mercy and the justice of the Lord, the joys of heaven, and the pains of hell. Thus will they give to the simple, in a few days, an "understanding" of those matters, which philosophy, for whole centuries, sought in vain.

"131. I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments."

An eastern traveller, fatigued through toil, and parched by heat, doth not, with more vehement desire, gasp for the cooling breeze, than the servant of God, in time of temptation and trouble, panteth after that spirit of refreshment and consolation, which breathes in the Scriptures of truth. The affections are the springs of human actions; no arguments are needful to impel, and no difficulties are sufficient to retard, the man who is in pursuit of an object which, with all his heart he loves and "longs for." How happy is it when heaven, instead of earth is that object!

132. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name."

A child of God is never so much afflicted, as when his heavenly Father seemeth, for a time, to have turned away his face from him. All lesser troubles vanish, when God doth but vouchsafe a "look" of paternal compassion. And since the love of Jehovah to his people is unchangeable as his nature, mercies formerly shown to others, are most forcibly urged by the Psalmist, in his petition for the like; "Be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name."

"133. Order my steps in thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me."

By the instruction of his "word," God bringeth us into the way of life; by the aids of his grace he "directeth" and "supporteth" our "steps" in that way, enabling us, as we proceed, to overcome the sins which do beset us, so that they prevail not to turn us back, or to make us desist from travelling towards the city of our eternal habitation.

"134. Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts."

He truly loveth God, who requesteth "deliverance" from "oppression" and persecution, that he may again enjoy the opportunities of "keeping his precepts," and of serving him without distraction. And gratitude for his deliverance will be, with such a one, an additional reason for using those opportunities, when they are restored, to the best advantage.

"135. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes."

The same sentiment is again expressed in different language. The Psalmist prayeth for a return of the Divine favour, and for better days, that in peace and tranquillity he may learn and do the will of God. Tribulation is a dark and tempestuous night; but Jehovah causeth "his face to shine" upon his people, and the effects are like those produced by the sun at his rising, when universal nature revives and rejoices, and clouds and darkness fly away.

"136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy

law."

David, who, through this whole Psalm, so often and so ardently beseecheth God to "teach him his statutes," declareth, in this verse, his continual grief of heart, occasioned by seeing others break those statutes. Thus Lot, among the Sodomites, was "vexed from day to day," not so much at their usage of himself, as at "seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds," 2 Pet. ii. 8. Thus Jeremiah telleth the ungodly of his time, "If ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears," Jer. xiii. 17. Thus the holy Jesus "looked round about on the Pharisees, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts," Mark iii. 5. and "wept over" a city which had always persecuted, and was then about to crucify him, because it "knew not the things which belonged to its peace," Luke xix. 41. Accept, O Lord, the

tears which our blessed Redeemer shed, in the days of his flesh, for uswho should, but, alas! too often, cannot, weep for our brethren, or for our, selves; and give us, at least, the grace of holy mourning, which in thy sight is of great price.

TZADDI. PART XVIII.

"137. Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.” This portion of our Psalm is employed in celebrating the righteousness of God, manifested to us by his word, and by his dispensations, which that word both recordeth and explaineth. It is said of the emperor Mauritius, that, upon seeing all his children slain before his face, at the command of that bloody tyrant and usurper, Phocas, himself expecting the next stroke, with a philosophy truly divine, he exclaimed aloud, in these words of David, "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judg ments.' By faith he was assured of this great truth, and nobly confessed it, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary. The last day will demonstrate the same thing to the whole world, and open the mouths of men and angels to declare, concerning all the Divine proceedings, what the good Mauritius acknowledged, at the time, with regard to the murder of his children.

"138. Thy testimonies, that thou hast commanded, are righteous and very faithful."

The revelations of God's will are "righteousness" and "truth;" his commands are just, and ought to be obeyed; his promises and his threatenings will infallibly come to pass, and deserve, above all things, to be regarded.

139. My zeal hath consumed me; because mine enemies have forgotten thy words."

"Zeal" is a high degree of love; and when the object of that love is illtreated, it venteth itself in a mixture of grief and indignation, which are sufficient to wear and consume" the heart. This will be the case, where men rightly conceive of that dishonour which is continually done to God, by creatures whom he hath made and redeemed. But never could the verse be uttered, with such fulness of truth and propriety, by any one, as by the Son of God, who had such a sense of his Father's glory, and of man's sin, as no person else ever had. And, accordingly, when his zeal had exerted itself in purging the temple, St. John tells us, "his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." The place where it is so written, is Psalm lxix. 9. and the passage is exactly parallel to this before us.

"140. Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it."

"Thy word is very pure;" in the original, "tried, refined, purified like gold in the furnace;" absolutely perfect, without the dross of vanity and fallibility, which runs through human writings. The more we try the promises, the surer we shall find them. This pure word hath likewise in it a power of purifying us. It containeth precepts and examples of purity, helps and encouragements to purity, and the Spirit of purity goeth with it, and worketh by it. "Therefore thy servant loveth it:" and no one, but a true servant of God, can "therefore" love it, because it is pure; since he, who loves it, must desire to be like it, to feel its efficacy, to be reformed by it, and conformed to it.

"141. I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts."

Faithfulness to God will often reduce men to straits, and bring upon them the contempt of the world; happy are they who, under these difficulties

* Baron. Annal. ad. Ann. 602.

†Pure gold is so fixed, that Boerhaave informs us of an ounce of it set in the eye of a glass furnace for two months, without losing a single grain.

and discouragements, "forget not his precepts," but still continue faithful, looking unto Jesus, who once "endured the cross, despising the shame, and is now set down at the right hand of God," Heb. xii. 2.

"142. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth."

Men may decree wickedness by a law, or they may change their decrees, and, with them, what was right to-day, may be wrong to-morrow. But the law of God is righteousness," and it is "truth," to-day and for ever. His justice, goodness, and fidelity, are unchangeable; he will never forsake us, unless we forsake him, but will remember us in our lowest estate, if, in that estate, "we do not forget his precepts."

143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold upon, or have found, me; yet thy commandments are my delights."

We need not take pains, as many do, "to find trouble and anguish," for they will, one day, "find us." In that day, the revelations of God must be to us instead of all worldly "delights" and pleasures, which will then have forsaken us; and how forlorn and desolate will be our state, if we shall have no other delights, no other pleasures, to succeed them, and to accompany us into eternity! Let our study be now in the Scriptures, if we expect our comfort from them in time to come.

"144. The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live."

In every sense, O Lord Jesus, thy righteousness is "everlasting;" grant us the "understanding" of it, in every sense, and we "shall live," in thee now, and with thee for ever.

TWENTY-SIXTH DAY.-EVENING PRAYER.

KOPH. PART XIX.

"145. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes. 146. I cried unto thee; save me, and I shall keep thy testimonies."

Believers, in time of affliction, make their prayer to God with fervour and importunity, petitioning for deliverance, that they may the better serve their Deliverer, and keep his laws.

"148. I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word."

It is a certain sign that our hearts are set upon a work, when the thoughts of it cause sleep to depart from us, and we awake readily, constantly, and early, to the performance of it. David delighted in the holy exercises of prayer and meditation; therefore he "prevented the dawning of the morning," and was beforehand with the light itself; therefore his "eyes prevented the watches," that is, the last of those watches, into which the night was by the Jews divided; he needed not the watchman's call, but was stirring before it could be given. Climate and constitution will, doubtless, make a difference, and claim considerable allowance: but by Christians, who enjoy their health, in temperate weather the sun should not be suffered to shine in vain, nor the golden hours of the morning to glide away unimproved; since of David's Lord, as well as of David, it is said, "in the morning rising up, a great while before day, he went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed," Mark i. 35.

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149. Hear my voice, according unto thy loving-kindness: O LORD, quicken me according to thy judgment; that is, thy word. 150. They draw nigh that follow after mischief; they are far from thy law. 151. Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth."

If our enemies "draw nigh" to destroy us, God is still "nearer" to pre

serve us; and, however his "word" may be rejected by the wicked, the faithful always find it to be "true," to their great and endless comfort.

"152. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old, that thou hast founded them for ever."

This portion of our Psalm endeth with the triumph of faith over all dangers and temptations. "Concerning thy testimonies," the revelations of thy will, thy counsels for the salvation of thy servants, “I have known of old," by faith, and by my own experience, as well as that of others, "that thou hast founded them for ever;" they are unalterable and everlasting as the attributes of their great Author, and can never fail those who rely upon them, in time or in eternity.

RESH. PART XX.

"153. Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law."

It is happy when our "afflictions" do not make us to "forget the law of God;" then have we confidence toward him in our prayers, that he will "consider" and regard our sufferings, as he did those of Israel in Egypt, and come down to " deliver" us out of all our troubles; for Israel is still in Egypt, while the church is in the world; but let us remember the promise, and rejoice in hope.

"154. Plead any cause, and deliver me: quicken me according to thy word."

God is the patron of his people, to "plead" their "cause;" their Redeemer, to "deliver" them out of troubles; the author and fountain of their life, to "quicken" and support them. We may, therefore, have recourse to him at all times, as an advocate, a Saviour, and a Comforter, for the defence of our cause, the deliverance of our persons, and the support of our hearts. And all this," according to his word," in which he hath engaged thus to patronize, to rescue, and to strengthen those who trust in him, and apply to him.

155. Salvation is far from the wicked for they seek not thy statutes." The "salvation" which is nigh the faithful, because they diligently and earnestly seek to know and to do the will of God revealed to them in his word, is far from the wicked," because "they seek not his statutes," nor concern themselves to know what they are, much less to observe and practise them.

"156. Great are thy tender mercies, O LORD: quicken me according to thy judgments, that is, thy word. 157. Many are my persecutors and mine enemies: yet do I not decline from thy testimonies. 158. I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved; because they kept not thy word."

Persecution tempteth men to apostacy, and is the great trial of our fidelity to God and to his word. He who, in such circumstances, forgetteth his own sufferings, to commiserate the sin and folly of his persecutors, is a true follower, as David was a forerunner, of Jesus Christ.

"159. Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy loving-kindness. 160. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."

It is observable how the Psalmist delighteth to dwell on these two sweet notes; the "loving-kindness" of God in promising salvation, and his "truth" in the constant performance of that promise to his church, while she "loves" and adheres to his "precepts." Thus it hath been from the "beginning," and thus it will be until the whole counsel of heaven shall at length be fulfilled, by the resurrection and salvation of the just.

SCHIN. PART XXI.

"161, Princes have persecuted me without a cause: but my heart standeth in awe of thy word. 162. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."

David was persecuted, by Saul and his associates, "without a cause." The life of Saul was spared by him, because "he stood in awe of God's word," and preferred the comfortable reflection, of having obeyed its injunctions, to all the "spoils," and to those many advantages, that would have accrued to him, by the overthrow and death of his implacable adversary, who acknowledged, upon the occasion, "Thou art more righteous than I," 1 Sam. xxiv. 17. The sufferings of the body are soon over; the joys of conscience have no end.

"163. I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love."

The word of truth is the proper object of our "love," and everything which is contrary to it deserveth our hatred and abhorrence; nor is life itself worth preserving, at the expense either of our faith or our virtue. "164. Seven times a day do I praise thee, because of thy righteous judg

ments."

They who, like David, during the time of persecution and affliction, put their trust in God, and wait his decision of their course, will always find reason, as David did, "to praise him seven times a day," or continually, for his just decrees and "righteous judgments" concerning them.

"165. Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

Amidst the storms and tempests of the world, there is a perfect calm in the breasts of those, who not only do the will of God, but "love" to do it. They are at peace with God, by the blood of reconciliation; at peace with themselves, by the answer of a good conscience, and the subjection of those desires which war against the soul; at peace will all men, by the spirit of charity; and the whole creation is so at peace with them, that all things work together for their good. No external troubles can rob them of this "great peace," no "offences" or stumbling blocks, which are thrown in their way by persecution or temptation, by the malice of enemies or the apostacy of friends, by anything which they see, hear of, or feel, can detain or divert them from their course. Heavenly love surmounts every obstacle, and runs with delight the way of God's commandments. "166. LORD, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments."

This is the true posture of a Christian, in which he need not fear to be found by his last and great enemy, death," doing" his duty, and "hoping" for salvation from the person who is his Master as well as his Redeemer, and who, consequently, expecteth to be obeyed, no less than to be believed in.

"167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies, and loved them exceedingly. 168. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee."

The "love of God's testimonies," and the consideration, that all "our ways are before him," and subject to his immediate inspection, are two powerful motives to obedience. The plea of having "kept the Divine precepts," &c. in the mouth of David, or any other believer, intendeth sincerity, not perfection, and is alleged as an evidence of grace, not as a claim of merit. Christ alone kept the old law, and he enableth us to observe the

new.

"169. Let my cry come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word. 170. Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according to thy word."

The Psalmist still continueth instant in prayer for "understanding," to direct him in the midst of dangers and temptations, and for " deliverance" out of them all, when God shall see fit to accomplish the promises made in his "word." These are blessings, for which a man cannot be too frequent, or too earnest in his petitions to the throne of heaven.

"171. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.