" Hear me speedily, O Lord! my spirit faileth." But from whatever source it flowed, it shews that]
Good men amongst ourselves may be reduced to like extremities —
[No man is exempt from trouble, whether of a temporal or spiritual kind. Heavy trials, from whatever quarter they come, will still overwhelm the mind, especially if they be of long continuance. And Satan will take advantage of a season of dejection, to instil into the mind hard thoughts of God, and to sink it into utter despair. The experience of holy Job clearly shews us how powerful the devices of Satan are, and how terrible his assaults. " The arrows of the Almighty are within me," says he ; " the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit : the terrors of God do set themselves in array against mee." Let not any, then, take offence at religion, if they still find that persons of real piety be occasionally harassed with temptation, or oppressed with a dread of God's avenging wrath. They may not immediately see wherefore God contendeth with them : but they shall be made victorious in the end, yea, and " more than conquerors, through Him that loveth them."]
In confirmation of this, I proceed to shew,
II. What a blessed refuge yet remains open to him —
To whom did David betake himself in this ex- tremity ?
[In the preceding psalm this point is answered: " I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refugeV Accordingly, in the psalm before us, we find him crying unto the Lord, and saying, " I stretch forth my hands unto thee : my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land." But let us. mark how strongly he reiterates this in the words of my text : " Hear me speedily, O Lord! for in thee do I trust: I lift up my soul unto thee : I flee unto thee to hide me : for thou art my God." He knew how utterly unable he was to deliver himself; whilst of God's condescension and grace he had had ample experience : and therefore, whilst destitute of all other hope, " he encouraged himself in the Lord his God."]
And is there not the same blessed refuge for us at this day ?
[Yes; " God is a refuge for usg:" and it is the privilege of every true Believer to say, " In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in GodV*
e Job vi. 4. f Ps. cxlii. 4, 5. e Ps. lxii. 8. h Ps. lxii. 7.