heart in prayer : but God estimates his prayers, not by their flu- eiicV) but by their sincerity; and tliat which is offered in indistinct and unutterable groans, is as intelligible and as acceptable to him, as if every request were offered in the most measured terms. Prayer thus offered, shall never go forth in vain.]
This appears from, III. The success of those means —
Most encouragmg is the testimony which the Psalmist bears to the condescension and goodness of God—
[Not a word intervenes between his petition for mercy a»id his acknowledgment of mercy received : " Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful." Here the Psalmist marks the union of justice and mercy in the dispensations of God's grace towards him : and that union is invariable, whenever we plead before him that great sacrifice which was made for the sins of the whole world, and which has fully satisfied the justice of our God. Moreover, he represents this mercy as the common lot of all, who in simplicity and godly sincerity implore it at God's hands ; " The Lord preserveth the simple," and will never suffer or\e of tbem to perish. But then he brings it back again to his own experience, and acknowledges with heartfelt gratitude that God had received his prayer, and made him a most distinguished monument of his mercy.]
Such is the testimony which every contrite and believing suppHant shall be able to bear —
[Yes ; justice is on the Believer's side, as well as mercy. Whoever comes to God in the name of Christ, may plead, that all his debts have been discharged by his great Surety, and that all the glory of heaven has been purchased for him by his Redeemer's blood. Through this infinitely meritorious atonement God is re- conciled to man, and " the righteousness of Jehovah, no less than his mercy, is declared in the remission of sins*^ :" so that, " if we humbly confess our sins, God will be faithful and just in for- giving our sins, and in cleansing us from all unrighteousness^." l^et " the simple"-hearted penitent rejoice in this assurance ; and let everyone labour from his own experience to say, '^ I was brought low, and he helped we."]
In the close of our text we see, IV. The improvement which he made of his whole experience — He determined henceforth to make God " the rest"
of his soul —
[Truly <* Rom. iii. 25, 26. * 1 John i. p.
3/8 rsALMs, cxvi. 1 — 7- [414.
[Truly there is no rest for the soul in any other. We may renew our attempts to seek it in this lower world, but we shall find none, except in the ark of God. Indeed the great use of troubles is to bring us to a conviction of this truth : and, what- ever we may have suffered from " the sorrows of death," or " the pains of hell," we may bless and adore our God for the dispen- sation, if it dispose us at last to seek all our happiness in him ]
To the same " Rest" must we also continually " return" —
[As the needle of a compass which has sustained some vio- lent concussion will continue its tremulous motion till it returns to the pole again, so must our souls do, if at any time they be through the violence of temptation diverted for a season from their God. Not a moment's rest should we even wish to have, till we find it in him alone. In all his perfections we have so many " chambers into which we may enter," and in which we may enjoy security from every impending danger. His omniscience will prevent surprise : his omnipotence will de- feat our most potent adversaries : his love will comfort us under our most painful circumstances : and his faithfulness will pre- serve us even to the end. Let our troubles then drive us to him, and our experience of past mercies determine us to " cleave unto him with full purpose of heart."]