144 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SER. CLXXII.
enemies; desire that God would determine it, and declare what is right and what is wrong.
Secondly, He begged God in the text to redeem or deliver him ; the word in the text, ^N-^, the usual word for goel, redeemer ; the Sep- tuagint, XvTpascrai fxe, ' ransom me.' Here he craveth that as his cause might be in safety, so his person.
Boot. We may beg a deliverance or a release from our troubles, provided we do not beg it out of an impatiency of the flesh, but a desire of God's glory.
God delights to be employed in this work. What hath he been doing all along in all ages of the world, but delivering his people from those that oppressed them ? He delivered Jacob from the fury of Esau ; Joseph from the malice of his brethren : Gen. xxxvii. 21, ' And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands, say- ing, Let us not kill him/ Daniel from the lions' den : Dan. vi. 22, ' My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me ; forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me, and also before thee, 0 king, have I done no hurt.' Peter from prison: Acts xii. 11, ' And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.' And will not he do the like for his suffer- ing servants ? How came his hand to be out ? he delivered Israel out of Egypt, out of Babylon ; he can do it again, it doth not cost him much labour : Ps. lxviii. 2, ' As smoke is driven away, so drive them away ; as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.' Therefore refer your deliverance to God, and when you are in a way of duty, be not thoughtful about it : there is a price paid for it ; Christ redeemed us from temporal adversity so far as it may be a snare to us. God hath his times ; we may see it, unless he hath a mind to sweep away the unthankful and froward generation that provoked him to so much anger : Num. xiv. 22, 23, ' Because all those men that have seen my glory, and my miracles which I did in Egypt, in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened unto my voice : surely they shall not see the land, which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it ;' Jer. xxix. 31, 32, ' Thus saith the Lord concern- ing Shemaiah the Nehelamite, Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie ; therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed ; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord.' It may be, we may be more broken and afflicted first : Deut. xxxii. 3G, ' For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seefli that their power is gone, and there is none shut up or left.' Oh ! let us desire to see the good of his chosen : Ps. cvi. 5, ' That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.' It is a favour : Ps. 1. 23, ' Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me ; to him that orderelh his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.'
VER. 155.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 145
Thirdly, For quickening, ' Quicken me ; ' in which he prayeth either to be kept alive till the promises be fulfilled, or rather to be comforted and encouraged in waiting.
Doct. We need continual influence from God, and lively encourage- ment, especially in our troubles.
1. We are apt to faint before God showeth himself: Isa. lvii. 16, ' I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth ; for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.' The devil's design is to tire and weary us out. Some are of a poor spirit, that they will tire before their strength faileth them : Prov. xxiv. 10, ' If thou faint in a day of adversity, thy strength is but small.' Yea, there is a readiness to faint in the best through many troubles, delayed hopes. Those that have upheld others by their good counsel are apt to sink themselves.
2. At least we are clogged, cannot so cheerfully wait upon God, and walk with him : Heb. xii. 12, ' Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees.' We grow weak, slothful, remiss in God's service. Fear and sorrow weakeneth the hands, indisposeth us for duty.