holding which, the very adversaries themselves might possibly be converted.

11. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die.

Next to those who had been slain, the case of such as groaned in captivity, lying bound in chains and fetters under sentence of death, to be inflicted at the will of their cruel and insulting conquerors, is recommended to God. The Christian, though he may at present be subject to none of these external calamities, forgets not that he is often persecuted, and led captive, by his own desires, and bound in the chains of his sins; that the world to him is a prison; that sentence of death is passed upon him, and he knoweth not how soon that sentence may be executed. How properly therefore, and how fervently, may he at all times pray, 'O let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee; according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die.'

12. And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord.

That is, As they have reproached thee with weakness, so manifest to others their weakness, who are but sinful dust and ashes; as they have endeavoured to make thee contemptible, so let the world have just cause to despise them, who have thus presumptuously offended; according as it is written, Them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.' 1 Sam. ii. 30. And, however different the appearance of

things may now be, this will certainly be found true, in every instance, at the last day.

13. So we thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks for ever: we will show forth thy praise to all generations.

Such is the resolution of a church under persecution; and such ought to be the practice of every church, when delivered out of it, and restored to the favour and protection of her God. The same is the duty of every soul, with regard to afflictions and mercies of a private kind. But how glorious will be the day, when triumphant over sin and sorrow, over every thing that exalteth and opposeth itself, the church universal shall behold the adversary disarmed for ever; while she herself, placed in pastures of joy, and led to the waters of eternal comfort, shall, from age to age, incessantly sing the praises of her great Shepherd and Bishop, her King and her God!

PSALM LXXX.

ARGUMENT.-The church, still in captivity, 1-3. crieth unto God for help and redemption; 4-7. complaineth of her grievous afflictions; 8-13. describeth her former exaltation, and present depression, under the beautiful figure of a vine: 14-16. returneth again to her supplications, and, 17—19. prayeth for the advent of Messiah, to quicken and comfort her, vowing all loyal obedience, adoration, and praise to him, as the author of her salvation.

1. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

The Christian church is now become the Israel' of God: Jesus Christ is the Shepherd' of this Israel, who leadeth his people like a flock;' he dwelleth in the midst of them by his Spirit, as of old he dwelt in the holy places, between the cherubims.' Let us beseech him to hearken to our prayers, and to manifest the glory of his power in our defence and deliverance.

2. Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us.

God is entreated to go forth, in his strength and his salvation, before the tribes of Israel, as formerly in the wilderness. Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, are particularly mentioned; perhaps, because, according to the established order, those three tribes immediately followed the ark and cherubim, the symbols of the divine presence. See Numb. ii. 18.

3. Turn, or, restore, us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.

This verse is a kind of chorus, occurring three times in the course of our Psalm. It implies, that the church is in captivity, from which she prayeth to be restored' to her former freedom and prosperity; that she expecteth such restoration, not from any might or merit of her own, but from the grace and mercy of her Saviour; as well knowing that her night can be turned into day, and her winter give place to spring, only by the Sun of righteousness rising, and causing his face to shine upon her desolations. This ought, therefore, to be the wish and the prayer of every persecuted church, and of every afflicted soul.

4. O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?

The sins of a people may for a time separate between them and their God, and hide his face from them that he will not hear:' Isa. lix. 2: 'be may cover himself with a cloud, that their prayers shall not pass through;' Lam. iii. 44; and seem to reject even the devotions of his distressed servants, while he is proving the strength of their faith, and the sincerity of their repentance. But if the former be strong, and the latter sincere, they will continue to ask, till they have obtained; nor cease to knock till the door be opened.

3. Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, or, of weeping; and givest them tears to drink in great

measure.

There cannot be a more striking picture of Sion in captivity. Her bread is dipped in tears, and her cup is filled to the brim with them: no time is free from grief and lamentation. They who sin must submit to penance; which if a man doth not impose on himself, God will impose it on him; whereas, if we judged ourselves we should not be thus judged of the Lord. The church hath appointed seasons, and given directions for this purpose: but who observes either the one or the other?

6. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours : and our enemies laugh among themselves.

Israel, when forsaken by her God, was a prey for which all the neighbouring nations contended, exulting over her, and scoffing at that condition to which, not their counsels or armies, but her own iniquities had reduced her. Hence let us learn

how to form a just estimate of the real state both of communities and individuals. Righteousness alone exalteth man; sin is his reproach, and will be his destruction.

7. Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. See above,

ver. 3.

8. Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

God is reminded of the favour once shown by him to the church of Israel, and of that prosperity which she once enjoyed. She is compared to a 'vine,' removed from the unkindly soil of Egypt, to the happier regions of Canaan, and there planted by Jehovah, in the place of nations extirpated for their unfruitfulness. The vine is a plant weak and lowly, and needing support; when supported, wild and luxuriant, unless restrained by the pruning-knife; capable of producing the most valuable fruit; but, if barren, the most unprofitable among trees, and fit only for the flames. In all these respects it is a lively emblem of the church, and used as such by Isaiah, v. 7, by Ezekiel, xv. xvii. xix, and by our Lord himself, Matt. xxi. 33. The Christian church, after her redemption, by the death and resurrection of Jesus, was planted in the heathen world, as Israel had been in Canaan; and the description suits one as well as the other.

9. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. 10. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars; or, and