The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 156

HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS, Ver. 10.-• Open thy mouth wide;" or, great expectations encouraged, There is no one that we like less than a man who is always begging. Our way is to tell people who a.~k of us, that they are not to come a,,aain, or that we can do but very little for them. And those who ask know how we feel, and hence they plead, perhaps, that they have never asked before, or that they never will again, or that they only ask for a very little. Now, it is not difficult to defend this our common conduct with sup- pliants; but what a contrast it offers to our God's dealing with us I He does not send us away when we come to him, nor complain that we come so often, or that we ask so much; but, as here, he encourages our greatest expectations, and bids us "open our mouth wide," etc. Such immense encouragement does he give to UB to all boldness in prayer. "Thon art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For his grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much." The psalmist had probably often noticed how the young birds open their mouths wide for the food which they know the parent bird will give them, a.ud for which, therefore, they wait with such eager expectancy. And he points to this familiar fact, and bids his countrymen in like manner expect blessing from God, for God will not disappoint them. Now, on this subject, note- L THAT THERE ARE SOME WHO NEVER OPEN THEIR MOUTHS AT ALL. 'fhey do not believe in prayer, they count it so much waste breath, and affirm that it avails no more than the piteous cry of the hare when she knows that the hounds are upon her. They urge that all things are govemed by fixed la.w, and no desire of ours, however fervent, can make the slightest alteration. Or else, they say that if what we ask for be right fur God to give, he will give it without our prayer; that if it be not right, then, as certainly, he will not give it: be knows our need without our telling him. But we have one short reply to all thi~, and we say to all such disbelievers in prayer- Have you ever really prayed? Myriads of believing souls there are who with one voice will affirm, " I sought the Lord, and he heard me;" and we prefer to believe tl,ese who know that God heareth prayer, rather than you who have never really prayed. 11. THERE ARE OTHEP.S WBO OPE:S THEIR MOUTHS, BUT NOT "WIDE," as we are here bidden to do. They pray, but they do not expect much to come from it. In words they ask for great thing~. but they do not really believe they will have them. Our Lord's command to us is, "When ye pray, believe that ye receive" (Mark xi. 24). Now, in regard to temporal blessing,, it may be that we cannot have confident expec- tation that we shall have the precise favour we ask for; but we ought to have such expectation that that which is really best for us God will certainly give. But in reg!!.rd to spiritual blessings, such as deliverance from sin, for which, iu words, we so constanlly pray, we ought to expect the very hlessing itself. "The blood •>f Jesus l'B, LXXXI, 1-16,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 171