Psalm 143

Psalm clxiii. I pass over here the desires of judgment as dispensational, as we have often seen. In this we have the soul bowed down under the trouble, but in principle set right with God as one chastened for sin, only in the midst of those hostile, but brought to uprightness. It looks for mercy that it may not be under judgment from God, but thai God may be a deliverer, and looks for it as in heart belonging to God

and His servant. It is broken by the affliction, and trusts God, and seeks His way. It transfers the evils. to speak, from God to the adversary, associating in heart with God, and looking that God should own it and take up its cause as against the power of evil which lie bad used as a rod. We have this experience when we have suffered from malicious enemies, bui through our own fault. Tbe heart true with God when thoroughly subdued and set right, accepting the punishment of its iniquity instead of excusing itself, can then look to Cod to take up its cause against the malice, but not till it has set God’l glory above itself. The soul then clings to the enjoyment of God’s lovingkindness in a subdued and softened spirit, and its motives are purified, which is the very object of the discipline, not merely its ways, but its motives, and so power of communion, which is directly in relation with our motives and state of heart. There is a strengthening of the bond of the heart with God, and His will is sought because it is so. “.Thy Spirit,” he says, “is good.” The heart lives in the sense of what the Spirit works in lis; His influences in the heart are good. The soul has found where good is. There is accordance between the heart and the things of the Spirit, and it is felt, and true delight is in the soul in it. So we say praise is good; it is right pleasant, felt to be pleasant, ami pleasant because it is right. There is the sense, too, of divine favour with it. But withal the soul seeks to enjoy it, where all is in harmony with it; where its o40 PEACTICAL REFLECTIONS OX

exercises and fruits will be natural (for he was in the midst of unholy enemies). For us this will only be in heaven. The heart is separated by trial to God through grace, and in uprightness owns it cannot stand in the judgment, and looks for divine favour and deliverance.