7 Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him: but grieve not thyself at him, whose way doth prosper, against the man that doeth after evil counsels.

8 Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure: fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.

9 Wicked doers shall be rooted out: and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.

10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.

11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.

12 The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

13 The Lord shall laugh him to scorn: for he hath seen that his day is coming.

14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of a right conversation.

15 Their sword shall go through their own heart: and their bow shall be broken.

16 A small thing that the righteous hath is better than great riches of the ungodly.

17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.

18 The Lord knoweth the days of the godly and their inheritance shall endure for ever.

19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time : and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.

20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs: yea, even as the smoke, shall they consume away.

21 The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous is merciful, and liberal.

22 Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.

mankind have been placed by the common fall have rendered the temporary prevalence of evil one of the necessary conditions of their state. Hence the continual struggle between the higher and the lower faculties of man; and the painful trials to which, in this world, those who are endowed by Heaven with the principles of good are perpetually exposed. But the conflict has its appointed end; and the outer darkness must finally swallow up whatever now exalts itself against the sovereignty of good.

23 The Lord ordereth a good man's going and maketh his way acceptable to himself.

24h he fall, he shall not be cast away for the Lord up

:

4 For my wickednesses are gone over my head and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.

5 My wounds stink, and are corrupt: through my foolishness. 6 I am brought into so great trouble and misery that I go mourning all the day long.

PSALM XXXVIII.-Repentance, in its saddest hour of confession, can find no stronger language than that here employed by the Psalmist. We feel awe-struck at the spectacle which a heart presents thus unfolding the secrets of its corruption. Yet, melancholy as the contemplation is when the sinfulness of our nature forms the sole object of our thoughts, if we continue to pursue the same train of reflection as the Psalmist, feelings of consolation arise from our very sadness; for the merciful Spirit of God comes to our aid: we are taught that there is a fountain opened for the washing away of sins; and that, sad as our case is, we may still be enriched with the glories of a Divine inheritance.

23 The Lord ordereth a good man's going and maketh his way acceptable to himself.

24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast away for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

25 I have been young, and now am old and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.

26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth and his seed is blessed.

27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good and dwell for

evermore.

28 For the Lord loveth the thing that is right he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.

29 The unrighteous shall be punished ungodly, it shall be rooted out.

as for the seed of the

30 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell therein for

ever.

31 The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom and his tongue will be talking of judgement.

32 The law of his God is in his heart and his goings shall not slide.

33 The ungodly seeth the righteous and seeketh occasion to slay him.

34 The Lord will not leave him in his hand nor condemn him when he is judged.

35 Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.

36 I myself have seen the ungodly in great power and flourishing like a green bay-tree.

37 I went by, and lo, he was gone: I sought him, but his place could no where be found.

38 Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right: for that shall bring a man peace at the last.

39 As for the transgressors, they shall perish together and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.

40 But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord who is also their strength in the time of trouble.

41 And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.