Pi. cxvL 8, 9. Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine
eyes from tears, a feet from falling : I trill walk
before the Lord in the land of the living.
IT is justly said by David, in another psalm,
The of the Lord are great, sought out of
all them that have pleasure therein*:" and great
indeed they will appear, to all who endeavour to
trace them even in the narrow sphere of their own
experience. David, it is true, had a greater variety
■ Ps. exL 2.
of extraordinary incidents to enumerate, and of mer- cies to be thankful for, than almost any other person whatever ; but still there is no such difference be- tween his experience and that of other men, but that his complaints may be poured out by them, and his thanksgivings be adopted by them. In the psalm be- fore us he seems to have been delivered from some heavy afflictions ; and to have been raised from the depths of sorrow to an extraordinary elevation of peace and joy. He had been encompassed with the sorrows of death, and the pains of hell had got hold upon him ; but God, in answer to his prayers, had graciously delivered him from all his troubles.
In the words which we have just read, we see,
I. His review of past mercies —
God, it seems, had delivered,
1. His " soul from death" — [In its primary sense, we apprehend, these words refer to the death of the body. Saul had sought to the utmost of his power to destroy him : but God had on many occasions signally interposed for his protection, and had preserved him to the pre- sent hour. And have not we also reason to adore our God for the interpositions of his providence in our behalf? Though we have not been in similar circumstances with David, we have been exposed to many dangers, both seen and unseen ; and have therefore just occasion to adopt before God the same expressions of reverential gratitude.
But we must doubtless include under these terms a deliverance from eternal death alsoV David was assured that God had "forgiven all his sinsc," not excepting those committed in the matter of Uriah d : well therefore might he magnify the grace which had been exercised towards him. And have not we also reason to magnify our God for having rescued our souls from perdition ? True ; many of us, it is to be feared, are yet in an unpardoned state : nevertheless, even they have cause to bless God that they have not long since been consigned over to ever- lasting and irremediable misery. Millions of the human race have been cut off in their sins, though they had not, it may be, attained one half of the measure of iniquity that lies upon our souls : and yet they have been taken, and we left. O let us admire and adore this inscrutable mystery, and let us give unto God the glory due unto his name !
b Compare Ps. lxxxvi. 13. andlsai. xxxviii. 17. c Ps. ciii. 3.
11 2 Sam. xii. 13.