2. Who has such ground for joy as they? [They are already under the care and protection of their God, " who defendeth them" from the assaults of all their enemies, and who has pledged himself to be their Protector even to the end : as David says, " Thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous ; with favour wilt thou compass him, as with a shield." There is, in another psalm, a remarkable expression, which beautifully illustrates this : " Thou v^dlt hide them in the secret of thy j)fesence." The believer, when sensible of God's presence with his soul, has an assurance of his protection, as much as if he saw vdth his bodily eyes the whole heavens filled witli chariots of fire, and horses of fire, for his defence. He then reaHzes in his mind the idea, that God is a wall of fire round about him ; and that whoever shall think to scale it will not only fail, but perish in the attempt. Verily, to feel one's self thus in the very bosom of our God is " a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not," " a joy that is unspeak- able and glorified."]
Application —
[Seek to be truly " righteous." Forget not wherein that character primarily consists. Seek to know God, to trust in him, and to love him ; to know him as revealed to us in his Gospel; to trust in him as a Covenant-God and Saviour; and to love him with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and strength. Let a sense of his jDresence with you be your chief joy, and every action of your life be performed for his glory. So will you be preserved from every enemy, and your blessed- ness be an antepast of heaven.]