his resolution to renounce wickedness in general. He would set no wicked thing before his eyes. He would avoid the temptation of looking at evil, that he might avoid the sin of committing it. He declares that he abhors evil; "I hate the work of them that turn aside," meaning, from God's commandments. "It shall not cleave to me." He renounces it for himself. And further as far as lies with him he will not allow it in others, "A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person." And then, speaking in the character of a magistrate and monarch, he adds, "Whoso privately slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart I will not suffer." And we, though we have no authority like that of David, may learn from him to use all such influence as we have in discountenancing evil, and encouraging that which is good. As far as we have choice, we may prefer for our friends and companions, for our masters or servants, such as are faithful in the land, them that walk the nearest to a perfect way. And by refusing to harbour them that work deceitfully, and speak falsely, we shall do somewhat towards rooting the wicked out of the land, by helping to root out the wickedness of them which dwell therein.

And in so doing we cannot doubt that we fulfil the will of Him whose servants we are; and the rule of whose proceedings in the administration of his government we may conceive to be here set down. We know that He is perfect, alike in wisdom and in truth, in judgment, in mercy, and in every thing. We know that He abominates the work of them that turn aside, according to these words of the Epistle to the Hebrews, "if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." Heb. 10. 38. We know that though He suffers the tares for a while to grow together with the wheat, yet not only will He separate them hereafter, by an awful separation for ever, but already also it is certain, that "the Lord knoweth them that are his." Whilst on the seal of God's foundation stone it is also plainly written, "Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 2 Tim. 2. 19. Let us then delight to help in that which Christ delights to do. Let us steadfastly set our faces against wickedness in every kind and every degree. And though we are not able as He is to discern the heart, and are not permitted to judge any thing before the time, see 1 Cor. 4. 5, yet where we cannot help knowing the wicked from the good, let us prove, in all we say and do, that we constantly prefer the good to the wicked.

The psalmist poureth out his complaint before God.

A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto

thee.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down. 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time,

is come.

14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed

15 So the heathen shall fear shall be established before thee.

LECTURE 947.

The comfort of reflecting on God's eternal being.

We have in this psalm an instructive precedent, for pouring out our complaint before God in prayer, whatsoever be the grief with which we are overwhelmed. The psalmist touches on so many sources of distress, that almost any one may find his own trouble here specified; whether it be wearisome hours of bodily pain, anguish of heart, loneliness in the loss of relatives and friends, the reproach of enemies, or the apprehension of God's displeasure. But there is another source of grief here touched upon, and which is felt deeply by those only, whose hearts are most truly generous, and truly charitable. The psalmist laments the fall of Zion's walls, and longs to see her ruined fortresses, much more her desolated temple, rebuilt, and reestablished. An enlightened love for our country, and for our church, is likely to cause us many a bitter pang, when either the one, or the other, is threatened or overtaken by disaster. A violence is done to those feelings, which taking us as it were out of ourselves, connect us in memory with generations long since dead, and in hope with them that shall come hereafter. We are driven back upon the consciousness of our own infirmity. And as we feel that singly we are weak and helpless beings of an hour, so we find, that even the numerous and continuing community with which we have rejoiced to feel ourselves associated, is liable, like ourselves, to disaster and decay. Such are some of the sources of our sorrow and complaint, to which we become liable, through the natural and reasonable and praiseworthy connection of our feelings, with the prosperity or adversity of our church or nation.

But for every grief the Scripture provides its proper consolation. And here we learn, that when depressed by the consciousness of our own weakness, and by the conviction of the frail and transitory nature of all things human, it ought to be our comfort to think of the abiding eternity of God. He remains unchangeable for ever. He has seen even the heavens come into existence, and He will see them vanish away; and will still be Himself the same. But does not this thought add to the depressing sense of our own littleness and nothingness? No; not if we be servants of God; not if we be his people, his faithful people, they who through Christ are become one with Him, and He one with For then we are assured, that transitory as is our present life, we have a life that never ends awaiting us. Then we rejoice in the assurance that whatever may befal our Zion here on earth, God will build up her walls in heaven for ever. family, which we trust that we belong to, is that of God's servants, and their children. And these shall continue to all eternity. And when the heavens themselves shall have passed away, we shall be inhabitants of the new heavens and of the new earth, and shall neither weep nor lament any more.

The

David stirreth up himself to bless the Lord.

A Psalm of David.

LECTURE 948.

That God is to be praised for his inestimable benefits. Far be from us all vain lipservice in the praise of God! Rather let us with David call upon our souls, and on all that is within us, on every faculty of the mind, on every feeling of the heart, to bless his holy name. Let memory recount the benefits which He has graciously heaped upon us. Let love be kindled by reflecting on the love which He has been pleased to

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manifest unto us. He forgives our iniquities. He does more, He heals the corruption of our nature, which prompts us to transgress. He redeems our life, so that we shall not die eternally. He prepares for us a crown of glory that fadeth not away." 1 Pet. 5. 4. Such is his mercy and loving kindness. He gives us also this world richly to enjoy, giving contentment with whatsoever lot we have, and also the consciousness that we are daily renewed by his grace, made more and more meet for the life which is to come. If we are oppressed by man, we know that there is One above who will see us righted. If we are in doubt, as to how we ought to walk and to please God, we find that He has largely revealed his will unto his people, both in the Old Testament, and in the New. His own character or attributes are therein also plainly set forth. And what will weigh with us to bless his holy name from our inmost souls, if not the account of God which is here given us? That He "is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our trangressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." What consideration for our frailty, what tenderness to our faults, what forbearance to our frowardness, what absolute pardon to our abominable sins, are here ascribed to the Most High! The distance of east from west, the height of heaven from earth, these are not too much to express the compass of his mercy, the completeness of his pardon. The compassion of a father for his own flesh and blood, this is not too tender a feeling to represent the pity of God towards man. And all this, on the part of One who is eternal, to us who flourish and perish as the shortlived flower of the field! All this is "from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him," not only as being extended to their children throughout all generations, but also as pertaining to themselves, when the generations of mankind shall cease to follow each other in succession, and when God shall make this mortal put on immortality. Oh, let then all unite to bless the Lord, from whom these blessings flow! Bless Him ye heavenly host of his above. Bless Him ye children of men here on earth. And let every one of us stir up our own selves to join in this universal harmony of praise, saying, "Bless thou the Lord, O my soul."