The Jews ever were, and are still, remarkable for usury and usurious contracts; and a Jew that is saved from it is in the fair way, charity would suppose, to the kingdom of heaven. The Roman laws condemned the usurer to the forfeiture of four times the sum. Cato de Rust., lib. i.

Nor taketh reward against the innocent. ] 11. He neither gives nor receives a bribe in order to pervert justice or injure an innocent man in his cause. The lawyer, who sees a poor man opposed by a rich man, who, though he is convinced in his conscience that the poor man has justice and right on his side, yet takes the larger fee from the rich man to plead against the poor man, has in fact taken a bribe against the innocent, and without the most signal interposition of the mercy of God, is as sure of hell as if he were already there.

He that doeth these things ] He in whose character all these excellences meet, though still much more is necessary under the Christian dispensation, shall never be moved-he shall stand fast for ever. He is an upright, honest man, and God will ever be his support.

Now we have the important question answered, Who shall go to heaven? The man who to faith in Christ Jesus adds those eleven moral excellences which have been already enumerated. And only such a character is fit for a place in the Church of Christ.

On this verse there is a singular reading in my old MS. Psalter, which I must notice. The clause, Qui pecuniam suam non dedit ad usuram, "who putteth not out his money to usury," is thus translated: "He that gat nout his catel til oker." Now this intimates that the author had either read pecudem, CATTLE, for pecuniam, MONEY; or that catel was the only money current in his time and country. And indeed it has long been the case, that the Scottish peasantry paid their rents in kind; so many cows or sheep given to the laird for the usufruct of the ground. That this is no mistake in the translation is evident enough from the paraphrase, where he repeats the words, with his gloss upon them: "He that gaf nout his Catel till oker" bodyly als covaytus men dos gastly: that he seke naght for his gude dede, na mede of this werld, bot anely of heven.

The very unusual word oker signifies produce of any kind, whether of cattle, land, money, or even the human offspring. It is found in the Anglo-Saxon, the Gothic, the German, and the Danish; in all which languages it signifies produce, fruit, offspring, usury, and the like. Dr. Jameson does not show the word in any of its forms, though it is evident that it existed in the ancient Scotttsh language.

The word catel may be used here for chattels, substance of any kind, moveable or immoveable; but this word itself was originally derived from cattle, which were from the beginning the principal substance or riches of the inhabitants of the country. Indeed the word pecunia, money, was derived from pecus, cattle, which were no longer used as a medium of commerce when silver and gold came into use. There is a passage in Chaucer where cattel catching seems to be used for getting money.

Speaking of the wicked priests of his time, he says: ] "Some on her churches dwell"Apparailled poorely proud of porte;" "The seven Sacramentes thei doen sell,"In" Cattel catching is her comfort."Of each matter thei wollen mell;"And doen hem wrong is her disport."To affraie the people thei been fell"And hold hem lower than doeth the Lorde." Plowmanne's Tale, 3d part.

ANALYSIS OF THE FIFTEENTH PSALM

A Psalm of doctrine, consisting of two parts, in which we have the character of a sound Christian, (rather, an upright Jew.) I. The first part is delivered in the form of a dialogue between God and the prophet, from ver. 1-5.

II. The second is the epiphonema, or moral reflection, in the close of the last verse.

I. 1. The question proposed by the psalmist to God, 1. "Lord, who shall sojourn in thy holy tabernacle?" 2. "Who shall rest upon thy holy hill?" That is, because all are not Israel which are of Israel, therefore the psalmist asks of God, Who shall sojourn as a true member in the Church militant? And who shall rest in the Church triumphant? 2. To which God returns the following answer, containing very remarkable notes of the true character of a member of the Church: - 1. In general, he is a man, who is, 1. Upright in thought; he is an honest man: "He that walketh uprightly." 2. Just in his deed: "He works righteousness." 3. True in his word: "He speaks the truth in his heart." 2. In particular, he is a man who avoids evil.

1. In himself he is no slanderer: "He backbites not with his tongue." 2. He is no wrong-doer: "Nor doeth evil to his neighbour." 3. He is no reviler, tale-bearer, nor talehearer: "He takes not up a reproach against his neighbour." 4. He is no favourer of sin: "In whose eyes an evil person is contemned." 5. He is no oppressor nor extortioner: He puts not his money to his poor brother to usury.

6. No briber: "He takes no reward against the innocent." 3. Such a man is he who honours them that fear the Lord.

4. "He sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." He will surely keep his word; his character is composed of piety and charity.

II. The epiphonema, or moral reflection has these two parts: - 1. The party to whom this privilege belongs: "He that doeth these things;" for the doers, not the hearers, of the law shall be justified.