encompassed
" Prov. xii. 21. " Isai. xii. 1, 2.
" Ps. Ixii. 5 — 7. P ib. ver. 8.
encompassed with armed hosts that were^ seeking to destroy you, you would be full of alarm and terror : and can you enjoy a moment's ease, while it is doubtful whether in the space of a few days you shall not lie down in everlasting burnings ? I pray you to awake from your security : and " give neither sleep to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids," till you have a good and well-founded hope, that Jesus is your Saviour, and till you are enabled to say with Paul, " He has loved me, and given himself for me."]
Ps. XXXV. 13, 14. As for me, when they tvere sick, viy cloth' ing was sackcloth : I humbled my soul luith fasting ; and my prayer returned into mine oiim bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother : I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
THE precepts of Christianity appear to be so pure and exalted, that all attempt to obey them must be vain. This is particularly the case with respect to the conduct which is to be observed towards those who injure us. To forgive them, is not sufficient. We must not only forbear to avenge ourselves upon them, but must do them good, and act towards them with most unbounded benevolence : " I say unto you," says our Lord, " Love your enemies; bless them that curse you ; do good to them that hate you ; and pray for them that despitefully use you and perse- cute you." But this duty is by no means imprac- ticable : for even under the Law it was practised to an astonishing extent by David, who laboured to the uttermost, not only " not to be overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good." *
Scarcely any thing could exceed the bitterness of Saul towards his servant David : yet when^avid had him altogether, and as it should seem by a spe- cial intervention of Providence, in his powef, he w'ould neither hurt him himself, nor suffer him to be hurt by others : nay more, when either Saul, or any of those who joined with him in his relentless perse- cution of an unoffending servant, were stricken with
any