(II. Angels guard them.) 11 For He shall give His angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (III. Their final victory.) 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder : (IV. Deliverance and exaltation.) 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, Therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, Because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I shall answer him : I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation. REFLECTIONS. 1. In what a noble and elevated strain does the Psalmist here set forth the security of the righteous! This world abounds with danger, both as to body and soul. By day and by night we are exposed to various enemies. To whom, in these circumstances, shall we look for safety? If we put our trust in God, He will be our deliverer and preserver. 2, 3. Angels, "ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," befriend the righteous. Enemies, raging as the lion, or venomous as the serpent, shall be overcome by those who make God their refuge. 4. Such is the gracious promise of God to His people. They love Him; they know and acknowledge Him; they call upon Him; and He delivers them from enemies and dangers; exalts them; answers their prayers; is with them in their troubles; puts peculiar honour upon them; and shows them His sal vation. PRAYER. Grant us grace, O Lord, that we may know and love Thee; that we may trust in Thee, and call upon Thee; so that we may be safe under Thy protection, and rejoice in Thy salvation. Preserve us, we beseech Thee, both in body and soul; and be Thou continually with us, in all our dangers and troubles; that we may glorify Thy Name, and praise Thee for all Thy goodness to us; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen. PSALM XCII. Instructive, as Psalm i. "A Psalm or Song for the Sabbath Day." (I. Exhortation to praise God.) 1 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, And to sing praises unto Thy Name, O Most High: 2 To show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, And Thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; Upon the harp with a solemn sound. (II. His works and counsels.) 4 For Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through Thy work: I will triumph in the works of Thy hands. 5 O Lord, how great are Thy works ! And Thy thoughts are very deep. (III. Man inconsiderate.) 4 A brutish man knoweth not; Neither doth a fool understand this. (IV. Destruction of the wicked.) 7 When the wicked spring as the grass, And when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; 8 But Thou, O Lord, art most high for evermore. 9 For, lo, Thine enemies, O Lord, For, lo, Thine enemies shall perish; (V. Exaltation of the godly.) 10 But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. 11 Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, And mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me. 12 The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; They shall be fat and flourishing. (IV. God's righteousness.) 15 To show that the Lord is upright, He is my Rock, And there is no unrighteousness in Him. REFLECTIONS. 1. The lovingkindness and faithfulness of God are subjects that demand our unceasing gratitude and praise; and it is a good thing, whether we regard others or ourselves, to abound in thanksgiving. 2, 3. The works, the ways, and the counsels of God demand our constant and close consideration; for thus we enlarge our knowledge, strengthen our faith, and enliven our joyful feelings. Well may he who does not thus employ his thoughts be accounted a "brutish man." Alas! how many Christians lead a mere animal life through the neglect of serious reflection and meditation! 4, 5. We have here a striking contrast. The un godly are described as enemies of God and workers of iniquity; as springing up and flourishing like grass, feeble and transient; and as perishing and destroyed for ever. On the contrary, the godly are represented by the stately palm tree and the goodly cedar: they are worshippers of God, endowed with strength, and inspired with goodness: and they flourish and produce the fruit of good works even to old age. 6. A due examination of this subject will convince us of the righteousness of God. His ways are equal. The evil-doers are punished, and there is a reward for the righteous. PRAYER. Help us, O Lord, to meditate with understanding minds on Thy works and ways and counsels; and the more we discover of Thy wisdom and power, of Thy lovingkindness, faithfulness, and righteousness, the more may we abound in gratitude and praise, to Thy glory, through Jesus Christ our only Saviour. Amen. DAY 18.] PSALM XCIII. EVENING PRAYER. Displaying the divine perfections, as Psalm viii. xciii-c. are viewed as prophetic of Messiah's kingdom. (I. The divine government.) 1 The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with majesty: The Lord is clothed with strength, 2 Thy throne is established of old: 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, Psalms |