' I shall praise him,' because I have prayed unto him. It is God's direc- tion, to call upon him in trouble, Ps. 1. 15, and it is his promise to deliver, and then both his direction and promise that we shall glorify him. When troubles stir up prayer, God's answer to them will stir up praises. David, when he says I shall praise God, pre-supposes that God wiU deliver him, that he may have ground of praising his name ; and he knew God would deliver him, because as from faith he had prayed for deliverance, so he knew that it was God's order in his dealing, to revive after drooping, and to
* ' I shall yet,' to ' fail Loforo liim.' This very sweet paragraph, by a strange oversight, was omitted in B, and has slijtped out from every subse(juent edition. Pro- bably it was displaced in 13 to allow of the additions referred to in Note^. The para- grapli, ' David nunds,' &(;., that immediately follows, is twice printed in B, and the closing sentence of the one omitted above, occurs at page 531, without any connection with what ^Jrcccdes.— G.
THE soul's conflict. 247
refresh after fainting. God knows otherwise that our spii-its would fail before him.
I will praise him. Da^ad* minds praising of God more than his own dehvery, because he knew his own deliveiy was intended on God's part, that he might be glorified. It is an argument of an excellent spirit, when all self-respects ai-e drowned in the glory of God : and there is nothing lost therein, for our best being is in God. A Christian begins with loving God for himself ; but he ends in loving himself in and for God : and so his end, and God's end, and the end of all things else, concentre and agree in one. We may aim at om* own good, so we bring our hearts to refer it to the chief good, as a less chcle may well be contained in a greater, so that the Hues drawn fi-om both chcles, meet in one middle point. It is an excellent ground of sincerity to desire the favour of God, not so much out of self- aims, as that God may have the more fi'ee and full praise from us, consi- dering the soul is never more fit for that blessed duty, than when it is in a cheerful plight.
It rejoiced David more that he should have a large heart to serve God, than that he should have enlargement of condition. Holy dispositions think not so much of the time to come, that it will be sweet to them, as that it will further God's praise. True grace raiseth the soul above self- respects, and resteth not till it comes to the chief end wherein its happiness consists.
God is glorified in making us happy, and we enjoying happiness, must glorify God. Although God condescend so low unto us, as not only to allow us, but to enjoin us to look to our own freedom from misery, and en- joyment of happiness, yet a soul thoroughly seasoned with grace, mounteth higher, and is carried with pm-e respects to advance God's glory ; yea, sometimes so far as to forget its own happiness. It respects itself for God, rather than God for itself. A heavenly soul is never satisfied, until it be as near God as is attainable. And the nearer a creature comes to God, the more it is emptied of itself, and all self-aims. Our happiness is more in him, than in ourselves. We seek ourselves most when we deny om-selves most. And the more we labom' to advance God, the more we advance our own condition in him.
I will praise. David thinks of his own duty in praising God more than of God's work in delivering him. Let us think of what is our duty, and God will think of what shall be for our comfort. We shall feel God answering what we look for from him, in doing what he expects from us. Can we have so mean thoughts of him as that we should intend his glory, and he not much more intend our good ?
This should be a strong plea unto us^n our prayers to prevail with God, when we engage oui'selves, upon the revelation of his mercy to us, to yield him all the praises. Lord, as the benefit and comfort shall be mine, so the praises shall be thine !
It is little less than blasphemy to praise God for that which by unlawful shifts we have procured ; for besides the hypocrisy of it, in seeming to sacrifice to him, when we sacrifice, indeed, to our own wits and carnal helps, we make him a patron of those ways which he most abhors ; and it is idolatry in the highest degree to transform God so in our thoughts, as to think he is pleased with that which comes from his greatest enemy. And there is a gross mistake to take God's curse for a blessing. To thrive in an ill way is a spiritual judgment, extremely hardening in the heart. * ' Here,' inserted in B.
248 THE soul's conflict.
It is an argument of David's sincerity here that he meant not to take any indirect course for delivering himself, because he intended to praise God, which as no guilty conscience can offer, being afraid to look God in the face, so God would abhor such a sacrifice were it offered to him. St Paul was stirred up to praise God, but withal he was assured ' God would preserve him from every evil work,' 2 Tim. iv. 18.