rience the manifestations of his favour; or, being in a ftate of grace, that you may walk in the light of his countenance, and abound unto every good work, that we may give up our account of you with joy and not with grief; fo that those who sow and those who reap may, at length, rejoice together. This is the fincere defire and prayer of

The Friend of your fouls,

OLIVER HEYWOOD,

Nov. 9, 1678.

LIFE IN GOD'S FAVOUR.

CHAP. I.

SOME INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

Pfalm xxx. 5. In his Favour is Life.

THE

HE divine poem in which we meet with the fe words, bears the title of A pfalm and fong at the dedication of David's houfe. What is intended by this dedication, or with what ceremonies it was performed, we are not told. Mofes faid to the armies of Ifrael, when going out to battle, "What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his houfe, left he die in battle, and another man dedicate it." Hiram, king of Tyre, fent meffengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and mafons, and they built David an houfe. Whether this pfalm

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was compofed when he first became an inhabitant of this house, or when he returned to it after Abfalom had defiled it, I will not determine. This holy man was concerned to have his habitation to be an houfe for God, and devoted to him; where his name should be called upon, and his praises fung, whofe favour is to be valued infinitely above all earthly enjoyments, and is that which fanctifies and ennobles them all.

The pfalin which was compofed and fung on this occafion, may be called, a divine mifcellany, defcriptive of the various experiences of a child of God. I fhall just hint at a few particulars.

The Pfalmift here exalts God in his praises, who had exalted him in the manifeftations of his mercy. "I will extol thee, O Lord, for thou haft lifted me up." When the Father of mercies has brought us up out of the depths of diftrefs and indigence, we ought to give him the glory; and the higher our advancement is, the more exalted should be our praises. This is a delightful, as it is a reasonable service.

David had cried to God, and experienced his prefent help and healing, in bodily affliction, domestic trouble, and diftrefs of mind." I have cried unto thee, and thou haft healed me." Relief was near. It was but afking with fervour and fincerity, and the great Phyfician was ready, with his healing

hand,

........

hand, to remove his domeftic distractions, to reftore his decayed health, and to pour the oil and wine of heavenly confolation into the wounds of his mind. He was raised up from the borders of the grave, and preferved from going down to the pit. He had been brought into the greatest dangers, as to his property, his kingdom, and his life; his foul, through oppreffive terrors, horrid temptations, and deep despondency, had been near the pit of hell, to his own apprehenfion; but God, in answer to his cries, had mercifully delivered and reftored him. "Lord, thou haft brought up my foul from the grave; thou haft kept me alive, that I fhould not go down to the pit."

Hence the Pfalmift, as might be fuppofed, was deeply affected with the manifeftations of divine goodness in his favour. His heart was warm and full of gratitude. He invites others to affift him in praising his merciful Deliverer. Sing unto the Lord, O ye faints of his." We see here, that prayers, fervent and earneft prayers, fhall in due time be turned into praises. The more we abound in prayer, the more fhall we be furnished with matter of praise. And in this delightful employment, it is defirable to have the company of our fellow-faints, that we may join in holy concert, fomewhat like the happy fociety above. In heaven, the blessed choir of faints

and

........

and angels sweetly unite in unceafing songs of gratitude and praise. Those whom David invites to affift him in this joyful work, are the faints; who fo proper as holy fouls to give thanks at the remem-brance of God's holiness?

time.

The Pfalmift intimates, that he had tafted both of God's displeasure and of his love, in a short space of "His anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." The peculiar manifestations of divine mercy are fometimes preceded by seasons of distress and discouragement; a ftorm is before a calm; the thundering terrors of the law before the joyful found of the gofpel; the ftrong wind, earthquake and fire, before the fmall flill voice; that we may, by a night of darkness, be prepared for a morning of light, and know how to prize it.

David owns the strong difpofition he had felt to fecurity and carnal confidence in a profperous state; "In my prosperity, I faid, I fhall never be moved. Thus I flattered myself, when my path was fmooth, and I had the full enjoyment of health and tranquillity." O deceitful heart! A healthy man thinks not of fickness. "God built me a houfe; I built myself a castle; but it was a caftle in the air, the bafelefs fabric of a vifion, which had a fudden fall."

A de