in it ? and wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?" But David had a just view of God's tender mercies : he regarded them as pledges of yet richer blessings in reserve for him : and in this view his request de- serves particular attention.
God's mercies are the fruits of his electing love —
[God dispenses his blessings to whomsoever he will. He has a right to do so : for there is no creature in the universe that has any claim upon him. As well might the devils com- plain of him, for not giving to them a Saviour, as any of us complain of liim for not bestowing on us the grace which he imparts to others. In what he does, he consults his own glory alone : and, however rebellious man may arraign his counsels, he will be eternally glorified in all that he has done : it will all be found " to his praise and honour and glory" in " the day which he has appointed for the revelation of his righteous judg- ments." David was sensible of his obligations to God in this respect. He traced all his mercies to their proper source, the eternal counsels of the Deity ; who had vouchsafed them to him, not for any righteousness of his, either seen or foreseen, but " according to his own purpose and grace, which had been given him in Christ Jesus before the world began '^." He saw that " God had loved him with an everlasting love," and there- fore with loving-kindness had he drawn him to the actual enjoyment of his favour.]
In this view they may be regarded as pledges of future blessings —
[God is unchangeable, no less in his counsels than in his perfections'^. In no respect is there with him " any variable- ness, or shadow of turning®." " His gifts and calling are with- out repentance^." Hence, if he remember his former mercies, he will continue them. " He will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it hath pleased him to make them his people^." He has said, "I will never, never leave you; never, never forsake you^:" so that, if we have indeed experienced his loving-kindness in our souls, we may " confi- dently hope that he will carry on and perfect his work within us':" for " whom he loveth, he loveth to the end''."
Here, then, we see what was in the mind of David when he urged this petition. He had found consolation from this thought in the midst of the deepest distresses. When tempted,
<= 2 Tim. i. 9. ^ Mai. iii. 6. e Jam. 1. 17.
f Rom. xi. 29. g 1 Sam. xii. 22. ^ Heb. xiii. 5.
i Phil. i. G. k John xiii. 1.