valence of iniquity in the world is forced on their attention; and in their sorrows they can use the language of another of the psalms, "Mine eyes gush out with water, because men keep not thy law." Ps. 119. 136.

To those who are in any of these ways distressed in mind, the psalm before us will supply such comfort as may be derived from the sympathy of an inspired writer. For the affecting language of lamentation, here freely poured forth, proves, that whosoever wrote this psalm, on whatsoever occasion he composed it, could have been no stranger to feelings of the deepest distress. And when we reflect that he who spake these words, spake as he was moved by the Holy Ghost, see 2 Pet. 1. 21, we shall perhaps feel justified in looking on this psalm as an instance, in which the Spirit of God has vouchsafed for the comfort of the afflicted, to act upon a principle elsewhere revealed, and as far as the case admits of it, to "weep with them that weep." Rom. 12. 15. How soothing to our spirits, when depressed by sickness, or by grief, by the apprehension of death, or by the loss of those friends whose love helped largely to make life desirable, how soothing to turn to this psalm of lamentation, and by adopting its inspired language, instead of our own fretful words, at once to sanctify the expression of our sorrows, and to soften their severity!

Nor shall we feel the less warranted in doing so, but rather so much the more, if we look upon this psalm as a prophetic expression of the grief and affliction of our blessed Lord. For He was, we know, in all things our great example. Even his cross, that stupendous instance of self humiliation, and self sacrifice, even his crucifixion is in some sort set before us as a pattern of our own; for we, if we would be his disciples, must take up our cross, and follow Him. And the words of this psalm, which seem to answer so aptly to the case of Christ hanging on the cross, may therefore be also fit for us to utter as we take up our cross daily. May we find in the use of them the benefit of applying under every distress with prayer unto the God of our salvation! And when we are driven by sorrow to have recourse to them, may we be made partakers of this precious promise, "Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted!" Matt. 5. 4.

The psalmist resolveth to sing of God's mercies.

Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

LECTURE 932.

The blessedness of enjoying Christian privileges.

It is not uncommon for a psalm to begin with the utterance of lamentation, and to conclude with expressions of cheerfulness and joy. In the present case the psalmist begins with praising God for his goodness, though we shall find that towards the end he very sorrowfully laments the loss of the divine favour. The subjects both of his praise and of his lamentation are the dealings of God with the house of David. And there can be no doubt that the psalm applies prophetically to Him, of whom it was said by the angel unto Mary, "the Lord shall give unto him the throne

of his father David." Luke 1. 32. To Him, and to those who are members of his family, has the Almighty Father bound Himself by an everlasting covenant. And his covenant with Christians, like his covenant with David, and with the seed of David according to the flesh, is not without express conditions; which if we presume to violate, we must not be surprised to find that instead of mercy we meet with the displeasure of the Lord.

But the psalmist has no sooner mentioned God's entering into covenant with David, as a signal instance of his mercy and faithness, than he breaks forth into a celebration of the praise of God, by reason of his supreme excellence in all things. He declares, in a strain of rapture, that the heavens would fain praise the Lord, as he for his part desired to do also, both for the marvellousness of the works of God's creation, and for the faithfulness of his dealings with his people. Who, he asks, could be compared with God, meaning, either for greatness, or for goodness, or for any point of excellency whatsoever, who, either in heaven or on earth? God, he declares, is greatly to be feared, so awful is his divine majesty, greatly to be feared even "in the assembly of the saints," even among those whose holiness of heart and life might seem to exempt them from necessity of fearing." And to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." Even those who are most nigh unto his throne must never pass the line of humble adoration.

Next the psalmist points out some few particulars in which God is great and good beyond comparison. He rules the raging of the sea. He makes calm the waves thereof when they arise. He it was who smote Rahab, that is, Egypt; who vanquished that most mighty of all the nations then existing on the face of the whole earth. The earth and the heavens alike are his. The north and south are of his creation. The loftiest mountains glory in nothing else so greatly as in their Maker's name. And if his power in creation be thus matchless, how much more are his "justice and judgment," his "mercy and truth," as manifested in his dealings with mankind, altogether beyond any possibility of parallel! How happy then are the people "that know the joyful sound!" how blest their lot to walk in the light of the countenance of God! That lot is ours, if we will. To rejoice in God's name, to be exalted in his righteousness, to have God for the glory of our strength, and his favour for the height of our distinction, to have the Lord for our defence, and "the Holy One of Israel" for our King, these blessings, which the psalmist speaks of as proofs of God's goodness to his people, these blessings are our privileges; and it is our own fault if they redound not to our exceeding joy and glory. To God be all the praise for this and all his goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord!

The psalmist telleth of God's covenant with David.
him for evermore, and my
covenant shall stand fast with
him.

19 Then thou spakest in vision
to thy holy one, and saidst, I
have laid help upon one that is
mighty; I have exalted one
chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my
servant; with my holy oil have.
I anointed him:

21 With whom my hand shall be established: mine arm also shall strengthen him.

22 The enemy shall not exact upon him: : nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

23 And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

24 But my faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him: and in my name shall his horn be exalted.

25 I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers.

26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven. 30 If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

31 If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.

36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.

37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah. LECTURE 933.

28 My mercy will I keep for

The covenant of God with David fulfilled.

In the second book of Samuel, after mention of this message sent to David by the Lord through the prophet Nathan, it is added, "According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David." 2 Sam. 7. 17. The particulars of the vision are set down in this psalm somewhat more fully than in the history. And we cannot fail to remark here, as is evident also there, that these promises refer to some one else, besides David's son Solomon, and besides his descendants in the common course of nature; even to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who was at once the Son of David, and the Son of God.

In the case of David, the promise was fulfilled, first by his own great prosperity, and next by the prsoperity of his descendants, reigning in Jerusalem after him, of as many of them as kept the

commandments of the Lord. Numerous and powerful were the foes with whom David was surrounded. But the Lord delivered him from them all. Great was the extent of his dominions. And much more exalted was his glory in being adopted by God, as here promised, in the character of a first born son, by this adoption made heir of the covenant and promiseso riginally secured to his father Abraham. For what indeed is all the glory of dominion upon the earth? Nothing to a being made for immortality, nothing to one whose days on earth are but as a span; nothing, except so far as earthly prosperity might be taken for a token, as in David's case it might, of the favourable regard of God. In the case of David's Son, not according to the flesh, but according to the promise, in respect to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the words of this vision have been also largely fulfilled. He is not only God's first born but also his only begotten Son. His dominion has already reached far and near throughout the earth, and is continually increasing in extent. His Gospel has gone forth into all lands; and no weapons formed against it by Satan's malice or by man's perversity have been able to overthrow it. And this is a dominion in the soul. It is a reigning in the hearts of men. How much greater is the glory of a reign like this than all the state of worldly empire! How far above all David's other glory was this covenanted privilege, that from him should spring the Saviour of the world, the King of all its kings, and of all the people under them!

Nor has this prophetic vision proved less true, in regard to that which it says of David's offspring, in case of their becoming disobedient. Witness the sore chastisements inflicted on the kings of Judah and Jerusalem, when they dared to forsake God's law, and violate the very first of his commandments. Witness the sore trouble and captivity of their people, and after their return from captivity the subjugation of their crown and kingdom, as tributary to the nations round about them. A miracle indeed of mercy was their returning from captivity at all. And in the heavier chastisement which they afterwards provoked by rejecting their Messiah, in their wide dispersion, and in their miserable condition as dispersed, it may be that they are reserved for another signal manifestation of the covenanted love of the Most High, and that their restoration to his favour will furnish yet another most striking proof that his faithfulness never fails. May it be likewise in regard to those chastisements, which are drawn down upon themselves by Christians, and by Christian churches. These are they whom Christ sees, according to the prophet, as "his seed," and "the travail of his soul." Is. 53. 10, 11. And being Himself without spot of sin, it is only in his people that this the true Son of David could be counted as a transgressor of the law of God. May we, who for our sins have justly deserved to be punished, be mercifully forgiven for the sake of Him who is Himself altogether sinless!