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POSTHUMOUS ¥OEKS

KEY. THOMAS qHALMEM^W-'ttlS

EDITED BY THE

REV. WILLIAM HANNA, LL.D.

VOL. III.

NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
82 CLIFF STREET.
1848.

^ovue muicat <!&mittTrtanar.

MILY SCRIPTURE READIiaS

BY THE LATE

THOMAS CHALMERS, D.D,, LL,D.

IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. 1 1 L

NEW YORK:
HARPER & B.ROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
82 CLIFF STREET,
1848.

GOKTENTS.

OAILY eCBTPTUEE READINGS—

PAOB
1-177

PSALMS,  • •
PB0VEEB3,  177-237
ECOLESIASTES,  237-250
SONG OF SOLOMON,  261-256
ISAIAH,  257-341
JEREMIAH,  : ^1-426

DAILY SCRIPTURjE READINGS.

florae 23i6IfcHe ©uottJjtanai.

DAILY SCRIPTUKE READINGS.

PSALMS.
Before entering on this rich and precious department
of Scripture, let me lift up a solemn prayer to God, that
He would enable me to gather from it those fruits unto
lioliness, the end of which is life everlasting ; and that the
same Spirit which animated the Psalmist would enlighten
and impress me with all the fervour and devotedneSs
which bum and hrfeathe throughout these sacred compo
sitions — a treasure and blessing to the Church in all ages.
PsAiM I. — Dr. Good, in his Historical Outline of the
Psalms, states that this was written by David previous
to his entry on public life. I am not sure that I will
frequently advert to the occasions of the different Psalms.
But let me, 0 God, drink in the spirit and sentiment of
these blessed effusions  The scomer is the infidel of
these times, who poured mockery on' the ways of God and
on His people; and the Psalmist, disowning such, pro
nounces on the better part of him whose delight and me
ditation are the law of God. — 0 my God, let me shun
VOL. in. A

DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. fsalm ii.

the partial and constrained views of those who speak of.
it as the only- end of Tliy-law,-tliatit„sliould convince of
sin. Let me recognise it in all its prominency and all its
preciousness — and this to men after conversion as well as
before it. May it be put into my heart, and yield there,
as from a root, all the fruits of righteousness. And
while the wicked are filled with the fruits of their own
ways, may I flourish and prosper, 0 God, before Thee.
Psalm ii. — There was doubtless enough in the history
of David to supply him with immediate topics for the
composition of this psalm. He had the combinations of
hostile kings to make head against; and he was helped
to prevail over them; and he was at length established in
the city of Jerusalem, as the seat of his government ; and
it had been the wisdom of his enemies to enter into peace
with him. But notwithstanding all these obvious adap
tations, a greater than David is here; and the testimony
of Scripture itself to this, (Acts iv. 25,) forms a. warrant
for the double sense, not of this passage only, but of many
others which have not been so expressly referred to.
There is a call here even to the present kings and govern
ments of the world, and more especially to our own rulers,
who are but rejoicing in the secular prosperity of the
kingdom, but do not rejoice with trembling. — 0 may
the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And may I, Heavenly
Father, be drawn into close fellowship with Thy blessed
Son, and have the blessedness of those who put their
trust in Him.... Throughout the psalm, and more espe
cially at Its conclusion, there is. an obvious expansion be
yond the prunary meaning and application of it to David

PsiLM IV. I)AILY SCEIETURE HEADINGS. S
Psalm in; — This psalm is thought to have been com
posed by David on his flight from Absalom. It applies
well to his situation at that time. He retains, in the
midst of his disasters, unbroken confidence in God — ^he
sustains himself on the Rock of Ages. This and other
psalms seem as if coftiposed piecemeal, and at intervals
between one part and another ; for with the prayer for
victory going before, there is afterwards the victory itself
recorded, though verse 7 may refer to his past experience.
The word Selah, which occurs so often in the Psalms,
is reigarded by many as a mark somehow related to the
music ; and certainly it occurs nowhere else in Scripture.
By others it is looked upon as indicative of a pause for
the purpose of giving greater solemnity and emphasis to
the utterance which had gone before.— Let my refuge,
like that of the. Psalmist, ever be in God, nor let the
most adverse and menacing events ever dispossess me of
my confidence  Though the reference to our Saviour is
not here so obvious as in the last psalm, yet, without
overstraining, may it well be appHed to Him When in the
Garden of Gethsemane.
Psalm rv. — ^Neginoth signifies, it is most likely, " stringed
instruments;" and this psalm, said to be the composition
of David, seems addressed to the chief of the performers
on these, that he may set it to the music of his particular
band. The subject-matter is exceedingly precious; and
though perhaps wiitten for a particular occasion — it- may
be for the victory over Absalom — yet are its spirit and
sentiments adapted to the state of the godly in all ages.
Enlargement in distress is what we have often a call to
pray for- and to Hiee, 0 Lord, would I apply for the

4 DAILY SCRIPTURE BEADING'S. psalm v.
deliverance which I need. There is a glory — ^that of
effecting a conquest over the ignorance and wickedness ~
of a city district — ^which some, I- fear, would rejoice iii
turning to shame, — 0 expel their jealousy, and put truth
into their inward parts. Hear me when I caU; and may
I have the blessedness of those who fear always, and
who so shun or resist temptation, that they may refrain
from sinning. Set me apart for Thyself, and teach me to
combine the sacrifices of obedience with thorough confi
dence in Thy mercy. Lord, let ma not set my affections
on any created thing — ^not even on an enterprise of
Christian good, in such a way as to withdraw me from
that direct intercourse with Thyself, in which I meet with
the light of Thy countenance, and rejoice in the Lord.
May I be glad, not in this world's riches, but in Him
who giveth aU things richly to enjoy. In Thee, 0 God,
may I have safety and peace.
Psalm v. — This psalm, too, is ascribed to David, and
addressed to the chief performer upon wind instruments.
It is imagined by Dr. Good to have been written before
the victory over Absalom, but of which he either gives
forth the prophetic anticipation, or perhaps subjoined the
, celebration in some additional verses after its achievement.
He had great comfort, and often great confidence, along
with intense earnestness, in prayer. He not only' prays,
but looks up, as if waiting for an answer .... The prophecy
of verse 6 is repeated in the language of prayer in verse
10 ; yet, after all, may in this form be but a prophecy still.
Even though a prayer, it is but a justifiable prayer for
victory, and so for the defeat of his enemies He predicts
his return to that temple and those services in which he

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS.

delighted, though for a time exiled from Jerusalem....
What an expressive prayer for direction, " Make Thy way
straight before my face ! ". . . To put our trust in God, and
to be righteous, are ascriptions applied interchangeably to
the same people ; and as such, or as at once trustful and
obedient, are they called upon to rejoice, for that God
will bless them and favour them.
Psalm vi.— ^This is addresaeito the chief musician on
stringed instruments ; and it i« added " upon Sheminith,"
(1 Chron. XV. 21,) probably signifying the eighth band,
which was a band of harpers.- It, too, is supposed to
have been written duBng the rebellion of Absalom, and
certainly in a spirit of greater anxiety and distress than
the preceding. He prays under a sense or fear of dis
pleasure, and with a deep feeling of his own helplessness.
There is here the language of importunate entreaty. He
speaks as if apprehensive that he was to fall in battle,
and tha;t his season of service to God was like to be soon
ended. To " deliver my soul,"' seems tantamount to " de
liver my life"— keep me still in the land of the living.
The dread of his enemies kept him awake, and in agony,
during the night : l)ut, the spirit of re-assuranee visits
him ; and with the utterance of his purposes to have no
fellowship with the workers of iniquity, he expresses his
confidence that the Lord had heard him, and that He
would "confound his enemies. August, 1845.
Psalm viL^Shiggaion is of difiicult explanation, but it
is understood to be descriptive in some way of the psalm.
. . . Gush some would understand to be Saul, the son of
Kish. There is no recorded name elsewhere in -Scriptura

DAILY SCHIPTITBE RELiDDTGS. psaut vm.

of Cash the Benjamite ; but as it signifies Hack, it may
bo erpfressive of moral turpitude, and so be an epith^
laid npon Shimei  David was sorely exercised by the
hostility of those who rose up against him ; and an inter
nal evidoice mar be struck out from the harmony which
obtains between his compositioiis and his personal histoiy;
Throughout this psalm there is evidaitly a confidence in
his heart towards Grod, and on the ground that his con
science did not condemn tiiTn He appeals to his own
conduct towards his enemies, in contrast with their con
duct towards him. And let it be observed, that his prayer
against his enemies is that th^ might be overthrown for
the sake of the congr^atioii, or that the people of Israd
might be brought back to their aHegiance, and compass
about the ordinances of the temple, now forsaken in the
flight of the king from Absalom. — " Return thou on
high ;" show Thyself a God ef judgment from above 
He prays for the overthrow of a wicked, and the estab
lishment of a righteous government He again appeals
to God, the Searcher of hearts — and. prays that he^ as
upright in heart, might be saved ; and concludes with an
e:^ression of fall reliance on the equity of Grod's distri
butions. Psalm tul — Gittith has a near afl^ty to a word sig
nifying a wine-press, and the psahn may have been com
posed, it is thought, for the f^st of tabernacles. But let
the occasion be what it may, the subject-matter is very
palpable and very precioua God performs great thin^
often by weak and unlikely mstruments— as when through
tihe preaclung of the Gospel by illiterate men, babes in
ftia vtald'a wisdom. He overthrow* even prin^palMies

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS.

and powei-s ; and - Satan is thus made to fall as lightning
from heaven . . . ! Verse 2 points, I think, veiy obviously to
a link, which might weU conduct us from the natural to
the spiritual contemplation. And we have the express
warrant of the Apostle for applying this psalm to Christ ;
and it is indeed wonderful that humanity should be so
exalted as to have all put under its feet — insomuch that
Christ, in the form of a man, bears universal rule, and is all
in all But the primary and more obvious application of
the sentiment, too, is worthy of being dwelt upon  The
reference to the moon and stars, apait from the sun, makes
for this psalm being a nocturnal meditation on the heavens
— -in the splendour and magnitude of which, it is matter
both of admiration and gratitude, that man should have
been so endowed and honoured as we find him to be.
And if the heavens be above the eartli, how excellent in
all the earth, and how vastly higher than all who are
therein, is " He that is above the heavens ! " Christ in
His humiliation was placed lower than the angels, but by
His exaltation rose immeasurably above them.
,PsALM IX. 1-lO.^Muthlabben has been regarded as a
chorus of damsels — some say responded to by youths —
and it may be addressed to the chief of the female choir.
See the Pictorial Bible .... Higgaion signifies meditation,
and may be. regarded as a call to ponder well what had
just been said before  How strong and constant are
the aspirations of the Psalmist after God ! This psalm is
supposed to have been written after the defeat of a power
ful confederacy ; and.lhroughout there is in it a thankful
acknowledgment of God, who had maintained his right
and his cause, and that against the heathen, or nations —

DAILY SCRIPTURE KEADING.S.

T3AI.H I-

of -whose combinations against him we read both m tocrip-
ture and in Josephus. Their destructions had now come to
a perpetual end, for they had destroyed many cities ; but
God had put them do^vn, so that no memorial was left of
them. He then contrasts their ephemeral prosperity
with the endurance of the everlasting God, whose judg
ments are all in righteousness, and who is a refuge for
the oppressed.— Let me trust that in seeking Him He
will not always hide Himself, but be at length found of
me, and will never forsake me.
ll-20.^He on these premises calls for the praise of
God from all his worshippers, who will remember His
people, and take vengeance upon their adversaries And
ne prays for God's special merer to himself, and for secu
rity, from his enemies — ^that he might stand forth as a
monument of God's goodness, and show forth all His
praise, even in the gates of Zion— in Jerusalem, the place
of His habitation  When speaking of the sure destruc
tion of the wicked, what a warning, and what a weight of
conviction lie in the announcement, that " they who forget
God shall be turned into hell!" — Let me feel my ungodli
ness, and never «ease my prayers for the removal of this
sore inveteracy. But the circumstances of David give
him a special direction towards God as the avenger of the
poor and needy, as the Righteous Judge of the nations of
the earth, on whom he prays for such manifestations of
the Divine justice, that they might feel theii- subordina
tion to Him wha sitteth on hiffh.
Psalm x. — He again, under the exercise of annoyance
from his wicked enemies, addresses himself to God in
prayer. Good imagines that this psalm was written after

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS.

Absalom's return from banishment, and when the courts
of justice dealt iniquitously against the poor and the
innocent. The wicked boasted at that time of the pro
sperity of their eause^— it may be through the covetous
judges whom themselves had bribed, (verse 3.) . . . What
another trait of .character for general conviction— that
" God is not in all his thoughts ! " He then in fuUer^de-
tail sets before us the doings of the ungodly cjppressor
and man of violence. He hath cast off the fear of any
coming judgment at the hand of Him who, sits invisible
in the heavens ; and under the imagination that God
regardeth not, takes -his njeasures of deceit and cruelty
against the helpless. But God will " require" it. He will
prove Himself the Helper of those who have no help in
man. He will take full vengeance on the- oppressor,
and leave none of his delinquencies unreckoned with or
unpunished. He is King for ever, and as Judge of all
the earth will do right. There seems, to have been a
present exemplification of this in the defeat of the hostile
nations who had invaded the Holy Land — a specimen of
the general deliverance which He wiU effect in favour of
the injured.
Psalm xi.-^-This psalm is supposed to have been written
at the time when David had taken refuge from the perse
cutions of Saul in a heathen court, and was there exposed
to the mockeries of the profane on the score of his religion.
They, perhaps in irony, asked him of his God, and bade
him flee for refuge to that Being whom he professes to be
the mountain of his security. But the Psalmist will not
be turned aside from his confidence in God; for if that
foundation were destroyed, what could the righteous do

10

DAILY SCRIPTtlBB READINGS. psilm %m.

for their own preservation? But the Lord seeth from
above, and will protect His own— thus manifestmg Him-
sdf to be a lover of righteousness. And He vrill ram
vengeance on the wicked— thus manifestmg Himself to
be a hater of iniquity He beholdeth the upright with
favour, lifting upon them the light of His countenance.
It is an enduring testimony for aU ages, that " His eyes do
behold, and His eyelids try, the children of men."
Psalm xn. — This psalm seems to have been composed
at a time of great national degeneracy; and certain it is,
that m the direct history we read much both of deceit
and violence. There was much of dissimulation and art-
ftd policy among the courtiers — ^nay, in the very house
hold and family of David. There were men who felt
themselves as if emancipated from the law of truth
-^and this on the strange plea, that as their lips were
their own, they might say what they liked with them ;
as if on the principle that a man might turn his property
to any use he pleases, or do what he willTvith his own.
And they added oppression to falsehood; puffing at,
or making contemptuous and menacing demonstrations
against the objects of their hostility. (Psalm x. 5.) And
-here, too, the sure refuge of the Psalmist is in the Lord 
What a precious saying, and how it should aliment and
uphold our farth, "when told that " the words of the Lord
are as tried silver." — On the warrant and encouragement
of this saying do I pray, 0 God, that Thou wouldest keep
me from violence — How true it is, that wicked officials
bring out wicked characters in abundance over a land.
Psalm xiil — ^This psalm must have been composed by

PSALM xir. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 11
David when greatly urged and like to be overborne by
his enemies. Perhaps the enemy here spoken of is Saul.
He was greatly tried and afflicted by the oppositions of
men ; and let me not think that any strange thing, hath
happened to me when exercised in like manner. Let me
seek, as the Psalmist did, imto God. Hide me, 0 Lord,
from the strife of tongues Save me from the pain of
those nervous and imaginative apprehensions, to which I
too much give way. Let my trust be in Thy mercy ; and
O restore to me the joys of Thy salvation. I brood a
great deal too much, taking such counsel in my soul, as
keeps up a perpetual fear and sorrow in my heart, often
allied with the fancies of solitude, and which the converse
and society of my fellows, even in the very scene of the
dreaded conflict, tend to do away. But let my great
remedy be in converse with God ; and in the believing
thought, that He wiU make aU things work together for
good to me. But that I may have a title to appropriate
this promise, let the love of God be shed abroad in my
heart; and then, instead of my enemy rejoicing over me,
will I rejoice in God, who shall compass- me about with
son^ of deliveranc&
PsAiM xrv.-^We have here, too, the same complaints of
a prevailing' wickedness, amounting even to atheism.
The description here given is appKed by the Apostle to
the general state and character of mankind. Then- un
godliness is the copious fountain of aU profligacy; and
whether this profligacy be realized or not in the over
flowings of an outward disobedience, stOl, how strikingly
true is it of us all, that by nature we do not understand,
neither seek after God. He alternates in his regards

12 DAILT SCRXPTUEE READINGS. psalm sr.
between the wicked upon earth and the righteous God
in Heaven. '<He chaiges them with the ignorance .of
TTJTn who follows up their cruelty to the poor by the ter
rors oF TTi'^ vengeance. They slight and -disregard Him
throughout the season of their wickedness; but have at
length to tremble befOTe Him. They may insult for a
while the religious confidence of the good; but God wiH
manif^; Himself at length as the patron and protector
of the generation of the righteous This is stiU, however,
only in prospect, and therefore do^ he prav that God
would hasten, it . . . -. The allusion hereto a captivity mak^
me all the more doubtful of the occasion of this psalm.
. Psalm xv. — ^This psalm is thought to have been com
posed on the setting up of the Ark; and it sets forth the
eharaeteristics of a true worshipper in -Zion, and more
. especially of an abider or dweller or citizen therein, and
therefore in particular of its priests and office-bearers. It
is an admirable representation of a good and feithful man •
and an impressive example of the war in which the moral
is blended with the religious or sacred throughout the
whole of Scripture There is a portraituie h^^ both of
the walk and of the disposition of righteousness, both as
in, the outer and the inner man— the walk and\rork'of
r^hteousness,^ the truth in the heart He is fi^ee of the
vices of calumny and detraction; yet, though not per
mitted to speak evil with the tengi^e, there is a warrant
given for a strong inward contempt, not only for -jridced-
ness, but for wicked persons.— Let me be rigid in tie fal-
fihnent of my promises, though I should suffer much by
them, both in the loss of time and property. On the otho-
hand, let me beware of covetousness; and as David was

psalm XVI. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 13
greatly exposed to corrupt judges, he instances one exem
plification of it in those who took reward against the
innocent, and brought them in as guilty. " He that doeth
these things," says the Psalmist, "shall never be moved,"
and, says the Apostle, "shall never fall." (2 Pet. i. 10.)
Psalm xvi.— For the. title Michtam, see Pictorial Bible.
. . . This psalm must have been writtenin a season of great
external idolatry, from which, the Psalmist turns to take
refuge. -in God. And there was the occurrence of many
such seasons in the xhequered reign of David. There are
many precious things in this effusion — ^the appropriation
of God as my God — the insignificancy and utter nothing
ness as to merit of our own goodness in the sight of God,
yet the availableness of this for the service of God's
people. If ye love not your feUow-Christian whom you do
see, how can you love God, whom you do not see ? . . . We
have here the wretchedness of idolatry* ; and . in contrast
with this ih.e determination to keep by the true God as
our alone portion, and the maintainor to us of all that He
hath assigned, to be otirs. — My God, give nie the obvious
comfort and sense of sufficiency which the Psalmist
enjoyed, even in the midst of all the wickedness and
hostility by which he was surrounded.. Be Thou always
before me, and give me to be secure and satisfied in the
conviction that Thou art on my side  The " glory which
rejoiceth," (verse 9,) is here the tongue, the glory of man
— or the instrument by which he glorifies God .... What a
noble testimony here to the doctrine of the resurrection ;
and let me not forget the Apostolic reference to verse 10
(Acts ii. 31 ; xiil 35) as. Scriptural and authoritative for
Christ in the Psalms, .v.

14 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xTin.

Psalm xvil— David had powerful confederates against
him, both at home and among his foreign enemies But
he turns him, as his habit is, to God. He prays with the
testimony of a good conscience, which causes confidence
towards God. At the same time, under a sense of frailty,
he prays to be upheld in his goings He perseveres in
that holy importunity which might well be termed wrest
ling with God. His is the case of a man who trusts in
God, and therefore coimts on being saved by Him from-
those who rise up against him He had prosperous and
powerftd adversaries plotting against him. He describes
their malice and wickedness ; and their intent or stead
fast aim to bow him down to the earth. He calls the
wicked God's sword, and the men of mischief His hand
— instruments as they often are of the Divine chastise
ment and discipline  To " fill with God's hid treasures,"
expresses that the treasures are from God — ^that they are
His, laid up or kept by Him — ^the term being expressive
of custody as well as concealment  There is here another
glorious testimony to a resurrection and future life, and
, 'certain perennial forms of expression for all ages, as the
prayer of verse 6 and of verse 8 — " hide me under the
shadow of Thy wings". . . In the phrase to "behold God's
face in righteousness," there is an essential reference to
tke righteousness of Christ, but not exclusively of our
own personal righteousness.
Psalm xviil 1-6. — This psalm must have been com
posed by- David after he had risen to a state of secure
prosperity, through much opposition and many obstacles
In the midst of a,U hfe creature comforts, iis soul ascends
upwardly to God, on whom his affections are set, and to

PSALM XVIII, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 15
whom he ascribes all his deliverances Among the as
criptions^— and they are such as a warrior would make —
which he accumulates in the statement of what God had
done for him, there occurs the " horn of salvation " — the
horn being the emblem of power arid glory. There is a
vivid description given of the daggers and the menaces by
which he was surrounded  The " sorrows of hell " might
here signify the terrors of- death ; and many were the
snares which met him on his path, and arrested his move
ments. His reftige was in God. His cry arose to the
Lord of Hosts. — 0 that such were at all times the upward
direction of my thoughts,, when beset by the conflicts
of human opinion, apd in the strife of tongues. And so
it was, that he pbtained salvation from his enemies —
After the mention that God had heard his prayer, he
proceeds to describe the way in which it was responded
to; and nothing can be imaged of a more -magnificent
character and bearing than the representation which
follows. 7-16.^Tliere is the grandeur of high inspiration in this
passage; and so much beyond the dimensions of the literal
history as to impress the conception that for this history
there must be an antitype. I cannot resist the feeling
that a greater than David is here; and that the description
applies more to the final conflict dimly pourtrayed in the
. Book of Revelation, and which terminated in an overthrow
of the powers of darkness, and the ushering in of the new
heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
It is thus that, when applied to David, it is regarded as a
figurative description; so that when literally understood,
it must be held to signify the victory of the Son of God,
when he- puts all things Under him — ^the most impressive

16 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xviii-

part of this truly overawing representation. It may also
be held as applying to that mysterious conflict when
Christ spoiled principalities and powers, and was draAvn
put of the agony which well-nigh overwhelmed him. To
^le the most powerful stroke in this magnificent sketch,
is that by which "the channels were seen, and the foun
dations of the world discovered."
i7.27._T0 "prevent" here means to lay an obstacle or
annoyance in the way. The description may still be, held
as applying to Christ, whom God did exalt, and who, in-
the days of his flesh, offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears, and was heard by Him that
was able to save Him from death. Ln the estimation of
many orthodox, this passage would bear exclusively upon
Christ, whose perfect righteousness could, without anjr
qualification, be pled as the judicial reason of Christ's
rightful deliverance from His enemies. And yet, I hold
that there is nothing in the Scriptural theology which
forbids the application of it to David, and that just be
cause of the innocence and righteousness according' to
which the Lord rewarded him. With an upright man,
the Lord shows Himself upright. God dealt differently
with David and his enemies, because of the difference
which obtained between their respective characters. He
loved David, and hated the adversaries of David, because
of His love of righteousness and hatred of iniquity. With
the fro ward, the impetuous, the headstrong, the men who
act from the impulse of their own intractable wiUs, God
will evince a strength and determination of will that shall
utterly overmaster and overthrow them. It is thus, that
while He saves the afflicted people. He brings down the
high looks

PSALM xriii. DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGa n
28-39. — The light here spoken of may be the light oi
prosperity, as opposed to the darkness of adversity; or it
may be the light within of joyfid confidence in God. It
seems to refer in, this place more to the former; and alto
gether in this passage the literal is less overshaded by the
figure, nor does the type expand so visibly into its anti
type  The great burden of the acknowledgments here
made is for success in war. David was helped by God, to
disperse his enemies, and to scale the walls of the be
sieged. Hence. the homage of his ascription to God, both
for His Avay and for His word; and precious is it indeed
to be told that " the word of the Lord is tried.". . . There is
always a reference to the false gods of the heathen in
such questions as those of the 31st verse. — Then follows
what God had done in girding a,nd guiding him for the
battle— enduing him with strength and speed, and set
ting him on places of security. He also made him dex
terous, in arms, and compassed him about as with a
shield, and upheld him by His right hand, and. by His
merciful and fatherly treatment made him tp increase.
He was set on a large and sure place; and'in every
way so armed and accomplished for the warfare, that
he was enabled to overthrow all his enemies.
40-50. — He then describesthe prostration of his fallen
enemies, and his own supremacy and powier over them.
When he speaks of being made head of the heathen, he
accurately describes the mastery that he had gotten over all
the BQuntries around or near to the land of Israel And
he concludes: all with some beautiful devotional sentences;
and instead of luxuriating in the contemplation of that
homage which was rendered to him by foreign nations,
both far and near, he directs the homage of his own heart
VOL. IIL B

18 DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. psalm xix.

upwardly to God. He ascribes aU the exaltation and
glory to the God of his salvation, or the God who had
saved him from his adversaries. He gives thanks among
the heathen, so that the idolatrous nations of, that period
were presented with a testimony on behalf of the living
and true God. It is thus that God did not leave Himself
without a witness; and history, as well as nature, gave
evidence to His reality and His power. . .-. There is em
bosomed in this psalm the evidence of David being at
least the subject, if not the authof; for which last, how
ever, we have the testimony of the title.
Psalm xix. — This is truly a pre-eminent psalm, and
entitled to the admiration of all ages, for the representa
tion here made both of the glories of God's world, and the
excellencies of His word. The material heaven bears
witness to all the' earth of His skill and greatness The
line or course of the bodies in the heavens goes over the
whole of our globe : in the heavens hath He set a taber
nacle for the sun. And the moral part of this noble com
position is stiU more precious^dealing with the high pro
perties of the law and the testimony . . . .There is a copious
treasury here of texts to be preached from, more especiaUy
on the inherent satisfactions of obedience to the will of
God, and its effect both to enlighten and to gladden the
heart of man. The Lord is holy, and the fear of Him is
clean, because leading to holiness. What a pregnant
truth, that in the " keeping of the commandments there, is
great reward." — Let me, repeat the concluding prayer of
the psalmist ; and I vrrite this with a feeling of earnest
ness — ^My God, search me and try me. I know that my
errors -are manifold; but 0 keep me from, presumptuous

PSALM X5H. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 19
sin. . Be my strength and my Redeemer, 0 God, that
though sin dwell in me, it may not have the dominion
over me. May Thy judgments, or thy laws, be sweet
imto my tasta
Psalm xxi-^This psalm illustrates well the theory that,
along with many others, it was so constructed as to be
sung in parts. The distinction between these is here
marked by a change of persons. The first four verses are
held to be an invocation from the general assembly for
blessings upon the king; the fifth verse to be a reply
from the military-band; and the sixth a blessing from the
highTpriest : after which the band are conceived to come
forth with a reply in the seventh and eighth verses; when
at last the general chorus strikes in with the • concluding
prayer, which some would make clearer by interpreting
thus — "-Lord, save the king, and -hear us when we call"
The "words as they stand, "however, admit also, of a mean
ing, though not so obvious or distinct as the one now
given There are weighty petitions here, applicable to
other parties, and which might be adopted for themselves
by private C9iristiaiis-^as, Hear me, O Lord, in the day
of trouble-; Help and strengthen me out of the sanctu
ary; Counsel me aright, and fulfil itj along with all my
petitions .... This psalm is supposed to have been written
on the occasion of David setting out with- his army against
a mighty combination of foes. '
• Psalm xxL^This psalm is supposed to have been
written on the occasion of that victory over the Amnion-
ites which was followed up by such appalling severities
on the conquered.. (2,.Sam. xii. 31.) . . . Salvatiou then had a

20 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. pbalm xxir.

more special and limited sense than now — deliverance from
the power of enemies, which on this particular occasion
had been David's heart's desire, and the request of his lips.
... To " prevent with blessings," is to give more Or sooner
than one had been seeking or working for. The crown
of the king of the Ammonites was put upon his head; and
he obtained a prolongation of his life and house, after the
great sin he had committed in the matter of Uriah, by
which both might have been righteously forfeited. — Then
follows a description of such awful criielties as had been
perpetrated on the poor children of Ammon  There is
much in the history of David as a warrior which serves
to throw light on his maledictions; and which might
perhaps supply a principle on which they might be pal
liated or vindicated, at least as far as war is capable of
being so.
Psalm xxiL 1-10. — This psalm is supposed to have
been written amid the hot persecution of Saul his enemy.
Its title is not well understood: in English, it is the
" Hind of the Morning," which seems so inapplicable to
the subject-matter. of the psalm, as to warrant the hypo
thesis of its being 'merely the name of the tune to which
it was sung. However this may be, it was obviously
composed at a time of deep dejection; and the applica
tion of its very first words by our Saviour on the Cross to
his own mysterious sufferings, gives a certain dread and
august solemnity to the outset of a psalm, which all 'over-
is full of Christ " Its character as a typical composition is
fully authenticated by the quotations from it in the -New
Testament David and the Son of David are intermingled
throughout; and in such a way,- that sometimes the type,

PSALM XXII, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 21
and sometimes the antitype, is the more prominent of the
two. Who can mistake, for example, the application of
the seventh and eighth verses to the historical scene of our
Lord's crucifixion? On the other hand, there are verses
which; of themselves, would not carry us beyond their
primary sense, as felt and uttered by him who spoke them
at the first — as David's appeal to God's dealings with the
formgr generations of Israel. There is also a. very distinct
reference to his own personal fortunes, in the acknowledg
ment which he makes of all God's care and goodness to
him from his birth up. The deep piety pervades both the
type, and its tjounterpart.- — "Holy Father" came direct
from the lips of our Saviour on earth ; "But Thou art holy,"
says the -Psalmist, "0 Thou that inhabiteSt the praises
of Israel!" Barnsmuir,
11-18. — The type and the-antitype are closely blended
in tins passage. If David'wa's abandoned by many, Christ
was abandoned by all^— even by His twelve disciples, who
aU forsook him and"fled. If David was beleaguered in the
mids^ of enemies, so also was Christ, -both at the tribunal
of the high-priest, and when suspended on the Cross,
when they .gaped upon Him with- their mouths, and
poured forth upon Hiin their mockery and derision. And
the personal sufferings here described -are more specially
applicable to, the blessed' Saviour — ^to His agonies. His
exhaustion. His thirst, and all the various sensations of
that dark and awful period, when-^ He bare our sins upon
the tree. But the most express, and" indeed exclusive re
ferences to Him — fortified, moreover, by the distinct men
tion of them in the New Testament — are the parting of His
raiment, and the piercing of his hands and feet — evidence

23 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xxiii.

the most decisive that Christ actually is in this Psalm, and
therefore may be in others to a greater extent than can
be gathered or defined from the instances in the later
Scriptures. ^9.31._Both David and Christ are very palpable in
these verses. Our -Saviour cried unto God with suppli
cations and tears. He prayed both for his own deliverance
and that of His elect (perhaps the "darling", of verse 20)
from enemies. And there was a contest that we know
little of — ^with a great adversary, at the head of principali
ties and powers; and God heard him- when he prayed
from the " horns of the unicorns" — ^from the midst of
flis potent adversaries We have very express authority
for the application of Verse 22 to the Saviour, (Heb. ii.
12); and this is further illustrated in John xx. 17, Rom.
viir. 29. — Then follows a call upon Israel, not inapplicable
to the Church in all ages; and to the Church it is that
the eoneluding predictions of this psalm are pre-eminently
applicable-^the conversion of the whole World unto Him
. who was at once the Lord and the Son of David — ^the
universal helplessness of men for their own redemption,
but the resort of many unto Him, the Saviour of souls;
and so a seed to serve Him — a generation of true wor
shippers — a peculiar people, to be bom unto God from all
the nations of the earth.
Psalm. xxiiL^This psalm is one of the most precious
gems in the Church's treasury of things new and old —
written, it is thought, by David, after being anointed by
Samuel, (verse 6,) and having had the prospect given to
him of dwelling in the house of the Lord:— 0 that I
could realize the peace and the enjoyment which are so

PSALH xxiT. DAILY SCaiPTUEfi E^IADH^GS. E3
beautifully imaged forth in.. fhis exquisite ode! Wliat I
most pray for and most need, is the restoration of my
soul — Thou khowest, 0 God, how liable it is to be un
hinged by controversy, and led away by the instigations,
if riot laid prostrate under' the power, of those base and
evU affections which war against the soul. Recover me,
0 Lord, from all the snares of the devil, and cause me
henceforth to walk in charity and holiness, even to the
end of my" days. My death is rapidly approaching — ^pre
pare me, 0 God, for .the encounter, tinder the care ajud
keeping' of Him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of souls^
let me fear no, evU; and let Thy goodness and Thy merc^
follow me to the end.
Psalm xxrv. — This, too. Is a most illustrious psalm ; first
recognising the Supreme as the Lord of Creation, and then
as Lord more peculiarly of His own people joiriing to
gether in -the services of the. Church to celebrate His holy
name- Under this latter division, the question is put as
to the personal qualifications of those who shiSuld draw
near to God in the sanctuary. — 0 give me. Almighty
Father, the -pure heart; and let me beware of the idols
that, were I to give way to nature, wotdd so soon and so
^ miserably lord it over me. Let holiness and integrity*
and truth so characterize as to mark me for Thine own,
and of -the generation that serve and seek the God of
Jacob. . . . This sublime ode is coaceived to have been sung
in parts on the introduction of the Ark into the sanctuar^
that had been prepared for it. One can image nothing"
more magnificent than these closing verses, set to music,
and' sung in prescribed order -by the Priests andLevitea
and general congregation,-

jj4 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xx?.

Psalm xxv..1-7.— This p'salm, though in danger of
being overshaded by the pre-eminence of the two which
go before,' is really one of the richest and most Savoury
in the whole collection. It is understood to have been
written in a season of great domestic affliction, as well as
formidable hostility from -without But, as in all similar
trials, he lifts up his soul unto God: he prays with a
reference to his enemies ; and waits upon the Lord both
for deliverance and for direction. But he prays also for
his own moral and spiritual weUbeing, and e-vidently under
(ihe deepest consciousness of being- a sinner. How pre
cious are these petitions, both in the substance and the
words of them — "Shew me Thy ways ,'" "Teach. me Thy
paths;" "lead- me in Thy truth, and teach me." — 0 let
me wait upon God^all tlie day for the fuj.filment of these
things. And what^a fine attitude for the creature towards
the Creator— ithat 6{ waiting on Him. Let this be my
eonsiant position and constant exercise ; and surely weU
may I join with David in his cry for mercy: "Remember.
not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions, 0 God."
Anstrijthe?, September, 1845.
8-22. — Then follow the ascriptions of the Psalmist to
God.— 'Let us thence gather that the -wrath of man neither
worketh righteousness, nor leadeth to a way of wisdom.
It is the meek, and not. the vrrathful, that He guides and
teaches; and the effect of this teaching from above is
the meekness of wisdom, or rather the wisdom of meek
ness — And what a precious evangelical conjunction is
here stated between mercy and truth,' and then how com
pletely it proves that God's -ways are not as man's -ways;
and how great the encouragemeot, to trast in Him, when

PSALM XXVI. DA£LY SCRIPTURE READINGS. aS
we read of the pleas for forgiveness which Himself hath
dictated — even that our iniquity is great The fear of
the Lord is a preeuiSor to a right understanding of His
way. And 0 how pregnant with importance of meaning,
that " the secret of th.e Lord is with them that fear Him,"
and that " He wiU show them His covenant ! " — Then
follows the Psalmist's importunate prayer. — Give me to
imitate the habitual posture of his soul, in that his "eyes
were ever towards the Lord," How often he prays that
he may not be ashamed, as if he longed to recover
from the shame of his fall .... A psalm of great weight an^
substance. KirTccaldp.
Psalm xxvt — This psalm is supposed to have b<?er
-written in early life,, and there is certainly a resemblance
between it and the first Psalm. It is like the appEeation
to himself hsa-e of what he had generally deseribed tnere.
He appeals for his- integrity to God;-^I slide because I
trust not It is a preeious prayer to be examined and
proved and tried; and the result in xrij case will be a more
thorough conviction of m.y o-wn vileness. I have not
walked in Thy truth ; yet I will not let go my hold on Thy
loving-kindneSs. Save 'me, 0 God^ from the company of
the vain and hypoeritioal; and let the wickedness of the
wicked be far from me. I have compassed Thine altar,
even officiated' there, and yet not wa^ed my hands in in-
Hocency. Give me, 0 Lord, to extricate my affections
froiri things below, and set them on the place where Thine
honour dwelleth. Let me not be gathered, when I come
to -die, with sinners or men of •vdoleneer but let me die
the death of the righteous. 0 grant me redemption and
mercy ; I stand in need of both — of a forgiveness by the
VOL. IIL c

28 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xxvm.

blood of Christ ; — grant me this, and then let me walk in
mine integrity. Then only will my feet stand in an even
place,, and with an undisturbed conscience join in the
exercise of Thy worshipping assemblies. I desire to be
humbled unto the dust; and well may I call out, " Pardon
mine iniquity, for it is great"
Psalm xx-vil — This is a most congenial psalm, though the
two parts of it seem to haVe been placed together by mis
take, being different both in .their strains of sentiment and
in their versi.fication. To the seventh verse, the language is
that of security; and from that verse, it speaks of hostility
and danger. In both states, bowever, it is with the Lcrd
that David holds communion, whether in "thankful ac
knowledgment or in prayer. In the joyful celebration of
the first half, the Lord is aU the salvation and confidence
of the Psalmist ; and he there tells of the overthrow of
his enemies. And his desire is towards the' Lord and his
holy services; and the unshaken faith of his heart. is in
the sure help of the Almighty against all that is most
formidable or menacing around him. — 0 to be hid in
the pavilion of the Most High, and in the secret of His
tabernacle, and to be established as on a rock ! And
when distress comes, may I seek unto Thee, and be taught
and led of Thee, "and be sustained by the hope of Tliy
goodness, and wait on the Lord for courage and strength
in times of controversy .... A psalm to feed upon, and t«
be helped with in prayer.
fsALM xxviii. — This psalm is conceived to. have been
written in the very midst of David's persecutions by Saul.
. . The " holy oracle," or oracle of God's sanctuary, may still

psa;.m XXIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 27
be regarded as the place whence the answers to prayer
come  He was sadly beset by the treacheries of men to
whom he had done service, and who kept up the semblance
of regard to him — speaking peace, yet devising mischief. I
can enter more into the maledictions and adverse prayers
of David, when I -view him as a man of war; for if war be
la-wful at all, surely one might wish for victory as well as
fight for it ; nay, might pray for victory, which is tantamount
to praying for the defeat of enemies. How applicable still
to the iafidelity of the present day, the saying — " that it
regards not the Lord, nor the operation of His hands." . . .
Tne upshot of his prayers in the former part of this psalm,
is the deliverance which he " celebrates in the latter part ;
ami of many such enlargements do -we read in the history
of Da-vid.^ — Let me trustas he did,-and I shall be helped as
xie was The Lord is the strength of His people, and the
strength, also, of His anointed. By this time David had
oeen set a,part for the monarchy of Israel, and he prays
iiKe a monarch  To " feed" may also signify to rule.
Burntisland.
PtiALM XXIX. — This is a truly noble hymn, and is sup
posed to have been written -by David after the full estab
lishment and security of his kingdom, froin enemies abroad.
Such acts and expressions of the homage here nen-
,dered to the true God, are conceived to have been pecu
liarly qalled for, as a counteractive to the irifidelity that
was professed, by a powerful party at home,; but surely
irrespective of .this, and without the necessity of any such
hypothesis, we may well imagine of this pious monarch,
tnat under the spontaneous impulse of his o-wn- feelings,
tnough both- the impulse and consequent utterance were

28 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xxx.

given by inspiration, he gave birth to this glorious ^effu
sion, both as the native forthgoing of his own heart, and
for the purpose of sustaining and elevating the devotion
of all God's worshippers However this may be, we feel
that, without any amplification or vain attempt at en
hancement, this lofty and sacred composition had far better
be left to itself —Give me both to relish and exemplify, O
Lord, the beauty of holiness .... In verse 6, they are perhaps
the cedars of Lebanon and Sirion which are meant .... It
may be the lightning that is adverted to in verSe 7 ... .In
verse 9, "making the hinds to calve," is rendered by Dr.
Mason Good, "splitting the oaks.". . . The conclusion of the
psalm suggests the prayer, that He who is so strong and
powerful in the kingdom of nature, would put forth His
might in the kingdom of grace ; and more especially that
He Would perfect His strength in our weakness
Psalm xxx. — This 3>salm seems to have been written by
David, either on hisrecovery from- sickness or from the dan
ger of death at the hand of enemies, or perhaps from both.
It suits well the hypothesis of its being framed on the occa
sion of his victory oVer Absalom; in which case the strong
feelings -of nature must have been overborne by the inspir-
irig energy under Which he -wrote. There seems the com
memoration here both of rescue from enemies, and of
recovery from disease. At all events, there are very pre
cious utterances' in this psalm, and of permanerit applica
tion — There is great depth of sentiment in the call to
"give thanks at the remembrance of God's holiness": It
implies that supreme holiness and supreme happiness are
essentially interwoven. And how finely brought out here
is the false ecmfidence in the^day of prosperity — the chas-

PSALM XXXI. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 29
tisement and correction thereof: but at length the return
of God's mercy, when humble prayer was made to Him,
so that joy was restored, and the darkness and distress
.issued- in praise and thanksgiving.
Psalm xxxl 1-1 &. — This psalm is thought to have been
composed after David had betaken himself to the wilder
ness of Ziph, and so effected his escape from the treachery
of the KeUites His refuge now was the rock, instead of
the hotise or the strong city^ — (verse 2) — ^though he looks
beyond all secondary causes, and recognises God as his
Rock and his Fortress He was pulled out of the net,
and redeemed from the hands of the men whose duplicity
and ingratitude he hated  With what enhanced rever
ence do we read the first clause of verse 5 — ^as presenting
us with the very words which Christ uttered on the cross.
The literal - application, however, predominates on the
whole ; and most strikingly when he says, that God had
not " shut him up into the'hand of the enemy, but set his
feet- in a large room." StOl he was in 'great trouble, and
in the midst of hazards great and manifold. When he
says that his " strength faileth because of his iniquity," he
seems rather to point ^t the guilt of his transgression in
the matter of Uriah, followed up by repeated and signal
chastisements — so that instead of his escape from Keilah,
he may have poured forth this, effiision on his escape
from JejHisalem,/now in the hands of the friends of Absa
lom. It is likelier Keilah, however— (yerse 21, and 1 Sam.
xxiil 7) — ^though both suppositions are in keeping -with
the prayers here made by Da-vid unto God. .Skirling.
¦ 16-24 — He was sadly tried by the deceitfulness of old.

30 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psal* xxxir.

friends, but never fails to take refuge in God. The shame
against which he prays, is here the shame of defeat, which
shanie he wants to be transferred to his enemies It may
at times be the shame of exposure, tha,t he may -not be
disgraced, which would cause his enemies to triumph.
The former shame might be followed up by -death, or
silence in the grave — ^the latter by mortification, followed
up ,by the silence of conscious dishonour, when their false
hoods had beeri made manifest. Doubtless, in his seasons
of desertion, he had both the pride and contempt of his
enemies to endure. But how blessed his expressions of
trust and security in God ! — 0 to be hidden from the strife
of tongues — ^that in Christ I may have peace, when in the
World I have tribulation. -Let God be our retreat and
our sanctuary, and "we need ^^t fear what man can do
unto us God shows us marvellous kindness in a strong
city, when He appoints salvation to us for walls and
bulwarks. (Isa. xxvi. 1.) Let us not, on the impulse of
sudden despondency, cast our eorifidence away from ns ;
but strengthen our. hea;rts in the God who is our hope,
and whom, because "we trust in Him, we love.
Psalm xxxii. — This might well have been -written on
the restoration of his soiil, after the great transgression
in th^ matter of Uriah. It is a psalm full of evangelical
savour and comfort.— ^My God, let me forget not, that to
realize the blessedness here spoken of, not only must my
sin be pardoned,- but in my spirit there must be no guUe.
Let me not put asunder the things which God hatji joined.
So long as he confessed not his sin his misery was ex
treme; but at length he confessed, and was forgiven.
He prayed to God, who proved his hiding-place, and

psalm xxxiii: DAILY SCRIF'TURE READINGS. 31
compassed him about with songs of deliverance. But it
i's not enough that sin be confessed — it must be forsaken ;
and, accordingly, after the pardon is granted, and the re
conciliation entered on, there is a process of instruction
that must be gone through, and practically followed.
God hath promised His aid, and tells us not to resist His
lessons. The justification and the sanctification are in
separable ; . . . The 'wicked are contrasted in verse 10 with
those who trust in the Lord : and they who so trust will
cease from their -wickedness ; ' and so at the beginning of
the psalm it is the blessedness of them who are forgiven
that is celebrated ; whereas at the end .of it, it is the
-blessedness of them who are personally righteous.
PsAiM xxxiiL 1-9. — This is a -psalm of triumph, and it is
supposed to have been -written" after David's first great vic
tory oVer tlie Philistiues, when king of Jerusalem. And he
does not confine himself to the celebration of the Almighty
for His help in war ; he makes mention of His general
faithfulness, and righteousness,' and goodness, and power ;
he does homage to. Him both as the God of nature and
the • God of Pro-vidence ; he goes back to the primary
act of Creation, and speaks of it as done by thp Word
— ^true, both in the sense of God having " said and it was
dorie ; " and true also in the sense of its being the Logos
— ^the Eternal Son, by whom He created all things. He
also brought order out of confusion by the breath or spirit
of His mouth, and by the Holy Spirit, too, moving on the
face .of the waters at the first — educing then harmony
out of the jtfaterial chao^; and out of the moral chaos still
educing what will prepare for the new heavens and the
new earth,' wherein dwelleth righteousness. But in what

3S DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. p5alm xxxiu.

He hath evinced of powei and'lordship already, in having
made the earth and sea,, and all that are therein, all the
world is called upon to worship and stand in awe of Him.
10-22. — He now speaks of God as the Governor of the
world, having before spoken of Him as its Creator. God's
way and -wiU must carry it over all the conspiracies of all
the nations ; and should He favour one of these nations,
all the hostile designs or efforts of the others can be of no
effect God knows most thoroughly the hearts of men,
which Himself hath fashioned — ^and He considers from
their works whether they have chosen or rejected Him as
their God ; and His eye or favour is upon them whose
God is the Lord, and who at once both fear Him and
trust Him— revering His authority, and justice, and'
power, while they hope in His mercy. In defence of such
a nation He -will prevail over the most formidable armies,
• however composed, or whatever be their number and
prowess In the confidence of this, David, at the head of
His chosen people, waits upon God, and relies upon Him
for help and safety. He realizes both qualifications of
fear and hope. We see him in the concluding verses,
both observant of God as his rightful Governor, and yet
rejoicing in Him as his Father and Friend. He had
before said that " the eye of the Lord was for good upon
them that hoped in His mercy;" -and now professing
Himself to be one of such, he prays that God's mercy
might be upon him and his people, according as they
hoped in Him. — Give us, 0 Lord, to conjoin such a hope
with such a fear — a fear compatible with trust, and so.
aot the fear of terror, but the fear of reverence.
PsAiM XXXIV. 1-9. — The occasion pf this psalm is mi-.

PSALM xxxiy, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 33;
nutely specified in a prefatory note which I believe is not
questioned  It is interesting to contrast the secret and
real with the ostensible, state of David at this period. It
was a time of great humiliation in the eyes of -men, yet a
time of triumph and security in God ; and so he blessed
Him at this as at all times His immediate deliverance
from the hands of Saul was the topic of his gratitude and
gratulation. How delightful to, follow him in the lan
guage of his holy confidence, in his sense of safety under
the guardianship that was over him from above — in his
consciousness that God was -with him, and that the angels
of God were to him the ministers of protection and de
fence ! We see here, in the testimony which he lifts up
for God, how beaUtifidly combined the trust and the fear
are with each other. Under the one'sentiment we recog
nise the Divine goodness; under the other the Divine
truth and power. Both -meet together in the expression
— ^that "there is no want to them who fear Him."
10-22. — He proceeds -to unfold the. character and deal
ings of God— as the bountiful Rewarder of those who
seek Him ; but, at the same tim^, as ha-ving respect unto
all their ways And so he lessons us in. the fear of God,
-which, if it really operate within our hearts, will lead us
to sin not " Stand in awe, arid sin not I " . . . The good of
our temporal life, both then and now, arid mo^e distinctly
the good of our eternal life now, hinge upon our deport
ment and doings in this world. — My God, enable me to
bridle my tongue, to lay a restraint upon those ebullitions
which I am too apt to indulge in ;. and, as far as possible,
as much as lieth in me, to' live peaceably -with aU men.
Let me but trust and obey-^^rust in the Lord, and be
doing good ; and His ears will ever be open unto my cry^

34 DAILY SCRIPTURE RI^ADINGS. psalm xxxv.

The distinction between the good and tlie evil, the right
eous and the wicked, is as palpable, and should practi
cally be as much proceeded on under the new co-Venant
as under the old. But how manifold, alas I are my defi
ciencies; yet let me not despair — for the Lord is nigh
unto them that -are of a broken heart, and saveth such
as be of a cbritrite spirit. Thou wilt deliver me, 0 God,
out of all my troubles: I may be cast down, but riot
destroyed. I meet with sore bruises ; but let my confi
dence be this— that not a bone of me shall be brokeai.
Psalm XXXV. 1-16. — ^Dr. Mason Good looks upon this
psalm as having been -written during the history of
David as recorded in 1 Sam. xviil 17-30.- At all events,
we have in these psalms the secret of Da-?id's good con
duct, and of his marvellous escapes from, the hand of
designing enemies We see him daily exercised unto
godliness ; and in answer to his prayers, he received both
wisdom and protection from Him to whom he was in the
habit of resorting continually. He prayed that his cause
might be pled- with Saul, and fought with the Philistines
There were many who sought his life, and devised mis
chief against him— the court flatterers of the Jsraelitish
monarch, and the abettors of his cruel policy. Doubtless
the expressions here used may be well applied -in charac
terizing their wiles, and their conspiracy against the life
of David—" Without cause they hid their net " for him ;
and" -without cause they digged for his soul." ... I begin
more and more to see the maledictions of David in a
different light: they are directed against those ,who
were his enemies in war, or who were plotting in secret
for his assassination. If it be lawful to fight or to strive

PSALM xxxT. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 35
against these, even unto their death, or shameful over
throw, is it not la^vful to pray against them to the
same extent ? And his prayer w.as at length heard — for
though only in prospect as yet, he could predict with
confidence that his soul should- be joyful in the Lord,
and should rejoice in being/ saved by Him from his
enemies . ; . . The verses 11-16 I hold to be literally applic
able to David; and though applicable to Christ also, I
can Scarce agree -with Horsley in thinking that they
apply more literally and exactly to Him than to any
other. 17-28. — But the application to our Saviour brightens
as we proceed. It seems quite clear that Psalm xxil 20
Was spoken by Him ; aind this is nearly identical with
verse 17 here. There is the same 'analo'gy between xxii.
22, and our verse 18. -And tq complete the proof, the
clause in verse 15 — ".that hate me without a cause," is
expressly quoted .and applied by the Apostle (John xv.
25) to Jesus Christ ; or rather. He whose discourse is
there recorded applies it to Himself Yet "D^vid appears
palpably and prominently enough in the verses that fol
low : he makes a vivid representation of- his sjate ' as
surrounded by contemptuous, and proud, and resentful
enemies — -from whom he as usual turns liim for help to
the God on whom all his confidence Was laid. He doubt
less -prays against them; yet, if it was right in- him to
defend himself against them, and attempt such an expo
sure of their falsehood and malice as wotdd bring them
to shame — could it be -wrong in him to pray for this con
summation—to pray that they should be ashamed and
brought to confusion who rejoiced at his hurt — even as
he prayed that they should triumph and be joyful who

3G

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINC^. psaljh ixxvn.

favoured his righteous cause? ... I am strongly inclined to
the theory of a progressive moral education, from age to
age, as the explanation both of David's imprecations, and
other ¦ examples of a~ rude and defective, yet tolerated
morality, in the ages before him.
Psalm- XXXVI. — This psalm, according to Mason Good,
corresponds^ with the history in 1 Sam. xix. 4-7 ... . Da-vid
is still in trouble, and compassed about with the machi
nations of wicked and ungodly men. In the description
of such, he presents us with one lineament which we
would do well to profit by. It might warn our conscience
when asleep in the midst of such secret indulgences as,
if exposed and laid open, would bring down upon us the
contempt and hatred of society. The words are those of
verse 2 ; and there is a mischief of another kind than that
of -violence, which one might devise and dwell upon in his
bed, and which marks him who can even' think of it .with
toleration as one that abhorreth not e-vd. Our best es
cape froin aU such imaginings is such, a contemplation of
God alone as is here set before us. — ^In the blessed con
junction of Thy inercy and Thy righteousness let me ever,
0 Lord, rejoice. Make me to drink of the river of Thy
pleasures ; and in Thy light may I see light Make me
upright in heart, and give me to increase in the know
ledge of Thyself. .Give me -to have peace in Thee, amid
the world's tribulations - - '
Psalm xxxvh. l-lO.^This psalm is supposed to have
been written 'by David during the evenirig of his days,
and when at rest from all his enemies ; — more a psalm of
general instruction in piety and righteousness than of an

psalm xxxvii, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 37
occasional character. I delight in it greatly, both for the
truth of principle and the experimental wisdom whiqh
mark its lessons .... The dissuasive against fretfulness is
most strikingly, and peculiarly applicable to myself ; and
as grounded, too, on the consideration, that they against
whom I fret wiU soon be brought to a common reckoning
¦with myself " Grudge not one against another : the
judge is at the door." " Do aU things without murmur-
ings and disputings". . : To" trust in the Lord and do good,"
is a comprehensive description of what subjective Chris
tianity is in the general, as made up of faith and works ;
btit it also has a special application here to the case of
those antagonists whose will or-opinion isatthetimewrong-
ously carrying it over ours. God, if we but. trust in Him,
and do His will, may do us justice even on this side of death
—giving us even here, if we but delight in Him, those other
objects of delight on which our worthy and good desires
are set — ^bringing to pass the way as we want it, if we but
commit it to Him — and making the goodness of our cause
manifest to all men. Meanwhile, let us be still in God,
and wait patiently fonthe further evolutions of His Pro-
-vidence, and fret -not ourselves because of the temporary
influence and advantage, over us which are possessed by
other, men. Let me in nowise fret -against them,, or in
dulge in that -wrath which worketh not the righteousness
of God. If our counsel be His counsel, it shall stand and
be established. Let me in aU cares, therefore, and cogi
tations about what is best for our . Free Church, ever ex
ercise myself unto godliness ; possessing my soul in
patience, because assured that, -if the counsel of them who
are opposed be not of God, it will come to nought.
ll-2p.--Give me the grace of meekness, 0 Lord; I

38 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xxxvn.
shall not Tiave less of standing ground for my o-wn counsel
and views in cons^quenca And 0 for peace, for peace
against enemies, arid above all for the abundance of that
peace in Christ which He hath promised to His disci^es,
while He warns them that in the world they shall have
tribulations  The hostilities which David experienced
were of a grosser kind than those by which I am exercised ;
but the lessons and the exercises which he observes or
prescribes under them, are fully applicable to controversies
of another sort — such as the confidence that whatever
is the purpose or design of the Lord, that shall stand —
that whatever of malice or artifice has been employed
against those of upright conversation, -wiU in His good
time be exposed and overthro-wn — ^the superiority which
the man of a pure and honest policy, with the little he
yet has gained for it, has over advers.aries of another
spirit, though for the present carrying all before them —
the certainty of a final triumph for all that is right and
reasonable, and defeat of the oppoate.
21-28. — May I be -willing to distribute, and ready to
communicate, 0 God: and enable me to form a right esti
mate of my fellow-men, that I might not call evU good and
good evil. Thou estimatest aright, and dispOsest aright,
of all men according to their character and works Order
my. steps in Thy way, and thus shall I delight in Thy way
made my way. — And let me tnist in the Lord, who will
sustain me in the walk of obedience, and will not leave
either me or m-ine in want of all that is needful, whether
for life or godliness. Let me but depart from evil and do
good; and then shall I be established and abide in the
house of my God for ever . . . . The judicial righteousness
which Christ hath brought in supersedes not the judg-

, PSALM xxxvn. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS.,, 39
ment that wUl proceed upon men according to their deeds ;
and thus they are the saints, the personally good and
holy, who wUl be preserved, while the wicked -will be cut
off.^For the joy that is set before me, 0 God, in, the land
which Christ hath purchased for his people, may I throw
aside every weight, and the sins which most easily beset
me, and run in the way of holiness to heaven -with all
perseverance. - 29-40, — ^Let me abstain from idle words, and let my
speech be seasoned with grace and heavenly wisdom.
And as the mouth speaketh out of the abundance of the
heart, Omay Thy law maintain occupation and ascen
dency there, and then shall I delight myself greatly in
Thy commandments. Thus shall. I be delivered from the
snares and machinations of all adversaries, if I but -wait
On the Lord, and: keep His way. Why should I feel dis
comfiture or discomfort in their temporary pre-vaUings,
when there is such a patent way of overcoming them who
are opposed to me — even by steadily persevering in- the
way that is right, and committing all to the heavenly wit
ness and Counsellor who is above me. The prosperity here
held out to the righteous, and the overthrow of the wicked,
have -their decisi-ve and most emphatic fulfilment in the
day of that final judgment which assigns their respective
destination^ throughottt eternity. But Ifet us not confine
the sayings of the Psalmist to these. In liis eye they had
their verification on this side of death. This was the
chief if not the sole meaning Which he put upon thetn ; and
it is a meariing, though not the only or the principal one,
which may stiU be put upon them in these days God
liness has even now the promise of the life that is present
as well as of the life that is to come. We have peace in

40 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xxxviii.
Christ even in the midst of tribulation; though it holds
pre-eminently of every one who is perfect in Him, that the
end of that man is peace. — Let me die th6 death of the
righteous ; and while it is my current experience, that
the Lord is my stren,gth even in time — " in the tiiue of
trouble," may it be the experience of my death-bed, that
in the last trouble, and amid the agonies of dissolution.
He is my helper, and the strength of my heart, because
my trust and rejoicing are in Him as my everlasting
portion. Psalm xxxviil 1-9. — There seems 'io have been a fear-
fril prevalence of wickedness and infidelity in Israel pre
vious to' the' breaking out of Absalom's rebellion, and
which, perhaps may have prepared the way for it It is
highly probable that David's own great and flagrant trans
gression may have botk spread and strengthened this
spirit throughout the land, and hence an irreligious
faction, the fruit and the natural penalty of his own de
linquency. He seems to have -written this psalm under
the pressure of these adcumulated evils -which bore him
down, and may have even affected his health. And so
he- lifts up the prayer of one who felt himself, a sufferer
because of sin, or because of ^od's anger and his o-wn
foolishness.. He thus gives utterances both to the cries of
a sufferer, and the confessions of a penitent looking upon
his very disease as a judicial infliction under the hand of
Him who was laying rebuke, and chastisement upon him
self as a grievous offender. Nevertheless he turns him
to the God by whom he is stricken, kissing the rod, and
Him who hath appointed it, and venting forth his desires
before Him in supplications and prayers. He by this

R3ALM XXXIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 41
exercise, too, recalls the wholesome recollection of his own
sinfulness, as in the title of the psalm.
10-22. — -He continues the description of his state, the
distempers of his own person, the desertion of his friends,
the active and malicious conspiracies of those who were
deceitfully plotting against both his kingdom and his life.
He saw what was devising and going on against him, but
said nothing. He made no remonstrances with his fel
low-men, but made his requests unto God. Nor had hope
clean gone from him. It is true, that because his foot had
slipped, his enemies did magnify themselves ; and .this is
the cruel advantage given by, any misconduct of ours to
the adversaries of truth and righteousness. Meanwhile, he
himself was in great heaviness of heart because of his sin,
and of the scandal that he had brought upon the cause
of God and of goodness, which imparted great animation^
and strengjih., to them who were opposed to him. His
repentant and returning goodness just multiplied his ene
mies, and made them all the more fierce against him.
They hated , him all the more because- he followed the
thing that was good; and, hardest to bear, they to whom
he had done service, returned him evil for his kindness
His reftige is in prayer ; .and there truly did his wisdom
and his -strength lie: for who shall harm us if we be fol
lowers of that which is good?
Psalm XXXIX, — This psalm is ascribed by Mason, Good
to th© period w^en Ziklag was destroyed by the Amalek-
ites,- and Davids family taken captive-^though it seems
to agree better with a season of deep sorrow for some such
recorded sin as that in the matterof Uriah, when the
enemies aljout him triumphed, and the poor mourner felt
VOL. III. D

42 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xl.
constrained to silence in their presence. But he could
not keep hiinself long from the utterance of what was
good ; and so, in the fulness of his heart, gave vent to
the prayers and wise maxims of piety. Let me adopt
these prayers^O that I proceeded on a right estimate
of the brevity and the vanity of those interests which so
much engross me ! Give me a realizing -view of death.
Let me not set my heart upon this world's goods. My
heart is greatly set on a right economy, both for our
Church and its College ; but even this let me subordinate
to Thy will, and take the perversities and oppositions of
men as trials permitted by Thee, and under which it is
my part to be rightly disciplined and exercised. Let me
not be disquieted in vain  " Surely every man walketh
in a vain show," is with me one of the most precious
memorabilia in Scripture. At all .events, let me follow
the Psalmist in turning myself to God. — The concluding
sentiments and supplications bespeak one who had fallen
into some great transgression, and was in tears because
of it ; and at the same time was suffering under some
great infliction because of his iniquity, and took it sub
missively as the doing of the Lord.
Psalm XL. — We have positive Apostolic authority, for
tie reference of this psalm to Christ. (Heb. X.-5-9.) And
yet how much more palpably applicable in, many of its
verses to Davjd — ^though even in these we do not need
to lose sight of the antitype in the type. For did not
Christ cry unto God ? and was not He plunged into the
mire of a deep humiliation ? and was He not enlarged, and
brought out of them all by Him who raised Him from the
dead ? and was it not His meat and His drink to do God's

PSALM XLI. DAILY SdRIPTTJRE READINGS. 43
wUl ; and also to declare it in the Church, by those whom
He commissioned to go abroad over the earth, and who
formed a great company of publishers? The message
wherewith they were charged was indeed a message of
Gods loving-kindness — of truth met -with mercy — of
peace in fellowship -with righteousness ! — Give me, 0
Lord, to love Thy salvation, and to have Thy law in my
heart. In myself I am poor and needy; but I would
rejoice in Thee as God in Christ, able and willing to help
me., 0 shine upon me speedily -with the light of Thy
reconciled countenance. Home.
PsAiM XLL-^-We must not only compassionate but con
sider the poor; and how precious are the promises an
nexed to our doing so — of safety from our enemies — of the
Divine care upbn our sickrbeds Yet, after ha-ving done
all, we are unprofitable servants; and well may we join the
Psalmist in prayer for the health of these our guilty and
distempered souls. I have sinned : my God, let my ways
please Thee, and then shall mine enemies be at peace.
Are there none waiting for my death? Let me think
the best, and have the charity which thinketh no evil ....
This psalm is supposed to have been -written after the
relief which he got from BarziUai and others, and before
the defeat of Absalom ; . and hence, a blessing on those
who provided for his necessities, and a complaint on his
treacherous foes. The " familiar friend " is supposed to
be .Ahithophel And as another decisive instance of the
typical character of these psalms: — our Sa-viour applies
verse 9^ to HimseK in John xiil 18 . . . . David's prayer is
that of a warrior against his enemies ; and the confidence
that he -here -expresses in God was not put to shame.

44 DAILY SCRIPTURE READIffGS. psalm xliii.
Psalm xlil — This psalm is supposed to have been
written at the time of David^s flight from Absalom, and
before "he crossed Jordan. It is throughout a most
beautiful and affecting aspiration, and expressive of a
determined longing after God, and a clea-ving unto Hirn
under all his trials. — ^Let me thus thirst after God ; and
as David mourned over his present exile from the sanc
tuary, may I seek for spiritual fellowship with God in the
place where His honour dweUetk And let me along
¦with him rebuke my heaviness — chide the despondency of
my spirit, and still trust in the living God  Veirse 6 is
in keeping with the conceived occasion of this most im
pressive ode. And with all the terrors and troubles by
which he Was Surrounded, Da-vid does not let go his faith
and hope, but mingles these with all his complaints and
remonstrances — because of the oppression of the enemy.
He still cleaves to God as his Rock, even at the very
time when disposed to question the reason of his ha-ving
been forgotten.. It was a cru^l aggravation of his suffer
ings when his enemies interpreted his misfortunes to his
being forsaken of God, even as did the enemies of our
blessed Saviour, when He ,was suspended on, the cross
But David, notwithstanding, kept by his confidence, and
effectually rebuked his soul out of its disquietudes Octobtr, 1845.
_ Psalm xliil — This, too, is an illustrious psalm, of a
piece with the preceding, and apparently written on the
same occasion, when a gleam of light from the Sanctuary
alleviated the surrounding darkness, and bore him up
amid all his earthly dangers, and desertions, and discom
forts He was at this 1;ime at a distance from Jiis wonted

PBALM XLiv. DAILY SCKIPTURB READINGS. 45
place of meeting with God in the solemn assembly, and
like to be borne down? by the strength of his cruel and
perfidious enemiea An ungodly nation, even his own
infidel and rebellious people, were against him ; but as
usual his refuge is in God. He prays for the light and
truth which we teo shotdd pray for to irradiate our own
Bouls But there is also a more external thing than this
that he prays for — evrai that he may be led back again
to Moimt Zion and its tabernacles, from which he was
now driven iorth. Then would he go back to the altar
and the aervices which he loved. He chides his soul out
of its deqwndeneies, and cheers it on to eonfidraice in
God .... A most precious ps£dnL
Psalm xltv. 1-14 — 0us psalm is, conceived fa have
been written at thp time of the Babylonian Captivity,
though the complaint,-" Thou goest not forth with our
armies," would seem to indicate a yet independent nation,
though in adverse circumstances. The title implies, also,
that the old di-visions of the puUic religious service of the
Hebrews were still kept up. At all events we must refer
this composition to another psalmist than David It -be
gins with the contrast between their former triumphs and
their present distress. The proudest achievements, how
ever, in the history of their nation are here piously re
ferred unto God, and He is stiU professed to be all their
confidence and hope. But notwithstanding this, they
were stiU kept in a state of degradation and distress, sub
ject to cruel enemies, and in captivity far scattered
among the heathen  Verse 12 is well illustrated by
Isaiah liL 5, and Ezekiel xxxvl 20. Israel had been given
up Igr God to the heathen, which, bo far from redounding

46 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xlt.
to His glory among the nations, caused His religion to be
derided, -and His name to J)e blasphemed by them.
15-26.— rThe pronoun alternates between singular and
plural, as it seems to have been a joint utterance at a
public service, bpth by each for himself and by all collec
tively  Their Babylonish oppressors were blasphemers
also ; and might well be termed avengers as well as' enemies
— they being God's instruments for the punishment of His
rebellious people. But this expostulation seems now to
have come from a repenting people in the act of their
turning to God, and imploring His acceptance and favour.
They might not be dealing falsely now, though they did be
fore; but the season of suffering is often prolonged beyond
the point of conversion from sin to righteousness. And
so they were still kept for a time in the place .of dragons^—
of men fierce as dragons towards them. They were now
withstanding idolatry,' and not taking part with their per
secutors in the worship of their strange gods.... I can
scarcely view the Babylonish captives as types of the per
secuted. Christians; so that the quotation of verse 22 by
Paul, in Rom. yiii. 36, ushered in by the words, "It is
written," seems- to be an instance of a mere adoption of
Scriptural l9,nguage in the description of a present case.
This, perhaps, would clear up other instances of the New
Testament references to the Old. .'. . The captives conclude
this ode by a pleading appeal and prayer to God.
... ^.
-Psalm xlv. — This is obviously a prophetic psalm, full
of Christ-^the testimony of whom is the spirit arid life of
prophecy By its title it is denominated an instructive
Song of Loves .'. . . Shoshannim signifies " lilies," though it
iriay Dfi the name of an instrament, and perhaps a^ six-

PSALM XLVI. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 47
stringed one. Be that as it may, in substance and savour
it is a very lofty composition, and bears a strong analogy
to the Song of Solomon, which, is confirmatory of that
part of Scripture as sacred and inspired  The " pen, of
a ready writer," is a memorable Scripture expression 
It soon appears that one greater than Solomon is here —
one higher than any of the children of men. There is
that combination of meekness and majesty which is only
realized in Him who, in the Book of Revelation, is called
the Word of God, who made war upon His enemies and
overcame them. See Heb. 1 8, 9, where we are told that
verses 6 and 7 were said unto the Son .... The remainder
of this psalm applies as-literally to Solomon as do the Can
ticles; yet when so obviously capable of a spiritual applica
tion here, why not also there ?
Psalm xlvi. — Alamoth may be an instrument of music
or tune: It signifies "two secrets," and therefore, may
characterize the subject as being of God's secret counsels
respecting the Church. However this may be, -the psalm.
itself is a very noble composition  There are various
theories of the occasion on which it was -written. Some
think it was when Jehoshaphat overthrew his enemies, as
recorded in 2 Chron. :xx. See in particular verses 13, 17,
28, 29, ,30, of that chapter ; verse 10 of the psalm is in
good keeping with verse 17 of the, record ; and it seems
quite ob-vious that there was a public celebration  "What
rich materials both for prayer and for such reflections as
serve to animate and support the pious spirit I — My God, be
Thou a present-T— a very present help to me in every time of
trouble. Out of the river of Thy pleasures may I be made
glad, . . . Jordan and its streams are identified, and some of

48 Daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. PSALM xLVir.
its tributaries passed by Jerusalem. — May Thy Eving water
refresh and rejoice my soul And 0, amid the ills and
disappointments of life, may I be still, and know that
Thou a-rt God;-
PsALM XLVir. — Some would render "for," in the titles
of the Psalms, into " Ib^' — so that this psalm would seem
to have been composed by the sons of Korah. "When the
musicians are adverted to in these titles> whether as
authors or performers, the presumpticxn is that the psahns
were composed for a public service. The present is well
adapted for such an occasion. All the people are called
upon, and in verse 6, all the people' appear to join in a
grand chorus of praisa It is obviously an ode of triumph
sung in the midst of a great convocation, headed hy the
princes and chief men of Israel The multitude" are called
upon to signify their grateful exultation unto God — of
whom a magnificent description is -set forth by the inspired
bard. He is God on high, a terror to the enemiesof Israel,
and of power over -the whole earth, who should subdue
the nations, and place them undeir the feet of His o-wn be
loved people — ^the people whoin He selected for Himself
and' to whom He gave the inb,eritance of the heathen 
The " excellency of Jacob " may be that very inheritance
by which He signalized theni, and in which they gloried.
... It is a striking combination, that of" praise -with under
standing." — Renew me in knowledge, 0 God ; teach me to-
praise -with understanding — The occasion of this psalm
is thought to be the bririging up of the Ark from Obed-
edom. (I Chrori. xv.) — Giye me, 0 Lord, to stand in awe
of Thy power and Thy holiness; for such is the character
of Thy throne, and Thine is the strength of all armies.

PSALM xiK. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 49
Psalm XL VIII. — This psalm is supposed by Dr. Masori
Good'to have been composed after a victory, recorded by
Josephus, over a formidable combination brought to bear
upon the Israelites from all quarffirs — both by sea and
land. It may have been -written by the sons of Korah,
as a song of triumph, in -which the strength and beauty
of Jerusalem are celebrated, and God acknowledged as
her refuge  The allusions to Zion in any psalm may
be regarded as e-vidences that it was composed subse
quently to Jerusalem having become the capital of the
nation  The di^eirsion of confederated, kings, and also
of a fleet by the tempest EuroelydoUi toay be assuredly
gathered from the stanzas of this illustrious ode — The
clause — " As we have heard, so have 'We seen," admits of
a very precious application to the experimental evidence
of Christianity — " As we have heayd, so have we found."
The Word of God, or the preaching of it, tallies with our
own experience.... The defence and delivery of their
nation had been made the subjesct of grateful commemo
ration in the midst of- their public services. Does ^the
temple in verse 9, not indicate a later- period for this
psalm,? At all events, it seems the celebration of a great
natioital deliverance, the fame of which had gonje abroad
to the ends of .the earth, and" which led the people to
exult in the' fortifications of their city — ascribing, at the
same time, , aE their safety and triumphs to the God of
armies Psalm xlix. 1-9. — This psalm, too, may hav% been com
posed not onfy for, but by the sons of Korah — A parable
is properly a figurati-ye representation, conveying a moral ;.
and thgre are similitudes in this;J)salm.,for givin,g it this
VOL. IIL c*

SO' DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xlix.
 it*  '-  ~
desi^ation.- But a parable is sometimes so called, though
the .lesson be not couched in figures. This tallies with
the progress which is frequent with words, fi-om their
primary to a more offended meaning. The composer of
the psalm says, "I wiU incline mine ear,;" and so had
prophets often to do with the products of their- own in^
spiration. (1 Pet L 1 0-12.) ..." The iniquity of my heels"
may be such sins as those to which I have been, tempted
by him who, though he cannot bruise my head, yet bruiseth
my heels I wiU -wash them out in the blood of th©^
Lamb, who died a ransom for the sins of His foEowersj
not so those who trust in Wealth, which can ransom the
souls of none, so as that they should live as Christ, .who
saw not corruption, and His redeemed, who, because He
lives, shall live also. "Whereas the offered redemption by
corruptible things,- as sil-ver and gold, is utterly worthless,
and will not achieve a thing so costly as the redemption
of any soul, which, if it price pass into eternity -with its
sins unexpiated, must thenceforth give up aU hope of a
future salvation, as. now impossible.
10-20. — Yet when, or though, he seeth that all die, the
¦godly and thfe wicked — stiE there is the cleaving imagi-
.hation of an eternity on this side of death.- He builds as
'securely on the world as if the world were to last for ever.
Such is the false maxim and fancy of the worldling, not
rooted put when he comes to die iimself ; for the worldly
generation that succeed him admire his wisdom, honour
him for the prosperity to which he has risen, praise him for
the success of his own selfishness, even as he congratulated
his own -wisdom and good fortune whilst he was alive.
Nevertheless, man in high eaithly honour abid§th not if
he Undeirstandeth not, (verses 12 and 20,) wanting the

PSALM L. DAILY SGRIPTUR& READINGS. 51
wisdom of him who rightly considereth the number of his
days, (Psalm xc. 12,) and so wEl -be like the beasts that
perish.^ He brought -nothing into the world, and- certain
it is that he can take nothing out. (1 Tim. yi. 7.) — Let
us not, therefore, stand imawe of man, or ca,rry our respect
to him so far as to argue our preference, too, of the earthly
to the spiritual arid eternal  The Psalmist's expression
of his faith in being received by God, and redeemed by
Bim, not from cap;tivity or from the hand of enemies, but
-from the grave, seems a decisive repognition of immor
tality in, the Old Testament.
Psalm l. 1-15. — ^This is a- remarkable psalm, and the
subjecti of it seems to lie within the domain of unfulfilled
prophecy. ¦ There has been no appearance yet from Mount
Zion a,t aE corresponding with that made, from. Mount
Sinai- And I am far more inclined^ to the literal inter-.
pretatipn of this psalm, than to that which would restrict
it to the mere preaching of the Gospel in the days of the
Apostles. It looks far more like the descent'of the Spn
of Man pn the Mount of Olives, -with all the accompani
ments of a Jewish conversion, and a first resurrection; and
a destruction of t,he assembled hosts' of -Antichrist. The
saints here summoned are those -^ithin the pale of the
everlasting covenant ratified by the blood of the sacrifice
of Christ. The address here given is like that from 'the
Son of God, now manifested to the Jews, who had returned,
though yet unconverted, tp the Hely Land ; but -whp, npw
hearing the words as weE as -seeing, the .person of Him
whom they had pierced, are bom in a day by the impres
sive remonstrance and overpowering spectacle. In say--
ing that He would not reckon with them on their daily

te DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm i.
saerifices and contiriual bumt-offeririgs, but that His call
upon them now was for their gratitude and their obedience,
and their prayers. He as good as presses on them the change
of their Old for the New Dispensation ; and they hence
forth, arid as the fruit Of their national conversion) now
render glory to Him whom, with wicked hands, their an
cestors had crucified and slain.
16-23. — The •prophecy, if prophecy it should be caUed,
assumes now more of the instructive than of the predic
tive character. It may be applied to the destruction of
Christ's enemies in the day of Armageddon, but seems
far more directly applicable to those hypocrites whose
service lay exclusively in the rites arid observances of the
ceremonial law, The lesson given here is often repeated
by the prophets, when they urge that obedience is better
than the fat of lambs. "What have such Pharisaical
teachers to do with the lessons of righteousnessi, or is it
for them to declare the will and the ways of God? Let
me take this to myself; and if it be a grievous delin
quency' that one should be a hearer and not a doer —
how much more grievous that one should be a teacher
and not a doer ! — Save me, 0 God, from being a partaker
in others' sins, and more especially in that sin which
most easily besets me. Save me from the delusion of
thinking Thee to be like unto myself; and give me to
know how enormous in Thy estimation is the mere forget-
fulness of God,' and how a-wful are Thy dealings with it
What a precious connexion is here stated between the
erdering aright of our conversation, and the insight that
we shall obtain of the salvation of God i... There are
weighty and most important lessons to be gathered from
the closing verses of this psalm.

PSALM Ml. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 53
Psalm li. — This is the most deeply affecting of all the
psalins, and I am sure the one most applicable to me. It
seems to have been the effusion of a soul smarting under
the sense (Of a recent and great transgression.— rMy God,
whether recent or not, give me to feel the enormity of my
various and manifold offences, and remember not against
me the sins of my youth  What a mine of rich matter
and expression for prayer ! — ^Wash, cleanse me, 0 Lord,
and let my sin and my sinfulness be, ever before me. Let
me feel it chiefly as sin against Thee, that my sorrow may
be of the godly sort. Give me to feel the -virulence of
my native corruption-— pursre me from it thoroughly, and
put truth into-my inward parts, that mine may be a real
turning, from sin tmto the Saviour. Create me anew, 0
God. Withdraw not Thy Spirit. Cause me^ to rejoice in
a present salvation; Deliver me, 0 God, from the blood-
gmltiness of ha-ving offended any of Thy little ones ; and
so open my lips, that I may speak of the wondi^ous things
Thou hast done for my soul ! . May I offer up spiritual
sacrifices: and 0, let not any delinquencies of mine bring
a scandal upon the Church; but do Thou so purify and
buEd her up, that even beg external services, freed' from
aE taint of corruption or hypocrisy, may be weE-pleasing
in Thy sight.
Psalm lil — ^David was in circtmistances of great perE
wrhen he indited this psalm, directed against one of his
deadliest enemies— ^Doeg the Edomite — -at that time a
mighty man, for in great favour at court. .(1 Sam. xxl 7;
xxii 9.) He was a man of deep craft, and withal a most
ferocious man of blood. (1 Sam. xxii. 18, 19.) His words
were indeed devouring Words ; yet David, in the face of

54 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psAtM Lin".
all the danger which -he incurred from this formidable
adversary, entourages himself in .th^,t God whose good
ness endureth continuaEy. And so he prophesies destmc-
tion to the Edomite, and the consequent triumph and
exultation of the righteous : , they shaE " see," and it is
added " fear." The judgments of God should make us
fear, lest we bring them upon ourselves — It is a pregnant"
expression-^that of " making God our strengtL"— Let us
trustnot in deceitful riches,' but in the living God, who
givetb us aE things richly to enjoy. Let us but trust in
Him, and then shaE we flourish in His favour, and -within
the precincts of His blessed fanuly Let us wait on His
name — even though our powers of conceiving him go
little beyond the name, still even in that name let us
trust. It is a good nam.e, and it is good to wait on it.
It is a good thmg for one to hope, and qtdetly to wait for
the salvation of God.
Psalm Liii.^This is nearly identical -with Psalm xiv.
We are not to wonder that the very peculiar devotedness
of the monarch to God arid to His service, should caE
forth a reaction of natural enmity among, the grandees of
his court, and give rise to an infidel party. The capti-vity
here spoken of may be the "exEe from Jerusalem which
David underwent by the rebeEion of Absalom. , He charges
the oppressors, of the people with their tyranny, but.
ascribes- to them a fear of vengeance, the fruit not o"f
sensible appearances — for aE might look secure and
promising to the eye of flesh-7-but the suggestion of con
sciences not at ease ; and also of memory recalling what
God hath formerly done against the enemies of Zion.
...The last ;clause of verse 6 seems to speak a different

PSALM nv. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 65
meaning from the analogous clause of xiv. 6. The de
spising here is on the part of God Himself; and Zion, or
God's Israel, or His true Church in the nation, can put
the object of this contempt to. shame, because despised
and abandoned by God.
Psalm liv. — This psalm, -we have reason to believe, wag
-written in circumstances of danger, from the treacherous.
hostEity of the Ziphites. (1 Sam. xxiil, &c.) He has
recourse, as usual, to prayer, which he lifts up with un
shaken confidence, notwithstanding the adverse appear
ances by which he was surrounded In characterizing
his enemies he speaks powerfuEy home te the cpnsciences
of those who are awakening to a sense of their^^nmity
against God. It is a strikirigly descriptive- trait of such —
ihsbt "they do not set God before them" — ^so .descriptive
that it would fPrm a fit text from which to convince men
of their native ungodliness. God helped David by the
instrumentality of friends— arid being -with them who
upheld his soul It was God- working in and -with Jona
than when he strengthened his hand in God.^ (1 Sam.
xxiii. 16.) David therefore did not l^t go his triumphant
anticipation of better days, when he should be restored
to his country, and to the full enjoyriient of its ritual and
religious services. The conclusion pf this -psalm -seems tp
suit the cpnclusicn pf 1 Sam, xxiii., where we read- that
David pbtained a tempprary deliverance, by the with-
drawment pf Saul andhis-fprces from their pi^rsuit after
him. " - , "¦
Psalm lv. 1-11. — This psalm, written for instruction,
as ,its title imports, is addressed to the chief performer on

58 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lv.
stringed instruments. The occasion of-it is understood
to have been 'the flight of David from Absalom ; and it is
certainly the efiusion of one who was sore beleaguered by
eneniies who hated ^^^ accrised him. The author of it
pours forth both the agonies and terrors of one, who had
been grievously injured, and even looks forward to a
violent death at the hand of his cruel adversaries. His
aspiration for a tranquil and safe retreat, at a. distance
from aE the trouble by which he was beset on every side,
are very eloquently given — even that he might "flee
away like a dove " to the lodge of a wayfaring man in
the wilderness, where he might be at rest from the storms
and agitations- of an evil world. His prayer that " God
would divide their tongues," was signally fulfiEed in the
overthrow -of the counsel of Ahithophel, to which instru-
mentally David owed his preservation. He knew that
there were the elements of turbulence and dissension in
the city, and that strong measures were required to keep
down the outbreaks of a lawless and licentious popula
tion ; and oti this, too, he founds a hope that the rebellion
Avill not keep together He gives, a "vivid picture of the
wickedness and disorder that reigned in Jerusalem.
12-23. — The general undei-standirig is that Ahithophel
ia-here sirigled out for the animadvereions of the Psalmist
—at, one time the friend, and pleasant counsellor, arid
feEow-worshipper of David. Had he been an open enemy
to the king hp could have shunned and avoided him, so
as to have secured himself against his machinations The
prayer of David against his enemies is surely as legitimate
as the defence of himself against them, though even unto
their death, or descent into the grave, into Hades, and not
the heli of everlasting punishment. Surely when turning

PSALM Lvi. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGSi 67
to. God in prayer, after he had poured these maledictions
upon his enemies, this inspired man did not incur the
condemnation which James pronounces on those from
whose mouth proceed at the same time, blessing and
cursing'  Are there not here the indications of that pro
gressive morality which we have before adverted to ? But
there is much of the permanent and unchangeable, too,
in these verses ; and more especiaEy in the clause — that
" because they have no changes, therefore they fear not
God" — an admirable text for a sermon on the security of
worldly men. And then what a noble direction to the
anxious Christian — " Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and
He shaU sustain thee." Ere the psalm concludes there
seems in it a second recurrence to the treacherous Ahi
thophel Psalm lvi. — Dr. Good inclines more to the literal, and
Bishop Horsley to the 'spiritual, in their respective works
on the Psalms. The former makes the Occasion of this
psalm to be David's distress at the court of Achish, as
recorded in 1 Sam. xxix. The Matter entitljes it a prayer
of the Messiah. Both may be true. Certain, it is that
the conduct of Christ's enemies in watching Him, and
lying at ambush, and -wresting His words, are here strik
ingly pourtrayed. And there is nothing to discredit this
interpretation in the earnestness and felt dependence of
these petitions ; for Christ, did suppEcate the Father with
cries and tears. But whichever of these -views be taken,
the lesson is the same to us, in thatwe should turn con^
fidingly to God- when like to be overborne by our enemies,
There seems an aEusion to verses 4 and 11 in Heb. xiii. 6.
. . The putting of the Psahnist's tears into His bottle is

58 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGg. psalm Lvn.
like a treasuring up of the sufferings and merits of Christ,
that they might avaE for the sins of those who beHeve.
Some of Horsley's renderings inight be adopted, though
there seems no obscuritywhich^requires to be cleared up 
The word Jonath-elem-rechokim has greatly exercised the
critics Horsley's explanation of it is descriptive eiiough
of David's situation — as a dove, or one of God's saints, in
a far country, exposed to the hatred and ridicule of the
heathen. Psalm Lvn.— ^Tiis, too, is termed by Horsley, a prayer
of the Messiah. Al-taschith signifies "Destroy not." It
is a prayer that might weE be lifted "up by one who is
assaded with evEs on every side, hiding hiiHself in God
untE the calamities be overpast. — ^What a blessed con
junction are the mercy and truth — ^both, by the economy of
the Gospel, on the side of the believer ! David's enemies
on earth may be but the typical -representatives of those
hostile principalities and powers -with whom Christ held a
inysterious combat, and against whom He implored suc
cour from on high  The phrase " to swallow up," might
be rendered into " trampled under foot," or bruised; which
last expression brings this psalm nearer to the likelihood
of being an utterance as from the Captain of our Salva
tion, whose heel Satan did bruise  At verse 7 the
Psalmist breaks forth into confidence and praise^ as if his
suppEcations had now been heard, and God had inter-
posed.for his deUverance and triuinph  There is a con
cluding and most comfortable aEusion again to God's
mercy and truth. The celebration of God ainong. the
people and the nations, might suit either the type or
the antitype.

PSALM Lix. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 59
Psalm Tivin. — There is a great plausibEity in the sup
position that this psalm was written soon before the break
ing out of the rebeEion of Absalom, who boasted that he
would administer justice so righteously in the land. - " Do
ye indeed speak righteousness?" "do ye judge uprightly?"
It. is quite ob-vious that the time of its composition must
have been a time of grea,t wickedness and ungodliness in
Israel: they- weighed, or concerted, their measures of
violence in the land ; they resisted the pleadings of
justice, however skilfuEy or wisely they were framed ....
Verse 5 is one of the spedal memorabilia of Scripture 
Here we have the prayers of David against his enemies —
as lawful, I should think, as the stri-vings of war against
them  Horsley says that a greater than David is here,
and calls this psalm a prediction of God's, just judgment
against the imjust judges of our Lord ; and certainly it is
not unsusceptible of such an explanation  The sudden
ness of the -wicked's destruction is signified by an image
in verse 9, the latter "part of which has been rendered,
" In whirl-wind and hurricane He shaE sweep them away."
Horsley would ftirther translate " the righteous " into "the
Just One," and "the wicked" into "the impious one ;"
thereby importing the -victory of Christ over Satan.
Psalm Lix.-^Dr. Mason Good kolds the otfcasion of this
psalm to be. the history in 1 Sam. xix. 9-12. Horsley sets
aside this hypothesis, not-withstanding its agreement -with
the title, and assigns a distinct Eteral occasion, whEe he
holds it to be a prayer and prediction of the Messiah.
There are verses which suit very well with the former
supposition — more particularly" the description, appEeable
enough to the pursuers of David, as giveri in verses 6, 14,

CO DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lx.
15. He speaks as if he foresaw their faEure, and his
own safety by the return bf the morning. Still, I would
not call it a stretch of imagination to apply it to the Re
deemer also, whose persecutors were the Jews ; and in the
sufferings of whose- dispersion, we have a most adequate
fulfilment of the prayers and prophecies of this psalm —
sufferings expressly entailed on them for ha-\'ing crucified
the Lord of Glory. Our Saviour could emphaticaEy say
of the endurance which was laid upon Him, that it was
not for His transgression, and not for His sin  The
seventh verse seems peculiarly appEcable to the conduct
of the multitude around Him when suspended on the
cross: And truly the chEdren of Israel were scattered
by the power of Him to whom He committed His cause.
PsALM LX. — "Wliatever may be, made of it, Shushan-
eduth, if HteraEy translated, is " the lEy of the testimony."
. . . The occasion of this psalm seems to have been some
menacing combination, of enemies on aE sides, against
whom Da-vid Efts up "the cry of distress to God  " To
drink the wine, of astonishment," is a singularly expres
sive and memorable saying . . . ; The psalm begins with
despondency and terror, and ends in triumph; Not that
we think it was composed at different times, but that the
light of prophecy Was given .in answer to prayer ; and so
David, previous to their fulfilment, could look fonvard to
such victories and restorations of state as are recorded in
2 Sam. -viil, 1 Chroiuxviu. After describing the miseries
of their condition, he, in verse 4, lecoEects <Tod's favour to
the righteous ; and the glorious anticipations of vei-ses 6-8,
seem a reply to the supplication of verse 5  " Philistia,
triumph thou because of me," has been rendered, " Over

PSALM Lxii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS." 61
PhEistia is my shout of triumph.". . . David's renunciation
of all earthly confidence, and hi,s confidence in God, form
a most natural and becomirig conclusion to this war-song.
, . . Aram-zobah in the title, is conceived to be the Zobah
of Scripture history ; though it is difficult to make out a
coincidence with the direct-narrative.
Psalm lxl^^TMs is supposed by Dr. Mason Good to
ha-ve been written after the defeat and death of Absalom ;
so that, while there- is the language of deliverance, there
is also that of distress, or of a spirit overwhelmed, as
David's was upon that occa.sion. The Psalmist cries from
the end of the earth, or, as Good would have it, " from
the outskirts of the land'' — that is, from beyond JjJrdan,
where David -at that time was. . . ." Lead me to the Rock
that is higber than I," may at aE times be adopted as our
prayer. It was most natural for David to felicitate hini-
self on the prospect of abiding in that tabernacle, which
was his delight, and from which he had beeri exiled. The
restoration of his heritage, and prayer for the prolonga
tion of the -king's relief, are both in keeping, with the hy
pothesis  The blessed conjunction of mercy^ and truth,
which occtirs so frequently in these inspired songs, pccurs
here again, and always with fresh delight tp my heart. — ¦
May I knoW Tvhat it is, 0 Lord, daily to perform my
vows  Horsley says that the king here is evidently the
Messian. Psalm lxii. — This psalm is supposed to have been on
the historical cccasipu pf 1 Sam. xxiii. 14. But it is of most
precious and permanent application in all ages .... To wait
on God arid not be greatly moved' by the adversities

62 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxih. '
of the worldj- is at aE times a high spiritual achievement.
...Tlorsley translates the "tottering" into a "shaken"
fence  The charge which the Psalmist lays upon his
soul, when beset by the machinations of the -wicked, is a
truly impressive one. It is truly instructive to observe
how he stays himseE upon God — aE his expectation Ijeing
from Him — aE-his salvation and glory being in Him. —
Let me foEow the earnest cafl here given to confidence
in ¦God, and to the pouring forth aE our inmost wishes
and thoughts before Him. Let me not trust in the arm
of flesh;. At one time I have bnflt too muph on the sim-
pEcit J of the humbler classes, and too much on the honour
and |)atriotism of the higher. I have been disappointed
in both ; high or low-^thoy are men, and as such I am
bidden to beware of them. Let me set not my heart
upon riches, but on Him who is, able to - gi-ve us aE
things it is of God's mercy," and not of His justice,
that our works ¦ are admitted to' any consideration, or
at all reVarded by Him  Horsley, as usual, states "the
parties in this psalm to be the Messiah and His enemies.
And there is' much to countenance this idea! — ^He was
persecuted by the rulers. He was - forsaken by the mul
titude. PsALMLXiiL— A psalm saidH;o be -written by David in
the wilderness of Judah, on his return, from the defeat of^
Absalom, and hastening back to Jerusalem, where he
might worship as aforetime in the sanctuary But weE is
it suited to every pilgrim upon earth, whose desires are
pointing he^-venward; and so'wiE"-this composition be„
dear to the feelings of e-very aspirant after God and good
ness, even to the end of the world. — Enable me, 0 Lord, to

PSALM Lxiv. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 63

say in fiiith. Thou art my God. Admit me to behold the
glories of .Thy character; and 0 that the spiritual appe-
titeVere given to me of thirsting after God. Let me ever
esteem Thy favour 'ks better than life; and may my soul
be satisfied -with good things Give me in my bed at
night to delight myself with God : and 0 that I knew
what it was" to ha-ve my soul.foEowing hard after Thee.
Give me, 0 Lord, the power and the habit of godly medi
tation: and amid the' arinoyances of an outer world, be
Thou the habitation to which I may resort continuaEy ....
The last verse is quite in keeping -with the supposed occa
sion of this psalm.
, Psalm lxiv. — ^Dr. Mason Good fixes on 1 Sam. xix. 1, 2,
as the historical occasion of this psalm, which obviously is
a prayer for deEverance from the hand of enemies. And
it was a time, too, of secret cOimsel arid laying of snares
against Da-vid, as well as insurrection. There w^e both
treachery and maHce at work and plotting for his destruc
tion.: and thus doing, the adversaries of David , may be
said to have been shooting at the perfect. ' They watched
him for the purpose of entrapping or waylaying — ^Wresting
what he may have spoken, and misinterpreting all that
concerned him. And they prosecuted their object with
dEigence and deep cunning ; yet could David, amid all
his dangers, take comfort" in the sense' of his o-wn integrity,
and cast himself .upon God...; Tlie psalm accords, too,
with Horsley^s view, who 'regards it as a prayer of the
Messiah— He being subject to the identical treatment
that we have now been describing. And what is here
predicted against His enemies, signaEy befell the Jews ;
whEe inore emphatically than any of the sons of men,

64 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxv.
eould the Saviour make His boast in God, and plead a
perfect -righteousness before Him.
¦Psalm LXV. — This, exquisitely beautiful psalm is sup
posed to have been prepared, foi- one of the Je-wish fes
tivals Horsley, in verse 3, renders it, " The account of
iniquities is too great for me," which harmonizes better
with the truth as it is in Jesus, than " iniquities prevaE
against me." Ho-wever great- the account of our iniqui
ties, they can be purged away in the guilt of them by
the Atonement. But the promise is^that we shall be de
livered from the power of them ; so, though sin dwells in
these vile bodies, it shall not have the dominion- over us.
-^Give me, 0 God, thus to experience, , and also to taste
the high arid positive enjoyment of .a direct spiritual in
tercourse with Jhyself : and when Thy judgments are
abroad in the world, may I learn righteousness Thou
hast ali power in beavenand earth, reigning supreme over
the mental as over the material world. Do thou stiE the
tumults within me of the pld man, and give me beth the
life and the peace cf thpse whp are spirituaEy-minded.
The earth tp its remotest bounds stands in awe of the
Divine manifestations, when, in tempest or in thunder.
He makes kno-wn His power But He has ether exhibi
tions in nature, where, as in .a mirror, we can discern the
gentler characteristics of the Deity ; nor in the -whole
range of poetry do we know any pastoral description so
fuE of loveHness, so lighted up with aE that is glad and
graceful in th6 choicest panora,ma on the face of the world.
Let me single .out the paths which drop fatness, and the
little hiEs which rejoice on every side. Altogether it is
about the noblest composition in the psalnjody of Scripture.

PSALM Lxvi. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 85
^ November; 1 845.
PsALM LXVI. 1-9.— This psalm accords well -v^rith the
hypothesis of its having been written after David's re-
tufti froin the defeatpf Absalom, and on his first public
approach to the service of the ritual, whether at Mount
Zion or in Gibeon  " AE the lands," and "all the earth,"
may signify either all Israel, or the whole world. He in
vokes them to join in his triumph, and to celebrate, along
with himself, the high praises of God. There is an
appeal made to the miracles by, which their nation was
signalized ; anS never surely had any nation a prouder
history. It seems as if the passalge of Israel ov^r the Red
Sea was here referred to; yet, on Horsley's supposition of
this psalm being a public thanksgiving of the Messiah, on
the final deliverance pf the Jews, it may refer te the signs
and predigies wherewith the' next dispensatien will be
usheffed in. There is werd pf the destructien pf the tengue
of the Egyptian sea, of another highway being prepared
for the people, like as it was to the passage under Moses,
BO that verse 7 may apply to this futurity also ; and cer
tainly there is more of a, wide regard cast throughout on
the world and its nations, than is altogether suited to the
circumstances of David
10-20.— David had indeed-been well proved and disci
plined by the rebeEion of his son, and, we have up doubt,
refined by it, even as silver is by the operation pf the fur
nace, when like it T)rought through fire and water. He
-was at last brought, liowever, into a -wealthy placCj^ where
all the tribes of Israel -vied with each other in their pro
testations, of loyalty and returning allegiance. He,had
now the prospect of resuming those ritual and religious
Berv-ces •which he loved, and of paying the vows which he

66 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxvii;
lifted, up in the days of his adversity — Give me, 0 Lord,
to have the materials and the experience on which I -might
declare what great things Thou hast done for my soul
To assure the fulfilment- of this we are here told of the
efficacy of believing prayer ; but let me ever proceed on
the memorable saying, that " if I regard iniquity the Lord
wiE not hear me;" Let me henceforth record my own
sense of the chief notahilia of Scripture ; this just quoted
from verse 18 is one of them. .AU is profitable ; but there
are somcof its sayings which I feel disposed thus to single
Out, and to affix this note to them  How beautiful the
countei^art clauses are of the last verse, "He hath turned
not away my prayer; nor yet His mercy from, me."
Psalm lxvii.> — This i"s regarded as a song for the feast
of tab,ernacles, at the.time of the ingathering, when a
sense of gratitude to the bountiftd Pro-vider of aE things
was mixed up With the joys of a harvest-home. In our
translation it reads like a cpnjunct prayer and prophecy,
and impresses the idea of a prosperous spirEual harvest —
the fruit of a successful mission, by which the Gospel was
made known to aE nations, and that greatest 6f aE bless
ings, here expressed by the significant phrase of " saving
health," was diffiised universaEy. When God's face shines
upon the preachers, it mightily conduces to the spread and
pfficacy of their message. The psalm surely points to a
time when there shall be a plentiful ingathering of human
souls,, arid so a renovated moral world ; for one cannot see
the connexion between a good drop in Judea, arid such a
season of general light and -religiousness and enlargement
as is here spoken of But yet the future is convertibla
into the past, sp as to -warrant the translation that " the

pSalmlxviii. daily scripture readings. 67
earth hath yielded her increase," in which case the literal
harvest in, Judea is made the type of a rich spiritual har
vest over the whole" earth. — ^My Ged, avert from our land
at -this time the' horrors of an impending famine ; and let
the fruit of Thy righteous judgments be, that all nations
shaE fear Thee, and be converted, and, rejoice.
Psalm LXvnL 1-6. — The literal occasion of this psalm
is conceived to have been the great procession which took
place at the removal of the ark from the house of Obed-
edom. The Psalmist is reminded of the analogous march
<)f the ark' and people of God through the. wilderness.
Accordingly, we find that there is the same invocation at
the outset of this psalm, ,which Moses lifted up when the
ark was set in motion. (Num. x. 35.) There was. much
to suggest the notion of enemies at the time of this cele
bration — -for it -was -in -virtue of a rescue from their handsj^
even the hands of th'fe PhiEstines, that they had now the
jirk to bear forward, and that they could lEt their song
of triumpL And associated with the security which
Israel now' enjoyed, could the hymn of grateful acknow
ledgment be rliised to the God of battles, for His restora
tion of the desolate famiEes, and relief of the captives, of
their sorely harassed and subjugated, but now victorious
nation. "When God appears in behalf of the righteous
He scatters their oppressors: — as the Philistines when
dtiven to the wilderness; or even the Egyptians, when
punished by the drying up of that river on which they
depend for aE their fertility.
7-17. — I am not surd if I ever>experienced such a feel
ing of the subEme as in reading this description of Israel's
march through the wEdem'ess— and it is foEy kept up in

68 DAILY SCRIPTfJRE READINGS. psalm lxviii.
our metrical version — " Thy glorious marching was"
And the effect is heightened as if by contrast, when fol
lowed up with the exceeding softness and beauty of what
comes after — when " God sent His plentiful, rain, and
confirmed His inheritance, when it was weary." There
are probably various deliverances celebrated in this psalm
— not only the past deliverance from Egypt, historically,
but the- great final deliverance — and perhaps that from
the captivity of Babylon, propheticaEy. Then Israel was
made, to dwell in the place which Go<i:ta'd prepared
for them. This proclamation te march out of Egypt had
many to bear and spread it abroad through the hosts of
Israel There was often the flight and overthrow of
kings when God appeared for His people. And what a
contrast between their state of degradation when captives
or slaves, and their state of glory when the victory was
theirs I -:— Then follows the signalization of the hEl over all
other hills, where the sanctuary is in which God dweEs,
possessed of all the power which He manifested in Sinai,
when a retinue of all the agencies in nature was visibly
at His command.
18-35.— -But mixed up with aE the literalities of the
typical, the great Antitype shines forth in this high,
sacred composition. We have positive evidence for Christ
in this psalm, in Eph. iv. 8— after which we need be at
no loss for objects in the future triumph and vietoiy of
His- cause adequate to the loftiest expressions which we
here meet with. The Ascension is quite obvious.^ The
" leading of captivity captive " may signify — rThou liast
made, innumerable captives' — or perhaps,. Thou hast cap
tivated him, even Satan, who had brought our whole
species into captivity and bondage. "Who can faE to

psalm: Lxix. daily scripture READINGS. 69
recognise, in the gifts -which he received for- the rebel
lious. His dispensation of the Spirit to them who believe
on Him ? What is to^ issue from death, whether a resur
rection of life or of damnation, is at His sovereign dispo
sal. There is e'very likelihood of allusions here to the
great contest of the Book of Revelation — "What a signifi
cant expression for the impenitent- — "that he goeth on
stiE in his trespasses." But God has in reserve for His
people stEl another restoration. "'He will bring them
again, as of old, from Bashan and the Red Sea to their
own land. His people will " see Him whoin they have
pierced," perhaps when -His feet stand on the Mount of
jOlives, and Jerusalem wiE again become the great cen
tral sanctuary, by becoming the -metropolis of the Chris
tian World.- God hath made strong thte " Man of His
right hand;" and in the name of the Lord our strength-
ener do we pray that God "would confirm and perfect His
own work in our souls .... Verse ^0 is difficult There are
translations (Horsley's) which make as if the customs of the
nations which are here meant were adverted to — tjiough
the conversion of Egypt and" Ethiopia is 'afterwards more
-plainly set forth. .. . This magnificent ode closes with an
ascription of glory to the Supreme Governor of aE na
tions, and more especiaEy of His o-wn people.
Psalm lxix. 1-12. — This, is concei-<red by Mason Good
to have been -written when David was in greatest peril ,
and perplexity from" the rebellion of' Absalom. It suits
the supposition of its ha-ving been written while I^avid
was- smarting' under tlie remorse aind disgrace of his
¦humiliating fall Then- his enemies would arise in fuE
eiy against him ; and his very piety wjould afford matter

70 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS.' psalm lxix.
of provocation and triumph to his deriding and ungodly
adversaries -, We can imagine that in the softness of his
contrite feeling and abashment, he would, concede more
to .his persecutors than he ought — ^were it but to purchase
tljeir silence. He appeals to God, who knew what his,
guilt was ; and as in another psalm,- confesses that against
Him, and Him only he had- sinned. He prays that the
pious among the people might . not be put to" shame be
cause of his scandal — seeing that his very devotedness to .
God, and zeal for His, service, made hirii more the- song
of drunkards, and the contenipt of those of his o-wn kin
dred, than he would otherwise have been. But let me
not overlook the direct application of verse 9 to Christ,
by His disciples, in John ii. 17 — though not ¦ expressly
sanctioned by the evangelist himself - It proves a preva-r
lent disposition among the Jews tp interpret of .Christ
much in the Psalms where the reference is not altogether
obvious. ,13-28.— "What a blessed phrase — "the truth of Thy
salvation !." — Let me buEd- my confidence upon it, that
witli a full reliance on the truth and mercy of God, my
prayer may be acceptable. These prayers and pleadings,
and professions of helplessness are, ¦ nevertheless, suited
to our Saviour in His humiliation;, and that they are
actually His we have an argument from the gaE and
vinegar of verse 21, , administered to Him" on the cross
See particularly John xix., where we -read that vinegar
was given to Him in consequence of His saying " I thirst,"
-r-virhich sayirig He uttered that " the Scripture might be
ftdfilled." Again, the imprecation of verses 22, 23, is ex
pressly referred by Paul to the unbelieving, and persecut
ing Jews as the objects of it. And most true, it is, as in

PSALM Lxx. DAILY scripture READINGS. 71

verse 26, that it was God who had smitten the . Sa-viour.
and wounded Him for our transgressions : and further
true, that the Jews did -add in,iquity umto -iniquity ; and
that aE who were not of the,- election were blotted out of
the book of Efe, and were not -written with the righteous.
Yet David is the , author here^ — (Rom. xl 9)— though I
beEeve the psalm to be rightly characterized by Horsley
as " Messiah's complaint of the impenitent Jews — Ilia
enemies." ,It is interesting to mark the- strongs Scriptural
e-vi.dences of application to Christ in the Psalms
29-36.— rThis passage is not to be deemed inapplicable
to the Sa-viour because of its pro:fessions of helplessness — •
for we know that He, was in such- circumstances as re
duced Him to cries and tears, . and strong supplications ;
and we also know that He was deEyered from death in
that He feared, and so experienced a salvation. He was
also set up on high by the;Fatheri who fexalted .Him to
His o-wn right hand. It is true that for some of the
clauses here we find a niore direct explanation in -viewing
them as the utterances of David regarding hijnself — as
when he speaks of praise and thanksgiving bein,g better
than sacrifice — ^though some would be carried forward to
the sacrifice of the cross, as being better than the offerings
of -the law. The humble are encouraged by the expe
riences of those who obtain relief and enlargement from
God. — 0 may I seek .God more dEigently and Eve. He
is the hearer and answerer of prayer ; and wEl mani
fest a ^greater salyatipn than has yet been realized, in
the return of Israel to their own land, and the spread, of
Christianity among the hations.
. Psalm Lxx,-T-This psalm is substantially a repetition tt

72 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxxi.
the last part of Psalm xl — ^which may have been a.prajtr
that avaEed him on some former occasion of distress,
» again lifted up on the recurrence of .a new occasion of
•the- same kind. According to its title, it is a psalm of
recolleotiori. - Bishop Horsley conceives the fortieth psalm
to be the utterance of Messiah risen from the dead, re
turning thanks for the accomplishment of His work, and
praying for its final effect .This- does not seem to com
port well -with the latter half of that psalm, and more
especiaEy -with the last part of "it, which is identical ¦with
the present psalm.' The way in which both he and Bishop
Home- get over this is by the supposition that Christ is
here praying in the name of that Church, which was one
with Himself, in virtue of the mystical union between
Him as the Head, and the Church as the body. It is in
this sense that they understand His importunities to be
in behalf of those for whom He ever liveth to make
intercession; and that thus He could implore help, and
pray against enemies, and profess Himself to be poor
and needy. Clertain it is, that whEe verse 4 is peculiarly
appropriate, as from Christ, for those .that were seeking
after God through Him, it is also a prayer that we might
well lift up for ourselves^-Give me joy in belie^ving. 'Let
me love Thy sa,lvation; and enable me, in the secure
possession of it, to magnify, and grateftiEy to praise Thy
'iioly name.
* Psalm lxxl l-ll.-^This psalm seems to have been
composed by Da^vid late in life'; when he stiE experi
enced that in the world he had tribulation, though in
Him who ruleth the world and all its concerns, he had
peace. He made his. escape from tjie evEs of life to tho

psalm X.XXI. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 73
right quarter ; and I mark it as one of the chief notabEia
of Scripture, he made God the habitation to which he re-
sprted continuaEy. — Be Thou at aE times my refuge and
my hiding-place, 0 God — Horsley is' at a loss in regard
to this psalm, as not suiting David, because he had no
trouble ; and not stiiting Jesus Christ, who tad no old age.
I believe that David had- his troubles, though not ex
pressly recorded; but they maybe weE imagined, from
the very existence of Joab, w:hom he had stiE to endure,
and from the outbreaking of Adonijah, who had a power
ful party to ,go along with him. -Let us therefore not only
ascribe this composition but apply it to David, who here
celebrates the goodness of God to bim from his youth Up
— ^taking a retrospect of aE the hazards and vicissitudes
through which he liad passed, and his escape from ¦vvhich
made him a wonder to many. That there were stiE con
spiracies and plottings and calctUations upon his weak'-
ness in old age^ is too manifest.
12-24. — He turns from his enemies to God in -prayer,
confident that He would bring them to shame, and do
mercifuEy and righteously by himself — ^Ever blessed be
Thy namo, 0 God, that Thy righteousness is so bound up,
with- Thy salvation, that Thou canst at once be a just
God and a Sa-viour .... To " go in the strength of the Lord,"
and to "make mention .of- His righteousness, even of His
only," (another of the notabEia}) is to combine the work
of otir sanctification with" justification by faith alpne.
David had in many cpmppsitipns made declaraticn pf
God and His works ; a;nd he prays to be spared for fur
ther declarations — ^ript having, as it were, yet uttered aU
His mind  This and the next psalm are conceived by
Mason Good to have been his two last — To increase the
VOL. IIL o

74 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxxii.

greatness of Da-vid, may have been to increase that of his
house, by the triumphs of that kingdom over which, there
reigneth'Him who is both . Da-vid's Son and David's Lord
— ^e root and the offspring of Jesse.
Psalm lxxil 1-ll.^This noble composition bears an
undoubted reference both to Solomon and to Christ
The spirit of judgment was given abundantly to Solomon,
and the histoiy of his reign bears testimony to the right
eousness and wisdom of -his judicial sentences. But
the prophecy soon expands to the character and doings
of Him who is greater than Solomon  If verse 3 re
ceive the Eteral application, it may signify that the
strongly garrisoned mountains, and the~strictly adminis
tered justice on those- banditti wlio- lurked amongthe hEls,
would secure the protection and tranquEEty of Judea ; ^
the spiritual, it might describe the blessed state of the land
when the Messiah Himself ruled over it. The endurance
of this reign is statejd by such expressions ais can only have
their adequate fulfilment in Christ. — 0 may the Mving
water of which Thou spakest to the ,woman of Samaria
be poured upon me abtmdantly. The extent of the
kingdom, too, is a,ppEcable, in aE its. completeness, oidy
to the Sa-viour. It is true that Sqlomon received great
homage in his day from the potentates around him ; but
these offerings were only the typical samples ofth^t uni
versal lordship which Christ wiE exercise over aE .kings
and aE nations.
12-20. — This passage, .though applicable both to type
and antitype is far more ob'viously and prominently so
to the latter. The preciousness of the subjects' blood
in the sight of their :inonarch, seems to denote the favour

PSALM txxiir. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 75
which Christ bears to His martyrs, far more than the
tenderness of Solomon for the lives of his people. Again,
the prayer that should be made for him suits better with
the human and earthly monarch. But, on the other
hand, the productiveness of the corn here spoken of seems
to denote a great deal more than the fertility 'of Judea-^
even the rapid extension of the Church -from small be
ginnings, like the gro-wth of the mustard tree from its
minute, seed, or the working of leaven throughout the
mass where^with it is incorporated. And who can mistake
the application, as to any other than Christ, of what is
here said respecting>both the. nniversality and perpetuity
of tho kingdom deseribed by the prophet and in his eye ?
Surely it is He who is meant in whom the promise made
to Abraham-had itsfulfilmerit— ^even "that in His seed
aE the famEies of the earth should be blessed." It is only
ef Him we can say, that " the whole earth shall be filled
with His glory.". .. florsley imagines the last verse to
be referable not to the whole of David's, written prayers
collecti^vply, but to the prayers ,of this particular psalm,
as if he had said, " I have now uttered all the wishes of
my heart. Grant me but the petitions of this psalm, and
I am fuEy gratified."^
Psalm lxxhl 1-14. — God is good to the " Israelite in
deed, in whom there is no guEe," even to such as are of a
clean or sincere heart. But the psahnist, who is here not
David but Aaaph, was on the eve of slipping away from
this confidence; -and this because of the prosperity pf the
¦wicked  ¦Tie -psalm is conceiYed to have been ¦written
on the eve of Absalom's rebdlion, when the irreligious
party were in great force, and had become boastftd and

76 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxxiii.
violent, and ia the proud consciousness of strength. Were
emboldened to aE sorts of lordly and insolent oppression
— defying God in heaven, and walking lawlessly abroad
upon the earth. This was very staggering to Asaph and
to . all God's "people who were on the side of piety and
loyalty .-...Horsley translates verse 10 into — "Therefore
his people sit worbegone, and waters are abundantly -wrung
from them." Certain it is that their outward state was
in complete contrast with that of the prosperous ungodly,
who even denied the omniscience of the all-seeing God ;
and so they were tempted to" think that aE their, faithful-
ness'ito God, and all their freedom from the transgressions
of His law, were of no avail to them — so as alinost to join
the wicked in their infidelity, and to say -with thepi, "Is
there knewledge in the Most High ?"
15-28. — The psalmist here corrects his last -words, and
admits them to be such as if, unrecalled, might have the
effect of seducing, and proving a stumbling-block to the
children of God. ' It was a great perplexity to him
self lEl he explored the secret of God's deahngs -with
men, and looked at their consummation in the, latter end
of the wicked, who were nourished unto, the day of
slaughter — the day of reckoning and v^igeance for their
misdeeds. "What a contrast between their fair-show
prosperity, and the humiliation which they are brought
to at last ! But while the enigma was unresolved, he
had well-nigh slipped-^he had almost sunk into the mire
of ungodliness . And yet. all the while God .was with
him, even throughout the season of his doubts and mur
murs ; and he had brought him forth of these by the
light which He poured into his miiid— r^ that he could
liow say, even amid the decay of all his carnal securities,

PSALM Lxxiv. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 77
that, nevertheless, "God was the strength of his heart,
and portion for ever."" This last I would put among the
notabEia; and so also the precious 24th verse, where the
psalmist relies upon his God for g.uidance here, and glory
hereafter. — Let this prove my experience, 0 God. Let
me ever draw near unto TThee, and experience so as to
declare how good a thing it is to have mj' faith and
feEoWship.in God.
Psalm lxxiv. 1-11. — The occasion of this psalm is re
ferred, and -with probability, to the invasion of Shishak,
under the reign of Rehoboam. (2 Chron. xii. 9.) . . ..Asaph
is held to havfe been a descendant of the first Asaph,
having the' same name  " The rod of thine inheritance "
is cqnceived to have been a phrase grounded on the
Jewish custom of dividing the lots, whether of tribes or
famiEes, by measuring -with a rod, or even casting the
lot for the detennination of respective portions, done in
some way by means of a rod. We read of a divining rod.
The prayer is that God would -stir Himself, and draw
nigh to the scene of those -violences which had be^n
perpetrated everywhere under the hostile standard of
invaders, and which were stiE going on. They had
burnt up the places of worship, and were now proceeding
against the temple, which they partiaEy spoiled, and had
perhaps begiin to destroy, when arrested by the over
ruling power and providence of God. "What made them
niore helpless was that there was then- no seer amongst
them — as in the days (1 Sam. ul 1) when the word of
Godr was precious, or scarce, and there was rio open
¦vision. And so Asaph was thro-wri upon the resource of
a direct application to Ood in prayer.

78 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxxv.

12-23.— The psalmist recurs to -the ancient "doings of
God ori behalf of the now oppressed and sorely afflicted
Israel; and so he adverts to the miracles of deliverance
in^ Egypt and the^ wEdemess  Le^viathan and the dra
gons are understood to be Pharaoh and his, mighty men.
There is then a reference made to the stEl more ancient
work of Creation— where we meet ¦with the singularly
beautiful expression — "Thou hast set aE the borders of
the earth." Thus fortified in his assurance of God's
po,wer, he recurs to importunate soHcitation ,for . help
against the enemy. The repreaches and blasphemies of
the heathen, when ¦victorious over Israel, against Israel's
God, are frequently noticed in Scripture. He reminds
God of the covenant, and deprecates the transportation
of his countrymen into those idolatrous lands where aE
sorts of cruelty and suffering awaited them  " Return
ashamed," in verse 21,' is translated by Horsley, "sit
ashamed." It forms a good and right argument -with
Gpd, when the object for which suit is made is represent
ed to be His, and He is asked to plead His own cause..
Psalm lxxv.— ,^-taschith means ^to " destroy not". . .
Though the psalmist here is said to be Asaph, yet he per
sonates David, and probably on thp eve of his succeeding to
the monarchy of all Israel, when he transferred his govern
ment from Hebron to Jerusalem. He promises that when
he, receives the, power he wiE use it aright; and more
especially that he wEl restrain -wicked rulers He ac
knowledges God to be the all in all of his coming promo
tion; and renouncing all dependence pn the creature,
gives the glory of aE his prosperity and preferment to
Him who sitteth above, and to -whom aE the vicissitudes.

PSALM Lxxvi. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 79
of fortune among men ought to be referred. He was
sorely etercised at that time by the wickedness and
violence .of such men as Joab and others ; but in the
righteous vengeance pf the Judge on high, he prophesies
the destruction that, awaits them. So long as we apply
this composition to David we may conceive of " the earth"
in verse 3, that it is but the land or country of Judea ;
but let it be understood as a ,personatipn of the Messiah,
arid the earth should 'be ¦viewed in its most extensive
sense, as that to which the adininistration .of • the exalted
Redeemer is ftiEy commensurate, whose day of vengeance
on Hiseneiriies is drawing nigh — even, the day of the Son
of Mam
Psalm lxxvi. — This psalm seems as suitable to- the
destruction of the A.ssyrians in Hezekiah's tiine, as, to any
event during the reign of Davi.d. Asaph might have been
the usual family name of that musical race  Some con
ceive verse 4 to be an apostrophe to Mount Zion ; others
would- have it tp be the kingdom of Judah that is here
spoken of as more Elustrious than the kingdoms that pour
forth -their invaders upon, other territories than their o-wn.
I have, conoeived that a mountain of prey, the delight
of huntsmen in pursuit of game, would be greatly prized
by them, and might suggest an image expressive of the
value which. the psalmist felt, whether forMount Zion, or
the kingdom of which it was the emblemj or lastly, the
King who ruleth over aE.-^Give me to stand in awe of
Thee and of Thy judgments, O God. . Keep me from all
those sins for which the -wrath of G^d cometh on the
chEdren of disobedience, Let me fear Thee and not man.
Enable me to pay unto Thee my vows. Thou art to be

80 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS- psalm lx.xvii.
nad in reverence, 0 God ; nor should we stand in dread
of man, the excesses of Whose -wrath Thou canst control
Psalm lxxvil 1-12. — Some ascribe this psalm to the
time of the invasion under -Rehoboam, and others to the
Babylonish Captivity .... Jeduthun is thought by some
to be a proper name; others interpret the title as to
the Supreme on this Dispensation. It was evidently
written for a time of distress, whether by Asaph, an indi
vidual, or for the band of Asaph, and perhaps by-ohe of
their number — it being supposed that the -v:arious official
oands in the "Temple were designated by the names of their
first or chief leaders. At aE events, we have here the
wreathing utterance of one who felt God to be his only
nelp and refuge in the day of calamity; and who, when
overwhelmed, went to the Rock that was higher than he.
. . The " soul refusing to be comforted" is a notabEe. — Save
me, 0 God, from those sores of the spirit which might well
be called running sores, on which the soul broods and
dwells, and gives itself up to painful reveries, which pass
like streams through the inner man, made up of the waters
of bitterness But he lays an arrest upon himself, and re
calls this process. He recurs to seasons of former joyfiil-
ness, even in his own personal history, and, farther stiE,
to the past history of God's dealings with His people. He
rebukes himself for his despondency as he .thinks of these
things, and stays his confidence on the unchangeable God
— renienibering the years of the right hand of the Most
High, when He gloriously manifested His power on the
side of Israel. ''
13-20. — There is a momentous principle in the assertion
of "God's, way being in the sanctuary." •. It is this which

psalm lxxviii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 81

gives rise to all the diffixjulties that are felt here, audit is
this which wEl explain all hereafter. The whole proce
dure of God bears upon the designs of a great moral
admitiistration, and can only be understood by a reference
to the things of heaven and nOt of earth, or to things,
the purpose and final issue of which we still behold but
darkly. To our limited discernment, there is stEl much
to wonder at The strength of the Godhead is pg^lpable,
but there reiriains a deep enigma upon His counsels, and
-the policy of His government. By His power He hath
done great things, which are here enumerated— His
miracles of might in conducting Israel out of Egypt, of
which we are presented in this psalm With a magnifi-i
cent outHne. He is. here set before us as the Omnipo
tent, yet incomprehensible God, whose footsteps are not
kno-wn. How appEcable to the secrets of geology-^tp the
processes now going pn at the bpttom of the sea, and in
the deep places of the earth ! What a mystery is the in
terior of our globe ; and how impenetrable by us the pur
pose of those' successive revolutions whereof our earth has
been the theatre ! Yet what a manifestation ;Withal of
the Divine force and sovereignty in those great catas^^
trophes which terminate an old and usher in a neW era !
Mark, however, the subserviency of the physical to the
moral, and in this instance of the miracle^, .at the Red
Sea tp the histpiy pf the Church.
Psalm lxxviil 1-8. — This psalm" is generaEy regarded
tp have been prepared for one of the public and national
festivals, It may be called^ an historical psalm, ' being
diiefly a rehearsal of the 'perversities of rebellious Israel
-^SQ that it may be tenned a confessional psalm ; while,'

82 DAAY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm Lxxvin.
no doubt, the continued forbearance and goodness of God,
in the midst of such multipEed provocations, should have
enhanced the gratitude of the worshippers Though it be
caEM a parable, this does not necessarily imply either an
enigmatical or a fictitious composition^ — ^the appeEation
being extended to any grave or weighty piece of instructiom
. . . One likes to contemplate the secnrities which obtained
among the chEdren of Israel for an authentic tradition
from one age to another of their old histoiy. It was laid,
indeed, as a solemn duty upon them, that they should
hand down, from generation to generation, " what the Lord
had done for them;" so that parents were bound to in
form their chEdren in the historical, as weE as to instruct
them in the preceptive and doctrinal, parts of theiF reE-
gion. (See Deut vi 7; xl 19; JosL iv. 21, 22, &c.)— O
my God, let my heart be set aright, and my spirit be
steadfest -with God, This last expression I should rank
among the notabEia of Scriptura
9-18.— What is ascribed to Ephraim need not be.tmder-
stood as cowardice on any particular occasion ; but faith
lessness to their outset professions — more especially in
that they kept not the co-venant to which they had re
peatedly made themseives a party, as in the days of
JoshUa^and, doubtless, on mai^^ other solemn and pubEe
occasions .... The defections of Israel might weE be caEed
wonderful — ^phenomena in the mpral world almost as
marVeEous as were those miracles which, though fiesh in
their recoEeetion, utterly faEed in keeping them steadfast
¦with G;oi These, miracles are here enumerated, in the
face of whi(^ and after the brief interval of strong sensa
tion for a time, they sinned yet more against God, and
provoked, Him by liheir constant waywai-dnesa and per^

PSALM Lixvni. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 83
versrties. They teinpted God, tried His patience over
and over again, made as it were another experiment
upon it ; and, from the expression of " tempting Him
in their heart," it would seem as if they had made it a
thing of mental calciEation whether He would stiE bear
¦with them.
19-28.-^^But they did more than thus tempt God in
their hearts They spake openly with their mouths
against Him. — It was a truly marveEous audacity in the
midst of such miracles and ef such manifestations ; and
the psalmist seems quite aEve to its enormity. . No wonder
that the anger of heaven should have been kindled against
such daring chaEenges as they uttered in the face of those
manifold signs and wonders that had been exhibited be
fore them. — And let "Us, toO; feel the criminality of not
beEeving and not trusting. Let us take waming from
the results of the provocation in the ¦wEdemess, lest we
faE, too, after the same exainpleof unbeEef  The manna
is perhaps caEed "angels' food," on the "same principle
that rain is caEed the " river of God," coming, as it did,
from above, where^with we associate the locality of heaven.
There are various other interpretations given of it; but the
very expression of its being " the corn of heaven," seems
to ¦warrant the -view I have just now given of it. Could
it be that the psalmist's notion was the same -with that
which might- have obtained among the Jews in general,
as if this manna was literaEy the food of those who in
habited the upper r^ons, arid accordingly that . he set
forth this his notion in the composition now before us ?
Though it were -so, this would not shake my faith in the
plenary inspiration of this' psahn- — even as Paul's intro
duction of some of his own notions, when he spoke as a

S* DAmr SCBff!niKE readings. psalh Lxxnn.

dan, diak^ not my £dth in the 'plenary inspiration of
aiie episfle which contains iiiem,
29-39. — ^Before they were estranged from their lo^ or
before they had b^on -to nauseate, the flesh they -were
eating (See Num. xl20) — ^"He slew the fattest of them,"
or " slew them in the midst of th^ fetness^" — that is,
of their gluttonies. The dhstinaeyof their tmbeEef is
again adverted t«, and mark the idoitity, in veise 32, of
their siTiwing and not believiog ; On which, see also Heb.
iii The result was, that God, did consume them in the
-wfldeme^ where they had to rein,un forty years  It is
altogether worthy of ol^ervation, that whereas the distress
inflicted upon them by God did extort thdr cries and
their c<mfe^ons — ^whieh, so fer from being the outpour
ings of pure and gentune repentamee^ -were but the utter
ances of flattery and fear, thdr hearts not being right
with God, nor steadfast in adherence to Hiia upon His
terms; yet, even because of thar misery alon^ was the
compassion of Sod called forth in their favour. There is
herein a viiew of pity in its state of suaglfaoie^— not
mercy, or the psadon of sin because of repentance—but
pure commiseration for the wretch^dn^s of its objects.
Trae^ it is said to be foigiveness, because the fprbearabuce
of .due punishment; not, however; recondliation  We
see more nakedly in tiiis exhibition the amiable tender
ness of God
4(M:9. — ^The psalmist conlonu^ or ratber reiterates,
the narrative of the lebeEions of Israel  Hoi&lev, in
stead of " limited," jproposes " chsdlenged,'" in verse 41.
Each furnishes a suitable meaning ; for not only did they
ohaUenge. God, they distrusted Him, as they -would one

PSALM LXXVIII. DAILY SCpn'TUKE HEADINGS. ST
Whos^e power and inclination together were 'not large
enough for their deliverance from e-vil And aE this dis
trust arid disa-vowal of God were in the face of the many
signal evidences He had given of Himself, and which
must still have been fresh in their recollection. These
were stiE in their remembrarice, though they did not caE
them to remeinbrance ; and therefore it is said, that " they
remembered not His hand, nor the day of their deliver
ance." They must have recollected the facts, but did npt
turn them to the purpose of fortifying and preserving their
faith in God. These facts are here presented to us in
fuller detaE and enumeration than before, being the
plagues of Egypt  Horsley gives a good illustration, in
his notes, of verse 49, in that he regards it as descrip'-
iiVe of the ,terror and distraction and mental anguish into
which the Egyptians were -thro-wri- by these inflictions of
evE angels. -"Which angels, however, it might be remarked,
are not necessarEy the angelic spirits, but might denote
the material agencies which were the messengers and in
struments of the Divine -wrath.
60-64, — After finishing his description of Egypt's cala
mities and plagues,, he contrasts with these the favour and
protection and. guidance bestowed upon Israel, whose
Shepherd He was — tendirig them like a flock through the
wEderness . . . ." This mountain,"- in verse 54, might be the
land of Canaan, so called because of its alpine character.
(See DeutxxxiilS; EzeLxxxyiS.) And this land, as
being the Holy Land, might be denominated a sanctuary.
Or it may be Jerusalem, and even- Mount Zion or Mount
Moriah;, which was on a border -of the Israelitish posses
sion, even to the time of David, and from which the Jebu-
sites were cast out by him. It was the right hand, of

86 DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. psalm lxxtih.
God, and not an arm of flesh, that purchased or acquired
for the chEdren of Israel aE their conquests But soon
after their settlement in the promised land, did they fall
into their wonted relapses; they turned adrift and aside
from the -way in which God woiEd have them to walk ;
they moved God to anger with their idolatries, times and
ways -without number, tEl at length that sorest of all
inflictions came upon thfem, the captivity of the .Ark — (1
SanL iv.)^-when the priests Hophni and Phinehas were
slain, and the widow of the latter did not Eye to lament
him, btit, overborne by a sense of the pubEe, more per
haps than the private calamity, gave up the ghost .... The
Ark is in verse 61, termed " the strength and tiie glory
of the God of Israel"
65-72. — ^The Lord did awake, and interpose on behalf
of Israel, in that He caEed David from the sheep-folds to
be monarch in Israel ; but first of all on behalf of His
ark — ^the aik of His stl-ength— -by which he overthrew
Dagon, and scattered dismay among the Philistines  For
the explanation of verse 66 see 1 Sam. v. 6, 9 . . . . How
rapidly in these descriptions does the Psalmist go over
large stages of history — in keeping with the procedure of
Him who "knoWeth the end from the beginning," and
¦with whom " a thousand years are as one day." He con
cludes with the elevation of David to the throne, and with
the selection of Judah as the metropolitan tribe of Israel
. . .". The sanctuary " here spoken of may be referred to the
temple of Jerusalem, which, though not yet buEt, may
have been seen by David in prophetic vision — ^nay, was in
great part provided for by his care. No doubt the temple
has long been razled from its foundations ; but the great
spiritual temple, of ¦wliich it is the type,, is stable as the

PSALM Lxxx. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 87
earth; nay,- -wiE outlast -the present economy of things.
"What a noble conjunction of properties for a ruler in the
king'^of Israel — ^integrity of heart and skilfulness of hands!
Grant both, 0 Lord, to the men whom Thou mayest raise up
forthe prosperity of Thy kingdom and Thy cause in our day.
Psalm lxxix. — Mason Good refe!rs this psalm to the
reign of Rehoboam, and Horsley to that of Manasseh.
There is no symptpm throughout of a general captivity at
this time ; and Jerusalem had only been defiled, not 'de
molished. The IsraeEtes were stEl in the midst of their
old neighbours — ^the objects of their reproach and hostEe
triumph. It accords very weE -with the ascription of this
psalm to Rehoboam's reign, that whereas the psalm is a
deeply peniteiitial confession and prayer, we read that
the forces of the enemy were withdrawn, -because the
people had humbled themselves—perhaps joining publicly
in the service whicli this hymn set before them.-^Let Thy
mercies prevent us — ^let them come before; or anticipate
a destruction that wEl be also inevitable. It was a. fre
quent argument with the penitent Israelites-^that God
would pity them for the gloiy of His o-wn name; arid that
tire heathen might not speak reproachfuEy of Him or of
His cause  It is possible that the " sighing of the pri
soner " might refer to Manasseh, then in Babylon, and that
some of his fellow-captives may have been- appointed to
die. In whichever of the two reigns this psalm was com-
, posed, it would seem from the history that its prayer had
been answered.
Psalm lxxx.— This psalm is fastened, lyy various ,critics,
to -various periods of the Jewish history. If it be true

88 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS'. psalm Lxxxr.

that the ascription" to God of His dweEing between the
cnerubim is more aricient than what more commonly
obtained after that Zion had become His dwelEng-place,
this might favour the. notion of its having been written
in the reign- of David. Its title would imply that it was
intended as the memorial of a happy escape. It is an
extremely beautiful -composition. How fendearing the
title of the " Shepherd of Israel ! " and how descriptive of
Him who guided His people through the vrildemess like
a flock! (Psalm lxxviii 52.) 'What importunate plead
ings ! — Let me adopt them, and pray -that God would -turn,
and cause His face to shine upon me^ and save me; "What
a noble specimen of poetry in the figure here, so weE
sustained and amplified! What a misconception of John
son's — that' sacred subjects did not admit of poetical
embeEishment ; and how decisively met by that best of
all refutations, even Sisriptural example . . . ." The Man of
God's right hand," and "the Son of man," whom He had
made strong, may have been literally and primitively
David or some other conqueror ; iDut surely it admits of
emphatic application to Christ— 0 quicken me together
with Him, that henceforward I may caE, in the spirit of
adoption, upon Thy name.
Psalm lxxxi. — Though opinions are various as to the
date of this psalm, it seems generally agreed upon that it
was composed for the feast of trumpets.. It bears every
internal appearance of this — as being an ode of high
gratulation, and where the performaripe was aided by high
sounding instruments. The reference to a statute and
law, as the warrant of their- celebration, marks it to have
been done on one of tlieir appointed days  The language

*SALM Lxxxii. &AILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. 89
of Egyptwas not tmderstood, according to some, by the
'Israelites — according to 'others, by God, who speaks often
-of people as not knowing them— not recognising them as
His, looking on them as aliens, refusing to acknowledge
either their worship or their ways .... The " secret plade of
thunder" is understood to be MoUnt Sinai, where God held
•converse ¦with the people of Israel He tells them that if
they ¦wEl only hearken unto Him, He ¦wiE at aE times be
their oracle and their Guide — ^wEl favour them with His
eounsel and testimonies ; but they must not lapse - into
idolatry, pr gp after the false oracles, that will but deceive
and lead them astray . . . ." Open thy mouth wide, arid I
-¦wiE fiE it," is one of the most precious of our Scripture
notanda. — ^My God, let my faith be large as Thy faithful
ness What an impressive utterance from God, and hpw
demonstrative of His wish'for oyr pbedlence' arid safety —
"O.that my pecple had hearkened unto me, and Israel had
walked in my ways ! " There is to us a deep mysteriousness
in aE this ; but the desire ef God for our salvation,, and
right moral state, is here most obviously manifested ; and
-let us proceed on that which is obvious, not on that which
is obscure.
Psalm lxxxil — This psalm, though applicable to the
times of David, has been referred by Horsley to Jesus
Ohrist in the hands of His judges and persecutors  The
appeEation of " gods " to human officials has been most
weakly and unwarrantably pled by the Socinians against
the real Godhead of Christ  David had much to try and
exercise him in the wickedness of the magnates by whom
he was stirrounded, and under whom there was much of
violence, and anarchy in the Jewish commonwealth. And

90 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm Lxxxni.
to walk on in ¦wickedness is to walk on in darkness ;¦ and
nothing is more- fitted to disturb aE the relations of so
ciety than, iniquity in high places, or when iniquity is
clothed with the authority of office, and framed by a law.
Then, truly, aE the foundations of the earth,, or of the land
rather — aE the securities for social order or the stabEity
and weEbeingof the state, are out of course. — Then fol
lows a denunciation on these haughty oppressors, ¦with a
prayer to God that He Himself would take upon Him the
judgment, which He wiE do when He asserts His power
and supremacy over aE nations.
Psalm lxxxiil— If Assur here be the tribe of Asher,
which is not unEkely, from the rebdEous character of
that tribe, this psalm may have been composed by David
about the time of his ascending the throne of aE, Israel,
and when many confederates were cpposed to him. He
prays here for. protection against the'sa He ¦was beset
with ^e craft and force of a great multitude of enemies,
who are here enumerated as bent- on the destruction of
Israel,v,and the extirpation of its name from the earth.
Asher, on the confines of Tyre, may have entered into the
same combination ; in which, we have no doubt, that the
old and still subsisting enmity of the world to the Church
had a large share. Israel must not only have been a sin
gularity, but an offence and an eye-sore.-amongst the sur
rounding nations The psalmist prays that they might
waver, and be unsettled as a wheel, or Eght as stubble
which the ¦wind carrieth away .... The preservation of the
name and worship of the true God in the world is often
pled in argument and prayer for the protection of Israd
against the heathen, who beset them on every side.

P5ALMLXXXV. DAILY SORSePTURE READINGS. 91.
PsALM Lxxxiv. — ^What a preciously evangelical psalm
this is, full of savour arid substance, and ' in full unison
¦with the faith and spirit of an advanced Christianity !
We have here the lorigings of a gracious soul after God,
and its consequent deEght in every. sensible approach to
Hirii ; and so dear to the taste of such are His tabernacles
and holy services — ^suchis.his affection for the very IpcaE-
ties cf Gpd's house, that he may be said to regard with
envy the swaEow which buflds its nest near the altars.
His strength is in God, and. it is upheld and refreshed by
ordinances as from a pool; and thus does he meet with
cordials even in this vale of tears, so as to proceed from one
degree of strength -to another, tiE at length he appears
perfect before Grod. — ^Let me reiterate the heartfelt prayer
of the psalm. My God, look on. the face of the Messiah.
He is my shieldin whom I trust, and- on -whose righteous
ness alone it is that I ground' aE my topes and aE my re
joicing, before Thee. 0 let my delight be in Thy service,
and give me' a more intense Eking than heretofore for
social worship, and for the feEowships of the faithful 
And what a pure gospel essence in the petition here poured
out for grace and glory— grace here, and glojy hereafter
— ^grace as the step arid the preparative for glory. — Be
a Eght and a defence to me, 0 God, and thus at once
my sun and, my shield ; and 0 let me experience the.
truth of the promise given here to them who walk up-'
'rightly. Enable me ep to walk by ordering my steps in
Thy word; and give me the blessedness of him who trusts
in Thee, both for patdon and for the grace of obedience
to Thy will
FsAiH iiXxxT.^^— Another psalm replete with the flavour

9iJ DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm lxxxti.
of evangelism. It may have been Written for the return
bf the Jews from some of their "earlier captivities, but
would suit very weE the times of Ezra,' when God had on
a large scale brpught back the captivity of Jacob. • It is
full of application and of matter both for gratulation and
prayer to every returning sinner. — Turn me, 0 God, and
re^vdve me ; and hide not the light pf Thy countenance
front me any longer. I pray for Thy mercy and salvation,
0" God. And let me, when admitted to peace, be saved
from relapsing into wickedness or foEy ; so that whEe a
peace, which through Christ is at one with the righteous
ness of God, it may also be a peace which is not only at
one with but through the Spirit, productive of my own
personal righteousness Cause Thy salvation to be nigh
unto me — everi that salvation which harmonizes Thy
truth with Thy mercy. And 0 let truth be put into my
inward parts, that it may spring upward and take a just
and right hold of the righteousness ¦which looketh do-wn
from heaven — 'Verses 9 and 11 of the former, and verses
10 and 11 of the present psalm, are clearly among the
highest arid most memorable of the notanda in Scripture.
-¦;— 0 do Thou, the very God of peace, sanctify me whoEy.
Psalm lxxx-vI. — ^As in this psalm, so frequently, David
begins with prayer in terms of dejection, and rises in the
course of it to exultation and confidence. The petitions
are here alternated with pleas, grounded sometimes on
himself and sometimes on God:-^as first, that he is needy;
second, holy or devoted to God, whom, therefore, he asks
to preserve his soul ; then, that he trusts in God ; then,
that he is in the daily habit of prayer ; then, that he is
ever aspiring upwardly to God. The pleas which ie

f 8ALM Lxxxvii.. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 93
grounds ori the character of God are truly precious. -r-
Let me ,put verse 5 among the -highest of the notanda,
"and found an appropria;tion on the plenteousness of God's
mercy tp aE who caE upon -Him. Let my soul also mag
nify God in the -terms of this psalm ; and 0 may He unite
my heart, so as to fasten it singly upon Himself, and de
vote it wholly to His fear., "Verse 15, and first clause of
verse 17, should be also enroEed among the notanda —
"Shew me, O Lord, a token for good"— ^a. providential
token if Thou ¦wEt, but more especiaEy a gracious one — ¦
Thy Spirit, more particularly, as the earnest of my in
heritance. Pbalm Lxxlxvii.^^ — This was quite a psalm to evoke the
genius, of Horsley; and without attempting to estimate
his translations in detail, I am much pleased with his
general vifew. The psalm is a eulogy on Jerusalem, on
whose ioly mountains ih^ buildings of God were raised;
Glorious ¦fliings are spoken, and stiE more glorious pre
dicted, of the city of God. The Gentiles wEl come to
know that this Man — the man. or chief of ten thousand,
was bom there. It is this which sheds its highest glory
on Jeru"sal«n. This and that man, or evpry man, shall
say of Zion, " that the Messiah was born there." " And
He shall establish her" — ^this last prediction being yet
short of its final accomplishment  The most important
emendation . made by Horsley is on verse 6, where, for
the clause, " when he ¦writeth^ up the people," he substir
tutes in the " scriptures of the people ;" that is, in the
New Testament, or record of the universal faithj circula
ted among aE nations, shaE it be narrated, that Christ
was bom in Judea. Yet there is a considerable latitude

84 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm lxxxviii.
in all this interpretation : Christ was not bom in Jeru
salem — Horsley's treatment of this psalm reminds me
bf a similar treatment bestowed ^by him on the 18th
chapter of Isaiah.—- Let me, hoWever, cherish the reflec
tion, that all my springs are in Christ ; and out of His^
fulness, as from a fountain, let me draw aE that can ali
ment either my peace or holiness
PsiLM LXXXVIII. — Horsley designates this psalm "the
Lamentation of the Messiah," and Mason Good "the Com
plaint of Heman in prison dUring the rebeEion bf Absa
lom." It is throughout an utterance of deep suffering,
without one ray of hope to enliven it, excepting that the
caEing upon God,-, as the " God of my salvation," impEes
a hope not wholly extinct on the part of the ,suppEcant
— ^In the darkest passages of my mind or histoiy, let me
never lose hold of God as the God of my salvation....
"Free amongthe dead,", may mean separated, cast out
among the dead— as entirely removed from society as if
laid in the grave.... "Cut off' fi^m Thy hand"— from
Thy care; or it may-be by Thy hand. In the troublous
times of party and civE commption, thpse whe formerly
liked might now abominate us. Who knows how soon this
may be our own lot ! . . . The psalmist prays agairist death,
as weuld a prispuer in fe^r of execution, or as did our
Lord when He said—" If it be possible let this cup pass
from. me. ' 'And weE do the eoncluding verses apply to
Him in that sore and dreadful agony, when distracted
by the terrors of the violated law, and when the fierce
wrath of the Lawgiver went over Him; and aE enhanced
by the desertion of His friends, who hid themselves in
lurking-places, and so kept away' from Him, - -

PSALM Lxxxix. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 9j

Psalm lxxxix. 1-10, — ^This isa very noble^ composition,
whatever age may be assigned to it, and holds an ele
vated place in this coEection of sacred poetry. It opens
with the precious conjunction of God's mercy and God's
feithfulness.- Both are built up and: established in the
heavens for the everlasting security of those who were
sinners, but have been redeemed. And the idea of a
covenant,, too— that ¦word expressive of ^ those rights and
. securities which stand associated with a contract. between
true and just arid honourable parties>-^is here introduced
to our further confirmation. And it is weE when the
high ascriptions of the natural are mixed with those of
the evangeEd theology — God's wonders in the heavens,
even- the material heavens, forming an ingredient in the
anthem of praise, along ¦with Bis faithfulness in the con
gregation of the saints — His might, as Ruler of the na
tions, along ¦with His rightful property in the adorations
and obedience of the Church — the power of control He
has over the elements of nature, along with the reverence
in which. His name is, held in every assembly of the saints.
. . . He broke Rahab, or Egypt, in pieces, on that, ever
memorable occasion when He commanded the sea to give
way for the deliverance of His people.
11-18.— rThe psalmist, in a. strain of simple but sublime
eloquence, further dilates on the power and sovereignty of
God-— intermingEng the natural ¦with the moral attributes
— His might and majesty in creation ¦with His equity, and
clemency, and truth as the Governor of men. One Ekes
the freedom and ftdness wherewith Scripture expatiates
upon the wonders of the Divinity, both in His works and
¦ways— ^inore especiaEy when compared ¦with the narrow
and schdastic representations of those who confine theln-i

96 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS'. psaIm txxxix".
selves within the limits of an artificial and cabaEstic or
thodoxy. Yet ¦with aE the descriptions here given, on
the field of what may be termed natural Theism, there
is a very near and sensible approximation to ,the Theism
of the Gospel — and this not only ia the objective ¦view
given of the Deity, as set forth in the union of truth and
mercy, but in the subjeeti-ve, given of- His elect and
pecuEar people — ^as a people who know the joyful sound,
(John X. 4;) and who, beEeving in its glad announce
ments, walk La the Eght of God's reconcEed countenance,
with His righteousness as their plea, and His strength
as their support for the work and warfare of the new
obedience.' 19-29.—" Holy One" should, in the opinion of many, be
in the plural Thou didst reveal to Thy saints that Thou
hadst " laid help on One who is mighty." This was made
known to Samuel in reference to David; but obviously a
greater than David is here — even He who is not only the
offspring, but, the root of Jesse — ^the .Anointed One — •
the Messiah. God's faithfulness and mercy met with
Him in the work of our Redemption ; and who does not
see that the description expands greatfy beyond the
monarchy and duration of the literal David — in that not
only was His hand set in the sea, and His right Jiand in
the rivers, but in that His seed is to endure for ever,
and His throne as the days of heaven. There is nothing
incompatible with this in that He sent forth, cries and
suppEcations — ^which He did in those days of humiliation
which ushered in the glorious days of His exaltation and
everlasting triumph. God's mercy is kept for Him ever
more, in that He is the Dispenser thereof to His o^wn
people} whom He redeemed by His blood, and of whose

psalm lxxxix. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 97
grateful acknowledgments and songs He ¦wiE be the
theme throughout aE eternity — Give me, 0 Lord, to take
hold of that covenant which standeth for ever fast. I do
not sufficiently look at the way of salvation in the aspect
of a covenant.
30-37. — There seems ^to be a twofold instruction in
this passage We are told first of God's procedure with
the Jews nationally, who had often rebelled against Him,
and been punished .accordingly— -yet who, in spite of their
manifold prpvoeations, were net only pften recaEed when
their seascn pf penitence cr prayer came-rcund, but who
¦wEl at. length, after their present long dispersion and.
infideEty, be restored to their o^wn land, and the promises
made to David and his seed .wEl have their ample fulfil
ment But we are not only told in. .these verses of what
He did and' is doing to the nation of Israel historicaEy ;
we are. fiirther instructed in the methods of His discip
linary' administration individuaEy, ¦with His people of all
countries and all ,ages They. too, sin — -but not the sin
unto deatL They too have their spots — ^but stEl tliey are
the spots of God's children. They, too, at times break
the statutes, and fall away from the - commandments, and
are visited because of it with chastisements from the hand
of God ; yet they are not ca,st out of the covenant — if
indeed the chEdren of God by faith in Christ Jesus We
doubt not that when it is said— "I ¦wEl npt take my
mercy from Him," there is a referencP to Christ. , I
shaE not take my mercy from. Him — that is, from
'His real disciples-; for thereby I should be breaking my
covenant with Da,vid, or -with David's Son, to whom I
wiEnot lie. He vriE not cast off utterly His-erring chil-
dreri,- nor faE from the faithfidness of the promise— that
vol. III. E

98 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xc.
He will perfect ¦ the good work which He had begun in
their souls
38-52. — The psalmist now remonst/ates with God, and
complains of the degraded and oppressed condition of
Israel, not^withstanding of these magnificent predictions
arid promises. Mason Good fixes the date of this psalm
in the reign of Rehoboam, but Horsley at thfe death of
Josiah. Certain it is that Judea was often in the cir
cumstances set forth in this passage, when the cro^vn was
profaned, and the throne cast to the ground. Horsley
and others devise certain parts by different speakers, to
account for the sudden changes of subject and sentiment
which often take place among verSos that lie contiguous,
as in verse 47, where 'the supplicant is conceived to be
pleading with God ; and verse 48, which is understood to
be the reply given from above — after which the expostu
lation is resumed, and, among other arguments, it is alleged
that the servants of the Lord, and- more especially the
composer of the psalm hiniself, has to bear the reproach
of their powerftil and victorious enemies The Church is
often in similar circumstances, and may be held as the
true aiititype of this complaint^— trodden under foot by
powOr, and calumriiated by her ad^versarios ; yet a day of
final triumph will at length arrive ; and therefore may the
last verse of this glorious psalm weE be one of blessing
and gratulation.
Psalm xc-^There is a great M-cight of opinion on the
side c(f this being the earliest of the psalms, and the pro
duction of Moses on his being asked (Numb. x.>ri. 7) to
pray for the people when bitten with serpents. It is
thought that at this time, too, the life of man was short-

psalm xci. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 89
ened do^wn to seventy years, though there were a few ex
ceptions then that went greatly beyond this It is one of
the most memorable and most femiliar of our psalms.
How magnificent the outset description of God's eternity,
and"of the sovereignty in which He is throned. St. Peter
seems to allude to verse 4 in 2 Pet iii 8. How affecting
the rise and disappearance of man's puny generations,
although the destructions of a fatal plague seem to be
adverted to in this place, when <5od ¦visited the people in
His anger, and cut off thousands in Israel  Verse 12
ranks high amongst the notanda of sacred writ. The
psalm, though occasional, is also of general and enduring
application. — Let me reiterate its closing prayers. Satisfy
me, 0 God, with a -view of Thy mercy, with the accom
plishment of Thine own work upon me, and with such an
establishment of mine own work as to prove that - it has
been done in the Lord, and not done in vain. Let us not
think Eghtly of God's -wrath— (verse 11) — ^we cannot fear
it too much : it is truly as great or greater than we ap
prehend. Psalm xci.^Said by Mason Good to be a psahn of Moses,
and entituled by Horsley — " God's love to the Messiah," and
di-vided by him into parts. Amost precious composition.
. . . He that taketh refuge hideth himself in God — shall be
sheltered by Him from aE evil — Let me hide myself in
the pavEion of Thy residence tEl aE calamities be over
past God is my helper, and I wEl not fear what man
can do unto me. No external violence wEl come near
thee^ so' as to land in a final overthrow. The great lesson
is the sure kelp and protection by God of aE who trust m
Him. Satan tried to turn one of the expressions here, so

100 D-ULY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psAUt xcn.
as that our Saviour might be led, instead of trusting Grod,
to tempt Him. The calamities against which Grod stands
pledged to defend us are those which besot us, not those
which we ourselves rush upon — Give me, 0 Lord, to set
my love upon Thyself; and let me glory only in this —
that I understand and know God. Shew me Thy salva
tion. May I know the gift of Grod, or the things freely
given to me of God ; and then in the train of my confi
dence wiE come affection for my Father in heaven.
Psalm xcii. — These are very fine devotional verses
wherewith this psalm opens Let me not undervalue in
strumental music in Church, when I find that here it is
caEed in to give utterance and effect to such sentiments
as are breathed forth in this ode. Mark the contrast here
made between the works of God and His thoughts : His
works are great, patently so- even to sight, and brought
within-eur ken by the palpable revelations of astronomy.
But how deep withal are His thoughts — ^how inscrutable
to us is the poEcy of the Di-rine government, and how
profound the enigma which rests upon His -o-iiys, and
upon His end in the creation of aE things ! Men immured
— ^we might ^y imbruted — ^in the strongholds of souse
and matter, have no perception of this ; but in the final
development of things, when the destruction of sinners
comes to pass, it wEl be found how vain and ephemeral
their security is Ged vriE endirre for evermore, and His
purposes wiE aE be accomplished in the ruin of the wicked
and triumph of the righteous Note their flourishing in
verse 12 as counterpart to that of the wicked in verse 7.
Horsley makes the righteous here to be the righteous One^
— My God, let mine, if it be Thy blessed will, be a fruitftd

psalm xciv. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 101
old aga Let me flourish permanently, and for ever . . .
God's faithfulness, appears in the fulfilment of His pro
mises to the righteous. (Psalm x-viu. 25.)
Psalm xcin. — It is fortunate, amid the conflicting theo
ries in regard to the occasions of different psalms, that the
spirit and sentiment are so clear and applicable to the state
of the Church in all ages -Verse 1 is Eke Psalm xc-vi. 10.
Altogether, this is a most stirring and impressive compo
sition — ^a psalm of lofty adoration, and wherein the great
ness and the, sovereignty, and the high state of the Eternal
King are most powerfuEy set forth  The tumults of
the people, and strength of warring elements, are here
represented as under the absolute control and check of
Him whose j)Ower aind dominion are from everlasting.
What a noble description is here placed before us of the
Lord on high, and who " is mightier than the noise of
many waters!" Yet, -with aE the magnificence of. His
natural attributes here done homage to, the great moral
characteristics of the Di-vtnity are riot overlooked— ^His
,truth and His holiness.-^Wlule I rejoice, 0 Lord, in t^e
testimony of my acceptance through Christ, let me never
forget that the feEowship to which I am thereby admitted
is a sacred feEowship-— a feEowship -with a God who lov-
eth righteousness,, and hateth iniquity.
Psalm xciv. 1-11. — This, psalm is referred by Masoi
Good to the period of Absalom, but receives at the hand ?
of Horsley a spiritual and higher application. It seem 5
the prayer of a man beset by proud and powerful enemies.
. . . The sentiment of verse 1 is the same with that of Rom.
xii 19, in as far as the ascription to God is concerned ;

102 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xciv.
but the lesson given to man in the later Scripture is . of a
higher and more advanced cast of morality than we find
exemplified even by the inspired writers of the Old Tes
tament This complaint may have been directed either
against rebels, or against iniquitous judges, with both of
whom David was abundantly exercised. They had cast
off the /ear of God; and even denied His omniscience.
The argument that is. brought against this infidelity
of theirs, deserves a high place among the notanda of
Scripture — an argument grounded on the faculties of man's
percipient and intellectual nature, and concluding for the
like fatuities in the God who has thus ftimished and
endowed us. A powerful consideration truly, and on
which — reasoning from the superiority of the Creator to
the creature— we might infer that .God. not only knoweth
as man does, but knoweth the thoughts of man, that they ,
are vanity.
,12-23.-TTThe sentiinent of Heb. xii 6, &c., is here given
forth as in other places of Scripture. It is in seasons of
chastisement that righteousness seems as if forsaken by
God ; for these, too, may be seasons of triumph for the
wicked. But the just will at length be prepared for them,
and then judgment wEl return to the open manifestation
of itself as being ,on the side of the good, and' against the
evil God does not cast off utterly, which encourages tho
psalmist to ask who will rise up for- him against the
wicked, when he comforts himself in God, and proclaims
the support and consolation which He had vouchsafed to
him  Verses 18-20 are all three speciaEy noticeable ; and
19 , deserves to be enshrined among the highest of our
Bible, notanda. — My Godj at any time when like to slip, do
Thon hold me up ; and at aE times may Thy consolations

PSALM ACT. DAILY SGBIPTCHE READINGS. 103
delight my soul And forgive, O Lord, that multitude
of disquieting thoughts by which I so often vex myself
in vain. There is sin in such thoughts, as prompted by
and tending to those anxieties which are expressly for
bidden hj Him who t eEs us to "be careful for nothing.". . .
The expression of "' framing mischief by ^ law," is a truly
memorable one, and singularly appEcable to the conduct
of those persecuting governments that would either en
force the decisions of a tyrannical, or give forth their per
secuting edicts against the Eberties of an evangeEcal
Church. Psalm xcv. — Now foEows-a succession, of most savoury
and heart-inspiring psalms — ^fuE of thank^ving, and of
affectionate as weU as sublime and elevating piety —
mingling joy, because of God's goodness, with the lofti^;
ascriprions to Him of greatness and sovereignty. He is
both the Rock of Salvation and the Monarch of Hea-ven
and Earth. These appeals to His works confer a sanction
on our study of them ; and in the wonders both of geology
and astronomy, we should xecogaJBe the mighty power of
Him who sits enthroned in the midst of aE those glories
by which He is surrounded Let us behold Him in the
earth and sea, and aE the variety and magnificence of
Creation ; but let us not be satisfied with the theology of
external nature, and charge ourselves, moreover, -with the
obligations and lessons which are carried home by the
theology of conscience. . -Against these let us no longer
harden our hearts. " To-day let us hear His voice," and
commit ourselves both to His guidance as our Shepherd,
and His grace as our Sanctifier. — ^Do Thou both direct and
sustain us, 0 God. Eeed our souls, so that they may be

104 DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. psalm xcvii.
nourished into a maturity and a meetness for the everlast
ing fold in the Paradise above.
Psalm xcvl— The spirit of the last psalm is fully sus
tained, nay, elevated in this; We have direct,- and not
merely conjectural evidence for so many of these compo
sitions having been framed on . the occasion of great
solemnities and service-days. We find a great part of
this psalm in 1 Chron. x-vi.. 23-33, delivered by David into
'he hand of Asaph and his brethren on the day that the
Ark of the Lord's Covenant came out of the house of
Obed-edom. Some part of this psalm wiE be also found
in Psalm xxix. 1,-2  Verse 4 is a notandum. "What a
tribute to astronomy in that the Lord, is so- often done
homage to as having made the heavens ! Let the theology
of nature be blended with the theolc^y of conscience — a
full recognition of the strength and the glory which shine
palpably forth in the wonders' of Creation, with the .spiri
tual offerings of holy worship and holy service We are
called upon to be joyful because Gcd cpmeth in judg
ment It mil be a day pf terrer tP -the wicked, but of
triumph and establishment to the righteous — when the
new heaven and the new earth s'hall emerge from the
wrecks of an older economy. — -"On that day may we be
counted worthy to stand before the Son of Man. May we
lift up our heads because our -redemption draweth nigh.
On.this last day of the year,- may I be impressed with the
evanescenee of things present, and look onward to "the
city that hath foundations." January, 1846.
Psalm xcvil — This psalm, too,- is in a simEar strain
of high gratulation and praise. The earth is called en to

PSALM xcviii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 105
rejpice because the Lcrd reigneth ; and well it may, en
the day pf its enlargement and final emaneipatien frpm
evE, which seems tp be here set forth — a day pf judgment,
and SP alsp a day pf terror and destructicri-tp the enemies
of God a-nd goodness— a day when at His presence " the
elements shaE melt. -with fervent heat ;" but his- o-wn right
eousness and glory shaE be manifested in the sight of
aE people.- Then wiE the worldly, who serve idels in
Ip-ving the creature mere than the Creator, be confounded
and overthro-wn ; but then, too, will the righteous lift up
their heads' and rejoice because of God's judgments 
Verses 11 and-12 are both most savoury and precious
notanda.-T-Give me to experience, 0 Lord, those revela
tions which -foEow in tke train of obedience; and 0 that
I felt the charm and enjoyment of holiness, so as to give
thanks, in the reflection that with a holy God holiness is
an indispensable requisite -for our appearing in His pre
sence.' We should further, and be grateful because of this
essential attribute in the Gedhead ; for. it is in virtue ef
His holiness that eVE cannot dweE with Him, and that the
world '-wEl~ at length, be delivered, ' and this conclusively,
from the ¦wickedness and malice arid vile sensualities by
which it is now so disquieted and deformed. — Hasten this
consummation, ¦ 0 Lord... ,- The evolutipns pf prpphecy
seein te be thickening arpund \is ; and at the ccmmence-
ment pf 1846, it may be weE to notice, that interpreters,
though they may be wrong, ha-ve many of them fixed on
1847 as the era of a great crisis^ ¦
Psalm xcviil — A noble, spirit-stirring psalm. It may
have been written on the occasion of a great national
triumph at the time; but may, perhaps, afterwards be
e2

106 DAILY -SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm xcix.
taken up at the period of the great millennial restoration
of all things. The victory here celebrated may be in
prophetic vision, and that at Armageddon. Then -wEl
salvation and righteousness be openly manifested in the
sight of the hostEe nations. Israel will be exalted ; and
the -blessed conjunction of mercy and truth wiE gladden
and assure the hearts of all who at that time are Israel
ites indeed. Godliness wiE form the reigning character
istic of the whole earth  These appeals to nature in her
great departments— of the sea in its mighty amplitude,
and the earth with its floods and hiEs — ^form, not a war
rant, but a call on Christian -ministers to recognise God
more in their prayers and sermons as the God of Creation,
instead of restricting , themselves so exclusively to the
pecuEar, doctrines of Christianity. Do the one, and not
leave the other undone:
Psalm xcix, — ^^In Psalm xc-vii, because the Lord reigneth
the earth was bidden to rejoice ; but here, because " the
Lord reigneth" the people are bidden to tremble, and the
earth to be moved. And there are many who, on the day
of the establishment of God's kingdom in the world, wiE
be cast into the pit of destruction. But the subject of
this psalm seems to be more exclusively Jewish, as de
scribing God's place in the Temple and His supremacy in
Zion, whence, however, he nileth with a high hand over
all nations. Thrice is God's - holiness here spolcen of;
and thrice are we called, on account of it, to exalt and
hold Him in highest reverence. And though strong. He
is also just and, righteous in all His ways His is not a
strength put foith on arbitrary acts of mere pleasure. AE
His dealings and intercoiu-se with His people through

psalm c. DAILY SCHIPTDRB RE-iDING3. 107
their heads and representatives, were in perfect equity
and rightne^ — so that either He upheld them against
their enemies, and was the avenger of their -wrongs ; or if
they erred from His ways, although He forgave them, yet
did He chastise them for their waywardness and their
wanderings. — :0 may I never be cast off from Thy paternal
regards, even though I should offend and suffer because
of it
Psalm c.^ — ^This is one of our highest psalms, and per
haps the most frequently sung of any in our churches It
may have been also a great church psalm in Judea, and
sung at their festivalsL It is a psalm of high gratulation
and gladness — 0 may I catch its inspiration, and know
what it is to deUght myself greatly in God — ^not relin
quishing prayer, but rising often above it to the higher
platform of praise. What a warrant, not for music only,
but for joyful music in our sacred services ; and especiaEy
in these days of brighter revelation, when encouraged to
joy in God through Him by whom we have received the
AtoB«nent. There is a caE upon aE lands to join in this
celebration ; and on this week, set apart for prayer in be
half of Christianity at large, let our desires and our sym
pathies go abroad over the face pf the earth  What a
simple, yet stupendous truth, that " the Lord is God ! "
and what a weight in the sentiment, easEy uttered, but
never adequately felt, that " He made us, and not we our
selves." Horsley translates it — " He made us, and His are
we." — 0 that t felt as I ought the dependence and sub
mission which this impressive consideration should cany
along with it Elevate me, 0 God, to the faculty of bene
diction and praise ; and whEe I rejoice in Thy goodness.

108 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm on.
let my heart be also staid upon Thy truth — ^blessed at
tributes, in -the conjunction of which Ees the essence of
the Gospel salvation.
Psalm ci. — This, apart from the title, has the strongest
internal evidence of its being a psahn of Da-rid's — as his
resolution to promote the faithful of the land, and keep
the -wicked aloof from his presence ; and to punish all those
evE-doers who would disturb the city of -the Lord, which
is Jerusalem. - But though the composition of a king, and
speciaEy expressive of his purposes as, such, it breathes
the- spirit and sentiments which are proper to every indi
vidual servant of God. — Let me sing of mercy and judg
ment— that precious conjunction of perpetual recurrence
in the Psalms. Let me behave wisely, both to them who
are without, and more especiaEy to those of my own
household. And, 0 Lord, keep aE wickedness, and more
particulariy such as is fitted ,to tempt and to inflame,
away not from my eyes only, but from the thoughts and
imaginations of my heart. Erowardness is one of my
besetting sins ; by which I xukderstajid Jrom-ioardness —
gi-ving way to sudden impulses of anger, or quick concep
tion, and casting it forth in words or deeds of impetuous
violence. fsALM eiL 1-11. — Now foEows a succession of psalms,
the famiEars and favourites -of our churches, and replete
¦with the best and richest material for devotional exercises
. . . This psalm is conceived by Mason Good to have been
composed on the occasion of the hostEe edict which put a
stop for a time to the buEding of the second Temple,
after the return of the Jews fi-om the Babylonish Captivity ;

psalm cii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 109'
and appropriately counterpart to this, it is entitled by
Horsley — ^the Prayer and Lamentation of a Believer in the
time of the last antichristian persecution; The psalm it
self is in keeping with both of these hypotheses ; and on
the principle of type and antitype, both may be true.
The passage immediately before us is one of deep distress,
and of importunate prayer to God for enlargement from
it. "Who knows but that it may soon be the complaint and
utterance of the Christian Church,' as it may have been at
one time of the personified Jerusalem? The " lifting up"
arid the" " casting down" taEy well with the history in
Ezra ; and we, now lifted up because of popular support
and favour, may yet be cast down by irreligiori and infi
delity in power. — Prepare us, 0 Lord, for the whole of
Thy blessed wEl — merciful though mysterious God.
12-2^. — The" complainer now turris him to God, and
rises to the language of hope. There was ^enlargement
granted to" the Jews; and let us look for a similar en
largement. There is a set time in the counsels of God
for the. establishment and final triumph of the Gos
pel upon earth; but it looks as if it would be pre
ceded by the -oppression and distress of a suffering
Church. But let us take comfort in what is written
here — ^written, doubtless, foi- our admonition, on whom
the latter ends of the world have come. God wiE at
ISngtb release His prisoners ; and the -great victory of
truth and righteousness -wEl be achieved at Jerusalem
over the assembled hosts and powers of this world: The
cpmplaint, however, is again Tesumed; for ere the ulti
mate deliverance comes, the trial of the ChUrch will form
a stage in the process Its strength wEl be weakened in
the way, and its days of prosperity will be made to cease

110 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cm.
for a time. But amid these fluctuations and fraEties be-
I0W3 how cheering to think that we are in tho hands of
the everlasting, and ¦withal, wise and righteous and merci
ful God ! And oh, how precious to kno'w, from the appli
cation made by the Apostle in Heb. i, of these concluding
verses, that Christ is God, and that it is He who is here
spoken of — ^the same to-day, yesterday, and for ever.
By Him the heavens were created," and the foundations
of the world were laid. HewEl deliver and exalt His
Church. All the kingdoms of the earth shall perish.; and
this to make way for His own everlasting kingdom, when
power will be given to His saints, and they wiE be esta
blished for evemiore.
Psalm oiil 1-1 1: — A truly precious composition ; — and
enlarge mo, 0 God, into a fuE sympathy and participation
with aE its utterances I pray for my ascent into the
higher region of praise ; and that Thou, 0 God, mayest
be the object of my heart-benedictions, as well as of my.
supplications and requests Let me stir up all that is
within me — ^and so consecrate every faculty and feeling
to the exaltation of God. Thou hast laden me with in
numerable beneflts ; and enabled me to say with unfalter
ing faith<-^Thou hast forgiven all mine iniquities ! And
do Thou not only forgive, but heal, with spiritual health
in my soul How responsible I am for the ¦vigour . of rriy
old age ! .-. . There is a view taken here of God's goodness to
Israel ; and much is to be gathered from His forbearance
and favour to that wayward and stiffnecked people. Well
may it be said of Him on this re^view, that He is merciful
and gracious, and slow to anger, and easy to be entreated.
Tmly He dealt not with them nor with m6, according to

psalm civ. daily SGRIPTUEE READINGS. Ill
their sins So high is His mercy, even high as the heavens
above the earth— ^to them that return and repent in fear.
12-22.— ^My God, let my sins be as if cast, into the
bottom of the sea, or carried to a land that is not in
habited, and where no more, mention is made of them.
How endearing the representations here given of Thy
fatherly compassion ! Andhow fine the contrast between
the ephemeral fiaEty of man and the enduring mercy of
God ! AE that is in us is ftigitive and precarious ; but
that in God which there is to make up the defect of the
creature" is stable and everlasting, and firmly to be de
pended om^-Give me, 0 Lord, to keep Thy covenant and
do Thy commandments Whait a noble representation of
the Divine sovereignty — " His kingdoni ruleth over aE ! "
— ^not the seat of His authority, but the authority itself:
Thy kingly power ruleth over all — Let me be elevated as
I should by the 'magnificent closing summons to the higher
orders of being, and the creation in general' Give me to
feel the, intimacy of my own personal dependence on God
for aE that relates to myseE;-but give me at the same
time to expand in the contemplation of afl that the Al
mighty hath created Surely there is nothing created by
Him unworthy of my regard
Psalm ctv, 1-9. — This psahn begins as the former, but
on a different subject — ^the last being addressed to God,
as sitting on the throne of grace ; the present to God, as
sitting on the throne of nature and of creation ; — and never
have the works of God, and His sovereignty over them,
been so magnificaitly set forth. ,The glory of the Divi
nity is in this made more palpable, through the medium
of the senses— whereas in the fonner, it is beheld by the

lia daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm err.
eye of faitL God in Himself is clothed with honour and
majesty; but His ' covering with Eght," in verse 2, seems
the fii-st forth-putting of His creative power, as in Genesis,
when He said — " Let there be Kght. and there was Eght,"
It probably means His first investiture of the field of
creation with Eght The psalmist contemplates nature
as it appears to the eye, and so figures the sky to be a
canopy, and the dome of the heavens to be resting around
the horizon on pillars or beams placed in the waters of a
great circumambient sea. And then how august the re
presentation of the clouds being the chariot of God, and
of His ¦walking '¦ on the ¦wings of the "wind I" As he in
this passage is describing the material framework, there
is not probably any aEusion here to angels or spirits ; and
CampbeE's translation seems the sound one — "who maketh
the winds His messengers, and the flaming fire His ser
vant.". . . There is ob^viously here a description of the flood,
and of its retirement from the face of the earth — ^when at
the bidding of the Lord -the waters from up the moun
tains, and down along the vaEeys, found their way to the
place He had assigned for them.
10-2o.^Then foEows a descriptive sketch of the worid
now emerged from the flood, and its inhabitants Though
it were but a Flemish picture, yet. as being a just and
true representation of nature, tliough it be more than
this, it cotdd not fiiE to be beautiful— as when it is said,
that by the sides of the rivers which run down the -vaEeys,
the fowls of heaven sing among the branches of the trees
which skirt their banks The water is here conceived to
come down from the chambers of the sky, which now dis
poses me to think that the " chambers" of verse 3 may be
figured to have had their beams laid in the -ft'ateis above

psalm civ. DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. 113
the firmament, and not under it (Gen. i 7.) . . . The jirees
of the Lord, may be so named from their size and stature
— this name being used as a superlative in the Hebrew,
or to denote, aught which is great and extraordinary.
-It is a fine conclusion or climax to this description, after
ha-ving set forth the vegetable creation, and its subser
vience to the animals whose habits are here pourtrayed,
to finish off -with man going'forth to his labour through
the day, and returning in the evening to his rest.
24r35. — ^The manifold works, aE made in wisdom, attest
what the Apostle (Eph. Ei 10) caEs the manifold -wisdom
of God. These contemplations of nature by an inspired
writer, should expand our theology, and lead us tp conteiri-
plate God in the wonders and works of Creation, as weE as
in the ecoriomy of grace. — Let us participate more in this
relish of the psalmist for the beauties and characteristics
of the grand -visible panorama around us, consisting of
the earth in the fulness of its riches, and of the sea, en
livened by shipping, and peopled with a zoology of its
own. How stately a representation is here given of the
universal dependence throughout the universe on the
universal Parent arid sustainer of aE its generations and
tribes ; and how weE to look upward, from the glorious
spectacle before our eyes, to Him who made all, and who
upholds aE ! — -Give us to recognise Thee, 0 Lord, in all
the vicissitudes which take place Ori the surface of our
globe — 'in the succession of the seasons, and in -the disap
pearance as weE as renewal of one generatien after an-
ether. Why shptdd the Gpd, fit)m whpse wOndtpus mind
there have emanated aE the greatness and variety of this
vast. arid voluminous world — why shQuld He be a weari
ness unto us, pr as a larid not inhabited ? Let us no longer

114 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cv.
think pf Him as a shadp-vyy abstracticn ; but viewing Him
in His wprks, let Pur meditatien pf Gpd be sweet ; and let
us ever dwell with ftdl interest upon Him, who wiE at
length banish all that pffendeth frpm His empire xtf truth
and Ipve .and rightepusness.
Psalm cv, 1-4. — The twp foEowing are historical psalms,
and are conceived by Mason Good to have been prepared
after the Babylonish Captivity, and re-establishment of the
Jews in their own.land. The opening verses of this;psalm,
do-wn to verse 15, are chiefly taken from JDavid's hymn in
1 Chron. xvi ; and we can also notice resemblances to
Psalm lxxviii , The commencement .is most savoury and
precious, and very often sung in our churchPs. Through
out it may be regarded as an ode of high gratulation and
. thanksgiving. And, what a memorable notandum have
we in verse 3 — " Let the heart of them rejoice that seek
the Lord!"' Even before finding Him, and when yet
only setting out in search of Gpd, are we called to enter
upon the task with confidence and gladness. And why
not? — when we have the blesse,d assurance that he who
seeketh findeth. — Let me then address myself With joy
to the work, seeking till I find — nay, seek His face ever
more, as if for brighter and brighter manifestations of
His reconciled countenance. There are many who say,-
who, will show us any good ? but Lord do Thou lift the
light of Thy , countenance upon me ; and give me to lay
bold of Thy strength, that Thou mayest make peace with
me — even the, strength of Thy salvation.
5-15. — The retrospect of God's dealings -with Israel
begins after the preliminary invocation j and it is confir
matory as -well^^s interesting to mark the accordancies

psalm cv. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 115
between this poetical celebration- of the great events in
the history of the peculiar people and the direct narrative
The word which He commanded, or which He ordained,
should take effect throughout a thousand generations.
" Even to the tenth generation" is looked upon as equiva
lent to for ever; and so this last clause in verse 8 may
well be regarded as a counterpart repetition of the' first
clause, in which He declares His covenant to be everlast-
'ing. The recital. or rehearsal here given, in, very brief and
general outline, of their national annals, begins with the
promise made to Abiraham — a promise which stiE waits
its ultimate fulfilment — even that the land of Canaan
should be their enduring and undisturbed inheritance.
Their histoiy in patriarchal times is here briefly but
graphicaEy rendered. The protection of Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, amid the potentates around them, is amply
told in Genesis.. , ^ . . ,
1 6-37.— This passage begins with the occasion of Israel's
journey to Egypt^the famine which spread 'from that
country into other lands. It is strongly expressive of the
Providence which overruled this histoiy, that Joseph is
here spoken of as having been sent before the famine %as
¦brought on, and sent by God. His -word came to pass
¦ — that is, his interpretation of the dreams of the butler
and baker was fulfiEed ; and then he was made tyial of
for ilie interpretation of Pharaoh's dream sent by God,
and ,so caEed the word pf God. The counsel of Joseph
influenced and instructpd all the other counsellors of
Egypt — whEe the power which he received authorized
him with full command over aE the dignitaries whp were
berieath PharaOh., After this came dewn his father and
family ; and here have we the distinct, information of

116 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cV.
Egypt — and sp Africa, wherepf Egypt was the key, being
the land pf Ham. Then foEpws a brief netice cf the spre
pppressipns which the IsraeEtes underwent in their land
pf bpndage— after which fpEpw the accpunt of Moses and
Aaron being sent for their deliverance, and a rehearsal of
the memorable plagues, after which they came forth, en
riched with the spoE-of the inhabitants of the land, among
whom, they had acquired great corisideration and even
favour, they being regarded as a people in whose behalf
the God of heaven had, obviously manifested His power.
One of the greatest miracles' attendant on this- great
translation out of Egypt, and which dofes not seem to have
been recorded in the, direct narrative, is, that there was
not orie feeble person in the whole of;this mighty' host.
One gathers much of what is additional and supplemen
tary by comparing Scripture with Scripture.
38-45. — The personification of a country affects one as
poetical and subEme — as here,_where Egypt is said to be
glad at the departure of the Isradites. The psalm con
cludes with a very cursory sketch of their transition to,
and settlement in, the land of Canaan. ' There is notice
taken of their mEaculous guidance by day and by night ;
and omitting altogether the passage of the Red Sea, there
is notice taken of the miracles in the wEdemess All
these are spoken of as fulfilments of the promise and the
covenant, from -which the psalmist, set out at the com
mencement of this his historical sketch. The point to
which it is brought here is that of grateful acknowledg
ment to God for His faithfulness' and goodness to Israel.
At the same time, the whole of this rehearsal is brought
to bear upon .the "people, in the form of argument and
moral suasion for their obedience to the statutes and laws

fsALM cvi. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 117
of the God of Israel. The -history is not carried farther
down than to Israel's possession of the promised land.
The whole, periiaps, would have been too unwieldy for one
service ; and so we iave another psalm, both to extend
the history, rand supply the omissions of the present one.
Psalm cvl 1-5. — This, too, is an historical psalm, and
of Avhich Horsley, in agreementywith Mason Good, thinks
that it was -written after the Babylonish Capti-vity. Be
fore entering on the recital there is a devotional opening,
a caE to the worship of God, and prayer to Him for His
countenance and ,blessing. These verses at the com-
mencemerit are among the most famEiar, and -most fre
quently sung of any in the whole compass of our Church
psalmody. Let us, on whom the latter ends of the world
have come, testify to the endurance of God's mercy. — ¦
Raise me, 0 God, to, the high spiritual platform of praise,
yet -without relinquishing prayer. , Enable me to join the
power of celebrating Thy perfections and Thy ways, with
the habit of supplicating Thy clemency. ' Remember me,
0 Lord, with that love which Thou bearest to Thine o-wn,
and give me to see the gpod of Thy chosen. More espe-
,cially, do Thou, visit me with-'.Thy Spirit, .whose fruit is in
all righteousness, and goodness, and truth; and then shall
I indeed know that I have part in the election pf Gpd.
6-14.— T-'The rehearsal pf Israels ,sins and -rebellions
commences from this verse — with a confession of them
selves as sinners- as well as their fathers, tp whpm their
attention is carried back, arid of whose various perversities
and acts of disobedience they make the enumeration.
The provocation at the Red Sea was committed before
they crossed it ; 'and. when they murmured against Moses

118 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cvi.
because he had brought them into a position where the
hosts of Egypt were like to overwhelm them. They in
deed evinced the • grossest want of understanding and
memory, in not adverting to the miracles so recently
wrought in their favour, and which, for the purpose of
awakening in them either gratitude or confidence, seemed
so wholly thro^wn away upon them. Truly it was for His
own name's sake, and not for any gppdness in them, that
He did SP miich for the Israelites It is true that their
momentary trust was again > re^vived, after He had con
ducted them over the, cloven waters, and brought them
out safe from the enemies whom He destroyed. Then it
is said they believed and they praised Him — joining, we
have no doubt, with aE their hearts, in the songs both of
Moses and Miriam. But how evariescent were these
emotions ; and how soon did they forget His works —
Neither did they wait the e^volution pf His designs : they
confided not in the general assurance that God would not
leave them to perish, but constantly anticipated, by their
own murmurings. His methods of relief and delivery.-
They teinpted God — they desired an experiment or trial
of His power ; and by the doubts mixed up with this de
sire, they held both Sis faithfulness and His abiEty to
be things uncertain or problematical.
15-33.- The "leanness" is rendered "loathing" by
Bishop Horsley — which accords with the literal state of
the case ; but I think leanness, as applied to the soul, is
exceedingly descriptive of its spiritual barrenness and
emptiness of aught like Divine tastes Or enjoyments. The
chief of these other palpable transgressions are here enu
merated — as the striking- rebellion, with its a"wful conse
quent judgment executed on the foEowers of Dathan and

DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 119

Al^ram ; and their worship of the golden calf, traced to
what appears in our eyes their strange forgetfulness of
all the miraculous salvations which God had wrought for
them. Moses, acting as their mediator with God, is a type
of Christ, who stands before God in the breach, to turn
away His wrath, lest He should destroy us. — Save us from
the infideEty of the IsraeEtes — so that we look not on hea
ven as a -vision, but proceeding on it as a great reaEty, may
we venture aE, and sacrifice aE for a blissful eternity.
For the particulars of their defection and punishment at
Baal-peor see Numb. xxv. ; and also the remarkahle dis
tinction conferred on Phinehas — ^the righteousness that
was counted to Him — ^the everlasting priesthood that was
conferred on him  There seems a chronological retro
gression in foEowing up with the incidents which took
place at the waters of strife.
34-48.— The psahn now passes on to his statement of
the conduct of the IsraeEtes after the settlementof Canaan.
They were mingled among the heathen, and were cor
rupted by them, partly in -virtue of their own disobedience
to the order of a ftdl exterinination, and partly as a judg
ment from God, and for a trial, or the purposes of disci
pline. And they were tried and found wanting ; and so
the great bulk of their history is made up of provocations
on the orie hand, and punishments on the other .... This
psalm may weE have been as late as is commonly ima
gined—that is, after their return from the Babylonish
Captivity^ for aE the , previous natipnal rebeEions may
be included in the expression that " mariy times did He
deEver,"-but th^ again provoked Him. And, besides, the
Babylonish Captivity is' the only orie of which we can dis
tinctly say — that Godjnade.them to be pitied of those who

120 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cyii.
had carried them away. The gathering back into Judea
was not completed, but in progress only ; or at least there
were many, stEl among the heathen, respecting whom the
prayer of verse 47 could be lifted up, even so late as the
time of Nehemiah;
Psalm cVil-1-7. — This is a psalm of great poetical and
literary merit — ^a celebration of God's providence as ex
emplified both in the guidance' arid guardianship of His
people as a nation, and in various states of private life.
It begins with the acknowledgments and invocations of
gratitude to the Father of all ; and a few opening verses
seem to fix its occasion and date to the period of the re
turn from Babylon. He had then redeemed Israel from
the hand of their enemy, and gathered these poor chEd
ren of a wide dispersion from aE quarters. Their wan
dering and friendless state when, in captivity, is here
feelingly represented— many of them far from the abodes
of men, glad to flee and hide themselves from their cruel
mockers and persecutors ; and often overtaken^ in the
pathless deserts of the country to which they had been
carried, by hunger and thirst in aE their extremity, 'it
would look as if their sufferings had increlased upon them
by a process of aggravation, which at length reduced them
to ' cry unto the Lord in their uttermost helplessness, and
He responded .to the voice of their supplication. He
turned the hearts of kings to favour them ;, and by them,
as the instruments of His goodness. He led them to Ju
dea, and to Jerusalem its metropolis — ^their own city, for
a city of habitation. He conducted them by the right
way, not only directing, but by His Providence watch
ing over them.

f SALM cvii; DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 121-
8-22 -^The verse of invocation to praise and grateful
acknowledgment, and which comes in at intervals as a
sort of chorus or interlude, seems not so much the preface
of its succeeding as the coriolu^n of its foregoing passage.
The first of the two passages under oUr present considera
tion is fuEy as applicable to the ease of the Jews wh>en in
Babylon, as the former or preceding passage was to their
case when in the act of returning from Babylon. There
they were captives bound in affliction and iron, because
of their rebellion against God, and their contempt of His
counsel There, too, they longed after Jerusalem, (Psalm
cxxxvii) and at lengtjh were satisfied. For when their
hearts were brought down with hard labour they " cried
unto the Lord, and He heard them ;" and the gratulation
of verse 15 is caEed torih because He cut asunder those
fears and bands which are adverted to in verse 14. The
iiexti passage does not staiiid pecuEariy related to the Jews
in Babylon, but to a common experieiice among men of
taose visitations, in the form bf disease, which they bring
upon themselves by a Efe, it may be, of sinful indulgence.
l^nese, too, when reduced, as the captives of the former
passage were, to their pray^s, experience the compassions
bf oi.u: Almighty Father, and obtain at His hands' a heal-
in* deEveranco, the ackriowledgmtot for which is ^ven
itt verses 21 and 22.
23-32. — Then foEows another Variety of human experi-
6nco, here Tendered with great force arid fidelity of de
scription : the case of mariners who " go down to the sea
in ships, arid behold the Woflders of the L'Ord in the great
deep." These, too, are Often brought into extremity, and
reduced to the felt rieotefity Of crying urito Him who
alone can Still the tumults of the sea, for deliverance from a
VOL. irr. F

122 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm pvii.
storm, even as He can still the tumults of the people when
cried unto for deliverance from the fierceness and the power
of enemies The despair of the saEors, and their reeling
taand fro in the sorely vexed and agitated vessel, are very
graphically set forth ; and only equalled by the gentleness
and beauty of those sentences which record the- peaceful
termination of their dangers — when, after ciying unto the
Lord, He brings them out of their- distresses, and brings
them into their desired haven, making the storm a calm,
and causing the waves to be stEl, so that the affrighted
.seamen are glad because they are quiet
33-43. — What remains is of a more misceEaneous'cha-
racter, presenting us with-,additional instances in detail
pf vicissitudes in the let and circumstances of men,
and connecjiing these with the moral administration of
Him who is the maker and governor of aE. It is because
of the wickedness of them who dweE ^ tbei-eui tha,t He
turns the fraitful land, into barrenness Emigrant settlers
in that nomadic age, on the other hand, hungry and
destitute, though they be, yet if they turn and please God,
will have the wEderness turned into a fertEe region, where
thpy might sow and plant, and buEd cities, and become
wealthy and flourishing. But they are not secure from
vicissitudes,- for again may they be brought low, through
the vice and violence of their rulers ; who, in their turn,
however, may be cast down from their proud elevation,
while. the victims of their .tyranny are not only delivered
but advanced, to prosperity, and- honour — ;Let us make
a study of these -vicissitudes, and we shaE learn what
the way and the designs of Pro-vidence really are — ^that
the regards of Him who sitteth on high rest upon the
good — that He loveth and pattonizeth righteousness —

PSALM cix. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 123
that He hateth and wEl inflict its merited doom upon
aE iniquity.
Psalm cviii. — ^This psalm is a compilatipn frpm two
former ones, of Ivii. 7-11 and lx. 5-12. It is the effusjon
of a wariior who had ^^<i experience of adversities. God
had cast him off at times — (verse 11) — but stEl he had
not lost confidence, for still his hope is in God. Through
Him it is his assured expectation that he shaE do valiantly
— ^that he shaE tread down his enemies. But though this
primarEy be the .psalm of a monarch and a commander,
there is much in it that is signally applicable to all God's
servants. The praise- might be fully concurred in by all ;
and more, especiaEy in celebrating that blessed conjunc
tion of truth and mercy, which is the great principle of
the Divine economy, and foundation of all our hopes.
-And ours,' too, is a warfare in which .we, have many ene
mies, and for success in which we h3,ve to cast ourselves
on, Him'Tvho is the "Lord our strength, the Captain of
our salvation," and our great refuge and deliverer from
the troubles of life. — Let us not trust in an arm of flesh.
Let us not trust in man, but in God- I may, perhaps,
even now bp entering -on a painful collision with, my fel
lows.. Let me neither fail in^duty to them, nor in depena-
enceon Thee, 0 God.
Psalm cix. 1-8. — Mason, Good cpnceives this psalm to
have been prompted by the treacheiy of Ahithophel;
whEe Horsley entitles it— Messiah's Prephetic Maledic
tion of the Jewish Nation — a, prpphecy, and not a prayer,
though delivered in the form of complaint and impreca
tion; but reaEy having nothing in it more offensive than

124 Daily SCtlPtURE EEa6iNCS. psalm cix.
the prophetic curses of the patriarchs. For aught I can
see, though Horsley's Lypothesis might be sound, yet
Good's may be a true one ; in which case I would say, as
before, that if la^wful to war forl^he destruction of enemies,
it should be as lawful to Wish for, and why not as lawful
to pray for it ? But if there be aught in the progressive-
ness, which I have often had occasion to remark as being
one of the properties or characters of God's moral admirii-
stration, aE such ¦wishes are proscribed by Christianity^
even that Christianity -which ¦wiE at length put an end
to aE wars. For the Bishop's theory, it may weE and
forcibly be said that the opening verses are striking de
scriptions of our Saviour's enemies, even those enemies for
whom He prayed, and more especiaEy of Judas, at whose
hand Satan stood when he instigated him to betray J^us
-But more than, this, Peter, in Acts i, expressly refers to
Judas the prophecy or prayer here uttered, that another
shotdd take his office, or charge, or bishopric-^-HeTrHr/eoTrj/,
. both in the Septuagint version and Greek New Testament.
' — My God, save me from the awful judgment of my prayer
becoming sin. ' - "
9-20.- — There are prayers here which wEl not admit of
the explanation or -vindication that I have already given
' — ^that is, if it be la-wful to war for the destruction of
enemies, why may it not be la-wful both to -wish' and tO
pray for it ? But there is more here than the destruction
of enemies that is prayed for, and that -is, the ¦wretched
ness and poverty of their chEdreri ; unless, indeed, it shaE
be pled, that the posterity of defeated "and destroyed war
riors inherit their quarrels, and are actuated by their
¦spirit of revenge. Yet, On the whole, I do not feel in
'dependent of the hypothesis, thai these .prayers are the

PSALM CIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. 129
predictions of inspired men, speaking not of themselvos,
but as moved by the Holy Ghost, They read better as de
nunciations than as prayers ; and I must confess a certain
revolt from siich Sentences, -if considered to be petitions,
as — " Neither let there b^ any to favour his fatherless
children." Viewed as denunciations,, they strongly indi
cate God's corporate dealing, with races and farijEies — th^
punishment of fathers extending to children, and men
suffering for the sin of their ancestors — -the iniquity of
their fathers being h'eld by God in continual remembrance,
and the sin of their motherg not blotted out. February, 1846;
21-31. — ^Let mp at least pray that none may speak evE
against my soul. Thou knowest, 0 God, how- poor and
needy I am, and what it is" that wounds my heart. Dc"
liver me, 0' God ; save me from morbid anxieties ; and
enable me. to walk wisely and warily, Let "not the re
proaches of my adversaries come upon me : neither let
there be a shaking of the head on the part of those
who would triumph in my faE I need, 0 God, to-be
importunate ia my, reiterations for help, and -guidance
^nd extrication. Let it be .made manifest that Thou
favourest me, 0 God. Rich in Thy blessiriig^ let me re
joice, even in the midst of cruel mockeries and' maledic
tions on every side of me. Cause me to praise Thee, 0
God. With this manifestation I so much desire of Thy
self as the living God, instead of viewing Thee, as here
tofore, ^s but an abstraction, or a principle, or a name:
with tbis entertainment of Thee as a person, rather than
a principle, help me to praise as well as pray. Be at
T&J rjghi haoid, Q God, to save me from the accuser of

12B DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm ex.
the brethren, and from aE whom he would instigate to
condemn my soul.
Psalm ex. — This is a traly noble psalm, notwithstand
ing its obsfiurities. " The application to the Messiah is
clear and undoubted. (See Mark xii 36, and Heb. v. 6,
vii 1 7.) The exaltation of Christ and triumph over His
enemies form the themes of" this lofty composition  By
"the rod of His strength," we understand the sceptre of
His power, wherewith He subdues and gains the mastery
over all who are opposed to Him. — In the day of Thy
power, 0 God, may I " be made willing," even through
the power of Christ resting upon me — ^that regenerative
power which wEl extend to a host' whom no man can
number — so as to make the progeny of the Redeemer
more numerous than dew-drops, these chEdren of the
morning. Give me, 0 Lord, the beauty of lioliness ; and
forgive my "wretched deviations therefrom in the times
that are past, so that no, more mention shaE be made of
them. Thine, 0 Saviour, is an everlasting Priesthood.
From the place whereunto Thou art exalted do Thou
look down upon me, and "see of the travail -ef Thy
soul and be satisfied." The day is yet coming when the
little stone shall wax into a great mountain and occupy
the whole earth — when the kings of the earth ShaE be
overthro^wn, and their kingdems beccme the kingdems
pf the . Messiah  Is it death that is signified by His
"drinkirig pf the brook in the way?" — ^that river of
separation Which flowed between us and God. Is it
His drinking of the cup which His Father put into His
hands that is here meant ? and was it therefore that His
head was lifted up ? It was because He underwent the

PSALM cxii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 127
death of the cross that God highly exalted Him, (Phil
ii 8, 9.)
PsAXM cxL — We are now in the midst of very precious
psalms. — Give me, 0 Lord, in the spirit of the admirable
one before me, to praise Thee -with my whole heart. Lift
me, 0 God, to a faculty for this high exercise. And 0
that I had more of social religion, more of feEowship with
others in the assembEes and congregations of the saints 
There is a high sanction given here for the reEgious study
of the works of nature. But the works which are specified
throughout these verses are more the works of Providence,
and such as Elustrate the moral perfections of God, and
the character of His government and dealings with the
chEdren of men — as His righteousness and compas
sion, and fiddity to His covenant, and those wonders of
power by which He ushered His people from Egypt to
Canaan. Let me be rightly impressed, 0 God, by the
sureness and stability of Thy commandments, and of aE
Thy testimonies : they stand fast and for ever. Let me
evince my good understanding by the faithfiE observ
ance of them. Let me be wise in Thy fear ; and let me
ever have, a revering sense of Thy truth, and justice,
and holiness
Psalm cxn. — ^This is a preeminent psalm. — Give me,
0 Lord, to -delight greatly in Thy commandments, and so
that my spiritual or inner heaveri may commence, and be
carried forward here. Let me not be anxiously fearftd
for my chEdren, but cast this care, too, and with aE con
fidence, upon God He wEl provide; and 0 grant that
I may leave them an inheritance in a Eght shining before

128 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxiii.
men. Fix upon me aE the characteristics of an upright
and good man — integrity and generosity, and sensibEity
to the wants and sufferings of others. I long for the light
of further mariifestations. Thou knowest my state of
darkness, and what the engrossments are which most ab
sorb and occupy my thoughts. Set me free from these,
0 God, that henceforth I may serve Thee without dis-
:raction. Give me discretion in the management of my
affairs, that I may not .be moved or terrified for evil tid
ings of disaster of any sort. May my ways please Thee,
0 God, and then shaE I have peace on every side. Let
my heart be fixed, trusting in Thee as the Lord my
Helper ; and then shall I not be afraid of what man can
do unto me. Let my desire upon my enemies be for their
conversion, 0 God. I feel how deficient I have been in
the liberalities of Christian benevolence. May I so acquit
myself as to inherit Thy promises, O God ; and save me
from the destruction which cometh on those whose god
is this world, and who mind earthly things '
Psalm cxiii. — A joyful effusion, of. thanksgiving and
praise. It is an ascription of glory to the Lord through
out all time and all space-^from this time forth, and for
ever, (verse 2,) and throughout the whole world, (verse S.)
He is represented as the Head of the moral world,, being
above aE nations,- and the Head of the material, as being
above the heavens, (verse 4 ;) so that well may it be said
of Him, — '! He dwelleth on high." (verse 5.) Yet, thougli
high. He humbleth Himself to -view the various depart
ments of His. own creation. Even to look on the things
in heaven is a Condescensiori by Him who ohargeth . His
angels with foEy But He stops not here: He dwells

psAm cxrv, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 12?
with the lowly on earth. . -, Let us Jiere remark the eleva
tion whidi it was held to be in these days for a wife to
become a mother,, and have chEdren, , This is acknow
ledged, in varioUs places of Scripture, as a deliverance and
preferment akin to that of raising men from the humiEa-
tions of poverty, or enslavement, or disgrace among men.
Witness the effusions of Hannah in the Old Testament,
•and of Maiy and EEzabeth in the New. This psalm is
regarded by many as a composition set forth by the cap
tives on their return from Babylon. The sentiment ac
cords weE with this supposition,, though there seems no
very distinct evidence to prove it
PsALM-cxrv. — The reference to Judah in verse 2 makes
it probable that this psalm was composed after Jerusalem
had become the seat of the Hebrew, monarchy, and before
the disseveration from.it of the ten tribes — for then, too,
Israel was -within its dominion. The events which are here
celebrated date a far way back ; but then the historical
recoEeetions of the olden times were incorporated with
the religion of the. chpsen people ; and their frequent
anniversaries, gave frequent opportunities for the poetic
and devotional recitation of them. Both Jordan and
the Red Sea attest the part which God had in the trans
lation of His own peeple frpm thpse of a strange language.
" The sea saw it " — saw or felt the power of God upon
them, and obeyed it. The hiEs bounded, or heaved,
as at the giving of the law, when Sinai, -with all its
eminences, quaked before the presence of the Most High
-^^even pf Him who caused wa,ters to arise in the desert,
nay^ struck a fountain out of the hard and flinty rock.
A triumphant commemoration.
f2

130 DAILY SCfilPTUBE READINGS. psalm cxn.
PsALM cxv. — This psalm seems to have been composed
after a victory — ^the merit of which the IsraeEtes here
disclaim for themselves, and ascribe whoBy to Him who
is the God of battles^-whose mercy and whose truth are
alike done homage to. The consideration that they were
heathen over whom they had .prevailed, leads to the insti
tution of a contrast between their gods and the true God
in the heavens. After a just account and appreciation of
the -vanity of idols, they caE on the people of aE classes
to transfer their confidence, and place it in the right
quarter, even on the Lord Jehovah, who had been their
help and defence against 'aE enemies. They ¦wto fear the
Lord are probably the stranger proselytes, who are thus
distinguished from the priests and people of their own
nation. The same threefold distinction is repeated in
verses 12 and 13. There are promises addressed to them
of temporal good things in the increase of their wealth
and their famiEes ; and thepure theology of the compo
sition stands nobly distinguished fix)m the senseless and
d^prading superstitions of the people around He who
dwells in the havens, and who made both heaven and
earth — ^the latter for a habitation to men — -He is the God
of their acknowledgments and woishipL They had been
saved fixmi death and destruction, and were stEl in the
land of the Eving — therefore would they praise the Lord,
and trust in His preservati(ms for ever.
Psalm cxvL — If the former was a national, this is more
of a personal psahn ; and it shines forth in the coEection
as a star of the first magnitude. Many commentators
ascribe it to Hezekiah, on the occasion of his recovery
from threatened death; and it is certainly in keeping

psalm cxvu. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 131
with tnat event. The first verses, more particularly, are
well suited to the state of Hezekiah's mind, under what
he had been led to apprehend- as his mortal disease, and
also the whole of it to that enlargement and gratitude
which he felt when the prolongation of his life was granted
to him. — Give me to love Thee, 0 Lord. Gi"^© me to say
of Thee unto my soul at aE times — " return unto Thy rest."
May I walk before Thee, 0 God, and be of service to Thy
cause in the land of the living. Open my mouth that I
may speak ^ and give me such a faith as \vill prompt the
utterance.- Lord deliver me from all rash suspicion of
my feEows ; yet let me trust in Thee, and not in men.
Loose me from the bonds of my guEt and corriiption, that
henceforth I may go onward with alacrity and vigour on
thev Walk of new obedience. May iriy whole life be one
of dedication, and thanksgi-ving, and. praise.
Psalm cxvil — This, the shortest of the psalms, is alto^
gether attuned to praise. 0 that I could rise to this
more elevated plattbrm of the spiritual life ; ' and having
my' own heart fiEed with gratitude aSnd a sense of God's
glory, could call upon aE around me to join in the lofty
celebration of Him who. sitteth on high, and ruleth over
all Out of the depths would I cry unto Thee, 0 Lord,
that I may be brought out of the miry and the horrible
place, and placed on that secure and serene summit, where
I. may descry Thine exceEencies, and rejoice in the con
templation of them. 0 give me to make mention of Thy
merciful kindness, and let my mouth be opened, so that I
can proclaim to others what the Lord hath done for my
soul The call, here to praise the Lord is addressed to all
nations, and to aE people; and, as frequently in these

132 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm cxvih.
sacred compositions, the mercy and the truth ar^ Spoken
of, together. (See the analogous Psalm Ivii)
Psalm cxviii. 1-16. — -This seems to have been composed
after a victory, as a number of the psalms Undoubtedly
were, according to the following important testimony
from Josephus — " A^nd new David being freed frpm wars
and dangers, and enjoying for the future a profpund pea,ce,
cpmposed sacred songs and hymns in various metres, some
of which were trimeters, and others pentameters. He also
constracted instruments of music, and taught the Levites
to chant hymns tc God, as well on the Sabbath day as
en pther festivals." But hpw precious, besides, is thi^
psalm to the private Christian — for he, too, is often in
distress and difficulties, till set by the Lord in a large
place. Let me not ie^r what' man can do unto me. Let
me trust not in man, but, in God. Let me see my desire
on mine adversaries ;. but let this desire,. 0 God,' be for
their repentance and salvation. 'What dangers and diffl-
culties David was helped through ! let me look unto God
and take courage  In verse 13, Thou lanst refer to „one
of David's enemies. We might weE apply it to Satan.-^
0 God, enable me tp resist him, ¦ that he may flee from
me. Help me to do valiantly in the Christian warfare,
that I might pass onward from the exclamation of — " 0
-wretched man "to the acclamation of— "I ttiank God,
through JesUs Christ my Lofd." Thus -wEl the-, Lord
become my strength and song, because my salvation.
Then shall I rejpice in Ipve aridliberty.
l7-29v — My Ged, I pray, for enlargement, and for deli
verance frphi Thy chastening hand. Above aE things,
lead me in that patent way, and through that .open door.

P3ALM0XIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, l^a
by -which ,^pne I can win to salvation, and righteousness,
and spiritual Efe. 0 may I not only live, but live to
declare the works of God. This passage is full of gospel,
and parts of it' are referred to as such by the Saviour
Himself The corner stone, and the blessedness of Him
who cometh in the name of the Lord, clearly relate to
Him. Though at itsfirst composition then, the gate here
spoken of may have been understood as the, gate of the
Temple, and the day may have been some Jewish anni
versary — ^yet now let us- apply them to the gate of Christ's
mediatorship; and to His proclaimed day of , salvation.
Let me forthwith enter that gate ; and to-day, while it is
called tP-day, let me harden not my heart, but let me
rejoice and be glad therein. Save me from guilt, 0' Lord,
and serid the giace which wUl cause my soul to prosper
and be in health. In Thy light may I clearly see light ;
and now that I am reconcEed by the sacrifice of Christ,
give me to offer up the spiritual sacrifice of all my evil
affections — ^binding them unto the altar, to be utterly
consumed as burtit-offerings were. Then wEl I praise
God -at liberty, and make mention of His goodness to
my soul
- Psalm cxix. 1^8. — The general lesson of this noble psalm
is the supreme worth and^ importance, of God's revelation
to man, designated in various ways^-as His word. His
law. His testimonies. His statutes. His judgments The
inestimable properties of this revelation are largely de
scanted upon, in a multitude of distinct sayings, the weight
and preciousness of which are felt by every spiritual mind.
The outset is remarkably the same with that of Psalm i
r— 0 Lordj cleanse me from my defilements, that henceforth

134" DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxix.
I may walk in Thy law. Give me to treasure up Thy
testimonies, and to seek Thee, not with a divided, but
with the whole heart. My God, where is my diligence in
keeping Thy precepts, so as to do no iniquity ? I truly
need Thy direction, and the impulse of Thy Spirit, to the
work of obedience. Enable me, 0 God, to lift up my face
in society without shame, on the strength of my past sins
being now blotted out, and my present, honest, consistent,
and aspiring Christianity. Put uprightness and truth
into my inward'parts. Let me be wise and understand
ing to know what the wEl and the judgments of the Lord
are. Leave me not,^ then, in darkness, 0 Lord ; but en
lighten me in Thy way, and enable me to keep ori it.
9-16. — 0 for purity on a religious principle, and ground
ed ori an earnest attention and respect for the Word of
God. The psalmist had, in the last ' stanza, pironounced
on the blessedness of those who seek the Lord with, the
whole heart ; and here he says in prayer — that thus have
I sought Thee. Let me' be enabled to say so in truth.
Let me not deviate from the path of Thy comniandments;
and to ensure this, let me lay up Thy word in my heart,
and cherish a fearful sense therefrom of the evil of sin.
0 -my God, Thou knowest how foreign from the whole set
and habit of my mind is that of respect unto Thee as a
master and commander. Set up thine authority within
me, and remind me at all times what that is which Thou
wouldst have me tp dp. Fpr what title have I te take up
Thy wprds in my mputh, sP as tp speak pf them te pthers,
unless ¦ I pbserve them foi* myself Restore me to the
paths of righteousness, and then by Thee shaE my lips be
opened. And let me not only meditate on Thy precepts,
and keep them in remembrance, but may they prove the

psALii CXIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 135
rejoicing Of my heart — may I delight in them as in the
very comfort and sustenance of my soul
" 17-24. — Deal bountifuEy with me, 0 God, in the way of
clearing off aE my present anxieties, and introduce me to
light and Efe, and enlargemerit — Verse 18 is among the
most precious of our Scriptural notabEia. I indeed feel
myself a stranger-^and have marveEously little sympathy
with my feEows ; but hide not from me the knowledge of
Thy wEl,' nor suffer me to hide myself from those of my
own flesh. I have long flxed on verse. 20 as the most
descriptive of my o-wn state and experience of any in the
Bible. "What straining have I had after a right under
standing of God and His ways, more especially the way of
salvation! — Give me greater clearness and fulness of
understanding, 0 God. Save me, save me, 0 God, from
reproach and contempt : I cannot say — ^because I have kept
Thy testimonies ; but oh, accept of my contrite acknow
ledgments, and let me. hericeforth not only meditate on
Thy words, but let them both rejoice my heart and regu
late aE my goings'. Then will I rise above my fellows
who would triumph over me. Save me from their calum
nies, 0 Lord : save me from the children of pride and of
power. But let me bear a constant respect to Thine all-
seeing eye ; and in the moments of collision and contro
versy, let me look upward to Thee for the wisdom and
the charity which might teach me rightly to acquit myself.
25-32. -^Verses .25 and 32 I mark as eminent among
the notabEia of Scripture. How strikingly descripti-ve of
myself; and I beEeve of every natural man — that "my
soul cleaveth unto the dust," unto the things of sense, and
sight, and materialisrii-^so as to be dead unto God and
the things of faith ! Quicken and make me alive unto

136 DAP<Y SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxix.
 •  ^v^ 
Thyself,, 0 God ; and let, me add with the jpsajmist—
"aocoidiug to Thy word;" a clause subjoined to other
petitions beside this — as in verse 9, where, through the
directions of the Word, its disciple is said to be purified ;
and verse 28, where, by the encouragements of the word,
strength, is prayed for ; and here, where it is stEl accord
ing to the word, or, by a right sense of its .df^ptrines and
declarations, a Eving. faith is imparted to the sotd. It
is thus tha,t aE the influences of the Spirit are, -by and
through, and according to the word, wherewith He en
tirely quadrates in aE His motions and revelations. It is
when thns operated upon, and converted and enEghtened
myaeE, that X am both incited and enabled, out of the
fulness of a renewed heart, to speak to others also, (verses
26 and. 27.) So, then, enlai^e my heart, 0 God. Loose
all, its bands and straitenings Let me break forth and be
yond the sense of guilt, and the power of corruption ; and
then shall I walk and not be weary, run and not faint
33r40.^-Let me persevere in obedience, for it is only by
maintaining this unto the end that I shaE have any part
in the perseverance of the saints. Let me be underst^-nd-
ing what Thy law is, and this wiE enlist my affections
into the work of obeying it. How the moral and intellec
tual (.s^ct and react on each other ! Yet we have not to
pra}- only for the one, in the confidence that the other wiE
of course foEow. We have to pray for both — not only for
the instruction and the understanding, as in -verses 33 and
34, but for the willingness, as in verse 36. — My God, let
me ever prefer Thy service to that of Mammon ; and let
me delight myself greatly in Thy commandments .... Verse
87 has been long one of my notabiEa. Let me shrink from
tho .first beginnings of evil, by shutting or turning a-way

psALM CXIX. DAILY SCBIFFUKE BEADINGa 137
the inlets of temptation ; and O that instead of being so
aEve unto sin, I were made alive unto God, and to th©
righteousness which He loves ! Let me dedicate njyself
unto Thee, £yid be stablished in every good word and
work, and may I see Thy way cl^idy. before ma Turn
away fiwm me, 0 Giod, the reproach which I fear — a fear
wherewitt even now Thou art exercising me, perhapa in
judgmei^^jfor my past sins.; but let me be assured a good
judgment^ and may good come from it to my soul I
long to be as I ought. Set me right, 0 God, and give me
a just and qiEck sense of my obligations thereto.
41-48. — 0 God, confer on me Thy mercies, and let me
trust in Thy word ; and thus armed, let me be able to
turn away tiie reproach of my feEows. Teach me how to
answer when there is a strife of tongues. May Thy word
dweE in me richly in aE wisdom. May it never faE me,
but-in every hour of necessity may I be ready to give an
answer to every man. Ld; me have the hope, both of
glory in heaven and grace upon earth, according to Thy
testimonies i^^ and thus shaE I be enabled to keep Thy law
for ever and ever — ^that is, both here in time, and hereafter
in. eternity — erea, the law of love, which is a law of. liber
ty ; that law to which I aspire with the e^nest expecta-,
tiofl of being deEvered from bondage, and translated into
tiie ^orious Eberty of the chEdren of God Thus fortified
jmd upheld, let me not be ashamed of the t^timony of
Christ, even before the great and the learned of this
world. Above aE may I love the work of obedience; and
in :^^tae of the new taste given to me, let duty be my
d#Eght and my best loved employment And let not only
my heart and niind be engaged in Thy service, deEghti|ig
therein, and ix^e^ating thereon ; but let my hands, th©

138 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxix.
whole of the outer man, be put into requisition^ — ^that I
may glorify the Lord ¦with my body too, as weE as my soul
and spirit.
49-56. — ^Let my hope rest on the actual Word ; and let
me plead for God's fulfilment of it. His o^wn actual decla
ration. Give me,^0 Lord, to abound in this hope by the
power of the Holy Ghost. It is the word which quickens
and comforts ; and let me here refer to Dr. Buchanan's
precious treatise upon affliction. "May the occupation of my
mind with the law, and the magnitude of its cognate in
terests and relations, enable me to brave the mortifications
which man would lay upon me, ¦ and to rise above them.
Let me learn more and observe more of the ways of God
in histoiy — regarding aE history, in fact, as being a his
tory of pro^videnoe. 0 that I could share more in the
abhortence here expressed for that which is e^vE;'that I
felt more of that hatred of iniquity which is felt by the
great Exemplar of aE righteousness in the heavens. I
should rank verse 54 among the notable sayings of Scrip
ture—Give me, 0 Lord, to delight in Thy commandments,
and let my meditations of Thee and of Thy statutes be
sweet unto my soul Let my relish for the law of God,
and my practical observance thereof, keep pace the one
vrith the other. They have a reciprocal influence. If I
have pleasure in thinking of God's law in the night
watches, it is because I keep God's precepts.
67-64. — Be Thou my portion, 0 Lord, and the stj-ength
of my heart; and then shaE I not be dejected by the
adversities of life, not even by the desertion of friends ;
and so will I be saved "^from the soitow of this world,
which worketh death. With my whole heart would I
entreat Thy favour — ^with my whole soul Would I thirst

psalm cxix. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 139
after God. Lord, give me to renounce the old man:
henceforth may aE things become new with me. I have
little time to lose. WeE may I now make haste, and
turn me to the paths of righteousness. 0 may Thy
testimonies be more to me than all the riches of this
world ; and henceforth let the rule and principle of my
existence be the wEl of God. Let me cenimit my cause
unto God ; and know ¦what it is to rejoice amid the worst
tribulations which man can lay upon me. Let me not
forget Thy law through the day ; and at midnight I shall
feel • gratitude and gladness. The same connexion is
stated in verses 55 and 56.^ — ^Let my convtoe henceforth
be with the exceEent of the earth — ^With them who fear
God. I want to have the whole set and habit of my life
changed towards God and godliness Teach me Thy sta
tutes, and help me to kejepiihem ; and let me rejoice in
the ftilness ef Thine innumerable mercies.
65-72. — ^My Gpd, give me the faith that overcometh,
and the charity that endureth aE things; and this wiE
indeed be dealing well with me. Whether or npt Thou
- removest the external tribulation wherewith I am now
exercised. • Let me well understand that the precepts form
essential ingredipnts of sound doctrine ; and that belief
reaches to commandments as weE as truths. The com
mandment for the present is not to be careful about many
things, or aiiy thing, but to cast all my care upoU/ God.
My. afflictions ,WE1 indeed be good for me if they teach
me this lesson, and loosen my affections from the world.
Teach me, in Thy goodness, 0 Lord, both to know and to
do Thy statutes  The first claUse of verse 68 is a nota-^
bile. Let not the provocations of calumny draw me from
Thy good word and way. May I realize the experience

140- DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxix.
of the Apostle,, who delighted in the law of God after the
inward man. 0 may this be the fruit of my affliction—"
that I learn Thy statutes. There is a moral smart in my
present trial, In as far as it involves the loss, of money,
let me ariiply console inyself in this^ — ^that if the effect of
the discipline shaE be that I learn Thy law, this wEl be
far better than thousands of gold and sEver. Give" me,
even now to taste the comforts of the npw obedience of
the Gospel
73-80,. — The first clause of verse 73 is also a notabEe.—
0 that I felt as I ought the subordination and dependence
of myself, as a thing formed, on Him who formed and
fashioned me....HoW often are the commandments of
God spoken of as the objects not of our practical obser
vance alone, but of our understanding. (See Eph, v. 1 7.)-^,
Let me not be unwise, but understanding what the ¦wEl of
the Lord is. Let me be sound in the statutes of the
Lord, having a right intelligence, as well as maintaining
a practical observance of them. 0 let my hope be in Thy
word of .promise ; and let me not be asha,med of my hope.
. , , .Perfect, if it be Thy blessed wiE, my Views and purposes ,
in regard to the West Port, Let the religiSus lookers on
have cause of triumph there. ThOu art pleased to exer
cise my faith and patience ; but let me trust in Thee, who
wilt thus exercise me in faithfulness, and wEt yet cpmfort
me "with Thy lovingkindness — so as that my confidence
shaE not be put to shame. I look unto God. Let my chief
care be to be weE with Thee, Let my designs and doings
be ever such that the pious and the good would rejoice in
their .prosperous consummation, and none be mortified
thereby but the enemies of truth and righteousness,
8lrS8. — Mj soul dotb faint for 9i something "whicb I

JSAEM cxix. DAILY SCRIPTU^RE READINGS. 341
feel I have not got hold of ; but faEing my adequate con-
¦ception of, its archetype reaEties, let me meanwhEe place
reliance, both for the preserit and the future, upon Thy
word. Assuredly I am in that very state of distance and
deficiency which the psalmist complains of — a longing for
vrhat I have not attained, for a comfort and confidence
which I yet am short of I may weE be compared to "a
bottle in the smoke," in -virtue of the obscuration which
Ees between me and the dista"nt unseen objects of faith ; but
-how admirably in keeping is such a state with the resolved
purpose of remembering the statutes and doing them, in
-the train of which doing Christ hath promised to manEest
Himself "(John xiv. 21.) The objects of faith in the
lieavens may be hidden from the view of piy Goneei"ving
factdty ; but the doings upon earth are matters on hand •
and let me be faithful in these, even tEl my Eght shaE break
forth as the morning. -Thus let me work for comfort and
clearness  "What a noble text is verse 83, and let it
henceforth be one of my notanda. — My God, in the midst
of injustice and hostEe machinations, let me adhere to
Thee -with firm trust and purpose of heart. Quicken and
enEghten and enlarge ihe, 0 God ; and let me confide in
the promises given to them who obey.
89-96, — This accordance, in point of stabiEty and sure
ness, between the, utterances of God's word and the ordi-
narices or laws of God's worfd, eajries a precious lesson
along with it — ^teaching us to rely, with as great secu
rity, on the fiilfiEnent of Bible promises and Bible decla
rations as on the constancy of Naturfe — 'Let me be as
settled, 0 God, in the tmth of Thy word as I am in the
anticipations of Eght in the morning, or of the courses of
the sun and moon in the -firtriament. Thus, 0 God, thus

142 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm cxix.
may I be settled and grounded in the hope of the Gospel,
so as never to be moved away from it Against aE the.
likelihoods and fears of nature let me ever maintain a
steadfast faEh.in the faithfulness of God. Thus fortified,
let me, amid the afflictions of life, have recourse to the
book of Thy law — that in the occupations and exercises
of the new obedience, and in the prospects of a land of
rest and rejoicing, I may be saved from despair, and
quickened to other desires than such as Thou mightest
be pleased to disappoint and mortify in the administra
tion of a wholesome discipline. Take me, 0 God, as one
of Thine o"wn. Form me to Thyself Give me more dili
gence in seeking Thee and Thy precepts. Let me be
shielded by faith and charity against the hostEe or the
unjust, who seek to overbear and oppress me. 0 let me
consider the precepts of the New Dispensation, and put
its blessed injunction of patience and peace and lovp,
even to adversaries, into full accomplishment and effect.
...To "have seen an end of aE perfection," is to have
tried the world, as Solomon in Ecclesiastes says he had
done, and learned its vanity ; btit along with this, let me
learn also the fulness of God's word, which provides a rule
for all cases, and a remedy agairist aE evfls
97-104, — My God, let me eVer meditate on Thy law,
because I love it, and then shaE I have, great peace-r^
nothing will offend me ; then shall I have the life and
peacfe of those who are spiritually minded. Surely the
right moral would, lead to a far sounder intellectual-state.
. And how much wiser would it make me than those whose
wisdom lies in skiE to overreach-and deceive. By dweE-
ing on Thy testimonies, I become wiser than all the
teachers of secular learning; by keeping Thy precepts, I

PSALM CXIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 143
get more understanding than was possessed by the mere
scholars and discoverers of former days. Let me be
most observant of Thy word, most studious in the avoid
ance of all that is forbidden by it. Let me not depart,
0 God, from Thy counsel, by waEdng in counsel of my
own. But may Thy spirit be ever present with His les
sons, and keep them in my remembrance. And give me
to feel the sweetness of jeEgion, the pleasantness of aE
its ways, the peace that is in its paths  The great les
son of this passage is the wisdom of piety— the connexion
between the good and the true. Every evE "way is a false
way. Therefore let me hate it with a perfect hatred —
abhorring the evil, cleaving to the good. March, 1846.
105-112.— May the entrance of Thy words give me Eght,
0 Lord  Verse 105 is one of the notables of Scripture. — ¦
Let me dedicate myseK to Thy service ; and bind me to that
covenant which is ordered in aE tilings, and sure. Lord-
quicken me in the affliction that now Ees upon me. Make
me aEve unto Thy word ; and then wEl the cares of an evE
world Ee light upon my heart Accept, 0 God, of the free-
¦wEl-offerings of my mouth— the aspirations which I lift up
spontaneously and habitually. My God, sustain these as
prayers ; and give me the comfort of Jbiowing that they
are prompted by a spirit of grace and suppEcation which
Thou hast poured upon me. 0 teach me, in return for
the frequent up-looking to Thee for my guidance in the
various circumstances of Efe . . . ."My soul being continuaEy
in my hand," signifies the precariousness of the psalmist's
Efe, as ready at aE times to be snatched from him by his
enemies. Let not the worst of dangers so engross me as

144 bAILY SCRIPTURE REAlJiNGS. *salm cxix.

to shut out. Or lead ¦mO'to err from Thy law.- May Thy
word be my constant companion, in which is all my joy,
and to vrhich are aE my inelinati'oriS.
113-120. — Deliver me, 0 God, -from the power of vain
thoughts, from the imaginations of liceritiousness, from
the broodings of felt -or fancied injustice. May I turn
from these to the study of Thy law ; and then great wiE' be
my peace. Be thou my refuge, O God ; arid wheri Thy
manifestations 'feil me, let me, though in darkness and
lia"ving rio Eght, still trast in Thy word. Let me shun
the feEowships of the ungodly,; and observe the laW Of
"God in all its spirit and extent, even though I should ,be-
fcome very peculiar theteby. -0-Lord, put not my confi
dence—the confidence I have in Thine own sayings — ^put
it not to shame. Let me be upheld by Thy strength
¦along the walk of obedience, and then my footst^S^haE
not slip. But let me not count on Thy stistaimng grace,
if I respect not Thy statutes, but deviate thprefrom, and
handle Thy testimonies deceitfuEy. Let me have respect
unto 'Thy dealings with the wicked ; and let me tremble
lest theirS should be my portion also. Let aE the appli
ances of Thy word — its invitations, its promises, its terrors
-^have each their dUe arid right e-ffeCt upon my soUl. Let
Thy thrbatenings drive me fi-om the fellowships of the
world. Let Thy blessed offer of Welcome and good--wiE
draw me into , fellowship with the Father, and with the
Son, arid with the household of God Then, after the
¦terrors of Thy law have done their part in persuading
me, the faith of Thy Gospel, Working by love to God and
goodness, wiE do its part iri imparting, peace and joy to
my soul, and inspiring me with deEght in the testimonies
«f God. .

PSALM CXIX. Daily scripture readings. 145
121-128.— Give' me the spirit of equity, 0 Lord, that
on this ground I may ask, and do ask, for, deliverance
from them who would oppress me. I wiE devolvp my
cause upon Thee. . Save me from the insolence and injus
tice of men. 0 Lord, I long to be found in the righteous
ness of Christ; and to have a firm hold of His salvation ;
but let me weE observe how much the knowledge and the
observance of Thy statutes have to do with tljese high
privEeges Let me, therefore, even from the outset, and
before I count myself to have attained, give me to esteem
highly the work and the ways of .obedience, and to shun
with abhorrence aE that is false and evil. Give me to un
derstand and do Thy plain biddings ; and this wiE open
the way for my understanding of higher mysteries. May
Thy precepts every day become dearer and more delightful
to me. ThuS may I escape the evE that is to come ; for
surely, 0 God, we may weE look for Thy judgments in an
age when' Thy law is so openly violated. WiE not the
pubEc and legalized desecration of the Sabbath bring
speedily Upon us a day of vengeance ? — Let me maintain
my steadfastness, and. be counted worthy to stand before
the Son of Man at His coming and appearance in the
world. 129-136. — Open THou mine eyes to behold the wonder
ful or admirable things which are, contained in the Book
of Thy law and testimony, and let me npt be satisfied
with admiring them ; but make this the reason for also
observing them  Verse 130 ranks high among the no
tanda of Scripture. We have here the self-evidencing
power of the Bible. — Give me through it, 0 Lord, of that
wisdom which Thou revealest unto babes Tmly I long
for brighter' assurances and lg,rgPr manifestations. Let
VOL. HI. s

146 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm oxix,
me read and pray for them. Guide me in the way of Thy
commandments Take pity on my darkness and helpless
ness, 0 Lord, And in the absence of clear spiritual views,
may my steps — at least my palpable and everyday steps — ¦
be ordered according to the plain directions of Thy word ;
and save me from every sin that doth easily beset, and
would lord it over me  Verse 133 is ^Iso one of the
Scripture notanda. — Deliver me, 0 God,> from the irijus-
tice which I fear ; but however this may be, let nothing
so offend or seduce me as that I shaE lose my kold of Thy
statutes -; and thus may I be shone upon at last by the
light of Thy countenance. Teach' and enlighten me
from first to last ; and 0 endow me with the right sensi
bilities as well as the right perceptions ; for where, alas !
is my grief or affliction, because of the world's ungodli
ness? 137-144, — My God, placed ks I am amid the conflicting
judgments of my feEows, let- me look upwardly to Thee
and to Thy righteous judgments, and be stiE. Let me
repose in the faithfulness of Thy word. But 0 how Ettle
am I jealous for God, or with a godly jealousy They are
the injuries inflicted upon self which affect me. My God,
give me to feel more for Thine honour, and less for the
concerns or the cares of my o^wn selfishness. Let Thy
word be my treasura Let me love it for its freedom from
all the alloy of weakness or imperfection of any sort ; and
therefore more to be desired than gold, even the finest
gold. Save me from all undue affection -for this world's
wealth; and yet let me not be despised because of my
excessive facEity or the fear of man. Give me to attach
myself to that which is everlasting ; and let it be my
portion. If I but love Thy law, nothing will offend me.

PSAIM C3HX. DAILT SCRIPTURE READINGS. 147
0 that I could delight myself therewith, even in the midst
of tribiEations. Give me the ¦vietoiy over my present
difflculties and trials — a serene confidence in Thyself,
and a resolute cEnging, unto Him in whose fulness I
am in^vited to rejoice. It is exceedingly wrong to be
thus depressed and distracted by the unexpected treat
ment of men whom I trusted, when I have such a God for
my help and refiige. Give me, 0 Lord, a right spiritual
understanding ; and then shaE I be alive unto Thyself,
and dead unto the -worid and its evils
145-152. — Let my cry unto God be at aE times with
my whole heart; and in aE circumstances. may it be my
firm resolve that I shaE keep His precepts. Save me, 0
God, from my present perplexities. Let me be extricated
from these, and, undistraeted by this world, let my inces
sant meditation, night and day, be upon Thee and upon
Thy ¦word. Thou knowest, 0 God, iow, much I stand in
need of Thy compassionate regards. Keep me right amid
the difficulties which now encompass me ; and let not the
urgency either of this world's interests or provocations,
drive me from the contemplations and higher cares of
eternity. 0 that I were more quick and alive to the things
of faith, and then sense arid, time would have less effect
¦upon me ; and instead of beiitg kept awake by broodings
on the injustice or adverse disposition of man,' the Word
of God, and the great and wondrous things therein, then
would keep me awake. "When hemmed in by enemies
may I think of the friend above who is nearer to me than
they, and sticketii closer to me than a brother. Let me
repose at aE times on the stabEity and truth of Tliy
blessed testimonies Give me, 0 Lord, a part and an in
terest in this as most suitable to my actual circumstances, —

148 DAILY SCRIPtURE READII^GS, psalm cxix.
" The trouble? that afflict the just ,
In number many be,
But' yet at length oiit of them aU
The Lord shall set them free."
153-160, — I need deliverance from a special affliction or
trial at this moment Let not its urgencies, 0 God,, expel
Thy word, from my recoEeetions and regards. I have also
a cause to plead. Carry me through it, 0 God, in safety;
and let me all the whEe be alive to ThywEl as made
known in Thy word  How instructive to be told that
salvation is far from us, if God's statutes are not cared
for or sought after !— rLet not a misunderstood orthodoxy
seduce or turn me from these. The mercy of God is the
fountain-head of regeneration. (Titus iii 5.)^ According
to that mercy do Thou revive and quicken me. I am
beset .with adverse interests and ¦wills : 0 let me not de
cline from charity and justice in the midst of this turmoil
But 0 what a discovery of myself to find that I am more
grieved because of their injuries to me than because of
their non-observance of Thy law. Create the right sensi
bility within me,; and- give me the love of thy precepts,
for I can more confidently say that I desire to love them
than that I love them actually, Quicken me, therefore,
0 Lord, so as that I may .delight in Thy law after the
inner man. And let me repose en the stability pf Thy
word, which wiE hold true front everlasting to everlasting;
and the power of which pver me sheuld surely carry it
ever the power of that world ¦vvhich passeth away,
161-168. — Let me " not fear what man can do unto me ;"
but let me stand in awe of God and sin npt May the
fear of Him supplant every other fear, and the love of
Him subordinate every other love. May the precious
, Bible be at aE times my treasure, the joy of my heart, the

psalm CXIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 149
consolation and delight of my soul, ^., I would make a
notabEe of verse 162. — Let me hate the remotest tendency
to falsehood ; and let simplicity and godly sincerity mark
all my correspondence. Give me, 0 Lord, such a love to
Thy law that nothing may either disturb my peace or
offend me. 0 that I- could attain to the frame of habitual
praige ! May Thy righteous: judgmerits evoke the gratitude
and admiration of my soul. . . . What a high place belongs
to verse 165 amongthe notabEia or memorabEia of Scrip
ture! and verse 166 is one of the most important that
can be adduced for the theology 'which advocates the in
separable aEiance of faith and works, ah initio, or from
the very outset of the Christian life.-^Lord, let me at once
and from this time forward,' ever hope for Thy salvation
and do Thy commandments Let my observance extend
to aE Thy testimonies, be they doctrinal or preceptive, and
if I but keep them entire, I shall exceedingly love and
rejoice in them. May all Thy word be before me, even as
aE my ways are before Thee, 0 God. '
169-176.— This concluding stanza presents us with the
last and closing importUnities of, the psalmist; and we
may look here for the objects to which his aspirations
and wishes were chiefly directed. And' so it is-with a
beseeching eamestness' that in this final passage he seeks
for the understanding of God's word, and for, the deli'v'ery
from aE evE which it promises to the soul Mark weE in-
these verses the connexion bet-Ween plain and palpable
obedience on the one hand, and on the other the higher
spiritual accomplishments of the religious character. The
utterance of -praise, for example, by the lips, comes after
the being schooled into the commandments. The choice
of the precepts, the pi-ayers for help to perform them, the'

150 DAILY SCBIPTUHE REAplKGS. psalm cxx.
being taught not only to know the statutes but I ap
prehend also to do them^ — ^these, if they do not precede
must at least go along with our eiamest desires fPr salva
tion, and our deEght in God's law — the law of our duty
from the first, and afterwards our most congenial arid best
loved employment It is thus that the judgment^, com
prehending all the rules and principles of His most right
eous adininistration, are helpful to the life of the soul,
and to the higher functions and exercises of spiritual
religion.— Seek me out, then, O God, and restore to me
the joys of Thy salvation7 whEe I am seeking the way vS
life, and bearing in mini the requirements of that law
which is a schoolmaster for bringing unto Christ , . . . Let
me remark, on parting -with this distinguished psa;lm,
that it is more remarkable for the intense and emphatic
weight of its few great lessons than for the number or
variety of these.
Psalm cxx. — ^Thoti, 0 God, art a very present help in
time of trouble. Let my cry, then, ascend tmto Thee at
aE times. Thou hearer of prayer, deliver me more especi
aEy from the falsehood of lying tongues ; but 0 may all
the semblances of deceit to which I am exposed, and aE
the suspicions which the conduct of those whom I. at one
time trasted might awaken in my bosom— let not these
extinguish the principle of charity ¦within ma My God,
save me from so great a transgression. It is not for me
to lift the hand of vengeance ; — " Vengeance is mine, sa,ith
the Lord ;" but I do feel in a land of strangers. The at
mosphere that gets up among the competitions of interest
is most uricongenial to ma I long for peace and confi
dence between man arid-man. I never could breathe with

psalm cx*U.. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 151
comfort in the stormy element of debate ; and more espe
cially when the hateful ingredient of money or selfishness
in its grossness formed the matter of controversy betwixt
the pfirties. I pray for the charity that seeketh not its
Q-wn. Psalm cxxi.—r-'Whatever" occasion shall be conjectured
for this celebrated and very precious psalm, it is a psalm
for aE ages^whether as sung by the pEgrims Zionward
from all parts of Israel, to their great public festivals,
when traveEing to the hills that were round about Jeru
salem, or for the Christian, pilgrim of the present day
looking upward to God, arid onward to eternity. — 0 that
I could thus cast my care and confidence on the God of
heaven and earth, and that L felt the security which is
here expressed in His ever wakeful and all superintending
Providence. My .God, I look up to Thee for guidance and
protection in all -my movements. He, will wai'd off from
me all external "violenca He -will uphold my goings out
and comings in. He will enable me to steer aright in the
midst of plotting and artftd adversaries ; and 0 how ample
His guardianship is — even from this time and for ever
more ! Let me include, -therefore' my spiritual safety in
the promise that He "wiE preserve me from all evil:"
and indeed it is so expressly. The "preservation from
all evil" implies mainly and pre-eminently a preservation
from all those evil influences ¦vyhich war against the soul.
" He shall preserve thy soul" — Present me faultless, 0
God, before the presence of Thy glpry. (Jude, verse 24.)
¦PsaLm oxxil— a flne ecclesiastical psalm, and calcu
lated to foster a spirit of patriotism among priests and

152 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxxiii.
worshippers towards their Church. The critics, from the
structure of this and many other psalms, conclude of them
that they must have been performed in parts, which they
distribute among the .various interlocutors. — Let my de
light be more, 0 God, than heretofore in the exercises of
social and public worship ; and the want of this forms a
sad-defect in the habit of my mind  In times of general
repair towards the great, metropoEs of their reEgious ser-
-vices, this psalm must have been a frequent exercise with
the chEdren of Israel . ..." The testimony of Israel"" might
be translated the " congregations of Israel" — a more per
tinent meaning in verse 4. . -One can imagine the taste
and .enjoyment Wherewith-this psalm -would be repeated,
even along their- journey, by the travellers Zionward — ¦
coming from all the tribes with their offerings pf gratitude.
One can enter intc the affectien that wpuld be felt for
Jerusalem, and the elevating effect of these great periodi
cal occasions on the collective mind of the Hebrews. — For
the sake of family and neighbours, let me seek for the
good of the Church, and ever pray for her prosperity and
peace. Psalm cxxiii. — There is great verisimEitude iri the sup
position that, this was a psalm for the Babylonish captives,
who longed for deliverance, and looked waitingly and wist-
fuEy to God, that He might have mercyupon them. They
lifted up their eyes to Him who dwelt in heaven above,
imploring His protection, and that He would rescue them
from their earthly tyrants Matthew Henry is copious on
,he expression of the masters' and mistress' hand, to which
servants look for guidance and supply, and defence, and
-jorrection. So did these tuihappy Israelites lopk tp the

PSALM cxxiv. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 163
highest Master ef aE, amid the contempt- and cruelty to
which they were subjected — the scorning of those who
mpcked at them and their religicn. (Psalm cxxxvii.)
And this, tco, should be our habitual attitude-— the atti
tude ef dependence and humble expectancy. — Enable me,
O Gcd,"to reaEze it. -Let me be ever looking upwardly to
Thee. IncEne the heart pf him with whpm I am npw at
variance to penitence and peace. And, 0 my God, save
me from the agitatiOris of a sore controversy.
Psalm cxxiv. — r A" song of degrees" is said to be a march-
song, implying, therefore, a musical procession and concert.
This Prie, in particular, has been ascribed tp Da-vid, after
the -vietpries which secured him the throne .at ^Jerusalem.
It is finely expressive of the power and formidableness
of his enemies, and of his danger in the midst of them —
a danger, his rescue from which he ascribes to the Lord
being; upon his side. Many rose up, against him previous
to his settlement in the monarchy of all Israel, who would
have swaEowed him up, even as the waters of the Red Sea
would have sw^Eowed up the Israelites, had it not , been
for the mighty and miraculous power which conducted
them in safety to the opposite side, and so made' good for
them their escape from the enemies, who fell into the
destruction themselves in which they sought to involve
thepeople of God.,.. One can imagine the triiimph and
the enthusiasm where-with the performers would join in
this joyful celebration, and with what heartfelt felicitation
and gratitude they would lift up their voices to Him -in
whom their help was, — My God, give me to experience a
like deEverance from becoming the prey of human injus
tice, or faEing into the snare which artiful men may have
e 2

154 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxxvi.
laid for ma For this I pray now ; and 0 give me for this
to praise Thee hereafter.
PsALMt oxxv. — This is also conceived to be a warlike
march-song, composed in the days of Jehoshaphat, when
he returned to Jerusalem . victorious and safe - from his
enemies. The lesson, however this may be, is of general
and permanent application .... "What privEeges are an
nexed to our simply trusting in God! Let me so trust
that I never may be moved. Lord, Thou knowest what
it is that now agitates a,nd tries me ; yet I would cast
all this care, and all my confidence, on God — ^trusting
in Him with my whole heart, and not afraid of what
man can do unto me. May I be compassed about -with
Thy favour as with a ^hieli May my citizenship be in
Heaven, even in the Jerusalem that -is abo-ve ; and then
shaE the Lord be round about me, even as the mountains
are round about the Jerusalem below. Then the rod pf
the wicked may ccme uppn.me, but it wiE not rest upon
me. The iron hand of injustice may be lifted upto c^st me
down, but it will not destroy me. Let not, however, any
measure or degree of successful oppression tempt me from
righteousness te sin. Make me goed, and put truth intp
my inward parts ; and then, wheri my heart eendemns me
not, shall I ask with confidence for peace and protection
at Thy hands, and shall not be disappointed Then may
I tmst in the Lord ; and He willoiot remove me from the
place of useful influence that I now occupy, but cause me
to abide and to prosper therein.
Psalm cxxvi. — This psalm is doubtless the song of re
turned or returning captives. We can well imagine how

PSALM cxxvii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 155
the decree of Cyrus would both astound and delight the
families of Israel. Even the heathen who had before
mocked and persecuted them, spoke the language of re
spect and congratulation — doing homage to that sacred
name which they had been in the habit of blaspheming —
even they ascribing their, deliverance to the interposition
of their God, whom they acknowledged as the author of
the great things which had been done for them, to which
the Jews most heartily responded, and for which they
were so grateful and glad  Verse 4 is variously inter
preted Some conceive of the " south" that it is the south
-wind, -which, blowing on the snowy heights at the elevated
sources of rivers, reinforced the waters, even as the Israel
ites were swoEen in number by every accession to the
multitude on their march to their p-wn land. However
this be, there is no mistaking of the precious and con
solatory lesson — that affliction of the, right kind, and
rightly improved, issues at length in permanent good and
enjoyment, and, so is a blessing in disguise. — May such.be
my finding, 0 God. But let, my sorrow not be of this
world, which worketh death, but that sorrow after a godly
sort, which worketh salvation.
Psalm cxxvii. — T^e opening sentiment of this psalm is
the vanity of aE our intense care in tha acquisition or
aceompEshment of any object — seeing that -without the
Divine co-operation and blessing all wEl be fmitless. It
is utterly in vain that we should labour for that on which
our heart is set, sp as to leave ourselves neither rest
nor comfort, if the counsel of the Lord, which alone can
stand, be adverse to our views. Duties are ours, events
are God's ; and. the way is to do these duties free from

156 DAILY SCRIPTURE READIISGS. psalm c^xviii.
anxiety, because trusting in Him ; and He wiE give us aE
that He knoweth we have need of — and, to the bargain,
that peace which passeth aE understanding. - Let us only
liave His love, and then may we repose in the confidence
that all is well, . „. The title of this psalm connects it -with
Solomon, Jedidiah the beloved; and it is regarded by
many as a marriage song for him; and so the promise of
a family, ^hich in these days was regarded as a blessing,
in proportion to its largeness and vigour — ^the vigour of
youth. Psalm cxxviiL-^This psalm is supposed to have been
an address from the priest to an offerer, either on the
occasion of his , marriage, or on his payment 'of tithes I
pray for the blessedness of the religious and the gpoi
Let me stand in awe and sin not, but -walk in the ways of
God, The temporal gppd things which are here premised
belong to the earlier -economy ; but let me not despise
these, seeing that the declaration stiE holds true — "that
godliness is profitable unto aE things," — Let me have
the counterpart spiritual blessings. Let me be filled with
the fruits of righteousness As the effect of my labour in
the service of God, let the love of God be shed abroad in
my heart by the Holy Ghost. And 0 give me the com
fort of a prosperous family — prosperous in the truest sense
of the word — their souls prospering and in health. And
beside the good of my own household, let me see the -good
of Thy Church — the good of Jerusalem, ere that this toE-
some life shaE hava come to an end. Let me do aE for
the West Port in the fear of the Lord, that He may coun
tenance and 'bless that eriterprisa 0 may prosperity
and peace rest upou it ; and- may what we now do there

PSALM cxxx. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, 157
prove a blessing to many successive generations Send,
0 God, the heedful grace from the upper sanctuary, and
all wEl be right.
Psalm cxxix. — This is conceived by some to have been
the song of the Jews who accompanied Ezra from Babylon
to Jerusaleni ; and seems applicable enough to the circum
stances of that event. Often, indeed, had the chEdreri of
Israel been afflicted, but not oftener than they had sinned;
though the instruments of their chastisement were not
justified in the cruelties and exultations which they in
dulged against these persecuted people. But God pnnished
them in measure, and took compassion on them, while He
inflicted verigearice on their enemies. There is a lesson
to us here. — Let us not fret because of evil-doers. All
"wEl be redressed and rectified at the last- They who hate
the good and the .upright wiE at length be brought low.
The righteous Judge above concerns Himself with the
doings of men, and wiE decide equitably between them.
And He is at the door — a consideration that might well
make us patient under injuries. To this^atience, 0 God,
may I add charity. (2 Pet. i 7.) The " grass on the house
tops" was of sickly growth  It marks the inimutability of
eastern customs, that the salutations here spoken of pre
vail there to this day. The neglect of these is felt to be
a studied insult: — so that poverty and contempt are here
denounced en the enemies pf Zipn.
Psalm cxxx, — ^"What a noble composition^-among the
most Elustrious in ' the whole collection. Out of the
depths of nature's darkness and nature's depravity do I"
cry unto Thee, 0 Lord, Hear my prayer, that cometh

158 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cixxi,

not out of feigned lips Judge me not, 0, God, according
to mine iniquities, else I perish. Extend to me the for
giveness and grace of the Gospel ; but let me not turn
that grace into licentiousness. Teaph me the secret of
Christian godliness — rejoicing in the pardon of my sins,
and yet standing in awe so as to sin not  What a- preg
nant sentence, that the forgiveness of God is a forgive
ness that He might be. feared.— Let me wait, 0 God, for
Thy salvation— for a present a,nd near salvation, as weE
as for a future and distant one — a present Eght, a present
love in my heart, a present hoEness in my walk and, con
versation. Lord, I would pray and watch for this blessed
translation ; this passing from spiritual death unto spirit
ual life ; this light of Thy countenance ;, this joy of Thy
salvation. Give me of Thy plenteous redemption, both
from the power of sin and from its punishment.
Psalm cxxxl, — The lesson of this psalm is a traly im
portant one ; and there is. in it what I should caE the
very essence of the Christian phEosophy — which forbids
pur intruding into things unseen, or exercising our
selves with matters too high for us How many such
great matters and high things present themselves to bur
thoughts at least, if not to our view, when we soar up
ward among the summits of theological speculation ! — Do
Thou chasten and restrain this spirit, 0 Lord Do Thou
teach me the respectful observance of that limit which
separates the secret things which belong unto God from
the revealed things which belong unto us and to our chil
dren. Cast do-wn all my lofty imaginations ; a^nd sitting
at the feet of Christ my teacher, let every thought of my
heart bp brought into captivity to His word and wEL

PSALM exxxii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 159
Give me, 0 Lord, that huniEity of the true faith which-'
is akin to the modesty of true science. Wean me from
jny o^wn conceptions, which might often be well denomi
nated my own conceits Let me become as a fool that I
might be made wise — as a little chEd; that I might be
qualified for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Let
not this hope abandon me ; but let it be a hope altogether
accordiag to Thy word, or grounded on Thy word. Give
me, with all docEity and htynbleness of mind, to take
my lesson from the Bible, and walk submissively and
duteously on its bidden patL
Psalm cxxxn.— The occasion of this psalm is conceived
to be the placing of the ark in Solomon's temple, as detailed
in 2 Chron. v., and not the removal of it from the country to
Mount Zion, thotigh this in ¦verse 6 be retrospectively or his
toricaEy made mention, of The reference to David, and
his vow and his afflictions, are also conceived to be retro
spective. The anointed, or Solomon, prays for the Divine
countenance upon himself, (verse 10,) for the sake of
David his fatha". The promise to Da^vid, identical With
the promise to Abraham-, is here adverted to — ^though
probably not understood in the spEitual and high mean
ing of it, Solomon's "views probably reached no farther
than to the continuance of his own famEy upon the throne.
He. did much towards the forfeiture of the promise by the
¦violation of its conditions. He kept not the covenant nor
the testimony of God — ^though we doubt not that on the
penitence and restoration of Israel, an iEustrious fulfilment
is stiE awaiting us  Verse 16 is one of the notabEia
of Scripture,— -My God, de Thou give effect to its blessed
declaration in our own Church, Give to its ministers the

160 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm cxxxiv.
spirit '^of their offlce, and make its people wilEng and joy-
full in the day of Thy powpr. May the word of salvation
be freely given forth on the one side, and gladly accepted
uppn the ether. — A beautiful psalm.
Psalm cxxxiil — Let me therefpre, if it be possible, and
as much as lieth in me, live peaceably -with all men. And
0 what a desirable thing is union among Christians —
both good and ,pleasant — inost agreeably odorous, like the
oiatment poured forth, and fruitful as is the dew of Her-
mon, spreading abroad a, most diffusive satisfaction among
all ; and who can question its productiveness of conver-
,sion, in the face of our Sa-vib.ur's prayer that all may be
one — and this in order to the world's belie-ving in .the
Father and in the Son, — Enable me,^ 0 God, both to judge
and to act wisely in regard to the Evangelical Alliance.
0 that it could be carried forward prosperously, and with
good effect on the Christianity of our land. ' Teach me to
think aright, and to propound aright what I do think
upon this subject I pray for the unity of Christians, a
marked and ostensible unity-^such as the world can take
knowledge of, and so as to draw from it the old excla
mation of—" Behold these Christians, how they love each
other ! " Let there be a Zion in our day, a one visible
Church, instead of our present divided and parti-coloured
Christendom — a fountain-head, whence the blessing might
go forth even unto life everlasting. But can this be done
in any other way than by Christ in, person ? The pre
tended vicar is an antichrist,
PSalm cxxxiv. — This psalm — which, -like a good many
others, is entitled a "song of degrees/' or march-song — ^ia

PSALM cxxxT, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 161
conceived to be made up of two benedictions — the one
from the patrol, or watchmen outside of the temple, and
addressed to the priests -within — and the other from these
priests, in the way of response back again. There is
something impressive and fuE of interest in these cordial
reciprocations of piety and good brotherhood, which Hors
ley, however, conceives to have taken place between the
priests retiring from the temple, and the priests who
were left behind at the shutting of the gate for the
night The outgoing priests bid those who remain lift
up their hands and bless the Lord 'in the sanctuary — the
solemn temple, made no doubt with human hands, yet
in which God deEghted to dweE. This temple was a
lofty object of veneration to every Jewish heart ; yet it is
worthy of being noted, that in the valedictory senterice of
the -priests -within to those -without, God is spoken of in a
higher character than as the Deity of their temple — even
as the God who made heaven and earth — ^that earth on
which the party without Were now treading, and those
heavens to which they could look Up as a nobler vault than
that which had been raised in Jerusalem, and was the
admiration of the surrounding people. We should- prize
every display of such an expansion.
Psalm cxxxv. 1-7. — There is a strong general resem
blance- between this and the 115th Psalm. It may have
been -written, as Good supposes, after the overthrow of
Sennacherib's army, and certainly after the establishment
of the monarchy in Jerusalem, (verse 21.) The praise
and the grateful acknowledgments are in keeping with its
being the occasion of a recent deliverance from enemies,
which would naturaEy suggest the idea of 'God's signal

162 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxxxv.
protection being connected with His choice of Jacob and
of Israel for His pecuEar peopla It is worthy of note,
however, and gives a more catholic idea of Jewish theism,
that such frequent ascriptions are given to God as the
Sovereign of nature, and so often, as to take the prece
dency of their acknowledgment to Him as the God of
their own nation. The greatness of the true God^— His
superiority above all gods — His unlimited power in heaven
and earth, and sea, and under the earth— ^His operations
in the atmosphere, so as to effect aE the changes and
pbenomena of weather — these are deferred, and done
homage to pre-vious to the celebration of what God had
done (verse 8) for their o-wn countrymen. It is interest
ing to mark, in verse 7, God's intromission ^-with the an
terior and secondary causes
8-21.^There is now a commemoration of the national
mercies — going back to the miracles of Egypt,' more
especiaEy to its last, and greatest, and most decisive
miracle — the death of all its first-bom. No wonder that
a history so signal and marvellous should have been bound
up with the faith of the people, and its events so often
and publicly made mention of The progress from Egypt
to Canaan is briefly and generally narrated ; and indeed
it may weE astonish us that Israel should have so fre
quently fallen away from the reccEection of these things.
It recurs to the celebration of them now in a period of
reformation, and when God had just interposed for their
delivery from the hands of a mighty and idolatrous con
queror; This leads to a comparison of the gods of the
nations with the true God of heaven and earth, and wno,
repenting Himself concerning His servants, had juat ap
peared, not as an avenger, but a Saviour from the power

psalm cxxxvu DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 163
of their enemies, who are here characterized as being like
the senseless idols which themselves did worship. The
conoluding invocations fix down this psalm as a temple
service. April, 1846.
Psalm cxxxvi. 1-9. — This psalm is conceived to have
been prepared for a great public occasion after the return
of- the Jews from Babylon. In subject-matter, and often
in expression, -it bears a strong resemblance to the last
psalm. The , chorus seems to have been frequently used
in the services of the Temple. (See 2 Chron. v. 13, 14 ;
and Ezra iii 10, 11.) 0 that the frequent repetition-ef
this blessed cherus were to fix my confidence in the Diyino
mercy ; and that I had more adequate sense of the gopd--
ness pf Gpd, as WeE as adequate gratitude for aE His
Ipvingkiadness arid care. Here, as in -the preceding
psahn, we find Hhn done hpmage to as the God pf na
ture, and distinct frcm this as peculiarly the Gcd pf their
p-wn natipn. And, acccrdirigly, mentien is first made pf
His su|)eriprity tp aE idpls, as being the Ged of gods, and
Lord of lords, as ha-ving been the Creator of heaven and
earth — (where notice the expression of tjie heavens being
made by -wisdem, as indeed they were by a most skilful
and profpund geometiy) — ^more especiaEy of His ha-ving
formed the lights, and so made the heavens above subser
vient to the accommodation and benefit pf the earth be
low — a constant benefit, through the sun to rule by day,
and the moon and stars by night,
10-26. — The psalmist now proceeds to the commemo
ration of God's woriderful dealings 'with Israel, and is
more fuE and particular in the enumeration of these than
the writer of titte preceding psalm. After referring to th^

164 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm cxxxrii.
last and most fearftil of the Egyptian plagues, he traces
the whole of the miraculous way by which- the people of
God were conducted to their settlement in the promised
lani The most stupendous of these miracles certainly
was the passage over the Red Sea, with the signally a-wful
destruction of Pharaoh and his hosts  Verse 23 is in
keeping with the hypothesis that this psalm was prepared
for some great celebration after the return of Israel from
captivity, though many similar occasions occurred in- the
course of their histOry. Often were they reduced to a low
estate, and as often agairi redeemed from their enemies 
The psalm concludes with a recurrence to the more gene
ral Providence of God^ — His maintenance of aE that lives,
and His authority in heaven, — 0 let me ever trust in
His mercy, yet forget not that His is a mercy that He
may be feared. Let me not abuse the goodness of God
Let me not despise the riches of His forbearance and long-
suffering. Psalm cxxxvii. — This is a traly affecting ode, sung by
the Israelites on the eve of -their return from Babylon,
or perhaps soon after it. There is more of pathos and
power in it than in any poem of the same dimensions
which I know. How exquisitely beautiful the image
of the harps upon the wiEows : and altogether what a
strain of tenderness J One can enter into the agonies of
. the Jews -under the contempt and cruelty of their jeering
eneinies, and fully sympathize, both with their revolt at
the profanation of singing a sacred hymn for their enter
tainment, and with their Ipngirig desires and remem- ¦
brances after their much Ipved Jerusalem. — Let me-share
in their affectien for Zion ; and 0 forbid that the secula-

•3ALM cxxxviii, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 165
rities pf the world should lead me to fprget Ged, pr to
forego the services and the spirit of godliness , , , , The three
concluding verses form the utterance of a ruder and lewer
mprality than the Gospel wiE now tolerate, and the
mixture of it -with what went before marks strikingly the
earEer character pf the old Dispensation,
Psalm cxxxviii. — The Septuagint has it that—" before
angels I wEl worship Thee." It may be demons or idols.
(Psalm xcvii 7.) ... How precieus the cpnjunction of con
stant occurrence — "Thy lovingkindness arid Thy truth !''
The last clause of verse 2 stands high ameng my nptabi-
Ea.^-My Gpd, in the absence pf aE thpse manifestatiens by
which cpnceptien is superadded tp faith, let me magnify
Thy word^ by resolutely beEeving therein, . Strengthen
me, 0 Lord, -with strength in my soul  The gods of the
nations, spokeri of in verse 1, shaE be_displaced- from the
faith and worship of the kings ef the earth, when con
verted to the Eving and true God, the knowledge of- whom
shaE at length cover the whole world  Verse 6 is also a
notabEe. — My God, I do walk , in the midst of trouble —
revive and strengthen me. Save from mine enemies ; and
in the strength of Thy right hand let mc not be moved
by them. Forsake me not, 0 Lord, for I am Thy crea
ture,, the work of Thine hands ; and "I desire to feel aE
thp subordination- of the creature — the lowliness which
Thou hast respect tmto .... Verse S is a decided notabEe,
the subject of a most appropriate prayer to all who are
earnestly looking and feeling their way Zionward, " Per
fect that which concerns me." — Perfect my understanding
in Divine things, that in Thy light I may clearly see light.
Perfect that which is "lacking " in my faith. Make me

166 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psal-b cixxix.
a perfect man in Christ Jesus Give me to be perfect
even as Thou art perfect.
Psalm cxxxix. 1-12.— This is a most precious and pro
fitable psalm, eminently suited for bringing us near to
God, even as it represents Ged being very near to us. He
intimately knows me, observes all my doings, penetrates
my thoughts in their first rising, besets me everywhere,
is acquainted with aE my doings, and aE my sayings.
Take me, 0 God, such as I am — make me such as I should
be ; and this by the power of Thy hand upon me. I can
not comprehend how I shotdd be thus mOst entirely and
throughout kno^wn to God ; but there is comfort in the
thought of it. His inteEigence reaches my whole case ;
and 0 may He, by His goodness and power, bring a whole
remedy to bear upon it ; and then wiE my secret faults
be cleansed thoroughly. And what an enlargement in
the thought of His omnipresence as weE as omniscience !
I cannot repair beyond the limits, either of His sight or
His sovereignty. And how beautiful the image of taking
the- wings of the morning ! . . . The heaven and the heE of
verse 8 may signify the locale of " above and below, the
earth ;" and so complete the sentiment, that neither height
nor depth, neither length nor breadth, can carry us be
yond the domain of His cognizance and control ; nor -can
even thickest darkness hide us from His aE-seeing eye.
13-24.- — From the greatnesses the psalmist passes on
to the profundities of nature  Verse 14 is one of the
higher of our Scripture notahilia. The being " fearfully
and wonderfully made" is strikingly descriptive of the
human framework, so abounding as it does in complexi
ties and delicacies and hidden relationshij)s, the contem-

PSALM CXL, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, 16r
plation of wtich might well fill us both with fear and
wonder. "What a deep, mystery Ees both in tiie processes
and the product of this marveEous creation ! , . . There is an
obscurity in the phrase of " the lowest parts of the earth,"
though it makes a plausible meaning to understand by it
that the body is made of the least and ultimate parts of
matter, the primordia of all things, the dust of the ground.
Surely Be who so elaborated us at the first does not with
draw His care fi^om us afterwards.- — Let me, therefore,
cast my care upon Him ; for very precious are His thoughts
towards us. May my first waking thoughts be always of
Goi And save me from enemies ; and let my chief an
tipathy towards them be because they are Thy enemies.
But let not malice, or uncharitableness, or selfishness,
mingle ¦with these feelings. Search and. prove me tho'-
roughly. Purge away aE that there is of the opposite to
that love which remaineth always, and is everlasting.
Psalm cxl.- — There is much comfort in these psalms,
when beset whether by the hostEity or the deceitftilness
of man. I am exercised at present, I fear, in the latter.
But -preserve me from uncharitableness, O Lord; and
whatever befaE, let my resort be continually to Him who
judgeth righteously. The lessons given forth to DaAdd
when thus circumstanced are eminently fitted to console
and guide those who are in any way preyed uponT>y the
ungrateful rapacity of those with whom they have to do.
— I>eliver and preserve me, 0 God. I pray for peace. I
pray also for protection. Enable me to appropriate Thee
to myself, and to say, " Thon art my Goi"- -Verse 6 is a
notabEe. Let my appropriating faith cause my prayer
to rise with acceptance. Be Thou the strength of my

168 DAtLY SCRIPTURE READINGS, psalm cxli.
eaiVation, Shield me frpm the devices pf the wicked, and
disappoint them of their evE intentions, 0 God — Verse
9 may be read thus; "As for those who lift up the head
¦ about me," &c The way now to heap burning coals-on
' the head .; of ' an adversary, is to relieve hiin and do him
gOoi "What a comfort it should be to men of generosity
and integrity, that God wiE redress all their wrongs ! —
Let me, therefore, be patient under injuries ; and this on
tha legitimate consideration that the Judge is at the door.
Psalm cxli. — ^What a press of importunity there is in
the opening words of this psalm. — ^Teach me to pray ; and
let me not think that I am to be heard for much speak
ing. Let the heart be rightly set, and this ¦wiE give right
utierance to the mouth. And do Thou not only guide me
in prayer to Thyself, but do Thou regulate and restrain the
efflux of my converse ¦with feEow-men. And save me not
only from the converse of the profiigate, but from that of
the ungodly. Increase my love for the brethren ; and
let me ever prefer the truth from their lips over the flat
teries and applause's of the world. .'. . Verse 6 is conceived
by some to refer to the ¦virtual overthrow of Satd by
David at the cave of En-gedi, when his words were, those
of friendship and peace to his deadliest enemy. There is
^reat obscurity in this .place  Verse 7 refers to some
defeat in which their dead lay unburied However defi
cient in conscience, or however- unfeeEng, nay cruel, my
enemies might be, let my eyes be directed towards God.
— My, God, guide me in safety through my present exi
gencies. Let not mine adversaries triumph over me. Pro
vide me with a secure escape from the art and malice of
those who^eek my hurt

rsALM cxLiii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 169
PsALM CXLiL — rThis psaJm looks like a sequel -to the.
last, in which David promised that his. words should be
sweet unto his enemies after that they were overthrown.
He is represented in the title as being now in the cave,
pre^vious to his rencontre with Saul . We can image in these
circumstances aE the distress and despondency which are
here depicted ; and what more natural than in such as
David having recourse to prayer. And there was a confi
dence that mingled with his fears and held him up in the
midst of them. That " no man cared for his soul," might
mean ¦with him that no man cared for his life — none would
interpose to protect him from the arm of Saul, Efted up
for his destruction. Yet the frequent application of this
,plause to the sotili-so as to make it express the indifference
of men to the spiritual interestsof others, makes it one of
the notabEia of Scripture. — Let me, in the midst of desti
tution and abandonment, turn me to God. Be_Thou my
portion even here. O shine upon my soUl;'and make
Thyself manifest to me as my reconciled Friend and
Father. DeEver me from men ; and release me, 0 God,
from the imprisonment of darkness and spiritual, death in
which I have been lield so lojig. Put me into the haaide
of the righteous, saving me from evU. men.
Psalm cxliil — Another outset of importunity, with an
appeal to the truth^and righteousness of God .... Verse 2
is one of the notabiEa.-^]^y God, give me a refuge from
judgment in Tby loojatiated mercy. The Psalmist was
nrged' to these earnest pleadings by the hardships he en
dured at the hand of pnemies. This might have been
done in the ,way of chastisement ; b^t he prays for miti
gation. I can Imagine that if formal* sins have put one
VOL, IIL H

170 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm cxltt,
in the power of enemies, these may be let loose upon him,
and overwhelm him with disgrace, and expose him to the
abandonment of society. — I have much to meditate on
in the way of past sinfulness Thou hast preserved me
hitherto. My God, let the end be peace and the light of
Thy countenance. 0 that my soul thirsted after God.
Hide Thy face no longer. Command the light to shine
into my heart. Let me trust even now, and before the
manifestations which I pray for. Let me trust at present,
even though I should not hear Thy lovingkindness till
the morning, and not know the way I should wS,lk in
till Thou hast further revealed it to me, "When mine
enemies assaE me, let my hiding-place be God .... Verse
10 is quite notable. HeaVen is the land of uprightness
— Quicken and deliver me, 0 Lord ; and meanwhile let
me giye myself up to Thy service.
Psalm cxliv. — This psalm, like the ninth, seems to have
been a thanksgiving for a natipnal deliverance. It is
obviously the song of a warrior. It is a magnificent poem.
...Verses 3 and 4 aro notabEia. — Humble me, 0 God,
in the thought of my. own insignificance, even as Da-vid
was when he ascribed his deliverance from enemies to the
special interposal of God's power and providence. Make me
to feel as he did the evanescence of man's life here below.
"What need there is now for some express manifestation to
arouse the world from its ungodliness — a world overrun
with strange children, with men estranged and aEenated
from God. 0 deliver Thy chosen out of their hands, and
put a song into their mouths. Hasten the emancipation
of the human family from the thraldom of him who still
wields the ascendency over them. And let the young

PSALM cxLV. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 171
generation arise as a seed to serve Thee. 0 may they
be the supports of -the Church when we have left this
weary wilderriess. Bless them with aE spiritual blessings ;
but let us not despise the good things of this life, whereof
godEness has the promise, as weE as of the life which is
to come. They formed the rewards of obedience under the
old Economy ; and in the keeping of the commandments
may we stEl experience that th^e is a great arid a pre
sent reward.
PsaLm CXLV. 1-9.^-This is a truly noble psalm, and oc
cupies a very high and distinguished place in the collection.
I may here notice that the comparative celebrity of psalms
depends a good deal on the merits of the version sung
in churches. The present one has been weE rendered ;
whereas there are many others to which great injustice
is done in the metrical psalms, and for obtaining a fuE
and fair impression of which, we must read them in the
Bible .... Verse 3 is a notabEe. — -Give me to feel, 0 Lord,
the humility of my own conscious ignorance  Then
foEows a description, first of the greatness, and then of
the goodness of God. — ^Let me be solemnized and stand
in awe of the one; let me confide in the other. The
representation of His goodness is mixed up with that of
His righteousness and hoEness; so -that WhEe His natural
attributes of greatness and tmsearchableness and power
are most spoken of dowii to verse 7, the moral attributes
form the chief theme of what remains in this affecting
composition — 0- riiy God, .grant that I may have a fullfer
and freer confidence than heretofore in Thy great good
ness. Why shoiEd I remain so unmoved by the assurances
and demonstrations* so urgently and repeatedly given of

"l>2 DAILY SCRIPTUKE READINGS. psalm cxlvi.
it And it' is a goodness Which extendeth to aE-^a tender
mercy that is over all
10-21— This is throughout a memorable psalm. Both
the kingdom of nature and that of grace.are included in
verse 10 ; and both, throughout this and the two foEowing
verses, are made alike the tributaries and the witnesses to
the greatness of the Divinity, The eternity of -God's
po-w:er — His compassion — His diffusive liberality — His
righteousness and holiness — are all most impressively set
forth in these verses. And so far from this God of might
and glorious majesty being distant and inaccessible. He is
said to be nigh — ^nigh " to all that caE upon Him ;" but —
let me not forget the quaEfication — " who caE upon Him
in trath." — My God, so qualify ma Put truth into my
inward parts. Let mine be a real and honest call upon
God. Teach me to pray. Give me to pray in faith, that
according to my realizing sense of my own dependence
arid of God's sufficiency, so it may be done unto me. Put
the fear of Thee into my heart, and fulfil its desire. Hear
my cry and save me, 0 God. 0 may the love of Thee be
shed abroad in my heart ; and then shaE I be preserved,
and have all things worlcing together for my highest good
— even the good of my soul 0 that I reached the length
of praise ! Thy kingdom come, 0 Lord — ^when aE shaE
worship and give thanks at the remembrance of Thy hoE
ness, from the least to the greatest.
Psalm cxlvi. — ^This is supposed to ha-ve been sung by
the captives after their return from Babylon ; and it is
probable, from verses 3 and 4, that Si was after the ,dis-
appointment they sustained at the hajid of the Persian
court, when the worit of rebuEding the Temple- had an

psalm cxlvii. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 173
arrest laid upon it It is a noble resource for the pious
when they can cast themselves upon God under aE the
wrongs which they may sustain from the treachery and
faithlessness of men. They contrast His power and truth
vrith the frailty and falsehood pf men who, even in their
best estate, " are altogether vanity." His peculiar relation
to themselves in their peculiar circumstances is palpably
set forth in His executing judgment for the oppressed — in
His loosing the prisoners — in His raising them who are
bowed down — and, finaEy, in His preserving the strangers.
. . , The, psalm concludes with the confidence that aE -wiE
yet go- weE for Jerusalem, and that Zion wiE be the me
tropolis of the whole earth.— Speed this blessed consum
mation in Thine own good time, 0 Lori
Psalm cxl-vil 1-11. — Several of the psalms are assigned
to the feast of tabernacles, or harvest-home, as their occa
sion ; and this may have heea one of these. But there is
over and above a great likelihood of its having been a
prepared song , for the captives from Babylon — and this
after they had been released from the j)rohibition . of
buEding their temple under the government of Nehemiah.
. . . His " buEding up ef Jerusalem," and His " gathering
together of the outcasts of Israel," in verse 2, form strong
verisimilitudes in favour of this supposition. How nobly
the recognition of God, as the Lord of Nature, mingles
With the grateful acknowledgment of His goodness as
thovShepherd of Israel — the greatness and -wisdom of the
Supreme,, -with His condescension to the meek and humble !
— Give me to stand in awe of Thine infinite understand
ing, and be restrained thereby from aE presumptuous
speculation on matters too high for me  The effusions

174 DAILY SCRIPTUkE READINGS. psalm. cxltii.
of praise correspond here with all these different views of
the Deity. , His providential care of man and beast is set
forth, with great beauty; and it is not obscurely inti
mated in verses 10 and 11, that it is not by armies — not
by might^^that the Lord grants deliverance to His people ;
but that His pleasure is directly to aid aE those who fear
aridtrust Him. - '
12-20. — To " strengthen the 'bars of the gates of 'Jeru
salem," is an expression in keeping jvith the hypothesis,
that this psalm is a celebration of God's blessings -to those
who had just finished the bmlding of their city. The
peace and the plenty which they theri enjoyed are also
fitting subjects of gratitude and gratulation. There is a
fine intermingling here, too, of what is ¦ done by God in
the kingdom of Nature, as well as in the kingdoms of
Providence and Grace: It looks as if these verses had
been both composed and sung by men who had had access
to higher and colder climates than is the general climate
of Judea— ^by men familiar with snow and ice and hoar
frost, and the process of thawing by which these are melted
and give rise to inundations. — Let us recognise God by
His doings in the world, as weE as by His sayings in the
Word. Let us ha-re respect unto both, and more espe
cially to the latter. Shew me, 0 God, Thy word by Thy'
Spirit. Teach me the way wherein I should walk. Se
lect me from a world lying in wickedness and darkness ;
from which do Thou translate me into, the marveEous
light of the Gospel, Let me not hold it enough to be on
a level with the Jews, in that I have access, as they had,
to the oracles of God. What does this' profit, if I read
with the veil upon my heart ? — May that VeE, 0 God, be
taken away ; and let Thy blessed Gospel come to me

¦13

psalm oxlix. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 175
with power, and with the Holy Ghost,- and with much
assurance. Psalm cxlviil — A noble hymn, and from which we
should learn to have a higher consideration for natural
theology. What a magnificent survey is here taken of
Creation — ^beginning -with the heavens and coming down
to earth. The inhabitants of heaven, the angels and hosts
of the celestial, are included in this invocation, alon,
with the materialism of these upper regions— ^as the sun
moon, stars, and the waters that were above the firmament.
Then,. in counterpart to this, we have' the animate arid
inanimate of the world belpw — ^the deep, with its sea-
mensters-— the earth, with its cattle and fowls and insects ;
and last of aE, its rational occupiers, in calling upon whom,
the psalmist passes onward from kings and all people; to
saints and those who are near unto Himself — ^thus making
transition from the natural to the spiritual, and exhibiting
such a combination as we would do well to imitate both
in our public and private devotions. — Save me from that
exclusiveness of view which is too fi^equent- among church
men !
Psalm cxlix, — This psalm is also referred to the period
after the return from Babylon, We can enter into the
affection, of the Jews for their Ziori, now re-occupied, and
again become their o-wn. — Give me to jpy in God; and to
regard Him more practically and habitually in my heart
as Him who made me^ 0 admit me to the intimacies of
such a fellowship with Thyself as 1 earnestly aspire after.
Give me to apprehend, vividly and aright Thine affection
for Thy chEdren,. and the pleasure Thou haist in. them,

176 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. psalm gl.
such as a father hath for his family. G if I could thus be_
made to rejoice and to glory in God ! Find an entrance
for Thyself into my bosom, so that Thou mayest dwell and
walk in me all the day long, and I may have sweet medi
tation of Thee in the night season and upon my bed.
And with this ele-ration of heart towards God, let there
be a resolute and intrepid opposition to all which is
opposed to Him in the world. We are forbidden tha use
pf carnal weapons ; but the weapons of our warfare are
yet "mighty to the pulling down of strongholds" — such
weapons, for example, as Stephen used, when the enemies
of the faith were not able to resist the wisdom and. the
Spirit by which he spake. Such a victory and triumph
-ire awaiting the saints ; nor are we prepared to say that
tihej will not take part in the battles which seem to he-
predicted in the Book of Revelation, before that the
kingdoms of the earth shaE become the kingdoms of
Christ, when tb^^xecution of the judgment there written
shall take effect on the potentates of the worid.
. Psalm cl. — The Psalms have their final and most ap
propriate outgoing in praise — that highest of all the exer
cises of godliness. And this psalm is not a hymn from
the Church alone, but from the temple of nature — seeing
that it calls on men to "praise Him in the sanetuary,"
and to " praise Him also in the firmament of His power."
— 0 that I- could rise to the lofty strain of this invoca
tion ; and that I was more alive to the excellent great
ness of Him who is the Lord of Creation,, arid of aE its
wonders — so that I might praise Him for His mighty
works in Nature, fpr His mighty acts in Prpvidence and
History  But this is pre-eminently the composition of

PK0VKKB3I. DAILY -SCniPTURE READINGS. 177
a saint ; and so, while he calls on everything that hath
breath to praise the Lord, he invokes Him also as the
Head of the Church, and caEs to his aid the gloripus
symphonies of the templa Altogether, it forms a noble
concert — a grand valedictory celebration, winding up, as
it were, the magnificent series of those devotional odes
which have formed the delight and exercise of the Church
in- all ages  The crder of these psalms seems to -have
been in no way chronological Yet Ezra, who is under
stood to have been the coEector, brings the whole, by his
selection of Psalm cl., to a most appropriate close, — I shall
never again so dweE upon them on earth.* — My God,
prepare me for heaven, and for joining there in the spngs
of the redeemed in the high services, of eternity.
r
PROVBEBS.
i ' ;
Proverbs L l-9,^r-Proverbs,are sayings -of weight and
¦wisdom, whether the meaning be veiled in figure or not
— though; the translation of the Septuagint into 7rapoi/j,iat
would seem to intimate the figurative character of a pro
verb. It, however, is not so necessarily, and, not so in
the vast majority of that precious coEection here spread
out before us. The inspired authorship, of Solomon has
a higb place in the Bible, and more especiaEy the Book
on which we now enter — than which none is more fre
quently quoted in the New Tesjiament — ^that most power
ful of all witnesses to the canonicity of the various pieces
which make up- the Old, The word in Hebrew si^ifying
proverb comes frohfi a radical ¦which means to rule — ^thus
* In penning tliis I did not advert to'the " Horae Biblioae Sabtaticae,"— -
What robm'for enlargement!' ''
h2

178 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. pnorERirs i.
implying" th^,t it is a sentence of commanding authority,
and which should bear a corre^ondirig sway Over- the
mirid of the reader. The authorship of the Book is most
decisively stamped upon it at the outset ; and the subject
so defined as to include in the practical wisdom, or vds-
dom pf life, whereof it treats, both the moral and the ex
perimental — ^the light of conscience as weE as the light of
observation. The " knowledge and discretion" of verse 4
harig chiefly upon tha latter, as3eing founded on a know
ledge of the world and its ways. The " dark sayings " of
verse 6 imply enigma — ^or trath and wisdom under the
concealment of a figure. — My God, put Thy fear "into my
heart. . Give me hold of this great master-pririciple of aE,
wisdom. Seeing that Thou demandest knowledge, let a
sense of duty, to Thee impel me onward to the prosecution
of it  Solomon speaks as a father— and perhaps to a
son under immediate tuition of both his parents. Know
ledge and wisdom confer a truer dignity than all the
insignia of rank,
10-19, — Verse 10 is one of my Scripture notabEia, In
these days of robbery and "violence the dissuasive is against
companionship with thieVes and murderers ; but now it
may be directed generaEy against all such converse ¦with
the irreligious and the profligate as might expose to the
evilcommunications which corrupt good manners  Verse
16 is iri all likelihood the verse referred to by the Apostle
in Rom. iii 15. But in making haste to shed the blood
of others, they land themselves in their o"wn ruin. De
struction and rhisery are in their ways — ^but it is destruc
tion and misery to themselves, though so intent on mis
chief to others, that they do not see the- way on which
they are rashing to be that of their o^wri final perdition

PROVERBS II. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 179
and wretchedness. Their lives will pay the forfeit, at the
last, of their foul and ferocious misdeeds. But in the
blindness of their infatuation they do not perceive this,
and so they precipitate themselves forward to their own
final undoing — so as to faE beneath the inferior creatures
in sagacity and reach of -sight— such as the Ibird, which
sees the snare that is laid, for it,- and shuns it accordingly.
But perhaps this parenthetic l7th verse may be addressed
to the son of Solomon^ who has had the hazards of evil
companionship set before him, and Who, under the figure
here used, is taught how to apply the waming to himself
20-33. — This whole passage ranks very high among tho
memorabEia of Scripture — ^teeming throughout -with most
precious and important lessons in theology, as the univer
sality of the call from God to man — "Turn you at my
reproof;" the effect of so turning, that God WEl pour out
His Spirit, so as to proye the antecedency of what is done
by man— not to the first, but to subsequent influences and
manifestations of grace from on high — ^the .^jlessed har
mony between the Spirit and the Word, as if the object or
end of giving the Spirit was. to. make kno^wn the Word ;
then the consequences of a refusal — ^that though the Spirit
would be given should they tum now, -it fpllpwed net that
He wpuld be given thpugh- they sheuld caE aftenvards —
the bitter fruit of impeniteney, the fruit of its own way, the
reaping of that which was sown, the natural and inherent
miseryj in shprt, that attaches tc sin and tp aE uUgpd-
liness. — Give me, 0 Lerd, tp hearken unte Thee, and
hearken untp Thee dEigently, even that my soul may live,
¦Pb,q,veb,bs II. 1-9. — To "/tide my commandments" sig-
fiifies to lay up my commandments — Md up not for

180 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs ii.
 .  U  :  ,  y 
concealment, .but for custody. To "hidethe Word in one's
heart," and, the "life hidden with "Christ in God," arid simi
lar expressions in certain other places, seem all to require
being understood in this way. The connexion between
seeking and finding is here- very strongly and urgently
set forth.— ^0 may I therefore put forth far more of dili-
i' gence and strenuousness in tha work of seeking after the
knowledge of God— -more precious than aE sEver or hid
treasure. And what a glorious acquisition, to understand
Ghe fear of the Lord — a singular expression for a most
singularly valuable accomplishment. But let me combine
prayer with, exertion for this object — seeing that this wis
dom is a gift from above, not to supersede our efforts,
but that we might superadd dependence and prayer to
them. And it is further ¦worthy of remark, that the
righteousness of pur conduct contributes to the enlight
enment of our creed. The wholesome reaction of the
moral on the intellectual is clearly intimated here — inas
much as it is to the righteous that God imparteth wis
dom — ^besides being a buckler to them, gi"ving wisdom, to
His saints, and preserving their way. The understand
ing here spoken pf is Chiefly the right discernment of the
moral — of the righteousness, and thre judgment, and the
equity, and of good paths, even as of the fear of the
Lord 1,0-22, — ^We have here both tie pleasantness and the
profitableness of knowledge and wisdom, with the safety
which there is in discretion and understanding, Itis chiefly
a moral wisdom, or right mora,! understanding, -which is
spoken of in this passage. And the great achievement
which is celebrated and held forth in these verses, is the
cautious avoidanee of evE company^^whether of men given

PROVERBS HI, DAILY SCRIPTURE, READINGS, 181
to deceit and. -violence, or of women who, by luring to
the paths of licentiousness, do in fact lure to the paths of
destruction .\ . . There is a word that occurs more than once
in these verses, and which .occurs frequently throughout
this Book, and whereof I have not met with an exactly
defined signification — " frowari*' Some understand by it
peevishness or perverseness Were I to consult its etymo
logy, I should rather conceive that it vrasfromward; and
so, impetuous headstrong acting, on the impulse of what
ever feeling is uppermost in the mind, Unrestrained by
calculation or conscience, and therefore the opposite of
discretion. The precise meaning wiE be further evplved,-
perhaps; in future passages.
Proverbs in. l-lO.-^The lesson at the outset of this
chapter may be regarded either as filial pbedience, if we
look upon it as addressed from a father to a son ; or if it
be an address from tha Wisdom which inspired -this Book
to its readers, then may it be understood as a general
lesson of obe'dience to God's moral and unchangeable law.
There are temporal blessings annexed to, this obedience;
but of such a specific kind, that they may be spiritualized
into etemityand the Efe and peace of the spiritually
minded — 0 my God, vrrite on my heart the mercy and
the trath which enter into such blessed conjunction with
each other, and which conjoin the favour of God with.
that of men. And what a precious notabEe is compristed
in verses 5 and 6!— My God,- enable me to reaTi2;e-^the
lesson of these verses; and. under aE the urgencies of my
lot; may I know what it is to look upwardly for guidance
to Thyself, and to be stiE-— in the knowledge that Thou
art Goi Give me the health of a well-conditioned soul;

182 DA'ILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs hi.
and 0 may I know what it is- to honour the Lord with
wkat He gives me in stewardship and trust, and in the
faith, too, that ultimately I shaE not lose by it.
11-18. — Verses 11 and 12 form the subject of an un
doubted quotation in the Epistle to -the Hebrews — ^far the
strongest and most satisfactory species of proof for the
inspiration of this Book, and- the others which are sp
quoted in the New Testament.— Then follows a memor
able passage translated into" one of our most popular
paraphrases, , The superiority of mtental and moral to aE
material wealth, is hei*e put forth in weighty sentences,
and by apt Elustrations,' ' The blessings here annexed to
wisdom are rio doubt of a temporal charactpr; but it is
well to remark, that, apart from eternity, the mental, in
respect of present happiness, is superior to the material
There is a peace and a pleasure in goodness, which makes
even the enjoyment, for the time being, far higher than
any gratification that -worldly riches might enable us -to
obtain. But even riches are often added to the more
direct and immediate felicities attendant on wisdom and
worth — ^these last, however, distributed by the left hand,
as of lesser consideration than, the length of days that
is given by the right .... "What a blessed image is that by
which wisdom is likened to thatree of life — ^having which,
¦Vf e are made for ever happy in Paradise ! May, 1846.
19-35. — As the highest, recommendation of wisdom;
the readeV is carried up to Him who is the Author Of all
things, and Who in wisdom made them aE. It is in
teresting to find in the sacred volume, the heavens —
the geometry of which is so profound and perfect-r— thus

PROVERBS IV. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 183
represented as a product of the Divine understanding.
And so ¦wisdom is urged upon man as both of vital use
and of adornment — " grace tmto thy neck." Then there
is the safety which it ensures to its possessor.— My God,
be Thou my confidence, and let me not be afraid of the
assaults of. popular violence. And let me do good;, but
oidy when the good is a reaEty, and not a semblance to
which I am urged by the clamours whether of misguided
zeal, or of a devising and deliberate maEgnity But what
my hand findeth to do in the way of clear duty, let me do
it instantly and with aE my might." Save me, 0 God,
from so much as the "wish to do hurt ; and let me not
enter into controversy ¦without a sufficient cause  Then
we hava the froward contrasted ¦with the righteous. I
find that froward is a translation -from words that differ
between themselves in the Greek Septuagint, and which
I should have rendered by urifaithfid, (ch. E 12,) per
verse, (ch. ii. 14,) unlawful, (cL Ei 32,) or transgressor of
the law. It is in conformity with the Septuagint that
the " scomers" here are the "proud" in the quotation cf
verse 34 by J^mes.
Pro-verbs rv. 1-17. — The wise ma;n stiE speaks in tiie
parental character of a father addressing his chEdren — -,
even as he himself (Solomon) aEeges that he was in-
stracted and warned by his father Da-vid He was the
object oi his father's preference, and' the special favourite
of his mother, as We learn from the history ; and the
coincidence here -with the direct narrative is very inter
esting. And it is a further - coincidence, that as the
finit of David's endeavouring to press upon him the value
of wisdom, this is what he selected above all others, as

184 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs iv.
the thing he would ask of God — because the 'principal
thing.,/ And so he in tum presses the same lesson upon
his own son — who, if Rehoboam, did not profit much by
Solomon's attempts to lead him in the right path . , . .What
an important caution have we in verse 15, to ayoid e-vil,
to shun temptatioHj not to come near it, not to look on
it ; but tum, and so as that it shaE not be present to the
eye of the senses! — Neither, 0 God, let me suffer its
being present to the Pye of the- mind. These precautions
apply to the temptations of licentiousness in all ages. In
that age, when rapine and lawless violence were abroad,
they are applied as warniiigs against another sort of com
panionship. 18-27. — Verse 18 is a decided notabEe, and points
decidedly to tha connexion between the moral and the
intellectual, and the influence of the former upon the
latter. The closer our walk with God, and so the way of
conformity to His enjoined, righteousness — the dearer wEl
be our dispernment of all spiritual truth, the brighter
wiE be the light within, or the candle of the, Lord in
cur hearts, and the brighter also -will Pur Eght shine be
fore men. In counterpart to this, the way of the wicked
is as darkness. .(See Ps. Ixxxii 5, and Job xviii 5,' 6.) . . .
The life and the health of wisdom are here emphatically
stated : verse 23 is another m.ost decided- notabEa-^My
God, may I be enabled to keep my -heart in the love of
Thyself; and blessed be Thy name for the specific direc
tions Thou hast given for this task. (See Jude 20, 21.)
May, I be strenuous and constant in the exercises of faith
and prayer ; and direct my thoughts aright, that I may
keep my affections and feelings right. Let the fountain
be pure, and pure will be the streams that flow from

PRovsRis ?. -D.-ilLY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 185
it  It is not easy to gather the precise meaning of
the frotmrd that occurs so often in our- translation, ,as
the original words for it, both in Greek and Hebrew, are
so various.
. Proverbs t. 1-14.— -See how closely allied throughput
these instructions is the -wisdom here enjoined with
moral character and conduct. The evEs of licentiousness
form a frequent theme with this great teacher, and
urgent and manifold are the cautions which he advances
against the fascination of this most ruinOus and deceit
ful of aE the vices. We have often thought that the
indulgence, -with its consequent shame and suffering,
and all sorts of agony, which so quickly foEow it, make
out a miniature exhibition of God's method of adminis
tration in. the analogous relationship which He has in
stituted between the present and the future" life. Let
us not deceive ourselves by the imagination that because
our tendencies to the world are so very natural, and
many of them with so little power to alarm the conscience,
and stir up a present remorse or remonstrance in our
bosoms — ^they wiE therefore not be foEowed up by the
dire and dread eternity of that heE into which are cast
aE they who forget God. For the same process is exem
plified in that process, wheri man without compun-ction at
the time, gives way to the blandishments of sensuality;
and is often punished even here with the rain of all his
earthly interests, with -the loss of character, and the felt
humiliation of his own disgrace — and. this a punishment
lastirig at least as a Whole lifetime here. •
16-23. — We have here the testimony of the Old to a
sentiment given in the New Testament^ on the honours

186 DAILY .^SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs vi.
ableriess of marriage  Verse 16 does not seem very in
telligible, and might almost be construed into a sanction
for polygamy. From, this passage, however, we m.ay
learn how intense the affection is which is due from the
husband to his wife, and his obligation to the strictest
faithfulness . .-. .^The niorale of Heb. xiii 4, is diffused over
the verses which lie before us. We there read who they
are whom Gpd wEl judge ; and in cpunterpart to this;
we here read " that the ways of man are before the eyes
of the Lord, and He pondereth all his goings." How ex
pressive of a great moral law, when told, that, his own
iniquities shall take the wicked himself He becomes
thp slave of the sins in which he indulges. With a wiE
¦that might lay claim at the outset to some degree of sove
reignty, he "ehose sin, but it soon tyrannized pver him,
and depriving that wiE pf aE ppwer tp resist, soon re
duced it to a state of Jielplessand irrecoverable, bondage.
His iniquities seize upon him, and keep him as it were
within their grasp, so that he is holden with the cords
of his sins. This is pre-eminently true of the habits
both of intemperance and Ecentiousness Craigholm.
Proverbs vj, 1-5. — There is nothing mora palpable in
this. Book of Proverbs, than thfe protest which it lifts
against .suretiship. 1 think that in comparing Scrip
ture with Scripture -this should be taken into account,
when adjusting and regulating pur practice by the direc
tions of the New Testament in regard to giving. There
is positively nothing which I sheuld dp with greater rp-
luctaricy and aversion than to give my name as a surety
— ,a distinct sort of giving from that of direct and im-.

proverbs vi. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 187
mediate conveyance; and subject I should hope to differ
ent rules and different principles. Certain it is that to
give away and be done with it, leaves one in a wholly
different .state from coniing' under an engagement to
give on some uncertain contingency,, tbe occurrence of
which would lay upon us the burden of a responsibEity
¦ that we . would ' far rather discharge now than expose
ourselves to the hazard of its beiug brought upon us
afterwards To do this is to open a door through which
a cro"wd of anxieties and fears would enter in, and make
my. heart the prey of feeEngs insupportable. I am re
lieved to think' that the sanctions of Scripture are so much
at one with my .own inclinations. " Certain it is that
from the moment of my, becoming a -cautioner, I should
not be able to give-.sleep to my eyes or slumber to my
eye-lids Such are my tendencies
6-19.— The passage respecting the ant is ' one of our
Scripture memorabEia, — :The lesson.of the passage I de-
sEe to practise, but with better ends^ than, I have done
hitherto — not to be slothful — ^but whait ?-— but " foEowers
of them who through faith and patience. are inheriting
the promises" Let the objects of my dEigence be higher
than they wont Keeping my heart with all diligence
— hearkening diEgently — ^being diEgentto be found with
out spot and blameless — ^gi"ving all dEigence — (2 Pet, i 5)
— ^to reaEze the graces "and virtues of- the Christian life.
The world .caE me an industrious, man;, but has my in
dustry been directed aright, or expended on ends worthy
of it ? ... In -the next passage the character pourtrayed
seems to be that of craft and policy /-and wEy malice —
of a man who can plot and contrive, and make beckon-
ings and secret intimation to his associates in wickedness.

188 DAILY SCRIPTUKE READINGS. pkov«bb»\^.
It lis remarkable that the end pf him is described in
the same terms with that cf him who hardened himself
against frequent reproof. (Prov. xxix. 1.) The end of
both is sudden and irremediable .destruction..,. In the
third of these passages the hatred of God is denounced
against pride, and falsehood, and -violence,., and artfiil
machination, -and delight in executing as weE as plet-
ting mischief, and finaEy the stirring up pf quarrels^ — and
quarrels among brethren, too,- the very opposite to the
vocation of the peace-maker, whose deEght it is to recon
cile enemies.
20-35. — He now recurs to one of his most frequent
lessons, and prefaces it -with a general .monition of the
greatest importance — a cpnstant remembrance ef and
reference te God's law, the setting of this cpntinually
before us, so as to ensure what the Romans called, a
perpetual will to do good-r-May I carry this about with
me, 0 Lord, at all times ; and' be ever recurring- to it as
the standard and regulator of my conduct in aE its con
ceivable varieties ¦ With this preparation, and on this
principle, let me trifle not with the fascinations against
which he here warns us. Tum, .0 God, my sight and
eyes from , viewing vanity Let me ccmbat the evil pf
which the Menter here speaks, in its first beginnings^
Let me," in this department of human conduct,, aim at a
high morality — ^the morality of the thoughts and affec
tions For both lopks and tlipughts are forbidden in
Verse 25,- even as beth are by the Savipurin ]ilatt.,v. 28.
' Ihere is allewance madp by men for the hunger that im
pels to theft, though even this does not exempt it from
punishment How much surer, then, the punishment, the
disgrace, and the -vengeanca— for no aEoWance wiE or

PROVERBS VII. DAILY SCIHiPTURE READINGS, 189
ought to bo made for the strength of the other appetite,
which leads to adultery! ,It. meets even here with a day
of relentless and unsparing vengeance ; arid how much
more in the great day of the manifestation and reckoning
of aE tMngs.
Proverbs vil 1-1 G.- — To " keep the commandments and
Eye" is still what takes effect under the new- Economy,
but in -a different way from' wliat ."Do this and Eve"
would have taken efifect under the. old. The latter is
npw -exploded, because the Efe Which it stipulated was of
judicial import, and he who obtained it won for .himself a
right to life. ¦ But under^;he o|;her economy it is not the
right-to Efe which is meant, but the- life itsOlf ; and obedi
ence is Efe, just as spiritual-mifldedness is life and peace.
Hpw closely and constantly we are required to -keep by
the law— laid up in our hearts — guarded with all ten-'
demess as the apple of one's eye^-k^t in perpetual re- .
membrance even by artificial signs fastened upon our
fingers — ^written on the tablet of the inner man ! All is
necessaiy for our guardianship from the aEurements of a
world lying in wickedness, and ever exciting those lusts
which war against the. soul To keep ourselves safe, we
must put on the defensive armour both of wisdom and
principle^ wanting -which a simple youth is -here repre-
.sented as taken in the tojls of a seducer.... A dis-
.suasion against the temptations of licentiousness -forms
ona of the strongest «rid most frequent lessons in the
Book of Proverbs. -
11-27.— 'Both the fescinations of a most deceitful and
destractive vice, and the ruin attendant on our gi-ving way
to thta, are here riiost strongly and fully given. Wei

190 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, proverbs viti.

are we made to understand from this representation what
is meant by the phrase — "the deceitfulness of siri,"" and
how lusts are said to be deceitful. And, indeed, apart
from the external blandishments which are pourtrayed in
this passage, there belongs to them a power of internal
deception the most fallacious and insinuating — and this
not merely because of their strength, and of their fitness
to engross the whole man when once they take possession
of him, and^o to shut out all reflection and seriousness —
these counteractives to evil passions ; but because of their
alliance with, a^id the affinity which they bear to, the
kindly arid benevolent and good feelings of our nature.
As the poet' says — ^hiinself a wild and wayward and
most dangerously- seductive ¦writer-— the transition is a
most natural~*one, from " lo^ving much to loving wrong,"
— Let all such affections ibe sedulously kept at bay, and
the occasions of them shunned and fled from, rather than
hazarded, and tampered ¦with. Let them never be wilfully
encountered, or presumptuously braved and bid defiance
to, lest the victoiy be theirs ; and no sooner do they 'win
the heart' than they war against the soul. They bring
forth sin, even the sin which, when finished, bringeth
forth death, ' -
Proverbs viil 1-9, — These incessant, and repeated caEs
on the side of what is wise and good remind one Pf the
Apostle's saying, that " to ¦write the same things, whEe'to
me not grievous, for you is safe," There is not only reiter
ation here, but the reiteration of such mere generalities,
as that knowledge and understanding are good things,
and righteousness is a good thing, and trath is a good
thing. In fact, the object of preaching-^— and this Book of

PROVERBS vin, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 191
Proverbs, as weE, as of Ecclesiastes, may be regarded as
a continuous preaching- — its main object is not to inform
but to remind ; or, in the language- of Peter, to " stir up
by way of remembrance." It is to recaE what, if not
present to the mind, leaves it exposed and abandoned to
the influences — often bad-:— of ¦whatever may cast up or
come within the sphere of vision along one's daily histoiy.
The sense of a something higher and more enduring than
the flitting and fugitive objects of an hour, forms a stay
and a preservative to the soul ; and to uphold this sense
it is weE that ¦wisdom should assert her claims, and that
¦we should in practice acknowledge them, to be listened to
at all times and "upon every occasion— in high places or
on the wayside — abroad in the city, or at home within the
privacypf pkr pwn.habitatipns. It is weE that the simple
and the -thoughtless should thus .be summoned from their
heedlessness, and so ever and anon be solemnized and
made serious.
10-21. — Many of the things here said are so very fami
liar that they are utterly devoid of all the pecuEar in
terest which attaches to novelty; yet the repetition of
them, if. only .attended to and dwelt upon, has a good
wholesome effect on the moral temperament at largei
And besides these generalities of statement and reflection
which are occurring constantly, there are certain specific
things put forth worthy of being particularly noticed — as
here, -the superiority of wisdom- to wealth and' all things,
and also the ppwer of wisdom to gain wealth. The precise
distinction between -wisdom and pradence it would not be
difficult to define, or at least to describe ; but let it suffice
us -for the" present to remark on the two-fold, exercise of
wisdom-— first, in selecting the best ends, and secondly,

192 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. ncovums wi.
in devising, as well as .putting into actual opWation, the
best means for the attainment of them. — 0 -that my
hatred of seen evE were the distinct effect of mjy fear of
the unseen God. May Christ be made unto me wisdom
and strength— 'for it is He who here speaketh,^ verse 14.
. . .Verse 15 is a notabEe.-^Let me love Christ, and if I
love Him I will keep His commandments; and He wiE
love me, and take-up His abode- with me, wheri, as the
fruit of my early - and eamest seeking, I shall have sup-
ceeded in finding Him.
' '22-36. — ^There is a loftiness of rqjresentation in this
.'passage unsurpassed in all other Eterature, profane or
sacrei I recognise the wisdom here set fprth, as the Logos
— aven Him Who was in the beginning with God, ^ and
was God — a truth made eledr as nepn^day .in Pur Jater
revelation, but not the less impressi^ve or at all diminished
in the grandeur of its aspect and bearirig, when thus made
to beam upon us from the records of a more distant and
higher antiquity. We can image nothing more magnifi
cent, than. the deserijytion here given of the Creation .of
our world, when God by His word made the heanrens and
the earth; And though we must not intrude, beyond
-what is ¦written, into the unseen things of .God, or theorize
on the interior constitution of the Deity-:— yet we do feel
an interest when told, as we are here, of the^tense,
thoug'h by us inefiable, social enjoyment -¦that was felt
and harboured there :— the Father's daily deEght in the
Son, and the Son always rejoicing in the Father. And
how nearly should it come home to ourselves, that-, He
who thus rejoices always in the presence and the intimate
converse of God-^that He rejoices, too, in the habitable
parts of the earth, and that His delights are with the

proverbs IX DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 193
sons of men. — Let me, therefore, assure my heart before
Him. Let me feel the whole force and charm of this high
encouragement. And ever from this time forward may
I hearken unto Christ — sittirig at my Master's feet to
hear all His lessens, and learn so as to keep aE His ways.
If I find Christ I find God ; and ' on the virtue of His
mediatorship obtain the favour of the Most High.
Proverbs ix. — Fresh from the last .chapter, I rea-d
this as if Christ and His ministers were speaking to me.
Let me come in at the voice of the invitation of His free
and. universal Gospel. Let me receive the atonement by,
eating of the body and' drinking the blood of the Son of
Man, But I am not only told what I have to come to,
but what I must forsake. Let me in turning to Christ
forsake the foolish andlive. Give me the life and peace
of those who are spiritually minded, and t -pray for the
understanding that knoweth what the wEl of the Lord is.
— Then follow some important specific directions full of
-wisdom ; arid of these, I, stand more especiaEy in need of
being taught when to refrain from the task of remon
strating or instracting, and 'this because pf the perverse
ness and hopelessness of the subject  Verse 10 is a very
high notabEa — Give me the fear of the Lord and the
knowledge of th'e Holy;, that as the effect thereof, I
may exempEfy the aEiance which obtains between duty
arid wisdom, between goodriess and trath  The chap
ter concludes with- a repetition- Of the lesson so often;
given against orie of the most flagrant and destractivp
of all sins — in the very secrecy, because disgrace-
fulness, of which there lies a power to deceive arid;^b
fascinate. VOL, III. I

194 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS.- proverbs x.
Proverbs X, 1-lO.^Now follpw what are expressly en
titled, arid -therefore ought to be more strictly held as the
Proverbs of Solomon, Perhaps -they might be reduced to
a few leadmg principles, Orie cf th'e.mpst prominent of
these is the effect that the ebaracter of children has in
•ministering, whether to the comfort and joy, or to the
sorrow and heaviness of their parents. Then there are
the consequences of righteousness and wickedness even
in this world — -more palpable then, Tmder an economy of
temporal penalties and rewards. The characteristics and
results both of diligence on the orie hand, and of' sloth on
the qther, fcHrm very common topics of- observation, I
should say of the first clause of verse 7, and also of the
first clause of verse 9, that both of them are notabiEa.
. . . One does not just see how the two clauses of versps 6
and 8 respectively are counterparts to each other, or what
the paraEelism is between them. Bt^t one does see very
clearly the mischief here denotmced, as it is frequently,
on excess and volubility of talk Compare verse 10 with
ch. vi, 13, arid our remark on the latter,
11-21. — We have here another very proniinent lesson
of this Book — the regulation pf the tongue and the mighty
power of speech, whether for good or evil The blessuig
which tliere is in, fit and seasonable words, is beautifuEy
represented by a well of life, which issues forth its
Refreshing and , salubripus "w;aters. The mouth is that
through which wisdom, or its opposite, passes in efflux, as
touched upon in verses 11, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
Verse 19 is an important notabEe, from which we learn
that in the very multitude of words there is sin. — Teach
me, 0 Lord, to bridle my tongue, (James i 26,) . lest my
religion shaU prove itself to have been vain, — In verses

proverbs X. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 195
13, 20, 21, goodness in efflux is contrasted "vrith evil not
in efflux, but in its place or within, whereas we have the
opposite of -this in verses' 14 arid 19 — The "love cover
ing £|jE sins," does not mean that the charity of a man
will avail for ,a protection against his,own sins, but that
it casteth a veil over the sins of others. This may
throw light on James v. 20, and 1 Peter iv. 8. We have
also, . in this passage, the doctrine of tbe teacher on the
subject of discipEne, even the use of the rod so -much
advocated in this Book^ however repudiated in modem,
times" The benefits of wealth and poverty, are here
strongly set forth (verse 15,) theugh nowhere do we'
find . more said on the min attendant upon ill-gotten
wealth, and the superiority or bettemess -of virtuous
poverty. The tendency of righteous labour to life (verse
16) is pregnarit with instruction, as teaching us the re
flex influence of good deeds upon the disposition and
state of the soul ; and so also is the tendency of trans
gressions — which are the fruit of a wicked character — to
sin, or the further depravatiori of that character. The
doctrine both of moral rewards and mOral penalties is
here' set befpre us i -
22-32,-1 should make verse 22 a notabilp. If we seek
first the kingdom, of God and His righteousness,.we shall
be blessed of God ; and all other things — not things sor-
rowfiil but things desirable— wEI be added .to us  To
make a mock of sin and to sport in mischief, are alike
perversa - The fear of punishmprit suggested by a ¦ re-
morsefiil cpnscience wiE ccme te pass ; but the desire pf
the righteous, it being of cpurse a rightepus desire, wEl
be granted. He whp. hungereth and thirsteth after
righteonsness shaU be fiEed. ^he presperity and plane

196 DAILY SCRIPTURE ftEADINGS. proverbs xi.
of the wicked will coriie to nought ; but there is a sta
bility iri righteousness, for as magna 'est Veritas, so magna
est virtus, and it will prevail everlastingly^ — the senti
ment of verse 25, and reppated in verse 30. — Then fol
lows the annoyance of a faithless messenger, whether
from indolence or the want of punctuality ; after which
¦we are told of the temporal rewards and penalties Mten-
dantupOn good and evil — in length of days and the ful
filment' of hope to the one, in the destruction both of
hope and of life to the other  " The way of tha Lord
being- strength to the upright," suggests the reflex in
fluence ¦which the steps of a man's outward history have
upon his state, or of conduct upon character-^of good
deeds in building up and establishing that goodness
which the Lord will bless. The chapter concludes -with
axioms on the frequent topic of speech in both its kinds ....
Verse 18 of this chapter pronounces on the toUj whether
of hidden or outspoken malice.
Proverbs xi. 1-9. — It is wall to observe that the un
seen Grod takes the part that is here ascribed to him in
regard to the social and familiar transactions of men.
"What is wanted is that we should not so dissociate God
from the ordinary business of the-woridi Apart from
the thought of Him, we should ourselves abominate a
false balance, and delight in strict equity. — My God, am
I fprming after Thine image, even thpugh there be sp
little pf direct reference te Thyself, in the exercise of
those moral feelings and the maintenance of that moral
conduct, which are conformable to Thy law.?— Then fol
lows 'tlje testimony pf Splpmpn dgainst pride and in fa
vour of humility: — a, lesson of frequent recurrence in this

proverbs XI. , DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 197
Book. There is also a general cpntrast between right
epusness and Wickedness, in that the former directs and
delivers, while ^ the latter destipys. Uprightness is pur
treasure in heaven, and it is alsP the best treasure uppn
earth, and vrithput which riches prefit npt The righteeus
is delivered eut of trouble by death, or often in life is
rescued from the plagues and the perplexities in which
the wickfed often succeed him, though they sought to in
volve him therein, (verse 3.)
10-21. — Passing over the generalities, and what may be
termed the almost identical propositions of this passage,
we remark from it— first, on the enduring popularity of
virtue ; and then on its subservience to the.wellbeing of
a state or a commonwealth .... The despising iri verse 12
includes the speaking conterppttiously of a neighbour, in
counterpart to which we are told of wisdpm,.that what
ever greund "there might be fer thinking meanly pf pthers
it restrains the Utterance pf such thp]ights . . . . The last
clause of verses 14 and 15, are both weE entitled to rank
as netabEia. In verse 16 we meet with an expressipn pf
the hpmage se plentifuEy given thrpughout this Book to
feminine worth and excellence. The strength of man
mig'ht enable him to acquire and retain wealth ; but the
goodness of woman ensures for her the nobler reward of
honour. In verse 17 we are told of the inherent health
and happiness that there is in the morally right — ;the in
herent wretchedness and discomfort of the morally wrong.
Mercy, over and above. the direct benefit which it confers
upon its own object,- casts back a reflex benefit and bless
ing on him who exercises it.- Cruelty, besides the pain
which it inflicts upon its victims, troubles and agonizes
the man's own spirit. Let us, therefore, sow righteousness,-

198 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, proverbs xi.
and we shall reap the life to which' it tendeth — a life
that has in it the worth and endurance of a blissful eter
nity. The o;^osite is the effect of our performing and
pursuing evE. No conspiracy of men can ari-est or avert
those established tendencies of the gopd and the evil, or
change the dispensations of Him who albominates iniquity
and delights in uprightness,
.22-31, — The want of discretion may imply both a want
of sense and character, so as to mark out a person who is
profligate as weE. as foolish .... Verse 24 is a notabEe,
pointing out the present and earthly reward, or reward in
kind, which is attendant on liberality — whereas verse 25
points more to'the spiritual things given back to" -the sPul
for the carnal things which it hath willingly parted with.
In this view its last clause is a .pra-emlnent notabEe. God
in return not orily enriches and ministers food to such,
but increases the fruits of tbeii; righteousness. (See 2
Cor, ix, 6-11.) — There is. a keeping up of com ,that en
riches the holder beyond wliat even political economy
demonstrates to be for the good of the community. -Be
side the more obvious and general aphorisms . of this pas
sage, let me remark on tlie e-vil that eometh to him who
ttoubleth his own house— the habit, it is formerly said, of
one who is greedy of gain, and inherits only corruption.
The natural and rightful subjection of folly to wisdom is
affirmed in the, last clause of verse 29  I Eke exceed
ingly the images, as they occur, of the tree and the well,
to represent the excellence of goodness, both in itself and
in its produce or fruit.— Give me, 0 Lord, the wisdom of
winning souls, 0 that I knew how. to impress sa-vingly
the hearts a,nd minds of my chEdren ! But while immor
tality is the great and final landing-place to which I

PROVERBS XII. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 199
should mainly look and mainly pro-vide for, both as to
myself and others, let me forget not that righteousness
has a recompense even here, or in the earth.
Proverbs xii. 1-14 — There are moral truisms in this
passage, too, which -we shall not repeat ; but would advert
to his salutary lesson of welcoming reproof, and to the
homage he again renders to the worth arid importance of
female goodness, and the misery which he ascribes to our
being associated -with "the opposite — thus evinping the vast
influence of the sex in life and in society  I understand
verse 6 to mean that the wicked deceive their victims into
a falsa security, for the purpose of destroying them ; but
that they are often delivered from violence and wiles by
the cautions and informations of the righteous. He that
is despised because of aperverse spiritis surely not better,
moraEy, than he that lacketh_bread — thcugh a self-con
ceited poor man cannot be estimated very highly. The
next lesson, however, is new, and most obviously and un-
equivocaEy a good one — ^that of merBy to animals ;' and
indeed cruelty, whether to man or beast, is one of the
most hateful features of -wickedness  The good and evil
of which the tongue may be the instrament, are again
touched upon. Verse 5 may intimate that the acts of the
outer take their first origin, and derive their character
from the thoughts pf the inner man — a lesson thus of spi
ritual morality,
15-28. — It is a most important wanting that we should
guard against the self-delusion jof being right in our own
eyes ; and it is well to be told of the folly of outspoken,-
ness. There is great wisdom and great respectability in
the right command of one's lips, and in maintaining a

200 DAILY SCRIPTURE. READINGS. proverbs xiii.
prudent silence. The blessings and felicities of wholesome
and well-timed speech are beautifully set forth :---" The
tongue of the wise is health," and " a gppd wprd maketh
;he heart glad." To e-very Christian mind there is great
joy in, the employment, and iriore particularly if it succeed,
of peacermaking.. ... The open proclamations of folly are
ever and anon rebuked with great severity. , The contrast
between diligence"" and sloth is also yery often given 
Verse '26 is a notabEe. , And from life being said to be
in the way of righteousness, I should urge the lesson, that
the deeds of the hand have a reflex influence on the state
of the heart. There is life in spiritual mindedness ; and
it serves to aliment this life to walk in the way of obedi7
.3nce. — My, God, put trath into my inward pari,s. Save
me from all that is abomination in Thy sight. Save me
from thpse deceitful lusts that lead tc deceitful practices.
Proverbs xiii. 1-12! — We have here several of his cus
tomary lessons — as filial obedience and docility— the im
portance of the government of the tongue^;— the evils of
sloth and good effects of industry — the characteristics and
consequences of righteousness and wickedness. He then
noralizes on virtuous poverty and ill-gotten wealth — ^teE-
ing us that morally and substantially the rich man migbt
be altogether destitute, while the poor man is full of
treasure. The contrast is between one that maketh him
self rich and one that maketh himself poor; hinging,
herefore,^not on the respective states, but on the processes
yhich led to them — the former, it ma,y be presumed,
therefore, amassing his fortune unworthily; the latter re-
iucing himself to poverty by his liberalities and saerifices,
— Give me to follow the example of Him who, though

proverbs xiv, daily SCRIPTURE READINGS, 201
rich, yet became poor — Verse 8 may mean that tne rich
man is apt to be reckoned with by tyrants and extor
tioners, and obliged to pay a ransom for his life ; whereas
the poor man, of whPm they can make nothing, is let alone
by them and not quarrelled ,with. Pride is denounced as
the source of contention,- The contrast is again repeated
between iE-gotten and honestly made wealth  Verse
12 is a notabEe, and strikingly descriptive and.beautiftil
13-25, — Save me, 0 Lord; from the heedlessness of Thy
word'; and give me to stand in awe of Thy commandment.
...Verse 14 is also a-beautiful maxim. Wisdom and un-
derstariding are often spoken of as being a moral quality,
and they are so looked to in verse 15, Passing over the
generalities and moral truisms of this'passage, let nie in
stance the simple beauty of the first clause in verse 19,
The aphorism on the subject of good and- evil company is
one of great weight and of frequent occurrence. The tem
poral prosperity, of the righteous is also remarked upon.
"What preg-nancy and force in the observations of Matthew
Henry, even on the most apparently trite of these maxims
— such as some would- denominate trivial ! "The dEi
gence of the poor maketh rich," while tha greatest estates
may be dissipated by want of managements— Then follows
the recommendation of corporal punishment for the pur
poses of discipEne, much advocated in this Book ;- and
very, frequent- is ,the asqription of their respective blessirigs
to, the good and the evil
Proverbs XIV. 1-11. — We have a veryijust and impor
tant testimony here to the importance of the wife and of
good housewifery ...\ The speech, of a proud man inflicts
a blow upon others, but which in the end recoils upon

802 DAILY SCfilPTURE READINGS. proveUbs xiv.
himself — The " cleaflness of the crib " here may denote
its emptiriess, eVeri aS cleanness of teeth is a Scriptural
expression for famine- — so that here we have a testimony
to the usefulness of the inferior animals.— Then follows one
of the many nearly identical propositions in this Book, the
use of which I may vindicate afterWaids  The moral
quality- of the understaridirig, spoken of in the last clause
of verse ^6, is obvious from its antithesis to the first plause.
. . . Thp direction of verse 7 is a highly important one, arid
should prove a wholesome counteractive to a tendency of
my o^wn — ^which is to persevere in argument -with those
who are obviously beyond its reach  Verse 9 is a nota
bEe ; and should impress the flagrancy of our making light
of sin — ^far too serious a subject for levity or ludicrous
emotion .,,: Verse 10 is also a notabile.. We can make
no adequate conveyance either of our sufferings and -wrongs
on the one hand, or of our peculiar tastes, and the gratifi
cation of these,, on the other, to the apprehension of a
feEow-mortal^ — Let us offer them up to Him who know
eth aE.-'
12-24, — ^Verse 12 is one of the most impressive warnings
against self-deceit which occurs in Scripture. — My God,
save me from the deceitfulness of sin and self — The^e is
a laughter that is wholly disjoined from happiness.;..
"What a world of sound theology lies in the deliverance of
verse 14 — rtelling- us how much the rewards and punish
ments of the Divine administration lie -in the subjective
state, apart from the objective circumstances ! The need
of circumspection is well stated in verse 15 ; and the
' Considerate wariness of wisdorii placed iri tha next verse
in forcible contrast with the impetuosity and bluster of a
fool — May I be Slow tO anger, 0 God, as TJhou art ; and,

PROVERBS !ci.r. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 203
 ^  ¦  > 
at the same time, let not mirie be the calmness of deli
berate maEgnity. Give me, 0 Lord, not to despise but to
honour all men — ^ani-with special respect for and interest
in the poor. How I delight in meetirig here with that
blessed conjunction of mercy and truth which occurs so
frequently in the Psalms ! . . . The preference of work to
talk, as expressed in verse 23, is in keeping with the
whole spirit and character of this Book, which, though sub
stantially and throughout spiritual, bears a complexional
resemblance to the utEitarianism of Benjamin Franklin
and Jeremy Bentham. The riches which enable the wise
man to set off and illustrate his character the more, only
serve to make foEy aE the more conspicuous and dan
gerous. • June, 1846.
25-35. — Fear and confidence are here enjoined, as they
are frequently in Scripture ; and the. explanation of their
consistency is not difficult. I -very much like the imagery
of fountains and wells of living water, as strack out in
tha mind itself, and sending forth the streams of moral
and spiritual health which refresh the soul, and give fruit-
fulness to the whole life and behaviour. One can under
stand how — in these days of war, and when a people too
numerous for the resources at hcnie, but unrestrained from
the practice of invasion, -without cer-emony, on their neigh
bours—how the multitude of their people should-^ be so
valued by "the marauding potentates who were over them.
Slo-wness to -wrath is at- all times strongly and favourably
contrasted with hastiriess pf spirit in this Book. The true
seat of virtue, as being in the heart, is a very precious
lesson. The last clause of verse 32 is a notabile. The
reEgiousriess of having respect unto the poor is uniformly

204 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs xv.
insisted on ; and so is the superiority of a wise sEence to
the unbridled effusiveness of all that is in the .heart of
fools  Verse 34 is a very, high notabEe. — 0 God, do
Thou reform bur nation, and bless it with a great moral
and spiritual revival
Proverbs xv. 1-9, — Verse 1 is a notabEe for keeping
us always in mind of the beauty and benefit of a soft
answer. — 0 that my tongue -were at .all times under the,
regimen of wisdom and principle  Verse 3 is one of the
highest among the notabiEa of Scripture.— My Ged, I pray
fpr a sense pf Thy constant and. universal presence ; and
0 that it had ,a restraining effect upon me when placed
among the miserable temptations to that which iS miser
ably and degradingly wrong — There is a frequently re
curring imagery in the Book of Proverbs, which always
pleases and refreshes me — ^when the moral is'Elustrated
and set forth by the material — as the " wholesome tongue "¦
by a " tree of life." 0 what a rebuke is administered, and
what an alarm should be felt, when told that the sacrifice
of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord ! — :Pardpn
mine iniquity, 0 Lord, for it is great ; and let mine hence
forward be the prayer of the upright. And may 1 know
what it is to delight in God, that Gp,d may deEght in me.
Save and sanctify me, 0 Lord. Often have I faEen into a
deed of wickedness ; but let not mine be a way of wicked-.
ness — whereas, let me both foEow after righteousness and
abound in the fruits thereof Let the blood of Christ
cleanse me from the sin that I have lapsed into, but with
the efiect that hencefci~ward I may sin npt.
10-22. — I need cprrection : may I kiss the rod. Enable
me to judge myself, and then I shall not be judgei

PROVERBS XV. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 205
And 0 may I ever feel the control of that Omniscience
whose eyelids do try the children of men : He to whom
Hades and the deepest places are altogether known, Hp
knoweth the hearts of us all-^the discemer of the most
secret thoughts and intents, and before whom aE things
are naked and open. — May I rejoice in the Lord. May I
in Him have a perpetual, feast of the affections. And 0
let the sorrow which now weighs upon me be of the godly
sort, working repentance unto salvation, and leading me
to that peace and joy in believing, which might beam
forth with . beneficial influence upon those of my own
household, and all within whose- reach of observation I
am placed  Verses 16 and 17 are notahilia; and I desire
to have that godliness, with contentment, which is great
gain.. Let me be rich in- love-r-the love both of God and
of my neighbour; and more. especially in the pure affec
tions of -a pure and happy home. It is well to be told
that -if but diligent and righteous, the way wEl be made
plain before us. On the subject of filial duty and respect
I have much to be forgiven. Let not, 0 Lord, my taste
for the ludicrous displace better- and 'higher "things ; and
give me also to observe a right deference for the opinion
of my feEows, seeing that in the multitude of counsellors
there is safety.
23-33.^- Always beautiful as wall as -gpod on the regu
lation -of the tongue ! O that every -word I uttered were
spoken in due season. — May my conversation, 0 God, be
in heaven,-.and my affections set on the things above, that
I may be rescued from the hell beneath, where all who
die in the flesh shaE spend their eternity 0 my God,
enable me to command my thoughts. Give me to feel
the control of Thy ¦yyEl over the inner man. Let me aim

a06 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs xvi.
at the religion of the heart; and grant that my contem
plations be directed aright, and then shall I feel aright 
What wisdom on the affairs of life do We find in verse 27 !
We have noticed striking exainples of the truth of its
aphorism. Let the bribery of no offers or temptations
whatever seduce me from the consistencies of the Christian
profession. 0 that my heart were such as to secure a
right converse both with 'God and man; then should I
answer acceptably and pray acceptably. And yet much
of -our comfort cometh from without — even froni the sen
sible objects and elements of external natura Let me
ever rejoice with thankfulness in the beauty of landscapes,
in the greetings of affection,- in the reports of the good
that exists, or tha good that is done throughout the world.
Let me have the fear of God, which iS the beginning of
wisdom, "and so humble myself that I may ba exalted.
Proverbs xvl 1-9. — Let verse 1 be' my confidence when
called on to speak. Let me not be -careful, but trust in
Him who prepares the heart, and in the Holy Ghost who
gives and directs the utterance. How verse 2 should coipe
home to the conscience ! — =Save me from self-deceit, and
give me a solemn feeling of the Judge who is above  Verse
S is one of the most precious notabiEa in Scripture. — Lord,
may I ever act upon it . . . . The glimpse that is afforded
by verSe 4 opens pur ¦way sp far into the transcendental
theology. There is no possible conspiracy that can be of
effect against Him who sitteth on high. 0 for the mercy
and the trath, both objective and subjective, that will de
liver me from evil - Verse 7 is also a very precious nota
bile. — My God, deliver me, through the medium of my own
conformity to Thy blessed will, from the power and malice

proverbs xvi. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 207
of aE my adversaries. How precious, also, is verse 9^— a
notabEe most assuredly? 0 that I mixed more of prayer
and dependence on God, with my own devisings. Estab
lish my thoughts, 0 God, and direct niy steps, (verses 3
and 9.) ,61^Ve me the godEness with contentment of verse 8.
10-19. — It ¦was quite in keeping that Solomon . should
moralize on kings also. He had fuE experience of their
power, and of the mighty infiuence which either their
countenance or their displeasure had on the minds of those
by whom they were sttrrounded — a variety of experience
in humari nature that is quite exemplified in our own day
• — the charm of court favour — ^the mortMcation of court
disappointment or neglect. He presupposes, in some of
these verses, that the kings are good — a supposition veri
fied, it may be, 1^ his o^wn consciousness up to the time
at which, he ¦wrote these Pro verbs.... The last clause of
verse 12 is a notabEe. The power of a -wise man to pacify
the -wrath of a king' is what' he himself may often have
experienced, so_ as to strengthen his admiration, and
more abundantly caE forth his eulogies of wisdom- I
should say that the last clause of verse 17 Was also a rio-
tabEe ; and the lesson I should read and give forth from
it is— -the reflex influence of the outward walk and way on
the iimer man : " He that keepeth his way preserveth his
soul"— an admirable text for a sermon. The condemna
tion of pride, and praise of humility, occur very frequently
among the moral reflections of this Book, as WeE as the
humiliation that awaits the former, arid the advancement
to which the latter is often' carried. — " He that humbleth
himself shaE be exaltei"
20-33.^ObserVe how trast ia the Lord, and handling
a matter widely, both consist together, and each has a

208 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs xvii.
distinct blessing annexed to it The heart is the" well'-
spring of understanding or wisdom, and the tongue thfe
organ for its conveyance to others; and both are -highly
signalized among these Proverbs — where we often read
both of the sweetness and the wholesomeness of rightly
chosen w.ords.... Verse .25 is a notabile.— Save me .from
my o-wn counsel, and the sight of my o-wn eyes, 0 God.
. . , Verse 26 has a spiritual application— not to be sloth
ful in sowing aright, that we may reap aright ; for every
man shall receive the fruit of his own labour and his
own doings,. Violence and deceit, through the" organ
of the mouth, stirs up many a dissension in society. I
hay© no claim whatever to my hoary head being a crown
of glory; henceforwa,rd. Lord, may I be found in the
way of righteousness. Thou knowest my delinquencies,
and. the sad misgiving of heart to which they have given
rise. Disappoint my fears, 0 God, and let the remainder
of my days be consecrated to Thy service, and to a busy
preparation for heaven. I am quickly irascible ; I have
not attained the greatness of self-command over my own
spirit. I pray for this attainment ; and do , Thou enable
me not only to repel irritation, but also despondency — or
that sorrow of this world which w'prketh death. . Self-rule
is a, mightier achievement than, a vietcry ever outward
enemies. — 0 may I recognise Thee as the Sovereign Dis
poser of all things — ascribing nought whatever to chance,
but ever looking upward to the God who worketh all
in all
Proverbs xvil 1-14. — Better is peace, with poverty
than wealth in the midst of war. Better is wisdom in
a low station than a "high station in the, pccupation of

PROVERBS XVII. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 209
wickedness and folly- — Try me, 0 God, and guide me in
the right way ; but 0 suffer me not tp be tried beyond
what I. can bear. May Thine be a discipline of mercy
as weE as wisdom, "Whila I abhor evil let me have re
spect unto poverty : and riiay I rejoice riot either in ini
quity or distress , My God, I pray for a blessing on my
children, that they may be a credit and comfprt tp me ;
and grant, Lerd, that in jnj pld age I may bring np dis
grace upon my family, Solomon gives forth the lessons
of secular as weE as sacred wisdom — as in speaking of
the charm and, efficacy pf gifts  "Tp cpver a trans-
gressipn" is tp keep secret" the faults pf pthers. Lpve
disppses to this,- and its tendency is tp Ibve; while the pp-
posite haibit leads to contentiPn — -Give me to feel reproof
and to be admonished by it  The crael messenger sent
against those who rebel, is the signal judgment which at
length is sure to overtake him  Let us shuri the encoun
ter with him whO at once is senseless and insensate. Let
us beware too of Ungrateful returns — nay, even of retalia
tion; and as much as lieth in us let us live, peaceably with
all men, preventing quarrels if at all possible,
15-28, — Let me not caE evil good nor good evil Man
is entrasted with the means of getting wisdom ; but he
wiE not get it if he have no heart to it. It is only he
who seeketh that findeth.— Give .me to bear the burdens
of others ; and forgive my impatience at the tasks which
are imposed upon me. "Fet let me mix pradence with
duteousness, avoiding in particular the suretiship which I
have always hated, preferring to be a giver or a creditor
rather than a'cautioner. Let me beware of contention,
and also of the stateliness which betokens pride and
leads to a humiEating overthrow. Let the heart, and the
VOL. IIL

210 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. proverbs xviii,
tongue be alike under the restraint and regulation of
principle.-^My God, maka aE my children wise Urito ^sal
vation. Give me to be -cheerful in the midst of them,
but so as- that they may be led to prize the way of
pleasantness and path of peace  'The last claUse of verse
24 is a notabile, I wish it were applied to the business of
Churches, so as to make them more -intent than heretofore
on Home" Missions — ^and this without prejudice to the
habit of doing good unto all men as we have opportunity,
I like the repeated testimonies given in this Book to the
self-command and the wisdom of sEence, Let my un
derstanding have the eritire mastery over my tongue ;
and let me ever be able to bridle and restrain the im
petus -which would lead to the effusions whether of vanity
or violence.
Proverbs xviil 1-12,^1 am inclined to the commend
atory interpretation of verse 1, In our search after wis
dom let us shut out all that would distract our atterition
from it ., , . Verse 2, last clause, is a notabile, — -"Let me re
strain the vanity or the excessive appetite for sympathy
which iaclines me -to lay myself bare before the eyes of
my fellow-men. Let me feel the disgracefulness of sin as
.well as its wickedness ; and so as ever to prefer and hon
our the righteous above the transgressors of God's law.
How beautifully are both the fountain, of wisdom in a
man and its efflux, described in verse 4! — Let me set
more store than I have done hitherto on the importance
of well-directed speech ; and be more alive to the mis
chief that might be dOne bo,th to myself and others by
gossiping and calumnious talk. Give, me to feel a re
sponsibEity for Words as well as works. They can set

PROVERBS XVIII. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. fill
the world on fire ; and strike very deeply and agonizingly
into the Sensibilities of our nature. Let me avoid sloth,
and what is very deceiving'— busy idleness. May I tum
my remaining days in. this world to the best account,
both for my o-wn salvation and that of others. And 0
let me e-ver trust in the name of the Lord. To Him may
I ever resort as my coritinual habitation. May He be
my strong tower; and righteOus both in Christ and as
Christ, (1 John iu. 7,) may I rejoice in my safety under
God as my helper," and not fear what either man or
Satan can do unto me. Let me trust not in uncertain
riches; should they increase let me not set my heart
uppn them. Let me beware pf the pride ef life ; and
stand in humEity and fear when I thirik ef , the law so
often announced in Scripture,- according to which pride
and destruction, lowliness arid honour, so often succeed
each, other.
13-24. — Let me not be precipitate in my judgments or
deliverances; lest I should be ashamed of my rashness 
Verse 14 is a decided notabEe. — Save me, 0 God, from
the burden of internal remorse, and also of disgrace from
without. Either is enough tO overwhelm one. Let me
prize knowledge,' and more especiaEy the knowledge of
Christ and , Him crucified. Let me both hunger and
thirst after this ; and also let me hearken diligently.
Let me not be betrayed into a hasty judgment by ex
parte representations. Chasten the impatience and im
petuosity of my mental processes  There is here a sanc
tion given for the use of the lot, with an argumerit'in its
favour. Let me be most careful of controversy with
relatives or very intimate friends, as a quarrel with them
is the most deadly and irrecoverable" of all. Again we

212 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. proverbs xix,
read of that highly important and therefore frequently
repeated lesson — the right government of the tongue. —
Give me, 0 Lord, to be far more observant of the- love
and respect which I owe to lier whom I should regard as
a gift and favour from on high. Let me be mpre alive .
to the gratitude and returns which I owe to them who
bear a friendship to me ; and most of all let the love of
Christ constrain me to love -Him back again.
Proverbs xix. 1-14. — "We have here the superior werth
of virtuous -poverty, and the excellence of knowledge.
Let me feel the positive sinfulness of haste — one of my
great constitutional infirmities. To fret at the annoyance
of untoward circumstances or events, is ,in fact to fret
against Providence and against the Lord, Teach, me
patience, 0 God, May it have its perfect work  Verses
5 and 9 are nearly identical; but to repeat the- same
things as repe^ated in Scripture should not be grievous.
How I like the aphorisms that teE of the inherent value
of tha mental and the spiritual — as of the health and
goodness for the soul tha,t lie in wisdom and understand
ing ! With aE the preference here expressed for virtuous
poverty — the seemliriess of rank, and the violence done
by the upstart rule of the lower over the higher, are not
overlopked . , . ..^ That is a neble lessen pf forbearance and
self-ccmmand which is given in verse 1 1 ! The fretting,
corrosive, and perpetual annoyance of domestic peevish
ness is graphically rendered in verse 13. The influence
of a king, , whether to elevate or depress, is characteristi
cally set forth by our inspired" monarch  Verse 14 is a
notabile. ,
15-29. — The testimony against sloth is, often repeated

proverbs XX. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 213
in these proverbs In verse 16 we have again the pre
cious doctrine of the reflex influence which the outward
history, whether of obedience or wickedness, iias upon-the
inward state. Its first clause is a notabile; and wpuld
make an admirable text for a- sermon,— My God, give me
wisely, and -with a deep and duteous sense of obligation,
both to devise aright and to do aright for the poor — The
use~ of the rod is again inculcated, but not in ariger-^
against Which, too, there is delivered a sentence of con-
demriatien  Is there net a testimpny for a future state
in verse 20 ? . . . Verse 21 is a mpst illustripus nptabile ; and
with fuE cenfidence in the Lerd, let me hencefcrth give
up — ^not the deliberations of wise forethought, but all those
vain and vexatious cogitations which prejy upon the heart
or engross .it unprofitably. If we desire to do ^ood, but
are poor, the ¦wiE wEl be taken for the deed ; it will be
sustained as kindness, -and fat better than the deceitful
promises" of the wealthy. Religion maybe"gin with fear,
but wiE end in the sweets and satisfactions ,of a spon
taneous and E^ving principle of righteousness We must
smite the scomer ; but it is enough to reprove the man
of understanding  .Verse 26 I shotdd make a notabile.
It were an admirable text for a sermon to young men
entering upon life, and still at the expense of their parents.
It is a great enormity either tp waste the preperty pf
their father when he is aliva, or "after they have succeeded,
to expel the ¦widowed mother from the premises. We are
again told, in verse 29, that nothing short of inflictions
arid stripes wiE do for certain offenders, to reclaim them.
Admonition may suffice for others.
Proverbs xx. 1-9. — Another testimony against drank-

214 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs xx.
enness — ^the deceitftdness of the habit, and the violence
to which it transports its votaries  Well could Solomon
speak from his own experience to the formidableness and
the power of monarchs The wisdom of peaceableness —
the foEy of nieddling with contentiousness— form among
the most strenuous of his lessons ; and also the evil of
sloth. He proves in verse 5 his sagacicus pbservatipn pf
human Efe ; and the diplpmatic skiE that is herP sc weE
described we have nc doubt he was inaster Of himself^
M>any are they who feign and prpfess gppdness ; but hpw
few there be whp faithfully practise it in .deed and in
trath ? , , , The first clause of verse 7 ia a mcral truism,, pf
which there are many examples in this Bcok ; but let us
not therefpre prenpunce. them tc be useless. The very
attentipn dra-wn to a virtue or a -vice, though by only the
utterance of its name, .presents an object of moral contem
plation to the mind, during which the moral feeEngs
might be rightly and healthfully exercised. An identical
proposition, therefore, as "that a just man walketh in his
integrity," though but the repetition of a name, might of
itself work beneficially on the reader , , , , This passage
closes with an emphatic deliverance on the sinfulness of
human nature,
10-19, — Then follow the denunciations of the inspired
teacher against dishonesty, and idleness, and suretiship,
and deceit, and mischievous gossiping — and these inter
mingled with wise reflections and authoritative sayings on
other topics, A moral character may be assigned to the
doings even of very, young children. The ingredient of the
morally good or evil very soon appears iri them. We can
not too early watch the symptoms of character, nor too ear
nestly labour and pray for the rectification of the juvenEe

PROVERBS XX. DAILY SCRIPTURE ;BEADINGS. 215
inini — Let me feel the force of Thy creative inteEigence,
in that Thou hast given perception and the organs of it
to nian. Let me regari Thee as a Spirit, and worship
Thee, accordiogly, in spirit and in truth — Solomon dis
covers his shrewd discemment of man in verse 14. How
mortifying that such falsehood and selfishness as,are here
pointed out, should be so general ! The superiority of wis
dom to wealth, and the benefits of counsel and good ad-
-vice, are among the aphorisms of this passage.
20-30. — My God, remember not against me, th'e sins of
my youth, in the catalogue of which there stands unduti-
fulriess to parents Let me. forbear retaliation, and forget
not to whom it is that vengeance belongeth. I would
wait upon'Grod when- under the pressure whether of in
juries or annoyances  Verse 28 is nearly a repetition
of verse 10, line upon line — even in behalf of but one
lesson  Verse 24 is a notabile, and a highly important
one. Man can no mora comprehend the whole meaning
of his own histoiy, than he can comprehend the whole
mind of that God who is the Sovereign Lord and Ordainer
of aE things. Our very goings are of the Lord, and make
up a way which, as being part of this infinite scheme, is
beyond our comprehension. — Make my conscience both
vigilant and tender, 0 God, and fearful of every delusion.
... To bring the wheel over the wicked is to crash them
and their machinations  This is a fine thing which, in
verse >27, is..said of conscience or consciousness — the light
of the Lord within reflecting the light of his outward revcr
latiori. In order to salvation, the spirit must deal with the
subjective mind, and Eluminate the raEng faculty there,
as well as set the objective word before us, which is of
His o-wn inspiration. A more vivid conscience wiE give us

216 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. proverbs xxi.
a livelier sense Of God's law ; a more discerning conscious
ness, reaching to all thp tholights and tendencies of the
inner man, wiE give us a more convincing view of our sad
and manifold deficiencies from that law. Everything is
comely in its season-^-the strength of youth, the gray
hairs of age — It argues the severity of a stroke when it
leaves , a blue colour behind. Solomon is here arguing for
the system -he so much advocates of corporal discipline —
for the salutary effect of outward chastisements on the
inward dispositions.
Proverbs xxl 1-9. — My - GOd, tum the hearts of all
who have the power to annoy me — so that I may be at
peape with them, and 'receive justice at their hands. What
a comfort we have here, when placed under an un
righteous government !—^Lord, impress me both with the
danger and the vanity of all self-delusion, for He that
judgeth mels the Lord  This second verse is a notabile.
. . .*' To do justice" is like what the Bible says elsewhere of
iriercy — more acceptable than sacrifice  Ploughing, like
sowing, is a preparatory work for ^ome produce that is de
sired after ; arid that of the wicked here is for the over
throw of those whom they would oppress and trample ori.
Diligence is contrasted with sloth in the usual style of
reflection ; and so alsO is the misery of iE-gotten wealth,'
which wiE, like the robbery of the wicked, destroy "its
o^wners. The way of nature is evil ; but as to those who
are purified by. faith, by their works or fruits which are
good, we shall know them. Solomon pens some weighty
Sentences against female termagants^the plague and an-
rioyance of whom seem strongly to have impressed him.
10-19.' — The claims of friendship are overborne by the

PROVERBS XXI, DAILY SCpiPTUBE READINGS. ,217
strpngth of that e^yE.'dpsfre^ QV the part of the wicked,
which is bent on tiie objects of their own selfishness. Note
the resemblance between verse 11 and ch. xix, 25. — The
fear of punishment may constrain attention ; arid then at
tention opens an ingress for the ,^essons of wisdom. The
righteous man frets not at the prosperity of ,the ,]vickpd,
whom God will surely and speedEy overthrow, — Hake me
alive, 0 God, to the ,disfjrp§ses of my feEow-mpn- Solomon
was a sagacious observer of human life ; and to this we
.owe many smh reflpctions as occur in vCTse 14, There
is a future destruction to the ¦wicked, but a present joy in
acting righteously  Is not "the congregation of the
,dead" an expression for the assemblage of thp condemn-
,ed, wihen in their second death ? and is there not some
thing here lilce .the recognition of a future state ? — jthough
it be the temporal consequences of dissipation whic]i
are pointed at in verse 17„, , , For verse IS, see ch, xi, 8,
-The peace and bluing of God on a community are often
Jtdnged upon the excision of its m,ost corrupt a,nd unworthy
members. 20-31.^1310 diffierpnpe between wisdom and folly, be
tween dEigence and sloth, as to the respective^influences
even on this worid's prosperity, is again presented to us.
Moral conduct obtains a moral xewari — ^He that rfoEpw-
;©th ailer rightepusness sh^^n^ rightepusness. — ;Let me
seek fright, 0 Lerd^ j|^t the rightepusness ,ef , Christ, in
.¦whpm pghteousness and mercy n^eet together — ^then uti-
4er Hiwi my own pe^ipPnal sanctification, in whi(^ I sb^l
obtain .l.arger accessions o£ wortli ra.nd holiness — with all
the ^ifp, a^d peace, , and ^hpupjir, wEich ai^e attendant on
^eal goodness  He again reiterates the superiority of
svisdpm to strength; as also the .blessedness of that raggfc
VOL. m. ' k'

218 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, proverbs xxii.
wholesome re'gimen by which We keep the tongue under
a right and well-principled discipline. Experipnce might
-tell the effect of a wise and weE-guarded silence in keep
ing us "out of trouble. — Let my words henceforth be wisely
and well orderei " And observe the disgrace it brings
upon us, the stigma of an evil name. If we deal in proud
w-rath, effusing it On every occasion, and on all around, it
will bring on tke re-action of an indignant neighbdurhood,
and fasten an ignominious brand upon us — Observe in
verse 24, the use of a moral truism, when the mere presen
tation of certain morttl characteristics, be they good or e-vil,
has the effect of calling forth tharightrespendent feeEngs
on the part of the reader. The righteous have the blessed-
riess of being givers — ^theslothfiE bring themselves to the
necessity of being receivers. It is a mighty aggravation
of the guilt of any religious service, when done for a salvo
.or encouragement to sorrie design of future wickedness 
In verse 28, to " speak constantly" 'is perhaps to speak
consistently. "What the upright depones to wiE stand, —
0 for the abasement-of all human 'wisdom and strength
— ^that God may be altogether trusted both for cotmsel
and safety.
Proverbs xxii. 1-12.— Let me seek the applause and
affectien pf men more as instraments of good to others
than of my own -selfish gratification  Verse 2 is a nota
bile.— Give me to honpur all men, for all are Thy crea
tures Let me be circumspect in all my ways, and prospec
tive also. Give me humility and godliness — ^that I may
realize thereby the promise even of the life that now is.
. . . Verse 6 is an Elustrious notabEa — My God, forgive my
negligence of the souls of my children. May they all be

proverbs xxii, daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 2lS
taught of ThPe, 0 Lord, Cause Thy grace to rest on my
grandson, now nine years of age ; and turn both my own
heart and the hearts of his parents more and more towards
him,', , , The rod of a -wicked man's anger shall at length
become powerless. Pureness of heart leads to grace on
the lips The fouritain -within has an outgoing ; and
altogether the man who is, and does as he ought, is at
one and the same time acceptable to God, and approved
of men. (Romans xiv. 18.) , . , For verse 12, see ch. ii, 7, 8.
— God preserves the Church, and keeps up the knowledge
of Himself in the, world against aE its eneniies and per
secutors, , - , "
13-29, — How frequently do the slothful conjure up pre
texts and apologies for their indolent procrastination!
He here wams against Ecentiousness, — Give me not up, 0
Lord, in judgment to its fetsciriations , . . . To " warn figainst
the oppression of the poor" has nothing peculiar in it ; but
there is in the waming against giving tp the rich. The
use cf the red is again_ re-asserfed  The effect pf tlie
knowledge of things saeted, is confidence in God. Ac
quaint thyself with thy Maker arid be at peace. And
what I trust in for myself, I "will make kno-wn in its cer
tainty and truth to others. .1 have believed, and there
fore have I spoken. Avoid companionship with an angry
man, and not so much for youi* perspnal as your moral
safety. Avoid suretiship — avoid encroachment on a neigh
bour's property and rights— while, at the same time; so far
from having enjoined on uS indifference tO property, and
the increase of it for ourselves, we are enjoined to be dili
gent — and diligerit in Our business too, by prosperity in
which, we shaE rise tp a higher grade than before in society.
This is not always unla"wful, , "^

229 ijAILY .SefilPTUSg jBtEADIJVGS, proverbs xxiit

Proverbs xxih. 1-14}.— The direction of verses 1st and
2d ^nd 3d I ista®d pre-eminently in need of The care of
his regimenas.toeati^iig wasthe scruptdous concern of Jona
than Edwards. ¦ Let it be mine also,-^Wean me more and
more, 0 God, from a desire fcr iw.ealth, and from a dependr
enee on -my o"SRn wisdom. Let nife not set my heart upon
deceitful riches, but ^Kpoii the "living God, who giveth me
all things ritdily to enjoy I pray for the same grace in
behalf of orie who I fear is in danger, from this idolatrp'us
affectien. Tie prcfessipn withput the substance pf hospi
tality, so eommpn iu modern times, is a most hollow and
unsatisfactory affair. Let. me decline aE share in this,
whether as a giver or areceiver. But let me repair my de
ficiencies in the virtue itself and beieaUy kind to aE under
my roof— not grudging and not impatient at the intrusions
or introductions of strangers. They may be angels un
aware ; and at all events, their coming is of the iiord 
I am top much given to argue and "vindicate in the hear
ing iof those Who are either incapable or uncareful x>f
appreciating the case. Let me restrain my appetite for
the sympathy of all such ; and know when to be sEent as
-weE as when to speak. There is a manifest contempt for
what is said that should' lay instant arrest upon ene 
For verse 10, see ch, xxii 28, where the possessory .right
is,reeognised. Here, again, the claim of humanity is super^
.aidded to that of justice ; and with an awful reference to
Him who is the friend and avenger lof the defenoeless.^^
;Th,en there follows an earnest persuasive to the .aequire-
.ment of knowledge for its own sake, with thasuperaddition
of corraotion when jjecessary for those in childhood
. 15-32.-^Let me 'be wise in beart, and righteous in
speech ; and above all may .1 know what it is to be in

PROVERBS XXIII, DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 221'
tha fear of God aE the day long. Put this, 0 God, into
my heart that I may not depart from Thee. And let me
fret not because of the triumpE of the wiokei Let me
think of the speedy end of all things. Let me not be
satisfied With an avoidance of the excesses here spoken
of Let me be temperate ip aH things — My God, forgive
the impatience of other days, with my parents who gave
me birth. Give up everything for truth, and let rio bri
bery of any sort induce me to surrender it . .,. . Verse 26 is
a notabEe--whether regarded as the claim of an earthly
father upon his chEdren, or of God upon His creatures —
which no sinful and no earthly affeption should dispossess.
.. Verses 31 and 32 form a notabEe. They urifold the
gradual process and fistcreasing power of temptation, lead
ing onward from one sin and from one enormity to ariother,
tEl bratalized and stupid, the conscience becomes hard
and torpid, and one fit of "vicious indulgence is after an in
terval of stupor followed up by a second and a third,
tiE the ever-recurring tyranny of passion lords it over the
drunkard and debauchea
. 33-35.^Drankennes3 leads to impurity; and so also
does fulness of bread, .Our Saviour wams against sur
feiting as weE as intoxication. It were weE to have
a high Standard pf abstemiousness in respect to both,
¦Whether there shouli'be seasons of fasting or not, there
should be a general habit of temperance ; and the com
mand of one appetite strengthens for a like mastery over
the others. I pray for self-govemme&t, 0 Lord .... The
drank man is in two particulars like one on the top
of a 'mast. There is a S"wimming and agitation which
bear a strong resemblance to tha rolling of a vessel, and
theue is real danger in the inidst of insOnsibEity He i»

222 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, proverbs xxiv.
tossed , to and fro as if amid the waves of the sea ; and
yet is not awake to the hazards'of his condition. Verse
35 may describfe a drunkard under punishment, and So
thoroughly besotted that he had no sense of the shame,
and no feeling of the inflictions which were laid upon
him. After the fit of intoxication is over, the desire
returns — the habit gets more and more inveterate," the
temptation ever and anon recurs ; and so often as it does,
he seeks to the iridulgence as -passionately as ever.
Pro"Verbs xxiv. lrl2.-^L,et ,us neither en-vy the pro
sperity nor desire .the feEowship of the -wicked. Know
ledge is power, as we may gather from its achievements
in this passage. In ,tha multitude of counseEors, if they
be men of real wisdom, there is safety ; but a popular
assembly is not the besj theatre on which to mature or
form the -best de-vices for the good whether of a church
or a nation  The gate of the city was the place of
cdncourse for judgment and deliberation ; and where the
admittance is indiscriminate, many are the fools who
should have no place, nor can speakrto any purpose, there.
He that deviseth evil, however artfuEy he may disguise
it, and perhaps take no ostensible part in its doings, shaE
be -called a mischievous person — shaE have the brand of
what he really is, fastened upon him. — My God, give me
the control of my thoughts; how grievously I sin in
regard to these ! Let e-very wrong and hurtful and un
charitable imagination be resolutely put forth ; and let
me keep my heart with all diEgence-^and how easEy
I' am cast down, even by the apprehensions of e"vE;
strengthen me, 0 God, against its realities. Keep the e"vE
from me, Q Lord, if it be Thy blessed will; but if not, keep

proverbs xxiv. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. > 223
me from the evU by perfecting Thy strength in my weak
ness when under temptation, by bearing up my courage
and confidence when under adversity. This verse 10 is a
notabEe, and so also pre-eminently are verses 11 and 12.
How impressively do they rebuke and should they alarm
the spiritual cowardice of him who slirinks from the faith
ful warning that might convert and save souls ! *
13-22. — Wisdom is to be cultivated because, of its
pleasantness, even as honey is eaten because of its sweet
ness. There is a very present reward, as well as a future
hope attendant on righteousness. The wicked shall not
prevaE against the just. — Recover me, 0 God, from my
manifold falls. Make good my rising again, and restore
my backsEdings. — Verse 16 is a notabila  The enemibs
of .Israel, thpugh instruments in God's hand for the pun
ishment pf His peeple, were themselves punished because
they rejpiced in the dcwnfaE which they had effected.
This inhuman jpy -wiE be disa,pppinted in its pwn pbject
— fer Gpd -wiE because pf it turn Him in mercy tc the
unhappy victims pf their triumph . . , .Verse 19 is nearly a
repetitipn pf verse 1 ; but the reason of the injunction is
giveri in verse 20 — ^the temporary and perishable nature
of the -wicked's prosperity , , -., Verse 21 is a clear notabEe,
It is not change simply, that is here denounced, but ad-
dictedness tp change— the being given tc change fer
change's sake, cr frpm the mere love and habit of inribva-
tipn. Ruin wiE cpme beth uppn siich and those who join
with them, July, 1846.
23-34. — The first four verses of this passage seem in
tended forjudges  Verse 27 is highly applicable to those
who come into the possession of an estate, and are carried

224 ifAli-Y SORiPTURE EMt)INGS. proverbs xxv.
away by the vanity of- living in a baroriial house, greatly
it may be beyond its value. First, see to the productive
ness .of youi* acres, and then regulate your expenditure
alccof dirigly. Put your ground iritO a right Condition ; and
afterwards build a house corresponding to the revenue
which it yields .... It is pleasant to observe the outgoing
of the earlier, morality towards the later and iriore ad
vanced — of that iri the 013 towards that iri the New
Testament — We have here, iri vpfse 29, & prohibition
laid ori retaliatiori, or the returriirig of evil for evil Theri
there occurs a picturesque description of the state in
which he beheld the preiriiseS of the slpthfid man, and
founded u^Pn it a dissuasive from the habit against which
so many of these proverbs are directed — the habit of
imprp-vident laziness. It ds foEOWed up by a decided
Scripture nptabile, in verse 33 ; and from Which as from
a tOxt the preachei* iriay Urge his hearers against the evEs
of procrastination, leSt they should be landed iii soiie-
thirig far more grievous than poverty — 3 ruined because
neglected Otemity
PRQ-VElifis xxv. 1-14.^-It is interesting to riiark the step
here told us in the exterision of Scripture. The last
chapters being added by Hezekiah, implies that the pre
ceding ories ' were arrariged. previously, and may have been
left iri their prfeserit State by Solomon hiiriself. The ap-
peridix Subjoiiled by the "men of Hezekiah -was alpo the
composition of Solomon, though the compEation of a later
period . . ; . God's glory is that.He is above the comprehen
sion Of His creatures -; ^ and He needs not to search for any-
thirig, as He kriows all thirigS irituiti-vely A kiiig's gloiy
is to search all that he requires to kriow for thfe guidance

proverbs xxv. daily SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. 923
and policy of his government ; while even he participates
in the glory of being himself beyond the ken of those
who are beneath him , , . , The silver becomes fit for being
made into vessels of honour by ha-ving the dross removed
from it The people surrounding the king become fit for
his dignitaries and office-bearers by thcwicked being put
:oUt from his presence  The analogy is worthy of re
mark between verses 6 and- 7 and Luke xiv, 9, A hasty
intermeddling -with quarrels is here condemned, as in other
.places, -with great wisdom and affect , , . . Verse 1 1 is a most
prscious and beautiful notabEe ¦;- and so is verse 12^ — the
cadence of which has often charmed ma.,., The harvest
lakes place in the southern countries in very hot weather
— ^when liquids copied ^j snpw from the mountains, as
Lebanon, must be very refreshings , . . To " boast of a false
gift " is either of ri&ceiving or giving-^'-here probably the
latter. 15-28, — ^We have here the moral power of meekness
and forbearance — ^tiie evfl of excessive indulgence — the
hazard ef too frequent an intmsion upon ene's -neighbours
— ^the sore infliction that fafeehopd might make upon peaoe
andhpnour — the sufiering Which is tncUrred l)y eorifidence
in the false and unfaithful — and tlie unseasenableness ef
mirth in the presence -of the afflicted  Verses 21, 22,
form a riptabEe, and all the. moife proimnent from the
quptationof it in the Epistle tO the Romans Kindness to
an enemy will either melt and subdue him, or else it -wiE
aggra;vate his final retribution. — Then we have the mtoral
.power of anger, whether ees frowning -down injury, or as
filling a house -with discomfort and misery  For a right
eous man to fall down- in disgrace or cowardice before
the wicked, or to be trampled upon by their tyrannical
K 2

220 DAILY SCRIPTURE -EEADINGS. proverbs xxvt.
power, is either a sad corruption or a sad tribulation in a
commonwealth  Compare verse 27 -with vefse 16. — Save
me from the contemptible -vc-eakness of seeking aftpr praise
— for this is most inglorious, and the excess of it, just Eke
honey, is at length nauseous. Give me a command over
self — else I am indeed Very defericeless ; and lay open my
subjective nature to all the hazards of the objective .world
around me  Verse 28 is a -notabile.
Proverbs xx-vl 1-12.— -We have here the want of keep
ing between folly on the ona hand, and- either- respect or
fidelity or effectiveness, whether in doing > or saying, upon
the other. He stands as much in need of physical con
straint and correction as do the inferior animals . . . .Verses
4 and 5 receive iEustrati'on from the foEowing dialogue,
said to have taken place between Lord Rochester and
Bishpp Burnet : —
L. — " My Lord Bishop, yours to pay knees.''
B. — " My Lord Rochester, yours to the grounid."
L. — "-And yoUrs, again, my Lord Bishop, to the centre of the earth.''
B. — "And yours, my Lord Rochester, to tie antipodes,"
//.^^"¦And yours to the bottom of heU.^'
B.—" There, I leave you, my Lord."
Scripture' tells us tp "answer a fpol according to his
folly, lest he should -be wise in his o^wn conceit ;" but it
also teEs us to " answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest we be like unto him," The " foEy" of this Book im
plies a moral, as well as intellectual deficiency — wicked
ness as weE as senselessness ; and the " fool " is distin
guished from the " transgressor " of verse 10, as the habit
or character is from the acts  Verse 11 is referred to in
2 Pet, ii, 22. And yet with all this disparagement and

proverbs XXVII, DAILY SQEIPTURE READINGS. 237
denunciaticn pf foEy, is the fool regarded as a more hope
ful person than the man who is wise in his o^wn conceit,
who receives by this deliverance a fell rebuke and condein-
natipn. — Lprd, cast dc^wnmy Ipfly imaginatipn, and teach
me to think "of myself soberly,
13-28.-^Our moraEst now proceeds to other- lessons —
as, first, against slothfulness-7-the frequent theme of his
animadversioris. And here he remarks how readily it can
de-vise excuses for indulgencer^how fastened tp its place of
repose, even as a door is ^0 its hinges — ^liow adverse even
tp the smaEest and most trifling exertions — and yet
¦withal how conceited and confident. It must cleave, and
with great tenacity, to something as a plea and argument
for self-justification, — Then comps a wise reflection against
the intermeddler with other men's quarrels — Then^against
the deceiver, as both misdhievousand most hateful— Then
against the calumniatcr. One sheuld be careful even pf
the Eghter gpssipry — -for there is iip calculating pn the
evil it might dp tp its -victims, thpUgh done by us perhaps
in sport. The sEver dross which covers the potsherd may
form a sort of ornamental dress to it — even as -the flattery
of an ardent profession may disguise the worthlessness
of the inner soul. But this deceitfulness will not avaE
always It wEl at length be laid open to public indigna
tion. And so, too, the artful wiE meet with punishment,
by falling intp their p-wn snares . ,„ , In verse 28, we are teld
pf the hatred which pne feels tp thpse whpm he has
injured The hatred and the injury act and react en
each pther.
Proverbs xxvil 1-40. — Verse 1 referred te in James
iv, 13, &c, — My Ged, save me from tha sinful love of

228 DAIIY SCRIPTURE READINGS, proverbs xxvh.
praise. Better that others shotiild- praise trie than I my
self ; but better still that I shpuld riOt seek my p-wn glpry
even at their irioUths (ch. xxv. 27.) Not my owri -will but
God's wEl — ^not my own glory but God's glory ..... A fool's
-wrath — ^unrestrained^ unprincipled -wrath — iS .heavy ; yet
secret, irepinirig, insidious enty is rnore mischipvous stEl.
In beautiful couriterpart to this is the elegant verse that
follows — ^oiie of the most pleasing riotabilia in Scripture —
expanded in the . sixth verse — ^the " operi rebuke " beirig
the "faithful ""Wound," which is better for him who is
striick by it. than the unknowri and inoperative affection
even of a real friend, and better far thari the flatteries of
a disguised 'enemy . . . ; The hurigef which gives a relish
arid appetency, goes far to equalize the erijOymerit of the
poor with that of the rich — Sated, arid it iriay be to nausea;
by the abundance of their good things. — Let me cherish
home, and fill Up my time there with useful occupations.
Let me love to abide where Prpvidence has placed me. I
have felt the^vils pf thrp-wirig myself abroad and at lai^.
. . . The s-weetriess untp the meral arid mental taste of such
elements as frieridship arid affectionate counsel, is a lesson
of exceeding p'reciousriess. Let me feel the obligS-tiori of
duty to my o-wri friends, ^rid to the friends of my rela-
ti'ves'; bUt friendship is mOre to be trusted than relation
ship. TrUst rather in the kindness of an affectionate
neighbourhood than hazard the ekposui'e of thyself to a
cold,- or selfish, or alieriated kindred.
ll-27, — ^^The moralist turns to hife son, and begs that
the result of his treatment may be such as to vindicate him
against the reproaches of those who found fault -with it,
, , . Foresight is r0commend6d by the goOd of it, and by the
eVil which issues from the want of it Suretiship is again

piiovEifBS xi-ftii. okiLV -SCRiPtURfi READINGS, 229 :
condemned, as in ch, ix, 16; and more especially are
we warned to take a pledge Of him that is surety for a
striange womari, — Let me beware of extra-vagantly or os-
teritatiously praising others — ati aptitude of mine rather.
Theri we are told of the uriescapable calamity of having a
female -v^^ago to do with — an object of particular aversion
in this Book .... We have here the good of converse iri
sharpening the faculties, (verSe 17,) and of sympathy in
revealing both ourselves and Others. (vPrse 19.) — In -verse
18 we are told the goOd of fidelity in trust and service.
There is rio fulness Of satisfaction for our earthly desires
— none but iri God  Verse 21 seems to tell us,that praise
is a toUch-stona FoolishnPss may be made to depart from
the heart' of a child, (ch. xxii 15,) but riot of an incor
rigible .fool  Tha'chaptei^ concludes Willi the rewards of
diligence, and of vigEarit superinteridericp of one's affairsi'
as a safeguard against the uncertainty t^f riches. The
security of returns from lairid, for good larid careful hus
bandry, seems to be contrasted with the precariousness of
other wealth, and even of -the mOriarch's crown,
ProverIbs xx-viil 1-12. — 'Wliat fearful imaginations the
corisciousriess of guilt inspires US with ¦; but what a noble
superiority to aE terrors does a Conscious rectitude confer!
"What a testimoriy is verse 2 against democracy and for
monarchy, pro-vided that the monarch is virtuous ! Under
the fonner regimen how often is the evil of verse 3 real
ized ; and hoW often, also, are the wicked praised in op
position to God's law. He that is spiritual judgeth all
things—himself misunderstopd. by the godless iriultitude. —
Then fellpw Orie pr tWO of the moral truisms pfteri repeated
in this Bppk. Gpd oftfen, even in this life transfers the

230 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. proverbs xxviii.
wealth gptten by the unjust to those who are merciftil —
My God, forbid that my disregard of Thy precepts shotdd
make, my prayer an abomination. God's providencp often
leads the man who plots against the innocent into snares
of his own laying, and ensures to the righteous their pos
sessions  There is a shrewd observation of life in verse
11. But our moralist jvas observant of nations as well as
of indi-viduals ; and hoW true it is, that under a wicked
government the good sink into obscurity.
13-28. — The confession to which pardon is granted is
corifeSsion unto Goi We can not only cover our sin from
men, but by our extenuations and light tboughts of it,
also from ourselves — Give me a constant fear of God,
that I may harden npt my heart  I pray for the deliver
ance -cf all lands frpm crael tyranny; and fpr free and
righteous government everywhere. Save me from the
guEt of soul murder, lest. I incur the doom of him who
offends any of Christ's little "ones ;' and against whom He
denounces that it were better for him to have a miE-stone
put arpund his neck, and tp be cast intp the sea. — ThPn
follpw spme pf the usual truisms pn rightepusness, and
diligence, and fidelity. There are precious texts here
against hastening to be rich. We are also warned against
respect of persons; whom rather we should rebuke, and so
obtain their respect afterwards .... Verse 24 were an ad
mirable ground for a sermon to young, men attending a
seminary, and away from home, when assailed by temp
tations tp extravagance and folly. There^is a delusion in
their minds, as if it were no great harm, seeing that what
they spend is only at the cost of their parents. They who,
instead of constantly asserting and contending for their
own dignity or right, commit their cause to God, Eve in

proverbs xxix. daily SCRIPTURE EEADINGS, 23-1
quietness, and will inherit prosperity, To walk- warily,
instead of having a blind confidence in present impulses,
is the way to walk safely. A blessing is pronounced on
the friends of the poor ; and the last verse of this chapter
is nearly a repetition of verse 12,
, Proverbs XXIX, 1-17. — Verse 1 is a notabEe. The har
dening effect of continued resistance to the application of
a moral force is a very great lesson — In verse 5 I am
inclined to think that the snare is for the neighbour's
feet; One transgression is a snare shutting up to the re
petition of it. — Let me be more observant of the lesson in
Verse 9, for I am too apt to contend everi with a hopeless
subject ; and, also of the lesson in verse 11, for I am too
effusive, and not sufficiently retentive ,of iny feelings arid
thoughts. There is much of the -wise observer in verse
12 — Verse 13 I confess to be not Veiy inteEigible. — 0 for
a government that wEl wisely consider the case of the
poor. By joining the rod with the reproof, it is clearly
intimated that the moral is sometimes the better enforced
when there is addPd to it the physical appliance. Let
us not despair because the^ wicked are preferred to high
places, and bring out a- multitude of followers in their
own likeness Iniquity will not alWays'-be paramount ;
but, as we are told in verse 16, its. overthrow wiE take
place ill sight of the righteous, .who wElpbtain the final
triumph. The use of correction in education is a frequent
and favourite- lessen in this Book
18-27.— (See 1 Sam. iii) The seers were the instmc-
tors of the people in these days : where there is no such
instraction,< or where the people are left to themselves,
they are sure to perish. What a lesson as to the importance

232 DAILY SCRIPTUEE READWGS. Iproverbs xxx.
pf a Christian ministry.— ^Versp 18 is a notabile  There
are impracticable servants, callous to reasoning; and it
is jJlainlyliinteihere, that to have their obedience some
thing more stringent and compulsory must be 'resorted
to, — Save me, 0 God, -from aE hasty Utterances — a be
setting foible. Let me beware also of a fond and over
-delicate, treatment of those who might be spoEed thereby.
Let me be^ware Of ariger and pride, arid be of a genuinely
meek and humble spirit. Let me recoil from the wicked,
nor be .afraid of the hostility of men.. ..'Verse 26 is quite
¦a notabile. — Let me trust iri God as my helper, and fear
not what man can do unto me. Let me cOunt the favcjur,
or the favourable judgment of man, but a smafl matter :
He that judgeth me is the Lord, The chapter concludes
with tha mutual repugnance of men of opposite chaa'acters.
¦ PitiovERBS XXX. 1-9; — There are various conjectures re
garding Agur, Ithiel, and 'Ucal, -which we shaE not put
do-wn; There is deep self-abasement .in the ptofession
which he makes — ^more especially as wanting iri -wisdom,
And-the truest of all Wisdom too— the knowledge of the
Holy.-^-Give me to inprease in this knowledge, 0 Lord, . . .
There is the ascription of what is lofty and incomprehen
sible, and aE-powerfml, to the Divinity, in, verse 4 ; and -it
is iriteresting to mark, in, these ^older -writings, the em
bryo revelation of what lias been more fully known iri
later days . '. . . Verse 5 is a very precious notabEe. The
purity of God's wprd is its J)erfeCt arid immaculate free-
dpm from every mixture of the doubtful 'or the -uncertain.
In God is light, and in Him' is no darkness at aE. — Let
ma therefore commit myself, with absolute and unfaltering
confidence, to this unfailihg word. Let me trast in God.;

PSdVERBs xM. D^AILi ^CElPTtiRB EEADlMS. 239
and shielded by His might and faithfulness, I arii safe.
Arid His Word is complete as well as pure. Let me not
Superadd ariy fancies Of my own ; for if I .give out these
in the riame of His authority, as if theiy w.et-e Bible iriti-
mations or Warnings, When they are npt, I should thereby
falsify the courisel Of God  Thd passage from "V'erse 7 to
verse 9, inclusive^ maybe regarded as a notabile, I WoUld
joiri in Agur's pfayet^Save irie^ 0 Lord, from the temp
tation to forfeit iriy integrity for place or pecuniary ad
vantage Of any sOrt, And 0 let me nOt triist iri uncertain
riches, or suffer the gifts of God to seduce my affections
from God Hiiriself- The. poor man who steals, and h^s at
the same time a religiotis prpfessieri, iriay be said tO take
God's name in viih, by the discredit which he! brings Upion
His cause in the world
10-20. — Wrong not akelpless man, lest his appeal bririg
do-wn ujiori yoU the displeasure of God. There Ate four
hateful and delinquent classes here spoken of^-^Forgive,
O-^Lord, iriy disrespect and undutifulriesS tc parents.
Cleanse ray heart, 0 God. 1 airi not pUi-e in my o-Wri
eyes, but I Seek to be deEverfed froin aE impUrity. Let
mp not be carried aWSiy by any SWeEirig imaginations of
iiiy o-Wn impoitarica Coirect and chasten this- tendency
bf nature, 0 God. I can scarcely accuse myself Of a crUel
or oppressive spirit, j&t am I not hereby justified. Iri
many jpoints I Pffend .... The first clause of verse 1^ may
be appended to verse 14, and represent tha insatiableness
bf a thirst for money and a thirst for power. He then
proceeds tb state four things as Elustrations of this insa
tiableness He theri interjecti a denunciation against the
children wlio aH contemptuous of those Who gave them
birth. Theri 6ome four things which he represents as

234 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, proverbs xxxi,
unsearchabla The three natural enigmas seem as if intro
duced, not as analogous to the last, in that it is incompre
hensible, -viewed as a natural process, — ^but to |et off the
deep policy and disguise of a seducer. Were it not, how
ever," for verse 20, aE the four would have seemed as if
likened to each other in respect of their natural myste
riousness. , .
21-33, — Then foEows the mention of four things as dis
quieting, and disgusting, and intolerable — all alike in this,
that they exemplify the preferment of those who are un
meet for aggrandisement and honour. The second is that
pf a fpol become rich. Afterwards we read of four things
not to be despised because. of their seeming insignificance
— and, this, because theE lack of strength is compensated
by the redeeming property of great skEl. Ameng tbese the
locusts gp fprth in marshalled prder, theugh they have no
king to marshal them^as if in virtue of a wisdom difiused
through them aE. One scarcely apprehends a moral in
tbe next class of characterized instances, which are brought
forward apparently in contrast with the preceding, having
an imposing air of greatness. There is a dignity of manner
sanctioned by all these phenomena, if they may be so caEed.
Though we may lift ourselves up unwarrantably, and in
foolish conceit, or perhaps with the evU design of humbling
others, for which we ought to be penitent ani ashamed,
let us not stir up strife by any pride or -violence of ours.
Proverbs xxxl 1-9, — Neither shaE we enter upon the
conjectures about Lemuel His lessons are good. In his
charge against drunkenness, as it is delivered to a king,
the appropriate argument is used of its unseemliness for
those in high station, and more especially if in offices of

PROVERBS XXXI, DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS, 235
pubEc duty or trast. Out of their stores they may give
wine for medicine to the diseased, or cordials to those in
affliction and want. There is, no warrant in this passage
for the poor taking up the habit, or as it may be called
"the trade of drunkenness at, their 0"Wn hands. It is "an
injunction on the givers of this commodity to others ; and
for the purpose whether of health or consolation. And
King Lemuel is told not to be generous only out of his
0"wn personal wealth, but equitable in the. affairs of his
high administration. And so there is a return made here
to pure and virtuous judgment, in particular between the
poor and their oppressors-— to prevent the perversion of
which, he had just been told to refrain from intoxication.
. . . The opening of the mouth applies both to advocates
and judges — ^though it must have been chiefly in the latter
capacity that LemueLas a king was caEed upon to act ;
yet is he told to plead the cause of the dumb, and the poor
and the needy  Those who were appointed to destruction
may be those sentenced to capital ptiriishment in the
courts belo"w. And his pleading may be his setting forth
the reasons of his sentence as is. done in the charge of
judges., 10-19. — The whole passage do"wn to the end of the
chapter is a pre-eminent notabile. - It is the, description
of a "Virtuous woman — ^in the sense of our old Scotch, by
which "virtue and thrift are synonymous. It is a eulogy on
good housewifery, and a great deal more — for the cares of
this notable manager extended beyond those pf the mere
household, even to the farm, and the merchandise, and
the home manufactures. Then we are told that a virtu
ous -woman may be found, though- she, be spoken of here
¦,and elsewhere as a great rarity. The confldence of the

236 DAILY SOEIPTDEE EEADiNGS. proverbs xxxi,
husband, as mentioried in Verse Jl, does riot respect her
corijUgal fidelity, but her iridUStry and talent for business,
the proceeds of which make him independent of booty, as
a marauder — a significarit clause -which tells of the preda
tory habits of these days. We have here the custom of
late so prevalent in our Own land, of home-made cloth, by
the export of which it iS probable that she is represented
atS fetching her food from afar. And then her internal
management is So WeE conducted — ^her eariy rising — her
distribution of meals to all the members of her domestic
estdblishment — her hUsbandiy Without doors— her opera
tive processes withiri. There is to me a poetical charm;
and effect iri verse 19. — Altogether she is ari Elustrious
riotkble. 2i()-31.-^But her nOblpSt eh&ifacteristie is her kindnesS|
to the popf-^which at the same time does nOt infringe on
the cOmfbrt Or everi ther SpleftdoUr of her establishment.
With all her ge'riProSity to the destitute she retains sub^
stkntial provision, and costly dreSS,- as -well as furniture
for her 6wn household. It is a fine trait in this descrip-
tion^-^thO coritributiOri she makes to the respectabiEty of
her husband. We here read, too, of her fabrics,, which
she Pjfchtogeth with the mfircharit for his wares or goods
from a distance. She becomes SttOrig iri credit and hpnpur
arid security, iri coflsOqUencS Of all her praiseworthy dcings.
But riOthing cari exceed the beauty wherewith her speech
is characterized : — " In her tOriguo is thp law of kindness"
13 a perfect gem . . . . Verse 27 is a special notabile, and we
he&r it repeated "With all the frequericy arid familiarity of a
proverb, of the industrious-^" that they eat not the bread
of idlPriPsS," VerSe 28 is also very precious — " The chil
dren risirig u^ arid caEing her blessijd." But her crowning

ECCLESIASTES I. DAILY SCRIPTURB READINGS. 2»7
grace is her godliness^^a virtue not only compatible -with,
, hut the fountain-head of all that .can benefit or embeEish
human life. Favour or the affection oif love i? pften de
ceitful, but godliness is for honour, as wpE as profitable to
aE things ECCLESIASTES.
EeeifESiAST^s ,i. — The donunentajy which I ikinoy best
on ,Eeclesiastes is th^t of Bishop Patrick, -who perhaps
inclines too much to inethodize it^to a continuous argu
ment, thougli it is e-vid'^tly not, as jthe Boo,k ^f ProverbSj
a m^e eoEection of sayings. Its ptredpminwt Ipsson i§
the vanity of this world in itself, aiid apart from all thpt
want before or comes ^after it. ^o doubt the e^i^h.^bideth ;
but how ephemeral is each man, and pach jgeneration of
men upon it. ^o doubt there is recurrence ,or,K3ircuJat,ipn
in many things : when rthe sun sets it is npt /or aver ;
when the wind shifts it comes back tp its old direction ;
when the waters of a river empty themselves intp the .sea
they do not abide there so as tP make it fuEer than before,
but they return by evappration, and descend to their old
-fountain-heads. Man labours, but riOt tp his ownisatis-
faetiouj for his eye cannot rest on ^Ught -^hat is -new.
And the old rpiind pf la-bour jjid disappointment wEl
just be described hj every succeeding genpration. This
we may be sure of without any idistinct records from our
.ancestors tc us, or from us iif> posterity... .Splpfliori an
nounces himself as a dEigent observer of these things.
This of itself is a sore labour, and aggravated hy the dis-
.covery tbat aE was vanity and "vexatipn. There are de-
fcpaities and defects innumerable w:Eich we caimct mend.

238 DAILY SCRIPTUEE READINGS, ecclesiastes ii.
Splpmpn in his inquiries after trath gave himself net
pnly tp knpw -wisdpm but tp knpw madneSs and folly —
perhaps by ebservirig them in ethers, or by making a
',*fltudy of madmen and fools. He had great advantages
for the inquiry — and the result was that even in wis
dom and knowledge there was grief and sorrow, and so
vexation., Ecclesiastes il 1-14. — He had just demonstrated the
insufficiericy of knowledge for happiness — he now seeks
for it in pleasure, and with the sarrie result. ' Ha gave him
self unto wine and folly — ^but with the view of experi
menting upon them, and so not -with the excess which
would unfit him for the business of observation. His
object was to ascertain what was reaEy best for man';
and so he brought togethef aE sorts of luxuries, such as
kings only could command. . There are various opinions
respecting the delights of the sons of -men. He indulged
in aE sorts of magnificence and pleasure ; yet not so as to
stupify his intelligence, or prevent him from a wise dis
cernment of the character and consequences of the indul
gences to which he gave himself up. He did not labour
to pro-vide all these things without making trial of the
enjoyment that was in them : and yet all was stiE vexa
tion and vanity. He turned him reflexly on what he had
gone through, and could not in.spite of his disappointments
but acknowledge the superiority of -wisdom', which E it
take the command will save a man from much evil into
which folly here runs itself But then there is the equaliz
ing death that levels all and absorbs all
15-26.— -This las| reflection brings hiiri to the same con
clusion of the world's vanity — just and- trae if this world

ecclesiastes III. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, 239
be all. It led himi to a despairing and distasteful view of
life. It gave additional pbignancy to this Sentiment that
the whole fruit of his labour heire should qUickly pass
under the control and o-wnership of another, who might as
readily chance to be a fool as a wise man. It does give a
farcical -view ef life that such should be the upshot of all
a man's fatigues and cares and anxieties. And, therefore,
better that he shotdd cast off the burden of them, and take
with a cheerful and light heart the enjoyments which are
within his reach. And certainly on the J)remise of the
world being our aE, this were trae wisdom. >Let us eat
and drink for to-morrow we die ; nay, there "may be even a
godliness in suchcoritentment arid freedom from care, and
thankful enjoyment of things present. (See Matthew ¦vi.
31, 34; 1 Corinthians lE 2; 1 Timothy iv. 4.) ,,. Solomon,
in verse 25, seems to claim" the acquiescerice of others in
his -views from his larget experience and opportunities. It
is a gift of grace from God to be made to use the world
without ^busiag. The sinner is the ptey of his own
anxieties, and to him it must be vexation that he should
heap up for others.
EociESiASTES IIL 1-11, — It is a main property pf wis
dorii to time tlungs rightly ; and it is the part of wisdom
to study the congruities of tinie and place, and to act ac
cordingly. Both animals and plants have their fixed
poirits for the commencement and termination pf their
beioig ; a time to heal, and a time for giving way to dis
ease as incurable. And so Of materiaFas well as living
stractures, There are also proper seasons for the differ
ent affections of the soul : a time to pick up stones and
cast them out of' the fipId, and a time to gather them for

240 DAIJ-Y SGEfPTUM; KpADING^. ecclbsiastes m.
its enelpsujre j a time to indtdge i^ lawful pleasures, and
a time tp absta^ from t|^en;i ; a tiint® itor gain, and a time
for expenditure ; .9, fjoxp for hplding in, and ,a time for
liberality pr letting out ; a tinie to rend one's garnients
,as in moUmiiig, and :^ time for .iihe heart being larhole and
the hajbEsalsp. Tbpre.arp fit i"ti,n;i^ both for spepch and
^ilerice^8ea,s.ons of p,e?ice an-d wa,r. If ,w,p work out of
season, w^p work unp,rp|ijtably ; if in spason, it is stifl for a
.short-liVj^d S^j^^ti- ,AflE ittus it is with- aE .tbp labour
whieli -te3:f?nEi9,tes in b,ut ftn e^-rtbiy acquisitiqn and cnjoy-
^mpnt. The adaptatipns pf tbe ephenaeral me^s tp the
no less ephpmpral ends .are beatitiful ; .and tbe world is so
jSpt in -the hpa^ of man that he labours for its objects,
Ipojting np further — resting in the .viarious objects of his
various special affeptions ; and not understanding, scarcely
,evar carrying bis desires beyond wbat is either ^fpre or
after — -bounded in bis view:s and -likings by the ^iprigon of
whftt i^tSeen -ajnd temporal,. . . : Ver^e 11 is pne pf the most
,.rpinai''feabliP verses in the Bi^jl^, .-with a preciousness of
meaning in it, a,nd great prpftmdity,
12:22. — He here repeats that the pnly wisdpni for this
life is to enjoy it with gratefulness and godliness. And
.we shpuld acqjiiesce in aE events, as the, doings pf God for
,our discipline, and tha.t we migbt grpw in His fear. It is
npw,£is it ,has,pvfir bepn, and Wjhy ,thpn should we thinjc
it sijran^e? for in all Iledpes He is but requiring the past,
or ^hfit liap been .done afready, Ai;id it ^hopld .dispose us
.3,11 the -mpre to acquiesce, .that a lime is coining when tiie
rightep-us judgment of God sh^E supersede and .rectify the
iniquitous sentences of wicked men. Apart, indeed, from
this faith, p,nd looking only , to things, where is the differ
ence between men and the inferior animals? And it wore

KccLESiAST«3 jv. DAILY SCHIPTUBE HEADINGS. 241
weE if the angodly could be CMivinced by God, that
waiting the fear of Him, th^-r— proud, and lording it
over others as they do — are but like the beasts that
perish. And though here there is a distinct admission
of man's immortaEty, yet in ignorance of what it shall
be or what sihall be after him, does he recur to his former
lesson, that it is good to make the most of things pre
sent — ^true in a rdigiousas weB as an infidel sense, ag;ree-
ably to t^ quotations alr^uly made frx)m other parts of
Scriptura EocLBSiASTK IV.' — ^HJe had now entered on anotiier ob
ject of human pursuit — ambition or power ; and feelingly
laments the evE.that is in tiie worid fitnn i)|ipression or
tyraany — a heartless ^ectacle of the vanity ef lifa If
a man succeed in ambition, he is envied-^-if not, he is a
prey to dragrin eating inwaadiy ; and also the man de-
spaiiiag of any good in this world of violence from indus
try, Ev^ idly, and is in deq)eration for a maiotenance 
Verse 6 is a notabile  And mark, too, the vanity of
these aapiratioris aft^ grandeuz, more e^eciaiiy in him
who has none to succeed or'to second him in the posse^on
of his ^eat weah^ Better than being thus alone is it t<r
have some one to participate in one's interesis or employ^
ments — -to sustain each othCT when calamify eomra, or tc
strraigtfaen ea(^ o&er's Jiands  It marks the vasnkj of
mere station airf ponrer, tibat wisdom so ennobles tiie wise
above the foolidt of io^i^jsnk — ^insomuch that the for-
mer may attain to the preferment frcmi which the latter
are cast down  The two last verses seem referaWe to a
king and his h&s-a^pgaxeiaL There is no end to the fickle
ness of popular affectiOTL AE before the king and his
VOL. Ul. I,

242 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, eccleslistks v.
son evinced this inconstancy, and so also wiE the people
who come after them; so that the present idol WEl be
abandoned as surely as his father was ; and this is an
other ¦view of the vanity of ambition.
Eo<3LKSiASTES V. l-7.-r-Here there comes in a protest
against aE formal or -wEl-worship. — ^My God, I am re
buked bythe expression of the "sacrifice of fools" — (ea/orf-
Ttov) — in the house of God. 0 that I were more ready to
hear ; but how I wander, even at the Lord's table ! And
what a rebuke in verse 2 against long and wordy prayers !
— 0 let my heart prompt my mouth ; nor let me think
that I shall be heard for my much speaking. God 'is not
pleased with such sacrifices. But though! should not
utter prayers by tale and measure, let me ever cany in
my heart a prayerful disposition. A multitude of things
distracts the mind tiE all seems as a troubled dream ; and
. so a multitude of words confuses, and, if I may say so,
unrealizes aE the objects of thought — Verse 5 is a nota
bEe ; and what an admirable sacramental lesson may be
dra-wn from this and the preceding verse ! — ^Let me not
vow under the- impulse- of a fancy that transforms the
possibEities of things Paul charges Timothy before God
and the elect angels, who take cognizance of us, and -wEl
note when our promises go beyond our weak doings
8-20. — Theie. be higher tlian the tyrants and oppressois
of this woild; and it should abatp our wonder at prosper
ous' injustice when we think of the after reckoning by
which all wEl be settled and put right God, who made
the earth for all — and the king is as dependent on its
produce as the meanest of his subjects — is no respecter of
persons. The desu-es of the rich and powerful are sources

ECCLESIASTES VI, DAILY .SCftlPTURE READINGS, 243
of misery from their, very insatiableness ; and it is little
of the: wealth that comes to the share of its possessors ;
but it is to him a cause of great and tormenting anxiety ;
whereas the labouring man has enjoyments which evince
a principle of compensation in the ways of God that wiE
be yet more fully developed. And there is so much of
vanity or vexation, both in tha ha-ving of riches and the
transference of them to successors, that there seems no
thing better than for man. to live and .enjoy life while he
may ; and were there no judgment-day after, this were
his highest wisdom. Even with a judgment — with all the
prospects of revelation fuE in view— there is a wisdom,
though not of itself the highest -wisdom, in taking, the en
joyment of what God ha|;h given to us, [Things present
are ours. Every creature of God is good, and not to be
refused if received with thanksgiving. And let us by all
means dismiss the va^n cares of accumulation, and set not
our affections upon treasure,
Ecclesiastes vi.-^-He is stEl on the vanity of riches. — -
Let me not set my heart upon them. Guide me to their
right use, and give me .the disposition as weE as the wis
dom so to use thpm. 'Where lies the good of all that is
objective, if we have not a subjective to be gratified there
with ? God might take away our relish .for all things, and
stamp , an, utter worthlessness on the money which pur-
ehaseth them.-^Give me Thyself, 0 God ; and shed abroad
in my heart the love of Thyself Nay, though aE he
amasses go to his own chEdren after a long , life spent in
sordid accumulation— so very sordid and sparing upon
himself, that he personally had none of the enjoyment of
riches— nay, -did not even provide for a decent funeral, or

S44 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS, bc©i,bsiastes vii,
pei^aps spent so^penurious and discreditable a life, that he
was thought unworthy of one by his survi-ving neighbotu-s
and friends :; — ^then, better for such a person were it to
have been stiE-bom, and so been saved from the toE and
disgrace of such an existence, however lengthened out it
might be. The -wise in this world share alike with fools
in this vanity ; for although they should succeed in the
supply of their wants, yet there are insatiable desires
which spring up and IPave them dissatisfied Even the
poor, whose longings terminate in what is necessary to
life, and who obtain the enjoyment of them, share with
their superiors in that death which brings" all to a level,
Traly^ if this world be our .aE, it is but a sickening con
templation , Ecclesiastes vii, 1-10. — ;A good name even here is
precious ; but if written in heaven, this wiE indeed make
the day of our death better than that of our birth. — My
God, let me feel it good to have been afflicted ; and give
me to learn wisdom from the deaths and disasters which
come on feumilies May I be discipEned into seriousness ;
and may the maxims of this passage reconcile me to the
adversities and crosses of my earthly pEgrimage. Poverty
may be tolerable, but not the poverty which is the resvEt of
others' injustice and cruelty; On the other hand, riches
may corrupt and destroy  'What a lesson for patience,
that in the end all wiE be weE with the righteous ! and let
us not, therefore, be provoked into a haughty resentment
by the humiliations which a successful and over-reaching
fraud may have laid upon us. Let me brace my spirit there
fore against anger.; and let me compose my mind with the
reflection, that after all nothing strange has happened. to

ecclesiastes VII. DAILY SCRIPTURB READINGS, 245
me; and even in former ages as iE things occurred as
now. Let us submit, then, to the ordinations of that
aE-wise and overruling Providence which willbring eveiy-
thing right. at last August, 1846,
' 11-29, — Riches are not to be despised if combined with
wisdom, but, like aE other creatures of God, are good, —
€rive me the knowledge and wisdom, O Lord, which are
Efe everlasting. Let me acquiesce in the ordinations Of
God, however much they might thwart tha objects which
my heart had been set upon. Let prosperity and adver
sity be met by us appropriately." " They are made to al
ternate by God, after whose appointments nothing remains
for us but submission. Things do not proceed equally in
this Efe  May not the " over-righte-ousness'- and " over-
-wisdom." of verse 16, be the will-worship and the in
truding into things unseen of Col ii. 18?... "V'erse 17 is
clear enough as a dissuasive from the reckless dissipations
and crimes which bring one to an untimely end ; and it
is comfortable, amid aE these Obscurities, to meet with so
clear a testimony for the fear of God which -will at length
extricate us from aE difficulties This is trae wisdom,
and yet nowhere perfect here, as is intimated in verse '20,
which is a decided notabEe. — Then follows the wisdom of
a proverbialist in regard to our not gi-ving ear to wliat is
said of us. But he complains of a mystery beyond his
depths ; and at length gives as his experience the bitter
evils of Ecentiousness. It is possible that such may have
been his power of seduction, that "every woman he at
tempted gave way before it ; and henCe his deliverance
on the subject And none of this wickedness is charga-
able upon God, but upon man, who was created upright,

246 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. ecclesiastes vui.
but himself went waywardly astray into many devious
bypaths. Ecclesiastes viil — The wise man, . if fully so, has the
meekness of wisdom, and looks not with severity on
others. We have also here the duty of loyalty, and on
the principle of godliness,' too. Do not offend the king,
then,', by flying off from him in an insolent or disrespect
ful way — Solomon could speak jof tha power of monarchs.
. . . Thou shalt avoid trouble- by submissive obedience —
and act ' discreetlj"", fitly, seasonably — ^for it is by a rion-
observance of- fitnesses that" man incurs great misery;
and his ignorance of futurity lays him open to much
error Of conduct. At aE events, death is surely coming ;
and let us cease froiri the wickedness that wiE not avaE
us for' defence against the last messenger, and enemy.
And it is for rulers, therefore, as well as subjects, to be
conscientious and' sober-minded And thus, even wicked
judges, who sat on the triburials of the metropolis or holy
place, were disgraced and degraded in public estimation
after their deaths. The fate of the wicked wiE certainly
be accomplished, however secure or stable they might feel
their positions to ba— Verse 11 is a notabile. — However
long, their tenure of prosperity and power in this world,
it will be El with the wicked, and weE orily with the
righteous! , Our days at the best are but a shadow. Lopk^
ing only to these, it does appear both a vanity and an
enigma that the like final event seems to happen to all
It, were best to enjoy the ,world whEe we have it were
there no hereafter ; better this than the fraitless and
fatiguing cares of him who labours to penetrate the un
known and unknowable.

ecclesiastes X, DAILY SCEIPTURE EEADINGS, 24r
Ecclesiastes ix,— tSo enigmatical is our world that
though all is in the hand of God, we cannot pronomice on
whom He loves, Pr whom He hates, from their state here.
The evE of this is that men abandon themselves to regard-
lessness StiE life is better than death ; for " while there
is life there is hope ;" and in making the most of things
present, we may reaEze something more eligible than
mere insensibility.... Verses 5-10 form a notabile; and
verses 10 and 11 special ones. Apart from the faith of im
mortality, the moral given in these is the wisest for such a
condition; and with a well-grounded faith in it, the lesson
is one of confiding and thankful enjoyment of "things
present."— 'Let us do what is good, with all our might,
yet dependingly on Him -without whose blessing aE hu
man effort is of no avaE. After another reflection on
the latter end pf this pur mysteripus being, he passes
censure en the ingratitude and inconsideration of those
who forget their obEgation to a poor but wise man. — And
then foEows verse 17, a veiy memorable one in these days
of -mobocracy 'Whereas he had just stated what service
was done by one wise man, he concludes with a, statement
of the cpuritprpart mischief that might be- effected by pne
sinner. ,. Ecclesiastes x. 1-9. — Verse I, a mest interesting neta-
bEe.^The " dead fly in the pet pf pintment" is a Ipud '
caE for gravity and weE-sustained sense. The "wise
man's heart being at his right hand," is rnore significant
pf his. being set pn right pbjects than cf his dexterity in
the prosecution of them. The very movements of a fool, or
way of going about things, proclaim his foEy  To " leave
thy place," may signify to reneunce thy du|y as.a subject

-^8 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. ecclesiajtes x.

The charm of yielding is worthy of being specially noted,
so. as to maka the last clause of verse 4 a notabEa He
here remarks on the evil and offence of those unworthy
preferments which emanate from the chief magistrate 
The circumstance of wealth being contrasted! with foEy
in verse 6j proves that, in association with the former, a
fair proportion of -wisdom and good sense is presupposed.
There is a natural homage rendered to famEy and for
tune ;¦ and -even this ought not to be unnecessarily con
travened in the disposal pf dignities ; for if not, the public
feeling is scandalized, and this in spite of aE factitious
radicalism,- when servants are set on horses, and princes
walk afoot. Let there be neither a secret conspiracy
against the estabEshed order of things, nor a violent
inroad on its fences and landmarks ; else there may be a
recoE On the perpetrators themselves, just as the renders
and puEers down of things, material are in danger of
being hurt therewith.
10-20. — Wisdom is better than strength; and let us
therefore proceed' Warily when bent on the attainment of
any good, or tha removal of any evil More particularly,
as enchantment will disarm the serpent, so -wiE discreet
management the babbler — for it is not by fighting him
with his own weapons, but with skEl and sound speaking
and acting, that he is to be met. The wise man will in
gratiate himself by his wprds — whereas those" of a fool
will come back with overwhelming recoE «pon himself
The outgoings of foolish speech proceed from a fountain-
head of foEy -within ; and they end in that violence and
mischief which are ascribed elsewhere to the tongue, that
setteth on fire the course of nature, and is itself set on
fire of hell The fool wEl talk and talk on as confidently

ecclesiastes XI. DAILY ^SCEIPTURE EEADINGS. 249
as if he knew all things — whereas man is profoundly
ignorant Of most things,, for the evolution of which in
futurity, it is his truest wisdom to wait in silence. The
fool, wiE expatiate in speaking and speculating among
things profound — ^whereas he gives proof of his being, an
incapable, even by his gross ignorance and incompetency
in the plainest matters Let me treasure up this against
the transcendentalists, whose perversity in things practical
I have. so fatiguingly and fruitlessly attempted to with
stand And hence the misfortune of a land being under
a chEdish monarch, as contrasted with its weEbeing when
tmder the worthy son of worthy ancestors. . . . The chapter
conoludes with denunciations against idleness and squan-
dwing, and at the same time, disloyal declamation not
withstanding. Ecclesiastes xl — My God; tpach me more and more of
the grace of liberality, and let tEe prospect: of coming evEs
upon our land incline me the more to it. Let us iriiitate
the clouds in their effusiveness, or the trees in their fruit-
ftdness of what is good We shaE be judged by our works :
as death, found us, judgment wEl pronounce upon us.
And let us not linger among vain calculations, but avaE
ourselves Of present openings for beneficence and charity.
Duties are ours, events are God's. Let me not suspend
certain and present duties on unkno-wn and distant events.
Let what is right be dorie in its season — committing aE
futurity to Him who alone hath the ftiQ foresight and dis
posal of it Light is sweet; Efe is a great blessing; — ^but
how to prolong this? Death is coming. The days of
darkness and unconsciousness are before us. The young
may rejoice in his current gratifications, but these WiE
1.2

250 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. ecclesiastes -xii,
soon terminate; and God will place us aE before His
tribunal— an intimation of such a judgment here as, is tan
tamount to the intimation of an immortaEty after, it. To
pro^vide for this let us remove every distempered affection
from our hearts, and put evil away from our outward
doings, — Save me from the sins of my youth, 0 Goi
Ecclesiastes xil — The way of prolonging that light
and life which are so pleasant to the soul, is to remember
pur Greater here — that He in mercy might remember us
hereafter, — Then follows a most memorable passage from
Verse 1 tp verse 7, The head, and the arms, and the legs,
and the eyes, and the teeth, are mest elegantly set forth
in figures. The whitenirig of the head is represented by
the flpurishing pf the almpnd tfea "What I myseE most
feel is the nervousness of fears in the way, and things
light as grasshoppers being burdens to me — How truly
beautiful is verse 6, and how decisive of immortaEty is
verse 7 ! The great moral of the whole is the vanity of
this world — if this world be indeed our all ; a lesson given
forth by him who in his time gave many lessons, — Let
his words be my incitements to what is right, and let
them adhere to me . . , . The " masters" here are the -writers
of Scripture, all furnished by the same Hely Spirit with
thpse truths which it is for ministers to deal forth among
their congregations — Let the Bible henceforth satisfy me
more than- it has hitherto done, and let me retEe from
the fatigues and cares of authorship  How conclusive
are these closing sentences ; and why is it that after the
gleams of light which this Book casts on the doctrine, it
should still be doubted whether a future state was known
in the days Of the Old Testament ?

DAILY SCEIPTURE READINGS. 251

SONG OF SOLOMON.
Soira I.— The authorship of this piece is inscribed upon
its forehead. — My God, spiritualEze my affections Gi re
me to know what it is to have the intense and passionate
love of Christ. Let me find of this love that it is better
than aE earthly desires and gratifications Draw me, 0
God, to Christ, (verse 4, and John -vi. 44.) — The Church
is black, sometimes -withinisfortUne — as when persecuted,
at others with corruption — as wheri tempted. — My God,
have I not kept other -vineyards than Thine— gone over
to the care of secular interests and secular managements,
to the neglpct of spiritualities ! , 0 may. I seek first Thy
kirigdom arid Thy righteousness. Let me seek now Unto
Christ, and not tum aside from Him unto other causes
which may appear cognate -with His, but Which as far as
they are good, are best promoted by the direct work of
christianizing and spiritualizing the souls of men. Direct
me aright, 0 God. Let me feed from the -writings of the
inspired men, these shepherds of the Church ; and 0 that
experimentally I were conducted to the habit pf feasting
with Him, and Him with me.
Song iL^Give me, 0 Lord, to love Christ both for what
He is in Himself and for His love to me. May His'love
to me constrain me to love Him back again. I long for
mutual and cpufiding intercpurse. May He np Ipnger
be lightly' esteemed by me, but esteemed as altogether
lovely. I desEe to feast with Him, and Hini with me.
I would sit do-wn with great delight under the canopy of
His mediatorship, rejoicing in the abundance of peace and

252 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. sons hi.
love, , L§t no human companionships, nor represenfe,tions
of human authors, disturb my intercourse jritk the Saviour,
or give me other than the scriptural and spiritual view of
Him, though when Himself pleases He-withdraws, He
at times hides Himself, and keeps back the manifestations
pf His" cpyntenance, and even the ppwer of His word frpm
us. The best way of restering these is tp walk helily, and
put away pu!r deceifful-^even our least sins. He who
hath' the Son hath life, — May I have Him, and that He
may be mine ; and I be of those, to whom it may be said
—"ye are Christ's."' (1 John v. 12; 1 Cor. El 23.), He de-
Eghts in His Church, rejoicing over it.— Turn unto me, 0
Saviour, and come quickly.
*'^'" ' ,¦ - * I,-.
Song iii. — But He retires into dhjiness and distance
from my soul. Let mp search' after Him if haply I may
find Him, Let me search for Him in His word, or at the
mouths of His ministers — those watchmen of the Church,
alking counsel of judicious and experienced Christians.
After finding Him, 0 riiay I retain Him— keeping alive
in my heart a sense jof His presence, and pf His Ipve fpr
me." Ppssess riie, 0 God, in this way with Christ. Admit
me to the intimacy ef His fellpwship— that I may rejpice
in Him with jpy unspeakable and full pf gloty. , Many of
t-Ae passages are Elustrated by cpmmentaters, who cast
tLem into the form of a dialogue  Verse 6 is conceived
to be . a question put by spectators, who form a third
party between Christ and His Church. The inquiry is
tnought to regaid the Church, made up of multitudes,
like pillars of smpke. The subsequent description might
' relate to the glories of that place into which His disciples
are brought, and to the glories of His own character

SONG iv. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 233
and person. Though Solomon be named, yet a greater
than Solomon is here. He provides a strong and ample
guardianship for His people : His angels are ministering
spirits, who minister unto the. heirs of salvation, — Let us
rejoice in the abundance of this security and peace. Christ
is highly exalted, and by God" the J'ather, who hath given
Him a name above every nama Let us go forth and be
hold Him, Let us consider Him who is the Apostle and
High Priest pf Pur prpfessipn. Let us look UntO Jesus.
(Heb, xE 2.)
Song rv. — This seems a descriptien of the graces of the
Church by Him whp is her Husband. How- mUch better
is her love than wine ! To love God i^ better than all
sacrifices and bumt-offerings ; and surely not more accept
able to God than delicious to the moral taste of man
himself, when regenerated and made a new creature of.
Othatloveto things sacred — and more especially the lovfl
which attends feEowship with the Father and the Son-
how much more precious is this than the reEsh of our
mpst exquisite physical gratificaticns ! . ., It is- pleasant to
recognise expressions in this Book which harmonize with
other Scriptures, and serve to identify it 'with them as
ari inspired composition, I therefore seize on .the clause
in verse 15 — " a weE of living waters" (See John vu. 38 ;
iv, 14.) Strike out in my heart, 0 God, a weE of living
water — ^that abounding in- all fraitfulness I may be well-
pleasing' in thine eyes, and Christ may see in me of the
travaE of His soul, and, be satisfied.— O may the Spirit,
who.bloweth where He listeth, blow upon His ChUrch, and
cause it to abound more and more in- aE- the fair and
pleasant fraits of righteousness. Then will He indeed be

254 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS, sosg vi.
satisfied with the travaE of His own soul ; for the Spirit
is the fruit of His purchase, and it is a fruit which is
sweet tmto His tasta
Song v. — ^Verse 1 is a memorabEe, often repeated ori
sacramental occasions, as being Christ's invitation -to His
guests But the invitation is often not fuEy responded
to. Excuses are often made for not yielding a present
compEanca The invitation may be read, yet not effectu-
aBy ; and doubtless the sloth of the mind, and" its aver
sion to the sacrifices and renunciations which the Gospel
requires of us, have an important share in producing our
sluggishness and inertness under even the most awaken
ing calls. Yet sinking again tmder a sense of dreariness
and desertion, -wiE we go in quest of Him who should
be aE our desire, as He is all our salvation But many
are the obstacles in the way — ^unfaithful ministers;, per
secutors, spiritual adversaries, aE stand as barriers be
tween us and Christ, whose graces and attractions should
nevertheless impel our footsteps towards Him.— 0 may
I long vehemently for union vrith Him, even tEl it be
effectei Song vl — ^The imagination of a dialogue conducts many
a commentator through passages that might be otherwise
inexpEcabla The question of verse 1 is conceived to have
come from the daughters of Jerusalem. .-It is weE said
here by Henry, that such a question were indecent E this
song is to be understood EteraEy, but not so when taken
in the spEitual sense ; for all, whether in the Church or
out of it, should be desEous of an approach to Christ, and
feEowship with Him. Christ's office is to gather liEes —

SONG VII. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 255
to gather, from a wprld lying in wickedness, these whom
He might transform inta the fiowers and fraits Of a well-
watered garden  Verse 4, and more especially "verse 10,
are memorabiEa often quoted and appEed to the Church.
The description here given of her graces is much the same
with that of ch. iv. 1-3. In -virtue of these she is prefer
red before all other competitors. She .stands alone in the
regards of Him who has redeemed her, and redeemed
.fpr„the end pf sanctifying her. He gave Himself fer it,
that He might sanctify and cleanse it, and make cf it a
glpripus Church, npt having spot pr -wrinkle, pr any such
thirig. — 0 my Gcd, thus aEy and affiance me with Christ.
I want a mere intimate and abiding, arid withal sensible
unien to Him. 0 grant that even they whp are without
may recognisp in me the beauties of the Christian charac
ter ; and more especiaEy may He Himself who is repre
sented as going- down to see the.-fraits of the valley, see
in me the fraits of His o-wn hand as a sanctifier. Thou
canst translate me suddenly, or before I am aware, from
darkness into marveEous light  The "Shulamite" is
the Churchu
Song vil — Then foEows another description of the
Church, it is thought, by Christ. Strength and beauty
are united in her composition, — 0 that Christ so loved
me, and that I had a corresponding love to Christ, Grace
me. Lord Jesus, -with aE the virtues which are well-
pleasing in Thy sight, that Then mayest rejpice ever
me, and say pf the new creaticn what was said pf the
old, ere deformed and corrupted by sin^ — " And God saw
every thing that He had made, and behold it was very
good." 0 that the SOn of God might say of me — How

25« DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, sono viii.

fair and how. pleasant art thou ,' And let me be enabled
to say, that I am Christ's, and His desire is towards me.
Be my companion, OLord; and as Thou didst -with
the disciples in going to Emmaus, open my understand
ing to understand Thy .Scriptures Let me press onward
to higher degrees of communion ; and let the outgoings
of my soul be ev^ more and more towards Him. Let
me give Him my obedience as the frait of my lo-ve to
Him. Song viil — I , long for a more familiar and endearing
view of Christ ; and though I gave Him- my whole heart
and soul, ^o as that men might wonder at the first, yet
would I at length gain their respect!, even as wisdom is
justified of her children. The presence of Christ in the
Church makes all its ordinances fruitful— Let me study
to please Christ by the odour of my graces Then wotdd
He take up His abode" -with me ; and 0 that the world
and men of the world had less power te banish Him from
my thoughts, or to interrupt the communion bet-wixt us —
I can understand that verse 5 is first a question respect
ing the bride from the daughters of Jerusalem ; but the
latter half is to me veiy unintelligible. Then in -verse 6
she addresses Christ-^pressing after Him, and praying for
His favour and protection  The "little sister" may be the
Gentile Church, not yet in being; or a natural man notyet
created anew. Let every good work begun in her be
perfected. Let us graft upon her capabEities that which
may advance her into a fuE gro-wn Christianity — The
vineyard is a type of the Church. Christ, the Lord of the
¦vineyard, will look for frait ; and they who cultivate it
ariglit will be gainers by their service.

DAILY SCRIPTURE BEADINGS. 3a?

ISAIAH.
Isaiah l 1-9. — ^Prophecy should be deeply studied —
yet even to the most cursory reader there are most pre
cious gleanings, which are all we shaE aim at, instead of
trying in these slight notices to fetch up the treasures
which Ee beneatL And at the very outset how palpable,
yet how weighty are the utterances of Isaiah .... Verses
2 and 3 are memorabiEa of a high order. The rebellious
ingratitude of man, and his regardlessness of God are
chargeable on aE men^ — ^though the charges are in this
instance called forth "by the perversity of Israel It marks
very strongly how inveterate their moral disease was, that
it was beyond the reach of aE outward appEances. Even
chastisements but exasperated it the more, and added to
its viralence „ . .- The last clanse of .verse 5 is a notabile.
AE medicine was thro"wn away upon them, and therefore
it is not administered, and so their "visitations coine upon
them in the form of penalty, and not of chastisement.
We can image nothing more beautiful or poetic than the
affecting simEitudes wherewith , the prophet represents
the desolations of Zion .... Orie gladly recognises a verse
quoted by Patd on the subject of election ; and indeed
every trace of a connexion between the Old and New
, Testament is invaluabla
10-20. — ^He reprovingly entitles Israel by the names
of Sodom and Gomorrah, And what a noble, principle is
here propounded — the same with that of Hosea-— "I
wEl have mercy and not sacrifices." In, the progress of
revelation do-wnward, the older Economy is more and more
refined and purified from its grossness, and the letter

258 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiah i.
gradually gives way to the spirit. It was indeed a most
offensive hypocrisy to Him whose eyes are as a flame of
fire, wien these formal worshippers came forth with the
oblations of their outward service, whEe their hearts and
lives were full of all imp-urity and wickedness. And how
the remonstrance breaks forth into a high style of moral
injunctions !^ — 0 my God, let me not darken these sayings
by an artificial orthodoxy, but caE on men everywhere
to repent, and to do works meet for repentance.....
Verses- 11-18 make up an illustrious notabile, and the last
verse of the passage is pre-eminently such. — Let me
preach both to myself and others the baptism of repent
ance for the remission of sins. God's favour or disfavour
hinged on the obedierice arid disobedience of the children
of Israel.
21-'31. — A fearful account of the degeneracy of Jerusalem
— especiaEy in the upper classes, and among the people
of station and authority, "What an expressive saying —
" I will ease me of mine adversaries." The punishment
and destruction of sinners are congenial to the Divine
nature, and there is a sweet savour unto God — not only
in them that are saved, but in them that perish. (2 Cor.
ii. 15.) . . . Verse 24 I hold to be a notabile, and also verse
25,' for the sake of the expression: — " I WiE purge thy
dross, and take away aE thy tin;" after which Jerusalem,
restored as at the first, will become a city of righteousness.
Thus, too, at the end of the world will the tares be separated
from the wheat, and God will ease Himself of them by
causing them to be bound up in bundles and burned —
after which he will reign over a pure and righteous famEy,
among whom nothing that is unclean or unholy can enter.
Judgment arid righteousness -wEl preside over the whole

ISAIAH II. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 259
work of the redemption of Zion^-whether of Jerasalem or
the Christian Church. Obstinate sinners shall be con
sumed ; but the converted shaE with penitential .shame
and sorrow renounce their old idolatries The wicked,
too, wEl'be ashamed of the idols in which they trasted.
And they that made them shaE be Eke unto them —
like their o-wn useless oak and unfruitful gardens; and
both the strong man ani his • work shall be, burned
together. , Isaiah il 1-9.'— Verses 2-4 form an Ebistrious. notabEe ; '
and we doubt not that the complete fulfilment of them Is
stEl to come. — ^Hasten it in Thy good time, 0 Lord.
Israel shall at length be exalted to a place above all the
powers and dignities, of this world ; ani the. kings of the
earth, as weE as its people wEl do thpm, homage. A
general Christianity among the GentEeS -wEl be the result
of that coming restoration of the Jews to their own land,
when Jerasalem shall be the metropoEs of the Christian
world, aiud there will be established there a great central
coEege for the lessons of the Gospel— Let us CaE, now on
the Jiews to walk in the Eght of the Lord, and so speed on
this blessed cojisummation. StiE they are a forssi-ken
people-^rejected of God because they rejected his Son,
and to racall their other sins of former years, because they
incorporated idolatrous strangers with themselves, and
adopted their practices and -ways. And they are given
over whoEy to the pursuit of wealth, and the god of this
world— from the highest to the lowest of them. There
fore are they not yet forgiven.
10-22. — But an awful manifestation is coming-— -which.
wiEr overawe and solemnize men, leading therii to caE on

260 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEAblNGS. isaiah in.
the rocks to cover them. The earth at present is almost
wholly given over to idolatry ; -but a time is at hand when
the Creator wiE make open assertion of his supremacy
over all creatures, and God alone shall be exalted in that
day. Our ships, and our commerce, and our political great
ness, and our splendid works of beauty and art — these are
what we now glory in ; but aE shall be brought low. Arid
we think that some fearful miraculous demonstrations are
awaiting us,, by which to bring down the proud confidence
of man, and to make us cease from all dependence on our
feEows^-=-high it may be in power or fortune or talent, but
still wea,k and sinful and mortal as ourselves There is
doubtless in high " places, and throughout the community
at large, an exulting ho^e in the progress and prosperity
of the world from -secondary causes, and the -skill wherC'
with they are plied by human sagacity for the advance
ment of our species. All this will be put to shaine and to
flight, when He the first and only efficient cause shall
make direct exhibition of his own high prerogatives, and
shall arise to shake terribly the earth. Let us wait for
this Coming- of the Lord.
Isaiah iii. 1-'9. — The prophet now turns him more es
pecially to his o"wn country. It speaks rriuch for the gra
dation of ranks as to consequence, that beside the threat
ened calamity of famine, there is denounced upon them
the loss of their great men — great no doubt most of them
in virtue of their personal qualifications ; but stEl it shows
the vast importance of government, and one of strength
too, that it is spoken of as a great evil when children are
princes and babes are rulers, and also when the people them
selves are oppressors — for these upstarts are commonly the

ISAIAH m. daily SCEIPTURE READINGS. S61
worst of tyrants. It was a sad pass for the Jews to be
brought to, when in the desperation of thpir wants and
helplessness they went a begging for masters who might
govern and command them, and the distinction was refused
because of the utter powarlessness on the part of any IJp
do them good This was all the result of their own dis
obedience — in word as- weE as in deed. They insulted
Him. who is the Lord of glory and cannot be mocked
They brought it aE upon themselves ; for they gloried in
their shame. They proclaimed aloud thefr misdeeds and
boasted of them. . There is an infamous species of dissipa
tion which, does sbow itself in the countenance seas to
bespeak the worthless debauchee.
10-26<— The respective dealings of Gpd with the righte
ous and. the -wicked are here authoritatively set down ;
arid the misery of a weak government again intimated —
when women and chEdren are placei over a nation. But
besides this there may be a corrupt government misleading
the people— and a tyrannical government lording* it cruelly
and oppressively over them. In the remonstrance with
these last, there occurs a notabile at verse IS^^the expres
sion of " grinding the faces of the poor." But the most
striking passage HI this chapter, is that which sets forth the
habE and at length the sore humiliation of the daughters
of Zion. How it marks the identity of our nature in all
ages, to compare the description of the Ixelles upwards of
two thousand years ago with those of the present day —
walking and mincing aS they go. They are completely
aEke — ^not iri their fashions, but iri the fantastic variety of
fashion, and all its ppmps and 'fineries— the description
of which in this place is very spirited and piquant ; but
what a liideous reverse, when disgrace and defamation

262 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. isaiah v,
shaE be inflicted on the women, and tha men shaE fall
by the sword ?
Isaiah rv, — This chapter takes up a like desolatiori and
distress -with what has just been ppurtrayed — pnly it ppints
forward tp such a futurity as lies stEl before us ' We can-
net apply the bulk ef the chapter tp the nearer calamity
predicted by Isaiah ; and 'we therefore Ippk forward to a
time when a refuge wiE be opened from a general and
wide sprfead distress, and the escaped of God's people shaE
have a something beautiful" and glorious and fuE of ex
cellence and frait to which they might resort  Christ is
caEed the Branch in various places of Scripture — a branch
out of the stem of Jesse, &e  The remnant who shaE
survive the destruction that ia to come among men wiE be
a holy remnant-^in part -by the removal of all who were
polluted by -vice and violence, and in part by the refor
mation of those ,-who have humbled themselves under the
chastening hand of the Lord, The latter process seems to
be intimated by what our prophet tells pf the spirit of
judgment and the spirit of burning. .Then -wiE God in
terpose for His Church, as He did for the Israelites of old
• — for the Church in the wilderness. Then wiE be glory,
and glory beyond the reach of hostEe violence— for
upon all the glory shall be a defence. This last expression,
too, is a notabile, — 0 God, may that briBiant era arrive
speedEy. '
' Isaiah v. l-8.^The similitude here employed of Israel,
or of the Church, to a -vineyard, bears on the inspiration
of the -Song of Solomon; and so does the endearing epi
thet of " my well-beloVei" The passage is replete with

isaiah v. daily SCRIPTURB READINGS. 263
instruction. — My God, make me fruitful, and forbid that I
should bring forth wEd grapes ; but such fruits as Thou
lookest for, and as are well-pleasing to Thee — 'What an
impressive appeal is here made — -" "What more could I have
done that I ha,ve not done ?" Verily we have much to an
swer for. There has been no want of help, or of appliance,
or of pro-visipn, fpr aE pur mpral and spiritual exigencies,
pn the part pf Gpd, We have ne excuse in the deficiency
pf His pffgrg, pf which, if we do not avail oursel-ves, we
are the authors of our. o-wn undoing, and the blood Eeth
upon our own heads. He tlius -vindicates His dealings
¦with Jerasalem ; and similar wEl be His deaEngs ¦with us,
if we yield eitlier a perverse return, or no return at aE,
for the privEeges we enjey. Our candlestick,' teo, ¦wiE be
removed ; and a sai judgment, we fear, overliangs Chris
tendom at large, and our o-wn. land  Vprses 2 and 4 are
notabEia. 9-l7.-^]S'oW foEows the denunciation of Israel in less
figurative terms— first for the co-vetousness of those who
multiply their, houses and thefr fields, iri counterpart to
which their houses shall be desolated, and "their fields be
come waste and unfruitfulj yielding the miserable return of
less than was planted in them — Kien foEows another
dentmciation on a distinct set of transgressors-r-the. in
temperate and riotous. How traly descriptive of the
votaries of dissipation in our present day — " that they re
gard not the work of the Lord, nor consider thp operation
of His hands" — ^an expression this which makes Verse 12
a notabila Hence the captivity of Israel^ — a judicial in
fliction for sin. Hell has enlarged itself The receptacle
of the dead, as too narrow for their .increasing multitude,
IS widened for their accommodation. All classes of men

264 DAILY SCEIPTURE EEADINGS.

BhaE be brought prostrate ; .but the majesty and right
eousness of God shaE shine forth, ani ba testified on that
^y,,,. Interpreters^ view the,/' lambs" of verse 17 spirit-
ttiiEy. "When the enemies of the Church are destroyed,
tha' Church itself, and children of Godj wiB be at rest
and be fei I should have conceived of animals. feeding
at large, and stiaagers making entry on the desolated
country. 18-30. — Wo unto them that make a laborious busi
ness of sinning — ^who prosecute it as the isystem and main
ooncerri of their Eves, and are even vain in the exhibi
tion of their »mdaeities and foEies, bidding defiance to-
God — Verse 20 is a notabile.^— Heaven defend me from
this woi L^ me not gloss over what is evE, nor dis
parage -what, is good. And save me from all overweening
conceit of myself. There are men who glory "in their
shame — who make a boast, for example, of their drinking
powers. There is utter recklessness in this ; and we dfiaE
often see, in -tiie ruin of principle, that dissipation and
dishemesty go together, so as to corrupt eyen- their social
mtpgrity, and make them corrupt ministers of justioej if
their station boon the judgment-seat This is a species
of corruption pxtremely prevalent inihese days.; hence
the anger and the ouiBt-retehed hand of God against them ;'
hence thie visitation upon the land of them who were the
angels and the instruments of His ¦wraili — caEing, upon
nations from afar to spoE and chastise His o^wn people. ,
It is a powrarfully expressive image, to hiss unto them
that they may come speedily,... ..The chapter closes with
the description of these invaders. They shall not tarry,
nor wUl fatigue cause them to lag upon the way. They
wiE not -strip themselves for repose. Their weapens-are

isaiah VI. DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADING'S. 265
formidable"; and they wiE have both horses and chariots
of war. They wEl have aE the rapacity, and force, and
skUl of a practised predatory warrior ; and desolation and
sprrpw wEl overspread the land. , -*•
-i- „v • " September, 1846.
Isaiah VL — This is an important theologicar chapter,
inasmuch as the quotation from it in John xil 41, identi
fies the Lord Jesus Christ with Him whom the prophet
saw sittirig- upon the throne— -^even Jehovah Himself — 0
may I learn from this chapter how to reverence my Savi
our as thrice holy and the L'Ord of Hosts, whose glory fills
the whole eartL The prophet's apprehension would have
been weE-grounded, had it been Gpd, out of Christ whom
he saw ; but it was God in Christ^^nay, Christ HimSelf,
whom he saw. He was baptized with fire by a live-coal
from the altar ; for not only must our guilt be removed,
but the dross of our corruption must^ be burned away, —
Take -away mine iniquity, and purge my" sins, 0- God 
The objective truth, of which Isaiah undertook to be the
messenger, was told to Israel ; but the- subjective opera
tion necessary for their being saved by it was not per
formed on them. Their desolation and capti-vity were
the results of their continued imperiitence •; yet a rem
nant was left — ^the good and holy, few — ^the salt of the
earth— the substance of the land.
Isaiah vil 1-11.^-The terror of the Jews at the inva
sion of Syria and Israel is picturesquely set forth. Though
Ahaz was a -wicked priace, yet God encouraged him in
this instance, and appeared- upon his side  Rezin and
Pekah are compared to the two tails of smoking fire
brands, whose heat would' soon be put out. It comported
VOL, III, M

2C6 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. isaiah vii.
not with the designs of God that these two invaders shpuld
succeed. Let them stay at home— let them be satisfied
with their own capitals and thefr own territories, nor
think of possessing Jerusalem and Judah. As for one of
them-, even Israel, it wEl soon cease to be a nation. — For
the chronological difficulty of sixty-three years, see the
Commentators — Isaiah winds up this comfortable assur
ance by urging faith in it, and threatening that if they
want this, they wiE not prosper — ^they will have no
stabEity "in the land. But God not only requires our
faith,. He supplies us with a warrant for it. He does
not ask bricks from us without giving us straW:- He
does not demand belief without p-vidence. And so. He
bids Ahaz specify the kind of sign or e-vidence he would
lika ¦ ¦
12-25, — ^Ahaz refuses to ask a sign, on a plausible pre
tence, too, "Tet Isai3,h seems offended, and as" if charges
Ahaz with wEful unbelief and indifference. It is well
remarked that Isai^ih in verse 11 says' of God to Ahaz
— " that He is Thy God ;" but in his reply speaks of Him
only as my God — the prophet's and not now the king's
<jod. -And he further proposes a sign — ^not one that wEl
be avaEable for working beEef in the mind of Ahaz, who
seems careless in the matter^ but highly avaEable for
the general encouragement of all who had faith in God,
and trasted Him fer the fulfilment of all HiS4)romises and
prophecies .... We have here a glorious prediction of the
Messiah, (See Matt i,- 22, 23,) Whkt is said, of Him in
verse 15 becomes more inteEigible, if for " that" we read
"whenj" or, though miractdously bom. He wEl not be
miraoulou^y fed, but wiE grow up and be maintained as
others on the common fare and produce of the cotmtry.

ISAIAH VIII. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 267
. . There are difficulties, too, in the interpretation of verse
16. — Some understand that the child here spoken of is
one pointed at by Isaiah, and perhaps one of his own sons ;
others, that before a chEd< shaE know how to choose the
good and refuse the evE — sooner than by the interval
which separates the birth of a child from the dawn of its
eariy understandings — ^wEl the land be forsaken of both
her kings This does not nuEify the Elustrious prophecy
•which- came before; but is rather a guarantee for the
fulfilment of it But the prophet does not leave off till
he pronounces judgment, too, upon Ahaz  To " hiss for
the fly and the bee from afar" is extremely poetical and
impressive. The invasions of Egypt and Assyria will
desolate the wh.ole land, so- that few-eattle shall be left,
and they -wiE have the whole produce to fatten on. Much
good land wEl rtm into briers arid thoms. Men wiE hunt
-with arrows and bows where they used to labour with the
instalments of husbandry. Uplands taken into cultiva
tion, and fenced about with brier and thorn hedges, shall
be laid open ; and the animals, fearless of aE restraint or
obstruction, shaE roam at large over them.
Isaiah viil 1-8. — " Maher-shakl-hash-baz" signifies " to
hasteri the.spoE and the prey" — an appropriate ¦ title for
the prophecy which relates to the invasion of Assyria —
the rod, for the time, of God's anger.,. . . A former son of
Isaiah was named Shearjashub, which means ," the rem
nant shaE return," The son whom his wife the prophetess
now gave unto him received a name of another import,
and was expressive of judgment. He predicts that the
invasion of Assyria should take place ere this . son shall
be able to speak  There were many j(t would seem in

268 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS.

ISAIAH VIII,

¦Judah disaffected to thefr o-wn government, and in the
interest of the kings 'of Assyria and Dariiascus, preferring
them to their own iriore quiet and domestic monarchy He
forewarns them of the destraction impending over these
their objects of confid^ce and affection ; nay, even they
in J"udah would experience his vengeance. They refused
the* soft waters of Shiloah, and wOUld be visited by the
strong' waters of Euphrates, , , . I have long admired the
closing cadence of verse' 8.... The land of'Jiidah, where
Christ Was born, is the land of Immanuel - --
9-22. — He now turris him to the invaders frOm afar,
and lets them know that their present designs against
Judah will be overthrown— TfOr in this land of Immanuel
God is with us And so God warns the. prophet, and the
peopje through him, not to give way to the fear of these
enemies, not to joiri in a confederacy with them, nor to
be afraid of theE confederacies ; but to fear "God -who
would effectuaEy defend them, and be a sanctuary to them,
while an offerice and a snare to those who were on the
side of Assyria, bpth in Judah and Israel Hpw strikingly
analpgpus tp this were the. days pf pur Sa-viour? — (See 1
Peter ii, 8 ; see a;lsp Matthew xxi, 44.) 'While Isaiah and
the trae disciples waited uppn the Lprd and respected His
law and testimpny — stiU His face- was hidden frpni the
nation at large.', , ,. Clause first pf verse 18 is a notabEe 
The godly were stared at by the general pubEc, and were
also signs or a stariding testimony against thefir. They
were forbidden to seek after any bUt God — as dead idols
or , di-viners that could not profit . , , , 'V'erse 20, an illustri
ous notabile of far niore extensive application than its
primary orie, — My God, let Thy law and testimony be my
Bupreme guides both for doctrine and for- obedience. The

ISAIAH IX. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 269
conspirators shall meet with their doom, be driven to
and fro, shall look all ways for reliPf, but in vain.
Isaiah ix. 1-7.^ — The distress just spoken of shall not,
however, be so great as on some former occasions. The
people even now had a greater light of vision and prophecy
among them than in some former times; but the larger ac
complishment of this took place in the days of our Saviour.
(See Matthew iV. 14-1 6.) . . . " Ifot increased the joy," is un
derstood to be a mistranslation; The suppression of the
negative harmonizes the -passage, And the deliverance
spoken of in verses 4 and 5, though a temporal pne there,
has respect to a future and higher deEverance : " For
unto us a chEd is -bom,'' proceeding to one of the noblest
passages and prophecies ¦withinthe compass of the sacred
volume. "What an example of the expansion that so often
took place in the prophetic mind,, brighteriing onwards
from the type to the antftype, from the primary and direct
object to its grander counterpart ' in the ulterior and full
consummation ? The government is upon the shoulders of
Christ : He is the Priest upon His throne : He is Wonder
ful — ^great is the mystery of God manifest in the flesh : He
is the mighty God; and after His ascension. He as God-
man received all power in heaven and earth : He is one with
the Father, and the Father of the neW creation' — of the
Gospel state — ^the Alpha as weE as the Omega of the re
generated world : He is emphaticaEy the Prince of Peace;
and "wEl ever be adding, to the extent of His kingdom^-
the stability and order of which wEl be eternal The
zeal of the Lord of Hosts is a guarantee for aE this per
formance. It is^ a . zeal for .my salvation, and 0 let me
respond to it ' - '

270 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, isaiah x.
8-21, — ^The kingdom of Israel had been smitten of the
Lord, but- not humbled. They boasted that they would
more than repair all the IpsS and destructicn which had
cpme uppn them. This Was a fresh prevpcaticn and
called fpr a hptter vengeance. .. . The adversaries of Rezin
were the Assyrians, whom the' Syrians themselves the
people of Rezin joined, and so made the confederacy
against Israel aE the mora formidable. The repetition of
His anger- not being turried away, but His hand -being
stretched out still, is awfuEy soleinnizing — ^like the knell
of another and another visitation. The prophet that
teacheth lies is placed the lowest, and basest of aE their
society— causing the people to err and be destroyed....
The enemies of God are here, as in other places, compared
to thoms and briers. — CivE war and famine are threatened
against them; nay, such was the extremity of thefr dis
tress, that they became cannibals — dev.ouririg even their
o-wn flesh, or that of their nearest kindred ; and aE this
because tkey turned riot to the Lord who smote, sought
not after Him, but despised- his chastening — ^nay, were
hardened under it.
Isaiah x. 1-11. — ^It dees net appear whether the de-
riunciaticn here was uttered against Israel or Judah —
though the reason and principle of it are very obvious . . ; .
" "Where will ye leave your glory," intimates that it should
depart from them beyond recovery; because without
God, thOy should be the most sunken and lOwest among.
the prisoners, or the first to fall, and so uridermost among
the slain. Either captivity or the sword should be their
lot . . , . The Assyrian was the rod or instrament of God's
wrath ; and their weapons of war, the staff in their hand,

isaiah X. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 271
did -wreak His indigriation on His enemies To Judah
more than to Israel might be applied, the charge of being
a hypocritical nation ; and Assyria utterly subdued Israel,
ravaged and distressed Judah. (2 Kings xviii. 10-13.) . . .
Verse 7 is a notabile ; and it exemplifies a very general
laW Ul the administration by God of -human affairs, — He
purposing one thing, the men .whom He employs purpos
ing another. How often is the good of society educed
from the play of individual passions and interests — each
man ainiing after a personal object of his own, -without re
ference to the great and general result contemplated hy
the Almighty Governor of all ! How often is this e-vinced
both in poEtics ani .Lpolitical economy !— This passage
closes -with the -boastings of the king of Assyria.
12-23, — But God turns to him who was the iustrument
of His anger against Judah. He first served Himself of
the king o-f Assyria, and after his puipose was dona with
hirii. He brought down the high looks of the boastful and
haughty conqueror. What a striking lesson of humEity
to us aE who are but tools in the hand of Gpd — -shall the "
axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith ? How
traly the "prediction that God should burn up His thoms
and briers in pne day, was fulfiEed in the destruction of the
hosts who had assembled round Jerasalem! Very few
were left of that great army — though such were thfe pre
vious devastations suffered in Judah, that cemparatively
but few pf them were left also. They profited, however,
by the judgments that had been inflicted on their nation ;
and no more staying on hiin who. smote them, returned to
the mighty God and made Him their dependence. We
have already seen that many in Judah, disaffected to their
own government, were in the interest of their enemies and

272 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS.

invaders. This return of the few from sp great a number
is adverted to "by Paul in his argument npon , election,
(Romans ix. 27.) lie consumption which God' had de
creed shaE overflow the land, yet.be in measure ; and wEl
not be indiscriminate but in TJ^gbteOusness — so that a
select number wEl ,be spared. This part, too, enters into
Paul's quotation — ^though, as made frpm the Septuagint,
it reads spmewhat differently.
24-34. — And so the prophet in the name of the Lord
dissuades them from being afraid of the Assyrian. — God's
anger agairist Judah would cease, and turning against the
Assyrian, for some time the staff or instrument, of His
vengeance would expend itself on their, destruction. For
the destruction of Oreb and Zeeb, see Judges -rii. — It was
effected miraculously and by an invisible, power — as was
like-wise the;destractionof the Egyptians in. the Red Sea.
(See also Psalm Ixxxiii. 11.) — And so the Assyrian march
ed proudly through the land of Israel, taking possession
of many places, and striking terror into aE the rest. He
then made up to Jerusalemj and, spread himself in array
before it But here the Lord interposed and laid His
arrest upon him. The Jews should be deEVered because
of their anointing,, because of their anointed and good
king -Hezekiah, and to preserve the nation tEl Shiloh the
great anointed of the Lord should come. Their army was
thick..as the, forests of Lebanon ; but as if cut do"wn with
iron they were feEed to the ground ; and on the miracu
lous destruction of their host was this prophecy signaEy
fulfiEei - •
Isaiah XL-^The prOphecy now points clearly to Christ,
to whom the Spirit Without measure was given — ^wEose

isaiah xii. DAILY SCEIPTURE EEADINGS. 273
fraits as here enumerated are chiefly intellectual, but
blended-#with the moral in the remarkable expression
which makes verse 3 a notabEe — and shaE make him of
quick understanding in tile fear of the Lord,' And He
judged not according to the appearance, but judged
righteous judgment. (John -vil 24. J — He wiE appear for
His o-wn, the meek and the poor in spirit, and wiE visit
on the earth its .wickedness, -that He might establish
over it -the reign of jighteousness and truth. These wiE
be the days of love and universal peace, when the very
animals shaE cease to devour each other  It seems a
most perplexing law that of animals " obviously framed
for, the destraction of each other; and may We not hope
for the literal fulfilment of such a revolution as is set
forth in these verses ? -This regeneration ©f ' the World
is obviously conjoined with the restoration of the JpWs;
. ., Verse" 9 is a most- iEustrious notabEe. The remnant of
Israel wEl be conducted back to their own land. Thp
GentEes -wEl help on their return.; and the two great
di-visions of Ephraim and Judah wEl again be brought
into one. They shaE take possessjon of the neighbouring
countries, and extend themselves probably to Euphrates^
God wEl remove all obstacles — as He did when He dried
up the Red Sea, He made then, and He -wEl again make
a highway for His people.
- Isaiah xn, — We have here a song of eelebriation. If
at the deEverance -from Egypt we had the song of Moses,
at the next greiat deliverance we shaE have the ,song of
the Lamb. — My God, give me the faith anithe spirit that
will join in it Enable me to say-r-Thou wast angry, but
it is now turned away, and I am comfort,ed. Let me
m2

274 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADII^GS. isaiah xiii.
trast and ^ot be afraid. Be my strength, 0 Lord, my
song and my salvation  Verse 3 is a most illustrious
notabile, — May I ever draw out of the fountain that Is
opened in the house of Judah for sin and for Uncleanness
¦ — ^that I may be washed both from guEt and poEution,
and that Eving waters therefrom may minister tb the
health of my soul — ^to the sal-vation, the aanripia iri which
the health and well-being of my"Bpirit lies  "What a lofty
theme for gratulatipn and praise, mere especiaEy from
the Jews in that day-r— the day of the Jews' establishment
in their own land — ^the day of the Church's triumph over
aE her enemies — ^the day, in short, that Ushers in the mE-
lennium. Then will -indeed be materials -for a call upon
the whole earth— ^-for the, exceEent things done by the
Lord shall be universally known in it And beside' this
general, there wEl be a special caE to join in these lofty
notes of praise on the chEdreri of Israel — for well might
the inhabitants of Zion shout aloud' for joy, when the
Holy One of Israel is in the midst pf her,
Isaiah xiil 1-11,— ^hp harmony of the Bible prophe
cies and' accounts "with secular history, stfongly confirms
the truth pf Scripture, Of these prophecies such as relate
to Babylon are amOng .the most striking-  "Burden"
may signify the matter or essence or subject of any- dis
course; As when the Lord put a word in Balaam's
mouth, (Numbers xxiil 5,) and he took it up (^f»')' arid
spake. The burden is (ma) what is thus taken up. The
taking of Babylon by Cyrus at the head of his Medes
and Persians is the subject of this prediction. God's sanc
tified ones ate those whom He had appointed and- set apart
for this service. Cyrus was pre-eminently such. (Isaiah

ISAIAH xiir. DAILY SCEIPTURE READINGS. 275
xlv. 1.) The destraction of Babylon was by riien, but
from God : it .- shaE 'come sis a destraction from the
Almighty. The terrors of the invaded city are most for
cibly depicted .... We have in verse 10 a specimen of
the symbolic language of prophecy, according to which
the powers of this world are represented by the sun and
moon arid consteEations of the heavens It was indeed a
vengeance on the arrogancy and haughtiness -of the proud
arid terrible. '
" 12-22". — The scarcity of men consequent on their ter
rible slaughter is here set forth. The heavens and the
earth, princes and people, would be in great part exter
minated; yet some would escape of this mixed army
from among the various countries which had been brought
into the vast dominions of Babylon. Their being like
sheep that no man congregates, or Eke scattered sheep,
vi-vidly pourtrays the flight and dispersion of the remnant
of this mighty host And there would be a dreadful
slaughter along the route, and aE the outrages corisequent
on the sack of cities, and the invasion with the conquest
of provinces. The Medes are here characterized as not
caring for gold ; and so they would not be bought off
from their feE purposes bf extermination by any ransom-
marking -how feE and fatal to the conquered their victory
should bci We cannot imagine a more eloquent and
picturesque" description than is here given of thO desola
tion of Babylon, brought down from its proud excellency
and beauty," and converted into a -bare ani frightfiil wil
derness. There is nothing in Ossian, or in any of our his
torians and poets, that can at aE rival the' brief and im
pressive sketch whicE is here given— -nO Arabian pitching
there, and their houses being full of doleful creatures, arid

276 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. isaiah xiv.

dragojii, in their pleasant palaces. " And what a ^erifica-
tiori does the fulfilment of this prophecy give to the Book
which contains it ! - • -
Isaiah xiv. 1-8, — The prpphecy returns tc Israel — ccn-
necting the destruptipn of Babylon with the; deliverance
pf God's own people. That strangers should be joined
with them, points to the union which shaE take place be
tween Gentiles and Jews, with .the subserviency more or
less of the former to the latter— at one time helpful to
them, and glad to accompa^ny them from a common faith,
(Zechariah viii, 23 ;) at another, thefr subjects and cap
tives. There is much of these fulfilments stiE iri .reserve.
The proverb or parable here taken up is one of the finest
imaginative compositions extant in any language, - It
seems to profess itself a fiction, though representative pf
substantial truth. The humiEation_of Babylon as an
earthly power, and the consequent pnlargement and peace
of the nations, ar.e of a literaEy historical ehamcter. But
the reception of its -king in Hades ; and what is figured
to be done and spoken there, belong more strictly to the
parable — ^like those of our Saviour, given not as true nar=
ratives in themselves, but as allegorical representations
for the enforcement of a moral or some great -lesson.
And never have the vanity of ambition, and the frailty of
the highest and proudest grandeur been more impressively
given. Thpre is a vast sublimity inthe description of this
Plutonicror subterranean scene.
9-201 — "HeE" is ^inc sepulchrum^n -Greek, Hades —
the lower parts Of the earth — ^not Gehenna or the place pf
punishriient, - Can aught be imaged more impressive than
the kings of the nations, raised up from theit thrones to

ISAIAH XIV. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, 277

meet the ghost of the king of Babylon ? or aught more
pathetic and powerful than their reception address ?. What
a humiEating contrast^and with what effect it is given,
between him when in glory as Lucifer son of the morn
ing, and him in his grave with the worms spread under
him, and the worms Covering him I And all this was laid
upon him as a punishment for his arrogancy and high
thoughts Ho was brought down to Shaol, (verse 15,) -" to
the sides of the. pit." Bemadottp, after the battle of
Leipsic, says of Napoleon in his despatches- — " Is this the
great captain, who made the nations to tremble?" ' And
Sir Walter Scott in his description of the proud barons of
Roslin, each in his own chapeEe, seems to have caught at
least the poetic inspiration of verse 18. As a mere literary
composition,' the passage before' us is beyond all rivalry
21-32. — We now come to the literal and the direct,
when, the denunciations are uttered against the city "ani
, empEe of Babylon — given, however, with the same graphic
power which characterizes the whole of this chapter, when
it is said that it shaE become" a possession for the bittern,
and pools of water ;" and with what .tremendous energy.are
we told that God " -wiE sweep- the land with the besom
of -destra.ction ! " We have God's un,changeablp purpose
to destroy the Assyrian power, and remove its yoke from
the larid (rf Israel — ^from "my land" and " my mountains."
His, arid His alone, is the aE-prevailing hand stretched out
upon aE the nations — in contradistinction to the boastful
pretensions of the king of Babylon, who would have ex
alted his throne above the stars of God, and set himself
down On the mount of the corigregation. (verse 13.) But
then God- trod him under foot, and caused his yoke to de
part from off his people, (verse 25.)  At verse 2S begins

278 DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS,'

ISAIAH XV,

another burden — ^another subject of prophecy.... Pales-
tin'a is Philistia. The PhEistines rejpiced in the death
ef XJzziah, who was their formidable enemy and conqueror
—(2 Chron. xxvi. 6)-r-8£fter which they "triumphed in turn
over Israel But their 'triumph was to be short-lived; for
out of the same royal famEy there should arise one,
Hezekiah the son of Ahaz, who would deliver his land and
subjugate its foes; and more especiaEy the PhiBstuies.
(2 Kings xviil 8.) Thus did the Lord appear as the pre
server, and wiE be the restorer of Israel
Isaiah xv, — It is not said who they are that were -to
inflict this pretended vengeance upon lloab. One might
have inferred from the preceding context that it might
tave been Hezekiah; whose triumph- over PhiEstia had
just been celebrafei But Henry says, and it is the
likelier supposition, that Shahnaneser extended his vic
tories to Moab at the time of his expedition against
Sd,maria; However this be, the desolation of Moab is
very impressively told-^arid most wasting and ruinous
it was In the enumeration of its particulars, one is
interested when meeting ¦with the same names of to^wfis
which occur in other places of Scripture when Moab is
spoken of The mOst interesting of these names is Zoar,
to which Lot fled for refiige on the destruction of Sodom
and Gomorrah  The signifipancy of the heifer in verse
5 is problematical. Some would make it descriptive of the
crying like a heifer lowing for its calf; others would apply
it to Moab, fat and fertEe — ^But" now aE the more an ob
ject for pity that the dread visitation has come upon it , . . .
The being " laid waste and brought to 'sEaice" strikingly
represent the desolation as tha effect of the devastation.

ISAIAH XVII. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. srs
The dispersion; and the famine, and the conPealment, of
carrying off of provisions, are forcibly set forth as the
consequences of war.
Isaiah xvl. — The first verse may be spiritualized ; but
its more obvious meaning is an injunction on the Moab-
ites to pay their customary tribute to Judah — (^ee 2
Kings iii 4, 5) — else they should suffer all the miseries of
a conquered people  " Making thy shadow as the night,'*
if inteipreted by the next clause, 'may signify a shelter
ing of the oppressed from the hPat of persecution — ^per
haps fugitive Jews— Gvod's -outcasts. Befriend them, and
it is your policy so to do ; for God will soon destroy their
enemiels, as He did most signally in the feign of Hezekiahr
The, prediction regarding his throne expands so as to
sUit tha higher and niore enduring throne which we stiE
look for. But the pride of the Moabite wiE refuse thei
counsel now given, though his lies wEl not avail him.
Therefore their punishment is sure — the invading captains
-will strip them of aE thefr -wide spread iuxuriance. They
wEl weary themselves, and pray in vain on their^ idola
trous high places This is the word that God hath given
regarding Moab since the time .of their proUd hostEity to
God's people, Thfe woes foretold should take place in
three years. " - '
Isaiah xviL-^The prophet turns to another neighbour
ing state, and makbs' it, too, the subject of his Jpropheti'c
tkreatenings. According to Robinson, there is an Aroer
in the N.E. by Jordan .... But Israel, also, is included in
thesa denunciations— it ha-ving been alike hostile to
Judah with Moab and Damascus, The country sliall be

280 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, isaiah xvin.
gleaned of its people, as are the fields' in harvest Yet a
remnant shall be left, as i^s set forth by a figure not infre
quent in the Scriptures, .And it shaE be a godly rem
nant, sanctified by affliction, — ^My God, let- mine eye be
ever towards Theei and to Thee may I. have respect in
aE my ways, — Thus it wEl be -with the chastened Israelites,
too, at the end of the present Economy, even as it has been
in former days, whan the effect of the discipline laid upon
them Was that they abjured idels. But there weuld^pre-
¦viously be great desolation, because of the transgressions
of the chEdren pf Israel, It is^because they had forgptten
Gpd that theE^seed-^iime pf prpsperity and hope shotdd
be followed by a harvest of desperate sorrow- -T- There
seems a transition to another subject at verse 12, The
denunciations now are turned to the more distant invaders
of Judah. They shaE come Eke a torrent in its strength ;
but they shall be arrested and tuined back-^-Uhased "Eke
a roEirig thing before the whirlwind," This last is a fine
image.. By the destraction of the Assyrian host, these
spoilers of Judah, these troublers ^at the evening-tide,
were not when morning arose, but were dead corpses.
i
Isaiah 'XVIIL — Horsley (whom -I read long ago) gives a
most impressive commentary on this chapter. To the
best of my recollection, the " Wo" is " Ho"— not a-i enun
ciation, but a caE And there is a general explanation of
!^thiopia, which enables him to give forth Britain as the
country that is called upon. Arid he points to some
great future servica of ours in conducting the Scattered
of Israel back again to their o-wn land. There may be
a miraculous" manifestation at that time from heaven-r-
the blowirig of a trumpet, the lifting up- of an ensign. In

isaiah xix. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS 281
behalf of a nation that had been sadly peeled and plucked
arid plundered of its o-wri. And they may weE be caEed
a nation marveEous and terrible from the beginning.-^
Meanwhile, God who, Himself undisturbed, regulates arid
presides calmly over aE things, "wiE conduct this process,
just as He guides onward the processes of the material
world. He -wiE prune away aE that is corrapt, and
cast it out for destruction. The -vine -He brought from
Egypt ¦wiE thus be brought into a healthful state, ani
become ,fit for being r^lanted in. its own land. It wiE
then be a present unto the Lord — a glorious Church with^
out -spot or -wrinkling. — Hasten this blessed consumma
tion, 0 God ; and bring Thy people again unto Zion 
One of the most striking j»rophecies in the Book.
Isaiah xix. 1-10. — It makes against Horsley's inter
pretation that after. Ethiopia comes -Egypt — the former
standing between the latter and Damascus. It looks as
if the prophet were dealing in, succession -with aE the
countries around Israel ; though Horsley's, notwithstand
ing, may prove the anterior fulfilment of a former one
that has long -gone iby — What a picturesque descrip
tion of Egypt ! and how closely does the representation
here given of it bring up the characteristic pecuEarities
of that land — its idols, its incantations, its irrigations,
its river, the papyrus on its banks, it^ manufactures, its
ponds, and tanks of water .'... Its "brooks of defence"
were runnels of water — mounded, lest they should oVer-
flowt and whether .they were ' dra-wn around cities, or
were carried in furrows to every field, they would con
tribute greatly to the strength of the country. But
whether overran by invaders or not, the resources of God

282 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. isaiah xx.
for the exercise of discipline are infinite. He could
raise a crUel lord — a tyrant Pharaoh — amongst them
selves, who might be to them what a former Pharaoh was
to the Israelites CivE war and faminfe-— the fesult of a
failure in the Nile— were to be superadded to their other
calamities: 11-25.- — And as He made the water of that river in
which thay gloried to fail, so did He make the wisdom of
their counsellors, whereof they were so proud, to iaE also.
Egypt was proverbial for its -wisdom-; but He, the Lord of
the mental as well as the material". Could as easEy mingle
a perverse spirit therewith, as He could taint or diy up
their mighty river. Their manufactures should be extin
guished from the want of raw -material And Judah
should be a terror unto Egypt in that day ; but the de
scription is such as points ,to a future day. There shaE
be a remnant in Egypt, who -wjE adopt the words and
doctrines of the trae faith. Of the five cities of such
converts, one shall have undergone so complete a transi
tion that, though for its abundant idolatry and consequent
calamitous visitation, it should be caEed the city of de-
struction^-yet even it sh.oiEd -turn unto the Lord. These
converts wiE be oppressed and'persecuted, but -wEl receive
help, and shall prevaE, For the Lord -wiE smite Egypt,
to-- the overthrow of its antichristian power, and the cause
of truth shall become triumphant there, as also in Assy
ria, on the other side of Canaan. Israel^ then in posses
sion of its own land, will be a blessing to both — a blessing
in the midst of them. 'What a deeply interesting disclo
sure of things, to come ! -
Isaiah xx.-T-Ashdod was a city of the PhiEstines, but

ISAIAH XXI. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 283
 i  ,  ,  ^  ,
perhaps in the possession of the king of Judah at the time
of this prophecy. Commentators are not agreed as to the
literal fulfilment of the signs given forth by the prophets,
in obedience to God's appointmeht. Some would make
Isaiah walk barefoot only once, or perhaps for three days,
to signify the.' three -years when his prediction should be
fulfilled^ — enough, it is thought, if He did the thing which
was to represent what He foretold,' and then declared ver-
baEy when it should happen. The object of the prophecy
seems to wean those to whom it was addressed from their
confiderice in Egypt"— a habit for which the Jews are often
rebuked "and chastised by Him in whom aE their confidence
should be laid. This isle may be- Philistia or Jude%. The
contiguity of the Mediterranean justifies this appeEation.
And. the question is— how shaE we escape, if either Egypt
or Ethiopia— themselves to be overthrown and put to shame
— shaE be our expectation ? The cOBJunctiori of Ethiopia
here -with Egypt is another proof of the 18th chapter
having had some near and literal fulfilment
Isaiah xxl — ^The extent of overflowing water from the
Euphrates caused the environs of Babylon to be termed
the desert bf the sea. There, was also a great proportion
of mountainous land uihabited by the Medes and Persians,
whence they issued forth on Babylpn Eke a furipus sputh
wind. Babylpn wpuld faE by the treachery pf its own
people, as well as by the strength ef its plundering foes.
The sighing of its captives and prisoners would thenceforth
cease ; but its own doom was a terrible ona The prophet
personates its terror — (verse 5)— describes, in. the form of
commanding. What the prophet only predicts— the se-
cijrity ofthe Babylonians, who gave themselves up to

284 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. isaiah xxii.
festivity, yet were called to battle during the time of it—
in preparation for which they anointed the shield, that the
wea-poris cast at them might slide off, instead of penetrat
ing them. Watchmen were set on the' look-out, and
sounded " A lion," as an understood note of alarm. The
Watchman Seems to intimate, by stating his vigEance, that
his first discovery was the first and earliest appearance of
aught approaching to Babylon. The second party whom
he observed — ^and he hearkened dEigently for information
— ^made kno-wn to him the fall of Babylon-^--an inteEigence
which. the prophet speciaEy directs to the people oflsrael.
Who were the Lord's threshing, and the com of His floor.
. . . Dumah is Idumea, and its burden is hard to be under
stood. There is a question and answer — ^tjie former per
haps about the tidings of this adverse time — ^the latter
perhaps entreating that a brief period would intervene,
and-then the consummation; and that if the questioner
chose to know more partictdarly, he may return and re
new his inquiry after that more had .transpired — There
is next foretold aninvasion upon Arabia, so that -its in
habitants should have to hide themselves^ in the forest ;
and' their services wotdd be caEed for aid and succour to
their flying countrymen . ..." A year, accordirig to the
years of a hireling," is a precisely reckoned year.
Isaiah -xxil 1-13. — Judea is the -vaEey of -vision — ^the
country which God enlightened through the seers which
He sent to them. The pity, in- a glow wEh prosperity
and pleasure, had an arrest laid upon its gladness- Many
of its chiefs were apprehended^ and bound by the .enemy ;
and many died Of hunger, and other calamities,, beside
those of the battle. And so the prophet laments bitterly,

isaiah xxii. DAILVrSCRIPTURB' EEADINGS. 285
as he describes the invasion, it is understood, of Senna
cherib. The enemy made thp -land bare of its defences ;
and Jerusalem had to loOk into her magaziries, and pre
pare for the onset. There was much done to fortify them-
, selves against tha coming assault ; and they trasted in
theE own measures of defence and"precaution ; nay, gave
themselves up to a sort of infatuated security, or at least
carelessness — ^feasting to-day, even though they should be
slain on-~t,he morrow. 'There was an utter neglect of God
in aE this. Never were a people more -caEed, by their
past sins and present dangers, to feeEngs of alarm and
repentance ; instead Of which they abandoned themselves
to aE sorts of intemperance and riot. October, 1846.
. 1 4-25< — And because of this God holds a reckoning with
Israel — speaking to thOm as a people hopelessly incon^g-
ible, and whose sins would not be removed from the land
but by their death . :.. . The names 'of Shebna and EEakim
occur in the history of Hezekiah's tima (eh. xxxvl 3.)
The fonner is fastened on for special denunciation. He
had built a stately sepulchre,- and thought he was to die
in Jerasalem; -but God Wpuld consign him, for'-his mis
deed, to capti^vity or banishment into a country large
enough for him to expatiate in as a wandering outcast,
where he should die— arid.then he succeeded by another,
even EEakim, whp is spoken of in such terms as might
weE lead us to regard hnn as a type of Christ. . (See Rev.
iu. 7.) He had the custody of aE Da-vid^s treasures and
precious things ; and his office should be for life, as is
signified by his being " a naE in a sure place." He would
signalize the house of his fathers, and be a glory both' to

286 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiah xxiii.
those from whom he sprung, and, to those who should
spring from him. And he shaE have fuE charge of aE
their concerns— his authority and cara extending from
their greatest to their smaEest  Verse 25 seems a recur
rence to Shebna, who thought himself secure ; but who,
along with aE>rho depended upon him, should be cut off
and faE.
^ Isaiah xxijl' — Tarshish I associate with Spain, and
Chittim with Europe, caEed here the isle, to reach which
we have the sea to pass over. But Tyre is more pro
bably the isle here. SEior is the river of Egypt The
seed and the harvest suggest a corn-trade, of which Tyre
was the great emporium, and is weE characterized- as
the m?irt or market of the world. Zidon was the parent
of Tyre, -here caEed the sea, or strength of the sea, now
bOwaEing her desolation,, for that her own posterity, who
sprang in common from Tyre and Zidori, as from thefr
mother and grandmother, are dwindled .away. The re
port of the ruin of Tyre would cause as much alarm and
sorrow as did that of Egypt. The description of Tyre is
picturesque ... .'Verse 8 is a notabEe— appEcable to the
grandees of other mercantEe, cities. " The merchant-city
is a Veyy graphic title; "When Nebuchadnezzar laid siege
to her, the bulk of the -people made off by sea. Her own
feet carried her afar off to dweE in other places. God
was the prime mover of this great destruction — and for
the humEiation of proud man — He who shook the king
doms y and whose servant the king of Bahylon virtually
was Tyre the daughter of Zidon by descent was the
daughter of Tarshish by dependence and close eonnexjon.
It is the wealth -of customers which gives birth to the

isaiah xxiv. daily SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 287
wealth of traders. The Tyrians passed over to Europe,
and there had no rest. Such of them as made not their
escape in this way, were taken captive and hurried land
ward to foreign pla,ces._ Let them not flatter themselves
in thefr impregnable security. Assyria was brought low
and "so wiE Tyre ; but not yet by a final extermination.
It fell with Jerusalem, and seems to have been restored
along with it at the end of seventy years. It shall re
cover its- prosperity, but its corruption also. "Whatever
fulfilment the propheOy of verse 18 had^in Eteral Tyre —
we doubt not that an antitypical time is coining, when
mercantEe wealth shaE be largely consecrated to the ser
vice of Christianity.
Isaiah xxiv. 1-12. — The prophecy now changes its sub-
jpot "When we read of the land, we think of the land of
Israel — everi though it should be rendered "earth" in our
translation. But verse 4, where the "world" is spoken
of, proves a more extensive signification throughout this
chapter. It probably, therefore, relates to the horror and
desolation that were spread abrpad far and wide by the
Assyrians pr Babylonians. There was then a general up
turning and desolation in many countries — ^mde^ which
aE both high and low suffered — and this because of the
sad. degeneracy and wickedness into which they Itad
faEen.. The "wine grows sour from the want of people to
drink ; the vine lariguisheth from the want of people to
cultivate ; all mirth is extinguished, as weE as festivity
The city of„-confiision is probably Jerasalem — now in a
state of uproar and anarchy, or rather of utter suspension
from aE ordinary pursuits because of the terror. Decent
and regular famiEes ^hut themselves up in their houses,

288 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, isaiah xiv,
whEe- riot and intemperance werit on in the streets —
though perhaps only on, the part of invaders, to whom
the gate was now open ; and by whom aE mirth and joy
on the' part of the inhabitants were put to flight
13-23. — A remriant, however, will be left, and a good
'remnant^ — and this not confined to the land of Israel, but
among all the neighbouring countrips that -had been laid
waste — ^for the voice of pr&,ise was to arise from the sea
and' from the isles, and this too to God, as the Lord God
of Israel This voice was to arise from the midst of cruel
sufferings, even in the fires wherewith (verse 6) the houses'
Were burnt by thefr invaders. Such songs would arise
from the uttermost parts of the earth, whither many of
God's people had be'en carried, and these would celebrate
the triumphs which finally the .righteous should enjoy.
But yet, mixed with this exaltation on the part of a few,
there is distress on the pa,rt of the prophet in the contem
plation of the general calamity, and on the part of thoge
who shared in it. There would be sad misusage of the
people — ^treacherous dealings with them, "violence and de
ceit and ambusbmerits; -wrath from above, utter overtum-
irigs frpfai beneath. Np dignities wEl be exempted frpm
this awful' visitatipn. Many shaE be shut up in dungeons,
^nd, -Sifter a time shaE be visited-r— perhaps for their ex
ecution, perhaps for mercy. (Jeremiah IE, 32.) , , , In this
prophecy is foreshown a -visitation upon the earth still
future — ^which is to emerge in the millennium-— how em
phatically told in this .place-^'When the Lord shaE reign
in Jerusalem, and heioxe His ancients gloriously.
ISAiAH xxv,— This song may have been caEed, forth by
the literal or typical deliverance which it celebrates —

isaiah xxvi. DAILY' SCElPtURJ: READINGS. 283
but suits also" the aritit'ypical, the great ultimate deEver
ance arid erilargPirient'so impffessivefy spoken of at the
end' of the last chapter. Tlie topics are, first, the desola
tions -wrought in the Gentile WPrld, -rnariy of Whose cities
should be bltoUght to rain, a'nd their palaCes (the palaces
orstrangets and ,f3reigriers to the Hofy Land) should be
annihEatei The- p^OUde^ and powerfullest of nations
would stapd in aWe because of lhi« and g'rve glofy to God,
and aE ori the-aie'of the restored Jews -arid their Chris
tian aEies. I'heys'haH'bPr protected from tb.e loud menace
of tbeir eUemi^, even as' the interppsing cloud pro'tects
from the heat. Tha ftoulrishing and lofty branches, of their
foes shajE ba laid prOstra;£e. In Mourit Zion^ — now the
mPtropolis of the Christian world^shafl there be a great
spiritual feast for aH people ; ani more especially shall
the veE of carnality arid unbelief iiM, overspreads the
earth be dSestf oyed, and in Jerusalem too shaE there be a
brightness, like a Eght -going forth and opening.' the eyes
of aE to the, trath as it is in Jesus.'.'.. Verse 7, a most
Elustrious notabEa, . . . Fof verse 8, see 1 "tJorinthians xv.
64. .Can this be that in the millennium there will.be no
death ? SUrely they -who partake in th^ first resttfrection
WiE not die oVef aigain.. . ."7 The contrast is here strikingly
given -.between those Whom. He befriends, and who will
honour Him a^ the Gsiptain of their salvation, arid those
enemies of Israel .whose countries He wEl trea^d down,
and whoseWofks He wiE Sest^y. -
• V i - -
Isaiah x:xVi. 1-10;— f&fe is in aE prob.g,biIity a milerinial
song; Salvation guarantees proteetiori ; and a Confidence
in this gives a sense of their security to the savei (See
ck lx,18; Zedi, n.'5.) The redeemed wiEVnteit thisNew
VOL. III. V

290 DAILY SCEIPTURE EEADINGS. isaiah xxvi.
Jerasaleni , . ,, Verse 3, a preeious notabile.^r-Let my mind
Ije ever stayed on God' Let Him be th© strength of -my
lieart and portion; for evermore; Then shaE I bless Him
who, hath showed mamarvellouskininess in a strong ci^y.
It wiE not seem out of keeping thafc salvation, should be
appointed for walls, to those who can speak of God as their
fort,ress and tower and rock of defence. Contemporaneous
with the establishment of this city of the saints -?^iE there
be the demolition of many proud eitips and empires' in tha
world, and .by the hand too of the poor and the pprsecuted,
whom God approving of as upright wiE . befriend and
give answer to their call Thou knpwest, .0 God, that the
desire of ,my soul is towards Thee  Verse- 9, last clause,
is a notabile. Not that ^aE the .inhabitants pf ^the earth
wEl learn righteousness-— not the lincorrigibly wicked —
for they wiE' not learn, -will not recognise the hand of God,
even in the -great things done for His -people in the land,
of "Judea, now.called the land of uprightness., . (See Psalm
cxliil 10.) Heaven above, as well as earth below in her
millennial days, may weE be termed the land of upright
ness ,, . .
.^ ll-21,^The obstinate enemies of God do not see His
judgments to their oWn conviction, but they wUl be made
to see them to' their. o"vvri- utter confusion and pverthrow^,
for the fire destined for God's enemies shaE devour them.
How different -thp fortunes of His o"wn people, who shall
have protection and peace, and, ^bb"ve aE, grace : • • ¦ Verses
12 and 13 are eminent notabEia. — Give me the humEity, 0
God; that wEl refer -all which is good' in me .to. Thine own
workmanship. Work in me aE my working and works —
that I may renounce the mastery of all my evE affections,
and own Thee as my atone master, whicli by ThPe only I

ISAIAH xxvii,, DAtLY SCRIPTURE READINGS, 281
- shaE be enabled to do^' Crucify my ,e"vE affections, 0
Lord,-, so th9,t I may say of them as .Israel here says o
their usurping tyrants, that they are dead. And God did
reeaE them then, and wiE again recall them from their
captivity; .They wiE turn iri prayer,to God— helpless and
agonized as a travaEing woman in her extremity. But
the relief may not be immediate :, there must be a wait
ing, as weE as praying. It wiE take a time,, even after
tbey are, set upon enlarg.ement, ere the deliverance can be
wrought, , aind their enemies have faEen. But it , wiE conie
at lerigth, and come gloriously. Then wiE there be the
fiifet resurrection. But amid the portents and throes of
the, world's regeneration, there wEl be a dread reckoning,
and vengeance upon the nations— a season of discharge,
from heaven upon earth, during, which the people -are
called upo.n to hide themselves tiE it shaE be overpast AE
this bespeaks the. commencement of the miEennium.
"" ¦ . ^ ¦ , ,
Isaiah xxvir— The works ofthe dmH wiE at length be
destroyed, and of ^E his agents, whether they be powers
on earth or powers in heE BUt God wiE protect and
fertilize His Ghurch-to be gathered put of aE nations-*-
and this by means- of a free gospel, with; its generous
assurances, and calls .... Verses 4 arid 5 form a most Elus
trious notabEe — implying as . they dp that God has no
pleasure in the death or destraction pf His creatures, but
rather that they shp^di take hold of His strength, and be
saved. The prophecy .seems to pokit at Israel in its future
state of restoration, when it shaE fill the world, ¦with friiit,
and along with its establishment ,ui its own land, the fUl-
ness of the GentEes shaE ccmie in Eor^He chastises His
people,, not to tbeir destractiouT-fbut in measure for theiy

292 DAILY SCEIPTURE READINGS. isaiah xxviii.
discipline and reformations-tempering, the severity of His
inflictions, pr " staying His roUgh wirid in tha day of the
Past •wind," Thawbole design and effect of His dealings
with Israel is at lerigth to take away their sin— so as that
they shall destroy the -altars and groyes, and images of
their idolatry . . . . Periia^ thedefenced city of versa 10 was
Babylon, whose utter extirpation and the reason of it are
intimated in verse 11. — Then God did, shake off, as wheat
from the chaff, many Israelites wEo returned and rebuEt
their city- — the emblem of theii- future- return to their own
land-r-a piecemeal return it may be, and that too in obe
dience tp a call which wiE at once gather the outeastsof
Israel, and bring all who are Israelites indeed, whether
Jews or Gentiles, within thebaic of the' Millennial Church,
Isaiah xx^vin. 1-13.— Those of the kingdom of Israel
were pre-eminent for pride and luxury, and their capitalj
Samaria, -overlooked the lo^veliest landscapes of Palestine,
But an instrament of verigearice was preparing, even the
king of Assyria, who by strength; of hand should take pos
session arid destroy — and- Israelshould be devoured, as
prepocious fruit is, the moment it is plucked. But after
these desolations tEere wEl be a surviving remnant, most
of whoni perhaps, will escape to the still subsistiag king-
dpm of Judah, ' God will be the glory of aE such, and give
judgment to their riilers, and strength tp- their warriprs, fpr
turning the battle to thagates of their eneniies. But 'still
there will be a strong and Engering corruption amongst
them, arid more especially a low and loathspme dissipatien
even ameng their high^ dignitaries. But when pnce- there
is the habit and the inveteracy pf evil, it is a sluggish and
Unhopeful task tp rPclaim it. Begin early with aducatipn.

^SAiAH xxvHi. DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. -298
,aiid give, forth its lessons assiduously. — Verse 10 is quite a
notabile, — But as thay rejected the plain teaching of-^God's
own prophets, they were punished "by the "visitation of an ob
scure, cabalistic, and erroneous teaching, even till the period
of their ruin and captivity at the second destruction of Je
rusalem, He had -pointed out the w£i,y to prosperity and
rest, but without effect, and their faE was the consequence.
14-29.- — They who make Ees their refuge, nourish a
false security^— as if deaith and hell were at peace "with
them,, and would let them alone. There is a sure way
and foundation of peace^a rock on which all may lean,
but on which they who stumble ^shaE faE, or if fallin^g
upori them, it wEl grind them to-powder . ., . The appEea
tion of verse 16' to Christ is undoubted. (1 Peter ii. 6-8.)
But He— 4he Saviour of tEem "w^ho wiE — is the Judge of
them who wiE not ; and on, the strict and rigorous a,ppli-
cation of judgment, wiE it be found that from death and
heE there is no exemption for them. The gospel shall be
a sign -of their coming destruction to all who oppose it.
Its da,Ey testimony, rejected as it is by our secure men. of
¦the world, who nauseate the very sound of it, ¦wEl but
aggravate theE dopm  Verse 20 is a notabEe ; and is
applied to our o^wn righteousness, and its shortfiess and
insufiSciency when compared with the ample righteousness
of Christ f but on all who trust in themselves and neglect
tha great salvation, wiE God execute His strange work of
judgment, ^nd so applying, all this to the scornful men
of .verse 1.4, the prophet hids thein cease from their mock
eries, else Ged will arise in -His might, and do against
.¦them what- He did for them and against the Philistines
and'Ganaanites in former days. (2 Sam., v. 20 ; Jesh. x.):
We doubt not that although this pstssage be pre-eminen*ly„

294 -DAILY ,|^BiPTUBE EEADINGS. isaiah xxix.
applicable tO Christ, it had a nearer and more literal ful
filment soon after the delivery of .this predictiori, — Let
me, 0 God, try the foundatiori ThoU hast laidin Zion, and
I shaE find it sure. Let me not be impatierit, but quietly
wait, and I shall not be ashamed . . . . Tbe concluding verses
tell uS of the sUbserviericy of means to ends, and that the
instiniments of any giveri work should be appropriate to
that work. , ' This is carefuEy observed by the husband
man, into -whom God hath put the wisdom for -planning
and proceeding in this way. How much more shall we
Ippk^fpr such wisdom and such wcrk tp Gpd himself, from
Whorii are derived to 'His own creatures aE the skEl and
S'trength which belong to them. . '^
-' Isaiah XXIX. 1-8,-^Ariel is determined to be Jerusalem,
by its bein^ the city where Da"vid dwelt — signifying the
Sion of God, ' Though they should go on with their ritual
observances from year to year, ye^they are here told that
thif wEl not propitiate "^Him' who loves obedience more
than, the fat of lambs. Their city should be besieged
and takeri; and themselves brought low, so as to speaM
the language either ef pfpstrate suppliiants; pf'pf men
wpunded and meaning towards death. But this prophecy
seems to point at the attempt of Sennacheriby rather
than at the conquest and capture by Nebuchadnezzar ;
for-though on the former ' occasion they were sadly terri
fied and "brought low, so as to speak in whispers and ¦with
great fearfulness, yet they were delivered from the mul-
titude,;Of their strangers — ^the mighty host of their inva
ders, by their' iri'staritaneous disappearance, from death,
and -partly it may be" frem dispersieri. So that though
Jerusalem was then Compassed about with menacirig de-

ISAIAH xxix. DAILY^BGRIPTUEE EEADINGS. 295
monstrations, bo^ from her enemies and perhaps frpm
the elements ef natufe, yet were these enemies made at
that time to pass away frpm' her as a dream pf the night
— ^thatriiemprable night on which the Assyrians luxu
riated in the visionaiy hppe of a rich prey in the morn
ing ; but. aE was suddenly arrested by a miraculous visi
tation from ori high.
9-24. — ^Verses 9-12 formi to me an Elustrious notabile,
and en which I pfeachfed my first sermpn' in St. Jphri's,
Glasgpw — strikirigly Elustrative ef nature's blindness and
infatuatipn ampng aE the classes pf men.-^Then fellpws
what lias been signalized by a quotatipn frpm the New
Testament — 0 that our country may be preserved from
the wisdom of such rulers ^as repudiate atll sjicredness from,
their systems of "policy and legislation ! They would sub-
¦vert.aE, and take a way of their own — ^the reverse of God's
way,, nay as far from- it as possible. But they the creature,
shall not prevaE against Him the Creator, any more than
the ".clay against the potter. God wEl tum the fertility
into barrenness, and the barrenness into fertility. But
the changes announced towards the close are all on the
side of prosperity- and ejEargement, when ears shaE be
unstopped, and eyes be opened, and the 'meek shaE be
raised tO-.prefermenf, and the poor shall rejoice— all which
shall receive their highest ftilfilment in' tha Elum-ination
and deEverance of God's elect from their enemies and op
pressors  "To make a man an offender for a word" is a
memerabEe, We have np dpubt that the practices pf the
wicked and powerful.against the just here described, were
current in these days, and wiE be current still But these
shall be overthro-wn ; and when Israel shaE at length see
the converts of his, own nation, the workmanship of tho

296 DAILY ^BIPTUBI: JREAIMNGS, isaiah ;txx.
grace of God, there wEl be a. general turning, for the ^rst
leaven wEl leayen the whole lump, .and there shail be a
national obedience to the faith, , ,
IsAiAS XXX. l-ll,^The expressions in thp first verse
may be well, applied to the whole tendency of man to
walk in the counsel Of his own heart, and to seek for
shelter in some imagined security of hjs own, but npt re
vealed to him by God, He special occasion of the pro
phecy before us was the rebpEious ^ct-pf JsraeJ in seeking
Egypt for their refuge  It is interesting to mark the
good keeping hero pf the geographical nariies that occur.
But the Jews would be ashampd of thpir confidence in a
pepple that were npt tp prpfit them- They carried. thpE
riches en the backs of. herses, these beasts from Egypt,
through the fearful wEderness; but, -whetlier for the safety
of their goods, or therewith to bribe the Egyptians, they
sheuld miserably fail in their cbj ect<. . . . What a npble npta
bile is the last clause cf verse ,7 -'-^My Ged, let ma prpfit
by and apply it. Fprgive my restless and gnawing a,nxie-
ties ;,Jet me be still and knew that Thpu art G;od.. , . ; The
"speak untp us smppth things" is also a most precious
notabile, and brought here to bear on the. Isra,elites who
rejected the counsel pf Isaiah because it was net tp their
Pwn mind.
12-19. — ^Npw follows the denunciaticn of the prophet
on this perversity. By a most significarit image, he ^^ells
them of the utter ruin in which thefr false confidence
would land them  Verse 15 is a most illustrious nota
bEe. — My God, give, me the rest of quietness and confi
dence, into -vyhich may I labour to enter.. But their trust
was in horses, on which they fled, but did not cbnquer or

ISAIAH XXX. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 297
¦  F  ".—'-¦  •  ¦  ¦-¦———  —  ¦ ¦ ¦¦ ' 
pursua , They should be so thirined by slaughter, that
only one here and there would be left like a solitary
ensign. These. perhaps signify the remnant, to whom the
Lord should be gracious ; but He must first be exalted
as a God of judgment on the wicked, that He may not
be misconceived of — ^the very principle of an atonement,
which was jrendefpd that mercy and trath plight meet
together,; andGod evince Himself to be at once a just God
and A, Saviour, — 0 my God, let me wait on . Thee, who
Thyself waiteth. to be gracious . . . , There may have been
some deliverance now past predicted,here; but to be
adequately fulfiEed, there must be some great antitypical
deliverance ^till to coma. Does it not point at the final
restoration of the Jews to their own land ?
20-38. — :The " water of affliction -".is a memorable phrase,
as is also the " eye seeing our teachers." And versa21 is
a precious notabEe. — ^My God, let me be ever asking coun
sel of Thee, and ever obtain the reply of this (being the
"Way, These promises of spiritual arid temporal blessings
have never yet been to the full realized.. The day of the
great slaughter may have been that of the destruction of
tha Assyrian army; but we read in the Book of llevela-
tion of another-tremendous-ca;tastrophe,in'synchr"ony with
the establishment of a glorions, and we think the millen
nial economy- in our world— the day of Armageddon, to
which, and its accompa'niriients, the language even of our
present prophecy seems applicable, when t|iere may b6
physical, as wellas moral and spiritual enlargements...''.'
The "streand -which should reach to the midst of the neck,"
is made to signify a sweepirig destruction, that would
carry off tie whole multitude of the. Assyrians, while -it
left their head at that time untouched — 'he having escaped,
N 2

298 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiah xxxi.
at least for this turn ; though afterwards we read- — slain
iri the house of Nisroch  The " siftirigof the nations with
the sieve of vanity '-" is pre-eriiineritly applicable to the
period when the little stone shaE becoriie a, great mountain,
ani fill the whole earth, on the ruins of its present eco
nomy . . . ; The bridle, causing the enemies of God's people
to err, might be' some necessity which iraws th^m ori to
their ^ri — ^whEe contemporanPous with this there wEJ be
joy and triumph to the righteous. The two dispensations
of wrath and overthrow uppn the pne party, ef "victcry
and blessing tp the Pther, are ccmmirigled in these closing
veTrses, The red of the Assyrian will be pvermatched by
the grpUrided staff in the.ha;nd pf Gpd ; a,nd theTpphet
which is ordained for him, strikingly symbolizes that lake
of fire and brimstone; into which the impenitent shaE be
everiastingly thrown.
, Isaiah xxxi. — ^We dp not imagine that these successive
prophecies of Isaiah are arranged 'in the chronological
order of their fulfilment , . , , The confidence of those Whp
trast in an arm pf flesh is here rebuked — ^a lessen appE
eable to all times. The Lord, in whpm they refuse to put
theirtrust, is- npvejtheless mighty to destroy as waE as to
save. It is His freqUent complaint against Israel — that
they leaned .upon Egypt,- .AndHe^here caEs upon them
to transfer their dependence to 'Himself, who atone is
strong to deliver and ppwerful tp Save — pfemisfng; at the
same time, that He wEl appear fer Jerasalem, would they
only, .turn to Him from- Whom they had so deejply re
volted. Upon their doing this, and- casting away their
idols, a signal overthrow and discomfiture wiE be laid
upon -the whole host of their invaders  The prophecy

ISAIAH XXXII. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 999
seems quite suited to the achievement of the Angel upon
the multitude of .besiegers under Sennacherib. They were
slain, but not ¦with the sword; ajid yet many fled in, the
terror, of that invisible sword or agency, by which so feE
a destruction had been accomplished, /
IsAiAH xxxiL.l^,— rThere, is much here that.bears an
undoubted appEeation- to Christ, and to those days when
the kingdoms of the earth shaE become His kingdoms^ , , .
'What - an exceeding precious notabile is verse 2 ! — My
God, I would flee to Thy Son, who at the same time is the
Son of man. May i find Him to be not orily a covert and
a hiding-place, but also a fouritain-^tEat as rivers of water
in a- dry place, the Holy Spirit, evenj living water, may
flow plentifully ani refreshingly on this barren soul, in a
state of hebetude though^ftbe to the things of God arid
a spiritual "world. In the time predicted- here God ¦will-
lift off the covering from the spiritual eye-sight of all
nations. Iristead of our o^wn hasty conclusions, we shaE
have the manEestations pf Gpd's p^wn light, and will' be
able tp -utter plainly and ppwerfully to the consciences of
thpse afpund us ; and there will be th^fl no riiisjudgment
of men The" laws, and - practices, and connivances,, or
conventionalities of trade, ¦will not be suffered to disguise
the" selfishness- of men. -True liberality will be recognised,
and stand firin,'. both in its own genuineness " and in the
recogriitions - of a disQemirig neighbourhood. He that
watereth shaE be watered himself; and he wiE be counted
worthyto stand' before, the. Son of man, ani obtain the
recompense of a- good and faithful servant ..,." Deeply-
revolted," in the last chapter — a memorable expression,
and how- applicable to our state with God. Recall me,

300 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiah xxxiii.
Almighty rather, -from , this Obstinate, alienation — thp- ra
dical disease of our faEpn nature. , , . .
^-20.-^God now addresses the two classes, who .had just
been contrasted the one with tbe ptlier. And ^rsb. the
careless and luxuripus ungodly, who are threatened with
the loss of their weaEh, and of all its regaEng pleasures^
... To "lament for the teats " would signify, according to
sopie, to lament tha loss of that field prpduce which the
dairy furnishes ; others would have it to mean the wo that
should befall the women whp give suck, in those days.
Briers and thorns shpuld spring up in tbpir desolated lands ;
and more , expressive stiE of the rain— rthe -wdd beasts
should expatiate at their pleasure, and tha land become
"a joy of wild asses." But, as usual, there js a. residue,
"who at length, and in God's good time, shall , present the
bright side of the picture — On whom 0od shaE pour His
Spirit from on high, causing all the blessed, fruits of the
Spirit to abonnd in the midst of us. Peace and righteous
ness will nieet together ; and the bfessed pffect wEl be
quietness and assurance for ever. This last is traly a most
iEustrious notabile, (verse 18,) andthe ha,bitations of the
good shall -be secure, even, when tempest and terror are
all around them. The city shall be sheltered and safe ;
and the liberal shall be abundantly rewarded — ^blessed in
aE that, tliey put their hands tp,
Isaiah xxxiii; I79. — The prophpcy seems now directed
against the enemies of Gpd'.s people. The Assyrians had
made a treacherous invasion upon Judea : they were to
be paid back jn their owncoin — destroyed by God's direct
judgments, betrayeiby.the treachery of rebels ^nd a,s-
sassins among themselves, -Meajiwhile, Israel prays arid

isaiah xxxiii, DAILY SCKfPTURE EEADINGS. 301
waits for the -Lord, .even as Hezekiah did at tbe time of
this invasion. A signal interpositipn pn- the part of God
wa^s the answer to this prayer. After their miraculous
destruction and dispersion, the spoilers went forth, nu
merous as locusts, on -the, booty .they had left.--r-Then fol-
Ipws what we have uo doubt had a fulfilment in these
days— ^the blessings of a wise and righteous government ;
but pf which there is a stEl more glorious fulfilment, in
fpserva^-My God, may the fear of Thee be put ii^to my
heart, arid prove there a treasure fpr heaven- After this
the prephet gqeth back ^tgain en the precedent distress and
subsequent deliverance ',.. . . Verse 7 represents the grief
and terror of the Jews. Verses 8 and 9--the violence and
deceit of Sennacherib, and Eis ravages on the way to- Je
rasalem, _ 10-24. — God arose in His might, -and' overthrew their
puiposes- — ^turning ^them to their own destruction, and
making a thorough work of it, And^ on this ,signal mani
festation does He lay claim to the attention and rever
ence of all, far .and near^ — even of oursplves, on whoin the
latter ends of the world have come. This judgment with
out the waEs of Jerusalem was weE fitted to strike a ter
ror into the' hearts of thpsp within it — and who were
censcious of their secret defectipns and idplatries frem the
Gpd of Israel But it should also- strike a terror upon
thpse who indulge in base afiections, whjle they have a
name and standing in the Christian werld-— ^My Gpd, may
I -stand in awe and gin net. Lay an arrest (Uppn me, 0
Gpd. Give me to feel the power of that df ead interroga
tion which makes verse 14 a most appsJling notabile.
Letme-takft. eariiest heed Ipst I fall Shut mine eyes, 0
God, from seeing aught that can tempt me to e-vE.' Theii

302 DAILY "SCEIPTURE EEADINGS. isaiah xxxiv.
shall I beset on high; 'and; because pure in heart, shall
see Gffld — and even now may look hopefully on- the larid
of uprightness, though afar off. But, in the first instance,
a number of these Mayings apply to the great deliverance
ofthe Jews, who, refiecting on the danger, could now-ask
-^but where is the Assyrian army, with its officers, and
those who kept the record of its strength and pf its con
quests?- These foreigners, of strange aspect and language,
are now ,out of sight, and the consequent security and
quietness of Zion iS described in terms of exceeding beauty,
and with graphic impressiveness. But'the adequate fulfil
ment of this representation is stiU awaiting us. Meanwhile
Jerusalem, secure against aE invasion by sea or land, had
the Lord for her- Protector — after that the, Assyrian, help
less as a disabled ship, left a booty which eVen the most
decrepit out of Jerusalem could securely seize upon; and
the inhabitants, restored to heart and to health again, shall
be brought into peace and reconcEiation with God.
¦ Isaiah xxxiv, — The prophecy is now directed against
the nations that had been against thfe people of God arii
rejoiced in their calamities  Mark the resemblance be
tween the phraseology and images of verse 4 With those of
Rev. vl 12, 13, The high shotdd be brought do-wn from
their places  "What a striking expression — ;"the sword of
the Lord bathed in heaven!" Can it be the slaughter of
princes and nobles ? or war as decreed by God in heaveri,
and its weapons there prepared and ordered for the battle' ?
It ligEts first on Edom; and in reckoning for the contro
versies of Zion ; iind a perennial eutse, like that on Sodom
and Gomorrah, shafl rest upon their land, "What imageiy
of desolation is here~1 far exceeding that of Ossian or any

ISAIAH xxxv, DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS, 303
ot£er poet. It "wiE become a chaos — the confusion and
the emptiness being the very tenris employed in describing
the state of the earth before the work of the six days.
There shafl be an exact fulfilinent of the Words of "this
prophecy, and to ^sure it, an unfailing propagation of
these doleful creatures from gerieratiOn to generation, for
" none of them shafl want their mate," to the extirpation
of the race  There is achallenge here to compare the
prediction with the event — ^a comparisori which travellers
have often made, to the credit arid establishment of the
Bible as a book of Divine inspiration. '
IsAiAH xxxv. — ^How beautifully does the prophet now
effloresce into a" most glorious chapter— too glorious for
any fulfilment that Eas yet taken place, and which wiE
only find its counterpart in futurity, when tbe desert
places of the earth shall rejoice because of manifesta
tions from on high in favour of God's own people— of the
Jews first, and also of the Gentiles.-=^Let tis lift up our
heads and rejoice. ' The day of God's vengeance on the
enemies of 'His Church will come ; and the triumph of
His saints wiE come. The Spirit wiE be poured forth^a
spirit pf li^t ,and life and powei'-^even where now all
is darkness and lethargy. • The influences shall reach even
to the habitation of dragons, verse 7, (ch, xjx-iv, 13) ; and
a great spEitual^ perhapa top a physical, reno"vation Will
take place in tha most 'unpromising lands And there
shafl be a w^^ from them to the New Jejinisalem ; but it
must -be a way of hoEness, into which notiiing unclean or
unholy can enter. It shall only be for thoSe who eriter on
the narrow path of hoEness, whose whole body shall be
come fuE of Kght, and whose way, a .way hidden from the

304 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGg-, isAiah xxxvj.
wise 9.nd pradent, sbafl Ea patently before them, ' No
obstraction shall arrest these redeemed and ransomed of
the Lord, on thejr road to life everlasting : whither,- O
God, do Thou conduct my heretofore wanderirig and un-^
certain footsteps, that by the preparations of Thy grace
here, I may be fitted for that glory hereafter which is to
be revealgd , , - . , -
Isaiah xxxvi, 1-10. — ^We have here the third narrative
which occurs, in the Bible ofthe Assyrian ipvasipn in the.
reign bf Hezekiah. The present pne resembles that in the
Second Book of -Kings, where it is more fuEy giveri than in
the parallel history of Second Chronicles. There is no men
tion, however, made here of the peace-offering wherewith
hp tried to arrest the progress of Sennacherib, as if Isaiah,
who must have felt it to be wrong, had forborne to record
it. The address, however, of tha Assyrian messengeig to
the; people of Jerusalein is much the same -with that which
iSj presented in the direct Jiistory, with certain variations,
but still with such a degree of identity as to give the im
pression that the prophet and the historian had borrowed -
from -the same annals or -written documents thp accounts
which, they have respectively drawn out. On the ether
hand, we, in- the Chronicles, have the measures of defence
which Hezekiah resorted to, and of which - no mention is
made in the other two statements of the affair,
11-22.— The resemblance is stEl more close and de^
cisive-'of the conclusion, that, the two" -writers; the .pro
phet and the histprian, drew from- spma cpmmpn narra
tive, or drew the one from the other ; and yet there is
sufficient variation — not in the way of contradiction, but
of defeei or excess — to convince us that thpre was no

ISAIAH xxxVH. DAILY SeSIPTUfiE READINGS. 303
slavish Or literal copying, but perhaps a catching up of
the substance of wEole sentences hj as many successive
looks, and. putting it down, either in their own words or
those of the original, as theE: memory served or their
taste inclined them to do. And there is nothing in these
suppositions to do away with the plenary inspiration
of Scripture, as being made up of the very matter that ,
God wEled, and in the very words, too, that He wiEed.
Eor agreeably to our -view of this subject, these words
were either prompted by the Spirit, or permitted by the
Spirit If prompted, they must therefore be best; if per
mitted, it is because they were the best ; and thus the op
timism of the Bible is secured, while perfectly consistent
with those principles of expEcation whidi are adduced to
acteount for many of the phenoinena of mere human
authorship. Isaiah xxxvil 1-14. — ^The resemblaiiop between the
two narratives is fuEy sustained throughout this passage,
and indeed closer than before. Let us, however, though
a secondtime, enter upon the consideration Ofthe subject-'
matter. First, then, let me foEow the example of .Heze
kiah, in that, when pushed to extremity, he had recourse to
prayer. — -"What time I am overwheliried and in pesplexity,
as he was, let me seek to the Rock that is higher, than L
I have had experimental verifications of .the efficacy of
prayer ; and let me cherish more and more a deep sense
of its efficacy, and of that particular Providence which
overrules afl the al^irs of men. Hezekiah's prayer, was
associated with but an uncertain hope, ;a " may be," and
yet -was answerei But our warrant authorizes us to he-r
Eeve that we shafl receive the thing we pray for ; and

SOS daily scripture EEADINGS. isaiah xxxvii,
according to our faith it is done unto us  We scarcely
discern the ^griificancy Of the clause iri verse 3, as to the
children having come to the birth, and not having strength
to bring forth, unless it be to represent in a general way a
norv-plu's — a time of great pain, without, the prospect of any
deKverance — rof utter distress mingled with utter helpless
ness  The distant event which drew away Sennacherib
for a season, is a fine specimen of Pro-vidence, but which
did not restrairi -his insulting message to Hezekiah,
15-19, — In this prayer there are certain things that
deserve to be noted for a direction and encouragement
to ourselves. First, the designation of God as " He who
dwefleth betweeu the chembims," which cherubims were
placed on each side of the mercy-seat, with their -wings
extended over it. The mercy-seat was between the cheru
bims ; and what an impressive representation, then, of
Him who delighteth in mercy — even of God, who is love ;
and who should ever be addressed by us, in the name of
Christ our mercy-seat and propitiation. It is interest
ing to mark hoW the grounds of confidence in prayer
junder the Old and New Dispensations are substantiafly
the same. Again we remark how legitimate it is to urge
in prayer the plea of God's own glory, the honour of His
attributes and nama beirig concerned in the fulfilment of
what, we ask. Hezekiah urged the -vindication of the
trae God in the eyes of the idolatrous nations ; and we,
tOa, are on the same f vantage-ground when urging His
o-wn trath in the promises of the Gospel, the honour of
Christ and virtue of His sacrifice, as reasons." for hearken
ing to our petitions, lest Satan should have. room fpr ex-
ultatipn and triumph.
20-38. — The identity of the t-^ riaft:atives regarding

ISAIAH XXXVIII, DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS, 307
Serinacherib's invasion is fiiUy spstained to the conclusion
of them, — Let us take courage from the upshot of such a
¦visitation as came upon Hezekiah, and such a conduct
as he- observed under it. There was a most encouraging
answer given through the prophet to his prayer. This
answer is so framed as if it were addressed to Sennacherib
himself. We know not whether it was ever transmitted
to him; but it served its main purposp when made knoWn
tp the king and those in Jerusalem. — ^What a rebuke is
laid on the proud sufficiency of man when God thus ap
pears in support of His o-wn, and for the a^sertiori of His
oWn sovereignty  The "hook in his nose" is a most ex
pressive figure ; and it is a notable phrase to " take root
do-wnward and bear fruit upward.". . . Through the zeal pf
God for His people, thp survivors of afl these calamities
shafl obtain protection and prosperity at His hands. They
Who were shut up in Jerusalem, when relieved from the
siege, shafl go forth to their wonted abodes in the country;
Notember, 1846.
Isaiah xxxviil 1-8. — The narrative, thus far, is much,
tha same with- that in the Second BPok of Kings, though,
sOriieWhat abridged — It is -worthy of afl notice that Heze
kiah plpads his 'own personal quaEficatiOris for the accept
ance of his prayer, and the plea was heard; for his prayer
Was granted tO him.' Let us be assured that the theology
which forbids such a- plea is n6t cast in the mould of
Scripture ; and that whEe altogether entire and intact
the doctririe Of our being justified by the righteousness of
Christ, stiE in the work and along the progress of our sanc
tification^ there is the feeling of a most legitimate security
in reflecting upon our ieeds and the state of our character.

308' DAILY 'SejtIPTUEE EEADINGB. isaiah xxxix,-
The alms and prayers of GornaEus ascended- in a memo
rial before God. - God is not unrighteous to forget, our
work and labour of love. If our hearts condemn us not,
then have we confidenoe towards Goi^ — 0 blessed Father,
I. at the same time deeply -and intimately feel, that for
myself I have wretchedly little to speak pf, or that I would
desire to be rememberei Remember not mine iniquities,
0 Goi Blot out, as with a thick clou.d, my tran^ression.
9-2.2.-^Fpr this writing of Hezekiah We are exclusively
indebted tp this Book of Isaiah, it is in, keeping with
certain other parts pf the direct nawative ; and whence we
gather of this mcnarch, that with aE his piety, he had abput
him the traits of what I should designate as a soft and timid
character. There dpes not appear to have been much pf
that faith in immortality -which, in the language of Wil-
berforce, gives a certain -firmness of texture to the mini
Perhaps, however, there was spiritual distress, or the fear
pf God as a Lawgiver, which prompted this ef&isipn, as
much as the fear of death — ^more especiaEy in verse 13,
where he seems to speak of God as an enemy and avenger ;
pr as if the intimation of the prophet had bean jgiven to him
in the form of a threat^ — My God, when oppressed do Thou,
undertake for me. He obviously did recognise the inflic
tion as one of discipline,- (vprse 15,) and owns, it for -good
that he should be afflietei (vel^e 16.)- Out and out it
was a' pleading for forgiveness, followed up by the confi
dence that he had prevailed. How little did he succeed
in making, known the truth to his children'; arid .yet Ma
nasseh did repent in his later days—and who, -knows but
it was tha fruit of his religious education?
Isaiah x,xxix. — This is almost a fac-simile of 2 Kings

jsaiah xii DAILY SCEEPtURE READINGS. 309
XX, 12-19'— saving that whereas in the historical Book it
is said that Hezekiah heaTkened unto the fitessengers of
the king of Babylon, in this prophetical Book it is s^id
that Hezekiah was glad of them. The notice of this
trarisaCtion in Chronicles is vPry general and brief; but
-with tkis important peculiarity — in our being there told,
that in the busmess of tiiese ambassadors God left him, to
try him, that he might know afl that was in his heart-—
not sUrely that God Himself might know Hezekiah, but
that Hezekiah might know himself ; and ha-ving been made
sensible of an exceeding weakness, might humble him
self -because of it^— might .©snfess, arid turn away from the
idolatrous affection which had been manifested so palpa
bly. Hraekiah makes incidental exhibitions of himself,
whiph seem to me aay thing b'ut magnariimous. It is
weE to acquiesce in the word and determination of God ;-
but it would appear as if tiia main ingredient of that
acqtuescence -was that things were to go prosperously in
his daySi There may have been patriotism^ however,, as
weE as selfishness,: in that the good of his countiy was
secure, thpugh even but for one generation ; and of the
two iiiteiEsts— trath- and peace — ^trath is the highest.
Isaiah xl. -1-8.— ^Tha present chapter ^seems a proper
sequence to the last, in that the' former announces the
peaceand prosperity of Israelfor a time, and -the latter
is a paean of high gratulation ; but it becomes at once
obvious that it is the celebration of a far greater arid more
enduring triumph than was ever then, or than "has ever
yet been realized- It .is indeed a noble effusion, joured
forth in the fuE flppd of prophetic inspiration^ and not to
ba adequately-..fulfifled tiE in a future restoration, Thera

310 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiah xl;''
are certain of the predictions, here clearly of ulterior ac
complishment to the first restoration, or return of the
Jews from Babylon, as that of verses 3 and 4, since which
there have not yet been days of gloiy or feEcitation for
Israel. It is interesting tp mark the quotations of this
passage both in the Gospels and in 1 Peter .... The term
" double" in verse 2 is variously understood — either as ex
pressive in thp general of the ample vengeance that had
been laid on Israel, or more particularly of the full dis
charge that.she may now receive— seeing that on the other
side of the reckoning, as by the method of double entry,
Jihere was now the punishment over and against the
iniquity. 9-17. — ^We cannot think of this prophecy as ha-ving yet
had its conclusive fulfilment. Does not verse 9 look as far
as to that time when, the feet of the Lord shafl stand
upon the Mount of Olives; and the Jews, perhaps re
stored before they are converted, -v^iE be caEed upon to
obey their God ? He wEl then come with strong hand for
the work of subduing His enemies, and of ensuring tha
¦victory with all its fruits and rewards to His own people.
He will deal tenderly with the converts, and more espe
ciaEy the Jews, many of whose eyes wiE now be opened
for thp first time to look upon Him whom tkey have
piercei This Gpd-mali isliere set forth, not in His
gentleness only, but in His greatness — And not in His
greatness or power only, but in His wisdom. To that
wisdom may we at afl-times defer — for what are we, either
to offer our own counsels to God, or, sit in judgment over^
His— 7the Govemor of afl nations, the Lord ofthe universe ?
18-31,' — And so he challenges a comparison "with the
high and inqomprehensible Jehovah, , The prophet shows

ISAIAH XLI. DAXLS SCEIPTpBH EEADINGS. 311
¦  1  ,-^W-. ¦
a disp.pgitipn tp irpny when making meritien pf idpls in
this and other peaces, idolatry still is the vice of poor as
weE as rich. "What a sublime representation is here given
— as if in rebuke to aE these fpflies — of the true God-!
"Whether we view Him as the Lord of nature, or as the
Sovereign disposer of men- — what an exalted , place of
superiority and pre-eminence is here assigned to Him
who. both stretched out the heavens, and rulteth over the
inhabitants of earth — sitting as. He does both on the
throne . of nature and the throne of Pro-vidence ? The
great ones of this lower world can offer no effectual resist
ance to Him who doeth ajl, things according to HiSiOwn
pleasure, and for the fulfilment of His own gppdjpurppses.
Ttere is nothing too great for His absplute ccntrpl, and
npthing tpp smaE tp escape His notice, so as either to be
beneath or beyond the Emits of His government — ^not a
sparrow fafleth to the ground but by His ordination ; and
¦what-a security is this to His own people — ^the very argu
ment indeed where-with our blessed Saviour encouraged
the Apostles ; and so the prophet remonstrates with them
for theE despondency, as if God did not observe their
state, and had passed away from caring for them. , They
utterly misapprehended Him, and their own experiences
of .His answer to prayer should correct the incredulity 
Verses 29 and 31, both of tbem as notabiEa are exceed
ingly precipus. , ; ¦ "' , \\
' •!- - . ^
Isaiah xll 1-13.— G:od had just said, "They who wait
on me shall renew their strength i" and He now says,
".Let the people renew their strength ;" and for this pur
pose let them draw near and listen . . , .Though it shpuld be
CjTus'who is here spoken -pf,-he ia evidently a type ef

312 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, rSAUH-XLi;
Christ — even as the return frOm Babylon was the type
of a future a;nd grfeater restor'ation . , , .-There is the recur-
rerice of the prophet's usual irony against idolaters ; and
this foEowed Up by an assertion 'of the supremacy of the
only living arid true Goi Still it may be Abraham who
is spokPn of in verse 2, as he is iri vefse 8; and there riright
ba here not only a prophecy to enPOuf age, but a retrospect
to cOrivincP the peiople, of God ha-virig beeri theirs at the
first, and that He-wiE. also be with' them at the last 
Verse 10^ is a riotabile, and should give heart arid happi
ness to aE who trast iri God. He can subdue afl our ene
mies arid causa them- to be stt peace -with -Us. Yet surely
a greater than ' either Abraham or' -Cyras' is here— -arid a
far larger deliverance spokeri of than any that the child
ren of Israel have yet experienced; — My God, I pray for
help from Thy sanctuary, and for the conversion of all
opiposed to the trath as it is in Jesus
' 14-29. — I am reminded in these verses of Boston's tract
— " Worm Jacob threshirig the motmtains" — through God
ch''o'Osing tha weak things of the world to confound those
that ai-a mighty— With Thy help; 0 God,, I can do afl
things But let me ever gloiy in the Lord alone — ^for not
unto me, npt unto me, but urito His name; be'the praise.
Nevertheless, riot me but the grace of God that is iu me.
I am poor and needy, O God, arii firid nothirig iri myself
but leanness and •barrenness. O water me "With the dews
of Thy spirit, and cause me to abound in all the fraits of
righteousness ; and yet recognise Thee and Thy hand as
doing all this, — Then foflows a chaflpngp to idolaters, under
¦which term may weE be compreherided the ungodly of all
ages, and more especially of the-prfeserit — an age Of rea^n-
ing infidelity, a,nd alike infidel in its retrospfect of the

ISAIAH XLii, DAILY SCRIPTUEE READINGS, 313
past and confident anticipations for the future. Their de-
¦vices for the reaEzation of good to the species will come to
nought These lords of a boastftil philosophy will yet come
to nought He who is the great antitype of Cyras will
set up another regimen, when afl old things, seen to be
vain and impotent, "wiE be done away, as well as the
princes and great masters of the schemes and systems that
were to r^enerate _the worii They will not be able to
hold up their feces for these ; and the first daMTiing hope
for the world wiE be either in the coming of Christ, or in
the anterior notices that the spiritual, who alone judge
aE things, shaE give of His approach. AE besides this or
opposed to this, will be found to ba mere idle declama
tion and' entire disappwntment .
Isaiah xlil 1-9. — The prophet now gives us the very
essence of evangdism ; anirwhat he says of the elect ser
vant in the Old is quoted of Christ in the New Testa
ment  To " bring forth judgment to the GentEes " is to
bring and set over them that Divine economy which
unites the truth and justice of God with the salvation of
man. And what doctrine He proposes He 'wEl at length
establi^ ; and, unwearied both in Himself and through
His messengers, wEi persevere tEl He have taken posses
sion of the whole eartL — 0, like' Hini, may I not strive,
but be gentle unto afl men. -Christ glorified not Himself,
but- He -was caEed, of Goi He was caEed in righteous
ness,- a vohintary sufferer for our sakes — that He might
make known the righteousness of God in our reconcilia
tion — ^and our guarantee for the promised and sure mercies
ofthe Gospel, in the light and enlargement of which we
are invited to rejoice.^Let us forsake all our idols, and
VOL. III. o

814 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. isaiah xliii,
henceforth give ourselves up unto Christ, Let the new
regimen here predicted have the lordship over us
10-25, — ^Here is a song pf triumph because cf the- en
largement that Christ was to bring upon the earth. The
glory of the Lord shall at length, be spread abroad and
recognised universaEy, But this wifl be- ushered in with
tempests and confiicts, and fearful struggles against the
> enemies cf the Church, The physical changes here spoken
of might be significant of the moral changes that are' then
to be effected, and which are more literaEy described in
verse 1 6 — a notabila — Bring me, 0 Lord, by the right way,
even though I should know it not, , Lead me and enlighten
me, 0 God. , ,,, Intermirigled, however, with this wider re
presentation, are references to things present and things
of old^-the idolatry and darkness of other times. The
Jews, who should have bepn the servants of God— the
priests, who should have been His messengers, had their
full share in this blindness-r-though, seeing and hearing
many things, they should have kno^wn better. But the
Lord will vindicate His law upon them — an assertion
which,' as applied to our Saviour, makes verse 21 a most
illustrious notabile. And thus the prophecy returns to
Israel, : whose sufferings under the oppressor are here
stated to be in judgment for their sEis.
Isaiah xlih. 1-13. — Bt^ these judgments and threaten-
ings are followed by words of graciousness He addresses
Israel as his o"wn pecuEar and -redeemed -people^bidding
them fear not ; and this on. the strength of the precious
assurances in verse 2 — a notabile. He, the Holy One of
Israel, promises never to forget them, and appeals to what
He had already done on their behalf, when He punished,

JSAIAH XLiu. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, 313.
and brought do^wn the kingdoms of theE enemies for their
S9.kes. " In this sense He gives men and people to the death
for their life, AE who stafid in the way of their restora,-
tion shafl be destroyed  "What a striking description here
of the recalment of the scattered Israelites to their own
land !^ — Form me, 0 God, for Thy Iglory. God pleads His
own cause ¦with the idolatrous nations, and chaEenges
them for proof in support of their own di"vinities — whEe
He seems as if appealing to the Jews as His witnesses ;
nor can we imagine a more palpable evidence of the pre
siding authority that regulates and reigns over the affairs
of men, than the wondrous preservation of this people — ¦
to be erihanGed tenfold when the prophecies shall have
taken effect upon them. — ^Verse 11 is a notabile. — He
then appeals to what had beeri done for them at the times
when there was no heathen worship among them, and
which they can testify to have been achieved for them
only by the true God. And long anterior to history God
was : His gpings forth are pf pld, even; frpm everlasting.
14-28. — The prophecy now takes a more special direc
tion to its nearer fulfilment, in the destraction of Babyr
Ion and the return of the Israelites from their captivity
The cry of the flying- Chaldeans would be in ships, for
carrying them down the Euphrates Hpw sublime the
ascriptien tp Gpd of making a way in the sea, and a path
in the mighty waters .' He compares the present deliverj-
ance with the one of old from Egypt But the new things
were to be greater than the old.— For the explanation of
this see Jer. xvi. 14, 15 ; and xxEi. 7, 8. We do not
read of nairacles in their passage from Babylon to their
o-wn land ; but the adequate fulfilment is yet to come in
a better and more enduring restoration.  Verse 21 1$

316 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS: ,4saiah xliv.

quite a notabila — My God, form me to Thyself, that I
may show forth Thy praise-;.;. The -expression "to be
weary of God " makes' verse 22 a notabEe. He reigon-
strates with the Jews, and lets them know, that not for
their sakes but for His own does He blot out their sins
Not only had Adam sinned, but the princes, who should
have been parents to Israel ; and hence the vengeance
that had come upon their state, and afl, its dignities, by
the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.
Isaiah xliv. 1-8. — But as usual the prophet alternates
promises with threat&nings ; and now comes back largely
and fully to the great and glorious blessings which are in
reserve for the chEdren oflsrael  Jesurun means right
eeus, and is applied to Israel in seme few places cf Scrip
ture.. -'But thpugh rightepus in the legal sense ofthe
term, or in virtue of the sure and weU-ordered covenant,
this does not supersede; but on the contrary prepares
the wayfor that influence by which we are made persorially
righteous Ani so this effiision is promised, aniin virtue
of this many wiE turn Unto the Lord, and subscribe them
selves individually as His. Upon this God again makes
assertion of His supremacy, and also sets Himself forth as
the Redeemer' of Israel; and' surely nothing wifl make
more patent His reality as the everlasting Govemor of
men, thun the gathering again of His ancient people.
They will be most impressive witnesses to the truth of
prophecy) and of that word- -which passeth not away. Let
others, if thay can; shew the' like ; but failing therein,
the evidence for the true God will outpeer all other evi
dence, arid the trath wifl prevail This -will prove true
in reference to aE false systems, as well as to those' idols

ISAIAH XLV. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, S17
to which the prophet here makes a more immediate re
ference — ^the idols of his own time, to whose -vanity their
worshippers could afl bear witness.
9-28, — In this passagethe prophet puts forth afl his
'irony against idols and idolaters j arid then follows verse
20, the first and last clause of which are both of them
notabEia. How truly may it be said of those who make
creature-comforts their all— that "they feed on ashes;" and
that the deceitfulness of sin and sense has led them astray
from the fountain of fl-ving waters— from the alone satis
fying portion of , the -immortal spirit God again asserts
His sover^gnty, and His entire claim to it as our Former
tod Govemer, and He whesp eye is'continttafly upon us ... .
" The lie in one's right' hand" is a striking expression. It
speaks the vanity of idols made with men's hands, and
the vanity of thousands of those objects for which arid on
which men bestow the main labour of their lives — walking
in that way and in those pursuits which seem to them^
selves right, but the end of which is death  Verse 22 is
a notabEe. — ^My God, let me obeyj Thy .precept to return,
and confide in Thy declaration that. Thou hast redeemed
me ; and while rejoicing in the enlargements of Thy
salvation, let me haE Thee as the universal Monarch, who
workest afl in all More espepiafly wEt ThoU operi up a
way fpr Thy Church through all the obstacles to its final
pstabEshment under tha conduct of Him who is tha great
antitype of Cyrus, the restorer of Israel.
Isaiah xlv. l-13.-^This prophecy was-strikingly verified
in the capture of Babylon. — "Loose the loins of kings."
CSep Dan. v, 6,) The Opening of " the two-leaved gates" is'
in itself a pjjetujesque fulfilment Cjrrus is the anointed"

318 DAILY SCEIPTURE 'READINGS, isaiah xtr,
of God, because set apart by Him for this service, and
endued with the requisite' qualifications ' The caEing of
Cyras by name, for His servant Jacob's sake, gives an
impressive "view of God as the Lord of all history, both
profane and sacred^the one being made subservient' to
the other. -It enhances this lesson that Cyras was the
unconscious instrument of God's -will, who cafled him
though he knew it not Others, however, were made to
know His sovereignty in consequence, as the Creator of
blessings to the good^— of evEto the rebeflious and ¦wicked.
This lesson will at lerigth be universal from east to west :
and 0 how precious that there is a righteousness which
pomes upon us ah extra, even from heaven, and which, if
we receive by faith, wEl bring forth salvatiori, and have
its' fruit in a righteousness springing up from earth. — Let
us therefore submit ourselves to this righteousness which
God Himself created, and which is therefore cafled the
rightepusness of God. He will accomplish aE His o^wn de
signs in the face of all enemies. It is vain to strive ¦with
Him; and the restoration of the Jews, ajnd rebuEding of
their city, wifl take effect through Him "whom I have
chosen." .
; 14-25. — They were helped hy Cyras, who himself was
enriched by the spoE of the countries which he had con
quered ; and many before aliens gave in their adherence
to them. (Zech. viil 23; Esther ¦viil 17.) Thon'hidest
Thyself, 0 God, in the mysteriousness of those ways which
are not as our ways — Give me, 0 Lord, the light of the
knowledge of Thyself. . . . Verse 15 -a notabile  "What an
appropriate text verse 18 would be for an astronomical
discourse! He- created notworids in vain, but formed
them to-be inhabited  Verse 19 is a notabEe. If we

isaiah xlvi. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 319
seek we shall find. — Let our seeking be striving ; 0 that
we may not be disappointed . . .,. Verse 21 an Elustrious
riotabile-^a just God and a Saviour ; and sP pre-eminently
is verse 22. — Incline my heart to this tmiversal cafl and
welconie; 0 God — Verse 23, referred to in Philip, il 10,
also a most illustrious notabEe. — Give me, 0 Lord, give
me to have righteousness and strength in the SavioUr-^—
justification now and everlasting glory hereafter. These
verses are ftill of gospel.
Isaiah xlvl — Isaiah again indulges his accustomed
Eony against idols ; and then speaks of the intimate re
lation in which the trae God stands to the chEdren of
Israel. O^that we felt a profounder sense of what is due
to God, as God, tha one God, thari whom there is none else
— distinguished from-'afl by His foreknowledge and abso
lute power. There are many eamest and Solemn reitera
tions by this prophet and others at the particular juncture
of Israel's restoration from Babylon, of the evils of idolatry,
and very frequent appeals on the exclusive right to their
homage of Him who alone could effect their deliverance.
He cafled Cyras from the East, and-'His hand was to be
recpgnised in every foptstep pf their retum te their ewn
land. And it is wprthy pf afl pbservatipn that these mani
festatiens, alpng with the warnings of their prophets and
teachers, seem to have been effectual, inasmuch as we
never read after this pericd pf their having again lapsed
inte tha wprship pf images— a habit so obstinately per
sisted, in throughout -so many previous generations. It is
indeeia remarkable approximation to the stout-hearted
who were fa,r frpm rightepusness, that Ged shpuld bring
His righteousness near ani within reach for their salvation.

320 ^ DAILY SCEIPTURE READINGS. isaiah xlviii.
Isaiah XLVn.r-rThe prophpt continues his denunciations
upon Babylon, recognising at the same time the true God
who was to axecutaaE these judgments as the Redeemer
of Israel He was -wroth for thaE oppressors in that
they showed no mercy — ^not even to their most venerable
elders and dignitaries. (Sea Lam. v. 12.) Brit the treat
ment they bestowed on their wretched captives was to be
laid in hardships and humEiatic«is npon themselves 
It is a highly poetical image where Babylon is represented
as saying, " I shall be a lady for ever," (See the analogy
to this in Rev. xviii. 7,) But this felt and fencied security
was soon to be brokpn up. The coming slaughter would
deprive many of their chEdren, and bring many into
widowhooi How like to the most eivEized nations now,
in that their wisdom.and knowledge had perverted them ;
and they are like, too, in the infidelEy which prompted the
confidence that there were none who saw or wotdd reckon
with them. And this threatened evil did come upon
them unawares and suddenly. Then the help of the wise
men would be vain. Those educated from their youth in,
astrplpgy and soothsayirig would not save them. How
strikingly these allusions are in keeping with what we
know historically from Dan. ii. to have been the state and
habit of the Babylonians. But aE shpuld gp to -wreck, and
be utterly brought to nought — hy means both of a general
corrujption (verse 14) and a general dispersion, (verse 15,)
Isaiah XLvni. 1-11. — After denouncing these judgments
on Babylon, God by His prophet expostulates with Israel
— still so named, though Jews, and of the tribe of Judah.
Though their professions were on the side of the true God,
yet doth He charge them with hypocrisy. He appeals to

isaiah xiviii. daily SCEIPTURE READINGS; 821
the fulfilment of His prophecies that He might win them
over to a more" faithful allegiance; and every argument
was neededr-for their obstinacy was such as to call forth
thesingularly descriptive images of " their neck being an
iron^sinew, and their brow- brass." To tum them from their
idolatrous tendencies to Himself, does He appeal to things
new and old, mora especiaEy to the predictions now given
of their re'storatioQ,of(dlowed up by' a speedy accomplish-
m^it, gnd which sh'oiEd haVe— rwhich had indeed, the effeco
of ptitting a conclusive end to at least the Eteral worship
of idols by the Jews in afl time coming. There seems to
|iave been an urgency of conviction brought to bear upon
them now — :.^d all the more that.hith^o they had been
so shut agairist the influence of all former mariifestations.
Their coming' delivery was not for any merit in them,
but for the vindication of God's glory in the sight of the
heathen, and that , Israel too might at last be tumed to
Him in sincerity and truth,
12-22. — The Lord addresses Israel, making assertion at
the same time of His own creative power and sovereignty;
"What an emphasis dees the mpdem astronomy give to the
description of that greatness by which heaven is spanned t
He farther challenges. their trUst in His word, because of
His omniscience,- in -virtue of which E- was lie alone who
made declaration of -what was eomiug. We might well
imaginehow such prophecies, followed up So suddenly ani
strikingly by their fnlfiltoent, would teE upon the Israel
ites > and they are much pressed in argument by tbe- pro
phet, Let us here note. God's love to Cyras, the chosen
instrument of Babylon's overthrow. God spake oppnly
to Israel from ihe beginning, first from Mount Sinai',, and
afterwards in open vision by many prophets anirigWeoua-"
o2

322 DAILY SCEIPTUEE -READINGS. isaiah xlix
men of old, "What a truly affectirig expostulation in
verse 18 from God to His rebellious children ! This is a
striking notabile. — 0 let me feel how much Thou art
set on my obedience, "and my own miserable- shortnesses
from Thy will and glory. — ^Isaiah, I should have remarked,
sets himself forth in verse 16 as a special messenger serit
by -God. The Israelites are bidden by him to flee from
Babylon, and they seem to have been miraculously sup
ported on their way to Judea. There is at least express
reference made to thp miracles of their passage from
Egypt to Canaan .... Tha " no peace uUto the -wicked" of
verse 22 seems in counterpart to the peaCe spoken of in
¦\'erse 18 'of those who keep thacomiriandments,
Isaiah xlix. 1-12, — The .address is now directed" to the
isles and people afar off;, and it is obviously Christ who
speaketh. He "was caEed. by God, even as Himself caEed
the Apostles. (John xvE 18.) Out of His mouth cometh
a two-edged sword, (Rev, i. 16,) and His arrows are sharp,
whether for the conviction of irien or the overthrow of
enemies. (Heb. iv. 12 ; Ps. xlv. 5.) But He came unto
His o-wp, and His Own received Him not. He sped El
With the Jews ; but, lo ! He turned to the Gentiles, and
great amongst them "were the triumphs of His Gospel ;
and the' barreri places of tKe earth — formerly in thickest
darkness, shall be lighted up and'fcrtilizei by Him, AE
obstacles in the way of a- general difiusion will at length ,
be rem'Ovedj and great will be the spiritual blessings
poured' forth on the many who shall receiv-e th'e truth
as it is in Jesus In the midst, however,- of afl this
progress and prosperity among the Geritiles, Israel is
left desolate; but in the course of this address' words t)f

ISAIAH L, DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. 833
comfort are given, and prospects of enlargement held out
for "her also, - , ^
13-26,— -Not^wrthstanding the disposition of commenta
tors to apply this passage to the Church at large, we re
gard it as bearing speciaEy upori the Jews, and their
future or antitypical restoration. The general cafl upon
the world to rejoice is because of God's comforting His
people-^by whom I imderstand His ancient people the
Jews, Zion now complaining of her -outcast widowhood.
How fuE of comfort is verse 15— a-n iEustrious notabEe,
Hpw endearing is verse 16 — -and heW pb-vipus to my view
that these waEs are the walls of Jerasalem, The Jews
are to get homage from the GentEes, The oppressors in
and about Judpa shafl at length make way; and even
theE ancient patrimony wifl be too narrow for them.
The Jews after ha^ving lost their nation and nationality,
shaE be abundantly recriiited by descendants and Gen
tEes, who ¦wifl gladly naturalize with them ; and not only
so but -wUl help them back to their own land. Even kings
and queens wEl fpster — ^nay, fall do-wn before them. — Verse
23, a notabEe; — Thus wEl Israel be taken from under
the power of her enemies, even as when a prey and a
captive to Babylon, she was delivered out of their hands.
God wEl-rescue His own, and retaliate their -wrerigs uppn
His adversaries
Isaiah l,— 4jrpd had not put away Israel, ,but Israel
had renounced God; neither did He give-ithem up to
their enemies in, payment of what was due to them, but
all was the effect of their p-wn transggessiens. There was
no man that would listen to Him pr tp His messengers,
and not from the want of po;wer in Him, but of duteousness --

3.24 D.AILY SCEIPTUEE JIEADING& isaiah ,li.
in them — ^tEerefofe it was that they had nPt been de
livered  If Isaiah sjpeaks pf himself, it is as a type pf
fib^st— Verse 4 is- a nptabile, frem its expression of "a
wprd in seaspn tp them that are weary." For verse 5, -see
Psalm, xl 6, 7. Isaiah was helped, and so was, the anti
type, the God-man, in some mysterious way And we, find
verses 8, and 9 referred to in Rcxmansyiii 33,. 3.4. But I
knpw npt a more precious pr importaiat passage than
verse 10 — an illustripus notabile. — ^I may believe, in the
dark : I may resolutely trust under tha greatest heaAd-
ness and deadness and dejection of spirits^ Even wheA
there is not the light of any. cheering manifestation in
my soul, I may stay and steady myself tiponGod. — 0 let
me ever look upWardly to th© place where Thine honour
dwefleth ; and even when there is no H-ght from, heaven
to shine upon my path, let me walk on earth in the way
of afl Thy known commandments;, Apd 0 let the Eght
-which shines upon me, ever be the Eght of Thy wOri Let
me beware of my own wi^om or my own lofty imagina-
tipns^ — else I shall Jie down in sorrow. ¦ DeEver me, O-
God ; save ma from all my perplexities' ; save me from the
sin unto' death.
Isaiah li. 1-10, — These addressed here may- be the
same with them pf ch. 1 10, whc are walking and trust 
"The reck whence ye are liawn" makes yerse la nctabEe,
Let us take its lessen by thinking well pf the guEt and
corruption pf our natural state. See how the remem
brance of His covenant with Abraha,m operates in favour
pf Isrdelj and will tp latest ppsterity, What, a briEiant
perspectiye is hjcre set befpre them ! He wifl estabEsh a
jurispradence that shall enlighten and reach to all people;.

ISAIAH EI. DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. 385-
and in which the Gentiles shafl trust The offer of salva
tion has gone forth, and an everlasting righteousness is
brought neaj: to aE — ^the perpetuity of which is celebrated
in verse 6, a most sublime notabile. Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but Gt)d'a word shall never pass away. —
Put Thy law, 0 God, in my heart ; and save me from the
fear of man, which is a snare. Let our confidence be
in a higher strength than in an arm of flesh— p^ven in
that arm which smote Egypt, and the dragon or Pharabh
its king, and dried up the Red Sea that His o-wn might
pass over.
H-2a — Ori these recoEeetions^ of the pasty does the
prophet ground his anticipation of future mercies and
dsEverances for Isarael,'— Verse 11— a beautiful- notabile.,
"What a persuasive foEows against the f^r of man .'-—Let
me stay myself on the great and aE-powerful God, nor
Stand, in awe of the oppressor. Did I but think of man's
inherent weakness, and of the h'elplesa death that i%
coming so speedily on the proudest and most formidable
of all, I would not give way before any of my feflow-mor-
tals, when I stood on tha g^ide pf tjtltk ooi: righteousness*
The exEe, intent on liberation,; is. made to know of the
power and past deangS of God ; and, by the suae word of
prophecy infOTms us of the new heavens and the^ new
earth, in which Zion wEl find its dweEimg-plac©., , Wa can
have little doubt from versa 16, that a larger and more
enduring restoration is here in the perspective than theE
approaching return from Babylon. The Jews fer "many
generations have been a sadly pppressed arid persecuted
people. They have suffered a long judicial regimen pf
pains and penalties ; but- the cup pf tremhlingi even the
dregs ef it, which they are now drinking, will be at length,

32(i DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS. isaiah lii.
takeri out of theE hand; and most certain it is, that this
cannot be said in refer'ence to their restoration from the
capti-vity of Babylon— for since that they have undergpne
the dispersien and cruel pppressien pf many Ipng gene
rations. We should infer from verse 23 that their final
retum to their o-wn land wEl also be withstepd -by thpse
intp whpse hands the cup pf trembEng -wifl pass — even
to them who wifl- then be the afflicters of Israel December, 1846,
Isaiah lil — It is quite obvious of this prophecy that
it expands beyond the dimension of Es typical event,
and that it relates not to a past but to a future and final
deliverancp of the Jews For very nought they had for
saken God, and incurred His displeasure ; but He — not
for the sake of any righteousness of theirs, will again
recall and be reconciled to them. The deliverances of
old times wifl again be repeated in theE favour, to the
cori^ion of infidels and blaspheiriers, Israel will receive
the faith, and' so attain the knowledge of the true God. — -
Ver^e 7 — amost eminent notabEe, — Their " seeing eye' to
eye" makes for the personal reign of Him whose feet
shall stand on the- Mount of Olives. God's restoration of
the- Jews will be ari event to arrest the ¦wonder of the
whole earth ; and it wifl; be a leisurely, weE-eoricerted
movement, under the guidance of One far more Elustrious
than the Ezras, or Nehemiahs, or Zerubbabels of the Old
Testament ; One' at the approach of whose reign all the
kings of the world will fall prostrate, and at length
acknowledge His rightful sovereignty as King of kings,
as Lord of lords  Can the " manred visage" and form
of this exalted Servant of the Most High — can He be

ISAIAH Lin. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 327
any other than the Lord Jesus ? Or can the Jerusalem
in whicK it is here required that they shotdd be clean
who bear the vessels of the Lord — ^be any other in point
of fuE and adequate fulfilment than the Jerusalem of
Rev. XXL 27, into Which nothing that is defiled should
enter ?
Isaiah Lnt^This is indeed a super-eminent chapter,
and one that might be read daEy and devotionafly ¦with
the utmost benefit to the soul "Who can refuse its appli
cation to Christ-^to Him who came unto "His o^wn, and
His o-wn received Him not? But He stooped to this
humiEation that He might become a sacrifice for sin.
"What a demonstration of native tmgodliness, in that we
go every man astray, simply when we tum each to his
o-wn way!— 0 "that I were more impressed by that meek
and patient and tmcomplaining spEit, which led Him in
love tans to resign HimseK as a lamb to the slaughter.
How strikingly are the cEcUmstances here foretold of His
death and burial, confirmed by the events of His history !
^-My God, as He poured out His soul unto the death for
me, may I give up my soul in absolute and. entfre dedica
tion to Him, and may He see in me of the travaE of His
soul, and be satisfied. It is by the knowledge of Him
that we are justified ; and by His intercession may I re
ceive afl faith arid aE hoEness. His at length -wEl be the
greatness and the -victory — ^when every knee shall bow
to Him, and every tongue confess. And 0 how much is
to be gathered from " that it pleased the Lord Jehovahto
bruise him !" Gur redemption takes its origin from the
love of Goi Let us not frustrate the grand design either
by our negligence or unbelief

^28 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiab lv.
. IsAJAH^LiT,- — This chapter is by most applied to the
Church generaEy. We are strongly persuaded of a twofold
accomplishment ;. tha^t, in the- first instance, the Gentiles
were the desolate and Israel the married -wife ; but in the
second instance, as now, the Jews are the 'desolate, but
soon to be mairied, or restored from her present state of
widowhood, and in this restoration to be the forerunner of
a far more extended Christianity than was ever realized
by the Gentile Church. ,. See Rom. xl, where we learn
tEat the diminishing of the Jews was .the riches of the
Gentiles, but that the fulness of the Jews -was to be the
harbinger of a far mightier enlargement .;,, Verse 2 is a
notabile ; and. so are verses 8, 10, 13, and 17 . . .."How like
to Israel now is a woman afflicted and grieved in SpEit !
The prophecy here, then, has been in part a^compE^ed ;
but we must look to futurity for its full accomplishment.
: — 0 may. I be taught of God, and have the peace of one
of His children. Thy- kingdom come, 0 Lord!... Alto-
getha: a noble chapter. ,
. Isaiah lv. — This chapter, is the next to the fifty-third
in the essence of evangeEsm, "What a precious invitation,
and comprehensive too, of the whole human race !-^My
God, let me no longer labour for nought, but seek, and in
dependence on -Christ's power, for Christ's unsearchabla
riches, L^t.me hear, or let me read, .the word, and enter
into covenant -with God, sure of His promised mercies —
the mercies of David, or of Him who is the Son of David,
and in whom all the premises are yea and amen. Let
me beEeve Him -as my witness-^-as my leader and cem-
mander, let me ever obey Him. . „ The, address in verse 5
seems tebe frpm the Father to the Sen ; and through Him,

ISAIAB LVI. DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS. 329
ill verse 6, to afl whom .the Gospel is made to reach. — >
"WhEst Thou art in the way, 0 God, may I seek and find
peace with Thee through Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast
sent. In turning to Him, give me to turn from afl mine
iniquities. Ssrely Thou art not as man. Let me, in spiie
of all my past ungodliness, believe in Him who justifieth
the ungodly. My- hope, 0 Lord, is in Thy word. It shafl
accompEsh afl it was sent for.. Heayen and earth shafl
pass away before a jot or tittle of it shall pass away.
Give me, then, 0 Lord, the experience of its promised
enlargements ; and -with Thy righteousness as mine, let
me break forth into jpy in the glorious prospect of a re
generated world.
Isaiah lvi. — ^Here we have the antecedemcy of doings
to the revelation of salvation, or of that righteousness
ef God on which E rests.— My- Ged, enable me to lay
hold of Christ, and to lay hold of the new obedience
together, unembarrassed by afl the speeiilations of afl the
controversiaEsts And the cafl is to- every one — Gen-
tEe as weE as Jew— ^and to those who laboured under
ceremonial disquaEfications as weE as others. "Whoso
ever taketh hold of 'the covenant -wiB have'aE its blessed
stipulations made, good to him. Afl such shafl be pre
ferred to a higher distinctitm than ever Jews attained to
under their Economy. — My God, let me not lose my re^
spect or my observance for the Sabbath in the face of such
testimonies on its behalf as we here find mixed up with
this ob-vious prophecy of evangeEc times. O Ctod, make
Jerasalem a praise in the earth, that we might be joyful
in this house of prayer for all people— wheri the men
of afl nations shafl repair to it along with the present

330 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, isaiah lviu
outcasts oflsrael  The enemies spoken.to in verse 9, and
after it, may be the oppressors of the Christian Church,
whose aim it may be^ not to extirpate but to .tyrannize
ovOr it, I can imagine a state of things in which the
civil magistrates might earry it -with'-hostility and -violence
against the true .worshipper, while protecting their oWn
hireling Churches ; whose ministers, on the other hand,
careless of 'afl but their revenues, might' give themselves
up to utter carelessness.
Isaiah lvil 1-12.- — This chapter seems a continuation
of thp last verses of the- preceding, or of an address to
still rebellious and alienated Israel' He had often taken
their righteous and good kings from them, not replaced
by successors, in their own likeness. They are taken
away from the evil to cOme, and rest in their graves t.El
the resurrection, (See Rev, xiv.-13.) . . . Verse 1 is a nota
bila of frequent application when good men die. The
prophet theh pours forth his denunciations on the idolatera
of his own time among his countrymen, whose abomina
tions, as appears from his description of them, were carried
to a most revolting height. Mockery of the trae religion,
vEe affections, child-murder, seem aE to have entered
into the black catalogue of th.eir grievous and unnatural
offences. They had both river and mountairi gods. -On
those posts and doors where the memorials ofthe Di-vine
Being should have been inscribed, did they inscribe' the
remembrance of theE idols, and love the places of their
adulterous worship  The " king" of verse 9 may have
been any of their chief idols, pr Mplpch  "Thpu art
wearied in the greatness pf Thy way," is stifl very expres
sive ef the state, and habits pf those who give , themselves

ISAIAH lvii, daily SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, 831
Up to the toil and disquiptudes of an unsatisfying ambi
tion. Yet did they not renounce it ; for this one object
and that Othet, Were at times obtained, and ent^jUgled
them allthe more ,,.." Thou hast lied" in renouncing my
service, on the pretext of my being a hard master ; and
does "not the lengthened period of my forbeararica all the
time that I ha-re kept sEence prove the^ contrary? " But
i wifl now declare Thy righteousness," which is tanta
mount to this — I wEI now set thy sins in order before
mine eyes. (Psahn 1 .21.)
13-21.-^The prophet here tells them of their vain con
fidence in the ccmpanies whether pf their nnmerpus gpds
pr their idolatrous- alEes God is the alone rightful ob
ject pf confidence, and Ha -wifl amply reward it. The
leaders in the great movement of their return from disper
sieri or capti-vity, wfll open up a way for those poor out
casts who have^ been -visited with, penitence and godly
sorrpw  Verse" 15 is a precious notabEe ; and 0 how
precious also is verse 16 I God^-wEl correct in measure-^-
He -wEl not try His own beyond theE powers of sufferance.
He wants not their spEits to faE but to revive ; and hav
ing respect- to the work of His hand. He wants not to
destroy the souls which Himself has made. Covetou,s-
ness was a prevalent sin among them, (Jer^ vi. 13,) and
for this God withdrew Himself for a season, and chastised
them. Yet went they on in the counsel of their own
hearts ; but God .was not overcome of their evE, but over
came evE, with good. And. there were mourners among
the people, to whom- He was especiaEy tender  The
"fruit of the Eps" being here a proclamation of peace,
Ekensitto that Gospel which was published over the
world,^ beginning- at Jerusalem; yet not a peace to the

332 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. isaiah iix..
wicked, for if they tum not from their iniquities to-
Christ, the hostility of God wEl abide on them, and their
own tumultuous and unsanctified passions wifl be the
perpetual tormentors of their hearts
Isaiah lviil — An eamest expostulation with Israel,
and reproof for their hypocrisy. "What self-deceit in the
delight that we have in ordinances, and yet real unmind-,
fulness of God and His law ! They sought their own plea
sure; and exacted their full measure, of service from their
labourers, even in those days which tiiey professed to set
apart for God, They fested because of their calamities,
while for these they reproached each other, and quarrelled
among themselves,-^Then follows a very noble passage —
a traly great and iflttsti^ious notabEe  "What a vitally im
portant lesson, that Eght is the result of obedierice, as
WeE as the security of God's- protection all round . . . ^ The
" putting forth" might signify a threat, or perhaps a false
promisa — ^Make me, 0 Lord, Eke a watered garden ; and
as the frait of my own personal Christianity, let me act
as a restorer and repairer on the minds of others also.
And what a testimony here to the importance of Sabbath-
sanctification ! On -that day let my own spEit be kept at
abeyance. Isaiah lix. 1-15. — The prophet stEI insists on God's
righteous controversy with Israel There is . no want
either pf ppwer or, willingness tO serve on the part, of God ;
buti,he sins of His people fonned the barrier in the way
of mercy, — Then foEows a succession of charges against
them- Their thoughts were the germs and fountains of
all iniquity, even as the cockatrice' egg and the spider's

JSAIAH LIX. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 333
web are the preparatives of venom and mischief "Wliat
they weave is - not for use but for violence and craft.
They wUl not profit themselves by theE^works of wicked
ness to others . . .1 In verses 7 ajad,8 we recognise the words
quoted in Romans iii. Peace and light and safety are ail
of them alien ,from sin. The darikness consequent there^
upon is. the counterpart cf that Eluminaiion sppken ef in
eh.,lyiil 8. ; And beside this natural effect of such trariiS-'
gressions there was the awakened displeasure of Gpd,
because judgment had. disappeared fr-oiri the land, to the
general degradation of the- mariy, and oppression of the
helpless and righteous few.
16-^1. — ^&it God Himself arose as a God of vengeance,
both for His own ^ory and for the reparation of the
¦wrongs of His people. The Lord Jehovah (Jesus Christ)
in the utter inability of all pthers tp perfprai the work of
intercessor, did Himself undertake it ; and the deeds of
prowess spoken of heratefl not only of His conflict with
the invisible powers of darkness, but of His successful
warfare against the, enemies of the Ghuceh upon earth.
The expressions used in- this passage are not adequately
met by any past deEverance ofthe Jews, or any chastise
ment inflicted yet upon theE adversaries. "We believe
that when to the islands He ¦wifl repay recompense, it
-wiE be a Wide-world hostEity that He shall then deal
withi It looks as if the smafl remnant of altogether
Christians, overborne by infideEty, united perhaps, with
Popery, wEl have theE first da-wnings of a day of redemp
tion in the manifestation of God's favour to the Jews,
whether through, sensible tokens from Him, or through
the symptoms among them of a national return to that
faith which, rests on the foundation of their o-wn prophetsy

834 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, isaiah lX.
as wefl as of the apostles of Christianity. This may cause
a re-action among the .powers of this world; but the
spirit of the Lord wEl lift up a standard against them,
and tlie "result wifl be a universal triumph for the Church,
Whereof Zion shall theri be the centre or ca;pital Arid
the Redeemer wEl then come to this metropolis .of the
regenerated world, (Zech, 'xiv,,) but whether in the way
of a personal appearance or not J am not able to say
Isaiah lx. 1-10. — ^This seems still an address to the
Jews, -who wEl by this time form the nucleus and central
attractipn.pf the Christian. Church- — a Church in broad
and discernible contrast with a worid lying in darkness
and -wickedness ; nevertheless, afl round wEl many flock
towards this peculiar society. The general effect Of the
chapter is highly \n favour of its being the Jews who are
here set forth as the centre tcwards which there is tp be
a wide-wprld mpveinent Even themselves -wifl be splfem-
nized with a spectacle in which they wifl sp pbvipusly dis-""
cern the hand of God — in turning the hearts pf kings to
favour them, and bringing:wealth and crowds of adherents
towards them- fi-om aE the quarters of the. earth. The
visit of the -queen of Sheba to Jerusalem wEl then prove
the type of a' far more glorious fulfilment — when the isles
of the GentEes shall give in, and become the wiEing tri
butaries of 'a spiritual monarchy that "will rule, over the
men of, all lands
11-22.' — I cannot doubt the identity of this prophetic
deS'cription with -that in Rev. xxL ^2-26 ; and if so, it
greatly confirms the now growing persuasion that the Jews
will bear a very- prominent and ostensible part in the
World's regeneration. The GentEes araclearly represerited

isaiah lxi, daily SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, 335
as tributary and subordinate to the Jews, though, they
shafl be wiEing. tributaries and Wifl yield spontaneous
obedience. to the government of trath and righteousness
that -wEl then be set up in the earth, , God wifl then be
recognised by afl as the Mighty One of Jacob — Verse 1 7,
last clause, is a notabile: We do not unjderstand how to
take the expressipns-,;that would indicataa disappearance
of the solar and lunai Eght from that new heavens and new
earth wherein dweEethrighteousness — Hasten that blessed
time, 0 Lord, when the people shall afl be righteousness;
and, 0 grant to me and mine that we shafl' stand- with
acceptance on that day before the Son of man  This
chapter forms altogether a most regaEng prophecy ; and
serves greatly to -establish the future restoration of Israel,
as being the common subject both of the Apocalypse and
the older prophets.
Isaiah lxi.' — Here, the Messiah probably appears in
His own person. ThP day of vengeance might have been
appEcable to His first advent, when He triumphed over
unseen principaEties and powers. We beEeve it also^ ap
plicable to a second . ad^vent, when. He sh&,E deliver His
o^wn from the principaEties and powers o^ this world. — I
pray for lig^t and liberty and the joy of' Thy salvation, 0
God. Cause me to abound in the fruits of righteousness,
and may/PhyChtirch,. whereof Thine own ancient people
wiE be the pre-eminent members and office-bearers, 'be sus
tained by the ¦wEling support of a glad and grateful worli
They shafl be more than compensated for all their a-fflic-
tions, and in theE own land too. And then their ser
vice wifl not as ,heretofore be that of a mere outward
and slavish ceremonial ; it wEl be in the newness of the

336 DAILY SCRIPTUEE READINGS. isaiah lxiii.
spirit ; it will be service according to the law of lovej even
that law which God Will put into their hearts according'
to His covenant with them, and which, they wEl obey with
aE alacrity and good-wiE, aCcordingto their covenant with
Him. And they' wiE be reco^ised by the World at large
as the descendants of that famEy through whom all the
famEies of the earth are to be blessed. — ^0 let me delight
myself in the abundance of this peace" and of these pri-?i-
leges^n the robe of Christ's imputed righteousness ; and
let the praise of my own lips, and service of my own life,
be offered up confinnaEy,
Isaiah Lxn. — A joyful aimouncement for the chEdren
of Israel, but yet to be verified, and in the sigh-t/too. Of
^tions and their kirigs.-^-My God, let ma participate in
these exceeding great and precious promises. Rejoice
over me for good, and let me joy in God through Him by
whom I have received the atonement . .' . .What an emphatic
example is here given of the perfect consistency which
obtains between God's sure and absolute prophecy and our
earnest prayers for the fulfilment of it ! — ^Let us keep riot
sEence, and give tha Lord no rest, tEl He hath poured out
the promised blessing; Thus let us prove Him, and we
shafl have the fuE experience of His faithftdness. "Who
can doubt that these accomplishments are yet to come,
in the face of God's own oath that He wifl ne-ver more
Buffer the enemies of His people to have the advantage
OTer them?— Work in us; 0 God; and in the doing of
Thy prescribed -work by us we shall have a very great
reward. ^ Isaiah lxiii. — Tliis looks a future, and perhaps the last

ISAIAH LXIV, DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS. 337
great and decisive contest between Christ and the eneinies
of His Church  We know not if Edom and Bozrah be
literal or figurative. WEl He receive no Assistance even
from His own .people.? — ^Wifl He alone appear in the
battle ? — He comes in behalf of His redeemed, and to
take vengeance on their adversariea, It is on th© house-
Of Israel that this mercy is bestowed. — Put truth, O God,
into my inward parts, that I may not belie -my profession,
. ,1 ." Theangjel of His presence" is the angel of the covenant
— ^the Lord Jesus Christ. Often did He appear in the
days, of. the Old Testament ; but they wera-itifiBaecked
and forgot His wondrous manifestations It is interest
ing to mark these early notices of "the Holy Spirit vexed
by the people,, but given iri large measure to Moses^ As a
beast fleeth for shelter, so did the pursUed Israelites under
theE leader flee into the deeps". of the Red .Sea, opened
up for them, and which proved the place' of their deliver
ance, onward to a place of rest from .theE persecutors ....
"'Where are Thy mercies towards me?"— towards praying
Israel, or -the praying Chtirch. They are obyiously Jews
who are pleading, though they aflege Abraham to be
ignorant of them ; but penitent JeWs, sensible of their
past grievous delinquencies, and craving for admission to
that Church, now cOmpOsed of GentEes, over whom God
did not beai- jthe special .rule that He did over^themselves
in days of oli- '
. Isaiah LJfiv.r— This is the Church's prayer for deliver
ance, and by such, manifestations, too, as might very pro
bably be given prior to its miEennial establishment in the
world. There may be a geological catastrophe — a some
thing on the large scale jimEar to what took place on Sinai
VOL. III. p

338 DAILY -SCEIPTUEE READINGS. isaiah lxv.
when God appeared to Israel— rLet us wait in faith for
the coming of the Son of God, Let us^ in the faith of
the Gospel, both rejoice and work righteousness — ^trust in
the Lord and be doing igood: for though often wroth
against us because of our sins, yet wiE He continue, to
bless us and be merciful to us^ if we forsake our own way
and be mindful of His. But 0 what poEuted " and -fraE
creatures; we are ! . . . Verses 6 and 7 are notabiEa,— ^Let me
stir myself up to lay hold of God, ¦ He hy His very com
plaint gives us the warrant to appropriate Him. as our
God.... The pleadings at the close of this chaptei- are
obviously those of Jews in, capti^vity, but typical of a
future Calamity 3nd erilargeriient awaiting the CSburch.
The prophecy anterior to bpth occasions serves botK
IsAiA,H LXV. 1-16. — ^This chapter, though it reaches on
ward' at length to the final restoration of the Jews, be
gins with the prophecy of -their rejection, as exemplified
iri the twofold overthrow of -theE nations-first, for the
offences of a grosser idolatry; and; secondly, for their treat
ment of the Messiah. . It is' in connexion with the latter
events that yerse -2 is .quoted- by Paul.... Verse 5 is
strongly descriptive - of the character of the Pharisees ;
though in the second destmption of Jerusalem we are
taught to see the acctimulated'vengeanpe laid- on the sins
both of that and former generations  The offensiveness
of sin to God is strongly-expressed in verse 4; and (Should
suggest by cpntrast the necessity pf our appeal to tbat
sacrifice which arose .to God as the incense of a sweet-
smefling savour. Yet a remnant of Israel wEl be saved ;
and marked wifl the difference be in God's regards to His
o-wn, and to the great bulk of the nations, who wifl be the

ISAIAH LXVI, DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. 339
outcasts of a general dispersion — afterwards, however, to
be recalled, when afl former troubles shall be forgotten,
and Goi shafl put theE sins at as great distance away
from them as the east is fi«m the west
17-25.s-It is, deUghtftd to mark how an expressiori so
general as that of "the new he^avens and the new earth,"
and therefore of the great and general renovation, should
be blended with the expression of God's special kindness
to His anci«DLt people-^proving that the Jews are to bear
a predomiaant part in the establishment of the next
Economy^ We are greatiy wanting in the detaEs of the
MiEennium '; and perhaps from the want of Scriptural data
for tlie fletermination of them. We cannot .think of those
who have part in the first resurrection, that they will
again die J but wEl none ofthe righteous die ? and if not,
wh^t is meant by ¦ " the - jchild dying a hundred years
old?" and in icontrast "with, him the siriner, who^. though
he should live a hundred years, wiE be accursed I We
doubt not 'tiiat there vrilLbe two contemporaneous socie
ties at that period — the righteous, .and "the wicked who
are "withont and "wEl not be permitted- to hurt or to de
stroy in all €bd's holy mountain.. Again wifl, there be a
change inthe laws of animal nattire^-4hat the carnivorous
ehaU cease bfflng so; or are these things orily. figurative?
ile eaith> mth its curse- fufly reriioved, wifl be greatly
more productive, and so as that men ehaU not labour in
vaia,, as now; but wEl there be also successive generations
through men^mariying and given, in marriage ? And does
what is here said of the serpent- mean the entke. subjuga
tion of Satan the.Prmce of evil ?
IsAUH Lxvi.'^ 1-9.— What an enhancement ofthe DivEio

310 DAILY SCRIPTURi; EEADINGS, isaiah lxvi.
condescension, the greatness of Him who, though high,
has respect -unto the lowly — My God, tha maker of afl
things, have respect unto me, who am also the work of
Thy harids ; and clothe me, with humEity, O God , , . . The
sacrifices of the haughty and- hypocritical avaEed them
not ; and they wEl be dealt -with a,s if guilty of the worst
crimes, or affronting God with forbidden offerings. They
shafl become the victims of their own delusions, and aE
their fears shall be realized  There ai;e often two parties
addressed in a prophecy, which alternates between them;
and hence blessings and tjurses in the same passage. And
so, in verse 5,'enGOui^agement is .given to them who trem
ble at God's -word, but a voice pf denunciation lifted up
against their enemies. Terror wEl be carried 'into the
heart both -of the city and temple ; .-while, . on the othter
hand, those elect whom God shaE a,venge speedily, wifl
experience a suddeji enlargement and deEvery at His
hands. ,He wEl not leave this great work unfinished;
but having .carried it so far, will accomplish' the increase
andprosperity of Ziom
10-24, — Jerasalem wiE then be the joy of the -whole
earth, a. dispenser of comfort to all who take pleasure iri
her stones.. , Ani while suck will be the 'manifestation of
His benignity towards the Church, there wifl be indigna
tion towards her enemies. Does not this point to the year
of the redeemed as synchronizing with the 6^y of .the
vengeance of the Lord ? — verigearice against those whose
ungodliness is here pourtrayed by the worst abominations
of the idolfiters of that period. It would seem as E there
was to be a great dispersion as. weE as slaughter- of the
vanquished, who should .carry back to the countries of the
confederate nations the report .of : their great overthrow

JEREMIAH I. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 341
in that battle, when the cause of God shafl be exalted
over all its enemies. And does it not further seem as
if the effect of the inteUigence should, be to turn the
hearts of men towards the Jews ..of their tespectiye coun
tries, whom thjey would help and hasten forward to their
ovra land ? Hera the oflSce-bearers are spoken of in the
tepus of their ancient institution y and E does stamp
a pecuEar and, most interesting character on these n.oble
prophecies, now at their cloSe> to find Israel carried for
ward even to theE final termination, and the fortunes of
this selected people blended with stich enduring generali
ties as "the new heavens and the new earth" The de
struction of enenues is represented by the expressions; of
our Saviour reigarding the place of final condeniriation.
JEREMIAH.
: Jeremiah t — Isaiah -has too much overshadowed Jere
miah, whose book of prophecy is a copious repertory of
precious things, where we find very many of the most
•weighty arid memorable of our Bible sayings. The chron
ology, of this work is precise — To "know," in verse 5, is
to select as a fit instrumerit for the service whieh God as
signed to Jeremiah, whosoon, on thaother hand, gives the
manifestation of a certain softness and timidity, by "which
he _was obviously characterizei — ^Save me, 0 God, from
the feaj of men, ani from all distrustful anxiety as to
what I should s^y to them .... Verse lO, where Jeremiah
is spoken to as having" been constituted the executpr of
what ha was only the denouncer, lets us into many similar
examples.. in prophecy...... The altriond-tree is remarkable
for the earliness of its blossoms Its very name denotes

342 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, jebemiah ii.
an eagerness to seize on the first opportunity of putting
forth its blossoms ; and hence its propriety as the symbol
of God's hastening to the performance of His word ....
Blayney says of the seething-pot,.that its face should have
been represented as from the. south, a better translation,
he says, than to the north— whence camathe threatefied
evE, and so southward pr in the same direction ¦with the
steam of. the bdllirig vessel.,.. To "set up athrone" de
notes tha full possession arid powOT which have beeri taken
over it. To be dismayed at others Is the high road to
our being confounded before them,^-Let me ever hold Up' a
resolute face on the side of what I kno^ to be right God
fore^wams Jeremiah of the hostility that he was to en
counter in the discharge of his commission, but at the
same time encourages him most amply to brave it. It is
remarkable of some of our riiost .distinguished prophets
that they were the most oppressed with diffidence— as
MoseS, for example, who remonstrated against his mission
even as Jerepiiah dii.
Jeremiah il 1-13.< — It is Enportant to remark of verse
2, that the kindness and love there spoken of are those of
God to Israel, for therp -was very, little on the part of
Israel towards Xxo.i Israel was a hallowed thing to Him,
His first-fruits from -among' mankind, and selected with
the view to a future blessing' on afl the famEies of the
earth. He then remonstrates "with them' on ' their un
worthy return for all His goodness  What a graphic
description is here given of the wilderness ! It wa^ their
transition thence into the land of Canaan, for ¦which they
should have been everlastingly grateful ; and the charge
against them Is that they forgot and trampled on all their

JEREMIAH n. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 343
obEgations. ' The great fountain-head of the natural
transgression was the corraption- of the priesthood. The
iniquity of official men is the prolific source pf all sorts of
degeneracy. There was a departure from God on the
part-of the ministers of religion, and such- a disregard to
the law Or to its documents and records, that they knew
not Goi The appeal is made to the habit of idolatrous
nations; who swerved not from their gods — although
Israel renounced the trae God- who hai so signalized
them by His. favour. . . . Chittim being Eurape, and-Kedar
being in Arabia, verse 10 is tantamourit to the affirma
tion, that from west tq east there was no such enormity
as that into which God's own, peqple had fallen. The
complaint against- them is very strongly put ; and verse
13 is one of Jeremiah's most illustrious notabEia.-r-My
God, how I am myself reproved by it. Keep me by the
fountain Of living waters" Give me the water of life
freely. Recafl me from the idle employment of seeking
enjoyment from the perishable creaturcj from thebroken
cisterris that hold no water. ^
14-24,-;— Israel was ndt Constituted a slave, but was
adopted by God, as a chEd of his own famEy, arid home-
born^:— and how then comes he to ba tha prey of enemies'?
He k invaded on afl sides and plundered— nay, his cities
burrit up so as to be left without an inhabitant. More
especiaEy did 'Egypt obtain a signal victory over them
when Josiah- was defeated and slain ; and afterwards did
Babylon eomplete the overthrow of theE nation. Well
might it be said of Egypt that it broke the cro'wn of their
head when Josiah feE in battle. But it was of their o-wn
bringing on : it was ilot phargeable upon God. Him
they had forsaken ; and as an evidence and example of

34f DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. jebemiah ii.
hewing out broken cisterns for themselves,' they repaired
io the rivers of Egypt and Babylon — ^preferring these to
'ihe living waters, or exchanging the worship of the true
God for that of the gods of the nations, and who in pun-
ishm,ent for-their idolatry, obtained the .power over them.
For wickedness read adversEy, arid then it makes a clearer'
sense, that "this would.TiriHg them to a sense of their back
sEdings.— Give me, O Lord, -to feel how avE and bitter, a
thing urigodliness is; and, put Thy fear .within me. O
save me from the headlong forCe of my own propensities .'
. . . By, another reading ef verse 20, we are told that it was
Israel which burst their own bands^ not God who had. re
leased them from their 'righteous obligations. And what
a, degeneracy ensued! as is strikingly expressed in verse
21— a notabile ; and so also is verse, 22, which speaks .to
us m-pst ppwerfully of the inveteracy of our native sinful
ness, that no superficial application can wash away, and
which withstands all the expedients and glosses pf human
art.-- Blayriey translates it-^a swift drpmedary taking to
ooinpany with her a wild ass, ani that' caimot be turned
from her gratification any more than Israel from the
idolatry on which they are bent But the animal, after
its season of appetency is over, returns and is easily
found, far more Readily indeed. than stubborn and- re-
belEous Israel.
' 25-37, — Israel is here warned against running herself
into capti-vity by her misconduct, to which she would be
takeri unshod, and in the agonies pf sore privation ; and
whereas she. aEeges that there is no remedy,; it is all
chargeable pn her own idolatrous affection. Therefore
alone it is, that their doom, is -inevitable, after which per
haps they wifl send forth a returning cry, even ' as the

JEREMIAH ill. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 341$
wEd dwjmedary comes back when her waywardness is oyer.
But the true God expostulates and commits them back to
the gods of their own choosing, numerous as their cities—
scwhoEy were they given over to idolatry. AE the dis
cipline they got was thrown away upori therii ;- and the
righteous who had been sent to them they themselves put
to death  "yerse. 31 I have long regarded as a riotabile.
— ^My God, be -ThoU neither a wEdemess nor land of dark
ness to nffi, but be Thou -pieopled'to my -view with ;all the
interest ^nd variety ani loveliness of.Thy works, wEbafl
that can delight or solemnize in thO ebntemplation of
highest goodness. Be Thou the home of my habitual 9,nd
fondest contemplations, 0 Lord. Neither let me feel that
I am my o-wn, arid far less my o-wn master ; but be- sub
ject to Thee in all things. " Be Thou untp me, 0 God^ as
ornaments and attEe to those who set their' hearts upon
these thirig; I would set- my heart upon God — I want to
know what delight ia God is,r My God, Thou knowest
what I pray against — the doom beirig pronounced upon me
which the urirepented sin of verse 34 is sure- to bring
down. Save me from the guEt of ha-ving offended' any of
Christ's Ettle ones ;^ and let me henceforth recafl eVery
wandering,, desEe, and Eye according to the strictest
methods of purity and self-goverriment., Above afl, let
the 'principle of this be in my heart, and let the holiness
be estabEshed there, without which I cannot see God.
Jeremiah in. 1-14; — God here gives proof of a conde
scension and wiflingness for reconcEiation -with unfaithful
Israel, which, shows that His ways are not like man's
ways. The ,abominations and guEt of the people are very
strongly depicted. Temporal judgments are represented
f2

346 DAILY SCElPtUETE EEA.DINGS. jeremiah hi.
— ' - ' — i  *  .^^— i 
as follOWirig on the back of their various enormities ,, .'^.
Verse 4,. and tjie first half of verse 5, seem Words put into
the mouth of Israel — as (f inquiring the change that had
come over the dealings of Him who formerly was theE
Guide a,nd Guardiari. The last half of verse 5 seems the
reply of God, 'Vindicating His own treatment .of a people
who had both said evE and done'it-^haid persevered. ¦with
theE iniqUitijPs in opposition to afl His warnings. God
then addresses Himself to .Jeremiah, and gives a more
particular narration of 1 1srael's misdoings - towards Him,
and of His doings towards tiiem. He- had persisted in
His eritre%ties for a reconciliation, but they refusei Nor
did Judah take the waming ef what she had seen regard
ing Israel, in that God rejected them because of their
impenitericy The idolatry of Jmdah sank down to the
image-worship of wood and stone. It would seem as if
Judah had outdone the provocations ¦of Israel, by super
adding the guEt of hypocrisy to that of rebeEion. There
fore does he direct his" words towards the north, where
Israel .had been taken captive, and entreats their retumr
ing — ^and holding out the proffers -of pardon, wotdd they
but confess and forsake their sins,-^Th'e end of verse 12
seems a reply to the' question of verse 5. — They scattered,
or had been- liberal of their ways to strangers — taking up
and complying ¦with the shameful idolatries of afl wEoiri
they fefl in with, , And yet ;• in the face of afl this, does
God persevere in beseeching their return to Him as' their
husband, afthough they had broken the iriarriage vow.
15-25. — Verse 15 is an eminent notabila ¦ The promise ¦
it contains is an exceedingly precious one. — fMy God; ful
fil it upon our own land." 'We pray for ari efficient, evan
gelical, and upright .ministry in the midst of us ; arid let

JEREMIAH IV. DAILY SGEIP-TUEE E'EADINGS 347
theirs withal be an intelEgfent Christianity. The accom
plishment, however, is stifl in reserve, arid is -spoken of
more in the way of prophecy, than of promise. It points
to a time when there shaE be- the throne instead of the
ark' — ^the metropolitan ^Qwer in -Jerasalem — arid when it
shall -be resorted to by the nations of a regenerated world.
Surely it cotdd not be said in the days of the second
temple, although the ark had then ceased, tha;t there was
any .such iiniversal resort to Judea ; or yet that Israel and
Judah had' become united, as we expect they shaE be.
But the question is^-how can this reconciliation and rein
statement take placet and the answer — by a repentance
arid retum on the part of my "people; No doubt their
departure was a very grievous one— hut they became sen
sible of this"; . and God*s encouragements and' invitations
met ia counterpiart ¦with their godly sorrow ; and^ so they
renounced theE dependence ori all but fh,e living and true
Goi TheE eyes are now opened to the rea;l cause of the
great national sufferings -which^ had been laid upon them.
They were ashamed, and confessed; and turned unto the
Lord. Doubtless aE this is yet to come. They have not
yet looked to Him whom they have pierced, and mourned
for Hirii as one mourneth.for a. first-bom;- But they wifl
at length ; ani when they shafl have returned urito God,
God wEl return tmto them.
Jeremiah iv. 1-9.— God urges His entreaties fpr the
return of Israel, and riiore now in the way of exhortation
for the present-than of prophecy for the future. At this
time they were • stifl in their own -land, prior to the cap
tivity by -Nebuchadnezzar ;, and the promise is, that if
they ¦wifl only retum, they shall not be removed. The

3-18 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS? jeremiah iv.
" return unto me" signifies a change from the false to the
true worship, instead of a change from one iEusion toan-
other. Had they but- hearkened to "the -voice of their
prophet, not only might they have continued to inherit
the land ; but the promised blessing in and- through them
to> afl the families of the earth, might have been realized
without those sad. destructions and dispersions which, they
actuafly uridelrwent,; .. .To- " break up the fallow ground"
might signify tp uprpot the evil habits" which grow like
weeds en the.spE of the heart, "now tp be eEcumcised- and
planted anew with the Lcrd's, planting.. But aE these ad-
monitions,-with their accompanying promises, were thro-wn
away on that ungrateful arid stiffnecked generation, and so
the fury of the Lord cariie upon them, becausa of the evE
of their doings. And accordingly Jeremiah was appointed
fco- make declaration of this, which he did in effect, by
telling them what they would- do in the event of theE
great cpming invasion-— that is, flee tO theE defenced
cities, and rally the people. towards the capital, and make
no delay, but flee behind their fortifications, because of a
great and. overwhelming inroad:, that was to set in upori
them from the north. The destroyer of nations" was upon
his way, and would desolate the lani They had done
nothing to tum off the fierpe anger of the Lord, and so it
turned against them. The hearts of afl their great men,
whether priests or nobles, failed them in this day of awful
calamity.-^G God, avert such a judgment from pur pwn
sinful natipn ; and as this year closes uppn us with appal
ling famine within, and rumours pf war frpm withput, do
Thou brighten, if E be Thy blessed will, the year that is
now coming in, by the. return of our, rulers to -the .purity
of our Scriptural faith; and the ways of thep§ople so

jEfeEMiAHir; DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 349
pleasing God that all Thy chastisenienta might be ¦with
drawn, and afl our enemies be-at peace with us.
Jdrmary, 1847.
10-19. — Jeremiah has liere the boldness to remonstrate
¦with God, ia that He promisei peace, which -wifl fee made
good ultimately 5 but not without, great previous sins and
chastisement's And therefore a scorching wind, not of sa
lubrious quality, but for the direct infliction of disease and
pain, wifl come tqwn them. The invader wifl make speedy
eritrance into theE borders if they repent, not, ajid. do not
cleanse themselves Tha day of grace and entreaty is still
lengthened out to them ; and tha expostulation of verse
14 is a notabEe. — -My God, save me from the vEe and
vain thoughts that lodge within my.he^rt . . . „ The " watch^
ers" of verse 16 are besiegers, who keep -sentry around
the beset places. This is God*s justification- in reply to
His prophet. AE this affliction of the people is- the frait
of their own way and their own doings : and such being
the real state of the matter, Jeremiah is obliged to ac
quiesce; and vents' forth those characteristic lamentatidns
which so abound throughout his writings
20-31. — And so he- dwefls in description on the calami-
ties which are coming Over the land. The ravages and
insignia; of war are forcibly depicted.. And afl this be
cause ofthe people's sottishness^-rtheir.dafect in godliness
being closely alEed ¦with the dpfect of inteflect ... .There
is a counterpart to verse 22 in Rom. xvl 19 — "¦wise unto
that wliich is good, and simple concerning evil" In de
scribing the chaotic state of the land when desolated,
some of the images are taken frOm the primitive ohaos in
the Book of Genesis — the earth being then without forna

350 DAILY SCEIPTURE EEADIN.QJS. jeremiah v.
 ¦¦  ;  , y  r
and void, and darkness" being- on the face of the deep.
There is the highly pOetical in the hills, nwvirig lightly,
and the birds of heaven disappearing, .Altogether it is a
feaiful andte'rrible representationof the Divine vengeance,
upon Israel — a vengeance from, which He would not draw
back, yet 'Wotdd not carry it en to a fuE andfinal destrac
tion;' TEe movlsmerits of those defeated and put. to fiight
are very graphically rendegredr-rgoing into thickets, climb--
ing up upon rocks.. The abandonment of the cities is
complete; ¦and then of how littie avail wEl afl their for
mer luxuries and allurements prove to them, after the
eriemies with whom they amalgamated in theE. idolatries
shafl have got ^them in their power ? ... To " rent their
faces" is translated by' Blayney to " distend- their- eyes"
—¦it being the practice theri to paint the eye-brows, so as
to give the appearance of larger eyes. Instead of -being
care^ed and sought after for her charms,. Zion is.reduced
to the attitude of a 'helpless supplicant, calling on Jier
murderers, with outstretched hands, to spare her.
Jeremiah v. l-9.-=-^T?here is here a forcible description
of the wickedness of Jerusalem, and of Es provocations
agairist the Lord. And He makes 'the same-chaEenge
regarding it that he did of Sodom.in His conversation with
Abraham, If -everi one righteous person could have beeri
found- in the city He would have'pardoned it There was
hypocrisy in swearing by the Lord— yet obeying Him not
And so Jeremiah acquiesces in the charge of Him whose
deEght is truth in the inward parts. -^They grew Harder,
and "worse under afl their coirections. At the same time
the prophet sought to afleviate the matter, by suggesting
the possibility of its being chiefly the -poor and ignorant

jiREMiAH V. DAILY- SCEIPTURE READINGS. 3,51
who had thus transgressed and erred, and that possibly
better things' might be found among the- upper classes.
But these too had gone as far astray, and therefore, there
was no let iri the way of God's vengeance. The liori; the
invader, should enter and lay them waste. The harlots'
houses are theE idolatrous -templps. The likeness of the
two sins which are here and everywhere else represented
as analogous, 'might well impress upon us the enormity in
heaven's sight of those evE indulgences, regaMing Which
many feel so lightly.
- 10-19. — ^l^e prophet^s told to proclaim a oOming de
struction irir the form of himself beirig the agent, and
bidden to destroy -with ~his^ o-wn hand. The battlements
of Jerusalem were not the Lord's, in the sense of Jerasalem
itself being whofly giveri over to idolatry. -Iri afl these
commissioris of vengeance, however, there is a-pro-viso in
serted that it shafl not.be the vengeance of a total eiAer^
mination. He wifl 'not make a fuE end-^partly becaiuse
He had more sufferings, in reserve for them, A remnant
shall be savei They who said — It is p.'ot He, denied the
true God and His prophets, or that they have received
tha word^ that thns arid thus it shquld be done unto them.
But this. word should have a-wful ''signifiearicy and'effect,
consuming the people like fuel by the breatb of God's
moutk" The prophet ha'ving said it, is equi-valent to its
being -done ; and so tliey ^re'told sometimes not to speak
the thingl^ predicted, Imt as if.themSelVes were the agents
to do -them'- ' -AU this was to take effect by an invasion
from the-ancient kmgdom of, Babylon, the death-bearing
quivers of wiose warriors should soon be brought tp bear
upOn theirland — whicfh wpuld sopn be wasted into famiriO,
and all because they haii forsakeu the God qf Israel, and

332 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah vi.
served the gods of other countriesj into which therefore
they should be carried by a sort of counterpa,rt retribu-
-tion. They had chosen to serve strange gods in their own
land — ^therefore should they be forced to- serve strangers
in a land that was not -theirs. -. ' -
20-31. — " The eyes which see not, and ears which- hear
not," form ati expression kept up till the iays of the New
Testament. 'What a sanction we have throughout Scrip
ture, for contemplating Gad in His works, or for Natural
Theology ; and for grounding our ch^/rges of ungodliness
„on the neglect, of its considerations. And there was an aw
ful perversion ef justice in these days — ^men entrai^ped and
sworn against and destioyed by means of false witnesses
and corrapt judges.. Such flagrant breaches ef social -in
tegrity cause the -cry of the oppressed to reach up to the
heavens, where it enters the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.-^
My God, we pray not for vengeance, but for the reforma
tion of those children, of iniquity who enrich themselves,
even in our day at the expense of truth and justice....
Verse 31 is an eminent notabile — and how -applicable to
these times, when a lax doctrine is promulgated, and care
less ungodly hearer's are quite satisfied therawith-r-loving
to have it so, and^not liking to 'be disturbed by the high
demands of a spiritual religion on their hearts and habits.
' JeeSmiah VI. l<-9'.-:-^There' is the waming here of a
great- coming invasion. There is another sense than
"liken"- for the Hebrew word in verse 2 — ^tp destrpy, pr
decree to destroy ; and this seems the most applicable
meaning, at this place. The shepherds and theE flocks
are understood to be the captains and theE troops of the
hostile army. Tbey are represented in verse 4 as called

JEREMIASVI. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS; 353
upon to the enterprise, and so resolved ujpon it that while
they lament the approach of evening, -they -wifl go to the
execution even though it should be -night. Their commis
sion against Jerusalem is" particularly described ; and the
reason for it given, because of its abounding oppression
and iniquity — ^being as prolific of wickedness as , a foun
tain is of water. And yet whEe the stroke has not faEen
upon them, there is the voice 0f admonition lifted in .their
hearirig by the prophet There are still space and oppor
tunity given for repentance. . . . Thp command in verse 9 is
addressed to the invaders, who are cafled upon thoroughly
to glean Israel, and rather than leave any, turn again and
take off afl that had been missed. (See^ch. Ei. 28-30.) >
10-20., — ^The prophet, complains of the insensibEity of
the people to aE his t^ireatenings, which causes him to
redouble them — ^moving his righteous indignation stEl
more, or rather stimulating him to fresh endeavours, that
he might impress and. terrify them out of the e-vE of .their
ways',. He may bp said to represent the -wiE and miridrof
God'; and in this view his being " fuE of the futy of the
Lord," and his '! weariness with holding in," are remarkable
expressions.^ — Then foEows a most iEustrious notabile in
verse 14^My God, save me from the ruinous tranqUiflity
of those who say, Peace, peace, when there is no peace.
Let me not heal my awn hurt- or the hurt, of others
slightly. 0 may I thiri.k with good effect of my abomi
nations :. .and grant, Almighty Father^ that I might ever
square my creed and my conduct by the rule -of Thine
own original word — ^the good old way 'in afl its primitive
simpEcity, and unvitiated. by modem changes or innova
tions. "What another famousnotabile is verse 16 ! — The
people^ however, remained obstinate, and perverse, under
VOL, IIL 2 Q

851 DAILY SCEIETUEfi EEADINGS, jeremiah vii.
all these urgencies. The evE that is to be brought upon
them is here stated to be the- fruit of their thoughts,
Gi-ve me to rule the inner man, to, rule tha heart with aE
diligence — seeing, that out of it are the issues of life.
God rejected afl. the outward offerings of a people so cor
rupt in principle and feeling as they were.,
21-^30v^-TheywiE, therefore, bp dealt With in the way
of punishment. ' Thpy -wifl fall in with eriemies before
whom old and young and whole -bands of companionship
shall be laid low. - This invasion from the "north is often
denounced upon; them, and -with variety of description
having in it great power. The. cavalry are here especially
spoken e£ The utter insecurity of a land thus overrun
With hostile forces is strikingly delineated  The tower
and the fortress are differently rendered by Blayney-
" I have appointed .thee to make assay among my people
as to the gold, thereof "^^-^a meaning that agrees well witli
the following cbntext The verse at this rate might be
addressed to Jeremiah, whose eamest remonstrances and
warnings if they told on a few, might detach theSe from
the g^eat mass of the community, who by standHig,theE
ground against the prophet made abundant demonstration
of their, own worthlessness-^so that Eis word, the savour
it might be of life unto the life of soirie, was the savour
of death unto the death of many.. To sustain the consist
ency of this interpretation the more, the " walking With
slanders" is understood to mean dealing in a fraudulent
currency; ^ And the upshot ef their trial is that they are
fpund to be reprobate silver.
- Jeremiah vii, 1-10.— Never 'was there greater earnestness
or importunity of waming than that wherewith Jeremiah

jeremiah vii. Daily SCEIfTUEE EEADINGS. 353,
pEed the chEdren oflsrael And he took the most con
spicuous arid frequented places, too, for the promulga
tion of his message from God — ^the gate of the temple.
His cafl Tipon them was for a moral reformation, and tha|
they should riot place a false confidence in their temple
or in its ritual services { — "Are thescy" as if pointing to
the buEdings of the temple, -within his view.-. . . The "lying
words" are those of felse prophets, who taught them to
place a felse reliance, upon these. It is a noble and: vir
tuous remonstrance against these' words and -their conse-
querit enormities which Jeremiah h^eElts Upin the ears
of his countrymen. They frequented the temple even in
the midst of theE idolatries,, and -with a sort of predesti-
narian orthodoxy, tried to blunt the criminality of their
doings  Verse 10 would do admirably as a text against
Antinomiaris and Fatalists.
11-21. — The frequpnters of the temple, who stole and
murdered and committed adultery, made it a den of rob
bers. But God bids them look at ShEoh, once pri-vjleged
as Jerrisalem now was, yet that prevented not the defeat
of Israel- in Samuel's time when the-^"A-rk was taken, nor
the "present desolation of- the plain and- country around
it, nor the captivity of the ten' tribes... .Of Jeremiah it
mi^t with special propriety be^ said, that " ha ^rose up
early and spake urito the people." Jerusalem, wEich an
swered him not, was therefore made to share in the cala^
mities of ShEoh. Judah shotdd fare as Israel had done
in being cast out and made captive. There is a point be
yond which prayer is vaia^a sin unto death ; after which
the cry of the transgressor himself and the intercessions
of others are aflke unavailing. It marks the consumma
tion of their fate -when Jeremiah ia forbidden to pray for

356 DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS. jeremiah vii.
Israel — The idolatry which is jliPre specified, with its-
preparations rand services, is yery-appaUing — ^an idolatry
riiost provoking to a holy God, bnt to themselves most
rainoius and "cpnfoundjng. And sp Gpd pours upon them
His maledictions of vengeance — afl of which were exe
cuted tp the full. . . .The meaning of verse 21 is, that they
might cease their offerings and saOTifices, and eat the
¦victims,- for that God had now giventhem up, and -wanted
no more oblations at their hands.
- 22-34. — Ha appeals to the state of matters in the wil
derness, or during the' period of Israel's transition from
Egypt to Canaan. There was then no .regular ritual
service ;. but there -was then, as at aE -times, the moral
Tegimen of obedience, paramount to afl other obedience.
They acquitted- themselves, .however, miserably lU under
this regimen.; and this perverse. rebeflious spirit of theE
race -w-as kept up after their settlement in the promised
land, and in opposition to afl the warnings of aE the
prophets.... -".Rising up early," a frequent expression
of Jeremiah^ frequently repeated by him, and afterwards
quoted by some one of the later prophets. It is re
markable that in the certain foreknowledge of their dis
obedience, yet God sends messengers to recall them'— tell
ing these messengers, too, the -ultimate failure of their
own errand, or at least that it was but the sayour of death
-unto death. And so he. Comes forth -with his predictive
deriunciations against them . . . . Tp " cut off the hair" was
an act of mourning.' Tophet -was the place where the
hprtid saerifices pf chEdreri were performed ; and its name
is suppPs'ed ' to be taken from the drums employed in
drowning their cries So far, from jcoming into the heart
of the Lprd to be thus served, it was to him an utter

jbremiah vui. daily SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. 357
abomiriation ; and hence foEowed a signal vengearice upon
the lani
Jeremiah viil l-H.-r-The- beginnirig Of this chapter
flows continuously from the end of the last. When Jeru
salem was taken, the sepulchres.of the' grandees would. b,e
ransacked for treasure ;- and .-their bones left in a state of
exposure. They wouldj though faflen, have , risen again—
God would, thpugh tumed away, have returned— rhad it
not been for the utter incorrigibleness of the people;
TheEs was a perpetual backsliding ; and how strongly
it expresses the bias to eyE — ^that "every man tUmed to
his course as a horse to the battle." - They were more
bEnd to the signs of the times than irrational creatures.
The law was vain, not through its- imperfection, but by
reason of ..the perversity of its subjects. (Rom. viii,' 3.) . . .
How , strikingly appEcable is verse 9 tp our ralers ! By
casting the word .of theiLord away from them, they have
cast aw^y all trae and solid wisdom ; and they are too
much cotmtenanced in their irreligious policy by ecclesi
astical inaiL-i-Then foEows a repetition of the iEustrious
notabEe in ch. vL. 14 — alE^e appEcable to poEtical and
moral ills. "WEat superficial remedies are now proposed
for our social disorders !
12-2,2. — Jeremiah, continues to viridicate the threaten
ing which ie poUrs forth on Israel — alleging their utter
siamelessness and moral insensibEity to the , grossest
wickedness — To "faE among them that fafl" is to fall
one afte? anotheK " "WEy do we, sit stEl," or remain in
unfortified places ; let us ^eek to the cities ; but even
there what can we do but wait in passiveness for what is
coining ?,.. The picture here given of an invasion, and

358 DAILY .SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeeehhah ix-
ruthless invaders, is amost vivid and appafling one. They
could not by any skill be turned from their purposes of
destraction. Poor Jeremiah, with afl the severity of his
denunciations, had a heart full of- pity for the miseries of
his peopla= The author of the Book of Lameritations
appears in- some of these verses* ¦ He speaks of the case
as now beyond remedy ; and versed, expressive of this,
is indeed a most striking notabEe, closely and practically
appEcable to the case of men who have Eved to knowledge
without God and without Christ in thp "world.' But what
a blessed countrapart to this is. the affirmative -reply to
the question in the last versa-^preeiotis to -the heart of
every eamest inquirer, when he turns him to the great
Physician, of souk, and gets the medieinci the balm of
GEead, applied to thahurt of his soul. — ^My God, let me
not incur the doom of those who stand beyond the reaich
of salvation; but give me now. to seek unto Him who is
the fountain of spiritual health . . . .Vprse 22— an iEustrious
notabile. Jeremiah ix. 1-11. — Here Jeremiah- appears imhis dis
tinctive chiaracter aS a man fail of patriotic sensibEity for
his degraded and doomed -countrymen. ' The whole poetry
of the Book of Lamentations breaksforth in the twofirst
verses of this chapter. There is a pathos in his aspira
tions after solitude and rest, away from his peoplp in a
lodging-place of the far-off^ wilderness.^ But stEl higher
than this is his moral indignancy at their vices.-^My God,
help mine o-wn infirmity, that I -may be valiant for the
truth upon the earth. ... It is a fefl description which he
gives, not of itheir ungodliness alone, biat of their utter
selfishness, arid disregard ,for each other. The service of

JEREMIAH IX, DAILY SCEIPTURE ,,READINGS. 359
t sin^s indeed a slavery ; and the constant need that there
is of propping up one iniquity by another makes it alto
gether a most toEsome poEcy, with no inward satisfaction
to sustain them under it  "An arrow shot-out^' is ren
dered by Blayney "^ the arrow of a murderef." Observe
what ali'atred God bears to afl deceitfidne^  In verse
10 read — " On the mountains wEl I bring up weeping.and
wailing." This makes all the three veyses, 9, JO, and
-11, to be a continuous and direct utterance from God
Himself 12-26. — Jeremiah put the .question, and answers it in
effect} that he himself is the person to whom the reason
of Israel's calaimties has been entrusted, and he declares
it accordingly. It was because they had jGorsaken God's
law and gone after othOT gods, of wEom they were" taught
by their, fathprs, who it seems ^deEvered to them the les
sons of an idolatrous education. And Jeremiah, . after
denouncing upon them the coming- desolations, stands
forth in the capacity of a mourner, and pours out afl the
eloquence of his patriotic, sorrows.... ."Thus, saitli the
Lord," in verse 22, is thought to be an iolerpolation ; and
theword-for "speak" might also be translated "destroyed,"
which .might be made to govem the "young men "in the
latter clause of the preceding verse. Then verse 22 begins
with " Even," &c  Verses 23 and 24 form ¦ a mqst pre
cious notabEe^orie ef the most Elustrious in Scripture. —
My'Go'd,-give me this knowledge, of Thyself, that -I may
confide in Thy iovingkindnessT— that I may hold in sacred
and- supreme respect Thy judgments and righteousness.
. . . This judgment was to go round -among ^he uncircum-
cised,.and cEcumcised who in heart were asTaad as their
neighbours.

360 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADIINK3S. jeremiah x.
Jeribmiah -X. 1-13. — But exhortations-'— implying that
there is stEl space for repentance, are ever and anon inter
mingled with these threats and prophecies of evE — A
fine rebuke to the astrolog.ers when toMnot to be dismayed
at the signs of heaven ; and the assertions besides of a
stability in tbeE constitution which survives afl the vain
terrors of ignorance. This description of idols reminds
one of the Eke by Isaiah, though short of his in Eonical
po'wer. But what a pure and -high theology is here given
forth, when the true God is contrasted -with the vanities
of the riations !^-To Thee, alone, 0 Gpd, appertain the
majesty and the power and government of the whole earth.
. . . The " King, of Nations " is nobly appEcable in the pre
sent day, when governments would cast off religion as
forming" any p^rt of their concern, and the civE would lord
it "oyer the ecclesiastical power .... How finely does the
prophet's representationof the trae Godaltematpwiththe
folEes and grossnesses Of Paganism ! — 0 that I bore about
¦with me a more habitual sense of God as the living God ;
and what a change were this, to -Supplant the naked and
effete, formula of a mere orthodox article ! Hjs are wisr
doiri and discretion, as wefl as power ; and what a fine
exampleef a power extending backward through the steps
of every natural process — ^the vapours, the rain, the vrind,
the lightnings.
14-25. — He keeps up the comparison between the true
God and idols. . He then reiterates his predictions of e-vil
The people should be so distressed that they wEl find.them-
selves slung put frpm their h'Omes Eitp capti-vity  Verses
19 and 20 form the lamentation of Jerusalem, and at the
same time its resignation, or rathpr its acquiescence, in
a helpless necessity. This pame upon them .because ,of

->•¦
jeremiah XI. DAILY .SOEIPT.DEE READINGS. 361
the ,degerie;i;acy and delinquency ,of their pastors, and is
se acknowledged by the Jews who, in the form of a per
son, speak onward to the end-Qf the chapter. And what
a precious notabUe in tliis speech is'verse .?^, , Well do I
gee that the way of man is ^ot in himself: I cannot dirpcfc
my o-wn steps. Order my goings in Thy p.aths, tEat my
fpptsteps sEp not ¦ 0 let me be eve?" asking cptinsel ef
"Gpi Let me beth pray, ^^.nd WB,tch as wefl as pray. And,
Heavenly Father, correct me riot beyond what I ,am able
to be^-T-not iri: anger, but for tbe purposes of a ^iritual
jbiusbandm^: — ^that I may bring fprth more fruit (John
ixv. 2.) " , , 1 ¦
Jeremiah xi. 1-1,0. — There is nOw an appeal made tb
the old covenant entered upon at the pommencemerit of
the Israelites' history as a nation, and a reference to
theifT preceding state when they laboured as slaves among
the ,Eon furnaces of Egypt  The prophet in verse 5
assents to the rightfulness ofthe curse pronounced on
those "who should disobey this covenant. '' Upon wEich
God .commissions him, as one qualified- in respect of his
views and principles, to declare the consequences of this
disob.edience— stating wihat God had done, and wJ^at^they
,had failed to do — God, or God's prophets, " rising early"
— an,e?:pression of very frequent occurrence in th,is Book
— signifies tjbat timely and preventive waming* "was given
to the people— T-^pape for repentance, as wpE as the most
earnest and affectionate urgencies that they should return
from the evil of their ways. — Save ma, 0 God, from the
imaginations .of an e-vdl heart ! . . . They had often trans
gressed, and been often punished, riotwithstariding which
they still conspired or ceajtbined to repe^'t the iniquities
VOL. IIL tt

362 DAILY SCEIPTURE READINGS. jeremiah xir.
of their- fathers over again ,•' leaving no altemative ' but
that the sanctions of the broken covenant must take
course and have fulfilment upon them.
11-23. — This is' a sad account of Judah's idolatry —
gods for every" city, and an altar to Baal in every street
of Jerasalem. Jeremiah is forbidden to pray for them,
as if they had .already sinned the sin unto death — that
sin of which the apostle John says — " I do not say that
he should pray for it.". ., .Verse 15 is much- cleared Up by
turning each clause into an interrogation, and the "many"
irito "vows," coming froin A word, ef like ' characters in
the Hebrew, and so rendered in the Septuagint. Then it
would all ran thus — " "What hath my beloved to do in my
house, while she practispth wickedness ? ShaE vows and
holycflesh (sacrifices) be allowed to come from thee ? ''When
thou art malignant, shalt thou then r'ejoice?"^^Blayriey ....
Verse 18 — " Then Thou sheWedst me their doingg." Jere-
iriiah is here addressing God. There was a very hostile
re-action against the prophet ; and the peeple say of him
— "Let us destroy the tree," &c,, tnaking him, the tree,
as if in ironical • reiteration of -his own threat against
them. , On ,this Jeremiah stppeals unto Go,d ; and we_ re
cognise, in verse 20, the sa^riie ascription to God that we
meet in Rev, ii. 23 . . . ," Anathoth" is" understood tb be
the birth-place of Jeremiah. (See ch, i. 1.) His,father was
one pf the priests there. And because cf their hpstility
to Jeremi_ah, they are threatened with a special -visitation
and special ve.ngeance. ¦
Jeeemiah xn.-^The prophet here coiriplains of the
prosperity of- the wicked and the hypocritical ; and his
prayer against them might, fromiis official character, be

jjebemiah xiii. EiAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 363
wpll regarded as a prediction rather than the expression
of a wish. They buEt themselves up in their wickedness
under the false security that God would have no after
reckoning with them; (verse 4.)... Verses 5 and 6 seem
addressed by God to Jeremiah. If so much provoked and
discouraged by the opposition of your own townsmen in
Anathoth, how much more "When the- dignitaries of Jeru
salem shall stand against thee? -But the transition here
gives also a Ekelihood tp this being a questien put tp the
people oflsrael, whom God says, in verse 7, He was now
to forsaka^-His heritage being to Him a raging enemy
wbom He must cast do-wn ; and this -He does, by calling
on the, neighbouring powers to inyade and desolate the
land. TheE carelessness, their not laying it to^ heart, en
hances afl the more God's displeasure against .tiiem. All
their efforts tp help themselves 'wEl be fruitless. But
again, from verse 14, we read of a very commonly de
scribed process^ in Scripture — the re-action in favour of
Israel, and against her enemies. The .house of Judah
shafl, at letogth be extricated from its enemies, and expcr
rienoe the returning compassion of the Most High ; whEe
those of them who wEl not pbey the cafl for their deli-
verance^ shaE be dealt with not in mercy but in judg
ment; and perhaps the nations among whom these rpbel-
lious Jews stEl abide,- may be involved in destruction
along with, them.
Jeremiah xiil 1-11. — Some conceive that this was a
real transaction on the part of Jeremiah ; but by the
greater number it is regarded as. a vision, which serveg
equafly well for a representation of the things which are
here. predicted. The nation of Israel was taken into closi?

364 DAILY SCRIPTUKE E;EADINGi3.- jeremiah xiii.
relationship with God, even as a girdle to its wearer, both
for service and ornament — to be the glory of theE Maker
by. do ing His will, and. shewing forth His praise. But
the girdle Was marred, and fit orily for being cast away;
and so God's rebellious people. Who hadbecome ari offence
to Hitri, and dishonoured His holy name, were to be east
out of'HiS protection, and dri-yen forth Of theE own lani
They had forsaken Him, and should therefore cease to
cleave unto Him as heretofore. . They mi^t h&ve been
un'te ,Him for a praise and a' glory, instead of which they
-caused the name of the Lord to be blasphemed among
the nations, and so werd driven from their place as God's
peculiar people. '
12-27. — T^is second parable conveys the lesson—" Quem
D^us vuU.pprdere prills 'dementat." And yet the threat
given forth by it does not prevent the utterances of an
other earriest entreaty from the<jod who wEleth.aE men
jto reperit." They did not hear, and Jeremiah, as he here
predicts of himself, diaracteristicafly gave himself up to
all the tenderness of patriotic grief That this prophecy
refers to the captivity of Jehoiachin is probable from the
comparison of -verse 18 with 2 Kihgs xx. 18." The -flock
that was given to Judah is the body of the nation, to be
slain or dispersed in the ^reat bulk of it (verse 21.)
They themselves had, hy casting off the favour and pro
tection ofthe true God, opened the way for their enemies
to come in and lord it over them , . , . Verse 22 contains in
it a reference to the indignities practised by conquerors
Upon their captives along the journey to their own larid.
. . , Verse 23— 'a most illustrious notabEe, among the
many others in which this Book abounds, and for -which
it does not get afl the- credit which belongs to it — ecEpsed

JEREMIAH XIV. DAILY SCRIPTUEE READINGS, 365
as it were "by the juxtaposition of the still more cele
brated prpphet Isaiah, — My Ged, turn me, and hall
bp t'Urnei Renpw , my heart- .Regenerate me by the
power of the Holy .Ghost.... "The portion of Thy mea
sures" is Thy measured portion — Verse 26 ^verts to
the exposure and disgrace that were inflieted as a punish
ment on the Ecentious ; and yet the importunities and
expostulations of the prophet are kept up to the eniof afl
these thteateninjgs
^Jeremiah xlV. 1-12.— Blayney considers the words re
specting tEe dearth or drought to be a prediction. Verse
15 warrants this idga. And he thinks that "concerning
the dearth" should be detached from verse 1 and attached
to " Judah moumeth." A striking description of fajmine ;
and 0 how fearfuUy realized in oUr own day! I would
pray, as Jerfemiah did for Israel, pn behalf of our own
land. Give us, 0 Lord, a deeper and more contrite sense
of^our ungodEness-T— of the sins of the cdtintry and our
own sins, ^e prophet expostulates wjth God, and asks
why it is that He should take as little interest in His 0"wn
chosen land as a wayfaring man does in the country he
travels through ? " Or why as a man astonied,", rendered
by Blayney "a man in deep sleep," in contradiction' to
What is elsewhere said of Him as the Keeper of Israel—
that He neither slumbers nor ,sle6ps, Xnd ypt, 0 Lord,
instead of a travefler through," Thou art a dweUer in the
midst of us. But God doth- not -accept the prayer. He
refuses to spare the people from the threatened vengea;nce
Hewilljiow -visit .them for sins become unpardonable;
nay. He .not pntly refuses the prophet's prayer, but ferbids
him to pray any ftirther in their behalf They had tinned

366 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. jebemiah *v.
unto death ; and afl their cries and oblations wEl avail
them no longer. :
13-22. — Jeremiah now complains of the false prophets,
who said-'— Peace, when there was no- peace ; upon which
God denounces the falsehood of these prophets, and
threatens them with the identical visitatiori which they
denied was coming on the land. And as the fate of these
lying prophets, so would be that ofthe people-^both should
fall into the ditch. God therefore enjoins upon Jeremiah
' — what indeed was his o-wn spontaneous and characteristic
tendency— to take up a lamentation for his country, and
act the part of a moumpr, because of the calamities that
were to befall it. It is interesting to meet iri -the Book of
his prophecy the same elegiac strains of exquisite tender
ness, and pathos .which form tha staple pf his Lamentatiens
¦'—giving us the same interrial evidence for beth, that we
have forthe Gpspel and Epistles pf John, from the ob
vious -mannerism by which, they are alike characterized.
And yet, as the irifiiction had not yet come, he continues
to pray for the averting of it " -
Jebemiah xv, 1-9.— But God rejected his prayer. — It is
interesting to notjO the testimony here given to two of the
most illustrious of the Hebrew nation — ^undoubted mag
nates in Scripture, history — Moses and .Samuel — "Let
them go forth," go forth of my temple — insult me no longer
with thei^ vain oblations  The " death" in verse 2, to be
contradistinguished from the sWord and the famine, must
be the pestilence ; and thus the harmony is kept up with
ch. xiv. 12. • ^hey who fall -by the sword shaE be after
wards devoured by dogs in the street, or the fowls of the
&ir, and beasts that run wEd if they fall in the country.

JEREMIAH XV. DAILY SCEIPTURE READINGS. 367
parts,,. Very remarkablethat the nation should be made
to suffer for the sEis pf Manasseh, who himself repented,
and was taken into , acceptance. Doubtless the nat jon
sinned along with the king, nor did they coflectively re
pent; and God' here charges them with their own sins.
It is a striking expression of -Himself, that " He is weary
with repenting." The long-suffering, , e-^en of God, wEl
come to its close. The season of grace and opporttmity
will in time be ended,— My God, let me no, longer abuse
Thy forbearance, or treasure up wrath against the day of
wrath. He brought Nebuchadnezzar against Jerasalem,
the metropoEs, the mother city of the land  "Seven"
means many, (1 Sam. ii. 5,) and the' mother in verse 9 seems
still to be Jerusalem. '
10-21. — Jeremiah here- interposes his owri personal feel
ing, arid complains of the dangers and hardships attendant
on his vocation as a prophet  Blayney has a different
rendering for verse-^11 — "They have reviled me, all of
them ; but as for you, Jeremiah, have I not stood by
you against the enemy ? Shall iron,- shall the force and
armour ofthe enemy break the iron ofthe North ?" — where
this metal was tempered into* steel ShaE the enemy pre
vail over thee, Jeremiah, whom I have made as an iron
pElar ? (cE i. 18.) But a sure destruction wEl come upon
the land, addressed iri verses 13 and 14; upon the utter
ances of which threat Jeremiah prays for the Divine pro
tection, and vengeance on his persecutors. I did eat Thy
words — ^I entertained them. I stood alone for God among
the people . . . . Tha being " filled with indignation " might
signify the being filled with grief for his countrymen,
because of God's indignation against thein. Yet there is
indignation tOo in the prophet's own heart, because of the

368 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS., jeremiah xvi.

treatment he received at their hands ....Those, waters
might be termed deceitful which cause exif>ect'ation by
their fulneSs, but are afterwards dried up,.. '.To "sepa
rate the precious from the -vile" is a- notable expression,
and might be appEed to afl true ministers of pure doc
trine. God promises defence and security to Jeremiah, if
he will keep afoof from the multitude, and not give in to
them. - F^ftary, 1847.
Jeeemiah XVt. l-9i. — Jeremiah does not just propfhesy
by pertbriried actiori; but by action in a sense, fo£God for
bids hini to haVe a family, ani that because of the.-ruin
arid desolation now threatened, and certainly to come on
all the famEies of tbe land- H* is even forbidden to mourn
for them — as if, because the objects of God's -wrath, they
mUst not- be the, objects of his syiripathy. The practice
of cutting themselves for the dead was heathenish, and
forbidden to the JeWs, (Lev. x;ix. 28,) yet as being cusj-
tomary notwithstanding, it is here specified among other
indications of grief for the dead, from which on this occa
sion they were altogether to abstairi, And^rieithar, in-
deed,iwas he to feast with th^m any more than to mourn
with them — as little to rejoice with them that rejoiced as
Weep with them that wept ; for the days wPre soon coni
ing -when all mirth was to be extinguished, and mean
while Jerpmiah was forbidden from giving any ccunte-
nance te these thoughtless and secure people.
10-21, — Observe here, too, that the sons are made
chargeable with the iniquities- of their fathers, (verse 11,)
though there was no want of personal deserving on their
parts, for they had done Worse than their fathers They
substituted gods of their o"wn .deyice, walking, after the

JEREMIAH XVII. DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. 369
 — — ^  «
imagination of their evil heart, and preferred these idols^,
to the fl-ving and true God. They should , therefore be^
cast abroad, over distant lands, where God would .show'
them no ftivour. .Yet a promise, and a glorious one too,
comes instantly in the train of thjs mepace. Thi^ pro
mise of a retum, gTeater and more iflustrioUfS than their
return from the larid of Egypt) might have beeri typified
hy their return from Babylon, but surely has not had its
adequate fulfilment in this. His eye was full on their
iniquity, and for this they Shqidd be amply reckoned
with ,. . . Do' not " the fishers" signify fishers of men, who
should prosecute an extensive missionary work among
the Jews 1 and wifl they not come to acknowledge their
rebeEion, and that of their fathers, when they shall look
on Him whom they have pierced, ^and then wiE they
come to know the name of the Lord ? The veil will ^be
taken from their hearts, arid, ori their national Conversion
the GentEes wifl come urito them, and do them honour.,
Jebemiah, XVIL 1-12, — Sin is written, and at length
indelibly, on the sinner's heart by long, and inveterate
use, tiE at -length it is also indelibly -written in the book
of condemnation The chEdren of Israel gave -way to
their rassociations of wickedness -with: their places of for
bidden indulgence, whenever they thought of tliem ....
Judah is termed God's mountain. Substance should be
connected with field-^thy substance in the field  Verse
5 is an eminent nptabile.-^My God, let me have no confi
dence in the creature — nor let me depart from Thee, as
ail my trast and afl .my dependence — else I shall dwell
in a dry land, and not share in any real good. My God,
be Thou afl my hope, and let me fare accordii^ly, so as
a2

aro DAILY SCRIPTURE READISGS. jiREMAB xvii.
to abound in all the fraits of rightepusness But what a
heart mine is; and heW strpngly but npt tpp strpngly re
presented in verse 9^ — a mest illustripus notabEe ! I have
not sounded' the depth of its deceitftilness and desperate
wickedness Thou, 0 God, kno-west it thoroughly; but
O anticipate the judgment of condemnation by search
ing and trying arid cleansing me from secret faUlts, and
so putting me pn the Way pf, life everlasting. (Psalms
xix. 12,; cxxxix. 23, 24.) — Tha ill-gptten wealth pf the
dishonest will ¦ not avail them. '" Let us not se^k tp
the deceitful cbjects Of this wprld for oUr stablp pros
perity, but seek unto Him" who endureth for ever, and
Whose throne is in the glorious and unchangeable serene
above us.-
13-27. — God is the hop'e of Israel, the hope of believers,
and called, in Romans xv, 13, the " God of hope," , , ,"" The
fountain of li-ving waters"' is an ^expression peculiar to
Jeremiah, who is fertile- both in terms and sayings of most
iniportant significancy. Tlie Lcrd was the ebject cf his
praise ; but he was held in great discredit and dfsrepute
by his cenntrymen. He ,pleads'the matter with Ged ; he
had' not hasted beyond the pace "of a mere follower; he
had not outrun God's message,- It was not any desire of
mine that these tidings of e-\ril should, take effect. Be not
Thou therefore a terror to me, as the.offended Jews ara
Be Thou my refuge from them;' and let them be" con
founded. He utters against them the maledictions Of a
prophet ; but still even they were not conclusively given
over. They are bidden to pbserve the Sabbath, er perhaps
were bidden" seme time befpre, and "with the encourage
ment of a promise, would they but obey. But they did
¦not, and the premise was made void by themselves, and

JEREMIAH XVIII. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 371
thus, they brpught pn their Pwn destructicn, _ What testi-
menies for the Sabtath, frpm bpth Isaiah and Jeremiah —
anid that hy prophets who spake of the comparative worth
lessness of rites !
Jeremiah xvin, 1-11.^ — Anether trial, anether effert as
it were, pn the. part of a long-suffering God, not wilEng
that Israel shotdd perish, but rather that it should turn
unto Him and repent My friend, Mr. Erskine, grounded
on this passage one of his arguments against uncondi
tional election, on the idea that Paul took his illustration
by the potter from the use which Jeremiah had made of
it before him. We have no doubt of this doctrine in its
most absolute form — ^yet not in a form that excludes con
ditions, but rather that enhances their importance and
necessity to the uttermost, being alike indispensable with
the. final upshot in which they terminate. Let us take
an example from the prophet,- of plying-our people with
afl- urgency and eamestness to the last, while We fufly
^gree with the Apostle in thinking that God overrales all,
and determines afl God, wifl repent, not of aught that
He has decreed, but of aught that JSa has pronounced ir-
thfe hearing of the wicked, if they but tum from their
wickedness.- 12-23. — TheE saying- that "there is no hope" is tanta
mount to a rejection of the prophet's advice — our following
of it is not to be hoped for, for we shall take our own way.
Israel did a horrible thing in thuff forsaking God. Shall a
man leave the natural supply of good water, and seek for
it from "afar by artificial methods of his own ? or wifl he
forsake the fountaui of living waters, the Ancient of days,
¦whom his fathers were taught to revere, and walk in

372 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xi».
the way that was not prescribed, or chalked out for them t
And fpr this-'monstrous perversity did God lay His threats
and maledictions upori them. Arid for this they re-acted
against His messenger Jeremiah : they plotted mischief
against Him ; they had recourse -to priests and prophets
and counseEors.of their owii, iri whom they had confidence.
By help of 'these, they prc^osed lo smite Mm -with the
tongue; to heap upon him their calumnies arid reproaches,.
But like Da-vid -v^hen beset by his enemies, he betook
himself to prayer. Let us hope that both his depreca
tions, and those of the Psaliriist,. were the predictions of
inspired men, rather thari the imprecations of a vengeful
spirit, OUr Saviour bids -as pray not against- but for
them who despitPfully use and persecute us,
( Jeremiah xix.— The mena'ees of itscomii^ destiructiori
thicken more and mere upon Jerusalem as- the prophecy
advances — ^and just as the provocation of n^lected warn
ings is all the more and more heightened  Tophet may
signify pleasure, in which case there -wiE be a sad ex
change of riamesfor it ; orj it may si^ify a drtun, peiv
haps a cymbal— iristriimerits often of glad and. happy cele
bration ; but said to Eave been used for dro-wning^the cries
of children sacrificed to Moloch. Then the name would be
changed from the .slaughter of children to that, of men.
The prophecy is in part by action— its fulfilment being
signified by the breaking of a bottle. There shotdd be as
great a slaughter in. Jerasalem as in Tophet, the -valley
without ; and it should also be a place defiled as Tophet
was. These fearful reproaches and denunciations are again
repeated within the city, in the place of greatest concourse,
the court of the templa By i^rdening theE necks, they

jEREiiiAB XXI. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 373:
had treasured up wrath agkinst the day of wrath — were
suddenly destroyed, and that without remedy.
Jeremiah xx.^^A narrative of Jeremiah's hardship,
and his complaint thereupon. " Mag'or-'missabi V signifies
" Terrorafl roUnd." After a very clear prediction of the
evils that were coming upon Judah, the prophet turns
him to God, and makes his plaint in a style that appears
to us irreverent and daring, Blayney to soften this im
putation on Jereridiah, for " deceive"- in vCTSe 7, substi
tutes "aflure," by which he undeMands — ^to persuade.
Arid then instead of "thou art strongei^". as if Jeremiah
had been forced against his wEl, he renders it— "Thou
didst encourage, me." -And then Wheri I speakj threaten
ing-violence and spoE against the people, the word which
I utter becomes a reproach and, derision in their mouths,
They urged one another to frame calumnies against him,
which they engaged to repeat. They '* watched for his
halting "-^a riotable and -now proverbial expression. He
was thus tempted to keep silericej yet could not refrain
from .the utterance of Ms irispirations ; and with all his
munnurings stifl retained his confiderice in God .. . , Verse
,12, the same -with ch. xL 20. He gratefully sings -into God
- — ^yet foflo-ws this Up with an elegiacal lamentation of his
Own suffering, not urimixed perhapa with the sorrows of
afflicted patriotism.
Jeremiah xxl^TMs ptophecy is regarded by Blayney
as not placed aright in the Book — many subsequent chap
ters -applying to a time pior to that to which this one
refers,, even to the last revolt of'Zedekiah, and which
ended in the capture of Jerasalem by Nebuchadnezzar ;

374 DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS, jeremiah xxii.
arid "he assigns the following as the right order as to this
capture: — Chapters xxi,, xxxiv,, xxxvii,, xxxE,, xxxiii,,
xxxviil, xxxix. And he regards the prophecy-in xxxviii
as distinct from the one before us, wbich was given in
reply to the information and inquiry of Zedekiah, telling
him of the commencement of these hostEities Nothing
Can be more clear ifcnd peremptory than the prophet's
forewarning of e-vtl-tp the monarch andthe monarchy.
But to the peojde there is an altemative presented, and
the terms of it, " the way of life and the way of -death;"
are notable, 'and might be used with effect and propriety
by a minister from the pulpit And, yet there seems to
have been hope for those of the king's house, who should
turn from the e-vE of their way. Blayney als.o, in. verse 13,
calls the valley the levelled hoEow of the rock, and un
derstands by it Mount Zion, -where the palaces Were built
of timber from Lebanon,
¦ Jeeemiah xxil 1-9, — -We now go back to prophecies
delivered in the reign of Jehoiakim, See liow the pro
phets shot a-head as it were ofthe ritualisms pf^the, Jewish
ecpupmy, arid urged heme with ever augmenting. clear
ness and eame?tness the lessen that mercy is better than
sacrifice; At the same time the sanctions even for theE
more spiritual law were still of a temporal character —
the rewd,rd for righteousness being the contiriuance. and
wealth of the Jewish monarchy and stated Thou art at
present wealthy as Gilead and high as Lebanon, but if
thou wEt not obey, invasion and overthrow and rainous
desolation will come upon thee. And the cause of the
destraction wiE be made quite palpable, ' insomuch that
every iriquiry regarding it wifl be met by the answpr— r

JEREMJAH xxii; DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. 375

that for their idolatries and their abandonment of the trae
God have they thus been brought low. It is thus that
even the rebellions and reverses of Israel tended to keep
up a sense of the true God among many neighbouring
nations. 10-19, — ^Shallum is understood to have been by a change
of name Jehoahaz — ^who was taken to Egypt arid died
there. (2 Kings xxiil 34.) And we are here bidden not
to weep for the dead, but for thpse in hopeless captivity.
The prpphet then tums tp his sUccesspr, whp it seems
kept buEding at a magnificent palace; but paid net the
wprkmari theE wages. "What a rebuke te thpse -of the pre
sent day who affect an estabEshment and a style either" be
yond theE power, or beyond their wiUingness to remune
rate those, whom they employ, or.from whOm they purchase !
He is reproached with the example of his father; and
one is glad to find such eamest and decisive testimonies
by the^ prophets on the side of those perpetual moralities
which should take the precedence of afl that is merely
ritual and positive. And Jehoiakim seems to havO ex
torted from his subjects, as ,wefl as to have kept back
their dues from his labourers and servants — making, it is
, to be presumed; tmrighteous le-vies, and amassing as
much for hoarding and from covetousness, as for the pur
poses of a lavish expenditure. And so he acted the part
of a bloody oppressor; and is here "threatened -with his
deserts,- in an ignominious and unlamented death.
20-30. — Lebanon may be-"herp the house of ¦ Solomon,
the house of Judah, the Jewish state, addressed in verse
23 as the iiihabitant of Lebanon; and^she is here told
that there is no escape for her, whether she gate the tops
of the mountains or to the frontiers of the land. Thy

376 DAILY SCEIPTURE EEADINGS,. jeremiah xxiii.
pastors, rather than pastures, and aE the fondest objects
of thy regard will be destroyed or forced into captivi
ty ; .and thou Who Wouldst not hear in prosperity -wilt
be made gracious, or humbled and softened, when the
agonies of thy sad -visitation come upon thee. Coniah is
Jeconiah or Jehoiachin ,. (See 2 Kings xxiv. 8-1 6 ; and
1 Chron. iii. 16.) The fulfilmefat pf verse 26 is recorded
in 2 Kings xxiv. 15. He was written childless, not be
cause he was without defeceridantS, (1 Chron. iiiM7i 18;
MatthpW il 12,) but because none of them ever succeeded
him in the independent monarchy of Jndea . , . , " A vessel
wherein there is no plea,surB" is a notable expression^
and fiigriificant , of what men are in relatiori to God— ¦
vessels of mercy jirito honour, or of Wrath, unto everlasting
contempt — 0 let me walk worthy of the Lord unto aE
WeE-pleasing,, The |)rpdiction against the posterity of
Jeconiah, is uSherPd in with a solemri invocation, Let-
the inhabitants of the earth make a study and consider
well the judgments of the Lord, -that they may learn
righteousness , ^
Jeremiah xxiil l-'S.— There is much iri Jeremiah
against unfaithful pastors, much whereon to found a "con-
cio ad, cleram," The Vengeance of God is especiaEy di
rected against them, and His compassion tO theE injured
arid misled flocks There is riot a richer gift to any people
than that of seridingthem pastors according to God's own
heart. Do this, 0 Lord, for our Church and our country.
But .what glorious and blessed Verses are the 5th and 6th
^--the latter a most Elustrious notabEe, In these we have
the promise from G-od of His unspeakable gift Christ
Jesus, termed bete "-JehovaKour Righteousness"''— a most

jeremiah xxiii, daily SCEIPTURE EEADINGS. 377
decisive argument for the Divinity of our Lori And
what- ^ noble .prophecy we have in the two following
verses — a prophecy not yet conclusively fulfilled, for the
retum from Babylon, though it may be a typical is quite
an inadequate fulfilment : and we therefore look forward
to a far mora general arid permanent restoration.
9 18.-^eremiah with aE the severity of his denuncia
tion on the objects of his wrath, cannot help mouiHing
for -them. EVen the proJ)hets, those more special and
enormous offenders -with whom he so frequently reckons,
share in his compassion, .when he bethinks him of their
unhapjpy fete. TheE might was not right. Their power
was directed to the purposes of .oppression and iniquity.
And he joins the priests with the prophets who commit
ted -wickedness even in God's. sacred house. A special
vengeance was in reserve for both. The idolatrous pro
phets of Samaria had long been in a State of palpable and
declared revolt from the trap God; but the prophets of
Jerusalem were their rivals in aE sorts of licentious and
unprincipled -wickedness.- Their example spread a most
pe^cious influence over the- land.' Arid what a descrip
tion for being- carried, home to those of the present day^
whp also speak -visions of theE p-wn heart, fanciful spiri-
tualizatipns of Scripture, the products of their p-wn vani
ty,- instead of beirig the obedierit disciples ani faithful
stewards and expounders of the Divine Word. And they
deceived the people into a treacherous complacency — '
saying, " Peace, peace, when there Was no peace." Thes8
prophets had no warrant from God, versa 18 : they stood-
not in his counsel: they heard not His word, 'nor took
theE commission from His mouth.
19-29.-^The prophet continues ' these denunciations.

378 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xxtii.
In the latter days ye shaE consider it- — ^ye shall clearly
recognise this prophecy in its fulfilment. Neither' the
Word of the Lord nor the anger of the Lord will return
unte Him voii There is a special force of iridignation
directed against those who assumed' to be prophets with
out a ^commission, and spoke falsely, — -Omay I Over stand
in Thy counsel, 0 Lord, I aim a, Goi at haridj saith the
Lord, and not afar off. There is nothing hidden from the
omniscient eye of Him -who fifl^ earth, and heaven- with
His presence. I see in particular the deceitfulness of
those who utter prophecies of their own devising. These
prophets withdraw the people as effectually from God as
Baal withdrew them from Him in the days of their fathers
Those are trae prophets who have dreams and rightly
propound them, and who receive my word and faithfully
deliver it But why give the same homage to false pro
phets as to .them ? "Why value chaff as you would wheat 1
The real "Word of God is weighty and powerful. — ^May I
experience its efficacy. May it burn -within ma May it
have the mastery over' ma May it subdue all my lofty
imaginations — and break do-wn whatever there opppseth
itself to God. May it more especially make my heart
contrite arid tender, and malleable to every right influ
ence. — Verse 29 is quite a notabila
30-40,— 'Those prophets may be said to steal the word
of God who keep back from the people that trae and
real word which is rightfully theks, and give them theE
o-wn counterfeit, in Es place. It is like giving them base
for sterling money— the sayings of then own tongues in
stead of God's sayings. It would look as if 'Hhe burden
of the Lord" had been a term of pbloquy attached to- His
prophecies— ^because^ they were so laden with the denun-

jeremiah xxiv. daily SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, afS
ciatiens pf evil New it cpmes, and withput any reproach
ful meaning,, to signify the subject of any ccmppsitipn. pr
discourse ; but then it seems tc' have been a stigma, and
is so resented in these verses Had they but done aright
by God's word, they would have found it no burden.
Their only burden has ccme uppn- them because they
have perverted the true words of God, and hearkened to
the words of false prophets. This is- the whole secret and
explanation of their burden, ani for scprnfully casting,
such a byword on God's message. His displeasure, is laid
upon them.
Jebemiah xxiv. — This prophecy would seem to hava
been deEvered posterior to the date of the succeeding one,
and therefore is not here in its right chronological place
— for it was uttered after the capti-vity of Jeconiah, and
probably at the commencement of Zedekiah's -reign. It
is prophecy through the medium of an'allegorical repre-r
sentation.- There are some memorahle and very saivoury
expressions in this chapter.r^Set Thine eyes upon me, 0
God, for good — for special good this day at the opening
of the West Port Church. And 0 give the people there a
heart to know Thee, May they tum unto Thee -with their
whole heart. May they be unto Thee Thy people, and be
Thou Urito them their Goi May they know that Thou art
Jehovah, and leamio glorify God as God  "What precious
phraseology for prayer is tp be f pund, and that with all
richness, in ¦Scripture, And, 0 dp Thou avert from our
land the judgments which are at Thy bidding, and where
with Thou art now visiting and- exercising so m^ny. of
our countrymen. Famine is busy with its ravages ; and
-pestEence inay foflpw in its train. Help us, 0 Goi

380 DAILY SCEIPTUEB EEADINGS. jeremiah xxv.

Jeeemiah xxv. 1-1.4.— The fourth year of Jehoiakim
is the three and twentieth year from the thirteenth of
Josiah, at which time Jeremiah- began his office as a pro
phet (ch. 12.) It Was the three and twentieth year of his
high vocation— so that living as he did tEl after the de
struction, of Jpi^salem, he must have held the office for a
long period ...," Rising-early"— giving timely notice, and
in the assiduous discharge of his commission from the
Lord who sentthe"~warning in good season; and gave them
long enough space and large enough pppoffeufiity for
repentance. The invasiori of Nebuchadnezzar, arid the,
utter ruin both of the Jewish and neighbouring riations,
are vefy clearly predicted ; but after this also the length
of the captivity," the seventy years of which Daniel makes
mention, and then the destruction that would come in tum-
ori their proud invaders .... The "sound of the millstones"
was -that which first met the ears of the people, the grind-
irif being their earliest morning work. The " lighting of
the candles" Was that which first ushered in the evening.
The cessation-of these marked a land ,that had been de
solated pf its families. For one natipn tp serve itself pf
fflriother is to exact and make use of the, service of that
Pther. The subduers became in turn the subdued .... It
is interesting to note how eariy the prophecies, of Jere
miah Were coriimitted to writing, A book had been al
ready formed of themj or was in process of forming.
15-26. — Jeremiah now represents himseE as commis
sioned to cany the cup of vengeance, the phials of God's
wrath, round among the nations ; and he recaEs himself
from Babylon against which he had just been prophesying,
and recommences with Jerusalem. It is .very Ekely from
the clause iri verse 18, " as at this day "-^that there was

jeremiah xxv. daily SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 581
a GMnpEation ofthe prophecies made after the destraction
of Jerusalem, and l^at the ^ompEer, Baruch it might be,
interposed this note of the prophecy having now reached
its fulfilment  Verse 20, "the mingled people" were
probably the foreign settlers in Egypt-;— such perhaps as
the mixed multitude of Exod. xE. 38, akin to those of
Judah in NeL xiii. 3 ; see Ezek. xxx. 5 . , . . An-:iBland,
according to Scripture, may be a country having the sea
on one side. The isles of verse 22 may be not the Archie-
-pelago only, but the coasts of continental Europe. Sheshr
ach is Babylon. (cLE. 41.) Babylon after being the in
strument of all the pre-vious destructions here recorded
was itseE to be iestroyed.
27-38.— -There was rio escape from these denounced
calamities which Were surely to overtake the nations-T=
" The Lord hath said it, and shafl He not do it ?" . . . It is a
notable expression in verse 31, the "xOritroversy that the
Lord hath with the nations" — a tenn which we cari
transfer to the question bet-ween God and the species at
large.- Give me no rest, 0 Lord, tiE this cpntrpversy be
made up by Him wlio mediates between God and man ....
The calamity was to be progressive — passing frpm nation
to nation along the track of the irivader's footsteps. The
sla.in .shafl cover afl the larid-^that is, from one end of
ewery subdued countiy- to the other of it  There is a
speciad address to the pastors -with- whom Jeremiah holds
such frequent reckoning throughout his prophecy ; and
also- with the principal of the flock, -with -the rulers and
chief meri of Judea  The " fell like a pleasant vessel "
denotes the fracture which wifl take, place, as when a
beauteous yet brittle vessel faEs upon the grouni The
Lord wiflispoE their paatuie— -the whole of 't}i3.t land

382 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xxvi.

whence they drew their tithfes arid offerings and revenues
— 0 God, withdraw the judgment wherewith Thou art
rioW desolating our land. <
Jeeemiah xxvl 1-15; — The prophecy which Jeremiah
is here directed to give in the court ofthe temple has for
its special object the destraction of that sacred place, with
the assurance that its sacredness would prove no exemp
tion for it ; but that, just as ShEoh — at pne time the abode
ofthe Ark, was now desolate — and probably by inVading
armies, so the same doom awaited Jerasalem. StiE -it
was a conditional prophecy and delivered for- the express
object of waming, and, it may-be, of -recalling the people
from their -wickedness. And here the wonted reference
is made to God rising up eariy — giving timely notice by
His messengers of what was coming. The people, how
ever, remained stout and resolute in their epposition — sp
that all which was dialled forth by this remonstrance was
a re-action of personal hostility -against thaprophet him-
self-^^a conspiracy in which the. people joined, both the
priests and the prophets oflsrael But there was stiE
another party whose consent had to be gained before he
should be put to death. Beside the ecclesiastical men,
who it seems had influenced the people against him, there
behoved to be an appeal to the civil ralers — the princes.
The -" odium ecclesiasticum" is often more raricorous and
intent than the " odium civile," as has been abundantly
proyed by many historical instances of the same.
16-24. — And accordingly these princes did interpose in
favour of Jeremiah, whose protestations of his Divine com
mission — delivered we doubt not with afl eamestness and
sincerity, seem to have impressed them. It is remarkable

jebemiah xxvii. daily fiCEIPTURB EEADINGS. 3S3
that whereas afl the people, in verse 8, sided with the
priests, they, in verse 16, are said to side with the princes,
and against the priests and prophets They had been
gained over, while the ecclesiastics seem resolved to
die hard, though now alone.... The allusion to Micah is
bibliographicafly in my estimation of the greatest value,
(See Micah iE. 12.) But there were other -prophets who
have left no writings behind them, as Hrijah," who did not
fare so well as Micah. And mark the different conse
quences : Hezekiah had a long and prosperous reign ;
Jehoiakim's was a most rainous one. One might wonder
that the transaction here recorded being under him, he
did not cut off Jeremiah also. This seems to be account
ed for in the last verse, by the friendly a,nd favourable
influence of a grandee — Ahikam the son of Shaphan.
Jeremiah xxvn, l-ll.-^By some Jeheiakim in verse 1
is ccrisidered a mistakorfpr Zedekiah. ,(See verses 3 and
12.) . . . The prpphecy tp which Jeremiah is dEected is cne
by symbpl What a fine example pf the manner in which
a pure theisrii was spread abrcad frpm Judea ameng the
cpUntries areund it — ^that is, by messages from a true pro
phet through the ambassadors of these cptmtries tp their
respective mcnarchs. The creative pcwer and supremacy
which are ascribed by natural thPclpgy tp the pne Gfod,
fonn the argument of his message to parties who stood
in need of the most elementary lessons on the subject.
They were ignorant of the first principles pf the trae
religipn. This' pre-intimatien wpuld npt be without it,s
efficacy whpn- it came to be fulfilled. Both their own
suTjjugation to Nebucjiadnezzar and his subjugation to
the- kings -^-ho should serve themselves of him, are here

384 'DAILY .SCBIPTJU^ BEADJNfif, je,bemi^» xxvii,
dearly foretold ; and thp manifest accomplishment -would
either convince or condemn those before wEose eyes it was
placei. It would seem that these neighbouriag ©pTjmtries
^' had also their enchanters and diviners, 'who proph^ied
felsely. . , . The punishment of famine com.es home to pur
o-wn land .at the present ,tima^-^My God, Egbten and
avert it. >
12-22. — After having made the round of the adja^en^
-kings, the message was given to Zedekiah also. - "The in
trepid old prophet here uses great plainness of speech in
, , the ears 'of his sovereigur-r-repeating to 'him the solemn
warnings which he had akeady given to the priests and
to the peo;^la He delivers his usual protestation .against
the &lsaprophets, who, probably in the iriterast and with
the countpaance of Zedpkiah, perguaded the people. to
hold out against the Babylonish invasion. The. certainty
ofthe feet that iiiey would disobey, does not .restrain, but
rather s.timulates afl tha more the urgencies of the pro-
phet^ia myStery this, which .attaches to all preaching, but
which wiE be afterwardis cleared up .... It is r^narkable,
thoi^gh b-y no means singular, .that J^emiah, should pro
pose as a test pf ccmparigpu between him and the false
prpphetSj a particular event that was to faE o»t, not before
the great and fatal ccnsummatipn, but was to fojsn a con-
^stituent of it. Our Savipur Himself proposes signs of this
kind ; and tEey are not without-their use, as demonstra
tions lof the hand of God- that might impress observers—
whetlier to thesjtrengthening of their faith E it had a pre
vious being withia them, or to convince those who tiU then
were incredulous The taking away of the vessels of the
temple may have ha-d the effect a/t that time which some
of our SjiviOur's predictions had on His disciples— when

JEREMIAH XXIX. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 385

He told these things before they came to pass, that when
they did come to pass th^ might beEeve. ' Murch, 1847.
Jeremiah xxvxil^ — ^We have here a direct collision be
tween Jeremiah -arid the false prophet Hananiah. Jere
miah does not flinch from his commission, and quotes the
old prophets, in that like them he predicted great national
calamities. If in opposition to these a prophet had fore
told of peace, and it so came to pass, theri should it have
been kno-wn that he and not they was the genuine mes
senger of Goi Notwithstanding this challenge, Hananiah
persisted in affirming, that within two years $Tebuchad-
nezzar's dominion over the nations should cease. JBut a
message from God reassured His o-wn true prophets — tefl-
ing Jeremiah that the yokes which -Hananiah had pro
nounced upon as if they were ta be broken easEy Eke
wood, God Himself would strengthen into yokes of iron.
The domiiuon of Nebuchadnezzar is confirmed ; and it is
added as before, that it should extend to the*^ beasts of the
field also. And the death also was denounced on Hana
niah, which came to pass.
Jeremiah -xxix. 1-10. — Jeremiah was directed to hold
converse net with the peeple pf Judea alene, but- with
these who had been carried away captive tp Babylpn in
the preceding reign. The letter he sent te them was
carried by the ambassador whom Zedekiah sent to Ne
buchadnezzar. His message to them harinonized' -with
all that he had been telling to the people of the land as
to the length of the captivity That is a fine direction
which he gives tp the peeple who had been carried away,
VOL. IIL K

386:

DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS.. jeremiah xxix.

even that they should seek the p€aee of tbe-eitycin ¦which
they dwelt, and.-pray to tbe Lwd for it ; -for that, theii;
peace was bound np with /its peace. Haw strongly does
this inculcate the duty of loyalty and subjection, -and afl
the public virtues of good citizsens and good subjects
What a distinct wamii% against false prophets! and what
a-^ precise, unambiguous declaration of God's purposes in
regard tp their conring futurity ! The period of their stay
in -Babylon was numericaHy stated and maUa known to ba
of such duration as might weE resolve them to live in it
as theE place of settlement. •
.. 11-20; — Ged unfolds. His designs pf mercy and restcra-
tioiL His thpughts were pf peace and npt of -evil, so as^
to make their latter end an .object of hope. — My "God, give
me to search for Thee with all my,hpart, that I may find
Thee. Mariy seek, but wifl not sueceei. Let me, there
fore, strive with all eamestness. Be Thou found of ,me,
0 God, even as Thou wert of Israelwheri Thou didst recall
them from captivity. ReeaE me, O God, from the capti
vity of sin arid death .... But many of these captives were
deluded into a false confidence in preterided prophets and
diviners among themselves : and those of that class would.
say that we shall listen t© them, and not to him who
sends us messages from a distance, , In opposition there
fore to these, he lets them imderstand that whereas they
had been deluded into the hope of a speedy retum to their
own countrymen in Judea, so far from this being aecom-
plished, these countrymen should themselves be dispersed,
ani carried into captivity, and become the contempt and
astonishment of many nations-7-and this because they had
riot hearkened to God's trae prophets, but had givenall theE
confidence to-impoators and deceivers- a good preparation,

JPREMIAH xxx. DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS, 387

in th© way of waming, for securing the attention of tha
captivesj "with whom he Was now corresponding, to the
subject-matter wherewith he had been charged. And so
he calls upon them to ^ive their attention, and hear the
words of the Lori
.21-32.^ — Ha names the prophets -who were deceiving
the captives in Babylon, and a terrible doom it is which
he pronounces on thein. We can imagine how they should
be taken up as poEtical offenders, and- have the crtiel in
fliction, of theE very terrible- death laid upon them. It
seems that beside being impostors they were men of very
immoral Eves And then he names another delinquent,
.who took upon him to -write to Jerasalem, and to remon
strate -with the people there, for letting Jeremiah, whom
he denounced- as a false prophet, alone. In the mutual
correspondence which took -place by letters between the
two cities, Shemaiah let thpse in Jerusalem know what
Jeremiah had written to Babylon. Zephaniah was seconi
priest when Jerusalem was taken, (ch. IE, 24,) and may have
succeeded to -Jehoiada, perhaps deposed from his office, so
as to intimate that Shemaiah might incur the same by
his negligence. In return for thiSj Jeremiah delivers a
prophetic malediction on the -writer — -even tbal ha himself
should be cut offj *^ if mxt childless at the time, that his
chEdren also should be eut, off, so as not to see the good
which God had in reserve for His people.
' Jeremiah xxx. 1-11. — Now comes a most remarkable
prophecy, riot adequately -fulfifled by- the restoration of
Judah from Babylon, ani pointing therefore to a future
and more general restoration, comprehensive both of Judak
and Israel — a prophecy therefore which it is wefl to have

388 DAILY SCEIPTUEE- EEADINGS. jeremiah xxx.

been recorded in a book, that We on whom the latter ends
of the world have come, may be taught' what the things
are to which wa should look forwari The dky -of trouble
that is associated with this great Consummation, seems tb
be the period when there shafl be a shaking among -the
nations, prefigured by the overthrow of Nebuchadnezzar's
image,, at the time when the tfen kingdoms shaE become
the kingdoms of our Lor^ and &-viour. Tha Jews will
somehow bjp implicated iri the universal cpmmotion, as if
to be assailed by thcpotentates of this world — ;an event
not obscurely intima,ted in other places of Scripture, But
they shafl be saved out of it; and the happiness of the mE-
lennium shall at length be ushered in, as if the fruit of a
laborious and sore travail Their return to the secure pos-
sessipn pf their pwn- land, and Under David their kirig, as
well as the full end ef all the natiens, ampng whom they
had been- scattered, are events that StiU lie in the womb
of futurity, ~ ' :
12^24, — The braise of Israel was' incurable »by man, but
all things are possible to God. Thay had been deEvered
up by Him to the power of their enemies, and from whom
none but Himself could rescue them. And He wEl at
lerigth interpose and vindicate before the -^hole earth.
His own Special relationship with the people whom Ha
had chosen." They should be healed of their wOunds, and
recaEed from the outcast places among which they had been
scattered. The goodly temple should be reared on its old
foundations, whicli was -typically fulfiEed in' the, first re
storation, and wifl be substantiallyfulfiEed in the second,
when the true religion' is set up in Jprasalem as the eccle
siastical capital of the" world. -Among- other blessirigs
which are promised, it is said that their nobles shaE be of

jeremiah xxxi. DAILY SCRIPTUEE READINGS. 389
themselves,- or ^hey shafl have nders from among their
own people. May not the governor be Jesus Christ> a
Jew according to the flesh, but who engaged His heart to
approach for the people whom He redeemed- as their
surety arid intercessor before God? It is- through Him
that we become God's people, , and that he becomes our
God. But this blessed consummation is not unaccom
panied with mighty calamities and commotions on the
earth.; and wefl, may we repeat, is all this "written in a
book, that we of the latter days might consider it
- f
Jeeemiah xxxl 1-11. — The prophecy of the last chapter
continues, and vrith a heightening evidence. It is the
time of the final restoration which I beEeve is here re
ferred to. The grace which Israel is to find in the wEder
ness, is that by which they are recaEed from the ;^laces of
their dispersion, and" conducted to their tdtimate settle
ment in theE own land. Israel may here be saying
througE the prophet, that the love of God to her in old
times was again to be manifested. Their prosperity after
theE restoration is. Elustrated by a variety of images, and
among others that they shOuld eat of the produce of their
o-wn' industry,' with perfect security and freedom, -,and
under no such restraint as was laid upon them by the
distinction between the common and -the clean. The re
turn in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, forms no ade
quate, counterpart to the foreteflirigs of this riiagnificent
chapter.. They shall yet come from a more wide-spread
and general capti-vity, and comer with weeping too — ^be
cause they wEl -then look unto Him whom they have
pierced, and weep in bittemeSs as for a first-born.
12.2(k— A'^umber of .very -precious notabiEa in thia

39(1 I>A1I,y SCBIITUOT; KEADINGS, jeremiah xxxi.
passaga-A-Make my soul, 0 -God, as a weE-"watered garden
,•0 when shall this general conflux to Jerasalem take place t
.1 like the conceptien pf menflpwing tpgether to the good
ness of Goi 0 satisfy me with' Thy goodness Give
,fmietion ani afl the richness of gospel wisdoln ani com
fort to the priests, that these may flow over from them to
the people. The saying by Jeremiah of the voice heard
in Ramah, is quotg^d in the Gpspels ; but such mourning
and persecution as are there spoken of, will be exchanged
in better times for the security and tha comfort of bright
and quiet dwelling-places. "Who can doubt that the chEd
ren oflsrael wiE come again to their own border?. .'. The
expression of a "buEock-unaecustomed to the yoke" is quite
a notabile ; and so is the" prayer in which I ferveritly join
— of "turn me and I shafl be tumei" Let me ttam, with
out waiting for a certain specific degree" of sensibility and
sorrow for siri — for these are the fruits pf repentance, and
net necessarily its first impulses-r^My- Gpd, take me into
the same endearing relation with Thyself as Then didst
Ephraim. 0 have mercy on me and sanctify me wholly.
21-30.— The " Way-marks," necessary for traveflers 
Blayney makes the woman of verse 22 ,t0 signify a weak
person or party, who shall prevaE over the stronger party.
I scarcely think that such an interpretation comports
with the new or. strange thing which God was to create
on ithe earth. It would seem as if the Israelites were
slow to return from Babylon, and many were so, and it is
this which calls forth the remonstrance that is here ad
dressed to them. Perhaps there may be the same reluct
ance and the same suasion brought to bear upon it in our
latter days,^ And what a delightful perspective is- here
opened up to us  Verse ^6 conveys the idea «f the

jSrKmiah xxxn. DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS, 391
prpphet having been in -vision. But -what is said to him
awake, is predictive of a more general restoration than
that, from Babylon, Israel and Judah have yet to be in-
eited to such a restoration. They will at length be esta
blished in peace and, jderity in their own lani And as
they had long suffered for the sins of thpir ancestors-^this
should henceforward cease, and every man suffer only for
his pwn sins
-31-40.— ^Surely the days are yet "to come when this
•covenant shaE be entered-lupom It is not yet that all
men know the Lord, from the least unto the greatest.
Hasten this universal showpr of grace, 0 Thou most High.
".^ .What a notable passage is this, and how mightEy to be
prayed over. Put Thy law, 0 God, into my inward parts
^^-write it in my heart ; and may I at once be one of Thy
"regenerated and reconciled chEdren. And what an assur
ance we liere have,' for" the restoration and perpetuity of
Israel as a nation. Hare we have one of those ^ne in
stances, in which tiie constancy of nature is appealed to,
as a guaraffl.tea for -the faithfulness of God's word. The
nation of Israel, and as a nation, will last as long as the
present economy. And it is as impossible for God tp cast
them, pff, as for man to explore afl the amplitudes and
profundities of the universe." These noble declarations
in regard to the arititypical are followed -by a prophecy
respecting the typical, and which had its lit^al fulfilment.
— An iflustrious chapter.
Jeeemiah xxxil 1-15.— This prophecy is among the
later ones of Jeremiah, and delivered far enward in the
reign of Zedekiah, at the time when Nebuchadnezzar laid
siege tp Jerusalem. Jeremiah suffered imprisonment at

392 DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS, jeremiah xxxii.
the hands of Zedekiah, because of his faithfulness as a
messenger from God. "What Jpremia,h says in the sixth
verse and forward,' is not iri answer to Zedekiah's question,
but a narrative by Jeremiah of a forewarning he had re
ceived from God, as to the visit that was to be paid to him
by Hanameel; and theri of the actual visit The transaction
here described was itself intended as a prophecy. It took
place in . prison — ^that is the purchase of the land before
witnesses in the Court of the prison. , The smafl price
might _wefl be accounted for, even though there was a
good extent of land, by the distance pf the possession — it -
being now in possession of the besiegers, and not to be
eritered on tiE seventy years, the period of the captivity. If
the deed of purchase was put up in a roll — ^then before
it was fully rolled up, it may have been sealed, so, as to
leave the upper part shut up tEl litigation or some other
cause might render it necessary to examine its contents
The lower part may have been left open.
16-25. — In this prayer of Jeremiah is finely blended
the natural with what may be Cafled the national religion;
or in other "words, where God is described in His attri
butes, and with relation to His works ; and also with re
lation to His own peculiar people ; and where He isi spoken
of both in reference to the things which He has made, and
to that special family whom He peculiarly govemei The
infinite power, the benevolence, the judicial equity, the
greatness, the "wdsdom, the omniscience of God, are all made
mention of before that we are told of Him as the God of
Israel, and of His.miraculous as well as merciful dealings
with this selected .portion of marikind— though these were
npt restricted to the Hebrews alone, but His manifesta
tions were also amongst other men. But notwithstanding

jeremiah xxxii. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 393
His great goodness to the children of Israel, they had not
obeyed Him — of which confession is made in this prayer,
and' also recognition of tl^e evE that had come upon them
as due to this cause. The force of arms, along with the
famine and pestEence, made them an easy prey to the
Chaldeans. This prayer was Utte^red at the'time of their
close investment — for he could speak of the mounts which
had come unto the city tp take it.
26-35. — In reply to this prayer God lays claim tc pmni-
potence-T-" Is there anytl^ing-too hard for me ?" . . . Nebu
chadrezzar, so often cafled in this Book, from the simila
rity, I should think, of thp Hebrew letters r and n, is
properly Nebuchadnpzzar  There is here a very explicit .
indication of God's judgment in the destraction pf Jeru
salem. The "rising up early," which Gcd ascribes tp
the. prephets. He also ascribes to Himself: it may sig
nify His sending them prophets in good time — His giving
them timeous warning of the evil and danger of their
dpings- — just as the master of a house rises early, and
assigns theE respective employments to the various officers
of his household. It is a frequent and characteristic ex
pression with Jeremiah, and gives edge to the remon
strances which he lifted up in the hearing pf the peeple.
The "WPrship pf Baal is sppken pf as their chief abomi
nation — a great step in advance'lieyond the sin of Jero
boam ivherewith he caused Israel to sin. And yet after
afl, in the prospect of a restoration, Jeremiah, was told to
buy a field for money, and to take witnesses.
36-44. — Yet in judgment does, the Lord remember
mercy. He looks beyorii the temporary evil wEich He
is to- inflict, to the stable and everlasting good which is
in reserve tor His people. Their light ani temporaiy
K 2

394 DAILY -SORIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xxxnr.

affliction wEl work out for them "a far more exceedlng^
and eternal weight o"f gloiy," Yet who can doubt that the
first restoration, as pre-signi'fied by Jeremiah's purchase
of land^ was butfa typical one? The great blessings here
foretold are, in their full and adequate accomplishment,
yet to come. And what precious notabiEa we have in the
setting of them forth. — My God, put Thy feaj- in„riiy heart,
that I may not depart from Thee ; and rejoice ever me to
dp pie gboi Give me a part and an interest in Thine
everlasting covenant, so that^wlien the Son of man cpmeth,
I may be cpunted worthy to stand before Him.,, .The
whele of Israel are promised to have one heart, and one
Way, netwithstanding their leng separation into two great
branches, and the strong antipathy of these against each
•other. , But this heart needs to be given, and has certainly
not yet been given, te the effect of their fearirig'God.for
everj ^nd of Gpd never turning away frpm them ; ner to
the effect of the Jews never departing, frpm Gpd — fpr
theiy have iriade a grievous and general departure, from
which they are yet tp be recaEed, I pray fer that one
heart and spirit which wEl lead me to- have feEowship
•witli all the brethren,
Jeeemiah xxxiil l-ll, — The "maker" of it in verse 2,
if translated the doer pf it, makes the thing dene mere
intelligible. God is the fulfifler of^the prophecy here
given — ^He who framed' it, and will bring it tp'pass. It
is an ulterier prpphecy cf far distant acccmplishme'nt — the
prpphecy pf a great and enduring gppd to Israel, aft,er the
present calamities have passed away, when the kings of
Judah were obstinately holding out and fighting against
the Chaldeans, and bringing- deatii and destraction upon

JEHMIAH xxxffi. DAILY eCElPTUEfi EEAT)INGS, "3^5
their own subjects in ccnsequence. What exceeding great
and precious pronuses are these ; but on the Jewish na
tion tjiey are obviously not yet realized. Reveal to me, 0
God, the abundance of peace and trath. — -What a blessed
union of two elements. Which bUt for Christ our peace-
offering, would have been irreconcileably and for ever at
war ! " Acquaint thyself with Thy Maker, and' be at
peace." Verse 6— a notabile. — Cleanse me and pardon me,
0 Goi Do Thou, the yery God of peace, sanctify me
whofly." They are the nations who will tremble when God
causes to return the captivity ofthe land  Mark the close
accordance between verse 11 and Ezra iii. 11. There can
be no doubt of a close accordancy between the prephet
and the historian here — ^yet whEe we admit that Jeremiah
had the "literal fulfilment now past in his eye, this does
not preclude the antitypical, the real and only aiequate
fulfilment, which is yet to come. -
. 12-26. — For who- can say that the great things spoken
of in this passage have, yet obtained their verification ?
Does David yet execute, righteousness and judgment in
the land? or has his house been there established in un-
(diangeable or everlasting dynasty ? or can Jerus'alem yet,
or ever since the first capti"vity, be rightly denominated —
" The Lord our Righteousness ?" — "What a precious notabEe
is verse 16 . . . . Though in verse 18 the images are taken
from the ritual of Moses, yet may they signify the due
observance of a more spiritual worship. And an appeal
is ag'ain made to the coristancy of nature, not more in
frangible than are the promises- of God. "What a blessed
counteractive to the usual phEosophicail habit, did -we make
the irivariableness of those sequences which obtain in the
world-of experience to aliment and sustain our faith in

396 DAILY SCEIP'TUBE EEADINGS. jeremiah xxxit.
the sureness of every declaration which occurs, in the
Word of the Eving God, It, seems the more obvious sense
ef verse 24 that the twp families pf Israel arid Judah are
here sppken pf Blayney thinks, frpm verse 26, tbat they
are the two families of Jacob and David — -though some
understand it of the royal and sacerdotal families. — Let me
cherish the assured hope Of great things , yet to be done
for these famEies — as assured as my confidence in the. suc
cessions Pf day and night, or the regularity of those move
ments which take place in the firmament pf-heaven,
^Jeeemiah xxxiv. 1-11. — It is supppsed that the 'pro-
'. phecy cf verses 2-5 were delivered at the time that Nebu
chadnezzar's army was engaged with the sieges of Jeru
salem and the other cities of Judea, previous to the
diversion which took place at the approach of the army
froiri Egypt, when Nebuchadnezzar had to qnit Jerasalem
for a seasori. He tells Zedekiah what the final issue of
the invasion should be^his own peaceful end, but as a
captive in Babylon, whose king his p-wn eyes shpuld be
held ; but it is not said here that by the order of Nebu
chadnezzar his eyes were to be taken out — a most barba
rous infliction, and still practised in the East. At this
time there -was a reformation agreed to, and actually en
tered upon, that afl should grant liberty to their Hebrew
servants whom they hadlield as slaves—from which, how
ever, they turned back, it is supposed in consequence of
the respite they' obtained by the tempprary retreat pf the
invaders when their alarm had subsided.
12-22. — But Gpd, whp is the friend pf the pppressed,
interppsed with anpther message tp Jeremiah, expressive
of the sense that He had pf thia unfaithfulness to the

JEREMIAH XXXV, DAILY SCEIPTUEE READINGS, 397
covenant on which they had entered. And the vengeance
Ho denounces upon them is — that as they had made free
with their .brethren in again laying upon them the yoke
of slavery, so He would give a commission to the minis
ters of His -wrath — to the sword, and the pestEence, and
the famine, that they should make free with these treach
erous and tyrannical men, and wreak in full measure their
severities upon them .... To " pass between the parts pf a
divided calf" was pne methed pf ratifying a cPVenant, and
signified a sert of. imprecation upon themselves, to be cut
in two in like manner, should they violate the agreement
which they had made. God would rio longer bear with
men who had been guilty both of perfidy and of cruel
pppressipn. TheE dead bedies sheuld be dissevered into
moreels for the beasts and the fowls — and this upon the
retum of those armies whose temporary retreat had em
boldened them to so gross a delinquency.
Jeeemiah xxxv; — The Rechabites were .a famEy of the
Kenites, (1 Chrpn. ii. 55,), who were the descendants pf
Jethrp pr Hpbab, (Num. x. 29 ; see Judges i. 16.) They
formed a Temperance Seciety, and such spcieties at pre
sent take theE name. But they were members by de
scent, nOt by their cwn individual chcice — the cbservances
being laid upcn them by a distant ancestcr— Jpnadab,
said tp be the sen of Rechab. This is the' Jpnadab of
whom it is written in 2 Kings x. 15-28, that Jehu took
him up into Eis chariot, and carried him along to the
slaughter of the priests of Baal . They had no settled
habitation" in hpuses, but dwelt in tents, leading a noma
dic life. They were forced, however, to take refuge in
Jerasalem at the time ofthe Babylonish invasion ; and it

398 D^AILYSCBIPTTJEE READING'S: jeremiaB xxxvi.
was then that Jeremiah ma,de the experiment, the issue
of which was so iriuch to their honour. The contrast
between their fidelity to the injunctions of their earthly
father, with the disobediencaof the Jews to their heavenly
Father, carried in it a lesson of rebuke which. Jeremiah
urges in this ohapt^ upon l^is countrymen. The promise
made to the Rechabites may signify not only that the
family of Jonadab should never be extinct; but that in evejy
generation there should be among them some worshippers
of the true God, — Let me record my sense of the value of
temperance, and my friendliness to temperance societies,
Jeeemiah xxxvl 1-10, — This book as being, a record
of all the prophecies which Jeremiah had uttered since
the days of Josiah, ""may have been the embryo or first
draft of the book now before us, and forming an integral
part pf our Scriptures. It is Very interesting to note tha
origin and first formatipu pf our canonical Scriptures, and
the transitions made from spoken to -written revelations.
It would seem as if this commission "were given to Baruch
when' Jeremiah was in confinement. It was certainly a
very impressive method of dealing with the people— giving
them another chance, if we may so speak, of repenting
and being forgiven, while the " may be" of verse 7 shows
that the eVent Was spoken of as an uncert-ainty -by the
prpphet — though it could be no Uncertainty to Him
whp knoweth all things from the beginning. Yet even
He multiplies His warnings, to reclaim or condemn the
more those whom He~addresses.
11-20. — Jeremiah seems not to have compiled the book
that Baruch "wrote, from pre"vious writings, but to have
dictated the words anew, which Baruch received at his

JEREMIAH XXXVI, DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. 399
mouth, and wrpte down after him. This, we should believe,
was done not by natural memory alpne, but with the aid of
that Spirit who brings all-things to -remembrance — or by
inspiration' in one of its particular forms (See John xiv.
-26.) Blayney looks upon the " ink" of verse 18 aS^ a mis
translation, and that it should bp rendered "after him,"
-implying the exact conformity between Baruch's writing
and Jeremiah's words. The reading told upon the fears
and consciences' of the nobles, and they were thrown into
consternation by it. They were friendly, it would appear,
to the prophet — ^btit afraid -of the king; and, anxious for
the life both 'of Jeremiah and his amanuensis; bade them
•go hide themselves. The word did not return vOid, >and
we have many- instances both in Scriptural and succeed
ing histoiy of grandees and officers of the royal household
-havirig given in to the trath, when the pride and policy
of theE Superiors were all against them.
21-32.-— But there were other grandees, and more espe
ciaEy the king himself, who had no such scraples, and
more of hardihood. Jehudi does riot seem to haye read
the whole of this roll,- but only three or four leaves, or
rather sections of it ; and wheri he did burn it, it must
have been by an order from the king, whose doing, as in
Verses 24-29, it properly was. It was traly a daring act,
and called forth the intercessions of so mariy of his officers
to prevent it ; but it was followed by a commensurate
penalty-— for whEe God protected His own servants, hid
ing tliem from the king who sought to destroy them. He
sent forth on the king himself a fresh denunciation — not
only reiterating what had often been told of the entire
overthrow of the state by the king of Babylon, but pei-
sonafly signalizisg Jehoiakim himself as the object of

, 400 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xxxvii.
His special vengeance. His sori Jehoiachin was dethroned
when a child ; and Zedekiah, though cafled his brother,
was but his uncle, and therefore not the son of Jehoiakim
— so that speedily he had no descendants to sit upon his
throne. Besides this his body was exposed to indignities,
in contradistinction to Zedekiah, who was buried with
royal honours. The roE that had been burnt "was not
only replaced, but expanded by Jeremiah, probalaly not
very much unlike the present book, and there are few
pieces in Scripture which afford such an insight into" their
literary origin.
¦ Jeeemiah xx^xvil 1-10. — Coniah is the same with Je
hoiachin. Zedekiah with all his wickedness had a respect
for the prophet — a phenomenon not at all unusual, and a
certain sense of his authority and trath as a- minister of
God. His reply to Zedekiah's message was fitted to dis
sipate |he false security into which he may have been led
by the retreat of the Babylonish army for a time.fi'pm
Jerasalem, / It is an earnest, warning to the Jewish
monarch against the deceitful expectation of his safety — •
for that Nebuchadnezzar would again return — nothing
baffled by the army from Egypt whom he wpuld soon be
rid of, and come back upon Jerusalem, and bum it -with
fire. So fixed was this purpose and predetermination
on the part of God, that no human contingency would
overthrow it — for even though the Chaldeans should be
defeated with great slaughter, would they again rise in
strength given them from on high to execute His.pleasure,
11-21, — ^When.the Chaldeans retreated for a time Jere
miah made the attempt to escape from Jerusalem; — not
foreseeing, though a prophet, what the consequences would '

jeremiah xxxviii. ETAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 401
be. Prophets had only special revelations for special ob-
j.ects ; and though God had His designs in the imprison
ment of Jeremiah, yet was the fact of his imprisonment
not made known to him beforehand. The princes had
probably suspected' his design to faU off to the Chaldpans,
aware that he always prophesied in their favour. It was
not tEl after many days, probably after the retum ofthe
Cbaldeans from theE engagement -with the Egyptians,
that Zedekiah sent for- him, when lie deEvered his com
mission -without fear,-^nd. remonstrated on the treatment
that he had gotten from .his nobles. And from the ques
tion of verse 19, it would appear that the Chaldeans were
again upon them. The dungeon must have been in the
house of Jonathan the scribe— perhaps its sunk story—
whereas the court of the prison was in the king's housa
(cL xxxii 2.7 Zedekiah's disposition to befriend Jeremiah
is manEest on this and other occasions.
Jeremlah xxxvin. 1-13. — ^We can easily enter into the
feelings and apprehensions of those who feared lest this
prophecy of Jerenuah should lead to a general desertion
of Jerasalem, by its inhabEants and defenders In their
state of infatuation and iscredulity such a dread of the
consequences was quite natural And Zedekiah, notwith
standing his O'wn personal disposition in favour of Jere
miah, felt himself to be a limited monarch, and was obliged
to yieli The dungeon in wEich ha was noW placed differed
from that of ch. xxx-vii 20 ; but both probably resembled
each other in this respect : — The houses of the great, as '
of Jonathan, and Malchiab, 'were quadrangles surrounding
an open space, in which dungeons might' have been sunk
in the form of wells with side-chambers at the bottom, for

*02 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADiNGS, jeremiah xxsviii.
the separate prisoners, Herice the niire, if left -epen at
top for light and air. But God, raised up friends for
Jeremiah even in this his great extremity. There were
human hearts which felt for him ; and one rejoices in the
sympathy pf this stranger, this Ethippian, Ebed-melech.
And he stirred np the same feeling in the bespm pf the
monarch, who could n.o. longer resist the compassionate
impulse, tEoUgh he braved the displeasure of his princes
-by givingway to it He was accordingly brpught put of
the dungeon, and replaced where he was formerly, in the
eourt ofthe prison-, where he would have some sort of out
house covering for his accommodation.
14-28. — Zedekiah, under strong apprehensions of Jere
miah being the person who could teE him the trath, sent
for him ; and the prophet proposed to him an altemative,
which like David's consultation respecting KeEah, affords
another example of what the schoolmen teim the" Scien-
tia Media." It was a prediction that hinged upon condi
tions^— a conditional prophecy. He tefls the king that in
place ofthe mockery which he was groundjessly afraid of
should he gp over to the Chaldeans^ if he did not .go there
awaited him the upbraidings of those in his own house
hold. Zedekiah obeyed not the waming, yet was trae to
his o-wri promise that he would save Jeremiah's life. It
proves his subjection to the grandees around him, that he
laid on Jeremiah the concealment from them of the inter
view hp had had with himself, and concealment, too, at
the expense of a falsehopd to .which the prophet gave "in.
It seems obvious that Zedekiah was a weak and vaciflat-
ing prince ; but alike obvious that -the prophet's morality
was not so perfect or pure as it might have been in a
more advanced stage of the Divine Economy.

JEREMIAH Xl. DAILY SORIPTUEE EEADINGS. 403
"Jeremiah xxxix. — In this narratipn of the destraction
of Jerusaleni; we have additions to the two former in
Kings and Chronicles These barbarous names impress
more forcibly the horrors, of such an occasion. What
craelty in -war ! — Tha slaying of Zedekiah's sons before
his eyes, previous to the putting out of his own eyes, was a
sad piece of barbarity. But mixed -with all fhis ferocity
in the conqueror, was Jhere a kindly, perhaps a grateful,
er even a religious feeling in his heart towards Jeremiah,
of whpm ha mig^t have Jieard frpm the repert .of ..those
Jews who fafl off te the Chaldekns. The home to which
he should be carried was perhaps Anathoth. Nebuchad
nezzar was the instrument. of God's provident jal care for
His own prophet. • God overruled all for the good of His
own. In -virtue of that perfect command which He has
over the wEls and the ways of afl men, did He avert the
hostiEty of the foe from "Ebed-melech, as from Jeremiah,
extending His protection to them both.
^ ' _ , April, 18i7.
Jeeemiah xl, — The history is carried on in a few his'-,
torical chapters, inserted in this book of the prophecy of
Jeremiah, Jeremiah after being rescued froiri prison, must
have- mingled with the people, and been bound in chains
^long with them, after which Nebuzar-adan got hold of
Eim, and released him a second time. The captain of
tka guard discovers his knowledge of the relation in which
the Jews 'stood to their God ; .and there is no saying how
great the influraicemay have been of the state and history
of the chosen people on the theology of theE neighbours.
JerOTiiah had his choice of going and settling where he
liked, and when his preference was made for his own land

404 DAILY SCRIPTURB READINGS. jeremiah xti.
rather than Babylon, he was recommended to put him
self under the protection of the govemor. Upon this ar
rangement being made, the straggling- military of the
provinces put themselves under his protection also. It
was feE an eligible thing eVen by Jews at a distance 
Gedaliah was a Jew -who had the -confidence pfthe Chal
deans, and was in their -interest — perhaps pne pf -those
who had ccme ever te them frpm Jerusalem before it was
taken. We have a trait of his father in ch. xxvi. 24. But
there was a hostEa feeling against this Je-wish remnant in
the mind of. the king of the Ammonites, that afterwards
led to disastrous consequences.
' Jeeemiah xll — Poor, Gedaliah Suffered for ^his eorifi
dence in Ishmael, the emissary of the king pf the Am
monites, and so fell by the hands of thi.s assassin. He
was a deceitful as weE as a. blpody man ; and after hav
ing slain Gedaliah and his companions, it would seem as
if his appetite for human life had been whetted by indul
gence. , Such references as the cne we have here, made tp
what had been done by king Asa, serve to bind these Scrip
tural narratives into a continuous histoiy  The king's
daughters it would seem had been spared from the gene
ral captivity of the people to Babylon, but were now in
danger of a worse captivity than it. But Jphanan whp
had so faithfuEy warned Gedaliah of his danger, went in
pursuit of him ; and though Ishmael effected his escape,
yet did Johanan rescue all whom he had taken... They
felt afraid however of the Chalde9,ns, who might so far
misunderstand' the part which they had in -these pro
ceedings, that they might deal with them as rebels and
enemies.

jkrSmiah xlii. daily SCEIPTURE READINGS. 405
Jeeemiah xlil 1-7. — 'But Johanan — theugh he acted a
righteous part in the matter of Gedaliah, yet was his
heart not right or steadfast with God. There was some
thing Eke the double-mindadness of Balaam in his cha
racter. He would have had a di-vine sanction for the step
tp which his heart was secretly inclined. Tc Egypt he and
the pepple had a desire te gp, from -the fears they had of
Babylon; and for aught that appears; from a preference for
Egypt as their future residence, because of attractions not
here explained. It is not a little reinarkable tEat with
the consciousness they had cf their p-wn wishes, if net in
deed resplutipns, they shetdd have pledged themselves so
strongly to Jeremiah, that they would foEoW the counsel
which he should ask and the Lord should give, reg^d-
ing their future movements.' Perhaps they indulged the
hope ef concEiating the prpphet te their pwn views, or
perhaps were unawara of the strength pf tEeir own incli-
natioris. :
8-22. — ^Jeremiah's deEverance was a very distinct one,
and ought to, have been authoritative on men who had so
pledged themselves to obey. The expression of God re
penting^ -though much commented ori with the view of
explaining it away,, is nevertheless of frequent occurrence
in the Bible. There was a great want of faith, iri their
giving way as they did to their groundless fear of the
king of Babylon, Blayney instead of makirig Jeremiah
say in verse 12, "God wiE cause you to return," renders it
"God -wifl settle you in your own land" — which is more
in harmony with their actual situation, as being now in
Judea, It would seem from verse 14, that Egypt had
positive recommendation' of its own,. besides its being a
place of escape from the Chaldearis, There,, is here,

406 DAILT SCRIPTUEE' READINGS, j-eremiak sLin,
however, a very peremptory announcement of the evE
consequences that wotdd ensue upon theE taking the step
of going down to Egypt; and along witE this ari exposure
by Jeremiah of their hypocrisy, in havirig consulted him
upon the subject, and professing -that they would apt on
the response which' he would give them from the Lord.
It is marveEous that -they should have persisted in their
infatuation jn the fe,ce Of that e-vidence which Jeremiah
gave of his supematimral discernment, when he told them
of the things which were in their heart— but not more
marvellous than many simEar exhibitions of the same
perversity in the midst of miracles.
Jeeemiah xliii. — The wamiiigs of J^emiah proved
ineffectual-; The people to whom they were addressed
belied their -promises and professions. They charged the
prophet -with falsely pretendirig a message from G-6d, when
ha was acting only upon the instigation of Baruch. .^And
so they walked in the counsel of their hearts, and Would
none of the reproof or instruction of this trae prophet,'
whom yet tkemselveS had consulted. The king's poor
daughters are specified among those whom they dragged
along with them to Egypt ; and they also 'forced both
Jeremiah and Baruch to be of their compariy. This
flagrant act of disobedience cafled forth another inter
position from above.. ' Jeremiah was commissioned to pro- ^
phesy anew unto these rebels.. That Nebuchadnezzar
from whprii they fled wpuld have let them alene, had they
remained in Judea ; but their flight led him te pursue,
and he everteok them in the place to which they had re
paired for security — The ervE. which they tried to shun
they brought upon themselves.

JEREMIAH xuv. DAILY SCEIPTErRE READIN'>3. 407,
Jeeemiah xliv. 1-10. — But the denunciations of the
kat chapter were lost upon these perverse and stiflriecked
peopla, .the gentune desceaidant?^ of theE alike rebeflious-
fiithers before them. . It is strange that the .recent de
struction of Jerusalem — so manifestly a judgment from the
God of Heaven, did not teE upon them. In defiance of
all their own experience of its evEs, and the solemn voice
of the prophet, did they lapse, into -the idolatries pf the
land, whither they had come. The example of all former.
chastisements seems to hiave'l)peri quite lost uponthem.-^*
My God, let not Thine eamest dissuasive from the abo
minable thing which Thou hatest be lost upon me. Save
me from the fitscinations of a most sediifttive idolatry
to which I have, SP often given way. Send Thy Holy
Spirit, tpstrength^t me -with strength in my spul Enable
me tp turn my sight.and eyes from, viewing vanity. ThoU
knowest my infirmities ani besetting sinsi Help me, help
me, 0 God .^ • . Blayney makes the wickedness of their wivea
in vCTse 9, to Ee that of Judah's princes
11-19. — ^They were those Jews who had set theE faces
to go to Egypt (verse 1-2) who were to faE in that lani—
for it is obvious from verse 28, .that some were to escape
the coining- destruction which was to take place there,
such peiiiaps as had been previously settled there, or such
as hai been draggei to E, like Jeremiah and BarUcb,
against their -wEl^ The famine might well have been the
effect of a wasteftE invasion ; and the conjtmction again of
pestEence -with famine is the effect of a general law of
which now we have sad experience in Ireland, and it is to
be feared in our o-wn Highlands None, however desirous,.
were to retum te Judea, but a very few, and these few
isuch as had not rebefliously — and against the waming, of

408 DAILY SCEIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xliv.
the prophet, set their faces to come down to Egypt, In
tha face, however, of all these fefl denunciations, these
stout-hearted people ^were bent upon dying hard— both
the men who were conscious of their wives' idolatry, and
the wives themselves, daring" the prOphet's menaces, and
expressing their determination to act in theE o-wn way —
What is here rendered the queen of heaVen, the Septuagint
in ch, vil 18, renders the army or host of heaven. The
consent, whether tacit or expressed, of the husband, was
necessary ere the vows of their wives could be of force and
obligation, (Num, xxx.,) and it would seem as if for this
reason the jvomen in verse 19 — rhere giving an account of
themselves, aEeged the presence and privacy of theE hus
bands to the matters of which they were accusei .
20-30, — It is strange that thpy should have argued
their prosperity in Jerasalem when they worshipped there
the queen of heaven. But Jeremiah meets this with the
opposite refutation-^that because of this and such like
idolatrous worship, Jerusalem was destroyei And' the
same uncharigeable God they would find to baas intole
rant of their idolatry in Judea as He had been in Egypt.
And he accordingly denounces on afl- men and women
alike, ihe evil that would certainly befafl them. The men
and their wives were held to be equal participators in the
guilt^-for (verse 19) the men consented to the transgres
sion, which by theliands of theE wives had been perpe
trated. Among other evils, the last remainders of the
true religion should be extinguished among those who re
mained in the land ; nor would any remain long there,
for a process of consumption should go on till a fufl end
was made of them. Some would make good their escape
to the land of Judea, though none of those (verse 14) who

jeremiah xlvi. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 409

had -willingly gpne .with Johanan.to Egypt, for the purpose
of dwefling thera They Who did remain would obtain
full proof of the trath of the prophecy, in the judgment
TYhich it threatened comings to pass.
Jeeemiah xlv. — There is an obvious anachronism iere
in the order of the chapters, as there is in a good many
other instances in this Book.. This chapter should have
been placed after ch. xxx-yi. The fright into which Baruch
was thro-wn may have been after his first -writing of the roll
pf curses against Jerusalem, in ch. xxxvL ,4, cr after his
secpnd -wrEing in ch. xxxvi. 32. .The object pf Jeremiah's
message, to him from the Lord, is first to assure him of the
certaki fulfilment of the predictions which had just been
written; and, secondly, to assure him of his o-wn personal
safety — ^an assurance made good, as we find that he sur
vived the destruction of Jerusalem, and accompanied
Jeremiah to Egypt. He was made an exception to the
general rUin when evE was brought upon afl flesh. — 0 let
me here take the lesson of seeking not great things for
myself Is nbt Efe mere than meat, and the body than
raiment ? Let me have Thy favour, 0 God, which is better
than life, and then why do I care for therest ? . . . Verse $
is a notabEa, ,
Jeeemiah xlvi. 1-12. — Now foflows a eoUection of pro
phecies, of which the first verse of this chapter might be
regarded as the general title — ^prophecies against the-
GentEes, and whereof the first is dEected against Egypt.
We cannot expect such an interpolation to join ori, in
respect- of chronplpgy, -with the prephecies befpre and
after, which relate to the Jews; and so this prophecy
VOL, III, ¦

410 DAILY SCElPtURiB EEADINGS. jeremiah xlvi.
regarding iSgypt dates as far back as th* reigri of Je
hoiakim. Pharaoh with his army progressed as far as the
Euphrates, where he was defeated by NebUchadnezzar the
king of Babylon. The prophet here indulges in a spirited
InEitary description. There is something highly poetical in
the personifications of Scripture— -as here of Egypt, ' It is
described by its floods and rivers, and sp characteristicafly.
The chrpnplpgy pf this prpphecy acccrds well with that in
the direct history. . (2 Chron, xxxv. ^, &©.) Pharaoh-Necho
mUst haVe beeri on his way to Euphrates wheri Josiah
encouritered him and was slain. The same Pharaoh was
at Jerasalem a few months after when he made Jehoia
kim king, in the fourth year of whose reign we firid him
at Euphrates, where he -was defeated by the king of Baby
lon, who afterwards came to Jerusalem and took Jehoia-
kim'captive. 13-28, — This is a second prophecy regarding Egypt,
distiri'ct from, arid of corisiderably posterior fulfilment to,
the former. In tha one we have the defeat of the Egyp
tian in-vaSion;Upon Babylon at the river Euphrates ; iri the
other the triumph of the Babylonish capti-vity upon Egypt
—this lattar'being also the subject of Ezekiel's prpphecy
iri ch, xxix,'xxxii. It would seem as if the prophecy
was delivered by Jeremiah when in Egypt, -verse 14 
Verse 16 is the cry of Egypt's allies on the eve of taking
flight to their respective countries. They complain of
Pharaoh as not havrng been punctual to his appointment.
Egyj^,. thus deserted by her auxEiaries, is at the mercy
of a power as preponderating, as 'Carmel and Tabor are
conspicuous amorig "the liEls And sO Egypt herself is
told to prepare for capti-vity. Her towns, though innumer
able as the trees of a forest, shall be laid low, because the

jeremiah xLviii. DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADIN'GS. 4U

host of invaders wEl be alike numerous They who -trast
in Pharaoh and are threatened in verse 25, include among
them more especiaEy those disobedient Israelites whp per
sisted, in settEng themselves thera The repeppling pf
'Egypt is alsp foretold in Ezek. xxix. 13 ; , , . See a counter
part to verses 27 and 28 Jn ch, xxx. 10, 11. God did not
make a fufl end of Israel then, nor wifl he yet make a fufl
end of them. He corrects in measure, for: their -discipline
and. not for theE destruction. Rest and. prosperity yet
await them
JEEEMIAH xLvii. — ^From Eiek. xxix. 17-21, we gather
that the invasion of Egypt took place after the destruc
tion of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, The sea-cpast seems to
have been the way .by which his armies went from the one
place to the other ; and there in all probabEity it was that
they achievedihe destruction pf the Philistines Opinions
varf, however, in regard to this. Certain it is that the
hostEe force, which smOte the Philistines andovprwhelmed
Egypt came from the same quarter, the. North; and from
verse 4 it, is very likely that Nebuchadnezzar addressed
himself to the pillage and overthrow of the Philistines ;
they.had been the aflies of Tyre, and, so took the part
against hijn of his enemies The invaders were met by
the Philistines with the feebleness of despair, .verse 3, and
so they are represented as cutting themselves and inflict
ing baldness upon their heads, which were then acts of
mourning  The closing apostrophe to the sword is highly
poetical-^as doing the Lord's work at the Lord's bidiing.
Jeeem.iah xlviil l-13.^rNow foEows a lengthened pro
phecy of Moab, whose towns are spoken of here in such

412 DAILY SCRIPTURE EEADINGS. jeremiah xlviii.
Aumbers as to make the geographical study of this chap
ter very interesting. ' Misgab;, however; is understood not
to be the name of a City but an appellative, .signifying a
high fortress, and descriptive of KEiathaim. , There is
something very impressive in the personification of a
pountry^ as if it were a living, and in this instance a suf
fering individual. It must have been a kingdom of great
weaEh, (verse 7,) , , . The work of slaughter and destruc
tion is set forth in a vaijety of Elustrative expressions.
The invaders are spoken of, in verse 10, as coirimissioned
to do the work of the Lord in tbe execution of theE
bloody charge, and warned against doing it deceitfuEy.
They must go through with it, and not relenti'ngly keep
back their sword from blood  Wine settled on its lees
preserves its strength and flavour; and by this image,
Moab is represented as having been afl along at ease, and
so its pride and prosperity are accounted for. Verse 11,
because of this expression, is a notabile. To be settled
on this" world's lees is to make the wprld our sufficiency
and rest ; and it might be wefl to be shaken out of such a
carnal habitude, thoUgh by the discipline of violent arid
adverse vicissitudes.
14-27. — In verse 15, which reads confusedly as it starids,
so as not to distinguish the genders' aright, the render
ing should be — "A spoEer pf Moab, and of her cities is
gone up, and his chosen young men are gone do"wn to
slay." Yet, from verse 16, it appears that either gender
is appEed to Moab, Several of the to-wns here named are
eitant to this day, and with nearly tke same names. We
must net be surprised at the number pf them in sp smafl
a cpuntry ; for on the east of Jordan there are ruins -which
fully accredit the informations pf Scripture regarding this.

jeremlah xlvjii. daily SCRIPTURE READINGS. 413

We must here advert to Robinson's '¦' BibEcal Researches"
as being peculiarly rich and interesting in its authentica
tions of the geography of this region- Bozrah is a to-wn
of special eminence ; and the enumeration of names serves
to enhance the impression of a wide-spread desolation ....
To be made drtmken, as appEed here to Moab, is to be
made drunken with the cup of vengeance ; and she be
comes the object of derision when sickened and laid pro
strate under the weight of her calamities ; — a just retri
bution, it is here said, for her .exultation in the distresses
of Israel that had made no encroachment upon her terri
tory, arid did not join the depredators against her. Must
not this invasion", then, have taken place after the destruc
tion of Jerasalem ?
28-37. — The "dove making her nests by the sides of
the pit's mouth," seeks for solitude and secrecy, or per
haps in places where it, were dangerous to approach her.
. . . Moab must have been elated by the greatness and the
long course of his prosperity ; but he is not so effective
as he is aspEing. He has not' the strength to realize
what , his pride and anger would fain prompt him to.
Jeremiah's forte is the pathetic, in" which he indulges —
even when contemplating the miseries and misfortunes
of the enemies of Israel .-. . . There is a remarkable coinci
dence between this passage and that in Isaiali xvi. For
Kir-heres, see 2 Kings iE. 25 ; and for Jazer, Num. xxxil
3. The famous vines of Jazer had spread themselves on
ward to the Dead Sea,; but this famous country of vine
yards and -vintages was laid desolate. The image of a
heifra- three years old likens the grief of Moab for her
chEdren to the plauitive lowing of a cow deprived of its
calf Their idolatry also is adverted to as an object of

414 DAI;LY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah xhtx.
vengeance, and yet the vengeance when infiicted calls
forth the compassion of the prophet.
38-47. — " A vessel wherein is no pleasure," is a signifi
cant expression. We read of vessels of wrath and vessels of
mercy; but here we are rather led to regard them in their
o-wn "characteristics, as vessels of deformity, or elegance and
beauty. God loves what in itself is lovely — as, for ex
ample, the ornament of a meek ,and quiet spirit, which in
His sight is of great price. He rejoiced over the faE
creations of matter ; and how much more has He pleasure
in those who are graced by the moralities of His Spirit's
o-wn workmanship ! ; . . At verse 40 look to Deut. xx-vEL
49, and Jer. xEx. 22. The " eagle " here is the invader of
Moab  At verses 43 and 44 look to Isaiah xxiv. 17, 18.
Eeshbon, that wont to be a protection to them, when
taken and garrisoned by their enemies, will be the ema
nating centre of all that is hostile and destractive  At
verses 45 arid 46, see Num. xxi. 28, 29, and xxiv, 17. It
is interesting to mark the parallel passages between older
and later prophecies. On being referred back to Balaam,
it seems to us that there are few utterances of greater
sublimity and power than those which proceeded from, the
mouth of this prophet, corrupt and treacherous though he
was  'What precious confirmations of Scripture may we
look for when God finaEy- brings back the captivity of
Jacob, and the prophecies regarding the neighbouring
countries shall have their palpable fulfilment !
JBRE.MIAH XLIX. 1-6. — Now follows the judgment ofthe
Ammonites, who bordered on the Israelites east of Jordan,
but whpse king with his ppople now had possession of the
territory of Gad. Rabbah is decidedly Ammonite, and

JEREMIAH XLIX. DAILY SCRIPTURE HEADINGS. 415

Heshbon on the, east side of Jordan; but I can find no
Ai on that side. At all events the Ammonites now in
herited part of Israel ; but Israel was at length tp disin
herit them again — ^tp be the heirs of their heirs. How fell
the atrecities pf war ! daughters te be burned with fire !
TheE rulers, beth civil and ecclesiastical; were tp gp into
captivity — the priests of their idelatrous worship,, as well
as the princes who bore sway over them. The daughters,
however, might be the lesser towns of the country— the
daughters of Rabbah the metropolis  The " flowing
-valley" is the fruitful valley — a characteristic, we have
no doubt, of that land. They 'had much agricultural
wealth, which is the parent of aE wealth ; and we wonder
not, therefore, at the treasures in which the Ammonites
trustei " But thay trusted in what would not save them.
There was to be. a sad desolation and dispersion — and
this, it Wpuld seem, at the hand pf invaders all , rpund.
They whp had taken tp flight shpuld npt be rallied and
brpught tpgether again. Yet, as pf Mpab, so of Ammon
— they would, or wEl at length, be brought again from
the captivity by the Lcrd Gpd pf Hosts
7-22. — Teman is either a to-wn or district of Edom, pr per
haps anpther name fpr the whele ceuntry. Duke Teman
was the sen pf Eliphaz the sen pf Esau. (Genesis xxxyi.
15.) Eliphaz in Jeb was a Temanite. In the account ef
Esau's descendants we read of the land of Temanl (Gen.
xxxvl 34.) Teman and Edom were proverbial for wisdom.
(Obad. 8.) . . . To " dwell deep" is to remove and hide one
self , Yet Esau wifl hide himself in vain : he shall be made
utterly desolate ; and none left to take charge of the
widpws pr chEdren. - Or perhaps verse 11 is an interroga
tion ; or it may be as it stands — none shall be left but

416 DAILY SGRIPTUEE READING.'?. jeremiah xli.-c.
widows and children, whose sole dependence wiE be on God,
for none other will be left to 'help them. It is remarkable
that no such restoration is promised to Edom here as to
other countries. Verse 11, though it may be but an ac
commodation, is a precious notabEe, They who were less
deserving of punishment (the Jews) have been "made to
suffer, and shalt thou escape? Bozrah stiE subsists (Robin
son, ii. 570, 571.) . .. What a striking cpnfirmation of verse
16 in the present ruins of Petra !... Verse 19 is obscure,
from the confusion of genders, and from the first of its in
terrogations being properly an affirmative clause. Him
that I have chosen I will commission against her ; and no
shepherd can stand before ,me any more than the. flock of
a sheepfold against a lion from Jordan. And verse 20 is
cleared up by reading, that they shall be dragged out from
the least of the flock — the Edomites shall be dragged out
for slaughter from their wives and children  In verse 22
the invader, compared formerly to a lion, is now" compared
to a,n eagle  Verse 21 — ^poetical — The Red Sea conter
minous to EdOm.
23-39. — For Hamath, see Robinson's Appendix, p. 176.
They are plunged in a sea of soitow, or become like the
troubled sea which cannot rest .... Verses 25 and 27, poe
tical The Damascus of the present day is exceedingly
beautiful and picturesque. Kedar and Hazor though men
tioned together are described separately. Nebuchadnez
zar is the common invader of all these coimtries. — " Fear
on every side" is k, proverbial expression.- — There was a
Hazor, a town in Judah, distinct from the country here
spoken of. It was a remote nation dwefling alone and at
ease. Elam is generaEy regarded as synonymous with
Persia ; but there is ground for belie"ving tbat Elam was

JEREMIAH t. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 417

a separate kingdom at first, though afterwards incorporated
with Persia. Its capti"vity too is to be brought back in
later, I think in future days.
Jeeemiah l. 1-10, — Now comes the judgment of the
mighty Babylon— -the great spoEer herself- in turn made
a prey Bel and Merodach are her idols. Media Ees
north of Babylon. This nearly affected the children of
Israel, who are here brought upon tha stage in a most in
teresting guise — seeking for theE retum, -and expressing
theE purpose and -wish in verse 5, one of the most precious
notabEia in Scriptura — My God, in that perpetual cove
nant wotdd I so join myself - -GiDd turns Him in compas
sion upon His own people. He lays the blame of their
defection on their shepherds. He takes part against their
adversaries, who it seems perceived the cause of their
miseries, and cast it reproachfully upon them. Even
their misfortunes might thus have redounded to tha keep
ing up a notion among men of the trae God. He bids
them come out of Babylon ; and many of them may have
left the city and escaped from the slaughter of its destruc
tion, even as the first Christians removed from the doomed
city of Jerasalem.
11-20. — God is offended and takes vengeance on those
who tritunphed in the calamities of His own people, even
though these were inflicted by His own' hand, and for the
purposes of discipEne .... In verse 12, behold her, yeur
mpther Babylon — ^to become the last of the nations and
a wilderness ! Mark the resemblance in point of general
effect between the denunciation here, and those of Rev.
xviE. 15. " She hath- given her hand" — she hath made
surrender of herself— given her hand to be bound by
s2

418 DAILY SCRIPTUEE EEADINGS. jeremiah l.
manacles. The destruction of Jerusalem is repaid and
retaliated pn Babylon. The desolation shafl extend to
country as well as town. Agriculture will languish for
want of labourers, and ' all foreign auxiliaries will make
escape- to their' own land. .Both the Assyrian and Ba
bylonish captivities are here brought to mind ; and the
remaining heaps of Nineveh and Babylon are striking mo
numental evidence of the vengeance that followed upon
both. In contrast with this, what images of peace and
beauty are associated with, the restoration and re-establish
ment of Israel ! With what a cadence of sweetest music do
the names of Carmel and Bashan fall upon our ears ! — -My
God, let my sins be in like manner obliterated, and no
more made mention of there. Let them be washed out in
the blood of the Lairib, so that though sought after triey
may not be found, and leave as little trace of their exist
ence as if they never were. Thou hast long reserved me,
0 God, so that I am still in the land of the living. Let
me be encouraged and take confident hold of Thine offered
forgiveness. 21-32. — According to Blayney, Merathaim and Pekod
are not proper.names, but appellatives, and he lenders it
into the land of bitterness, and " after them" into their
posterity, Babylon as the instrument of uestructioii to
many nations, is called "the hammer ef the whole earth. ''„
It was taken by surprise, and when not aware. How
literally she has been cast up as heaps may be seen in
the mounds of the present day : from the excavation of
wliich, as well as of Nineveh, we look for most interesting
relics, - Blayney turns the " bullocks " of verse 27 into
fattening stalls — understanding by these, cities whose in
habitants lived at ease and in sleek prosperity. They who

JEREMIAH LI. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS 419

were of the captivity fled, and on their retum to Zion
wotdd declare and celebrate there God's vengeance for
His rained temple. Over against verse 29, see Rev. xviii. 6.
Babylon was not only proud, but proud against the Lord,
¦ — carried it with defiance against the God of Israel , God
resisteth the prpud, and giveth grace untp the humble.
He regarded the prayer of the destitute, and did not de
spise theE prayer, (Psalm oE, 16, 17.)
33--46.^It would seem as if the Assyrian and Baby
lonish captives, as feflow-sufferers, petitioned to be let go ;
but theE oppressors held them fast. The Lord Himself
interposed for them  The " liars" are probably the false
prophets and priests ef the Babylenish. idplatry. The
auxiflaries and foreigners in Babylon were sufficieritly
numerous to constitute a mingled people. The " drought
upon her waters" was remarkably fulfifled by the stratagem
of Cyras, who in turning the Euphrates from- its channel,
drieiit up. This destraction is followed up by a perpe
tual desolation, afl the more picturesque from the deleful
creatures which dwelt there. The ruin shpuld be as ccm-
plete as was that pf Spdpm and Gpmorrah — though this
latter came direct from God in heaven ; whereas the
other was^ brought uppn them by the arms ef an invader.
Mark the identity ef verses 44-46, -with ch. xlix. 19-21 
The npise that was heard at the destructicn cf Edpm was
heard at that pf Babylpn ampng the natipns. The wasters
were wasted themselves.
Jeeemiah ll 1-10. — This denunciaticn cf Babylon is
prolonged through nearly the whole of this long chapter.
Its fall bulks very great in histcry, and sp it pccupies
a like large place in prpphecy. Besides, it is the type of

430 DAILY SCRIPTUEE READINGSr jeremiah li.
anpther great fall that is te take place, and tc usher in an
other great deliverance pf the Church pf Gpd .... The "bri-
gandina" is a ccat of mail. There was relentless slaughter
in the streets of Babylon. And it was the cause cf Israel
and Judah which was nPw in dependence. It was fer
them that this vengeance descended uppn their enemies
— even theugh they had prpvpked the Lord by the abund
ance of their transgressions. How strikingly does verse
,6 quadrate with Rev, xviil 4 — the future antitype tothe
great destraction that we read of in this place — For verse
7, see ch, xxv, 15, Babylon was the -wine-cup of God's fury,
which maddened and intoxicated all the nations — causing
them to stagger and reel to and fro like drunken man.
The suddenness of Babylon's fafl, in verse 8, harmonizes
with Rev, xviii, 17, where we read that in one hour the
riches of the mystical Babylon will come to nought. In
this verse the auxiliaries of Babylon are asked to heal her
if they can. Their reply is that they would if they could,
but that it was in vain to strive against the decree cf
heaven ; and therefpre, they had npthing for it, but each
tp withdraw intp their Pwn land. Ampng pthe;rs the Jews
in verse 10 make special acknpwledgment that Ged had
vindicated their cause against their pppressprs, and that
in Zion they would testify His great deliverance.
11-19. — The mention of the Medes impresses .the coin
cidence between sacred and profane authorship — ^bringing
the prophecies of the one into the day-light of histoiy as
recorded by the other. There was much of de-vising on the
part of Cyrus against Babylon, and much done by him — •
yet all devised and done by Him whose servant and
whose instrument he was How descriptively is the
situation of the city given here as dwelling upon many

jeremiah li. DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS. 421

waters ! The cpriiparispn of the men to caterpillars is
. highly poetical. "What a fine sentence of natural theology
is interposed^ in verse 15, and in verse 16 we haVe set
forth His cpntrpl pver the seccndary causes — ^werking
as He dpes, net -withput means but by means "What a
rebuke dees this lay uppn idplatry ! and sp the vEidica-
tipn pf Israel's God above the gods of the heathen. God
is the port-ion of His people, ani they are the rod of His
inheritance, marked out for His o-wn as if by a measuring
roi Mark the identity of verses 15-19, with ch. x. 12-16.
, 20-30i — The address which fofloWs and is kept through
some verses, is, we should think, to Gyrus, as the head ef
the invaders and destroyers of Babylon — ^he properly being
the battle-axe and weapons of wan The destructicn ex
tending tp the husbandman and his pxen marks a despla-
tion of the country as wefl as of the metropolis  "In
your sight" — ^iu sight of the MedOs and Persians who-
were the perpetrators of this evE, or in sight of the Jews?
Babylon is the destroying mountain, whence the torrents
of a volcanic destraction flowed do-wn upon the natiens ;
but the burner shpuld itseE be burnt, and net a^tpne be
taken pf it for any ediflce. The whole cf its political
structure shafl be composed of foreign materials. It shafl
be under the yoke of foreigners. The countries of verse
27 are variously conjectured on. There is ppetry in the
" rpugh eaterpElars." The kings pf the Medes in the Sep
tuagint is read singularly king ef Media  " They have
bumed theE dwefling-places" might be rendered " theE
dwefling-places are bumei" May, 1847.
31-44. — The details given here are strikingly in accerd-
ance -with the histerical particulars', as handed dp-wn tp

422 DAILY SCEIPTUEB EEADINGS. jeremiah li.
US both by Herodotus and Zenophon. The " harvest " of
verse 33 is more properly the cutting of the straw, which
took place after the threshing, as the harvest did before it.
(See Blayney.) Then Zion takes up her song of triumph
over Babylon, on whom vengeance is now being taken for
all her oppressions and oraelties to the chEdren of Israel
The blood of Jerusalem was upon the inhabitants of Chal-
dea, now reckoned with for all her -violence done to that
city. The sea of Babylon is the waters of Euphrates —
the bed of which was Eterafly made dry hy the decree of
Cyras, and reduced to the heaps "which subsist to this
day, and from the excavation of which I would san-
guinely look forward to' such relics and memorials as
might greatly augment our monumental evidence for the
trath pf revelatipn. Tkere was afl the festi-rity on the
occasion of its capture which is here foretold, and the
Uproar of conflict and terrible slaughter — The sea
coming up upon Babylon (verse 42) might be understepd
pf the mighty best pf invaders. Babylon is meant by
Sheshach in verse 41, which gives fcrth a brief but im
pressive lamentatipn, Spon did it beccme a land vpid pf
inhabitants. The god of Babylori may be said to have
been punished in its -overthrow and rain, and it regorged
the treasures, and more particularly the sacred vessels of
which the temple in Jerasalem had been rifled (See Isaiah
xiv, 23 ; and "Prideaux's Conneoticn," Book il,-Part i.)
45-58,— Over against verse 45 see Rev, xviii, 4. The
one injunction is more to avoid participation in its dan
gers — the other in its sins. In verse 46 it seems to, me
that the prophet is enforcing the injunction to go otit of
Babylon, and not to give way to the fear of rumoured
violence in the countiy around it — for that God would

JBRBHiAH LI, DAILY BCEIPTXJEE EEADINCS. 423

certainly 'wreak His vengeance on the city, and they, th«
Jews, would be much safer out of it The direction of
verse 60, we ha-ve no doubt, is addressed to the Jews, who
are here told that afl this vengeance is inflicted for the
«ake of Jerusalem afar off— but whose God should now be
caEed to remembrance. The Jews in verse 51 make re
ply, and profess how much they were scandalized by the
outrage ^done to their sanctuaries. But for this God wEl
bring the invaders to jud^ent. Afl the pride and strength
of Babjdon wEl not avaE h^. The uproar of her last
tumults wiE be put an end to, and a great sEence wifl
ensue. Her princes ^ould drink the wine of God's fury,
and sleep the sle^ of death ; and the destroyers shall
work to vCTy weariness and exhatistion in the -work of her
entire demoEtion.
59-64. — ^Not when Seraiah went witJi, but Blayney ren-
di^rs it OTilieAa^of Zedekiah, as the bearer of tribute. These
written predictions of Jeremiah may hava been given to
Seraiah in a packet^ and not read by him tEl he had gone
to Babylon, and so read for his own private informa/feion,
and not in the hearing of -others. This Seraiah; this quiet
priiice,* seems to have been a man of piety and ef accord
ant feeEngs and views with Jeiemiah himself, from th'e
commission given to him by thaprophet ; and more espe
ciaEy from the words of address to God which he put into
his mouth. The clause — ¦*¦ and they shafl be weary" does
not occur in the Septuagint. If retained, it migM be
made to signify the exhaustion, and so the extinction of
Babylon. It is obvious that a chronological arrangement
would have assigned a different place lo this chapter. The
order in many parts of the Book seems to have been quite
^ * But, for " a qaiet "piiaQe," it is also translated " carried a'present,"

424 DAILY SCEIPTUEB EEADINGS, jeremiah lii.
arbitrary. At all events we have np mpre pf Jeremiah in
this Bpok, whp, thpugh pf Ipwer rank and estimatien, is
nevertheless a mest iflustripus Scriptural -writer.
Jeeemiah lil 1-11. — This chapter is regarded as the
additipn pf spme later hand — pf Ezra perhaps — pr whpever
in after-times :cevised and coEected. the sacred -writings.
It is nearly identicaLwith the passage from 2 Kings xxiv.
18, to the end of ch. xXv. There are certain variations
however. In verse 2 '' Jehoiakim" for "Jehoiachin*' in 2
Kings xxiv. 9, may have readEy occurred as a mere error
of transcription in one or other of the places. It is EkeEer
however tp be cprrect here, as the reign pf Jehpiachin was
pnly of three months' duration, and that when he was a
very young man — ^whereas that of Jehoiakim reached to
eleven years, and formed a busy and important history.
The succession pf Zedekiah is sppken pf as a judicial in
fliction on Judah. (See Hos. xiii. 11.) By comparing verse
4 with 2 Kings xxv. 1, it becomes ob-vious that Nebuchad
rezzar, which occurs so frequently in Jeremiah, is identi
cal with Nebuchadnezzar — a variaticn prpceeding frpm
the resemblance pf the twp Hebrew letters In 2 Kings
xxv. 4, it is the king whp is made tp gp the way pf the
plain; in verse 7 here it is the king and his fpflpwers
The "city being brekenup," is astrpng and signiflcant ex
pression for what took place after that it was broken into.
We repeat that it was a barbarous proceeding to kEl the
sons pf Zedekiah befpre his eyes, previeus tp the putting
Ojf them put. It is here, and net in Second Kings, that we
read of the further slaughter of all the princes of Judah
in Riblah. It is only here, too, that we leam of Zedekiah
having been made a prisoner in Babylon for lEe.

jirmiiah hi. daily SCEIPTUEE READINGS. 425

12-23, — The latter part of the above narrative we also "
have substantiafly in ch. xxxix. "What foflows continues to
harmonize with 2 Kings xxv. In verse 12 what is caEed
the "tenth" is made the "seventh" in Second Kings-T
one of ttose frequent numerical variations which occur in
transcription. The clause in verse 15, relative to the poor
ofthe people, does not occur in ch. xxxix- 9 ;nor in 2 Kings
xxv. 'Hie " residue of the people" marks the greatness of
the slaughter, as if the -bulk and body of them had been
destroyed. The very poorest are often the safest on these
sad occasions. They are not formidable, whEe at the same
time they may be serviceable. There is a fufler and more
particular enumeration here than in Second Kings, of the
teriiple furniture thatwas taken away — not perhaps of great
pecuniary value, but — ^s consecrated vessels, and used in
their ritual — of mighty estimation in the eyes of the Jews,
It is in-the same spirit that these vessejs are spoken of and
enumerated by Ezra, when they were g;iven up by Cyras,
and brought "back to 'Jerusalem.
24-34, — The keepers of the door must have been such
persons Of distinction as we read af in 2 Kings xii 9 ; xxEL
4'; the persons appointed, it is likely, to coflect the offer
ings of the people, and not the. ordinary door-keepers.
What a barbarous thing war is, that these and. so many
others should be taken for the deliberate purpose of being
put to death, and tr^vefled to a great distance from one
place to another upon this errand. The number taken to
Babylon seems very smafl, inferring a proportiOnafly large
destraction of human life inthe subjugation ofthe country.
The Book closes -with that pleasing statement which we
have'at the end of the Second Book of Kings — regarding
the compassionate treatment of the captive and imprisoned

426 ,^DAILY SCEIPTURE RE-ADINGS. jeremiah lii
king Jehpiachin, frpin a mpVement of piteous considera
tion — -the" very -movement of which serves to afleviate
thepe horrors and. ferocities We are not yet done -,'with
Jererniab, of whom we have long thought that he does
not rank in general estimation sufficiently high among
the most illustripus writers pf the Old Testament.

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