12. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

Unless God vouchsafe a gracious rain from above, the earth cannot " yield her increase. The effects of the incarnation of Christ, the descent of the Spirit, and the publication of the Gospel among men, are frequently set forth in Scripture under images borrowed from that fruitfulness caused in the earth by the rain of heaven. Thus Isaiah: "Drop down, ye "heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. xlv. 8. I will pour water upon him "that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I "will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing 66. upon thine offspring. And they shall spring up as 66 among the grass, as willows by the water-courses. "xliv. 3. As the rain cometh down from heaven, " and watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth "and bud; so shall my word be," &c. lv. 10. Give us evermore, O Lord, "that which is good, that "our land may yield her increase;" give us that good gift, the gift of thy Spirit, that we be "neither "barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our "Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. i. 8.

13. Righteousness shall go before him, and shall set us in the way of his steps; or, and shall set his steps in the way.

Upon the appearance of the Redeemer, "Righ"teousness" is represented "as going before him,” like his harbinger the Baptist, to prepare and make

ready his way. In that way, the way of righteousness," he set his steps," and walked therein, without the least deviation, until he had finished his appointed course. Draw us, blessed Jesu, and we will run after thee, in the path of life; let thy mercy pardon us, thy truth enlighten us, thy righteousness, direct us, to follow thee, O Lamb of God, whithersoever thou goest, through poverty, affliction, persecution, and death itself; that our portion may be for ever in thy kingdom of peace and love.

SEVENTEENTH DAY.-MORNING PRAYER.

PSALM LXXXVI.

ARGUMENT.

This Psalm is entitled, "A prayer of David," and supposed to have been written in some of his great distresses. Like others of the same kind, it is calculated for the use of the church during her sufferings here below, by which she is conformed to the image of the true David, that man of sorrows. It contains, 1. an earnest supplication, grounded on the poverty, 2. the holiness, faith, 3. importunity, and, 4. the devotion, of the suppliant; and on, 5-7. the goodness, and, 8. power of God, 9, 10. to be one day acknowledged by all nations, at their conversion. After this, follows, 11. a petition for wisdom, strength, and

singleness of heart; 12, 13. a thanksgiving for redemption; 14. a complaint of persecution from the wicked; 15. an act of faith; 16, 17. a prayer for help and salvation.

1. Bow down thine ear, O LORD, and hear me : for I am poor and needy.

All prayer is founded on a sense of our own wants, and God's ability to supply them. In the sight of his Maker, every sinner is " poor and needy;" and he must become so in his own, that his petitions may be regarded; he must pray, with the humility and importunity of a starving beggar, at the gate of heaven, if he expect the great King "to bow down his "ear and hear him." "The prayer of the humble," saith the wise son of Sirach, "pierceth the clouds; " and till it come nigh, he will not be comforted; and "will not depart till the Most High shall behold :" Ecclus. xxxv. 17. The blessed Jesus, "though he

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was rich, yet for our sakes became poor, and had "not where to lay his head ;" nor is it to be doubted, but that, in his state of humiliation, he oftentimes made his prayer to the Father in these very words; "Bow down thine ear, O LORD, and hear me; for "I am poor and needy." If he sued in such a form of words for us, shall we think of suing in any other form for ourselves?

2. Preserve thou my soul, for I am holy; O thou my God, save thy servant, that trusteth in thee.

The word here translated " holy," is, on, the same which is used in the xvith Psalm; "Thou shalt "not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." And

indeed, if we understand "holiness" in its strict sense, no one but "he whom the Father sanctified, "and sent into the world," to redeem lost man, could say to him, "Preserve my soul, for I am holy." But the word properly signifies, "good, merciful, pious, devoted to the service of God," &c. The Christian, therefore, only pleads, in this expression, his relation to Christ, as being a member of Christ's body, the church, and a partaker of the gifts, which,

virtue of that membership, he has received through the Spirit of holiness. So that this first part of the verse, "Preserve my soul, for I am "holy," when repeated by us, is equivalent to another passage in the Psalms, "I am THINE, O (6 save me:" cxix. 94. The latter member of the verse under consideration teaches us to pray for help and salvation, as the "servants" of God, whose eyes therefore look naturally to him, "as the eyes of ser"vants," in affliction, "look unto the hand of their "masters" Psal. cxxiii. 2. And happy, surely, are we in a Master, who himself, for our salvation, once lived, and prayed, and suffered, and died, in "the "form of a servant." Phil. ii. 7.

3. Be merciful unto me, O LORD, for I cry unto thee daily.

There is no man upon the earth, but needeth mercy;" he who is truly sensible of his need, will

cry daily" for it; and he who doth so, may comfort himself with the hope of obtaining it. The prayers of Jesus, poured forth for the salvation of his mystical body, in the days of his flesh, were frequent and mighty; his intercession for us in heaven is con

tinual. Does the man believe this, who prays not at all, or who prays without devotion?

4. Rejoice the soul of thy servant; for unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.

Sorrow was the portion of Christ in this world, and the church hath no reason to expect any other from it. He that would have real "joy" in his heart, must beseech God to give it him, for no creature hath it to give. Nay, the love of the world must be renounced, before this divine gift can even be received." The affections must be loosened from earth, and "lifted up" to heaven, on the wings of faith and love; for in the soul that is full of sensual pleasures and indulgences, there is neither room nor taste for spiritual delights.

5. For thou, LORD, art good, and ready to forgive: and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

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We are encouraged to "lift up our souls to God" in prayer, because his "goodness," and the " plenteousness of his mercy" in Christ Jesus, incline him to give his holy Spirit of peace and comfort to "all "that call upon him." him." His favour is no longer confined to Judea; there is now no distinction of age, condition, or country: but the sinner, whoever or wherever he be, if he call upon the saving name of Jesus, is heard, pardoned, and accepted, upon the terms of the evangelical covenant.

6. Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. 7. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; for thou wilt

answer me.