unto God :" and when we contemplate it, we should be filled with wonder and with love on account of the stupendous mercies we have received. We should ever remember, " Who it is that has made us to differ" from those who are y^t in darkness and the shadow of death : and the cont>tant frame of our souls should be, " Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thj^ name be the praise." We may indeed without impropriety on some occasions say, as the Psalmist, " I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them ; / have wounded ihem, that they were not able to rise ;" bat we must soon check ourselves, like St. Paul, and say, " Yet not /, but the grace of God that was with me :" *• He that hath wrought me to the self-same thing, is God." It is worthy of particular observation how anxious David is to give to God all the glory of those exploits which he commemorates ; '^ By Thee I have run through a troop ; and Lt/ my God 1 have
leaped over a wall "^ " Let us imitate him in this respect,
and " give unto our God the glory due unto his name :" yea, ** let our mouths be filled with his praise all the day long."]
2. To confide in God under all future difficulties — [In what exalted terms David speaks of God at the com- mencement of this psalm""! Verily, he had profited well
from his past experience. And ought not 7ve to profit in like manner ? Ought not ive to remember what God is to all his be- lieving people ? If we have God for our God, what have we to fear? Can any enemy prevail against us, when he is on our side ? Remember how God reproved those of old, who, when danger threatened them, gave way to terror, instead of trusting confidently in their God : " Say ye not a confederacy, a confe- federacy, &c. but sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread : and he shall be to you for a sanctuary^" Whatever be your want, know that He is
able to supply it whatever be your difficulty, He can
make you triumphant over it " His way is perfect : his
word is tried : he is a buckler to all those wbo trust in him'."]
3. To conduct ourselves so that we may reasona- bly expect his blessing —
[Though God is found of them that sought him not, and dispenses his blessings altogether sovereignly and according to his own good pleasure towards the ungodly world, he proceeds, for the most part, in away of equity towards his own peculiar people. The declaration that was made to king Asa is found true in every age: "The Lord is with you, while ye be with him ; and if ye seek him, he will be found of vou ; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you"." Precisely to the same effect are those expressions of the Psalmist, " With the upright, the merciful, the pure, thou
wilt
^ ver. 29, See also ver. 32 — 36, 47 — 4:9- "■ ver. 2.
• Isai. viii, 12 — 14. • ver. 3C. " 2 Chron. xv. 2.