thy precepts, 174. I have longed for thy salvation, O LORD: and thy law is my delight. "Salvation" by the "Hand," or Arm of Jehovah (which is often in Scripture a title of Messiah), hath been the object of the hopes, the desires, and “longing" expectation of the faithful, from Adam to this hour; and will continue so to be, until He, who hath already visited us in great humility, shall come again in glorious majesty, to complete our redemption, and take us to Himself. 175. Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and let thy judgments help me. The "life" which God granteth and preserveth to us, whether it be the natural life of the body, or the spiritual life of the soul (for both are from Him), should be employed in "praising" Him. This return for his mercies we are always ready to promise when we are in danger, but often forgetful to perform when delivered out of it. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy command ments. It is doubtful, whether David here speaks of his misery, or his sin; of his "wandering," as an exile in foreign lands, or of his "going astray' from the "commandments" of his God, though he had not altogether "forgotten," but was desirous of returning again to the observance of them, and therefore beseeches the Great Shepherd to "seek" and bring back his "lost sheep". In 1 "Erravi sicut ovis - Omnes nos quasi oves erravimus." Isa. liii. 6. Sed nos bonus ille Pastor humeris reportavit. Luc. xv. 5.-BOSSUET. Mr. Merrick's Poetical Paraphrase of this verse is so beautiful and affecting, that I cannot refrain from subjoining it— Thine eyes in me the sheep behold, Whose feet have wander'd from the fold; [That, the application of the passage to ourselves, it matters not which interpretation we adopt, since we are both sinners and exiles; exiles, because sinners; "we have erred and strayed from God's ways, like lost sheep," and are, for that reason, excluded from our heavenly city and country, to wander for a time in the wilderness. Restore us, O Lord Jesu, by thy grace to righteousness, and by thy power to glory! TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY.-MORNING PRAYER. PSALM CXX. ARGUMENT. This, and the fourteen Psalms which follow it, are entitled, "Psalms of Degrees, or of Ascensions." For what reason they were so called, is altogether uncertain. Certain, however, it is, that they are most instructive and pleasing compositions, wonderfully calculated to elevate the soul to God; and that the Christian, as he proceeds from one degree of virtue to another, in his way towards eternal felicity, cannot employ himself better than in meditation on them In the first of these Psalms, the author, most probably David, complaineth of the falsehood, the treachery, and the violence of men, amongst whom he grieveth that his pilgrimage is prolonged. 1. In my distress, I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me. 2. Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. The prophet relateth the success of his prayer That, guideless, helpless, strives in vain To find its safe retreat again; Now listens, if perchance its ear The Shepherd's well-known voice may hear; made to Jehovah in time of trouble. He "cried," and was "heard." The particular species of trouble, under which he then laboured, was that caused by the malice and treachery of his adversaries, who either with "lying lips" bore false witness against him, or with a "deceitful tongue" tried to ensnare him, and to draw something from him, on which they might ground an accusation. Thus the Jews dealt with Christ; and men of their cast and complexion have, in all ages, dealt thus with his true followers. From such "lips," and such "tongues," God only can "deliver" the persons and the reputations of the most innocent. 3. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? 4. Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper. Some render the first of these two verses a little differently: "What shall a false tongue give thee, or what shall it add to thee?" The sense will be much the same, whether the Psalmist be supposed to address his question to the false tongue, or to him who is the owner of it. The purport of the question plainly is this: What profit or advantage do you expect to reap from this practice of lying and slandering? what will at last be its end and its reward? Then followeth the answer: "Sharp arrows of the mighty one," a, who is the avenger of truth and innocence; with a fire that burns fiercely, and burns long, like that which was made of "juniper," or some wood used in those days, remarkable for increasing and retaining heat; punishments justly inflicted on a tongue, the words of which have been keen and killing as arrows, and which, by its lies and calumnies, hath contributed to set the world on fire. We read in the Gospel, of one who exclaimed, "Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my TONGUE: for I am tormented in this FLAME. 5. Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! The Psalmist lamenteth his long continuance among those deceitful and malicious men, whom he compareth to the wild, barbarous, and idolatrous Arabs, the descendants of "Kedar," the son of Ishmael: Gen. xxv. 13. The former part of the verse is, with greater propriety, perhaps, rendered by many of the translators and expositors thus: "Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged" , “I dwell, or, my dwelling is, among the tents of Kedar." When our Lord was upon earth, the Jews were become the spiritual Íshmaelites, sons of the bondwoman, persecutors of the sons of the free woman, and the children of promise. "O faithless and perverse generation," saith He, "how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?" Matt. xvii. 17. Matt. xvii. 17. "And as then he that was born after the flesh, persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now" Gal. iv. 29. The Church daily sigheth and groaneth, because her "sojourning is prolonged," and she dwelleth among adversaries of various denominations, among those who take delight in vexing and troubling her. These are "the tents of Kedar," among which we dwell in the wilderness, longing to depart, and to be with Christ in the city of the living God. 6. My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. 7. I am for peace; or, I am a man of peace but when I speak, they are for war. If this was the case of David, much more might the Son of David make the same complaint, that “He dwelt with them that hated peace;" that, although He was "a man of peace," meek, lowly, and gracious in his deportment to all around Him; although He came to make peace, and to reconcile all things in heaven and earth; although his conversation and his preaching were of peace, and love, and the kingdom of God; yet no sooner did He open his mouth to "speak" upon these Divine subjects, but his enemies were up in arms, ready to apprehend, to accuse, to condemn, and to crucify Him. Marvel not, O disciple of Jesus! if the world hate and oppose thee; but pray only, that when thou shalt be used as He was, thou mayest be enabled to bear that usage as He did. PSALM CXXI. ARGUMENT. In this Psalm, the prophet, 1, 2, introduceth a person, most probably an Israelite on his way to Jerusalem, expressing his trust and confidence in Jehovah, the Maker of heaven and earth, of whose favour and protection, at all times, and in all dangers, the prophet, 3-8, assureth him. These promises, like those in the ninety-first Psalm, were, in their full and spiritual sense, made good to Messiah, and are now daily accomplishing in the members of his mystical body, the Christian Church. Bishop Lowth supposeth the two first verses to be spoken by David, when going out to war, and the answer of encouragement to be made by the high priest from the holy place. In this case, the idea of warfare is added to that of pilgrimage, and the Psalm rendered still more applicable to us, as well as to the true David our King. 1. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. The truly Israelite, amidst the dangers of his earthly pilgrimage and warfare, looketh continually towards the heavenly city, whither he is travelling. Faith showeth him afar off the everlasting hills, from whence cometh the help," which must bring him in safety to them. He 66 |