To seek the enlargement of his kingdom is the last duty we shall mention as suggested by the subject before us. In the prayer that he has taught us, we say, " Thy kingdom come ;" and we close that prayer with ascribing to him " the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever : " and it is with similar sentiments that the psalm before us concludes. Let us enter into the spirit of them, saying, " Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength ; so will we sing and praise thy power." Nothing should be so dear to us as the advancement of his glory. Let us reflect, how we may best promote it ; and let the exten- sion of his kingdom be our chief joy" ]
" Ps. Ixxii. 18, 19.
Ps. xxii. 1 1 — 2 1 . Be not far from me, for trouble is near ; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me : strong hulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my hones are out of joint : my
heart
heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd ; and my tongue cleaveth to my jnws : and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me ; the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me : they pierced my hands and my feet. I may fell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture^ But be not thou far from me, 0 Lord ! 0 my Strength, haste thee to help me! Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling
from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth ;
for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.
IN many parts of the Psalms there is a strong resemblance between David's experience, and the experience of David's Lord ; so that the language used may with great propriety be applied to both : but in some parts David speaks in terms which are wholly inapplicable to himself, and which must be understood only as referring unto Christ. This is particularly the case with respect to some expres- sions in the psalm before us. That a greater than David is here, there can be no doubt. The writers of the New Testament quote many parts of it as literally fulfilled in Christ, in whom alone indeed it had any appearance of accomplishment.
Let us contemplate here,
L His complaints —
In the words we have read, he complains of,
1 . The number and malice of his enemies —
[Very forcible are the terms by which he designates their characters : he compares them to fierce " bulls," and savage *' lions," and ravenous ** dogs:" and how justly do these images describe the enemies that assaulted him ! The fat bulls of Bashan aptly represented the Governors both in Church and State, whilst the populace, both of Jews and Gentiles, were like dogs, set on indeed by others, but actuated by their native ferocity, .ind an
insatiable thirst for blood Whilst all these combined
against him, he had not so much as one to comfort him, or to assuage his anguish *. Well might he complain of this as a great additional source of grief and sorrow ]
2. The greatness and variety of his sufferings —
\As relating to his body, he complains that his frame was emaciated, his joints dislocated, his hands and feet pierced with
nails : ' Compare ver. 11 . with Ps. Ixix. 20.