against the counfels of heaven; "their deceit, or fubtlety, is falfhood," pw, 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 serpent, 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 vanifheth away. Thefe difpenfations of God's providence increafe 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 thofe who might have corrupted us, and turned the filver itfelf 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. iji. 3. Ifai. i. 25. 2 Tim. ii. 21.

120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments.

At the prefence of Jehovah, when he appeareth in judgment, the earth trembleth and is ftill. His

beft

383 bet fervants 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 shake. Encompaffed with a frail body, and a finful world, we ftand 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, fo far, without incurring the cenfure of boafting, or trufting to his own righteousness, make David's plea, "I have done judgment and justice;" as if he had faid, Thou, O my God, knoweft that I am innocent of the crimes whereof my implacable enemies accuse me, and that I have done no wrong to those who feek 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 ufe the words in their full and abfolute fenfe, 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 infol

vent

PSAL. 119. 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, y undertake, be furety for me." Ifai. xxxviii. 14. Happy the creatures, whofe Creator is their furety, and hath interpofed to rescue them from those great oppreffors, fin, death, and Satan!

123. Mine eyes fail for thy falvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

Salvation, whether temporal, or fpiritual, may be delayed; the "eyes" of the fufferer may "fail" with looking upward, and his earneft expectation may be ready to break forth, in the words of Sifera's mother, "Why is his chariot fo long in coming? Why 66 tarry the wheels of his chariot ?" But what faith God, by his Prophets and Apoftles? Though it rr tarry, wait for it, because it will furely come." Hab. ii. 3. "Yet a little while, and he that shall

come, will come." Heb. x. 37. The "word" which hath promifed it, is the word of truth, faithfulness, and " righteoufnefs;" 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 fervunt, 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 fuccessfully

urged

urged to the best of masters, as an argument why he fhould" deal with us according to his mercy," in the pardoning of our offences; "teach us his ftatutes,” that we may know and do his will; and inftruct us in his "teftimonies," that we may believe aright, concerning him.

126. It is time for thee, LORD, to work: for they have made void thy law.

The "law" of God "is made" void by those who deny its authority, or its obligation; by those who render it of none effect through their traditions, or their lives. When a deluge of wickedness and impiety, entering at these gates, hath overwhelmed a land, "it is time for the Lord to work;" the great lawgiver will then exert his power, and vindicate his authority speedily. There is a certain measure of iniquity, which when communities, or individuals, refpectively, have filled up, the destroying angel comes forth, and executes his commiffion. How ought a man to fear, left the next fin he commits fhould fill up his measure, and feal his eternal doom!

127. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold.

As the wickednefs of thofe increaseth, who " make "void the divine law," the zeal and "love" of believers fhould increase in proportion, to ftem the torrent; and this may be done, to a furprising degree, by a few perfons, who, after the example of the first Chriftians, can forfake all, to follow their Master; who have the fenfe and the courage to prefer truth, wisdom, holiness, and heaven, to falfehood, folly, fin, and the world; who can refolutely reject the glitterVOL. II.

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ing

ing temptation, and fay, without hypocrify, to their God, "I love thy commandments above gold, yea, "above fine gold."

128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts, concerning all things to be right; or, Therefore all thy precepts, even all have I approved; and I hate every falfe way.

For the fame reafon that the children of God, in the worst of times, "love his commandments," they love them all," not obferving fuch only as they can obferve without giving offence, but regardless of the cenfures of the world, doing their duty in every particular; not "hating" fome "evil ways," and at the fame time walking in others, but extending and manifefting their averfion to all alike. Of fuch perfons it is evident, that they make a confcience of their doings, and their conduct appears to be uniform; the adversary will have no evil thing to fay of them; they will do real fervice to the caufe which they maintain; and, after having honoured their Master before men, they will by him be honoured before men and angels.

PE. PART XVII.

129. Thy teftimonies are wonderful: therefore doth my foul keep, or observe them.

The Scriptures are "wonderful," with respect to the matter which they contain, the manner in which they are written, and the effects which they produce: They contain the fublimeft fpiritual truths, veiled under external ceremonies and facraments, figurative defcriptions, typical hiftories, parables, fimilitudes, &c. When properly opened and enforced, they ter