Ps. cxvi. 1 5. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of
his saints.
THE meaning of these words will be best marked from the occasion on which we suppose them to have been uttered. The psalm appears to have been writ- ten after Absalom's rebellion. Most imminent were the dangers from which David had been delivered. For this mercy he renders thanks : and acknowledges, to the praise of his heavenly Protector, that, whilst his own son had sought his life, and instigated mul- titudes to seek his destruction, God had interposed for his deliverance, and had inflicted merited judg- ments on his enemies. So precious had God accounted his death, that he would make those to pay dearly who had laboured to effect it : or, as it is said in another psalm, " God had redeemed his soul from deceit and violence, and precious had his blood been in his sight a."
From the words which I have read, I shall take occasion to shew,
I. In what light God regards the death of the saints —
We are not to understand that the death of his saints is pleasing to God, but rather, that he places a high value on them, and that he will suffer none to accomplish their death with impunity. So precious is their death, that,
1. He watches over them to prevent it —
[Incessant is his care over his Church ; as he has said, ** I the Lord do keep it: I will water it every moment: lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day b." He assures us that " no weapon that is formed against his people shall prosper0." So that, as has been often said, " God's servants are immortal,
a Ps. lxxii. 14. b Isai. xxvii. 4. c Isai. liv. 17.