hate the sins of unfaithfulness: there shall no

such cleave unto me.

5. A froward heart shall depart from me : I will not know a wicked person.

'David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.' And thus must he who looks for mercy to the Son of David do in his life here on earth. He must renounce all wickedness, and do nothing in will, word, or deed, that is against the righteous law of God. He must hate unbelief and misbelief, and all the sins that arise from unfaithfulness and doubt. These too often cling to the soul and eat away its life, like some noisome plant clinging round a tree. But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.' The evil heart of unbelief' must be by grace put aside and utterly forsaken; every wicked thing, and the very companionship and acquaintance of the wicked, must be given up and thrust away by him whom the Saviour has called His friend.'

6. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour : him will I destroy.

7. Whoso hath also a proud look and high stomach: I will not suffer him.

He must hate the slanderer and the bearer of false witness, for such slew his Lord; and he must destroy their evil by his own truth and patience.

The look of pride, and the bosom swelling with haughtiness or burning with anger, and they who have them and indulge them, are no fit allies for the servants of Him Who is 'meek and lowly in heart.' They will do well to shun them in others, and not to suffer them in themselves.

8. Mine eyes look upon such as are faithful in the land: that they may dwell with me.

9. Whoso leadeth a godly life : he shall be my servant.

In all these things he must abide by the example of his Lord, and not by the example of the world. He will choose his friends even as his Lord chooseth His. The Saviour has chosen for His own them that are faithful: His charge to each one is, 'Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life;' His promise to each one is, 'If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.' In the communion of saints alone is perfect and true friendship, because there is perfect faith and true godliness of life.

10. There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

:

11. I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the land that I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord.

Deceitfulness is therefore alien to the child of

God; for the deceitful have no portion in Christ's holy Church. To be without guile is the one thing that the Lord seeks in His people. If a righteous man hateth lies,' how much more shall He hate them Who is the righteous God and the very Truth. Thus believing, thus loving, thus obeying, he will be following the footsteps of the true King of the true Israel, Who came into the world to destroy the works of the devil, and to 'purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Christ the ascended King, now at this present time, by His mercy is rooting out wicked doers from the city of the Lord, even the Church militant on earth,-punished in this world that their souls may be saved in the day of the Lord;' or else at the breaking of the eternal morning He will finally root them out for ever when He shall establish the new Jerusalem, the Church everlastingly triumphant in heaven. There shall in no wise enter into that city anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of Life.'

This is "A Psalm of David," written, we can hardly doubt, on his first obtaining his kingdom and becoming the guide and ruler of Israel. This Psalm would be exceedingly applicable to the intentions and the conduct of Josiah in his just and conscientious reign. For "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left," (2 Kings xxii. 2). It is to this, very probably, that its present position, among the Psalms which have been supposed to have been collected and arranged by Josiah, is owing. It is one of the Psalms appointed to be used in the consecration service of our Kings and Queens.

Morning Prayer.

THE FIFTH PENITENTIAL PSALM, AND ONE OF THE PSALMS FOR ASH-WEDNESDAY.

PSALM cii. Domine, exaudi.

1. HEAR my prayer, O Lord: and let my crying come unto Thee.

2. Hide not Thy face from me in the time. of my trouble incline Thine ear unto me when I call; O hear me, and that right soon.

:

In our seasons of holy joy, and in those of holy sorrow, in 'all time of our tribulation, and in all time of our wealth,' the Church puts a word into her children's mouths which is ever befitting,-'O Lord, hear our prayer; And let our cry come unto Thee.' This is our especial call, standing, poor and sorrowful, and knocking, in the time of our trouble, before the gate of the all-rich God: and what want we by it? We want the sight of His face to cheer us, we want the hearkening of His ear to help us; above all, we want no delay, lest we perish.

3. For my days are consumed away like smoke and my bones are burnt up as it were a fire-brand.

:

4. My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass so that I forget to eat my bread. 5. For the voice of my groaning: my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.

LXX. My bones have cleaved to my flesh.

The days of our lives, and all the hopes and the thoughts of pride that we have in them, ascend like the wreaths of smoke, and swell into the air and are scattered away. We none of us, however proud today, know what shall be on the morrow. 'For what is our life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. We ourselves and all our strength, in the fiery trial of affliction, are but like brands within the flame: we quickly fall into dust and ashes, unless He, Who alone can, snatch us like 'brands from the burning.' All mortal flesh is but as grass under the scorching noon; our soul and spirit dries up and withers under temptation, so that we forget that daily prayer and that daily trust upon the promises of God, which is more necessary to our life than even daily bread. Turn we to Him with weeping, fasting, and prayer, and we shall be set free. Under the captivity of sin we groan, but cannot pray-we loathe our food, but do not fast-we are despairing, weak and without strength, but we cannot repent.

6. I am become like a pelican in the wilderness and like an owl that is in the desert. 7. I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow that sitteth alone upon the house-top.

8. Mine enemies revile me all the day long : and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me.

LXX. And they who praise me have conspired against me.