1 Sam. iv. History abounds with the tragical stories of wars and captivities: Scripture informs us, they are the judgments of God againft fin: but calamities affect us not, till they become our own: it is well if they reform us, even when they do become fo.

65. Then the LORD awaked, as one out of fleep, and like a mighty man, that shouteth, by reafon of wine.

While, by God's permiffion, the Philiftines were chaftifing his people for their fins, he held his peace, and feemed unconcerned, as one afleep. But when due chaftifement had brought the delinquents to themselves, the cries of penitent Ifrael awakened, as it were, and called forth the zeal of the Lord of hofts, to vindicate his honour, and deliver his fervants: and then the vigour of his operations was fuch, as might be compared to the alacrity and courage of a mighty champion, when, refreshed and infpirited by wine, he attacks his adverfaries, and bears down all before him. Under all our fufferings, let us reft contented with this affurance, that God acts the part of a father; and will therefore remove the rod, when it has answered the end proposed.

66. And he fmote his enemies in the hinder parts; he put them to a perpetual reproach.

The former claufe of this verfe may be rendered, "And he repulfed, or, drove his enemies back;" as Pfalm ix. 3. "When mine enemies are turned "back;" the word being the fame, in both places. But as that part of the facred hiftory is here alluded to, in which the Philiftines are faid to have been plagued with "emerods,' emerods," or "hemorrhoids," while the ark was among them, the paffage is generally

3

nerally rendered, as in our tranflation, and fuppofed to intend that particular plague. Thus much, how. ever, is certain, that Dagon fell before the ark, which his worshippers were glad to fend back, with acknowledgments of the vengeance inflicted on them by the fuperior power of the God of Ifrael, who could punish where, and when, and how he pleafed. See 1 Sam. v. vi.

67. Moreover he refufed the tabernacle of Jofeph, and chofe not the tribe of Ephraim. 68. But chofe the tribe of Judah, the mount Sion which he loved. 69. And he built his fanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.

The ark, after it's return, went no more to Shiloh, which was in the tribe of Ephraim, the fon of Jofeph, but was brought first to Kiriathaim, 1 Sam. vi. 21. a city of the tribe of Judah, and from thence, after a short stay at the house of Obed Edom, to mount Sion, a Chron. xiv. and xv. which was the chofen and highly favoured mount: where was afterwards erected, by Solomon, a magnificent and permanent habitation for the God of Jacob, during the continuance of the old difpenfation; a refemblance of that eternal temple, in which all the fulness of the Godhead hath fince dwelt bodily. The divine. presence removed at this time to the tribe of Judah, because out of that tribe, after the rejection of Saul, came the great reprefentative, as well as progenitor, of King Meffiah.

70. He chofe David alfo his fervant, and took him from the fheep-folds. 71. From following the ewes great with young, he brought him to feed Jacob his

people,

people, and Ifrael his inheritance. 72. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the fkilfulness of his hands.

The call of David from a fheepfold to a throne teacheth us, that he who hath fhewed himself faithful in a few and fmall concerns, is worthy of promotion to more and more important cares; that the qualifications, requifite for the due discharge of high offices, are best learned, at first, in an inferior station, especially if it be one that will inure to labour and vigilance; and that kings are to confider themfelves as "fhepherds;" which confideration would perhaps teach them their duty better than all the precepts in the world. From the last verse, relative to David's manner of conducting himself after his advancement, we learn, that integrity and discretion, when they meet in the fame perfon, form a complete Ruler, and one fit to reprefent that bleffed perfon, who entered, like his father David, through sufferings into his glory; who governeth his church in wifdom and righteousness; and of whom it is faid, by the evangelical prophet, "He fhall feed his flock like "a fhepherd, he fhall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bofom, and fhall gently lead "thofe that are with young." Ifai. xl. 11.

NEW JERSEY

XVI DAY. MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM LXXIX.

ARGUMENT.

COLLE

The argument of this Pfalm is nearly the fame with that of the lxxivth. The church perfecuted and afflicted, fets forth, 1-3. the facrilegious devaftation, and cruel flaughter, made by the enemy, with 4. the reproach occafioned thereby; 5-7. fhe prayeth for redrefs and deliverance; 8, 9, confeffeth, and entreateth forgiveness of the fins, which had brought these calamities upon her; and then, 10-12. asketh a removal of her reproach and mifery; promifing 13. endless gratitude and praife for the fame. We meet with paffages of this Pfalm, Jer. x. 25. 1 Macc. vii. 17. but when it was compofed, is not known.

1. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance, thy holy temple have they defiled: they have laid Jerufalem on heaps.

Three deplorable calamities are here enumerated by the faithful; the alienation of God's inheritance, the profanation of the fanctuary, and the defolation of the beloved city. When we reprefent, in our prayers, the sufferings and humiliation of the church,

we take an effectual method of awakening the compaffion, and recalling the favour of heaven. Every redeemed foul is the inheritance, the temple, the city of God. When fin enters, and takes poffeffion, the inheritance is alienated, the temple defiled, the city defolated.

2. The dead bodies of thy fervants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of heaven, the flesh of thy faints unto the beafts of the earth. 3. Their blood have they fhed like water round about Jerufalem: and there was none to bury them.

That horrible carnage, which attends the fiege and capture of a city, is the fourth of those calamities bewailed in our Pfalm. To behold, or even to imagine, heaps of flaughtered bodies lying unburied, and exposed to birds and beafts of prey, is inexpreffibly shocking to humanity. But with what unconcern are we accustomed to view, on all fides of us, multitudes "dead in trespaffes and fins," torn in pieces, and devoured by wild paffions, filthy lufts, and infernal fpirits, thofe dogs and vultures of the moral world! Yet to a difcerning eye, and a thinking mind, the latter is by far the more melancholy fight of the two.

4. We are become a reproach to our neighbours a fcorn and derifion to them that are round about us. A fifth calamity, incident to an afflicted church, is to become, like captive Ifrael, the "fcorn and de"rifion" of infidels, who fail not, at fuch seasons, to reproach her, and blafpheme her God. We know how to answer thofe, who reproach us with our fufferings, for fo their predeceffors reproached our Maf

ter;