[David did not so view his own sinfulness as to distrust the mercy of his heavenly Father ; but rather took occasion from his own sinfulness to magnify the more the free and super-abounding grace of God. In this, his example is especially to be followed. Nothing can warrant us to limit the mercy of our God. O how " ready is he to forgive" returning penitents ! Of this, the con- duct of the father towards the repenting prodigal is a lively and instructive image. In that parable, the compassion of God towards returning sinners is, as it were, exhibited even to the eye of sense. Let us then, whatever be our state, bear this in mind, that unbelief is a sin which binds all our other sins upon us. Never, under any circumstances, should we harbour it for a moment. It is enough to have resisted God's authority, with- out proceeding further to rob God of the brightest jewels of his crown — his grace and mercy. The goodness of God, as described
in our text, and in another subsequent part of this psalm '5,
is a sufficient pledge to us, that of those who come to him in his Son's name, he never did, nor ever will, cast out so much as one.]
4. His zeal and earnestness — '
[The diversified petitions and pleas which we have already considered, shew, how determined David was not to rest, till he had obtained favour of the Lord. And thus must we also " con- tinue instant in prayer :" we must " watch unto it with all per- severance;" we must ''pray always, and not faint." Alas! how are we condemned in our own minds for our manifold neglects, and for our lukewarmness in prayer to God ! But we must not rest satisfied with confessing these neglects : we should remedy them, and break through this supineness, and correct this negligence, and lie at Bethesda's pool till the angel come for our relief. This is suggested to us in our text. What we trans- late, " I cry unto thee daily " is, in the margin, '' I cry unto thee all the day." O that there were in us such a heart ! O that our sense of need were so deep, our desire of mercy so ardent, and our faith in God so assured, that we were drawn to God with an irresistible and abiding impulse ; and that, like Jacob of old, we " wrestled with him day and night, saying, I will not let thee go until thou bless me'." Such prayer could not but prevail; and such a suppliant could not but find everlasting acceptance with God^]
1 ver, 15. " Gen. xxxii. 24^25, 28. with Hos, xii. 3 — 5.
* Luke xviii, 1 — 8.