the face of our offended God ! Let all, even though, like David, they be monarchs upon their thrones, know, that the time must shortly arrive, when the things of time and sense will appear in all their real insignificance ; and nothing will be deemed 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
I on the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul ! "
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 supplications are suggested. Never was there a petition more pleasing to God than that of the publican, " God be merciful to me a sinner ! " nor did any prove more effectual for immediate 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 in prayer : but God estimates his prayers, not by their fluency, but by their sincerity; and that 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 —
-alms ;wi. l—:.
- - ocouraging is the tesrim hich the Psalm-
?i ears to the condesc* - i goodness of God —
word interver. 5 pi tirion for merry and
> ... -cv.. • '. . .'._ .:.: ;:" _.; -;;. :. . . . .A ' Ghrack as > the Laid, and righteous : yea. our - niereifui." Hl . : . Psalm -
marks the union of justice and nierey in the dispensations of wards him: and that union is invariable, when- ' - e plead before him that great sacrifice which was made :':: ::.; ; > . :" :n; w"~-~; ..:'.;. .n:.:. v.1::/.. ...< :... • ... ;;<-- 1 the justice of our God. II r, he represents this mercy
le common lot of all. who in simplicity and godly since : iv::'.::: ".: :.: .: : .:. > r.i. v..i> . I"/.; L;:.:. •;:;■>;.-.■;:;. :.:; >i:ny.r." and will never sutler one of them to perish. But then he bri: g it back again to Ms own experience, and acknowledges with ;..:::..:_:.::.... : .: _-;.i ;:...:. .:. "ni> vrv.v. v. ..:./. :::.. .'.-. him a most distinguished monument of his merv
s the -rinionv which ev- : ntritc and behe\ing supphant shall be able to bear —
justice is on the Bel ewers side, as well as merv
d in the name o: : . may plead, that
£1 !.:> £;"::$ ~;.vi '.-..:. . -. .._..'. I7 ;-_:> _:r.: Surety, .u ;. that all die glory of heaven has been purchased for him by his .eemers blood. Through this infinitely meritorious atone- ment God is reconciled to man, and " the righteousness of Jehovah, no less than his m-. - declared in the remission of