Quicken us, and we will call upon Thy Name. 19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, 1. The afflicted Church turns to her Shepherd, pleads His presence and goodness, and prays for salvation; prays to be made partaker of the divine favour. Thus let the afflicted Christian act. 2. Here is the complaint of the Jewish Church in trouble: the complaint, also, of the Christian Church and of every faithful member of it in this evil world. Affliction and derision may be our lot: but prayer is our relief. 3. The Church is a vine: such were the descendants of Abraham: such now are all Christians. She has had seasons of prosperity and adversity. We should bless God for planting this vine in our world: and if we see it assailed and torn by enemies, the remaining verses of the Psalm show us what our duty is. PRAYER. Look down in mercy, O Lord, from heaven, Thy dwelling-place, upon Thy Church in her afflictions, and upon each of her afflicted members, and visit them with Thy favour. Grant that our blessed Redeemer, "the Son of man whom Thou madest strong for Thyself," may prevail, by His truth and grace, over all the powers of sin and darkness, and that His kingdom of light and life, of holiness and righteousness, may flourish in the world. Keep us stedfast in our most holy faith; quicken our souls; and enable us to call upon Thy Name with unfeigned devotion. Thus, O Lord, be Thou favourable to us, and to Thy whole Church; and may we evermore rejoice in Thy salvation; through Jesus Christ our Redeemer and InterAmen. cessor. PSALM LXXXI. Thanksgiving, as Psalm xlvi. Occasion uncertain. 1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the psaltery. 3 Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, In the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. 4 For this was a statute for Israel, And a law of the God of Jacob. 5 This He ordained in Joseph for a testimony, When He went out through the land of Egypt: Where I heard a language that I understood not. (II. God's mercies.) 6 I removed his shoulder from the burden; His hands were delivered from the pots. 7 Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah, 8 Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; Which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: (III. Man's sin and punishment.) 11 But my people would not hearken to my voice, And Israel would none of me. 12 So I gave them up to their own hearts' lust: And they walked in their own counsels. (IV. The divine lovingkindness.) 13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, And Israel had walked in my ways! 14 I should soon have subdued their enemies, And turned my hands against their adversaries. 15 The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto Him: But their time should have endured for ever. 16 He would have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: And with honey out of the rock REFLECTIONS. 1. God is our strength, and Him we ought to praise at all times, and especially "in the time appointed, on our solemn feast days." Our worship and holy ordinances are of divine appointment; we therefore cannot neglect them without a gross violation of duty. Deliverance from Egypt was always a subject of grate ful remembrance to the Jew: but to us has been made known a redemption of which that event was only a type. 2. Here we see the gracious ways of God. He delivered His people; He heard and answered their prayers; He proved them; He reminded them of their duty to Him; and He gave them a most encouraging promise. Such were His ways to Israel; such are His ways to us. 3. Such was Israel's folly; and such was the punishment which they incurred by it. How many Christians act with like perverseness, and are given judicially to follow their own desires and counsels! 4. We find the same spirit in these verses as in our blessed Lord's lamentation over Jerusalem. St. Luke, xiii. 34, 35. They show us in a striking manner the lovingkindness of God. What does He require of us? To hear and obey His words. What does He promise? Victory over our enemies; gracious support; and perpetual prosperity. Here, then, we learn how to live and here we have the most encouraging motives to faith and obedience. PRAYER. Grant, O Lord, that we may always acknowledge Thee to be the Lord our God. May we duly remember all Thy goodness, and especially our redemption by Thy blessed Son. Give us grace to hearken unto Thee, and to walk in Thy ways. Mercifully hear our prayers, and support us in trials, and subdue our enemies. Thus may we be strengthened in our R souls, and fed with the bread of life, and now and evermore praise Thee with thankful and joyful hearts; through Jesus Christ our only Saviour. Amen. DAY 16.] PSALM LXXXII. EVENING PRAYER. Instructive: Advice to Magistrates. Occasion unknown. (I. Exhortation to judges.) 1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods. 2 How long will ye judge unjustly, And accept the persons of the wicked? 3 Defend the poor and fatherless: Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy: Rid them out of the hand of the wicked. (II. Reproof.) 5 They know not, neither will they understand; They walk on in darkness: All the foundations of the earth are out of course. (III. The fall of the corrupt.) 6 I have said, Ye are gods; And all of you are children of the Most High. 7 But shall die like men, ye And fall like one of the princes. (IV. Prayer.) 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: For Thou shalt inherit all nations. |