"The proud have had me exceedingly in derision, yet have I not shrunk from Thy law. "For I remembered Thine everlasting judgments, O God, and received comfort. "Thy statutes have been my songs, in the house of my pilgrimage. "I have thought upon Thy name, O Lord, in the night-season, and have kept Thy law." This was the Psalmist's plan for delivering himself out of trouble. A very singular plan, which very few persons try, either now, or in any age. And therefore it is, that so many persons are not delivered out of their troubles, but sink deeper and deeper into them, heaping new troubles on old ones, till they are crushed beneath the weight of their own sins. What the special trouble was, in which the Psalmist found himself, we are not told. But it is plain from his words, that it was just that very sort of trouble, in which the world is most ready to excuse a man for lying, cringing, plotting, and acting on the old devil's maxim that "Cunning is the natural weapon of the weak." For the Psalmist was weak, oppressed and persecuted by the great and powerful. But his method of defending himself against them was certainly not the way of the world. Princes, he says, sat and spoke against him. But; instead of fawning on them, excusing himself, entreating their mercy: he was occupied in God's statutes. The proud had him exceedingly in derision--as I am afraid too many worldly men, poor as well as rich, working men as well as idlers, would do now--seeing him occupied in God's statutes, when he might have been occupied in winning money, and place, and renown for himself. But he did not shrink from God's law. If it was true, he could afford to be laughed at for obeying it. The congregation of the ungodly robbed him. But he did not forget God's law. If they did wrong, that was no reason why he should do wrong likewise. The proud imagined a lie against him. But he would keep God's commandments with his whole heart, instead of breaking God's commandments, and justifying their slander, and making their lie true. Still, it went very hard with him. His honour and his faith were sorely tried. He was dried up like a bottle in the smoke. It seems to have been with him at times a question of life and death; till he had hardly any hope left. He had to ask, almost in despair--How many are the days of Thy servant? When wilt Thou be avenged of them that persecute me? The proud dug pits for him, contrary to the law of God; contrary to honour and justice; and almost made an end of him upon earth. The ungodly laid wait to destroy him.