Title - A Psalm of David. David is pictured in this Psalm as in a faithful miniature. His holy trust, his many conflicts, his great transgressions, hip bitter repentance, and his deep distresses are all here; so that we see the very heart of "the man after God's own heart." It is evidently a composition of David's later days, for he mentions the sins of his youth, and from its painful references to the craft and cruelty of his many foes, it will not be too speculative a theory to refer it to the period when Absalom was heading the great rebellion against him. This has been styled the second of the seven Penitential Psalms. It is the mark of a true saint that his sorrows remind him of his sins, and his sorrow for sin drives him to his God.

Subject and Division - The twenty-two verses of this Psalm begin in the original with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in their proper order. It is the first instance we have of an inspired acrostic or alphabetical song. This method may have been adopted by the writer to assist the memory; and the Holy Spirit may have employed it to show us that the graces of style and the arts of poetry may lawfully be used in his service. Why should not all the wit and ingenuity of man be sanctified to noblest ends by being laid upon the altar of God? From the singularity of the structure of the Psalm, it is not easy to discover any marked divisions; there are great changes of thought, but there is no variation of subject; the moods of the writer's mind are twofold - prayer and meditation; and as these appear in turns, we shall thus divide the verses. Prayer from Psalm 25:1-7; meditation, Psalm 25:8, Psalm 25:9, Psalm 25:10; prayer, Psalm 25:11; meditation, Psalm 25:12-15; prayer, Psalm 25:16 to end.

Hints to Preachers

Psalm 25:1 - Heavenly machinery for uplifting an earthbound soul.

Psalm 25:1 - Genuine devotion described and commended.

Psalm 25:2 - The soul at anchor, and the two rocks from which it would be delivered.

Psalm 25:3 - Shame out of place and in place.

Psalm 25:4 - Practical divinity the best study; God the best teacher; Prayer the mode of entrance into the school.

Psalm 25:4, Psalm 25:5 - "Shew." "Teach." "Lead." Three classes in the school of grace.

Psalm 25:5

I. Sanctification desired.

II. Knowledge sought.

III. Assurance enjoyed.

IV. Patience exercised.

Psalm 25:5 - "Thou art the God of my salvation." A rich and overflowing text.

Psalm 25:5 (last clause) - How to spend the day with God - Matthew Henry.

Psalm 25:6 - The antiquity of mercy.

Psalm 25:6, Psalm 25:7 - The three Remembers.

Psalm 25:7 (first clause) - The best Act of Oblivion - Thomas Fuller.

Psalm 25:7 - Oblivion desired and remembrance entreated. Note "my," and "thy."

Psalm 25:8 - Opposing attributes co-working. God teaching sinners - a great wonder.

Psalm 25:9 - "The meek." Who they are? What are their privileges? How to be like them?

Psalm 25:9 (first clause) - Moral purity needful to a well-balanced judgment.

Psalm 25:10 - God's mercy and faithfulness in providence, and the persons who may derive comfort therefrom.

Psalm 25:11 - A model prayer. Confession, argument, entreaty, etc.

Psalm 25:11 - Great guilt no obstacle to the pardon of the returning sinner - Jonathan Edwards.

Psalm 25:12 - Holiness the best security for a well ordered life. Free-will at school, questioned and instructed.

Psalm 25:13 - A man at ease for time and eternity.

Psalm 25:14

I. A secret, and who know it.

II. A wonder, and who see it.

Psalm 25:15

I. What we are like. A silly bird.

II. What is our danger? "Net."

III. Who is our friend? "The Lord."

IV. What is our wisdom? "Mine eyes," etc.

Psalm 25:16 - A desolate soul seeking heavenly company, and an afflicted spirit crying for divine mercy. Our God the balm of all our wounds.

Psalm 25:16-18 - David is a petitioner as well as a sufferer; and those sorrows will never injure us that bring us near to God. Three things he prays for: -

I. Deliverance. This we are called to desire, consistently with resignation to the divine will.

II. Notice. A kind look from God is desirable at any time, in any circumstances; but in affliction and pain, it is like life from the dead.

III. Pardon. Trials are apt to revive a sense of guilt. - William Jay.

Psalm 25:17 - Special seasons of trouble and special resort to prayer for special deliverance.

Psalm 25:18 - Two things are here taught us: -

I. That a kind look from God is very desirable in affliction.

II. That the sweetest cordial under trouble would be an assurance of divine forgiveness.

I. That a kind look, etc. (subdivisions),

1. It is a look of special observation.

2. It is a look of tender compassion.

3. It is a look of support and assistance (with God, power and compassion go together).

II. That the sweetest cordial, etc. (subdivisions),

1. Because trouble is very apt to bring our sins to remembrance.

2. Because a sense of pardon will in great measure remove all distressing fears of death and judgment.

Improvement.

1. Let us adore the goodness of God, that one so great and glorious should bestow a favourable look upon any of our sinful race.

2. Let the benefit we have received from the Lord's looking upon us in former afflictions, engage us to pray, and encourage us to hope, that he will now look upon us again.

3. If a kind look from God be so comfortable, what must heaven be!

- Samuel Lavington.

Psalm 25:18

I. It is well when our sorrows remind us of our sins.

II. When we are as earnest to be forgiven as to be delivered.

III. When we bring both to the right place in prayer.

IV. When we are submissive about our sorrows - "Look," etc. - but very explicit about our sins - "Forgive," etc.

Psalm 25:19 - The spiritual enemies of the saint. Their number, malice, craft, power, etc.

Psalm 25:20 - Soul preservation.

I. Its twofold character, "Keep," and "deliver."

II. Its dreadful alternative, "Let me not be ashamed."

III. Its effectual guarantee, "I put my trust in thee."

Psalm 25:20 - A superhuman keeping, a natural fear, a spiritual trust.

Psalm 25:21 - The open way of safety in action, and the secret way of safety in devotion.

Psalm 25:22 - Jacob's life, as typical of ours, may illustrate this prayer.

Psalm 25:22 - A prayer for the church militant.

Explanatory Notes and Quaint Sayings

Whole Psalm

This is the first of the seven alphabetical Psalms, the others being the 34th, 37th, Psalm 111:1-10, Psalm 112:1-10, 119th, and 145th. They are specimens of that acrostic mode of writing which seems to have been once so fashionable among the Jews, as is testified by numerous instances of such composition, which are to be met with in their works. Other poetic artifices were likewise adopted. We find many instances of poems being so constructed, that a prayer name, or some particular sentiment, would be not unfrequently expressed by the initial letters of the verses. See Bartolocci's "Bibliotheca Rabbinica," vol. 2 p. where examples of such artifices are cited. - George Phillips, B.D., in "The Psalms in Hebrew with a Commentary," 1846.

Whole Psalm

This is the first fully alphabetic Psalm.... The only lesson which the use of the alphabetic form may teach is this: - that the Holy Spirit was willing to throw his words into all the moulds of human thought and speech; and whatever ingenuity man may exhibit in intellectual efforts, he should consecrate these to his Lord, making him the "Alpha and Omega" of his pursuits. - Andrew A. Bonar.

Whole Psalm

Saving grace is a secret that no man knows but the elect and the elect cannot know it neither without special illumination: - 1. Special showing - "Shew me thy ways, O Lord," saith David. 2. Barely showing will not serve the turn, but there must be a special teaching - "Teach me thy paths," Psalm 25:4. 3. Bare teaching will not avail neither, but there must be a special inculcative teaching - "Teach me in thy ways," to Psalm 25:8. 4. Inculcative teaching will not do the deed neither, but there must be a special directive teaching - "Guide in judgment and teach," Psalm 25:9. 5. Directive teaching will not be sufficient neither, but there must be a special manu-ductive teaching - "Lead me forth in thy truth, and teach me," Psalm 25:5. 6. Manu-ductive teaching will not be effectual, but there must ye also a special, choice teaching, a determination of the very will, an elective teaching - "Him shall he teach in the wall that he shall choose," Psalm 25:12. And what secret is this? not common grace, for that is not the secret of the elect, but special and peculiar grace. 1. The special grace of prayer - "Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul," Psalm 25:1. 2. A special grace of faith - "My God, I trust in thee," Psalm 25:2. 3. A special grace of repentance - "Remember not the sins of my youth," etc., Psalm 25:7. 4. A special grace of hope - "My hope is in thee," Psalm 25:21. 5 A special grace of continual living in God's sight, and dependence upon God - "Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord," Psalm 25:15. 6. Which is the root of all God's special and eternal favour and mercy - "Remember, O Lord thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old," Psalm 25:6; even God's special mercy to him in particular, Psalm 25:11. - William Fenner, in "Hidden Manna," 1626.

Whole Psalm

In these four Psalms which immediately follow one another we may find the soul of David presented in all the several postures of piety - lying, standing, sitting, kneeling. In the twenty-second Psalm, he is lying all along, falling fiat on his face, low grovelling on the ground, even almost entering into a degree of despair. Speaking of himself in the history of Christ in the mystery, "My God why hast thou forsaken me?" In the Psalm 23:1-6, he is standing, and through God's favour, in despite of his foes, trampling and triumphing over all opposition; "The Lord is my shepherd, therefore shall I lack nothing." In the Psalm 24:1-10he is sitting, like a doctor in his chair, or a professor in his place, reading a lecture of divinity, and describing the character of that man - how he must be accomplished - "who shall ascend into the holy hill," and hereafter be partaker of happiness. In this twenty-fifth Psalm, he is kneeling, with hands and voice lifted up to God, and on these two hinges the whole Psalm turneth; the one is a hearty beseeching of God's mercy, the other a humble bemoaning of his own misery. - Thomas Fuller.

Psalm 25:1

"Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." The lifting up of the heart presupposeth a former dejection of his soul. The soul of man is pressed down with sin and with the cares of this world, which, as lead doth the net, draweth it so down, that it cannot mount above till God send spiritual prayers, as cork to the net, to exalt it; which arise out of faith, as the flame doth out of the fire, and which must be free of secular cares, and all things pressing down, which showeth unto us that worldlings can no more pray than a mole is able to fly. But Christians are as eagles which mount upward. Seeing then the heart of man by nature is fixed to the earth, and of itself is no more able to rise therefrom than a stone which is fixed in the ground, till God raises it by his power, word, and workmen; it should be our principal petition to the Lord, that it would please him to draw us, that we might run after him; that he would exalt and lift up our hearts to heaven, that they may not lie still in the puddle of this earth. - Archibald Symson.

Psalm 25:1

"Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." A godly man prays as a builder builds. Now a builder first layeth a foundation, and because he cannot finish in one day, he comes the second day, and finds the frame standing that he made the first day, and then he adds a second day's work; and then he comes a third day and finds his two former days' work standing; then he proceeds to a third day's work, and makes walls to it, and so he goes on till his building be finished. So prayer is the building of the soul till it reach up to heaven; therefore a godly heart prays, and reacheth higher and higher in prayer, till at last his prayers reach up to God. - William Fenner.

Psalm 25:1

"Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul:" unto thee in the fulness of thy merits, unto thee in the riches of thy grace; unto thee in the embraces of thy love and comforts of thy Spirit; unto thee, that thy thorns may be my crown, thy blood my balsam, thy curse my blessing, thy death my life, thy cross my triumph. This is my "life hid with Christ in God;" and if so, then where should be my soul, but where is my life? And, therefore, "unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." ... O make good thy name of Lord unto me; as Lord, rebuke Satan and restrain all earthly and carnal affections, that they do not once dare to whisper a temptation to my soul, a distraction to my thoughts, whilst I am in communion with thee, in prayer at thy holy ordinance. Do thou as Lord, rule me by thy grace, govern me by thy Spirit, defend me by thy power, and crown me with thy salvation. Thou Lord, the preserver of heaven and earth, "thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing." Psalm 145:16 O open now thine hand, thy bosom, thy bounty, thy love, and satisfy the desires of my longing soul, which I here "lift up unto thee." - Robert Mossore, 1657.

Psalm 25:1

"Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul." Cyprian saith, that in the primitive times the minister was wont to prepare the people's minds to pray, by prefacing, Sursum corda, lift up your hearts. The Jews at this day write upon the walls of their synagogues these words, Tephillah belo cavannah ceguph belo neshamah; that is, A prayer without the intention of the affection is like a body without a soul. And yet their devotion is a mere outside, saith one - a brainless head and a soulless body: "This people draweth nigh to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Isaiah 29:13. A carnal man can as little lift up his heart in prayer, as a mole can fly. A David finds it a hard task; since the best heart is lumpish, and naturally beareth downwards, as the poise of a clock, as the lead of a net. Let us therefore "lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us;" and pray to God to draw us up to himself, as the loadstone doth the iron. - John Trapp.

Psalm 25:1

"Unto thee I lift up my soul." This follows by a natural consequence after the sublime appeal in the foregoing Psalm to the gates of heaven to lift up their heads to receive Christ, the Lord of hosts and the King of glory, ascending into heaven. As the Collect for Ascension-day expresses it, "Grant, O Lord, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to have ascended into the heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend;" and for the Sunday after Ascension, "O God, who hast exalted thine only Son with great triumph to thy kingdom in heaven, send thy Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us to the same place, whither our Saviour Christ is gone before." - Christopher Wordsworth, in loc.

Psalm 25:1

"I lift up my soul, alluding to the sacrifices, which were wont to be lifted up. Hence prayers not answered, not accepted, are said to be stopped from ascending. Lamentations 3:44. When you met with such expressions in the Old Testament concerning prayer, you must still understand them to be allusions to the sacrifices, because the sacrifices were lifted up and did ascend. - Joseph Caryl.

Psalm 25:1

"My soul. But how shall I call it mine, seeing it is thine, thine by purchase, thine having bought it with thy blood? Yea, is it not thy spouse whom thou hast wedded to thyself by thy Spirit through faith? And is not this holy sacrament the marriage feast? If so, sure then, my Jesus, I was lost in myself, till found in thee; and therefore my soul is now, and not till now, truly mine, in being wholly thine; so that I can say with confidence, "I lift up my soul unto thee." - Robert Mossore.

Psalm 25:2, Psalm 25:3

When David had prayed, "O my God, I trust in thee; let me not be ashamed!" In the next verse, as if conscious to himself that his prayers were too restrictive, narrow, and niggardly, he enlargeth the bounds thereof, and builds them on a broader bottom, "Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed. Thus it is that charity in the midst of our religious devotions must have rehoboth (room enough to expatiate in). Our petitions must not be pent or confined to our own private good, but extended to the benefit of all God's servants, in what condition soever. - Thomas Fuller.

Psalm 25:3

"Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed." To wit, neither by their own disappointments, nor mine. For this last some add, because if he should fail of his hopes, he knew this would be a great discouragement of others. - Arthur Jackson, M.A., 1593-1666.

Psalm 25:3

"Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause." All persons who transgress, do it, in some sense, without cause; since they cannot excuse or justify their conduct. God is so amiable and excellent in every part of his great name, that he deserves our constant reverence and love. His law is so holy, just, and good, and all his precepts concerning all things so righteous and calculated to make us happy, that the mouth of every transgressor must be stopped. Hence we all must be covered with shame, if dealt with according to our deserts, for all have sinned. But since God has promised to be merciful to those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel, shame will be the portion of those only who wilfully persist in their wickedness, and refuse to return to God by Jesus Christ. These then are the persons whom the Psalmist speaks of as transgressing without cause, and doubtless these have no cloak for their sin. - William Richardson, 1825.

Psalm 25:3

"Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause." Let shame be sent to the right owner, even to those that deal disloyally, unprovoked on my part. And so it was; for Achitophel hanged himself Absalom was trussed up by the hand of God, and dispatched by Joab; the people that conspired with him, partly perished by the sword, and partly fled home, much ashamed of their enterprise. Oh, the power of prayer I what may not the saints have for asking? - John Trapp.

Psalm 25:4

"Shew me thy ways, O Lord," etc. There are the "ways" of men, and the "ways" of God; the "paths" of sin, and the "paths" of righteousness: there are "thy ways," and there are my ways; thine the ways of truth, mine the ways of error; thine which are good in thine eyes, and mine which are good in mine eyes; thine which lead to heaven, mine which lead to hell. Wherefore, "Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths," lest I mistake mine own ways for thine; yea, lead me in the truth, and teach me, lest I turn out of thy ways into mine own: "shew me thy ways," by the ministry of thy word; "teach me thy paths," in the guidance of thy Spirit, "lead me in thy truth," by the assistance of thy grace. - Robert Mossom.

Psalm 25:4, Psalm 25:5, Psalm 25:9

Do what you know, and God will teach you what to do. Do what you know to be your present duty, and God will acquaint you with your future duty as it comes to be present. Make it your business to avoid known omissions, and God will keep you from feared commissions. This rule is of great moment, and therefore I will charge it upon you by express Scripture. "Shew me thy ways, O Lord," i.e., those way wherein I cannot err. "Teach me thy paths," i.e., that narrow path which is too commonly unknown, those commands that are most strict and difficult, Psalm 25:5. "Lead me in thy truth, and teach me," i.e., teach me evidently, that I may not be deceived; so teach me, that I may not only know thy will, but do it. Here's his prayer, but what grounds hath he to expect audience? "For thou art the God of my salvation," q.d., thou Lord, wilt save me, and therefore do not refuse to teach me. "On thee do I wait all the day," i,e., the whole day, and every day. Other arguments are couched in the following verses, but what answer? Psalm 25:9, "The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he leach his way," i.e., those that submit their neck to his yoke, those that are not conceited that they can guide themselves: in necessary, great, and weighty matters they shall not err. - Samuel Annesley, D.D., (1620-1696), in "Morning Exercises at Cripplegate."

1 Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.

4 Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.

5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

6 Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

Psalm 25:1

"Unto thee, O Lord." - See how the holy soul flies to its God like a dove to its cote. When the storm-winds are out, the Lord's vessels put about and make for their well-remembered harbour of refuge. What a mercy that the Lord will condescend to hear our cries in time of trouble, although we may have almost forgotten him in our hours of fancied prosperity. "Unto thee, O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul." It is but mockery to uplift the hands and the eyes unless we also bring our souls into our devotions. True prayer may be described as the soul rising from earth to have fellowship with heaven; it is taking a journey upon Jacob's ladder, leaving our cares and fears at the foot, and meeting with a covenant God at the top. Very often the soul cannot rise, she has lost her wings, and is heavy and earth-bound; more like a burrowing mole than a soaring eagle. At such dull seasons we must not give over prayer, but must, by God's assistance, exert all our power to lift up our hearts. Let faith be the lever and grace be the arm, and the dead lump will yet be stirred. But what a lift it has sometimes proved! With all our tugging and straining we have been utterly defeated, until the heavenly loadstone of our Saviour's love has displayed its omnipotent attractions, and then our hearts have gone up to our Beloved like mounting flames of fire.

Psalm 25:2

"O my God." This title is more dear and near than the name Jehovah, which is used in the first sentence. Already the sweet singer has drawn nearer to his heavenly helper, for he makes bold to grasp him with the hand of assured possession, calling him, my God. Oh the more than celestial music of that word - "my God!" It is to be observed that the Psalmist does not deny expression to those gracious feelings with which God had favoured him; he does not fall into loathsome mock modesty, but finding in his soul a desire to seek the Lord he avows it; believing that he had a rightful interest in Jehovah he declares it, and knowing that he had confidence in his God he professes it; "O my God, I trust in thee." Faith is the cable which binds our boat to the shore, and by pulling at it we draw ourselves to the land; faith unites us to God, and then draws us near to him. As long as the anchor of faith holds there is no fear in the worst tempest; if that should fail us there would be no hope left. We must see to it that our faith is sound and strong, for otherwise prayer cannot prevail with God. Woe to the warrior who throws away his shield; what defence can be found for him who finds no defence in God? "Let me not be ashamed." Let not my disappointed hopes makes me feel ashamed of my former testimonies to thy faithfulness. Many were on the watch for this. The best of men have their enemies, and should pray against them that they may not see their wicked desires accomplished. "Let not mine enemies triumph over me." Suffer no wicked mouth to make blasphemous mirth out of my distresses by asking "Where is thy God?" There is a great jealousy in believers for the honour of God, and they cannot endure that unbelievers should taunt them with the failure of their expectations from the God of their salvation. All other trusts will end in disappointment and eternal shame, but our confidences shall never be confounded.

Psalm 25:3

"Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed." Suffering enlarges the heart by creating the power to sympathize. If we pray eagerly for ourselves, we shall not long be able to forget our fellow-sufferers. None pity the poor like those who have been or are still poor, none have such tenderness for the sick as those who have been long in ill health themselves. We ought to be grateful for occasional griefs if they preserve us from chronic hard-heartedness; for of all afflictions, an unkind heart is the worst, it is a plague to its possessor, and a torment to those around him. Prayer when it is of the Holy Ghost's teaching is never selfish; the believer does not sue for monopolies for himself, but would have all in like case to partake of divine mercy with him. The prayer may be viewed as a promise; our Heavenly Father will never let his trustful children find him untrue or unkind. He will ever be mindful of his covenant. "Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause." David had given his enemies no provocation; their hatred was wanton. Sinners have no justifiable reason or valid excuse for transgressing; they benefit no one, not even themselves by their sins; the law against which they transgress is not harsh or unjust; God is not a tyrannical ruler, providence is not a bondage: men sin because they will sin, not because it is either profitable or reasonable to do so. Hence shame is their fitting reward. May they blush with penitential shame now, or else they will not be able to escape the everlasting contempt and the bitter shame which is the promotion of fools in the world to come.

Psalm 25:4

continued...

8 Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.

9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.

These three verses are a meditation upon the attributes and acts of the Lord. He who toils in the harvest field of prayer should occasionally pause awhile and refresh himself with a meal of meditation.

Psalm 25:8

"Good and upright is the Lord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way." Here the goodness and the rectitude of the divine character are beheld in friendly union; he who would see them thus united in bonds of perfect amity must stand at the foot of the cross and view them blended in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. It is no less true than wonderful that through the atonement the justice of God pleads as strongly as his grace for the salvation of the sinners whom Jesus died to save. Moreover, as a good man naturally endeavours to make others like himself, so will the Lord our God in his compassion bring sinners into the way of holiness and conform them to his own image; thus the goodness of our God leads us to expect the reclaiming of sinful men. We may not conclude from God's goodness that he will save those sinners who continue to wander in their own ways, but we may be assured that he will renew transgressors' hearts and guide them into the way of holiness. Let those who desire to be delivered from sin take comfort from this. God himself will condescend to be the teacher of sinners. What a ragged school is this for God to teach in! God's teaching is practical; he teaches sinners not only the doctrine, but the way.

Psalm 25:9

"The meek will he guide in judgment." Meek spirits are in high favour with the Father of the meek and lowly Jesus, for he sees in them the image of his only-begotten Son. They know their need of guidance, and are willing to submit their own understandings to divine will, and therefore the Lord condescends to be their guide. Humble spirits are in this verse endowed with a rich inheritance; let them be of good cheer. Trouble puts gentle spirits to their wits' ends, and drives them to act without discretion, but grace comes to the rescue, enlightens their mind to follow that which is just, and helps them to discern the way in which the Lord would have them to go. Proud of their own wisdom fools will not learn, and therefore miss their road to heaven, but lowly hearts sit at Jesus' feet, and find the gate of glory, for "the meek will he teach his way." Blessed teacher! Favoured scholar! Divine lesson! My soul, be thou familiar with the whole.

Psalm 25:10

This is a rule without an exception. God is good to those that be good. Mercy and faithfulness shall abound towards those who through mercy are made faithful. Whatever outward appearances may threaten we should settle it steadfastly in our minds that while grace enables us to obey the Lord's will we need not fear that Providence will cause us any real loss. There shall be mercy in every unsavoury morsel, and faithfulness in every bitter drop; let not our hearts be troubled, but let us rest by faith in the immutable covenant of Jehovah, which is ordered in all things and sure. Yet this is not a general truth to be trampled upon by swine, it is a pearl for a child's neck. Gracious souls, by faith resting upon the finished work of the Lord Jesus, keep the covenant of the Lord, and, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, they walk in his testimonies; these will find all things co-working for their good, but to the sinner there is no such promise. Keepers of the covenant shall be kept by the covenant; those who follow the Lord's commands shall find the Lord's mercy following them.

11 For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.

This sentence of prayer would seem out of place were it not that prayer is always in its place, whether in season or out of season. Meditation having refreshed the Psalmist, he falls to his weighty work again, and wrestles with God for the remissions of his sin. "For thy name's sake, O Lord." Here is a blessed, never-failing plea. Not for our sakes or our merits' sake, but to glorify thy mercy, and to show forth the glory of thy divine attributes. "Pardon mine iniquity." It is confessed, it is abhorred, it is consuming my heart with grief; Lord forgive it; let thine own lips pronounce my absolution. "For it is great." It weighs so heavily upon me that I pray thee remove it. Its greatness is no difficulty with thee, for thou art a great God, but the misery which it causes to me is my argument with thee for speedy pardon. Lord, the patient is sore sick, therefore, heal him. To pardon a great sinner will bring thee great glory, therefore for thy name's sake pardon me. Observe how this verse illustrates the logic of faith, which is clean contrary to that of a legal spirit; faith looks not for merit in the creature, but hath regard to the goodness of the Creator; and instead of being staggered by the demerits of sin it looks to the precious blood, and pleads all the more vigorously because of the urgency of the case.

12 What man is he that feareth the Lord? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.

13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.

14 The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.

15 Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.

Psalm 25:12

"What man is he that feareth the Lord?" Let the question provoke self-examination. Gospel privileges are not for every pretender. Art thou of the seed royal or no? "Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose." Those whose hearts are right shall not err for want of heavenly direction. Where God sanctifies the heart he enlightens the head. We all wish to choose our way; but what a mercy is it when the Lord directs that choice, and makes free-will to be good-will! If we make our will God's will, God will let us have our will. God does not violate our will, but leaves much to our choice; nevertheless, he instructs our wills, and so we choose that which is well-pleasing in his sight. The will should be subject to law; there is a way which we should choose, but so ignorant are we that we need to be taught, and so wilful that none but God himself can teach us effectually.

Psalm 25:13

He who fears God has nothing else to fear. "His soul shall dwell at ease." He shall lodge in the chamber of content. One may sleep as soundly in the little bed in the corner as in the Great Bed of Ware; it is not abundance but content that gives true ease. Even here, having learned by grace both to abound and to be empty, the believer dwells at ease; but how profound will be the ease of his soul for ever! There he will enjoy the "otium cum dignitate;" ease and glory shall go together. Like a warrior whose battles are over, or a husbandman whose barns are full, his soul shall take its ease, and be merry for ever. "His seed shall inherit the earth." God remembers, Isaac for the sake of Abraham, and Jacob for the sake of Isaac. Good men's sons have a goodly portion to begin the world with, but many of them, alas! turn a father's blessing into a curse. The promise is not broken because in some instances men wilfully refuse to receive it; moreover, it is in its spiritual meaning that it now holds good; our spiritual seed do inherit all that was meant by "the earth," or Canaan; they receive the blessing of the new covenant. May the Lord make us the joyful parents of many spiritual children, and we shall have no fears about their maintenance, for the Lord will make each one of them princes in all the earth.

Psalm 25:14

"The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him." Some read it "the friendship:" it signifies familiar intercourse, confidential intimacy, and select fellowship. This is a great secret. Carnal minds cannot guess what is intended by it, and even believers cannot explain it in words, for it must be felt to be known. The higher spiritual life is necessarily a path which the eagle's eye hath not known, and which the lion's whelp has not travelled; neither natural wisdom nor strength can force a door into this inner chamber. Saints have the key of heaven's hieroglyphics; they can unriddle celestial enigmas. They are initiated into the fellowship of the skies; they have heard words which it is not possible for them to repeat to their fellows. "And he will shew them his covenant." Its antiquity, security, righteousness, fulness, graciousness and excellence shall be revealed to their hearts and understandings, and above all, their own part in it shall be sealed to their souls by the witness of the Holy Spirit. The designs of love which the Lord has to his people in the covenant of grace, he has been pleased to show to believers in the Book of Inspiration, and by his Spirit he leads us into the mystery, even the hidden mystery of redemption. He who does not know the meaning of this verse, will never learn it from a commentary; let him look to the cross for the secret lies there.

Psalm 25:15

"Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord." The writer claims to be fixed in his trust, and constant in his expectation; he looks in confidence and waits in hope. We may add to this look of faith and hope the obedient look of service, the humble look of reverence, the admiring look of wonder, the studious look of meditation and the tender look of affection. Happy are those whose eyes are never removed from their God. "The eye," says Solomon, "is never satisfied with seeing," but this sight is the most satisfying in the world. "For he shall pluck my feet out of the net." Observe the conflicting condition in which a gracious soul may be placed, his eyes are in heaven and yet his feet are sometimes in a net; his nobler nature ceases not to behold the glories of God, while his baser parts are enduring the miseries of the world. A net is the common metaphor for temptation. The Lord often keeps his people from falling into it, and if they have fallen he rescues them. The word "pluck" is a rough word, and saints who have fallen into sin find that the means of their restoration are not always easy to the flesh; the Lord plucks at us sharply to let us feel that sin is an exceeding bitter thing. But what a mercy is here! Believer, be very grateful for it. The Lord will deliver us from the cunning devices of our cruel enemy, and even if through infirmity we have fallen into sin, he will not leave us to be utterly destroyed but will pluck us out of our dangerous state; though our feet are in the net, if our eyes are up unto God, mercy certainly will interpose.

16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.

18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.

20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.

22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Psalm 25:16

His own eyes were fixed upon God, but he feared that the Lord had averted his face from him in anger. Oftentimes unbelief suggests that God has turned his back upon us. If we know that we turn to God we need not fear that he will turn from us, but may boldly cry, "Turn thee unto me." The ground of quarrel is always in ourselves, and when that is removed there is nothing to prevent our full enjoyment of communion with God. "Have mercy upon me." Saints still must stand upon the footing of mercy; notwithstanding all their experience they cannot get beyond the publican's prayer, "Have mercy upon me." "For I am desolate and afflicted." He was lonely and bowed down. Jesus was in the days of his flesh in just such a condition; none could enter into the secret depths of his sorrows, he trod the winepress alone, and hence he is able to succour in the fullest sense those who tread the solitary path.

"Christ leads me through no darker rooms

Than he went through before;

He that into God's kingdom comes,

Must enter by this door."

Psalm 25:17

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