who thus cometh, not in his own name and power, but in the name and power of Jehovah, according to the prophecies concerning him, to deliver us from all our enemies: Ratify, O Jehovah, in the highest, or in heaven, these petitions which we make for the salvation and prosperity of our King, that thy blessings upon him and us may be established on earth." Since the resurrection of our Lord, the faithful have expressed, in these two verses, the same wishes and prayers for the increase of his kingdom and the prosperity of his house and family, of his ministers and his people: "We bless you that are of the house of Jehovah."

"27. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar."

As Jehovah hath manifested his power and glory, by raising Christ from the dead; as he hath, by so doing, "showed us the light" of life and immortality; let us observe the festival, which is designed to perpetuate the memory of so great and joyful an event. "Christ, our passover," saith an apostle, "is sacrificed for us; therefore let us keep the feast," 1 Cor. v. 7. Let us keep it, only changing legal for evangelical sacraments and ceremonies; let us go to the altar, not to see a figure of the Lamb of God, as he was to be slain; but to behold a representation of him as he hath been slain; to behold, in figure, his body broken, and his blood poured out; to eat the bread of life, and drink the cup of salvation.

"28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee; thou art my God, I will exalt thee. 29. O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever."

The prophet declareth his resolution to "praise" and to "exalt," to magnify and to glorify, his "God;" he then concludes, as he began, with exhorting all the world to do the same. Preserve to us, blessed Lord, the use of these divine hymns in thy church, until, at the resurrection of the just, we shall celebrate an Easter in heaven, and sing them new in the kingdom of God.

TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.-EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM CXIX.

ARGUMENT.

This Psalm is divided (most probably for the advantage of memory) according to the number of letters which compose the Hebrew alphabet, into twentytwo portions, of eight verses each; and not only every portion, but every verse of that portion, begins with the letter appropriated to it. David must, undoubtedly, have been the author. He describeth, in a series of devotional meditations, the instruction and the comfort which, through all vicissitudes of mind and fortune, he had ever found in the word of God. The many strong expressions of love towards the law, and the repeated resolutions and vows to observe it, will often force us to turn our thoughts to the true David, whose "meat and drink it was to do the will of him that sent him." The passages more especially characteristic of him, as well as those which allude primarily to any particular circumstances in the history of the patriarch David, are pointed out in the course of the comment. But the chief design through the whole hath been, to draw forth the lessons of heavenly wisdom and comfort contained in this interesting composition, for the service of believers, who, while they are accomplishing their pilgrimage and warfare upon earth, should continually solace themselves with the cxixth Psalm, and repair to it as to a fountain, which can never be exhausted. Between the verses of each portion, a connexion is frequently to be traced, but it doth not often seem to extend from one portion to another. The many words employed to express the revelations of God's will, have distinct significations, denoting different parts or portions of the Scriptures, which it hath sometimes been

found of great use to take into consideration, while at others the terms appear to be used promiscuously, in a general sense, and for the sake of variety.

ALEPH. PART I.

"1. Blessed are the undefiled, Heb. perfect, or, sincere, in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD."

By sin, misery entered into the world; holiness alone, therefore, can lead us to happiness. "The law of Jehovah" is the path of life, and by "walking in the way," we shall attain to the end. But, alas, we are out of the way; we have walked in the law of sin, after the lust of the flesh; who will direct and strengthen us to walk in the law of God, after the desires of the Spirit? We are fallen from our integrity; who will raise us again? The Gospel, which was preached to Abraham before the Mosaic dispensation, and which was prefigured and believed under it, returneth us, to all these questions, answers of peace. The Redeemer hath prevailed for the pardon of our errors: the Redeemer hath raised us from our fallen state; he hath conducted us to the path of life; in his name we arise and walk; he maketh us righteous, and consequently he maketh us blessed. For, "blessed are the sincere in the way, who walk in the law of Jehovah." "2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart."

The Divine revelations and institutions, whether of the old or the new law, are called God's "testimonies;" they are the witnesses of his will, and the pledges of his love. They are committed to the church, as a precious deposit, or trust, to be by her children "kept," and observed. In and by these God is to be sought; "they that seek him with the whole heart," with ardent and undivided affection, fail not to find him, as an instructer and a comforter; and they who find him find all things, that are "blessed" indeed.

3. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways."

O blissful state of those, who are redeemed from the earth, and all earthly desires; who are delivered for the dominion of sin; who " follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth," and like Zacharias and Elizabeth, "walk in the statutes and ordinances of the Lord blameless," Luke i. 6. Enrol us, O Lord, in the happy number of these thy servants; pardon our offences; give us a new nature, and new desires, averse from sin, and inclined to sanctity; and guard us, that the wicked one touch us not.

4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently."

He who made us, and redeemed us, hath a double right to our service. We are not our own, having been bought with the blood of our Lord; his will, therefore, and not our own, is to be done by us. And his will is, that we should "keep his precepts diligently," because in “ keeping" them, and keeping them diligently, so as not to halt between God and the world, but to serve one Master only, doth our happiness consist. Now, when the commands of our Superior and our greatest Benefactor, of our Friend, our Father, and our God, coincide with our own interests, temporal and eternal, what pretext can there be for disobedience and rebellion!

"5. O that my ways were directed, or, prepared, and established, to keep thy statutes!"

The faithful soul, enraptured with the contemplation of that blessedness which is the consequence of serving God, but conscious, at the same time, of an inability to attain it, sighs after the refreshing and strengthening influences of divine grace. She beholdeth her Saviour afar off; she beholdeth the beauty and glorious majesty of his heavenly kingdom; she beholdeth the way which leads to it; but she hath not power to walk therein. This consideration causeth her to groan earnestly within herself, and at length to breathe forth a wish, that the Spirit of truth and love would fix and establish her in a holy course of thinking, speaking, and acting, upon all occa

sions, and would prevent her from turning aside out of it, to the right hand or to the left.

"6. Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments."

ALL the commandments have the same author, and the same sanction. He who thinketh to atone for the breach of one, by the observation of another; he who reserveth to himself a license of indulging any favourite darling lust, while, in general, he preserveth the appearance of an exemplary conduct, is a hypocrite, and, unless he repent, will be brought to "shame," if not before men here, yet before men and angels hereafter. "Shame" is the fruit of sin; confidence is the effect of righteousness. Wherefore, in all our proceeding, let us "have respect," not to the opinions of men, to the currupt customs of the world, or to the deceitful suggestions of our own hearts, but to the commandments, to all the commandments of God;" let us, as St. John exhorteth, " abide in Christ; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." 1 John ii. 28.

"7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments."

Confidence in God will always be productive of joy, and undissembled "praise" will accompany true conversion. The Scriptures are styled God's "righteous judgments," as containing an account of his decrees and determinations concerning us, with a history of cases and precedents, entered upon record for our admonition. By these we are to form our opinions, and to regulate our conduct. And when we shall have so "learned" these, as to walk according to them, we shall praise God with an "upright heart;" our tongues will utter what our hearts feel.

"8. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly."

The result of our meditations on God's word, and on the advantages of studying, in order to observe its directions, should always be a resolution so to do, and a prayer for grace to execute that resolution. Lord, we will keep thy statutes; for love can do all things, when thou hast shed it abroad in our hearts. "Love worketh no ill; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law;" Rom. xiii. 10.; and mercy will accept what grace enableth us to perform. Be thou, therefore, ever with us, and forsake us not; or if, at any time, to try our faith, and to exercise our patience, thou shouldest depart from us, and leave us to ourselves for a time, short be thy absence, and speedy thy return; "O forsake us not utterly."

BETH. PART. II.

9. Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word."

Youth enters upon the journey of life headstrong and inexperienced, with a bias of original corruption, and all the passions awake. In such circumstances, how shall a young man direct his steps, so as to "escape the pollution that is in the world through lust ?" 2 Pet. i. 4. He must, for this purpose, take with him the directions to be found in the Scriptures of truth. "I have written unto you, young men," says the beloved disciple, "because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." He who became man for our salvation, passed through this state of youth, undefiled, that he might, as it were, reclaim and consecrate it anew to God. Let every young man often meditate on this circumstance.

10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."

Despairing of sufficient assistance from any other quarter, because no one else can either shew us the way to heaven, or enable us to walk therein, even if it could be shown, "with our whole heart have we sought thee," O

God, thy direction, and thine aid; and thou hast promised, "that they who seek shall find;" like sheep without a shepherd are we given to stray; O preserve us from error, in principle and in practice; let us not wander from thy commandments.

11. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."

The young man who would cleanse his way, and take heed according to God's word, must "lay up that word in his heart;" for from the heart are the issues of life, the thoughts, the words, and the actions; when God ruleth in the heart by his word and Spirit, these become his subjects; then "the kingdom of heaven is within us," and all is obedience, peace and love. Thou are our King, O Lord Jesus; suffer no usurper to possess thy place in our affections; permit no other Lord to have dominion over us. "12. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.'

He who is blessed can make us so; he who delighteth to communicate blessing, will do it, if we ask him, by teaching us his statutes, which comform us to his nature, that we may live his life, and bless his name for ever. When the word of God is our lesson, the Spirit of God must be our Mas

ter.

13. With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth." The best sign that God hath "taught us his statutes," and the greatest inducement to him to teach us still more and more, is a readiness to make others partakers of those blessings which we ourselves have received from him. Jehovah fashions the "lips" of man, and he expects that they should be employed in his service. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," and the stream will always show the nature of the fountain. When we make the Scriptures the subject of our conversations we glorify God, we edify our neighbours, and we improve ourselves.

"14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches."

Truth and holiness afford to the sincere believer a pleasure more exquisite, as well as more solid and enduring, than that which a miser feels at the acquisition of his darling wealth. Let us no longer envy the joys of worldly men, no longer be chagrined at the prosperity of the wicked. The "true riches" we may always acquire; and, surely, as much as the heaven is higher than the earth, so much are heavenly joys above earthly, in kind, degree, and duration.

15. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways." Meditation is that exercise of the mind, whereby it recalls a known truth, as some kinds of creatures do their food, to be ruminated upon, until all the nutritious parts are extracted, and fitted for the purposes of life. By study we lay in knowledge, by meditation we reduce that knowledge to practise. And we have then duly "meditated on God's precepts," when in all our proceedings we "have respect unto his ways," comparing our actions with the rule of his word.

"16. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." By frequent meditation and continual practice, the Divine "statutes," will become our "delight;" and from the pleasures, as well as from the cares of the world, we shall gladly fly to THEM, for recreation and comfort. Of holy exercises there is great variety, and spiritual joys are without number. Lord, make us to "delight ourselves in thy statutes," and when we delight in what we learn, we shall easily retain it in memory; we shall not forget thy word.

"17. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word."

In the foregoing parts of the Psalm, we have heard the believer declaring

the excellency of God's word, and expressing both his desire and his resolution to observe its directions. He now beseecheth God to remove all impediments, and to accomplish this work in him. And as a man must "live," in order to work, the first petition is, that God would "deal" with his servant, according to the measure of grace and mercy, enabling him to "live" the life of faith, and strengthening him by the Spirit of might in the inner man, to "keep the word" of truth, and to walk in the commandments of his blessed Master all his days.

"18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law."

So far are we naturally from being able to "keep" the word, that we are not able to understand it. The law of God is full of divine and spiritual truths, concealed under literal histories, visible signs, and external ceremo nies. To discern these, ', wondrous, because hidden, 'mysterious "things," our "eyes," the eyes of our understanding, must be "unveiled;" that "veil" must be taken off, which St. Paul affirmeth to be upon the hearts of the Jews, “in reading the Old Testament," and which will continue there, until they turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. Then the veil will be taken away, and they will behold him, and the redemption by him, as prefigured in their law, and foretold by their prophets.* Pride, prejudice, and interest, will compose a veil, through which a Christian shall see as little of the New Testament, as a Jew doth of the Old. Lord, convince us of our blindness, and restore us to our sight.

"19. I am a stranger in the earth; hide not thy commandments from me."

The above request for divine illumination is enforced by this argument, that the petitioner is a "stranger," and a sojourner "upon the earth," he is travelling through a foreign country to his native city, where are his kindred, his treasure, and his heart; as a sojourner, he hath renounced the world, which is therefore become his enemy; as a stranger, he is fearful of losing his way; on these accounts he requesteth, that God would compensate the loss of earthly comforts, by affording the light of heaven; that he would not "hide" his commandments, but show and teach him those steps, by which he may ascend towards heaven, rejoicing in hope of future glory.

"20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times."

Another argument here urged, is that "longing" desire which the soul hath, during her state of pilgrimage below, "unto the revelation of God's will." Grieved and vexed at the prospect of sin, vanity, and folly, and finding nothing below that will satisfy the desires of an immortal spirit, she setteth her affections on the better things above, which are proposed in the Scriptures, as the proper objects of our wishes. Her appetite for the divine word is "keen" as that of hunger or thirst, and hope deferred maketh the heart sick. This disposition is not a transient fit, but it is constant and uniform at all times.

"21. Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments."

The consideration of the wretched condition of impenitent sinners, is another reason, why we entreat God to set and to keep us in the way of his commandments. "Pride" produceth "error," and obstinacy in that error: obstinate transgressors reject the call, the covenant, and the terms of the Gospel; to such the "curse" of the law is ratified and sealed, and mercy consigns them over to justice, which seldom fails to give them some "rebuke" even in this world, for a foretaste to them, and a warning to others.

*"Revela oculus meos:" aperi, dispelle umbras, tolle velamentum, quo spirituales oculi conteguntur. "Considerabo mirabila;" ut penitùs introspiciam, non literam, tantùm, ac velut corticem legis, sed arcana spiritualia, puta in sabbatis requiem sempiternam, simplicatem in azymis, in victimis obedientiam. et ubique Christum. Bossuet.