ill the land. David, if let alone, was willing literally, ah I our soul, i.e. "our heart's enough to have r,•mained "quiet in the desire is accomplished; we havo got our land." He was a fugitive and an outlaw; wish." Let them not se.y, We have swal- but, could he ha'<c obtained a safe refuge- lowed him up; i.e. destroyed him, ruined the earn of Adullnm, or any other-would him, brought him to an evil end (comp. gladly ba.e remained peacefully within it. 2 Sam, :xvii. 16). But his enerufrs '\'l"ould not allow bim to Ver. 26.-Let them be ashamed and remitin quiet. They stirred up the jealousy brought to confusion together that rejoice and hatred of Saul by lalse tales, and caused at mine hurt : let them be clothed with him to be "hunted upon the mountains" shame and dishonour that magnify them- ( l Sam. x.xvi 20 ), selves against me (comp. ver. 4, of which Ver. 21.-Yea., they opened their mouth this is an enlargement, with variations, t!Je wide against me, and said, Aha, aha ! our sentiment being exactly the same). Very eye hath seen it. They "opened their similar maledictions will be found in Pas. mouth wi<le" in scornful derision ; and :xl. 14; lxx. 2; lxxi. 13: cix. 20. shouted triumphantly, ." Ha, ha I our eye Ver. 27.-Let them shout for joy, and be bath seen his downfall I" glad, that favour my righteous cause. When Yer. 22.-Tuis thou hast seen, O Lord. David's enemies are "asl,amed and put to N otbing of this has been hid from thee; confusion" (ver. 26), his friends will natu- thine eye, 0 Lord, has seen it. Therefore rally "shout for joy, and be glnd.'' Tuia I call upon tbee. Keep not silence. Refrain they will do, partly, out of sympathy; not thyself. "Up, and let not man have partly because their own interests are the upper hand" (Ps. ix. 19). 0 Lord, be bound up with those of their leader. Had not far from me, Draw near, hasten, Saul captured David when he" hunted him nndicate my name (comp. Pas. :s:xii. 19; upon the mountains," the fate of David's :xxxviii. 21; lx:x. 12). followers would have been death or exile. Ver. 23.-Sti:r up thyself, and awake to Yea,let them say oontinually, Let the Lord my judgment (comp. Pas. lx:xx. 2; :xliv. 23; be magnified, which he.th pleasure in the lxxviii. 65). 'fbe psalmists call on God to prospority of his servant; literally, in the awake, not as though he were really asleep, peace of his ser'Dant. God desires that but as a sort of stirring appeal to him to David's present troubles should ceaso, and arise and manifest himself. Even UI1to that he should enjoy a time of rest and my cause, my God and my Lord. "Awake," tranquillity. This was granted him, to i.e., "to jndge my cause-to acquit me, some extent, at Ziklag (1 Sam. :xxvii. 4---7), and condemn my enemies" (comp. Pss. ix. 4; bnt more fully when he came into his king- xxxv. I; :xliii. I, etc.). dom (2 Sam. v. 1-16), Ver. 24.-Jndge me, 0 Lord my God, ac- Ver. 28.-And my tongue shall speak of cording to thy righteousness. Let thy law thy righteousness and of thy praise all the of righteousness Le the rule by which I am day long (comp. vers. 9, 10, and 18), DBvid judged, and my enemies also. Then the means to· promise perpetual gratitude and victory will remain with me; t!Jou wilt not thankfulness. He will not mernly return let them rejoice over me. thanks publicly, once for all, in the great Ver. 25.-Let them not se.y in their hearts, congrcgn,tion (ver. 18), but will oontinuo to Ah! so would we have it (comp. ver, 21); praise God always.
HOMILETICS. Ver. 3.-The assurance of salvation. "Say unto my soul," eto. Can the heart frame, the lips utter, a more ambitious request? "Creator and Preserver of o.11 be!ng, Almighty, Eternal, Infinite God, speak to me, even me; tell me that thou art m10e; that I am thine I" Yet this prayer is as reasonable as ambitious. For human nature has in it a capacity which can be satisfied with nothing less. What God says must needs be true. 'l'herefore this is a double petition: (1) that God will be my Salva• tion; (2) that he will assure me of this. I. Goo xs THE souL's SALVATION. Salvation is often spoken of as God's gift (Ps. xxxvii. 39; Isa. xiv. 7; xlvi. ] 3). Ilut here (as Pd. :xxvii. 1; Isa. :xii. 2) God himself is our Salvation. 'fhe word has two meanings-the experience of being saved; the power that saves. In the first sense, God bestows salvation-q_.d. redemption fr!lm guilt and its reward; spiritual healing; deliverance from the habit and power of s~n; in a word, life. In the second sense, it is the love which pities, the grace which pardons, the righteousness which atones; the spiritual power that qui~kens tho _d?ad 1oul; the light by which we see truth, the strength whereby we obey 1t i the D1vmo PS, XXXV, 1-28.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 269
breath whereby our spirit lives. All this ie in God. Salvation is ours as bodily life is ours-God's work and gift. But "the Father bath life in J1imself." How worse than vain is the notion that we can save ourselves I Salvation is not a reward to be earned or result to b() toiled for; it is life. You can starve or poison yourself, but you cannot bestow on food its power to nourish, or on your body to receive nourishment. You can maim yourself, but not restore a limb. You can sin, but not forgive, atone, redeem. These are God's alone. Salvation is personal: "thy salvation." It must be so, since sin is personal, character is personal, holiness and happiness are personal. There may be community in sin and guilt, or in noble effort and benevolent action; but each one bears his own responsibility. If you are saved, God must say to your soul, "I am thy Salvation." II. WE NEED GoD'B OWN ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION. "Say," etc. It is too great a thing to take on man's work. Sin so deadens the conscience, that to many forgiveness seems an easy thing. But let conscience wake, and it becomes difficult to believe that God can forgive. How can this prayer be answered, this assurance given? It needs no voice from heaven (as to Abraham, who had no Bible, no gospel; Gen. xv. 1). The standing answer is in the gift of God's beloved Son, and in the promises of his Word (1 John v. 9-11; 1 Cor. i. 30). The special answer is by the gift of bis Spirit, promised to every one who asks (Luke xi. 13; Rom. v. 5; viii. 16). The dependence of salvation on faith is not (as some fancy) a C011.dition, rendering salvation less free. It is the very means by which it is freely given. "Look unto me, and be ye sarnd I" Believe and live I Ask and have! Therefore there is no presumption in that personal joyful assurance of salvation which rests not on our own faith, but simply on God's Word (John L 28, 29; 2 Tim. i. 12),