306 lines
23 KiB
XML
306 lines
23 KiB
XML
<div2 id="Ps.lxxxvi" n="lxxxvi" next="Ps.lxxxvii" prev="Ps.lxxxv" progress="51.32%" title="Chapter LXXXV">
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<h2 id="Ps.lxxxvi-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
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<h3 id="Ps.lxxxvi-p0.2">PSALM LXXXV.</h3>
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<p class="intro" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1">Interpreters are generally of the opinion that
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this psalm was penned after the return of the Jews out of their
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captivity in Babylon, when they still remained under some tokens of
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God's displeasure, which they here pray for the removal of. And
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nothing appears to the contrary, but that it might be penned then,
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as well as <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.137.1-Ps.137.9" parsed="|Ps|137|1|137|9" passage="Ps 137:1-9">Ps. cxxxvii.</scripRef>
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They are the public interests that lie near the psalmist's heart
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here, and the psalm is penned for the great congregation. The
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church was here in a deluge; above were clouds, below were waves;
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every thing was dark and dismal. The church is like Noah in the
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ark, between life and death, between hope and fear; being so, I.
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Here is the dove sent forth in prayer. The petitions are against
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sin and wrath (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.4" parsed="|Ps|85|4|0|0" passage="Ps 85:4">ver. 4</scripRef>) and
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for mercy and grace, <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.7" parsed="|Ps|85|7|0|0" passage="Ps 85:7">ver. 7</scripRef>.
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The pleas are taken from former favours (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.1-Ps.85.3" parsed="|Ps|85|1|85|3" passage="Ps 85:1-3">ver. 1-3</scripRef>) and present distresses, <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.5-Ps.85.6" parsed="|Ps|85|5|85|6" passage="Ps 85:5,6">ver. 5, 6</scripRef>. II. Here is the dove
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returning with an olive branch of peace and good tidings; the
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psalmist expects her return (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.8" parsed="|Ps|85|8|0|0" passage="Ps 85:8">ver.
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8</scripRef>) and then recounts the favours to God's Israel which
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by the spirit of prophecy he gave assurance of to others, and by
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the spirit of faith he took the assurance of to himself, <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.9-Ps.85.13" parsed="|Ps|85|9|85|13" passage="Ps 85:9-13">ver. 9-13</scripRef>. In singing this psalm we
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may be assisted in our prayers to God both for his church in
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general and for the land of our nativity in particular. The former
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part will be of use to direct our desires, the latter to encourage
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our faith and hope in those prayers.</p>
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<scripCom id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85" parsed="|Ps|85|0|0|0" passage="Ps 85" type="Commentary"/>
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<scripCom id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.9" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.1-Ps.85.7" parsed="|Ps|85|1|85|7" passage="Ps 85:1-7" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.85.1-Ps.85.7">
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<h4 id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.10">Prayer in Time of Trouble.</h4>
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<div class="Center" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p1.11">
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<p id="Ps.lxxxvi-p2">To the chief musician. A psalm for the sons of Korah.</p>
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</div>
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<p class="passage" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p3">1 <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p3.1">Lord</span>, thou hast
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been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity
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of Jacob. 2 Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people,
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thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. 3 Thou hast taken
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away all thy wrath: thou hast turned <i>thyself</i> from the
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fierceness of thine anger. 4 Turn us, O God of our
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salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. 5 Wilt
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thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to
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all generations? 6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy
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people may rejoice in thee? 7 show us thy mercy, <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p3.2">O Lord</span>, and grant us thy salvation.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p4">The church, in affliction and distress, is
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here, by direction from God, making her application to God. So
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ready is God to hear and answer the prayers of his people that by
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his Spirit in the word, and in the heart, he indites their
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petitions and puts words into their mouths. The people of God, in a
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very low and weak condition, are here taught how to address
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themselves to God.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p5">I. They are to acknowledge with
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thankfulness the great things God had done for them (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.1-Ps.85.3" parsed="|Ps|85|1|85|3" passage="Ps 85:1-3"><i>v.</i> 1-3</scripRef>): "Thou has done so
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and so for us and our fathers." Note, The sense of present
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afflictions should not drown the remembrance of former mercies;
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but, even when we are brought very low, we must call to remembrance
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past experiences of God's goodness, which we must take notice of
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with thankfulness, to his praise. They speak of it here with
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pleasure, 1. That God had shown himself propitious to their land,
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and had smiled upon it as his own: "<i>Thou hast been favourable to
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thy land,</i> as thine, with distinguishing favours." Note, The
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favour of God is the spring-head of all good, and the fountain of
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happiness, to nations, as well as to particular persons. It was by
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the favour of God that Israel got and kept possession of Canaan
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(<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.44.3" parsed="|Ps|44|3|0|0" passage="Ps 44:3">Ps. xliv. 3</scripRef>); and, if he
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had not continued very favourable to them, they would have been
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ruined many a time. 2. That he had rescued them out of the hands of
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their enemies and restored them to their liberty: "<i>Thou hast
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brought back the captivity of Jacob,</i> and settled those in their
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own land again that had been driven out and were strangers in a
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strange land, prisoners in the land of their oppressors." The
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captivity of Jacob, though it may continue long, will be brought
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back in due time. 3. That he had not dealt with them according to
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the desert of their provocations (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p5.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.2" parsed="|Ps|85|2|0|0" passage="Ps 85:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>): "<i>Thou hast forgiven the
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iniquity of thy people,</i> and not punished them as in justice
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thou mightest. <i>Thou hast covered all their sin.</i>" When God
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forgives sin he covers it; and, when he covers the sin of his
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people, he covers it all. The bringing back of their captivity was
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<i>then</i> an instance of God's favour to them, when it was
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accompanied with the pardon of their iniquity. 4. That he had not
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continued his anger against them so far, and so long, as they had
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reason to fear (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p5.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.3" parsed="|Ps|85|3|0|0" passage="Ps 85:3"><i>v.</i>
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3</scripRef>): "Having <i>covered all their sin,</i> thou hast
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<i>taken away all thy wrath;</i>" for when sin is set aside God's
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anger ceases; God is pacified if we are purified. See what the
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pardon of sin is: <i>Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy
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people,</i> that is, "<i>Thou hast turned thy anger from waxing
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hot,</i> so as to consume us in the flame of it. In compassion to
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us thou hast not stirred up all thy wrath, but, when an intercessor
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has stood before thee in the gap, thou hast turned away thy
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anger."</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p6">II. They are taught to pray to God for
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grace and mercy, in reference to their present distress; this is
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inferred from the former: "Thou hast done well for our fathers; do
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well for us, for we are the children of the same covenant." 1. They
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pray for converting grace: "<i>Turn us, O God of our salvation!</i>
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in order to the turning of our captivity; turn us from iniquity;
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turn us to thyself and to our duty; turn us, and we shall be
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turned." All those whom God will save sooner or later he will turn.
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If no conversion, no salvation. 2. They pray for the removal of the
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tokens of God's displeasure which they were under: "<i>Cause thine
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anger towards us to cease,</i> as thou didst many a time cause it
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to cease in the days of our fathers, when thou didst take away thy
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wrath from them." Observe the method, "First turn us to thee, and
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then cause thy anger to turn from us." When we are reconciled to
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God, then, and not till then, we may expect the comfort of his
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being reconciled to us. 3. They pray for the manifestation of God's
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good-will to them (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.7" parsed="|Ps|85|7|0|0" passage="Ps 85:7"><i>v.</i>
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7</scripRef>): "<i>Show us thy mercy, O Lord!</i> show thyself
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merciful to us; not only have mercy on us, but let us have the
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comfortable evidences of that mercy; let us know that thou hast
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mercy on us and mercy in store for us." 4. They pray that God
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would, graciously to them and gloriously to himself, appear on
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their behalf: "<i>Grant us thy salvation;</i> grant it by thy
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promise, and then, no doubt, thou wilt work it by thy providence."
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Note, The vessels of God's mercy are the heirs of his salvation; he
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shows mercy to those to whom he grants salvation; for salvation is
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of mere mercy.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7">III. They are taught humbly to expostulate
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with God concerning their present troubles, <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.5-Ps.85.6" parsed="|Ps|85|5|85|6" passage="Ps 85:5,6"><i>v.</i> 5, 6</scripRef>. Here observe, 1. What they
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dread and deprecate: "<i>Wilt thou be angry with us for ever?</i>
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We are undone if thou art, but we hope thou wilt not. <i>Wilt thou
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draw out thy anger unto all generations?</i> No; thou art gracious,
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slow to anger, and swift to show mercy, and wilt not contend for
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ever. Thou wast not angry with our fathers for ever, but didst soon
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turn thyself from the fierceness of thy wrath; why then wilt thou
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be angry with us for ever? Are not thy mercies and compassions as
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plentiful and powerful as ever they were? Impenitent sinners God
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will be angry with for ever; for what is hell but the wrath of God
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drawn out unto endless generations? But shall a hell upon earth be
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the lot of thy people?" 2. What they desire and hope for: "<i>Wilt
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thou not revive us again</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.6" parsed="|Ps|85|6|0|0" passage="Ps 85:6"><i>v.</i>
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6</scripRef>), revive us with comforts spoken to us, revive us with
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deliverances wrought for us? Thou hast been favourable to thy land
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formerly, and that revived it; wilt thou not again be favourable,
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and so revive it again?" God had granted to the children of the
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captivity <i>some reviving in their bondage,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Ezra.9.8" parsed="|Ezra|9|8|0|0" passage="Ezr 9:8">Ezra ix. 8</scripRef>. Their return out of Babylon was as
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<i>life from the dead,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.4" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.37.11-Ezek.37.12" parsed="|Ezek|37|11|37|12" passage="Eze 37:11,12">Eze.
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xxxvii. 11, 12</scripRef>. Now, Lord (say they), <i>wilt thou not
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revive us again,</i> and <i>put thy hand again the second time</i>
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to gather us in? <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.5" osisRef="Bible:Isa.126.1 Bible:Isa.126.4 Bible:Ps.126.1 Bible:Ps.126.4" parsed="|Isa|126|1|0|0;|Isa|126|4|0|0;|Ps|126|1|0|0;|Ps|126|4|0|0" passage="Isa 126:1,4,Ps 126:1,4">Ps.
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cxxvi. 1, 4</scripRef>. <i>Revive thy work in the midst of the
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years,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.6" osisRef="Bible:Hab.3.2" parsed="|Hab|3|2|0|0" passage="Hab 3:2">Hab. iii. 2</scripRef>.
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"Revive us again," (1.) "That thy people may rejoice; and so we
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shall have the comfort of it," <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.7" osisRef="Bible:Ps.14.7" parsed="|Ps|14|7|0|0" passage="Ps 14:7">Ps. xiv.
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7</scripRef>. Give them life, that they may have joy. (2.) "That
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they may rejoice in thee; and so thou wilt have the glory of it."
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If God be the fountain of all our mercies, he must be the centre of
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all our joys.</p>
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</div><scripCom id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.8" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.8-Ps.85.13" parsed="|Ps|85|8|85|13" passage="Ps 85:8-13" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.85.8-Ps.85.13">
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<h4 id="Ps.lxxxvi-p7.9">Divine Answer to Prayer; Blessings Given in
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Answer to Prayer.</h4>
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<p class="passage" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p8">8 I will hear what God the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p8.1">Lord</span> will speak: for he will speak peace unto
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his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to
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folly. 9 Surely his salvation <i>is</i> nigh them that fear
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him; that glory may dwell in our land. 10 Mercy and truth
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are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed <i>each
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other.</i> 11 Truth shall spring out of the earth; and
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righteousness shall look down from heaven. 12 Yea, the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p8.2">Lord</span> shall give <i>that which is</i> good;
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and our land shall yield her increase. 13 Righteousness
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shall go before him; and shall set <i>us</i> in the way of his
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steps.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p9">We have here an answer to the prayers and
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expostulations in the <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.1-Ps.85.7" parsed="|Ps|85|1|85|7" passage="Ps 85:1-7">foregoing
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verses</scripRef>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p10">I. In general, it is an answer of peace.
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This the psalmist is soon aware of (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.8" parsed="|Ps|85|8|0|0" passage="Ps 85:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>), for he <i>stands upon his
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watch-tower</i> to <i>hear what God will say unto him,</i> as the
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prophet, <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:Hab.2.1-Hab.2.2" parsed="|Hab|2|1|2|2" passage="Hab 2:1,2">Hab. ii. 1, 2</scripRef>.
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<i>I will hear what God the Lord will speak.</i> This intimates, 1.
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The stilling of his passions—his grief, his fear—and the tumult
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of his spirit which they occasioned: "Compose thyself, O my soul!
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in a humble silence to attend upon God and wait his motions. I have
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spoken enough, or too much; now I will hear what God will speak,
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and welcome his holy will. <i>What saith my Lord unto his
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servant?</i>" If we would have God to hear what we say to him by
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prayer, we must be ready to hear what he says to us by his word. 2.
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The raising of his expectation; now that he has been at prayer he
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looks for something very great, and very kind, from the God that
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hears prayer. When we have prayed we should look after our prayers,
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and stay for an answer. Now observe here, (1.) What it is that he
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promises himself from God, in answer to his prayers: <i>He will
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speak peace to his people, and to his saints.</i> There are a
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people in the world who are God's people, set apart for him,
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subject to him, and who shall be saved by him. All his people are
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his saints, sanctified by his grace and devoted to his glory; these
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may sometimes want peace, when without are fightings and within are
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fears; but, sooner or later, God will speak peace to them; if he do
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not command outward peace, yet he will suggest inward peace,
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speaking that to their hearts by his Spirit which he has spoken to
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their ears by his word and ministers and making them to hear joy
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and gladness. (2.) What use he makes of this expectation. [1.] He
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takes the comfort of it; and so must we: "<i>I will hear what God
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the Lord will speak,</i> hear the assurances he gives of peace, in
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answer to prayer." When God speaks peace we must not be deaf to it,
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but with all humility and thankfulness receive it. [2.] He cautions
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the saints to do the duty which this calls for: <i>But let them not
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turn again to folly;</i> for it is on these terms, and no other,
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that peace is to be expected. To those, and those only, peace is
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spoken, who turn from sin; but, if they return to it again, it is
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at their peril. All sin is folly, but especially backsliding; it is
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egregious folly to turn to sin after we have seemed to turn from
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it, to turn to it after God has spoken peace. God is for peace,
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but, when he speaks, such are for war.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p11">II. Here are the particulars of this answer
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of peace. He doubts not but all will be well in a little time, and
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therefore gives us the pleasing prospect of the flourishing estate
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of the church in the <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.9-Ps.85.13" parsed="|Ps|85|9|85|13" passage="Ps 85:9-13">last five
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verses</scripRef> of the psalm, which describe the peace and
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prosperity that God, at length, blessed the children of the
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captivity with, when, after a great deal of toil and agitation, at
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length they gained a settlement in their own land. But it may be
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taken both as a promise also to all who fear God and work
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righteousness, that they shall be easy and happy, and as a prophecy
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of the kingdom of the Messiah and the blessings with which that
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kingdom should be enriched. Here is,</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p12">1. Help at hand (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.9" parsed="|Ps|85|9|0|0" passage="Ps 85:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>): "<i>Surely his salvation is
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nigh,</i> nigh to us, nigher than we think it is: it will soon be
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effected, how great soever our difficulties and distresses are,
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when God's time shall come, and that time is not far off." When the
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tale of bricks is doubled, then Moses comes. It is nigh to all who
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fear him; when trouble is nigh salvation is nigh, for God is a very
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present help in time of trouble to all who are his; whereas
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<i>salvation is far from the wicked,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.119.155" parsed="|Ps|119|155|0|0" passage="Ps 119:155">Ps. cxix. 155</scripRef>. This may fitly be applied to
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Christ the author of eternal salvation: it was the comfort of the
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Old-Testament saints that, though they lived not to see that
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redemption in Jerusalem which they waited for, yet they were sure
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it was nigh, and would be welcome, to all that fear God.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p13">2. Honour secured: "<i>That glory may dwell
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in our land,</i> that we may have the worship of God settled and
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established among us; for that is the glory of a land. When that
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goes, <i>Ichabod—the glory has departed;</i> when that stays glory
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dwells." This may refer to the Messiah, who was to be <i>the glory
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of his people Israel,</i> and who came and dwelt among them
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(<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:John.1.4" parsed="|John|1|4|0|0" passage="Joh 1:4">John i. 4</scripRef>), for which
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reason their land is called <i>Immanuel's land,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:Isa.8.8" parsed="|Isa|8|8|0|0" passage="Isa 8:8">Isa. viii. 8</scripRef>.</p>
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<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p14">3. Graces meeting, and happily embracing
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(<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p14.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.10-Ps.85.11" parsed="|Ps|85|10|85|11" passage="Ps 85:10,11"><i>v.</i> 10, 11</scripRef>):
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<i>Mercy and truth, righteousness and peace, kiss each other.</i>
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This may be understood, (1.) Of the reformation of the people and
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of the government, in the administration of which all those graces
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should be conspicuous and commanding. The rulers and ruled shall
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all be merciful and true, righteous and peaceable. When there is no
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truth nor mercy all goes to ruin (<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p14.2" osisRef="Bible:Hos.4.1 Bible:Isa.59.14-Isa.59.15" parsed="|Hos|4|1|0|0;|Isa|59|14|59|15" passage="Ho 4:1,Isa 59:14,15">Hos. iv. 1; Isa. lix. 14, 15</scripRef>); but
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when these meet in the management of all affairs, when these give
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aim, when these give law, when there is such plenty of truth that
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it sprouts up like the grass of the earth, and of righteousness
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that it is showered down like rain from heaven, then things go
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well. When in every congress mercy and truth meet, in every embrace
|
||
righteousness and peace kiss, and common honesty is indeed common,
|
||
then glory dwells in a land, as the sin of reigning dishonesty is a
|
||
reproach to any people. (2.) Of the return of God's favour, and the
|
||
continuance of it, thereupon. When a people return to God and
|
||
adhere to him in a way of duty he will return to them and abide
|
||
with them in a way of mercy. So some understand this, man's truth
|
||
and God's mercy, man's righteousness and God's peace, meet
|
||
together. If God find us true to him, to one another, to ourselves,
|
||
we shall find him merciful. If we make conscience of righteousness,
|
||
we shall have the comfort of peace. If <i>truth spring out of the
|
||
earth,</i> that is (as Dr. Hammond expounds it), out of the hearts
|
||
of men, the proper soil for it to grow in, righteousness (that is,
|
||
God's mercy) shall look down from heaven, as the sun does upon the
|
||
world when it sheds its influences on the productions of the earth
|
||
and cherishes them. (3.) Of the harmony of the divine attributes in
|
||
the Messiah's undertaking. In him who is both our salvation and our
|
||
glory <i>mercy and truth have met together;</i> God's mercy and
|
||
truth, and his <i>righteousness and peace, have kissed each
|
||
other;</i> that is, the great affair of our salvation is so well
|
||
contrived, so well concerted, that God may have mercy upon poor
|
||
sinners, and be at peace with them, without any wrong to his truth
|
||
and righteousness. He is true to the threatening, and just in his
|
||
government, and yet pardons sinners and takes them into covenant
|
||
with himself. Christ, as Mediator, brings heaven and earth together
|
||
again, which sin had set at variance; through him <i>truth springs
|
||
out of the earth,</i> that truth which God <i>desires in the inward
|
||
part,</i> and then <i>righteousness looks down from heaven;</i> for
|
||
God is <i>just, and the justifier of those who believe in
|
||
Jesus.</i> Or it may denote that in the kingdom of the Messiah
|
||
these graces shall flourish and prevail and have a universal
|
||
command.</p>
|
||
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p15">4. Great plenty of every thing desirable
|
||
(<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.12" parsed="|Ps|85|12|0|0" passage="Ps 85:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>): <i>The Lord
|
||
shall give that which is good,</i> every thing that he sees to be
|
||
good for us. All good comes from God's goodness; and when mercy,
|
||
truth, and righteousness, have a sovereign influence on men's
|
||
hearts and lives, all good may be expected. If we thus <i>seek the
|
||
righteousness of God's kingdom, other things shall be added;</i>
|
||
<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p15.2" osisRef="Bible:Matt.6.33" parsed="|Matt|6|33|0|0" passage="Mt 6:33">Matt. vi. 33</scripRef>. When the glory
|
||
of the gospel dwells in our land, then it shall yield its increase,
|
||
for soul-prosperity will either bring outward prosperity along with
|
||
it or sweeten the want of it. See <scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p15.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.67.6" parsed="|Ps|67|6|0|0" passage="Ps 67:6">Ps.
|
||
lxvii. 6</scripRef>.</p>
|
||
<p class="indent" id="Ps.lxxxvi-p16">5. A sure guidance in the good way
|
||
(<scripRef id="Ps.lxxxvi-p16.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.85.13" parsed="|Ps|85|13|0|0" passage="Ps 85:13"><i>v.</i> 13</scripRef>): <i>The
|
||
righteousness</i> of his promise which he has made to us, assuring
|
||
us of happiness, and the righteousness of sanctification, that good
|
||
work which he has wrought in us, these shall go before him to
|
||
prepare his way, both to raise our expectations of his favour and
|
||
to qualify us for it; and these shall go before us also, and be our
|
||
guide to <i>set us in the way of his steps,</i> that is, to
|
||
encourage our hopes and guide our practice, that we may go forth to
|
||
meet him when he is coming towards us in ways of mercy. Christ, the
|
||
sun of righteousness, shall bring us to God, and put us into the
|
||
way that leads to him. John Baptist, a preacher of righteousness,
|
||
shall go before Christ to prepare his way. Righteousness is a sure
|
||
guide both in meeting God and in following him.</p>
|
||
</div></div2> |