Psalm V

This Psalm, we are informed, was to be played upon "Nehiloth," which, being derived from a word signifying to perforate, appears to have been a wind instrument ; and this also agrees with the character of the Psalm ; for the breath, that inflates the instrument, corresponds to a celestial state of the affections and thoughts, and the instrument, when played on, its accompanying delights. The whole Psalm describes a new state of interior illustration," My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up," when the warmth of the Divine Love and the light of the Divine Wisdom are no longer resisted by the cold unfruitful earth of our selfish nature, but penetrate deep, and warm and fertilise the ground which has been broken up by the sorrows and troubles accompanying the change.

This Psalm represents the struggle as past. Man is now so far regenerated, or born again, as to have learnt to reject the evil tendencies of his will, and the erroneous impressions of his intellect. And therefore it is said in the third verse, " My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning," for the morning, signifies a state of spiritual illustration, in consequence of a new or spiritual will being formed in man by love to the Lord and to his neighbour. "In the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up." Here the directing of his prayer to the Lord signifies the spiritual conjunction of the will with Him, and his looking up, the spiritual elevation of the understanding.

Verses 4, 5, and 6. "For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with Thee. The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy theni that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." The spiritual sense of these show, that from his regenerated state man is enabled to perceive his former or natural condition, that it is one of opposition and hatred to the Lord's Divine Providence, and to have been self-destructive. With this perception and conviction, he can go into the "Lord's house in the multitude of His mercy," and in his fear can. "worship towards His holy temple." In this state of spiritual conjunction with his Divine Regenerator, he can place his whole confidence in Him, and utterly condemn and cast from himself the evils and falsities of his selfish nature, signified by "Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness; because of mine enemies, make Thy ways straight before my face. For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness ; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue. Destroy Thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against Thee.'' With this steadfast reliance on the Lord to guard him against the spiritual enemies that he sees within himself and condemns, " blessing," or conjunction of life with his Divine Redeemer, is promised him ; and it is added, that the Lord will "compass him as with a shield," to show him by this instrument of war that the Divine strength is given him not to encourage listlessness, but that he may be ever prepared to resist, in the Lord's strength, whensoever his enemies assail.