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, whom, 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 subtilty 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 Dr. Hammond, applieth the Psalm to the days of Messiah.

1. They that trust in 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 disobedient, 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 purpose 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 elect's 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 heart. 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 be upon Israel.

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 every thing 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 apostasy hath joined them. And then, "peace shall be upon the Israel of God," with joy and gladness, for evermore.

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