ever shall be. And except thofe days fhould be "shortened, there should no flesh be faved. But for "the elects' fake thofe days fhall be fhortened." Matt. xxiv. 21, 22.

4. Do good, O LORD, unto thofe that be good, and to them that are upright in heart. 5. As for fuch as turn afide unto their crooked ways, the LORD fhall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace fhall be upon Ifrael.

The "good and upright in heart" are they who fland ftcady in every change of circumftances; who complain not of God's difpenfations, but, believing every thing to be beft which he ordains, adhere to him with a will entirely conformed to his, in adverfity no lefs than in profperity. To thefe Jehovah will finally "do good;" and they fhall receive the reward of their faith and patience; while fuch as, in time of trial, have fallen away, and returned no more, shall be "led forth" to punishment" with the "workers of iniquity," to whofe company their apoftacy hath joined them. And then, "peace fhall be Сс upon the Ifrael of God," with joy and gladness, for

evermore.

XXVII DAY.

EVENING PRAYER,

PSALM CXXVI.

ARGUMENT.

In this Pfalm, the children of Zion 1-3. defcribe the joy confequent upon their refto

ration

1

ration from captivity; 4. they pray God to bring back the reft of their countrymen, and to complete his work; 5, 6. they forefee and predict the fuccefs of their labours in rebuilding their ruined city with it's temple, and cultivating again their defolated country. The return of Ifrael from Babylon holds forth a figure of the fame import with the exodus of that people from Egypt. And this Pfalm, like the prophecies of Isaiah, reprefenteth the bleffed effects of a spiritual redemption, in words primarily alluding to that temporal releafe.

1. When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

That Cyrus fhould iffue a decree for the Jews to return to their own country, and to rebuild their city and temple; that he should difmifs fuch a number of captives, not only without money and without price, but should fend them home laden with prefents; Ezra i. 1-4. this was the work of Jehovah, who only could thus "turn the captivity of Zion." A restoration fo complete, fo ftrange and unlooked for, brought about at once, without any endeavours ufed on the fide of Ifrael, feemed in all thefe refpects, as a "dream;" and the parties concerned, when they faw and heard fuch things, could scarce believe themfelves to be awake. That the King of kings, of his own mere love and mercy, fhould take pity on poor mankind, in their more grievous captivity under fin

and death; that he fhould fend his only Son to purchafe their liberty, his fpirit to enrich, and conduct them to their country above, and his heralds to proclaim fuch unexpected deliverance to all the world; this likewife was the work of the fame Jehovah, who only could THUS "turn again the captivity "of his Zion." Sinners, when the tidings of a falvation fo 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 feal of heaven be affixed to it.

2. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with finging: then faid 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 foon find, that they are not mocked with illufions, but that all about them is reality and truth. Then forrow and fighing, fear and diftrust, fly away together. Joy fills their hearts, and overflows by their tongues, in fongs of praife. The nations hear, and are aftonished, and own the hand of Jehovah in the reftoration of his people; "Jeho"vah hath done great things for them." The chofen people echo back the gladfome found, and reply, with tranfports of gratitude, Jehovah hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." Every word of this agreeth not more exactly to the return from Babylon, than it doth to that eternal redemption thereby prefigured, which is the grand fubject of thanksgiving in the Chriftian church.

4. Turn again our captivity, O LORD, as the freams in the South.

The

The joy occafioned by Cyrus's proclamation having been described in the former part of the Pfalin, we may now fuppofe fome 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 pleafed to bring back the rest of their countrymen, who, like "floods" rolling down upon the thirsty regions of the "fouth," might peoplethe land, and by their labours put an end to the defolations of Judah. That God would daily increase the number of true converts from the world to the church, to clear and cultivate the myftical vineyard, to build and to ornament the holy city, fhould be the prayer of every labourer in that vineyard, of every citizen in that city.

5. They that fow in tears shall reap in joy. 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious feed, fhall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his heaves with him.

The fatigue of travelling from Babylon to Judea; the melancholy profpect of a long depopulated coun

I think the image is taken from the "torrents" in the deferts to the fouth of Judea; in "Idumæa, Arabia Petræa, &c. a mountaninous country. These torrents were conftantly dried up in the fummer; See Job vi. 17, 18. and as conftantly «<< return"ed" after the rainy season, and filled again their deserted channels. The point of the comparison seems to be the "return" and renewal of thefe (not "rivers" but)" torrents;" which yearly leave their beds dry, but fill them again; as the Jews had left their country defolate, but now « flowed again" into it. Bishop LowтH, in MERRICK'S Annotations.-Dr. DURELL renders this verfe as follows" The turning of our captivity, O "Lord, is as ftreams in the south.”

try,

try, and ruined city; the toil neceffary to be undergone, before the former could be again brought into order, and the latter rebuilt; all thefe confiderations could not but allay the joy of the releafed captives, and even draw many tears from their eyes. They are therefore comforted with a gracious promife, that God would give a bleffing to the labours of their hands, and crown them with fuccefs, fo that they should once more fee Jerufalem in prosperity, and behold in Zion the beauty of holiness. This promife is conveyed under images borrowed from the inftructive fcenes of agriculture. In the fweat of his brows the husbandınan tills his land, and cafts the feed into the ground, where, for a time, it lies dead and buried. A dark and dreary winter fucceeds, and all feems to be loft. But at the return of fpring, univerfal nature revives, and the once defolate fields are covered with corn, which, when matured by the fun's heat, the cheerful reapers cut down, and it is brought home with triumphant fhouts of joy. Here, O difciple of Jefus, behold an emblem of thy prefent labour, and thy future reward. Thou "foweft," perhaps, “in tears;" thou doeft thy duty amidst perfecution and affliction, fickness, pain, and forrow; thou laboureft in the church, and no account is made of thy labours; no profit feems likely to arife from them. Nay, thou muft thyfelf drop into the duft of death, and all the ftorms of that winter muft pafs over thee, until thy form fhall be perished, and thou fhalt fee corruption. Yet, the day is coming, when thou fhalt" reap in joy;" and plentiful shall be thy harveft. For thus thy bleffed Mafter "went forth

"weep