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The life of the Lord Jesus Christ is the picture of the life of His people. "As He was," says Paul, "so are we also in this world." This is so remarkably true that, in the Psalms, we sometimes can hardly tell whether the writer is describing himself or the Lord Jesus. Shall the disciple be above his Master,? Shall the servant be above his Lord? If they have persecuted Him, they will also persecute us.

I. First notice, concerning Israel's affliction, WHENCE IT CAME: "Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth." Who was it that afflicted Israel? The text says, "they." And why is the word "they" used? Because to enter into particulars would rather obscure the sense than impress anything upon the memory. "They." I hardly like to think of who they are who, in many cases, have afflicted God's true servants; but it is still true that "a man's foes shall be they of his own household." A woman is just brought to Christ, and her greatest trouble comes from him whom she loves best. of all living mortals; her husband becomes her terror. Outside, in the world, the Christian man frequently meets with those who would rejoice to see him halt, who try to make faults where there are none, and exaggerate little mistakes into great crimes. He is a pilgrim through the midst of Vanity Fair whom the traders there cannot understand. In his case, that ancient word is again fulfilled (Jeremiah 12:9).

II. HOW DOES THIS PERSECUTION COME? The psalm says, "Many a time"; that means very often. So, then, you who are faithful to God must expect that you will frequently be assailed.

III. WHAT IS THE REASON FOR ALL THIS PERSECUTION? There are two reasons; and the first is the hatred of the serpent and his seed. There are two things that are inconceivable in length and breadth. The first is the love of God to His people, which is altogether without limit; and the next is, the hatred of the devil, which is and must be finite, for he is only a creature; but, still, it is as great as it possibly can be. Still, there is a higher reason for the persecution of the saints. The second reason is because God permits it. Why does He permit it? Well, very often for your safety. The Church of God has often been preserved by persecution; she was never purer, she was never truer, and she never lived nearer to God and more like her Saviour, than when she was persecuted. Next, it is for our trial and testing, to separate the precious from the vile. Satan, in persecuting the saints, is simply a scullion in Christ's kitchen, cleansing His pots and pans; they never are so bright as when he scours them, and it is a scouring with a vengeance. Yet, in that way, ha separates, or God through him separates, between the precious and the vile.

IV. THE BLESSINGS WHICH COME TO THE TRIED CHILDREN OF GOD THROUGH THEIR TROUBLES. I do so enjoy the reading of that part of the psalm where it says, "But they have not prevailed against me." You see a troop of horsemen riding into the very midst of the battle, and you lose sight of them for a moment amidst the dust and smoke; but out of the middle of that cloud you hear the brave captain's cry, "They have not prevailed against me." You see that little band advancing into a yet more crowded host, all glaring upon them like wolves. Surely they will be cut to pieces now; but in the very centre of the struggling mass you see the banner still waving, and again comes the cry, "They have not prevailed against me." That is, in brief, the story of the Church of Christ, and that shall be the story of every man who puts his trust in God; he shall have to say, at the close of every trouble, — aye, and even in the midst of it, — "They have not prevailed against me." What is the reason why the enemy cannot prevail against the saints? "The Lord is righteous." He may delay the overthrow of His people's foes; but He will in the end take their part, and display His almighty power. For the present, He is patient; He bears long with the ungodly; but He will not always do so. The fact that "the Lord is righteous" is the pledge that the wicked shall not prevail over His saints. Then notice the next sentence: "He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked." Literally, "He hath cut the traces of the wicked." They are ploughing, you see; and, in the East, the oxen are fastened to the plough by a long cord. What does God do in the middle of their ploughing? There are the bullocks, and there is the plough; but God has cut the harness; and how wonderfully He has sometimes cut the harness of the persecutors of His people! Look at the way He did this for our poor hunted brethren in Piedmont. They were likely every one of them to be crushed; and, apparently, there was nobody to protect them. The Duke of Savoy, whose subjects they were, had given them up to be destroyed. The next country was France, and the King of France was a Roman Catholic, and as eager for their destruction as was the Duke. But, one day, Oliver Cromwell sent for the French ambassador, and said to him, "Tell your master to order the Duke of Savoy to leave off persecuting my brethren in Piedmont, or he shall hear from me about the matter." "Sire," said the ambassador, "they are not the subjects of the King of France; he has nothing to do with them. The Duke of Savoy is an independent prince; we cannot interfere with him." "I do not care for that," replied Cromwell; "I will hold your king answerable if he does not stop the Duke of Savoy from persecuting the Piedmontese." And they knew that "Old Nell" meant what he said; so, somehow, the King of France managed to interfere with that precious independent prince, and told him that he had better cease his persecutions, for, if he did not, Oliver Cromwell would take up the quarrel.

( C. H. Spurgeon.)

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KJV: {A Song of degrees.} Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

WEB: Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,