(Hengstenberg). Hie pr&yer here ie, pri- Ver. 7.-Mine eye la conenmed beoauae of ma.rily, for deliverance from this impending grief ; or, mine eye i, wasted away because of danger, o.s nppenrs clearly from the follow- provocation. The eye falls in, becomc1 dull, ing verse. S&ve me for thy mercies' sake. and, as it wore, "wastes awo.y" throu~h Either a repetition of the preceding prayer long-continued grief (comp. Ps. xxxi. 9). in olhC'r words, or an enlargement of it eo as The ldnd of grief expressed hy the word to inclu<le salvation of every kiud. ka'as (DJ?.=?) is "tho.t which a.rises from pro- Ver. 5. -For in death there is no remem- vocation or spiteful treatment" (Kuy). It brar.ce of thee (comp. Pss. XXL 9 ; h::s:xviii. waxeth old beco.nse of all mine enemies. It 11 ; cxv. 17; cxviii. 17 ; Isa. u::xviii. 18). becomes dull and heavy and sunken, like The general view of the psa.lmists seems to the eye of a.n old man. How often has it have been tha.t death was R cessation of the not been noted that nothing so much ages a o.cti're service of God-whether for n time or wan as grief! permanently, they do not make clear to us. Ver. 8.-Depa.i-t from me, all ye workers So even Hezekiah, in ihe passage of Isaiah of iniquity! Note the sudden change of above qnoted. Death is represented as a. toue, very characteristic of the Davidical sleep (Ps. xiii. 3), but whether there is an psalms. The psalmist, having offored his awakening from it does not appear. No prayer, is so certain or· its acceptance that doubt, as has been said (' Speaker's Com- he at once turus upon his adversaries with mentary,' vol. iv. p. 182), " the cessation words of reproach, and almost of menace. of o.ctivc service, even of remembrance or " Depa.rt from me I " he exclaims: "get ye ·devotion, cloes not affect the question of a gone I do not dare any more to persecute future restoration,'' and the metaphor of me or plot age.inst me I Y onr efforts a.re in sleep certainly suggests the idea of an va.in." For the Lord ha.th heard the voice of awakening. But such a veil hung ornr tho my weeping. Davia. speaks from a.n inward other world, under the old dispensation, o.nd conviction. He knows that he has pmyed over the condition of the departed in it, that sincerely and fervently. He is certain, there- thought was scarcely exercised upon the fore, that his prayer is heard and accepted. subject. Men's duties in this life were what Ver. 9.-The Lord hath heard my suppli- occupied them, and they did not realize that cation; the Lord will receive-rather, hatl~ in another they woulcl have employments- received; ,rpotTElil(aTo (LXX.)-my prayer. much less form any notion of whi.t those Tho threefolcl repetition marks the absolute- employments wonld be. The grave seemed ness of the psalmist's conviction. a place of silence, inaction, tranquillity. In Ver. 10.-Let all mine enemies be ashamed the grave (Hebrew, in Sheol) who shll.l.l give and sore vexed; rather, all mine enemies thee thanks l (comp. Ps. cxv. 17, 18). shall be ashamed and sore t1e:r:ed (Rosenmiiller, Ver. 6.-I am weary-or, !Dorn out (Kay) Kay, and others). Sha.me will fall upon -with my groaning. The Oriental habit of David's enemies when their plots havo giving vent to grief in loud la.menta.tions failed, nnd <leep vexation when they find must be remembered. Herodotus says that him restored to health (ver. 4) and in the nt tho funeral of Ma.sistins, the Persians full enjoyment of the Divine favour. Let preseut "vented their grief in such loud them return ; rather, they shall return ; i.e. cries that all llceotia. resounded with the "retire," "turu their backs,"" to.kc. 1.ollight." clamour" (Herod., ix. 2!). All the night As H"ngstenberg says, " David sees his make I my bed to swim (comp.Homer, 'OJ.,' enemies, who are gathered around him for xviL 102, 103). The Revised Version hae, the 11tto.ck, nil at once in alarm give way." "every night," which is a possible meaning. And be ashamed suddenly. It is doubly Dr. Kay tranBlates, "I drench my bed." I shameful to have to fly when one has been water my con~h with my tears. One of the the assa.ila.nt. usual pleonastic second clauses.
HOMILETICS. Ver. 9.-The school of adversity. "The Lord hath heard," etc. This outbmst of triumphant gratitude is like a sunbeam out of a dark, stormy sky. A wail of profound sadness echoes through the earlier portion of the psalm. In his deep affliction the psalmist seems to lose siaht 0 of the light beyond; he sees but the dark silence of the grave (vcr. 5). Suddenly the clouds part; faith revives; the conviction ihnt God is the lic:i.rcr of prayer fills his soul with joy, and with the certain hope that God will answer, I. Tnow!lLE 1e TllE SCHOOL OF' PRAYER, In trouble even pmyerlcss aouls are often taught Lo pray (Pn lxxviii. 34; cvii. 6). " Eyes that the preacher could not sohool lly waysido graves arc raised; re. vx. 1-10.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. ao And lips say, 'God be merciful I' That ne'er said,' God be praised I'" (Mrs. Browning.) Dut evcu prayerful ChrisUans have to own that there is no prayer like that we oITe1 iu trou!,le, In prosperHy pmyer is apt to be vague, like an arrow shot skyward from a slack string. Prayer in trouble is like an arrow shot from a full-bent bow-straight M the mark. David's prayer was intensely personal, "my supplication; " urgent, "the! voice of my weeping;" persistent, "all the night" (ver. 6); seizing hold on God'~ mercy as its plea (vcr. 4). Even our blessed Lord learned this lesson (Heb. v. 7). II. 'l'herefore, ONE PRINCIPAL BLESSING OF AFFLICTION AND STRONG CONSOLATION under it is this-that thus our Father is teaching his child to pray. Our Lord teaches this lesson (Luke xi. 5, etc.; xviii. 1, etc.). Never lose hold of this truth in darkest trouble, for without this it will be dark indeed-meaningless, hopeless, comfortless. The Lord has heard your prayer in the way of taking note of it-knows more about it. than you do yourself. Therefore he will hear in the way of sending an answer: if not the exact answer you wish and expect, then something better. So St. Paul's thrice earnestly repeated prayer was answered with a refusal richer in grace and love than if his petition had been granted (2 Cor. xii. 7-9). Observe: If we lived nearer to God, more in the spirit and habit of prayer, in -peaceful prosperous days, we might perhaps the less need to be taught in this sharp school.