Psalms 119:84

How many are the days of Thy servant?

when wilt Thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

A suggestive question

I. God’s knowledge of the length of man’s life. To Him there are no accidental deaths, no premature graves.

II. Man’s ignorance of the length of his life. This indicates

1. The goodness of God. Were man to know the exact time of his death, it would paralyze his energies and check his enjoyments.

2. The duty of man--to be always ready, awaiting his summons.

III. The trying element in man’s life. The weight of years, the departure of old friends, the narrowing of the region of hope, the want of purpose not only reconcile him to his fate, but create in him a craving for the long rest of the long, long grave. “I do not wish to die,” says Cicero, “but I care not if I were dead.” A man’s willingness to die is no proof of his religion. (Homilist.)