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and destruction of our bodies, in the common way, will be found abundantly sufficient for the purpose. For who can attend the digging of a grave, and view the ruins then disclosed, without exclaiming, "Our bones lie scattered at the grave's mouth; as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth!" Indeed, Rachel hath often had occasion to bemoan her children, thus untimely slain by the unrelenting sword of persecution. But let her refrain her voice from weeping, and her eyes from tears. Her children shall return again from the dead, and their bones shall rejoice and flourish as an herb, Jer. xxxi. 15. Isai. Ixvi. 14.

8. But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the LORD: in thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute. 9. Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.

The principle upon which David acted, and supported himself under his troubles, was a firm trust in God, and a steady resolution to obey him. With confidence, therefore, he made his prayer, that Jehovah would keep him from the snares which Saul and his counsellors had laid for him on one hand, and from those of the idolaters, among whom he was driven, on the other; that so he might not be left destitute and lose his life, or, which he prized more, his faith. For it is remarkable, that in his last speech to Saul, 1 Sam. xxvi. 19. where he mentions the wicked policy of his enemies, who had contrived to force him into banishment, he mentions not the danger of his life, but only that of his religion-"They have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, go, serve other gods;" intimating, that they had done what lay in their power to drive him to idolatry, by forcing him into a country, where he would have the strongest temptation to it.

10. Let the wicked, or, the wicked shall, fall into their own neis together, whilst that I withal escape.

From the sequel of the history, we find that the hope and assu rance here expressed by the Psalmist were not vain. He escaped all the snares that were laid for him on every side; he lived to see the death of Saul, who fell in a battle with the Philistines, and those Philistines subdued by himself and his subjects. So will the devices of all our enemies be in the end turned against themselves: they shall fall and perish, but we shall triumph with our Redeemer to eternity.

XXIX DAY. EVENING PRAYER. PSALM CXLII.

ARGUMENT.

The title of this Psalm informs us, that it was a prayer of David, when he was in the cave, that is, most probably, the

cave of Adullam, whither he fled, when in danger both from Saul and from the Philistines, 1 Sam. xxii. 1. It containeth, 1, 2. a supplication; 3-5. an act of confidence in God at that season of danger and destitution; 6. a tender complaint of his sufferings, and, 7. a petition for deliverance. Our translators having rendered some of the verbs in the past tense, the liberty hath been taken to alter them, agreeably to the Hebrew, and to the tenor of the Psalm, which seemeth to be an actual prayer, and not the relation of one.

1. I will cry unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD will I make my supplication. 2. I will pour out my complaint before him; I will show before him my trouble.

The state of David in the cave of Adullam was a state of utter destitution. Persecuted by his own countrymen, dismissed by Achish, and not yet joined by his own relations, or any other attendants, he took refuge in the cave, and was there alone. But in that disconsolate, and seemingly desperate situation, he desponded not. He had a Friend in heaven, into whose bosom he poured forth his complaint, and told him the sad story of his trouble and distress. When danger besetteth us around, and fear is on every side, let us follow the example of David, and that of a greater than David, who, when Jews and Gentiles conspired against him, and he was left all alone, in the garden, and on the cross, gave himself unto prayer.

3. When my spirit is overwhelmed within me, then thou knowest my path. In the way wherein I walk, have they privily laid a snare for

me.

The meaning is, Though my thoughts are so broken and confused, that I am not able to counsel and direct myself in these straits, yet thou knowest the path wherein I walk, thou art with me, and wilt preserve me from those who watch all my steps, and lie in ambush for me. Such should be at all times the confidence of believers in the wisdom, the power, and the goodness of God, even when human prudence has done its utmost, and is at its wit's end.

4. Look on my right hand, and see that there is no man that will know me; refuge faileth me; no man careth for our soul. 5. I cry unto thee, O LORD, I say, Thou art my refuge, and my portion in the land of the living.

David beseecheth God to consider his destitute condition, to "look on his right hand," the place where the advocate used to stand, and to see that there was no man that would know, acknowledge him, and take his part; refuge failed him; there was on earth no patron, to whom he could commit himself and his cause;

no one, that would seek, require, or avenge his soul. Thus Dr. Hammond expounds the words in a forensic sense. How affectingly do they describe the destitution of David in the cave, and that of the Son of David in the day of his passion, death and burial! Death will, in like manner, strip us of all our earthly connexions and dependencies. But even at that hour, may we, each of us," cry unto thee, O Lord, and say, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living!"

6. Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. 7. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for, or, when thou shalt deal bountifully with

me.

This prayer of David was heard and answered; he was delivered from his persecutors, enlarged from his distress, exalted to the throne, and joined by all the tribes of Israel. The true David was delivered from his stronger persecutors, brought from the sepulchre, exalted to his heavenly throne, owned and submitted to by the converted nations, who became the Israel and people of God. Nor let us fear, though we be brought very low, and our persecutors, the world, the flesh, and the devil, be at any time too strong for us. God will deliver us from the bondage of sin, and redeem us from the prison of the grave, to join the great assembly before the throne, and there to praise his name for ever.

PSALM CXLIII.

ARGUMENT.

This is the seventh and last of the Penitential Psalms; and as we are not informed of any particular temporal calamities, which gave occasion to its being composed, we shall explain it according to the general use now made of it in the church, for which, indeed, it seems to have been originally and entirely designed. After the example of David, the penitent, 1. maketh his prayer to God for pardon; 2. acknowledgeth the impossibility of any being saved, but by grace: 3, 4. deploreth the lamentable effects of sin; 5. comforteth himself with a retrospect of God's mercies of old; and, 6-12. prayeth, in a variety of expressions, for remission of sin, sanctification, and redemp tion.

1. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

When Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ with her tears, he knew what the petition was which her soul desired to have granted, and answered it, accordingly, before it was made in

words, by saying, Thy sins are forgiven thee. Thus the penitent, without mentioning the subject of his request, as being well known to God, begs that his prayer and supplication may be heard and answered, agreeably to the faithfulness and righteousness of Jehovah.

2. And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

In the first verse, the suppliant appealed to the promises of God, and his fidelity in performing them. Here he urgeth the fallen, sinful, wretched state of human nature, which hath rendered it absolutely impossible that any son of Adam can be saved, should God enter into judgment with him, and exact the punishment due to his offences according to the LAW, instead of pardoning them by an act of GRACE. The thoughts of such a trial are enough to appal the soul of the best man living, to make his flesh tremble, and all his bones shake, as if he stood at the foot of Sinai, and beheld Jehovah ready to break forth upon him in the flame of devouring fire.

3. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. 4. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

We have an enemy, who persecutes us with unrelenting malice; he smites our life down to the ground, as often as we yield to temptation, and fall from our state of holiness, to grovel in base and earthly desires; he makes us to dwell in darkness, when he has thus withdrawn us from the light of heaven, which before illuminated us, while we walked in it; the spiritual life, for a time, is extinguished, and we become, for all the purposes of faith and charity, like those that have been long dead. Therefore at the consideration of this our sad estate, when God has enabled us to see and know it, our spirit is overwhelmed within us with remorse, anxiety, and despondency; and our heart within us, deprived of the comforts of conscience, the joys of the Spirit, and the presence of the Beloved, is desolate, forlorn, miserable. To rescue the sin ner from this disconsolate and lost condition, our blessed Saviour was forsaken on the cross; his spirit was overwhelmed within him, and his heart within him was desolate; the enemy was suffered to smite his precious life down to the ground, and he dwelt for three days in darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

5. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

When sin has thus laid us low, and, as it were, slain and entombed us, we begin to revive, and to arise from the dead, through

hope of forgiveness and restoration to the divine favour, by rebering the days of old, and meditating on all the works of love and mercy which Jehovah then wrought towards those who winners, like ourselves. While we muse on such instances of 1 goodness, the reflection is obvious; is he not still the same gramous God? Will he not do as much for us, upon our repentance, as he bath formerly done for others, upon theirs? Let us arise, and go to our Father!

C. I stretch forth my hands unto thee; my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.

Prayer is the voice of faith. The sinner who views his situation, and believes, on having considered God's works of old, that he shall be delivered out of it, will soon stretch forth his hands, in suplication to heaven. His soul will gasp and pant after that grace and mercy which descend from above, like the rain in its season, to bestow refreshment, beauty, and fertility, on a parched and thirsty land. While we recite this verse, let us not be unmindful of Him, whose hands were often stretched forth in prayer for his people, and whose soul thirsted after our salvation, even then, when he felt the extremity of bodily thirst on the cross.

7. Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

These words would come with propriety from the mouth of one in danger of temporal death. They are no less proper in the mouth chim who is in danger of death eternal. Rather, they receive an *tional force and energy, when used in this latter sense.

Cause me to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning ; for in thee dverest: cruse me to know the way wherein I should walk; I lift up nto thee.

tent prayeth that he may hear the voice of God's lov

speaking pardon and peace to his soul, in the mornas and early, after the long dark night of fear and sor-: which he is passing. This he hopes, because, dis

her reliance, he placeth his confidence in God alone; Trust. Nor is he only solicitous for the forgiveness of , but for future direction in the course of duty; show way wherein I should walk. And to the end that he such directions, he hath withdrawn his affections from ead set them on things above; I lift up my soul unto

me, O Load, from mine enemies: Iflee unto thee to hide me to do thy wik; for thou art my God: thy spirit is or, let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of upright

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