fore it cannot bear "vain thoughts," which are contrary to that law, and exalt themselves against it. Thoughts are often said to be free; from human cenfure they are, but not from the cognizance and judgment of the Omnifcient. The mind fhould be well furnished with proper materials, on which to employ itself. We shall then be fecured against the incurfions of rambling, conceited, worldly, impure, and revengeful thoughts, which otherwife will devour half our time, and appear against us, to our unfpeakable amazement, in that day, when the fecrets of all hearts shall be revealed. 114. Thou art my hiding-place, and my fhield: I hope in thy word. From vain thoughts, and vain perfons, the Pfalmift teacheth us to fly, by prayer, to God, as our refuge and protector. This course a believer will as naturally take, in the hour of temptation and danger, as the offspring of the hen, on perceiving a bird of prey hovering over their heads, retire to their "hid"ing place," under the wings of their dam; or as the warrior oppofeth his "fhield" to the darts which are aimed at him. 115. Depart from me, ye evil doers: for I will keep the commandments of my God. Safe under the protection of the Almighty, David bids the wicked "depart from him;" he neither fears their malice, nor will follow their counfels, being refolutely determined to adhere to his duty, and to "keep the commandments of his God." He who hath formed David's refolution, muft, like him, difclaim and renounce the fociety of "evil doers;" for for every man will infenfibly contract the good or bad qualities of the company which he keeps; and fhould, therefore, be careful to keep fuch, as will make him wifer and better, and fit him for the goodly fellowship of faints and angels. 116. Uphold me according to thy word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope. 117. Hold thou me up, and I fhall be fafe: and I will have respect unto thy ftatutes continually. A refolution to fly from evil, and to do good, is properly followed by an earnest and repeated prayer, to be "upheld" in the performance of it, by divine grace, "according to God's word" and promife; that fo our "hope" in that word may not fail, and put us to "fhame" before our enemies; that we may be faved" from falling, and enabled, in our walking, to have "refpect unto the divine ftatutes con tinually." How neceffary is this prayer to be made by creatures, whofe tempers and difpofitions are ever varying; who have fo many and fo formidable adverfaries to contend with; and on whom their temporal condition hath fo much influence! 118. Thou hadst trodden down all them that err from thy flatutes: for their deceit is falfhood. The dreadful judgments which God, from time to time, in all ages of the world, hath executed, and which he ftill can, and will execute, upon impenitent finners, afford a kind of admonition and a powerful motive to obedience. As no force can counteract the power of God, fo no "cunning" can deceive his wisdom, but will always, in the end, iniferably "deceive" those who truft in it, and employ it against against the counfels of heaven; "their deceit, or fubtlety, is falfhood," p, it will fail and ruin it's owners. Of this, hiftory furnisheth inftances in abundance. And it will be evident to all the world, when fimplicity and innocence fhall reign triumphant, with the Lamb, on mount Sion; and deceit and guile fhall have their portion with the ferpent, in the lake of fire. 119. Thou putteft away all the ungodly of the earth like drofs: therefore I love thy teftimonies. "Ungodly" men and hypocrites are mingled among the fons and fervants of God, as "drofs" is blended with the pure metal, and appeareth to be part of it. But the fiery trial of divine judgment foon discovereth the difference. The falfe pretences of the hypocrite are detected, and the glory of the wicked vanisheth away. These difpenfations of God's providence increase our "love" of his "word;" because they give us fenfible experience of it's truth, they fhew us the juftice of God in punishing others, together with his mercy in fparing us, and removing those who might have corrupted us, and turned the filver itself into drofs. In times of vifitation, Chrift fitteth among his people, as a refiner and purifier "of filver," purging away all drofs, that out of what remains may be made "veffels of honour, meet "for the Mafter's ufe," to ferve and to adorn the fanctuary. See Mal. iii. 3. Ifai. i. 25. 2 Tim. ii. 21. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and 1 am afraid of thy judgments. At the presence of Jehovah, when he appeareth in judgment, the earth trembleth and is ftill. His beft 383 bet servants are not exempted from an awful dread, upon fuch occafions; fcenes of this kind, fhewn in vifion to the prophets, cause their flesh to quiver, and all their bones to fhake. Encompaffed with a frail body, and a finful world, we stand in need of every poffible tie; and the affections both of fear and love must be employed, to reftrain us from tranfgreffion; we muft, at the fame time, "love "God's teftimonies, and fear his judgments." AIN. PART XVI. 121. I have done judgment and juftice: leave me not to mine oppressors. He who is engaged in a righteous caufe, and hath acted uprightly in the support of it, may, so far, without incurring the cenfure of boafting, or trufting to his own righteoufnefs, make David's plea, "I have done judgment and justice;" as if he had faid, Thou, O my God, knowest that I am innocent of the crimes whereof my implacable enemies accuse me, and that I have done no wrong to thofe who seek to take away my life; deliver not thine injured fervant, therefore, into their hands; "leave me not "to mine oppreffors." The Son of David might use the words in their full and absolute sense, and plead for a glorious refurrection, on the foot of his having performed a perfect obedience to the law. 122. Be furety to thy fervant for good: let not the proud opprefs me. The Pfalmift, finding himself ready to be feized by his infolent adverfaries, like a helpless and insol vent debtor, entreateth the Almighty to appear in his defence, to take the matter into his own hands, to interpofe, and plead his caufe, as his furety and advocate, in the day of trouble. Good Hezekiah ufes the fame word in the fame fenfe, fpeaking of the time when death was about to make his claim upon the mortal part of him; " O Lord, I am oppreffed, Ty undertake, be furety for me." Ifai. xxxviii. 14. Happy the creatures, whofe Creator is their furety, and hath interpofed to rescue them from thofe great oppreffors, fin, death, and Satan! 123. Mine eyes fail for thy falvation, and for the word of thy righteoufness. Salvation, whether temporal, or fpiritual, may be delayed; the "eyes” of the sufferer may "fail" with looking upward, and his earnest expectation may be ready to break forth, in the words of Sifera's mother, "Why is his chariot fo long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariot ?" But what faith God, by his Prophets and Apoftles?" Though it tarry, wait for it, because it will furely come.” Hab. ii. 3. "Yet a little while, and he that shall 66 <6 come, will come." Heb. x. 37. The “word” which hath promifed it, is the word of truth, faithfulness, and " righteousness;" the attributes of God are engaged for it's accomplishment, and he cannot deny himself. 124. Deal with thy fervant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy ftatutes. 125. I am thy Servant, give me understanding, that I may know thy teftimonies. The confideration, that we are the " fervants" of God, if indeed we are fo, will always be successfully urged |