That last prayer of the psalm blends very beautifully confidence and petition. Its central clause is the basis of both the confidence in its first, and the petition in its last, clause. Because Jehovah's loving-kindness endures for ever, every man on whom His shaping Spirit has begun to work, or His grace in any form to bestow its gifts, may be sure that no exhaustion or change of these is possible. God is not as the foolish tower-builder, who began and was not able to finish. He never stops till He has completed His work; and nothing short of the entire conformity of a soul to His likeness and the filling of it with Himself can be the termination of His loving purpose, or of His achieving grace. Therefore the psalmist "found it in his heart to pray" that God would not abandon the works of His own hands. That prayer appeals to His faithfulness and to His honour. It sets forth the obligations under which God comes by what He has done. It is a prayer which goes straight to His heart; and they who offer it receive the old answer, "I will not leave thee till I have done unto thee that which I have spoken to thee of." PSALM CXXXIX. 1 Jehovah, Thou hast searched me and known [me]. 2 Thou, Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising, Thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 My walking and my lying down Thou siftest, And with all my ways Thou art familiar. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, --Behold, Thou, Jehovah, knowest it all. 5 Behind and before Thou hast shut me in, And hast laid upon me Thy hand. 6 [Such] knowledge is too wonderful for me, Too high, I am not able for it. 7 Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? And whither from Thy face shall I flee? 8 If I climb heaven, there art Thou, Or make Sheol my bed, lo, Thou [art there]. 9 [If] I lift up the wings of the dawn, [If] I dwell at the farthest end of the sea, 10 Even there Thy hand shall lead me, And Thy right hand shall hold me. 11 And [if] I say, "Only let darkness cover me, And the light about me be [as] night," 12 Even darkness darkens not to Thee, And night lightens like day; As is the darkness, so is the light.