Let's open the scriptures to Psalm 7. Going to consider tonight another Psalm as a whole. So we'll read all of Psalm 7 and the whole Psalm will be the text. O Lord my God, in Thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me, lest ye tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces while there is none to deliver. O Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me, yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. Let the enemy persecute my soul and take it. Yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth and lay mine honor in the dust. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about. For their sakes, therefore, return thou on high. The Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reigns. My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will wet his sword. He hath bent his bow and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death. He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors. Behold, he travaileth with iniquity and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood. He made a pit and digged it and has fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High." What does a persecuted Christian say in the face of terrible persecution that he or she suffers, or faces, powerless before. What does the Christian who innocently suffers terrible evil at the hands of another person say when the injustice that they've endured seems to have no human remedy in the midst of this world? That's what Psalm 7 is about. Injustice. Injustice is injury or wrong, harm that is done to you unfairly and without your deserving. It's injury, wrong, or harm inflicted upon you that is inflicted contrary to the principles of fairness and righteousness that ultimately are determined by the being of God and by His will. This can be one of the most painful things a person can suffer. And injustice perhaps heaped on top of other adversity can make that other adversity nigh on unbearable. This can also be one of the biggest things a child of God struggles with. Evil that appears to prevail. Something that happened. Something that was done to me. Something that took place in this world. Which so blatantly violates every principle of God's Word. And goes so against the character of the God who reigns on high. What does one do in the face of such things? Psalm 7 addresses that question. David is again the author of this psalm and he wrote Psalm 7 out of this experience just described. The experience of suffering injustice for a prolonged period of time and wrestling with the pain of that and the fact that that injustice only augmented his suffering from other adversities that came along with it. Psalm 7 is an instructive psalm that again captures another one of our human emotions and sentiments and teaches us how to channel it in a godly way and express it in a God-glorifying way. The feeling of consternation, distress over evil and the longing for righteousness and that which is just to be done. Psalm 7, properly speaking, isn't a lament like Psalm 13 was, which we looked at last time, though there is a certain lamentation of the reality of evil in this Psalm. But just as Psalm 13 taught us that it is not only okay, but it is good and healthy and God-glorifying to lament and express our sorrows and pour them out to God, Psalm 7 teaches us that likewise, it is good, healthy, and God-glorifying and spiritually upbuilding for the child of God in the face of evil to cry out for God's justice. So that's our theme as we study Psalm 7 tonight, crying for God's justice. We're first going to look at the occasion for this psalm. Then we'll look at the appeal that the psalmist makes to God as judge. And lastly, the confidence that we find in the second half of the psalm, the confidence of the psalmist in the perfect justice of God. So that we see a man, just like in Psalm 13, a man who at the same time cried out in sorrow and yet also had joy and hope. We see a man who cries out for justice, while at the same time resting confidently in the just God. Who will make all things right. Psalm 7 shares the same historical background as Psalm 13, which we looked at last week. And we'll see that in a moment. The historical background is suffering. David's suffering. And the suffering he was going through at that time was a multi-faceted suffering. And the facet that comes to the foreground in Psalm 7 is injustice. Verse 1, O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me. Persecution is unjust. Persecution is going after another person, hounding them, seeking to do them harm wrongfully. David speaks of all them that persecute me. He had many enemies who were after him, who were hounding him, who sought to harm him. And among all of these enemies, one of them stood out. Note that as David's words flow into verse two, all them that persecute me turn into he, that would tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces. There was one that chased after David like a ferocious lion who wanted to do to David what a ferocious lion would do to its prey. And this was an image David was all too familiar with as the shepherd who had often times delivered a sheep or a lamb out of the mouth of a lion and now he feels as though his role is reversed and he is that sheep on the run from the jaws of a lion that would overpower him and tear him in pieces. The historical backdrop here is the same as Psalm 13. David on the run from King Saul who was hounding him like a ferocious lion. And it was unjust. Unjust! What had David done to earn such treatment? David, who from the time he defeated Goliath, had served Saul faithfully. Faithfully as a servant in Saul's court. Faithfully as Saul's armor bearer. As a good and faithful soldier in Saul's army. One who exceeded expectations. Who led Saul's army to victory against the Philistines. One who was faithful and upright and served the Lord's anointed king. And for all that good, what does he get? persecuted from country to country, from cave to cave. But another dimension of this persecution that David was suffering was likely false accusations and slander against him, which imputed to him crimes which he did not commit. Crimes of treason, crimes of plans to betray Saul and kill him and take his throne. After all, David had been anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel. And we find indication of this when we look at verse three and connect that with the words that we read in the heading of this psalm. In verse three, David says, oh Lord my God, if I have done this. And the implication there is that he was being accused, portrayed, misrepresented as having done something. If you look at the heading of the psalm, the heading says Shigayon, likely that's a term for a kind of Hebrew psalm or poetry that expressed a wide range of emotions using variations in its meter, and that would definitely fit with a psalm like this. But now more importantly, of David, which he sang unto the Lord concerning or on account of the words of Cush the Benjamite. Now, you read through the rest of scripture and you're not going to find mention of this Cush the Benjamite, but it fits the picture, doesn't it? This man was a Benjamite. He was a tribesman of Saul, perhaps even a kinsman of Saul. And we can surmise that this man had it in for David. Spread lies about David, whispers of treason and treachery, slander that turned hearts against David. So that people thought David had done this, David was plotting, David was working to undermine the Lord's anointed in Israel. Saul readily gave ear to this slander of his fellow tribesmen and undoubtedly used it as further justification for his violent persecution of David. This would also fit with what we know of later history. There were other Benjamites who would cause trouble for David. Remember Shimei who cursed David as he fled from Jerusalem to escape the insurrection of his son Absalom. Shimei was a Benjamite who cursed David as the one who took the place of King Saul. And after Absalom's defeat we also read in 2 Samuel of a certain Benjamite named Sheba who made a grab for the throne. And that shows us there were pockets of resentment against David that continued long after he took the throne. Pockets of resentment and hatred against him within the tribe of Benjamin. And so while we can't say this with absolute certainty, when we connect verse three with the heading of the psalm, it seems to imply that along with Saul's persecution of the sword, there was the equally painful persecution of the tongue. Lies that were being spread about David, impugning his motives, lies that attributed to him crimes that he did not commit, Things that were in fact the very opposite of his heart and what he had done and what he was doing. And so now you read verses 3 and 5 where David goes to God and in very strong words he basically says, Lord, if I have done this thing, then let me be destroyed. Let me be laid low. Deliver me over into the jaws of the lion for that would be just and right. And what David is saying there is, I am innocent of these things. Verse 4, if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me. He was being accused of that. And then now in parenthesis there, It says, if David can't help but insert, this is what really happened. Yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy. Now maybe your mind goes to what happened two times while David was on the run from Saul. When David had Saul in his hands but spared Saul's life. David did not lift his hand against Saul who was at peace with him. David was at peace with Saul. And it was Saul that cast his javelin at David trying to pin him to the wall while David played his harp for Saul. It was Saul who arose and chased David around the country making him hide in caves while David was at peace with him. If you turn to 1 Samuel 24, you can read about this history which fits almost exactly with David's words here in verses 3 and 5. 1 Samuel 24, we'll read a few verses here. This is in the wilderness of Ziph where David is hiding. And Saul comes to him, and David has a chance to kill Saul, but he doesn't take it. Verse 10, David says, Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave. And some bade me kill thee, but mine eyes spared thee. And I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand, for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not. Know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee, yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee, but mine hand shall not be put upon thee. You hear Psalm 7 in those words of David. I'm innocent of what I have been charged with, and in fact, it is precisely the opposite. That's the occasion. terrible injustice inflicted upon David. But now, we don't have to be chased by a jealous, murderous king to relate to this psalm or draw instruction from it for ourselves. The psalm brings out the reality that as God's people we will face injustice in this world. And we will suffer unjust persecution and injury. Once again, you look at David's life. How before he became king, he served Saul so faithfully. He was the most faithful among Saul's servants. And he was the most persecuted. It's the hard reality that godliness, rather than drawing men's commendation, often courts his malice. As 2 Timothy 3 verse 12 says, And all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. A psalm like this is not just a psalm for King David. It is a psalm that has been inscripturated in the Word of God. Because it is a psalm that speaks to God's people throughout the ages. It is a song for the church militant on earth. The church militant which is the church suffering in the midst of this world. Think of the early Christians in the days shortly after the apostles. How they were slandered. How lies were spread about them. How they were put to death for their beliefs in the Lord Jesus. For not bending the knee and worshiping Caesar. This was a psalm for the persecuted church. Or in so many places in our world, in so many cultures and societies, where Christians are pushed to the very fringes, where they are subject to unfair treatment, deprived of the protections of the state. The government looks away when injustice is committed against them. Christians who are repressed, who face poverty, imprisonment, death for their faith in Christ. This is a psalm. This is the psalm. the martyrs, the suffering church, the church under the cross. Truly, we have been given a unique blessing of God in our age and in our own land to be shielded from so much of this. But even then, this is a psalm for us. The applicability of Psalm 7 is not limited just to what we would term persecution in the narrow sense. Being intentionally harmed because you confess and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But it speaks to the broader reality of injustice. Which God's people experience in so many forms in this world. Some severe, some less so perhaps by human estimation, but all painful. Some of God's people have terrible evil unjustly inflicted upon them so that they can relate very much to how David describes his own experience as if his soul is being rent by a lion, torn in pieces. We have enemies. No, not those who want to end our earthly life necessarily, but perhaps there is someone who despises you, who is always looking to do you harm or put you at a disadvantage in some way without just cause, who gloats when evil befalls you, Or maybe you've suffered the pain of false accusation like David. Harsh, unfair judgment. Maybe you've had to bear the blame for something in truth you're innocent of. Maybe family or friends have turned their backs on you or turned their teeth against you. Enraged against you because of what you believe or what you don't believe. What's your experience of injustice that you've suffered? Have you been blamed for evil not of your own doing? As if you're the problem? How do Christians handle this? When it seems as though there's no human help that will turn it around and make it right? Psalm 7 is for you. Psalm 7 gives voice, gives voice to the sufferer of injustice and puts words in our mouths by which we may come before God's throne of grace, which is also the throne of His righteousness and appeal to the perfect judge for justice. And that's really the heart of the psalm. The opening verses, Indicate the occasion, what led to this psalm being sung by David. The injustice that he was experiencing. But now the middle of the psalm is an appeal. The heart of Psalm 7 is David's appeal to God. As judge to enact justice and to vindicate him of the wrong that was attributed to him. And to put an end to the persecution that unjustly he was suffering. Verse 6 would have us envision a court scene. That's the idea. Arise, O Lord. The idea there is, rise up and take your judgment throne. Sit down as the judge in order to administer justice. Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. Lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded. In language equally strong with that which David used to pour out his heart earlier in the psalm, he calls upon God, Arise! Take thy seat! Hear my plea! Pronounce righteous judgment in the case of me, your oppressed servant! Arise! Well, the main idea of that word is a call upon God to occupy his judgment seat, That word can also mean, arise out of slumber. And that reflects what David was feeling at this time, very similar to what he felt in Psalm 13. How long, O Lord? How long, O Lord, will you forget me? He had that sense that God was inattentive to him. And that same feeling we find here in the words of this Psalm, David feels as though, God has forgotten justice. This keeps going on, and it keeps going on, and he's hunted, and he's hounded, and it's unfair, and it's contrary to the judgment that God has commanded, as the verse says. And the idea there is, the principles of justice that God has set forth in his word, in his law, and that he has called Israel to observe, and now this is happening. And it's completely contrary to everything that is written in God's word. Why does it go on? Is the judge inattentive? It's very much like the lament of one in affliction. This cry for justice. And it's a cry of faith. You notice the same language that we saw in Psalm 13. Lord my God. And in verse 8, the Lord shall judge the people. Why? Because He is a righteous God. He arises in His anger, the psalmist says. That's very interesting, isn't it? David, as it were, invokes the righteous anger of God. He leans upon the just character of his God and entrusts himself to God as judge. And he finds solace in the fact that he knows God is angry about the raging of his enemies. And God's anger is not like the anger of man which does not work the righteousness of God. But God's anger is anger which is the outworking of His righteousness. It is the response of His holy being to the reality of injustice and evil. It's holiness come to expression. And that's a comfort to God's people. More than once in the Psalm, David mentions the anger of God. In verse 6, Arise, O Lord, in thine anger. And then in verse 11, God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Usually when we think of God's wrath, we think of it as something that we need to be saved from, and that's certainly the case. God's wrath against the reality of our sin, His just displeasure against our sin, the punishment that our sins deserve, is something we must be saved from. And Jesus Christ, our Savior, came to make atonement by bearing that wrath of God against our sins so as to deliver us from it. But now, let's not lose sight of this beautiful reality, that as a redeemed child of God, covered in the blood of Christ, the wrath of God is something that's now on our side. David finds solace in the face of his raging persecutors, and in the face of the injustice that's heaped upon him, that God is angry about this. Because he is a righteous God. And he arises as judge in that anger to enact justice. God's wrath is like the protective wrath of a loving father that surges up when his children are threatened and rises to their defense to protect them, to deliver them, and to give them justice. And so David says now in verse seven, Or verse 8, the Lord shall judge the people. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me. That's carrying forward the thought of verses 6 and 7. Judge me! And there the idea is not judge and condemn me, but judge and vindicate, bring to light my righteousness. Judge me in harmony with my righteousness. Don't misunderstand what David is saying here. He's not saying, judge me worthy of eternal salvation based upon the merits of my own righteous works. That's not what he's talking about here. By my righteousness he means my innocence in this particular case. My innocence in regard to the things that I am accused of. My righteousness in regard to the unjust persecution that is being brought against me. Judge me according to that. Bring to light my innocence. Make clear what is right. Vindicate me of wrong and hold the guilty accountable. It's an appeal to the perfect judge to render a just verdict concerning him. And that appeal to the just judge expands as you read on into verse 9 and 10. While it is a personal appeal to God concerning His own case, David connects it with the reality of wickedness throughout the world. And he says, Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end. Not just the wickedness that is perpetrated against me, but all wickedness. Establish the just. There is the innermost desire of the child of God. Put an end to evil. All of it. Establish what is right and just and true. As only you are able to, Lord. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and reigns. The righteous God sees the innermost recesses of the heart. He discerns the good and the evil. Wicked men may devise all sorts of deceptive devices. They may bring forth all sorts of false accusations, but none of it deceives the Lord. Even as David is hounded by Saul and by his men, and as whispers of treason and treachery circulate among the Israelites, David finds his solace in this. God is righteous. God is never deceived. The judge before whom I stand, and the judge before whom my persecutors stand, cannot and will not be hoodwinked. He sees it all. He knows it all. And He will judge the people in righteousness. And so justice is certain for me and in the end on a universal scale in all things. There's a lot here isn't there in David's appeal. And we can take much for ourselves by way of application For one, we see that appealing to God as judge, to arise and render righteous judgment when we are suffering from injustice, such a cry is not wrong, but is entirely appropriate and good for the child of God. And is one that God truly hears. Just like the lament of the suffering saint, so too the cry of the saint groaning beneath injustice is a prayer that is welcome before God's throne. Sometimes the saint who is groaning beneath injustice because the people around him or her don't hear or aren't listening or aren't interested in really understanding, that person can sink into that horrible place of feeling Injustice is going to win the day. No one hears. No one cares. What is right will not be established. But this psalm shows, no, God hears. And ultimately, He is the only one that matters. That's not to minimize the pain that comes when we suffer injustice and others around us deny it or validate it. But it is to make the point that it is ultimately God's sentence and God's judgment that alone matters. He sees all. He knows all. And He will bring judgment. Righteous judgment. And He hears the cry of the persecuted, the oppressed. He hears your cry even if no human ear does. Scripture's rife with proof for that. As if Psalm 7 isn't enough, you can turn to Luke 18, the end of Jesus' parable of the persistent widow, which makes this very point that parable ends in verse 7. Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? And there's the part that's often so hard. He bears long and sometimes it doesn't make sense to us why he bears long. But that rhetorical question makes the point so powerfully. Surely he will avenge his own elect. That is, bring justice. Even the perfected souls of the church triumphant in heaven are concerned with justice. As Revelation 6 verse 10 says, That's a concern. That's a cry. That's a desire. That's in harmony with the heart of God. Because God is righteous. And it is one that He hears. And so let that be of encouragement to us people of God. And let it also give us words to cry. When we are going through a time like David was. When he wrote and sang this psalm. But now another application that's important for us to see is that crying out for God's justice, like we see in Psalm 7, is categorically different than seeking personal vengeance or taking revenge. Now of course we must all be on guard against that sinful tendency in our own hearts to want to take justice into our own hands, get payback. But it is a mistake To think that a cry to God for justice to be done when injustice has been perpetrated, that that is seeking vengeance. It's not. After all, what does Psalm 7 do? It does exactly what Romans 12 teaches us. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. David recognizes that. He leaves vengeance in the hands of the Lord. But what he does in Psalm 7 is he appeals to God as the just judge. And beseeches Him for justice. And for righteousness to triumph. And for the truth to be brought to light concerning Him. And for wickedness to be put to an end. That is a holy desire. A holy petition. One that is in harmony with the character and heart of God. And is one that is certainly not vengeful. For the child of God to pray. Psalm 7 isn't vindictive. You look at David's actions towards Saul again in 1 Samuel 24. And in verse 12 he says, David was not vengeful or vindictive even as he called out for God to judge between him and Saul and avenge him. To give him justice, to vindicate his cause, to bring to light his innocence, and to hold Saul accountable for what he had done. That was not vengeful on David's part. That was not unforgiving on David's part. And that has so many important implications for us. Let's be so very careful not hastily to judge those who cry out for justice and say you're vengeful. For often in doing so, we can heap more injustice upon them. God is a God of justice. His people are to cry for it. And in dealing with sin, dealing with sin, especially grievous sins and relationships in the church, This shows us the important reality that justice and mercy aren't at war with each other. Justice and forgiveness are not contrary to each other. Justice does not erase forgiveness, nor does forgiveness cancel the need for justice. But as Micah 6 verse 8 says, do justly and love mercy. These two belong together. That's an important principle. to maintain in our Christian lives and in the work of the church. Final application. Closing off our second point is that this psalm reveals God's heart for what is right, for justice, and His deep care for the oppressed. You go back to Psalm 7 verse 11. While that verse may at first glance seem unsettling, God is angry with the wicked every day. It is in fact a most comforting verse. God judgeth the righteous. He does justice for the innocent. But as to the impenitent wicked who perpetrate that injustice, He is angry with them every day. That verse screams, God is not indifferent to evil. It screams and shouts out to the suffering child of God, God cares. And God is grieved when such things happen to you. And even at those times when it seems as if He delays, or He lets that affliction, that injustice continue, that doesn't mean He is indifferent or is not bothered by it. The Lord is angry, wholly angry with evil and the impenitent evildoer every day. Never is it the case that he doesn't see it. That he doesn't care. Or that he will let justice be trampled underfoot. The righteous God is a God who hates injustice. Because he is good. He will vindicate the right. He will. Even if it is at length. And so, the psalm ends with confidence, doesn't it? Amidst David's suffering of injustice, he cries out to God, and as he cries out, he finds solace in the character of God, and the certainty of God's righteous judgment. Verse 10, my defense is of God. Now maybe take that and put it in a courtroom setting. My defense is of God. All of the accusations of Cush the Benjamite. All of the assertions and persecutions of Saul. All of the rest. Things that I would buckle and crumble underneath if left to myself. My defense is of God who is my righteous judge and He saves the upright in heart. There is an expression and a confession of David's confidence in the Lord. Something David experienced even as he was on the run from Saul. The protection and preservation of God who was with him. Even as he cries, he has this confidence. God's hand. God's hand ensures that no weapon formed against him will ultimately prosper. It was God's hand that warded the javelin away so that it stuck into the wall rather than David's flesh. It was God's hand that shielded David when he was on the run and hiding in the cave. God saved him. Saved him through these things. And so in the final analysis, it was not what men think. It was not what Saul thought. It was not what Cush said. It was not what any other wagging tongues had to say that defined David or his standing. It was what God said. And what God saw. God who is a God of truth. The discerner of the heart. The just one. Who stands for his oppressed people. Who judgeth the righteous. That's our confidence too. That's our confidence. God is just. And if ever we doubt that, or are struggling with doubt, look to Christ and His cross. That must always be the bedrock. Look to Jesus. The innocent one upon whom false charges were heaped like a mountain. Look to Jesus, the one who was condemned by Pontius Pilate and persecuted by those he came to. Those among whom he worked only good. Look at Jesus upon the cross. Where He suffered the greatest injustice in order to satisfy divine justice. And to establish for you and me perfect justice and full deliverance. And to wed those two. So that now God's justice is not our enemy. But God's justice ensures our salvation. And God's justice is our shield. And God's justice is our refuge. When we suffer at the hands of evil, remember Christ as described in 1 Peter 2 verse 23, who when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously. In Christ, we are redeemed from our own sin. In Christ, we are rescued from the power of evil. In Christ, we have the status of children of God because of Christ. We have righteous judgment from our God, who is our Father. That means then as well, that despite all appearances, wickedness cannot and will not prosper or go without redress, but will in fact prove self-defeating and self-destructive. And David finds solace in that in the last part of the psalm where he speaks about the evildoer as laboring to bring forth his wicked devices, as digging a pit, but falling into it himself. His violence coming back and falling upon his own head. He speaks about God as the one who readies his arrows for the impenitent persecutor, who sharpens his sword. And that's not the relishing of a vengeful man in the thought of his enemy's suffering. That's the confidence of the psalmist. That though wickedness triumphant seem, he shall bring forth My righteousness as the light and judgment as the noonday. Evil will not prosper. But rather it is a principle and an unbreakable law of God's justice. That what a man sows he shall reap. And the impenitent sinner shall reap abundantly what he sows. And so let us, beloved, make this psalm our own. Let us take its words into our hearts. And as we live in this world rife with injustice, let us keep our eyes fixed upon the righteous God. Who is the perfect judge. Who loves justice. Who maintains justice. And who will enact final justice. He executes judgment throughout the course of this world. But on that last day of Jesus' return. At the final judgment. All will be made right. And so with David we sing, I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. Amen. Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for this psalm. We thank Thee for the words that it gives us to speak and to cry out when we suffer injustice, when we face persecution, we thank Thee that we have Thee as a refuge, a God who is righteous and who arises to defend and take up the cause of His people. Father, Thou knowest our needs, Thou knowest our sufferings, Thou knowest all. We pray that Thou wilt supply our needs, that thou will comfort and encourage us with this word, and that thou will strengthen us to go forward as a Christian people to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thee. For Jesus' sake we pray, amen.