He was a man who made no noise in the world:  though the world, it seems, made a little noise at him in his time, as it does often bark and yell at those who will not go its way; as it barked at poor Christian, when he went through Vanity Fair, and would not buy its wares, or join in its frivolities.  Such a man was this Psalmist; for whom the world had nothing but scorn first, and then forgetfulness.  We do not know his name, or where he lived.  We do not even know, within a few hundred years, when he lived.  I picture him to myself always as a poor, shrivelled, stooping, mean-looking old man; his visage marred more than any man, and his figure more than the sons of men; no form nor comeliness in him, nor beauty that men should desire him; despised and rejected of men:  a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, even as his Master was after him.

And all that he has left behind him—­as far as we can tell—­is this one psalm which he wrote, as may be guessed from its arrangement, slowly, and with exceeding care, as the very pith and marrow of an experience spread over many painful years of struggle and of humiliation.

I say of humiliation.  For there is not a taint of self-conceit, not even of self-satisfaction, in him.  He only sees his own weakness, and want of life, of spirit, of manfulness, of power.  His soul cleaveth to the dust.  He is tempted, of course, again and again, to give way; to become low-minded, cowardly, time-serving, covetous, worldly.  But he dares not.  He feels that his only chance is to keep his honour unspotted; and he cries—­Whatever happens,—­I must do right.  I must learn to do right.  Teach me to do right.  Teach me, O Lord, teach me; and strengthen me, O Lord, strengthen me, and then all must come right at last.  That was his cry.  And, be you sure, he did not cry in vain.

For this man had one precious possession; which he determined not to lose, not though he died in trying to hold it fast; namely, the Eternal Spirit of God; the Spirit of Righteousness, and Truth, and Justice, which leads men into all truth.  By that Spirit he saw into the Eternal Laws of God.  By that Spirit he saw who made and who administers those Eternal Laws, even the Eternal Word of God, who endureth for ever in heaven.  By that Spirit he saw that his only hope was to keep those eternal laws.  By that Spirit he vowed to keep them.  By that Spirit he had strength to keep them.  By that Spirit, when he failed he tried again; when he fell he rose and fought on once more, to keep the commandments of the Lord.

And where is he now?  Where is he now?  Where those will never come—­let false preachers and false priests flatter them as they may—­who fancy that they can get to heaven without being good and doing good.  Where those will never come, likewise, who, when they find themselves in trouble, try to help themselves out of it by false and mean methods; and so begin worshipping the devil, just when they have most need to worship God.  He is where the fearful and unbelievers and all liars can never come.  He is with the Word of the Lord, who endureth for ever in heaven.