King. From the days of Cain until now, lawlessness, and sin, and scorning, have never been absent from the earth. They all confronted Noah, and then gathered in far fiercer enmity, against the Holy One of God. All totality of evil gathered against Christ-all totality of evil will be gathered to Antichrist.

In Scripture, the same persons or things are frequently presented under different terms, or symbols, or types, or parables, in order that this variety of aspect may render the apprehension more complete. Contrast is intended, but not opposition: the predominancy of any particular feature or characteristic, leading to the use of such terms as are best suited to express such predominancy. Thus if it be desired that the attention should be directed to that rebellious. insubjection of heart from which deeds of impiety (aoeßeia), lawlessness (avoμia), and oppressive wickedness (Tovηpia) flow, the expression used is : if aberration from the right and appointed path is denoted, derived from ND, to miss the mark, to err (ȧμapravw), is used: whilst the scoffer or scorner proudly seating himself in his seat of assumed authority, represents the insolent contemptuousness of evil. "Counsel," "Counsel," "way,' way," "seat," are the words adapted to these several conditions-"counsel" connecting itself with the rebellious condition of the heart: "way" with the erring step: "seat" with the proud assumption of authority.

Some have wished to render in session, in the sense of assembly: but the reasons urged against this by Hengstenberg are conclusive.

For seeing that his delight is in the law of Jehovah, &c., he shall therefore be, &c.] Gesenius observes in his Lexicon when explaining the force of, that "may refer to an interposed or parenthetic clause and each particle retain its own native force." He quotes as an example 1 Sam. xx. 9, "God forbid that [D] (if [N] I knew assuredly that evil were determined from my father to come upon thee) I should not show it to thee." In the present case, however, Gesenius does not separate these particles, but takes them unitedly, as meaning but if, as referring to the same clause after a negation, and translates thus, "blessed is the man who walketh not (if he walk not) but if his delight is in the law, &c."

It is, however, far better to adopt the first rendering to which Gesenius refers, and to take each particle separately: for, as has been observed by Dr. Tregelles, if we take the particles combinedly in this passage, we should be obliged to go against the accentuation—

Mappikh with P'sik being in the Psalms a disjunctive: and although the accents have no Divine authority, yet we should not, without necessity, reject their guidance. It is better, therefore, to translate thus, "for or because (since his delight is in the law of Jehovah, &c.) he shall therefore be." in the sense of "because” is in several places followed by 1, denoting the inference, and then is best rendered by therefore. See for example, Mal. iii. 6. "Because (*) I am Jehovah . . . . therefore (1) ye, &c."

Verse II. The law of Jehovah.] This is to be understood of the Scripture as a whole-in the law, is from to point with the hand, to direct. The whole of God's word is a "directory."

Continually meditates.] -continuousness or perpetuity is often the force of the Hebrew future. Compare Swσovoi Rev. iv. 9.

Verse III. Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.] Some, in translating this clause, continue the metaphor, and render "whatsoever it (the tree) produceth, shall prosper." But it is far better to retain the rendering of our version. It is common in Scripture to pass suddenly from the figure to the subject to which the figure applies. It adds to the force and vividness of description.

Verse V. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.] Some wish to render this, "the ungodly shall not rise" as if it referred to the wicked being excluded from "the first resurrection." It is true, indeed, that they will be excluded. "The rest of the dead lived not (OUK Enoav) until the thousand years were finished.” But this is evidently not the subject of this passage. Resurrection would not be expressed by "rising in the judgment and in the congregation of the righteous," for both these clauses are connected with p. p frequently bears the sense of standing, in the sense of establishment. Thus Is. vii. 7. It shall not stand and again, viii. 10, "speak the word and it shall not stand:" and Jer. xliv. 29, "my words shall surely stand." (lit. standing shall stand.)

For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous.] Observe the abstract force of the participle Jehovah est noscens-one knowing. He may not at present manifestly act upon his knowledge: but it essentially characterizes Him, and yet a little while and it shall be fully proved that He observes, delights in, and remembers the ways of His servants.

On the Second Psalm.

ONE of the chief objects of the Psalms is to contrast the condition of the earth, whilst under the supremacy of evil, with its future condition when "the sovereignty of the world" shall have become "the sovereignty of our Lord and of His Christ." Rev. xi. 15. At present Satan is the Deceiver (ó λavov) not merely of individuals but of nations and their Governors. The streams of national life are poisoned at their source. In the Apocalypse, which treats of the close of the present dispensation, Satan is especially described as the Deceiver of the nations;† (Rev. xii. 9, and xx. 3.)-as wearing the diadems of the Roman World (Rev. xii. 3.) and then giving them to Antichrist (Rev. xiii. 2.), and as finally gathering the kings of the whole Roman World (τηs oikovμevns oλns) “to that great day of the battle of the Lord God Almighty." Of that great gathering this Psalm treats. It speaks of the time when not merely "the peoples," but their kings and rulers shall openly confederate against God. "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against Jehovah and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. This is the consummation of that "lawlessness" which makes him who heads it emphatically "the lawless one." (ó aroμos, 2 Thes. ii.) Armageddon (i. e., the Hill of Megiddo, in the north-west of Palestine, marked in the Roman maps as "Legio,") is to be the place of their gathering: "the valley of Jehoshaphat" (Joel III.) under the walls of Jerusalem, the place of their destruction. The nations will

* Εγενετο ἡ βασιλεια του κόσμου, του Κυρίου ἡμων και του χριστου αυτον. Rev. xi. 15.

† ὁ Σατανας, ὁ πλανων την οικουμενην όλην. Rev. xii. 9. See also Rev. xx. 3-"that he should not any longer deceive the nations "-words which very forcibly show how completely he deceives them now.

On the First Psalm.

THE first verse of this Psalm describes the blessedness or happiness of THE Man that hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked, and hath not stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of scorners. This verse can be strictly true of ONE only. Of none except the Lord Jesus can it be said, that He NEVER had fellowship or connexion with any of the manifold forms of evil.

It is true, indeed, that Christ's people are, through grace, enabled in their measure to follow Him "who hath given us an example that we should follow his steps:" but their blessedness rests not on the ground of their NEVER having walked in ways of evil. Their characteristic blessing is rather found in such a Psalm as the xxxii. "Happy is he whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered, &c.,"-words which stand in marked contrast with the first verse of this Psalm. Nor is it likely that the first Psalm, which is commonly regarded as the preface to the whole book, should be silent respecting Him whose perfectness, and sufferings, and resulting glory, are the great theme of this book of praises.*

"I have been induced," says Fry, "to embrace the opinion of some among the ancient interpreters, who conceive that the first Psalm is intended to be descriptive of the character and reward of the JUST ONE, whose merits, sufferings, and conflicts, will be found unquestionably to be the subjects of many of these sacred songs. God forbid that I should be understood to say that the believer in Christ is not bound to show his faith by his works; or that no particular promises of blessedness encourage his diligence in his vocation, and in his keeping of the commandments of God! This would be contrary to numberless passages of Scripture. What I mean to assert is, that the passage before us is not parallel to these Scriptures, but is to be classed with

* The title of this book in the Hebrew is, "the book of praises,"

those that describe the righteousness of the Law. "Blessed is the man that continueth in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." In this point of view it will, I trust, be admitted, that though Christ must be imitated in His righteous and holy life, and that this imitation is the proof of their discipleship who call Him Lord; yet all the righteousness that can meet the demand of the Law, and all the holiness that can bear the light of the Divine countenance must be sought for in the blessed Surety alone and can become ours only by gracious imputation."-Fry on the Psalms.*

It must be remembered too that the Psalms have for their peculiar subject things manifested in the earth. They are the utterances either of Christ Himself, or else of those in whom His Spirit dwelleth, respecting certain manifestations of evil, and certain manifestations of good, of which the earth, and especially Jerusalem and the Land of Israel, are the sphere. Sometimes evil is the subject,-its hostility to God, God's people, and God's Truth; its heading up in THE ANTICHRIST, its temporary triumph, and final overthrow; at other times Righteousness is the subject its perfect development in CHRIST; its temporary suffering, and its final triumph: but in either case, the earth, and especially Israel, is the sphere in which all these things are to be displayed-all resulting in glory to God and blessing to His people, and therefore fit subjects for this "Book of Praises."

The earth has already witnessed the sufferings and sorrows of the Lord Jesus, but it hath not yet witnessed His glory. Indeed, in a certain sense, it is still the witness of His sorrows; for His people suffer, and in all their afflictions He is afflicted. "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?" We read of the Lord Jesus, that when personally on earth, "His visage was more marred than any man, and his form more than the sons of men;" that "He was as a root out of a dry ground, having no form nor comeliness." It was the day of His humiliation and suffering, as the Surety for His peoples' sins. He was not then seen "as the tree planted by the rivers of waters;" on the contrary, suffering, not prosperity was His portion, But when He shall be manifested again, how changed the circum

* See also Dr. Hawker. "This Psalm, which may be considered as introductory to the whole book, very sweetly opens with a view of Christ's Person, and calls Him 'blessed.' Some features are described which can be spoken of none but Him."

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