professions of the world, the allurements of the flesh, and the temptations of Satan, when he thinks proper to appear in the character of an angel of light.

22. Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.'

The conclusion of the whole matter is, that amidst all dangers and adversities, whensoever they oppress us, we are to put our full trust and confidence only in his mercy, who delivered David, and the Son of David, out of all their troubles. He, who once bore the burden of our sorrows, requested of us, that we would now and ever permit him to bear the burden of our cares; that, as he knoweth what is best for us, he may provide it accordingly. When shall we trust Christ to govern the world which he hath redeemed?

23. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days: but I will trust in thee.'

O terrible voice of most just judgment, pronounced against rebels and murderers! Of the sure and certain execution of his righteous sentence who can doubt, that considers the fate of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; of Absalom, Ahithophel, and Judas; and, above all, of the city which contained within its walls those rebels, and murderers of the Son of God? Let us trust for ever in Him alone who can thus deliver, and thus destroy.

ELEVENTH DAY.-MORNING PRAYER.
PSALM LVI.

ARGUMENT.

[David, in danger from the Philistines, among whom he was driven, as well as from Saul and his associates, is supposed to, 1, 2. make supplication to God, in whom, 3, 4. he placeth all his hope and confidence, 5-7. of being saved from the wiles and stratagems of the adversary; 8, 9. he comforteth himself with the consideration that God taketh account of his sufferings, and will appear on his behalf; 10, 11. he repeateth the declaration of his faith in the divine promises; and, 12, 13. concludeth

with paying his tribute of praise and thanksgiving. What David was in Philistia, the disciples of the Son of David are in the world.]

1. Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.' 2. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up, for they be many that fight against me, O thou Most High.'

The same words are applicable to the situation and circumstances of David, pursued by his enemies; of Christ, persecuted by the Jews; of the church, afflicted in the world; and of the soul, encompassed by enemies, against whom she is forced to wage perpetual war.

3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.' 4. 'In God I will praise,' or glory in, his word; in God I have put my trust: I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.'

6

Whoever, like the prophet Elisha's servant, beholdeth only the forces of the enemy, will be apt, like him, to cry out, Alas, my master! how shall we do?' 2 Kings, vi. 15. But when our eyes are opened,' to see those 'horses and chariots of fire,' which are 'round about us;' when we perceive the promises of their Word, and the mighty succours of the Spirit, which are all on our side; we no longer fear the terrors or the temptations of flesh and blood; but find ourselves enabled to do and to suffer all things, through faith in him who strengthened us to the battle.' He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee;' so that we may boldly say, 'The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.' Heb. xiii. 5, 6.

5. Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.' 6. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, they wait for my soul.'

These words could not be more literally descriptive of the behaviour of David's persecutors, than they certainly are of that conduct which the Scribes and Pharisees observed towards our blessed Lord; when, like serpents by the way side, they marked his steps,' till a proper opportunity offered, to dart from their lurking-place, and 'bruise his heel.' We think it hard, when men use us

in this manner; but surely we either forget that the Son of God was so used before us, or that we are his disciples.

7. Shall they escape by iniquity? In thine anger cast down thy people, O God.'

The signal vengeance inflicted on the enemies of David, of Christ, and of the church, in different ages, may serve to convince us, that if we would escape,' it must be FROM sin, not by it.

8. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?'

Known unto God are all the afflictions of his servants; while banished, like David, from their abiding city and country, they wander' here below, in the land of their pilgrimage. The tears' of penitents are had in remembrance, and, as so many precious gems, will one day adorn their crowns. How dear, then, in the sight of God, were the wanderings' and the tears' of the holy Jesus, submitting to perform penance for those sins which he never committed!

9. 'When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back this I know; for God is for me.'

What can we possibly desire more, than this assurance, that, how many, or how formidable soever our enemies may be, yet there is one always ready to appear in our defence, whose power no creature is able to resist? 'This I know,' saith David; and had we the faith of David, we should know it too.

10. In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word' 11. In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.' [See above, on verse 4.] 12. Thy vows are upon me, O God; I will render praises unto thee.' 13. For thou hast delivered my soul from death; wilt not thou deliver my feet,' or my feet also, or assuredly, from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?"

At the conclusion of this Psalm, and of many others, the Prophet speaketh of his deliverance as actually accomplished; he acknowlegeth himself under the obligation of the vows made to God in the night of affliction, which he is resolved to pay on the morning of triumph

and jubilee. O come that glorious morning, when the redeemed shall sing eternal praises to the Lord God of their salvation, for having delivered their souls from death, and their feet from falling, that they may walk before him in the light of the living!'

PSALM LVII.

ARGUMENT.

[This Psalm is said to have been composed by David, on occasion of his escape from Saul, in the cave at Engedi. See 1 Sam. xxiv. 3. And the church, by her appointment of it as one of the proper Psalms for Easter-day, hath instructed us to transfer the ideas to the resurrection of Christ from the grave. The Psalm containeth, 1-3. an act of faith in the promises; 4. a description of grievous sufferings; 5. a prayer for the exaltation of God's glory, which is repeated again at the conclusion; 6. a prediction of judgment on the adversary; 7-10. a strain of the highest exultation and jubilee.]

1. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.'

David, encompassed by his enemies at Engedi, putteth up this prayer to God; the same prayer we may suppose to have been used by our blessed Lord, when drawing near to the grave, and gate of death: and the church ever continueth the use of it, until she be delivered from the bondage of corruption. In the mean time, she teacheth her children to put themselves, living and dying, under the protection of him who is always ready to gather them, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.' There they may rest in peace and security.

2. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.'

David cried unto God, and was delivered out of the hand of Saul; the Son of David cried unto God, and was delivered from the power of the grave: the saints on earth cry unto God, and shall be delivered out of their troubles; the souls under the altar in heaven cry unto God, Rev.

vi. 10. and shall obtain a re-union with their bodies. Thus God 'performeth all things for us,' as well as for David.

3. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.'

We have all an enemy, who would 'swallow us up;' and we look for the manifestation of the divine' mercy and truth' from 'heaven,' for the salvation of our souls, and the redemption of our bodies. A grand specimen of this manifestation was exhibited to the world, on that glorious morning when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

4. 'My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.'

The fiercest of beasts, the most devouring of elements, and the sharpest of military weapons, are selected, to represent the power and fury of David's enemies. How much stronger, and more furious, were the enemies of Christ, who, in the day of his passion, resembled Daniel in the lions' den, the three children in the fiery furnace, and who stood alone, exposed to the assaults of men and evil spirits!

5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.'

God is exalted and glorified among men by the display of mercy and judgment, in the salvation of his children from the hands of their enemies. But chiefly was he exalted, when, having raised up his Son Jesus, he set him at his own right hand, far above all principalities and powers, and every thing that is named in heaven and in earth. This was the great exaltation prefigured, foretold, and incessantly prayed for, in the ancient

church.

6. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen,' or shall fall, ‘themselves.'

David compares himself, 1 Sam. xxvi. 20. to a bird on the mountains, which the fowler endeavoureth to hunt into the nets and snares set up and prepared for its