the residence of his glory. These motives are ever in force, and ought, surely, to operate with marvellous energy upon our hearts, to stir us up to imitate the pattern now before us, in fervent zeal and unwearied labour, for the salvation of men, and the glory of their great Redeemer; both which will then be complete, and the church militant shall become triumphant, and the heavenly paradise shall be filled with plants taken from its terrestrial nursery. Theodore Zuinger, of whom some account may be found in Thuanus, when he lay on his death-bed, took his leave of the world in a paraphrase on the foregoing Psalm; giving it the same turn with that given to it above. I have never been able to get a sight of the original; but one may venture, I believe, to say, that it has lost nothing in a translation of it by the late learned and pious Mr. Merrick; which is so excellent, that I must beg leave to present it to the reader. Some of the lines are retained in his more literal Poetical Version, published in 1765. It may serve as a finished specimen of the noble and exalted use which a Christian may, and ought to make of the Psalms of David. *Since the publication of the first edition, a learned friend has obliged me with a copy of these Latin verses of Zuinger transcribed from the 303d page of Vitæ Germanorum Medicorum, by Melchior Adamus. They are as follow: Olux candida, lux mihi Augustum populo urbem: Petunt Christiadæ, et Deum Jussam cœlitus oppidis Larga munera fundit. Spesque Fidesque valete. PSALM CXXIII. ARGUMENT. This Psalm containeth, 1, 2. an act of confidence in God, with, 3, 4. a prayer for deliverance from that reproach and contempt which infidelity and sensuality are wont to pour upon the afflicted people of God. 1. Unto thee I lift up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.' The church, when distressed and persecuted upon earth, "lifteth up her eyes to him that dwelleth in the heavens," from thence beholding and ordering all things here below. It is by his permission that she is depressed and insulted; and he only can deliver her out of the hands of her enemies. "2. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us." The servants of God like other servants, if they are injured and suffer violence, expect redress and protection from their Master, whose they are and whom they serve. Under the law of Moses, a master was to demand satisfaction, and to have it made him, for any hurt done to his servant. And shall not the best of Masters avenge the wrongs done to those who serve Him; and done, perhaps, because they serve him? Without doubt, he will avenge them speedily, and reward the sufferers gloriously. "3. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 4. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud." Unbelieving, ungodly, and worldly men, who are "at ease," and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, will always be ready to cast upon the afflicted servants of Christ some portion of that reproach and contempt, which were so plentifully poured upon their blessed Master, in the day of his passion, and indeed through his whole life. With these they may justly complain that "their souls are exceedingly filled," insomuch that they are compelled to exclaim with redoubled earnestness, "Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us." And let them know, for their comfort, that the Lord will "have mercy upon them" in that day when sensuality shall be succeeded by torment, and pride shall end in shame and confusion; when patient poverty shall inherit everlasting riches, and oppressed humility shall be exalted to a throne above the stars. PSALM CXXIV. ARGUMENT. In this Psalm, which, as we are informed by the title, hath David for its author, the church describeth the danger in which she had been, and giveth to God alone the glory of her deliverance out of it. "1. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; 2. If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 3. Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us." The people of Israel rescued from impending ruin, break forth into a joyful acknowledgment of that almighty aid, to which they were indebted for their deliverance. "Men" rose up against them, but "Jehovah” was on their side; men intended to devour, but God interposed to save. May not "the Israel of God" say, in like manner, "If the Lord had not been on our side," when our spiritual enemies, sin, death, and hell, were in arms against us, surely now "they had swallowed us up quick,” and we had perished everlastingly. It is thou, O Lord Jesu, who hast wrought for us this great salvation; it is thou who from the beginning hast preserved thy church in the world, amidst the persecutions which must otherwise have put an end to its very existence. "4. Then the waters had overwhelmed us; the stream, or, torrent, had gone over our soul: 5. Then the proud, or, swelling, waters had gone over our soul." The redeemed are astonished, upon looking back, at the greatness of the danger to which they had been exposed. They can compare the fury and insolence of their adversaries to nothing but overwhelming floods and desolating torrents; and they consider themselves as snatched by a miracle from instant destruction. Happy they, who are taken from the evil to come, and have passed from the miseries of earth to the felicities of heaven, where they are neither tempted nor molested more. The devout Christian, who, in perilous times, and towards the close of life, a gracious Providence has thrown ashore in some sequestered corner, from whence he views those secular tumults with which he hath no farther concern, is perhaps arrived at the next degree of happiness to that of just spirits made perfect. "6. Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 7. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped." The marvellous deliverance of Israel is illustrated by two other images. It is compared to the escape of a lamb from the jaws of a wolf, or a lion; and to that of a bird, by the breaking of the snare, in which it had been entangled, before the fowler came to seize and to kill it. Save us, O God, from the rage and the subtlety of our spiritual adversary; save us from his teeth, when he would devour; from his snares, when he would deceive; suffer us not, either by persecution or temptation, to fall from thee; let the lion gnash his teeth, and the fowler look for his captive in vain; that so we too may sing the song of Zion in thy heavenly kingdom, and say, "Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we are escaped." 8. Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth." The great lesson which this Psalm, from the beginning to the end, inculcates, is, that for every deliverance, whether of a temporal or spiritual nature, we should, in imitation of the saints above, ascribe "salvation to God and to the Lamb." PSALM CXXV. ARGUMENT. In this Psalm, the church is comforted with the promises, 1, 2. of God's protection, and, 3. of his removing, in due time, from his inheritance the rod of the oppressor; when, 4. the faithful will be rewarded, and, 5. apostates punished with other workers of iniquity. Aben Ezra, as cited by Hammond, applieth the Psalm to the days of Messiah. "1. They that trust the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. 2. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever." The stability of the church, and the protection afforded her by Jehovah, were of old represented by the mountain on which the Divine presence resided, and by the hills which encompassed Jerusalem, so as to render that city in a manner impregnable. While her inhabitants continued to "trust in the Lord," this was the case. But when they became faithless and diso bedient, she became weak, and like another city. Let not our "trust in God," be a presumptuous, ungrounded assurance; but let it be a confidence springing from faith unfeigned, out of a pure heart, a good conscience, and fervent charity. Then shall our situation, whether as a church or as individuals, resemble that of the holy mount in the beloved city, and our God will be unto us a fortress, and a wall round about. But let us never forget, that the promises to us, like those to Israel, are conditional: "Because of unbelief they were broken off; and we stand by faith." "3. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity." God may, and often doth, permit "the rod" or power" of the wicked to fall upon the lot of the righteous," in this world. But it is only for the purposes of chastisement, or probation. The rod is not suffered to "rest," or abide, there too long, "lest the righteous," harassed and worn down by oppression, and seeing no end of their calamities, should be tempted to "put their hands to iniquity," and practise that wickedness, which they find to prosper so well here below. The import of this verse seemeth to be the same with that of our Lord's prediction concerning the troubles of the latter days. "Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elects' sake those days shall be shortened," Matt. xxiv. 21, 22. "4. Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. 5. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; but peace shall upon Israel." be "The good and upright in heart" are they who stand steady in every change of circumstances; who complain not of God's dispensations, but, believing everything to be best which he ordains, adhere to him with a will entirely conformed to his, in adversity no less than in prosperity. To these Jehovah will finally "do good;" and they shall receive the reward of their faith and patience; while such as, in time of trial, have fallen away, and returned no more, "shall be led forth" to punishment" with the workers of iniquity," to whose company their apostacy hath joined them. And then, "peace shall be upon the Israel of God," with joy and gladness, for ever. more. TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.-EVENING PRAYER. PSALM CXXVI. ARGUMENT. In this Psalm, the children of Zion, 1-3, describe the joy consequent upon their restoration from captivity; 4. they pray God to bring back the rest of their countrymen, and to complete his work; 5, 6. they foresee and predict the success of their labours in rebuilding their ruined city with its temple, and cultivating again their desolated country. The return of Israel from Babylon holds forth a figure of the same import with the exodus of that people from Egypt. And this Psalm, like the prophecies of Isaiah, representeth the blessed effects of a spiritual redemption, in words primarily alluding to that temporal release. "1. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream." That Cyrus should issue a decree for the Jews to return to their own country, and to rebuild their city and temple; that he should dismiss such a number of captives, not only without money and without price, but should send them home laden with presents; Ezra i. 1-4. this was the work of Jehovah, who only could thus "turn the captivity of Zion." A restoration so complete, so strange and unlooked for, brought about at once, without any endeavours used on the side of Israel, seemed, in all these respects, as a "dream;" and the parties concerned, when they saw and heard such things, could scarce believe themselves to be awake. That the King of kings, of his own mere love and mercy, should take pity on poor mankind, in their more grievous captivity under sin and death; that he should send his only Son to purchase their liberty, his Spirit to enrich, and to conduct them to their country above, and his heralds to proclaim such unexpected deliverance to all the world; this likewise was the work of the same Jehovah, who only could THUS "turn again the captivity of his Zion." Sinners, when the tidings of a salvation so great and marvellous are preached to them, think themselves in a "dream," and with difficulty give credit even to the royal proclamation, though the great seal of heaven be affixed to it. "2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. 3. The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad." The people of God soon find, that they are not mocked with illusions, but that all about them is reality and truth. Then sorrow and sighing, fear and distrust, fly away together. Joy fills their hearts, and overflows by their tongues, in songs of praise. The nations hear, and are astonished, and own the hand of Jehovah in the restoration of his people; "Jehovah hath done great things for them." The chosen people echo back the gladsome sound, and reply, with transports of gratitude, "Jehovah hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." Every word of this agreeth not mors exactly to the return from Babylon, than it doth to that eternal redemption thereby prefigured, which is the grand subject of thanksgiving in the Chris tian church. "4. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the south." The joy occasioned by Cyrus's proclamation having been described in the former part of the Psalm, we may now suppose some of the Jews ready to set out on their return home; at which time, and during their journey, they prefer this petition to God, that he would be pleased to bring back the rest of their countrymen, who, like "floods" rolling down upon the thirsty regions of the "south,"* might people the land, and by their labours put an end to the desolations of Judah. That God would daily increase the number of true converts from the world to the church, to clear and cultivate the mystical vineyard, to build and to ornament the holy city, should be the prayer of every labourer in that vineyard, of every citizen in that city. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." The fatigue of travelling from Babylon to Judea; the melancholy prospect of a long-depopulated country, and ruined city; the toil necessary to be undergone before the former could be again brought into order, and the latter rebuilt; all these considerations could not but allay the joy of the released captives, and even draw many tears from their eyes. They are therefore comforted with a gracious promise that God would give a blessing to the labours of their hands, and crown them with success, so that they *I think the image is taken from the "torrents" in the deserts to the south of Judea; in Idumæa, Arabia Petræa, &c. a mountainous country. These torrents were constantly dried up in the summer; See Job vi. 17, 18. and as constantly "returned" after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seenis to be the "return" and renewal of these (not "rivers" but)" torrents;" which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country desolate, but now "flowed again" into it.— Bishop Lowth, in Merrick's Annotations. Dr. Durell renders this verse as follows-"The turn. ing of our captivity, O Lord, is as streams in the south." |