a deep and serious thing it is in reality!

3. Consider the relief of the penitent. His prayer is heard; his enemies are vanquished; his soul is restored to comfort and peace.

PRAYER.

Give us, O Lord, the grace of unfeigned and deep repentance. Give us humble and contrite hearts, that we may mourn before Thee, pray unto Thee, and receive from Thee the consolations of Thy mercy and

grace according to the Gospel of Christ, that we may rejoice in Thy salvation, through the same Thy Son Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

PSALM VII.

Prayer for divine help in consideration of Integrity: the author, David: the occasion, the persecutions of Saul; or the reproaches

of Shimei.

(I. Prayer.)

1 O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust: Save me from all that persecute me, and deliver

me:

2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion,

Tearing it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

(II. Profession of Innocence.)

3 O Lord my God, if I have done this;

If there be iniquity in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace

with me;

(Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy :)

5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, And lay mine honour in the dust.

(III. Prayer for divine interposition.)

6 Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger,

Lift up Thyself because of the rage of mine enemies :

And awake for me to the judgment which Thou hast commanded.

7 So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about:

For their sakes therefore return Thou on high. 8 The Lord shall judge the people :

Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, And according to mine integrity that is in me.

9 O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; But establish the just:

For the righteous Lord trieth the hearts and reins.

10 My defence is of God,

Which saveth the upright in heart.

(IV. Divine Judgments against sinners.)

11 God judgeth the righteous,

And God is angry with the wicked every day. 12 If he turn not, He will whet His sword;

He hath bent His bow, and made it ready.

13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death;

He ordaineth His arrows against His persecutors.

(V. Beginning, progress, and end of sin.)

14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity,

And hath conceived mischief, And brought forth falsehood. 15 He made a pit, and digged it,

And is fallen into the ditch which he made.

16 His mischief shall return upon his own head,

And his violent dealing shall come down upon his

own pate.

(VI. Praise.)

17 I will praise the Lord according to His righteous

ness:

And will sing praise to the name of the Lord most High.

REFLECTIONS.

1. A good man may be exposed to the violence and cruelty of persecuting enemies; but if he look to God in faith and prayer, he shall find safety and deliverance.

2. Happy is he who has a conscience void of offence towards all men! He can approach God, and plead his cause before Him, with comfort and confidence.

3. The good man, when he is persecuted and calumniated, implores God's merciful interposition on his behalf. In so doing, he regards God's glory and the good of others. He prays that he himself may be vindicated; that wickedness may be discomfited; and that the cause of the righteous may be established. He is fully persuaded that God, who knows the deepest thoughts of man's mind, is the righteous Judge; and he confides in Him as the defender and deliverer of the upright in heart.

4. The persecutors and calumniators of the godly ought to remember, that God is a righteous Judge, that He is angry with the wicked, and that unless they turn to Him in repentance He will visit them with awful destruction.

5. Here is the history of sin. Thus St. James

speaks: "When lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” Even in this world, the devices of the wicked against others often bring ruin upon themselves. He who would escape destruction at last, must beware of sin in the heart; for if it lodge there, it cannot fail to produce its fruits and harvest.

6. We may be fully persuaded of God's righteousness, and make it the matter of praise and thanksgiving. The day will arrive when it will be fully manifested. Meanwhile we walk by faith: and if our faith be strong, our comfort will abound in an evil world.

PRAYER.

Enable us, O Lord, to walk before Thee with upright hearts and whatever be our troubles, may we commit ourselves and our cause to Thee, with a full persuasion of Thy righteous conduct, and that Thou art the defence of Thy people. Convince the ungodly of their sin and folly, and turn them from their evil ways. May we, and all Thy people, guard against sin both in heart and conduct; proceed in the way of righteousness; and evermore praise Thy Name, O Lord most High, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer and Advocate. Amen.

PSALM VIII.

Psalm displaying the divine perfections. David asserts the glory of God, as it is seen in His works and in His love to man. From Heb. ii. 6-9, we learn that this Psalm refers to Christ.

1 O Lord our Lord,

How excellent is Thy name in all the earth!

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