trouble and sorrow^" such as in our present state of carelessness and security we have no conception of. O that we cuuld but bring our hearers to realize that awful hour, when we shall look back upon our mis-spent hours with unavailing regret, and look forward to our great account with fear and trembling, wishing, if it were possible, that we might have a fresh term of probation allowed us, or that the hills and mountains might cover us from the face of our offended God ! Let all, even though, like David, they be monarchs upon their thrones, knovv^, that the time must shortly arrive, when the things of time and sense will appear in all their real insignificance, and nothing will be deerned of any importance but the eternal welfare of the soul.]
Whatever his troubles had been, we have no doubt respecting,
II. The means he had used for his relief from them —
David had had recourse to prayer ; " Then called L on the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul 1"
This is the proper remedy for all our troubles —
[" Is any afflicted ? let him pray ;" says an inspired Apostle. And God himself says, " Call upon me in the time of trouble ; and I will hear thee; and thou shalt glorify me." Indeed, where else can we go with any hope of relief? If it be the death of the body that we dread, Man can do nothing for us, any farther than it shall please God to employ him as an instrument for our good. If it be the death of the soul which we fear, who but God can help us ? Who can interpose between a sinner and his Judge ? If we betake ourselves to a throne of grace, and " pray unto our God with strong crying and tears," we shall find that He " is able to save us from death :" but created powers are physicians of no value ]
We must however, in our prayers, resemble David —
[Behold what humility and fervour were manifested in this petition; " O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul !" Prayer does not consist in fluent or eloquent expressions, but in ardent desires of the soul : and it may as well be uttered in sighs and groans, as in the most energetic words that language can afford. ** God knoweth the mind of the Spirit," by whose inspiration all acceptable supp'ications are suggested. Never was there a peti- tion more pleasing to God than that of the publican, " God be merciful to me a sinner 1" nor did any prove more effectual for im- mediate relief than that recorded in our text. Truly this is a comfortable consideration to the broken-hearted penitent : the greatness of his sorrows perhaps prevents the enlargement of his
heart