How was the apostle afraid to be in the bath with Cerinthus ! "Depart," saith God by Moses," from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, lest ye be consumed in all their sins." How have the baskets of good figs suffered with the bad! Is it not prejudicial to the gold to be with the dross? Lot had been ruined by his neighbourhood to the Sodomites if God had not wrought wonderfully for his deliverance. Will you put God to work miracles to save you from your ungodly company? It is dangerous being in the road with thieves whilst God's hue and cry of vengeance is at their backs. "A companion of fools shall be destroyed." The very beasts may instruct you to consult better for your security: the very deer are afraid of a wounded chased deer, and therefore for their preservation thrust him out of their company.—Lewis Stuckley.

Verse 12.-" If he turn not, he will whet his sword," etc. The whetting of the sword is but to give a keener edge that it may cut the deeper. God is silent as long as the sinner will let him; but when the sword is whet, it is to cut; and when the bow is bent, it is to kill; and woe be to that man who is the butt.- William Secker.

Verse 13.-" He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." It is said that God hath ordained his arrows against the persecutors; the word signifies such as burn in anger and malice against the godly; and the word translated ordained, signifies God hath wrought his arrows; he doth not shoot them at random, but he works them against the wicked. Illiricus hath a story which may well be a commentary upon this text in both the parts of it. One Felix, Earl of Wartenberg, one of the captains of the Emperor Charles V., swore in the presence of divers at supper, that before he died he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans. Here was one that burned in malice, but behold how God works his arrows against him: that very night the hand of God so struck him, that he was strangled and choked in his own blood; so he rode not, but bathed himself, not up to the spurs, but up to the throat, not in the blood of the Lutherans, but in his own blood before he died.-Jeremiah Burroughs.

Verse 13.-" He ordaineth his arrows." This might more exactly be rendered, "He maketh his arrows burning." This image would seem to be deduced from the use of fiery arrows.-John Kitto, 1804—1854.

Verse 14.-" Behold, he travaileth with iniquity," etc. The words express the conception, birth, carriage, and miscarriage, of a plot against David. In which you may consider:-(1.) What his enemies did. (2.) What God did. (3.) What we all should do: his enemies' intention, God's prevention, and our duty; his enemies' intention, he travaileth with iniquity, and conceiveth mischief; God's prevention, he brought forth a lie; our duty, Behold..... Observe the aggravation of the sin, he conceiveth. He was not put upon it, or forced into it; it was voluntary. The more liberty we have not to sin, makes our sin the greater. He did not this in passion, but in cold blood. The less will, less sin.-Richard Sibbs. Verse 14.-" He travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief." All note that conceiving is before travailing, but here travailing, as a woman in labour, goeth first; the reason whereof is, that the wicked are so hotly set upon the evil which they maliciously intend, that they would be immediately acting of it if they could tell how, even before they have conceived by what means; but in fine they bring forth but a lie, that is, they find that their own hearts lied to them, when they promised good success, but they had evil. For their haste to perpetrate mischief is intimated in the word rendered "persecutors" (verse 13), which properly signifieth ardentes, burning; that is, with a desire to do mischief-and this admits of no delay. A notable common-place, both setting forth the evil case of the wicked, especially attempting anything against the righteous, to move them to repentance-for thou hast God for thine enemy warring against thee, whose force thou canst not resist-and the greedy desire of the wicked to be evil, but their conception shall all prove abortive.-J. Mayer, in loc.

Verse 14.-" And hath brought forth falsehood." Every sin is a lie.-Augustine.
Verse 14. "Earth's entertainments are like those of Jael,
Her left hand brings me milk, her right, a nail."

Thomas Fuller. Verses 14, 15.-" They have digged a pit for us"—and that low, unto hell— "and are fallen into it themselves."

"No juster law can be devised or made,

Than that sin's agents fall by their own trade."

The order of hell proceeds with the same degrees; though it give a greater portion, yet still a just proportion, of torment. These wretched guests were too busy with the waters of sin; behold, now they are in the depth of a pit, "where no water is." Dives, that wasted so many tuns of wine, cannot now procure water, not a pot of water, not a handful of water, not a drop of water, to cool his tongue. Desideravit guttam, qui non dedit micam.* A just recompense! He would not give a crumb; he shall not have a drop. Bread hath no smaller fragment than a crumb, water no less fraction than a drop. As he denied the least comfort to Lazarus living, so Lazarus shall not bring him the least comfort dead. Thus the pain for sin answers the pleasure of sin. Thus damnable sins shall have semblable punishments; and as Augustine of the tongue, so we may say of any member If it will not serve God in

action, it shall serve him in passion.-Thomas Adams.

Verse 15.-" He made a pit and digged it." The practice of making pitfalls was anciently not only employed for ensnaring wild beasts, but was also a stratagem used against men by the enemy, in time of war. The idea, therefore, refers to a man who, having made such a pit, whether for man or beast, and covered it over so as completely to disguise the danger, did himself inadvertently tread on his own trap, and fall into the pit he had prepared for another.-Pictorial Bible.

Verse 16.-That most witty of commentators, Old Master Trapp, tells the following notable anecdote, in illustration of this verse:-That was a very remarkable instance of Dr. Story, who, escaping out of prison in Queen Elizabeth's days, got to Antwerp, and there thinking himself out of the reach of God's rod, he got commission under the Duke of Alva to search all ships coming thither for English books. But one Parker, an English merchant, trading to Antwerp, laid his snare fair (saith our chronicler), to catch this foul bird, causing secret notice to be given to Story, that in his ship were stores of heretical books, with other intelligence that might stand him in stead. The Canonist conceiving that all was quite sure, hasted to the ship, where, with looks very big upon the poor mariners, each cabin, chest, and corner above-board were searched, and some things found to draw him further on: so that the hatches must be opened, which seemed to be unwillingly done, and great signs of fear were showed by their faces. This drew on the Doctor to descend into the hold, where now in the trap the mouse might well gnaw, but could not get out, for the hatches were down, and the sails hoisted up, which, with a merry gale, were blown into England, where ere long he was arraigned, and condemned of high treason, and accordingly executed at Tyburn, as he had well deserven.

Verse 16.-The story of Phalaris's bull, invented for the torment of others, and serving afterwards for himself, is notorious in heathen story. . . It was a voluntary judgment which Archbishop Cranmer inflicted on himself when he thrust that very hand into the fire, and burnt it, with which he had signed to the popish articles, crying out, "Oh, my unworthy right hand!" but who will deny that the hand of the Almighty was also concerned in it?— William Turner in "Divine Judgments by way of retaliation," 1697.

Verse 17.-To bless God for mercies is the way to increase them; to bless him for miseries is the way to remove them: no good lives so long as that which is thankfully improved; no evil dies so soon as that which is patiently endured.— William Dyer.

Aug. Hom. 7.

HINTS TO THE VILLAGE PREACHER.

Verse 1.-The necessity of faith when we address ourselves to God. Show the worthlessness of prayer without trust in the Lord.

Verses 1, 2.-Viewed as a prayer for deliverance from all enemies, especially Satan the lion.

Verse 3.-Self-vindication before men. When possible, judicious, or serviceable. With remarks upon the spirit in which it should be attempted. Verse 4.-"The best revenge." Evil for good is devil-like, evil for evil is beast-like, good for good is man-like, good for evil is God-like.

Verse 6.-How and in what sense divine anger may become the hope of the righteous.

2. Why

Fire fought by fire, or man's anger overcome by God's anger. Verse 7.-"The congregation of the people." 1. Who they are. they congregate together with one another. 3. Where they congregate. 4. Why they choose such a person to be the centre of their congregation. Verse 7.-The gathering of the saints around the Lord Jesus.

Verse 7 (last clause).-The coming of Christ to judgment for the good of his

saints.

Verse 8.-The character of the Judge before whom we all must stand.

Verse 9 (first clause).-(1) By changing their hearts; or (2) by restraining their wills, (3) or depriving them of power, (4) or removing them. Show the times when, the reasons why, such a prayer should be offered, and how, in the first sense, we may labour for its accomplishment.

Verse 9.-This verse contains two grand prayers, and a noble proof that the Lord can grant them.

Verse 9.-The period of sin, and the perpetuity of the righteous.-Matthew Henry.

Verse 9.-" Establish the just." By what means and in what sense the just are established, or, the true established church.

Verse 9 (last clause).-God's trial of men's hearts.

Verse 10.-" Upright in heart." Explain the character.

Verse 10.-The believer's trust in God, and God's care over him. Show the action of faith in procuring defence and protection, and of that defence upon our faith by strengthening it, etc.

Verse 11.-The Judge, and the two persons upon their trial.

Verse 11 (second clause).-God's present, daily, constant, and vehement anger, against the wicked.

Verse 12.-See "Spurgeon's Sermons," No. 106. "Turn or Burn."

Verses 14, 15, 16.-Illustrate by three figures the devices and defeat of persecutors.

Verse 17.-The excellent duty of praise.

Verse 17.-View the verse in connection with the subject of the Psalm, and show how the deliverance of the righteous, and the destruction of the wicked are themes for song.

Verse 14.-" And hath brought forth falsehood." Every sin is a lie.—Augu
Verse 14. "Earth's entertainments are like those of Jael,
Her left hand brings me milk, her right, a nail."

Thomas Full. Verses 14, 15.-" They have digged a pit for us"-and that low, unto! "and are fallen into it themselves."

"No juster law can be devised or made,

Than that sin's agents fall by their own trade." The order of hell proceeds with the same degrees; though it give a portion, yet still a just proportion, of torment. These wretched guests too busy with the waters of sin; behold, now they are in the depth of "where no water is." Dives, that wasted so many tuns of wine, canno procure water, not a pot of water, not a handful of water, not a drop of to cool his tongue. Desideravit guttam, qui non dedit micam.* A j compense! He would not give a crumb; he shall not have a drop. hath no smaller fragment than a crumb, water no less fraction than a dr he denied the least comfort to Lazarus living, so Lazarus shall not bri the least comfort dead. Thus the pain for sin answers the pleasure of s Thus damnable sins shall have semblable punishments; and as Augustin tongue, so we may say of any member. . . . . If it will not serve action, it shall serve him in passion.-Thomas Adams.

Verse 15.-" He made a pit and digged it." The practice of making pitt anciently not only employed for ensnaring wild beasts, but was also a sta used against men by the enemy, in time of war. The idea, therefore, re man who, having made such a pit, whether for man or beast, and co over so as completely to disguise the danger, did himself inadvertently his own trap, and fall into the pit he had prepared for another.-Pictori

Verse 16.-That most witty of commentators, Old Master Trapp following notable anecdote, in illustration of this verse:-That wa remarkable instance of Dr. Story, who, escaping out of prison in Que beth's days, got to Antwerp, and there thinking himself out of the God's rod, he got commission under the Duke of Älva to search all shi thither for English books. But one Parker, an English merchant, Antwerp, laid his snare fair (saith our chronicler), to catch this foul bir secret notice to be given to Story, that in his ship were stores of books, with other intelligence that might stand him in stead. The conceiving that all was quite sure, hasted to the ship, where, with big upon the poor mariners, each cabin, chest, and corner abovesearched, and some things found to draw him further on: so that must be opened, which seemed to be unwillingly done, and great si were showed by their faces. This drew on the Doctor to descen hold, where now in the trap the mouse might well gnaw, but could for the hatches were down, and the sails hoisted up, which, with a were blown into England, where ere long he was arraigned, and co high treason, and accordingly execut at Tyburn, as he had well d Verse 16.-The story of Phalar and serving afterwards for him It was a voluntary judgment when he thrust that very h signed to the popish arti but who will deny that William Turner in "D

Verse 17.-To ble for miseries is the thankfully improv William Dyer.

pines with the ths of the ocean, less in unbroken ence in the silent to the uttermost aven, or dive into ng, or justified in vells and is manifor his brightness ceeds the glory of

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