‏ Psalms 1

** David was the penman of most of the psalms, but some

evidently were composed by other writers, and the writers of

some are doubtful. But all were written by the inspiration of

the Holy Ghost; and no part of the Old Testament is more

frequently quoted or referred to in the New. Every psalm either

points directly to Christ, in his person, his character, and

offices; or may lead the believer's thoughts to Him. And the

psalms are the language of the believer's heart, whether

mourning for sin, thirsting after God, or rejoicing in Him.

Whether burdened with affliction, struggling with temptation, or

triumphing in the hope or enjoyment of deliverance; whether

admiring the Divine perfections, thanking God for his mercies,

mediating on his truths, or delighting in his service; they form

a Divinely appointed standard of experience, by which we may

judge ourselves. Their value, in this view, is very great, and

the use of them will increase with the growth of the power of

true religion in the heart. By the psalmist's expressions, the

Spirit helps us to pray. If we make the psalms familiar to us,

whatever we have to ask at the throne of grace, by way of

confession, petition, or thanksgiving, we may be assisted from

thence. Whatever devout affection is working in us, holy desire

or hope, sorrow or joy, we may here find words to clothe it;

sound speech which cannot be condemned. In the language of this

Divine book, the prayers and praises of the church have been

offered up to the throne of grace from age to age.

* The holiness and happiness of a godly man. (1-3) The

sinfulness and misery of a wicked man, The ground and reason of

both. (4-6)1-3 To meditate in God's word, is to discourse with ourselves

concerning the great things contained in it, with close

application of mind and fixedness of thought. We must have

constant regard to the word of God, as the rule of our actions,

and the spring of our comforts; and have it in our thoughts

night and day. For this purpose no time is amiss. 4-6 The ungodly are the reverse of the righteous, both in

character and condition. The ungodly are not so, ver. 4; they

are led by the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners, to

the seat of the scornful; they have no delight in the law of

God; they bring forth no fruit but what is evil. The righteous

are like useful, fruitful trees: the ungodly are like the chaff

which the wind drives away: the dust which the owner of the

floor desires to have driven away, as not being of any use. They

are of no worth in God's account, how highly soever they may

value themselves. They are easily driven to and fro by every

wind of temptation. The chaff may be, for a while, among the

wheat, but He is coming, whose fan is in his hand, and who will

thoroughly purge his floor. Those that, by their own sin and

folly, make themselves as chaff, will be found so before the

whirlwind and fire of Divine wrath. The doom of the ungodly is

fixed, but whenever the sinner becomes sensible of this guilt

and misery, he may be admitted into the company of the righteous

by Christ the living way, and become in Christ a new creature.

He has new desires, new pleasures, hopes, fears, sorrows,

companions, and employments. His thoughts, words, and actions

are changed. He enters on a new state, and bears a new

character. Behold, all things are become new by Divine grace,

which changes his soul into the image of the Redeemer. How

different the character and end of the ungodly