The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 207

hord pressed by the thorn in the flesh, besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him. But he erred. It had been sent as a preventative, "lest he should be exalted above measure through the al,undance of the revelations; " and it had not yet srrved its full purpose. God did not cause it to depart, but he did what was far better. He said, "My grace is sufficient for thee." And Paul, now better taught, cries, "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. xii. 7-9). Baxter's rule i8 good, "As thou wilt, when thou wilt, and where thou wilt." But many times God is pleased to answer the prayers of bis people by granting their requests. We ask light, and he gives light. We seek pardon, and he says, "Thy sins are forgiven thee." We crave help in trouble, and he sends forth his angels for our comfort and deliverance. God's response to our cry call~ for thanksgiving. Thus prayer ends in praise (vers. 6, 7). There is gratitude f.,r ilclivcr- ance. Faith is streugUicned, hope is revived, and love breaks forth iuto joyful songs of victory, "1'11 praise my Maker with my breath, And when my voice is lost in death Pmise shall employ my nobler powers. My d,iys of praise shall ne'er be post While life and thought and being lust, And immortality endures." W.F. Vers. 1-9.-The oppressed righteous king. It is the king who speaks, whose cause is itlcntical with that of the people. Difference between tliis and the twenty-sixth psalm. 'l.'he ground-thought of both is that God will not involve in tho ~a.me outward fate those who are inwardly different; and that the lot of the wicked cannot be the same as that of the righteous. But there it is the oppressed individual righteous man that speaks; here it is the oppressed righteous king speaking for himself and his people. I. 'l'BE PilAYER FOB DELIVEBAN0E. (Vers. 1-3.) Arguments of the psalmist why God should answer him. 1. The certain, firm faithfulness of God. "God was his Rock." God and he were friends, and he could not but listen to the cry of afriend for help. Besides, God has promised to deliver the righteous out of his troubles. ,ve have this assurance in the gospel. "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 2. If God did not answer him, he would soon be past deliverance. "Like them that go down to the dead." No human help could avail him; no operation of mere natural law. God's arm must interpose for him. All real answers to prayer are supernatural- something above nature-from the realm of spirit. 3. He lifted his hands to the place where God spealcs with his people. (See Exod. xx:v. 22.) That is, he puts himself into the divinely appointed way of being heard-praying t,•wards the mercy-seat between tho cherubim. Did all he know ond could do for being answered. Have we done that? 4. God was too }ust to ini•olve him in a common/ate with wicked und deceitful men. (Ver. 3.) "Draw me not away," etc. That would not be just. "Shall not the Judge of nil the earth do right? " II. A. PilAYEB THAT THE WI0KED MAY NOT oo UNPUNlSBED. (Vers. 4, 5.) Particu- larly his enemies. The prayer might not have been prompted by malignity. For: 1. Their frostration might have been necessary to his deliverance. If so, he was only cryiug for justice, such as we often invoke upon those guilty of injustice. "Givo them according to their deeds," and let them not continue in their unrighteou~ courses. 2. The prayer is followed by a prophecy of their assured doom. Because they <lo not study God's righteous judgmeuts, they fall into increasing wickedness, and make suro of being destroyed. Ill. PnAYEn ANSWERED JS FOJ,LOWED DY CONFIDENCE AND TfiANKSGIVING. 1. The strn_qgles of his soul have brought victory, praise, and }oy. (Vers. 6-8.) 2. Tl,e psalmist prays that the Lord would do eternally that which he had now done. (Ver, 9.) Would continue to do for ever tho same ~s he had now done for him and hill people,-S, 212 THE DOOK OF PSALMS, [rs. XXIX. 1-11.