works, never acknowledge their ungodliness; and who, while they imagine that they please thee the most of all men, are of all men the farthest from pleasing thee.

Secondly: We have this, "Neither shall the malignant man dwell with thee."-In the Hebrew it is RA; that is, a bad man, or badness; so that it may either signify an ungodly man, or ungodliness: because where ungodliness, infidelity, and unbelief reign, there also malice or malignity reigns. For what can the man do, who is destitute of the good grace of God, but sin? By malignity in this passage, therefore, we are to understand the very root and the old leaven of malice and wickedness; whereby, being destitute of grace, we are prone to rush into every sin, where occasion is given us for so doing. As Christ saith to his disciples, "If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children," Matt. vii. 11.

This malice, however, plausibly conceals itself under the covering of works that are holy and pious in appearance, until some opportunity or occasion presents itself to irritate it, and to force it to display itself in its true colours. You may see many who are gentle, humble, and kind in their words, actions, and whole deportment, who, if you do but touch them with your finger, become in a moment most cruel, most austere, and ready to commit every evil. Yet these characters in the present day go by the honourable appellation of men of acute feelings, because, on account of their external show of a good conversation, they must not be called "malignant;" though they all the while perish themselves in security, and destroy all others also, who, after their example, securely neglect to mortify this malignity. For all these passions and acute feelings are a proof of the root of malignity; showing, that godliness (that is, faith in God) is there wanting, and that ungodliness is in full dominion. Such, therefore, shall not dwell with God nor tarry in his sight.

Thirdly We have the "unrighteous;" whom the Hebrew calls HOLELIM; which signifies, properly,

those who break forth into the outward act, transgress, and commit evil both in deed and word. Ungodliness, indeed, and malignity frequently lie hidden, (excepting in those to whom the spirituality of the law has been opened up; for the latter confess themselves to be sinners with the apostle Paul, Rom. vii. 9;) and it is these that make the tree evil.' But these HOLLIM are they who bring forth the 'evil fruits,' by following the malignity of their ungodly hearts: concerning whom Solomon saith, Eccles. x. 13, "The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is HOLELOTH RA: which translators have rendered the worst of errors.'

We still see, therefore, a beautiful order kept up in the words. First, there is ungodliness; a state in which we are left to ourselves, without the assistance of the grace of God. This is followed, secondly, by malice; by which we are inclined to commit that which is in us; that is, every evil. And thirdly, there is unrighteousness, the transgression itself; that is, the very fruits of this ungodliness and malignity.

These, saith David, "shall not stand in thy sight:" or, as the Hebrew has it, 'The HOLELIM shall not make to stand in the sight of thy eyes.' And this verb, 'shall not make to stand,' or, shall not place, or establish' (statuent,) is exactly the same as that verb of Psalm ii. 2, which the translators have rendered by the perfect, "The kings of the earth stood up:" instead of shall make to stand,' or shall establish: that is, (in the full meaning of the absolute verb,) shall make themselves to stand.' So also here," shall not stand," shall not make themselves to stand before God, shall not appear before him, &c. which, nevertheless, they most confidently believe they shall do, being deceived by their false opinions and works: for they do not believe that they do evilly even when they are really doing evil.

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Fourthly: "Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity." We read this same sentence in many places in the Old Testament and it is always written with the verb

PAAL, which, as we have shown Psalm i., signifies to do, or to work,' and the noun AVEN, which is variously and differently rendered; as we have before seen, verse 3 of this Psalm.

Now, I see that the prophets, especially Hosea x. 5, playing as it were upon the word, have called that place Beth-aven, instead of Beth-el, where Jeroboam the first king of Israel set up the golden calves to be worshipped, lest the people of Israel should go to Jerusalem to sacrifice, and should ultimately revolt from him to the king of Judah; as we read 1 Kings xii. 26-33. And hence, where they ought to have called it Beth-el, that is, the house of God, they call it Beth-aven; which some have rendered, the house of the idol,' (that is,. contrary to the house of God,) or, more properly, the house of iniquity or wickedness,' or the house of idolatry.'

Following the prophets therefore, I would rather understand by AVEN, iniquity and idolatry:" not that idolatry only which serves idols of wood and stone; but rather, that idolatry which Samuel, chap. xv. 22, sets forth unto Saul in a powerful way; thus, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry." Wherein we see, that this religion of Saul was a furious disobedience, a perverse superstition, and a wretched AVEN; for of this we find him accused openly throughout the Old Testament, as being the way in which he reigned. And so also, at this day, no pest more awfully rages, than this, when men leave that way which God has ordained, and form out to themselves another way of worshipping him entirely of their own invention; and attempt to serve him therein. And this unhappy fall into disobedience has gained ground much more widely than any one can describe. For in every condition of life among Christians, you may find this,-that, neglecting the observance of God's commandments, they will

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worship God according to their own traditions and opinions.

This, I say, is the AVEN; that outside show of works, under which, as I said before, they cover their iniquity, ungodliness, malignity, and every transgression and this sheep's-clothing and pestilent hypocrisy lays waste the Christian religion more dreadfully than any sword, famine, or pestilence.

Behold, therefore, how the prophet is inflamed with zeal against this impious piety, and this irreligious religion; than which, there is no religion that he more bitterly hates; saying, "Thou hatest all them that work iniquity."" All, saith he; and, "thou hatest.' Here, lest any should imagine that they please God by such an accursed superstition, he declares that "all" are under the hatred of God, without excepting one.

These few observations will suffice concerning this greatest and most widely prevailing of all depravity: which we shall hereafter always express by the term 'disobedience,' or 'idolatry,' that is, the externally holy worship of the ungodly. For they do not openly violate the commands of God, like the publicans and harlots: but, under a show of great works and singular piety; as was the case with Bernard. And Psalm xci. 6 calls these characters "The devil (or, the destruction) that wasteth at noon-day." And the apostle Paul calls them, "ministers of Satan transformed into angels of light,' 2 Cor. xi. 15, a description of whom we have plainly and strikingly set before us in the above-mentioned character of Saul, 1 Sam. xv.

Therefore, AVEN is rightly interpreted by many, not only iniquity,' but also, 'pain,' and 'labour:' because, this disobedience has indeed in it much pain and labour. And hence, as the common proverb goes, 'It is harder work to merit hell, than to merit heaven.' For the devil presses these his martyrs most terribly, and never gives them any relief or refreshment. And, as the Lord said by Moses, Deut. xxviii. that he would deliver the people of Israel into the hands of their enemies, and

that they should there serve strange gods which should give them no rest neither day nor night; so, it is said, Eccles. x. 15, "The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them." And it is said frequently in the same book, that, to such, "all is vanity and vexation of spirit." Whereas, on the contrary, Christ, although he chasteneth, yet "his yoke is easy, and his burden is light;" because he relieves and refreshes all who are weary and heavy laden, with a joyful confidence of heart, if they will but come unto him, Matt. xi. But all the former characters will have to say with Wisdom ii. 1, "Our life is short and tedious.'

Fifthly: "Thou shalt destroy all them that speak lies." Here, he attacks the teachers and doctrine of iniquity: for the Hebrew verb DIBBER, seems to me to signify that kind of speech whereby something is taught or spoken forth or recited in public. And hence, the word DABAR signifies the thing done or wrought, or rather, spoken forth or narrated. Which Which figurative mode of speech has been preserved by Luke, chap. ii. 15, "Let us now go even unto Beth-lehem and see this word (pna,);" that is, this thing which is done and spoken of. And indeed, in the book of Leviticus a clear distinction is made between the words DIBBER and AMAR; each of which signifies to speak' or 'to say.' For it is continually written, "The Lord spake unto Moses, saying:" where, the first verb is DIBBER, that is, 'spake.' And hence it is in constant use with the prophets; as, " And the Word of the Lord came unto me, saying." Wherefore, DIBBER, generally signifies, 'to speak any thing forth publicly in the way of doctrine,' which doctrine is particularly specified by the verb AMAR: And even if this distinction and difference are not universally received and allowed, yet let us use them thus until we shall have found something better. It is at least certain, that the word which is here rendered to speak,' in many places signifies to teach:" as in Psalm cxix. 46, "I will speak of thy testimonies." And Psalm lx. 6, "God hath spoken in his holiness," or ' in his saint,' (sancto suo.)