Psalms 71:7-9

DISCOURSE: 616
THE KING’S ACCESSION

Psalms 71:7. I am as a wonder unto many: but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

THIS day being called The Jubilee [Note: Oct. 25, 1809.], it will be proper

to inform you whence that name is given to it. By the Mosaic law, every seventh year was a sabbatical year, or year of rest. At the end of the seventh sabbatical year, that is the 49th, there was a year of universal rest, not to the land only, but to persons of every description: debtors were released, captives liberated, and inheritances restored. This was, as might be expected, a season of peculiar joy. The connexion between that day, and this which we now celebrate, is only in the time, the grounds of joy being altogether different. We are called to celebrate the fiftieth year of our Monarch’s reign. On this account, I have chosen a subject which I consider as appropriate to the occasion. The psalm before us was written (we apprehend) after Absalom’s rebellion. In discoursing on that portion of it which we have read to you, it will be proper,

I. To consider it in reference to David—

Absalom being dead, and the rebellion suppressed, David finds himself firmly seated on his throne; on which occasion,

1. He acknowledges the mercies he had received—

[He felt himself most peculiarly circumstanced: his trials had been great, and his deliverances most extraordinary. His hair-breadth escapes from Saul, and afterwards from foreign and domestic enemies, were very numerous — — — He had recently been even driven from his throne by his son Absalom, the partisans of whom were ordered to direct their efforts exclusively against him: yet from this danger also had he been delivered: so that he seemed to all to be under the peculiar protection of Heaven. His mind too had in all these trials been wonderfully preserved from any thing vindictive, or unworthy of his high character. On all these accounts he was “a wonder unto many.”
There was indeed a reason for these mercies, which his enemies had no idea of: “he had made God his refuge.” When persecuted by men, he betook himself to prayer, and “encouraged himself in God.” Thus, under all circumstances, he had “God for his glory and defence.”]

2. He makes a suitable improvement of them—

[He renders thanks to God for his past favours.—In this the Psalmist was so exemplary, that he seems frequently to breathe almost the very language of heaven itself — — — In this too he is distinguished from almost all other saints: others abound in prayer, but he in praise — — —

He next prays for a continuance of these favours.—He well knew that he could no longer be safe than whilst he was under the care of the Almighty; and that now in his advanced age he needed, if possible, more than ever the guidance and protection of Heaven — — — Hence he prayed that God would “not cast him off in his old age, nor forsake him when his strength failed him.”]

Such is the import of the passage. Let us now,

II.

Accommodate it to the circumstances of this day—

Well may we at this time acknowledge the mercies of God to us—
[Our king may truly be said to be “a wonder unto many,” whether we consider the length, or the prosperity, of his reign. Twice only, within the space of a thousand years, has any monarch of ours reigned so long as to see a jubilee kept on his account. And if we consider the state of the world, it is truly wonderful, that, after so many difficulties as we have encountered, we should stand so eminent among the nations. Some indeed are fond of representing us as in a distressed and fallen state. But let such persons compare us with all the other nations of Europe, and they will see, that, whilst all of them have fallen a sacrifice to the politics or arms of France, we are as rich and potent as at any period of our history. That we have burthens to bear, is certain: but it is very unfair to ascribe them to our governors. They have arisen out of the circumstances of the world around us; in which we were of necessity involved; and from which we could no more disengage ourselves, than we could exempt our nation from the physical motion of the globe.]

We should also make a similar improvement of them—
[Many are the grounds which we have for praise and thanksgiving: and our mouths may well “be filled with God’s praise all the day.” On this day especially we are called to manifest our gratitude both in a way of spiritual, and, if I may so speak, of carnal joy. Some, in their zeal for spiritual joy, forget that we consist of body as well as of a spiritual part; and that in the Scriptures we have numerous instances of national gratitude expressed by the combined exercise of spiritual and carnal joy. Such was that holy feast which David himself, together with his people, kept, not long after he had written this psalm [Note: 1 Chronicles 29:20.]. And it is truly gratifying to think, that, through the benevolence of the rich, all the poorer classes of society are enabled to participate, in a more than ordinary measure, the bounties of Providence, and to share in the general joy.

Yet have we also peculiar need of prayer.—At this moment our enemy is disengaged from other contests, and enabled to direct all his force against us. Our own government also is unhappily disunited, and our aged king begins to find “his strength fail him.” What, in such a state, shall we do, if God forsake us? We have need to pray unto him “not to cast us off.” Our prosperity hitherto has doubtless been in a great measure owing to this, that we “have made. God our refuge.” Both king and people, when compared with other nations, have been exemplary in this. Let us continue to seek Him more and more: and then, whatever be our state on earth, we shall keep an eternal jubilee in heaven.]