"Therefore our hearts were led astray, "Our Bibles to condemn." But let them see the lines of thee, That way my honour tried to clear- OF THE PSALMS. So let them see the end of thee, 113 THE PSALMS. Monday Evening, October 1. Joanna has been reading the Psalms all the day, wherein her heart has been pondering. And now I shall give the thoughts of my heart, from the words of David. His heart has often been like mine; and mine joins with him in complaining against my enemies; and relying only on the mercies of God. But from my judgment of David, whatever was his fault, concerning Uriah, he ap. pears, by the Psalms, to have a warm zeal and love for God; and a desire for his honour and glory, as far as my heart ponders upon the Psalms; and I do not read of any one in the Old Testament, that seems to have more of a heart to honour and glorify GOD than DAVID. Hear what he says, Psalm xix. 14– Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. And how strong is his Faith. Psalm xxiii. 4-Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of Death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Psalm xxv. 14 - The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psalm xxvii. 8-When thou saidst, seek ye my face, my heart said unto P thee, thy face LORD will I seek; hide not thy face from me. Ver. 14-Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. Psalm xxx. 4, 5-Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness: for his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning, Psalm xxxvii. 4, 5-Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Ver. 11-The meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Ver. 28, 29-For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever. Psalm 1xxiii. 25-Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. Psalm 1xxiv. 10-O GOD, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever? Ver.22-Arise, O GOD, plead thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily. Here ends Monday Night. Tuesday, October 2, Three o'Clock. Joanna has finished reading the Psalms through; and from pondering them in her own heart, she can see the manner of her own life through all DAVID's. Sometimes he writes strong in faith, and his whole confidence and rejoicing in the LORD; other times he writes in despair, being overpowered by his enemies. The different manner of David's writing, no man can be a clear judge of, but those that can OF THE PSALMS. 115 ☐ judge by expefience, the different manner that our own spirits may be led; for though my life has not been like David's, yet it has been similar to it in another way; therefore in the Psalms of David I see the different feelings of my own heart placed every way. But one thing DAVID and I differ in: Psalm lxix. 21. Though he speaks of himself, he prophesies of our SAVIOUR-They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar tö drink. In the following verse, he prays for utter destruction upon his enemies, without shewing any mercy to man; and in the same manner he writes in Psalm cix. Fatal judgments without mercies on his enemies. Here David and I widely differ, on the one hand, and yet we join together on the other. Now I shall explain my meaning: I never could feel that anger and indignation against the greatest enemy I had in this world, but always felt in my heart to pray for my enemies, that the Lord would turn them from the evil of their ways. And though I have been provoked, to see the hardness of men's hearts, and have been angry with them; yet I always wished to see them turn from their evil, that they might not perish everlastingly. This is my heart, in a temporal sense, that I cannot join with DAVID there; yet I can join with David in a spiritual sense. When I come to reflect on all the misery and sufferings, that the Devil has brought on mankind, from the Fall of ADAM to this day, and the dreadful blasphemy he has come to ME against the LORD, and against his anointed, who is full of mercies, goodness, and truth; but Satan's shec Dara malice has been full of blasphemy. jer Here I can join with DAVID, against the Devil. Psalm cix. 17, 18-As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let 금에 it be far-from him. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into iting th his bones. Now this is the spirit of the Devil, from his own confession to me. Then if it be his delight, let his delight come upon him; and let him not make others miserable with the wretchedness that he delights in. Here, in a spiritual sense, my heart joins with DAVID; and the feelings of my heart, in various different ways, are perfectly penned by David in the Psalms. And the Spirit of the Lord must be with David, or he would never have had such strong love for the Lord, as he expressed. But the prophecies of David go deep to the establishing of CHRIST'S KINGDOM. Psalm cx. 1-The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Here David in spirit calls our SAVIOUR LORD: and he adds, in ver. 3-Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. Psalm Ixxxix. 19, 27, 28, 15-Thou speakest in vision to thy Holy One, and saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people. I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance. Psalm 1xxxv. 9, 10, 11-Surely his salvation. is nigh them that feat him; that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth are met together: righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from Heaven. Psalm lxxxii. 8 -Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations, Psalm xxviii. 2. 6-I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old. That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them unto their children. Psalm 1xxvi. |