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flain and entombed us, we begin to revive and to arife from the dead, through hope of forgivenefs ad restoration to the divine favour, by "remembring "the days of old, and meditating on all the works" of love and mercy, which Jehovah then wrought towards those who were finners, like ourselves. While we" mufe on fuch inftances of his goodness, the reflection is obvious, Is he not ftill the fame gracious God? Will he not do as much for us, upon our repentance, as he hath formerly done for others, upon theirs?"Let us arife, and go to our Father!"

6. I ftretch forth my hands unto thee; my foul thirfteth after thee as a thirty land.

Prayer is the voice of faith. The finner who views his fituation, and believes, on having confidered God's works of old, that he fhall be delivered out of it will foon "ftretch forth his hands," in fupplication to heaven. His foul will gafp and pant after that grace and mercy which defcend from above, like the rain in it's feafon, to bestow refreshment, beauty, and fertility, on a parched and "thirsty land." While we recite this verse, let us not be unmindful of Him, whofe hands were often stretched forth in prayer for his people, and whofe foul thirfteth after our falvation, even then, when he felt the extremity of bodily thirft, on the cross.

7. Here me speedily, O LORD; my spirit faileth : hide not thy face from me, left I be like unto them down into the pit.

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These words would come with propriety from the mouth of one in danger of temporal death. They are no less proper in the mouth of him who is in danger

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of death eternal. Rather, they receive an additional force and energy, when used in this latter fenfe.

8. Caufe me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: caufe me to know the way wherein I should walk; I lift up my foul unto thee. • The penitent prayeth, that he may "hear the voice of God's loving kindnefs," fpeaking pardon and peace to his foul, "in the morning" speedily and early, after the long dark night of fear and forrow, through which he is paffing. This he hopes, because, disclaiming all other reliance, he placeth his confidence in God alone; " in thee do I truft." Nor is he only folicitous for the forgiveness of what is paft, but for future direction in the course of duty; "fhew thou me the way wherein I fhould walk.” And to the end that he may follow fuch directions, he hath withdrawn his affections from things below, and fet them on things above; "I lift up my foul 66 unto thee."

9. Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. 10. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy Spirit is good; lead me, or, let thy good Spirit lead me into the land of uprightness.

He continueth to pray that he may be "delivered «from his enemies," the world, the flesh, and the devil, from whofe temptations he "fleeth," by repentance and faith, to the Almighty, to "hide" and protect him. He requefteth to be fully inftructed in the "will" of him, whom, as his Lord and his "God," he hath determined to ferve and obey. But confcious of his own inability to do the will of Jehovah, even when known, he entreateth the good

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Spirit of God to "lead" him out of the mazes of error, and the pollutions of vice, into the pleafant "land" of truth and holinefs *.

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11. Quicken me, O LORD, for thy Name's fake: for thy righteousness fake bring my foul out of trouble. 12. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and defroy all them that afflict my foul: for I am thy fervant.

The verbs in thefe two laft verfes, as Dr. Hammond hath noted, fhould be rendered in the future; "Thou shalt quicken," &c. and then the Pfalm will end, as ufual, with an act of faith and affurance, that all those mercies, which have been asked, shall be obtained; that God, for the fake of his "Name," and his "righteoufnefs," of his glory, and his faithfulness in the performance of his promises, will not fail to be favourable and gracious to his fervants, "quickening" them, even when dead in trefpaffes and fins and bringing them, by degrees, "out of "all their troubles;" going forth with them to the battle against their spiritual" enemies," and enabling them to vanquish the authors of their "affliction" and mifery, to mortify the flesh, and to overcome the world; that fo they may triumph with their Redeemer, in the day when he fhall likewife quicken their mortal bodies, and put all enemies under their feet.

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* Mr. MERRICK mentions the fimilar phrafe of πεδίον αλήθειας, and vandeias, among the Greeks. Or as may fignify the land that is plain, and direct, even and ftraight," where he might purfue his intended courfe of piety and goodness, with❤ out fear of meeting with obftructions in the way, or danger of wandering out of it,

XXX DAY?

XXX DAY.

MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM CXLIV.

ARGUMEN T.

It appears, from verfe 2. and verfe 10. of this Pfalm, that it was compofed after David's accefsion to the throne. And it is evident, from verfc 5, &c. that he had more enemies ftill to conquer, fuch as the Philistines, &c. He therefore, 1, 2. blefleth Jehovah, and 3, 4. expreffeth his aftonifhment at the divine goodness fhewn to fuch a creature as man, 5-8. He befeecheth God to perfect his work, and fubdue the remaining adversaries by the might of his power. 9, 10. He breaks forth again into a strain of thanksgiving, and 11-15. again returns to his prayers for the complete redemption, and the profperity of Ifrael. If we fubftitute in our minds, Mefsiah for David, the church for Ifrael, and fpiritual for temporal blessings, the Pfalm will present itself to us, as a noble evangelical hymn.

1. Bleed be the LORD my ftrength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;

What David here acknowledgeth, with regard to his victories, and that skill or might by which they

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were obtained, should be likewife acknowledged by all earthly kings and generals, in the day of battle and conqueft. For fuccefs in our fpiritual warfare, we depend on the grace of God, which alone can give us wisdom and “ ftrength to have victory, and

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to triumph against fin, the world, and the devil.” Even the captain of our falvation fought and overcame by a power that was divine. "Jehovah taught His hands to war, and His fingers to fight." And bleffed," on that account, be the name of Jehovah, in the church, for evermore.

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2. My goodness, Heb. my mercy*, and my fortress; my high tower and my deliverer; my fhield, and he in whom I trust; who fubdueth my people under me.

The "goodness," or "mercy" of God inclineth us in time of trouble, to fly to him as to a "for"trefs," or "tower," in which we find refuge; and when we have thus put ourselves under his patronage he becometh our "deliverer" from prefent danger; our "fhield" or protector, against any that may afterwards arise; the object of our unlimited "trust” and confidence; and, at laft, the "fubduer" of all oppofition "under us."

3. LORD, what is man, that thou takeft knowledge of him? Or the fon of man, that thou makeft account of him? 4. Man is like to vanity: his days are as a fhadow that paffeth away.

* That is," who are merciful to me," the abstract being put for the concrete, as in Pf. xii. 1. Prov. x. 29. Ezek. xliv. 6. Hof. viii. 9. Dr. DURELL thinks we should read non" my refuge," as in other parallel places,

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