SERMONS. 407 



that obscure dungeon, surrounded with danger on 

 every side, and little hope left him of escaping 

 with his life ; it is then that he sighs out his Al- 

 taschith, (as this, and the two following Psalms 

 are entitled,) Oh destroy me not uttej^ly(so the word 

 signifies) but let me live to praise thy name ; it is 

 then that, by a vigorous faith, he flies to the ten- 

 der mercies of God, as to his only city of refuge : 

 and, reposing himself in the bosom of the divine 

 goodness by acts of faith and devotion, and of per- 

 severance in both, he doth exactly and precisely 

 that which we all are enjoined to do this day : he 

 implores the mercies of God in the protection of 

 himself, and in him of those that belong to him ; 

 Be merciful unto me, O God (saith he) be merciful 

 unto me, for my soul trusteth in thee ; yea, in the 

 shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until 

 these calamities be overpast. 



So that, the proper business of this day being 

 visibly stamped in great letters upon the forehead 

 of the day, and that by the hand of Sacred Autho- 

 rity itself; and the lines of the text, too, running 

 so parallel all along, and so commensurate to those 

 of the day (upon which ground the whole Psalm 

 was very pertinently selected as one of the pro- 

 per Psalms for the office of the day :) I may hope 

 in some degree to discharge my duty to both of 

 them, by treating of those two things — what 

 God's protection is ; and what we are to do, that 

 we may be qualified and prepared aright, success- 

 fully to implore the mercy of that protection. In 



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