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Full text of "The Entire Works of the Rev. C. Simeon"


The Leonard Library 

OTpdtffe College 



Toronto 



Shelf 



Register No....l..B..Q..O..Q. 



1952- 



THE 



ENTIRE WORKS 



or THE 



REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A. 

WITH COPIOUS INDEXES, 



PREPARED BY THE REV. 



THOMAS HARTWELL HORNE, B.D. 



LONDON: 
PRINTED BY RICHARD CLAY, BREAD-STREET-HILL. 



HOR^E HOMILETIC^E: 

OR 

DISCOURSES 

(PRINCIPALLY IN THE FORM OF SKELETONS) 

NOW FIRST DIGESTED INTO ONE CONTINUED SERIES, 
AND FORMING A COMMENTARY 



UPON EVERY BOOK OF 



THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT; 

TO WHICH IS ANNEXED, 
AN IMPROVED EDITION OF A TRANSLATION OF 

CLAUDE S ESSAY ON THE COMPOSITION OF A SERMON. 



IN TWENTY-ONE VOLUMES. 



BY THE REV. CHARLES SIMEON, M.A 

SENIOR FELLOW OF KING S COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. 



VOL. VI. # 

PSALMS, LXXIIL CL. COLLEGE 



LONDON: 

HOLDSWORTH AND BALL, 

18, ST. PAUL S CITURCTT-YARD. 



MDCCC XXXII. 



CONTENTS TO VOL. VI. 



Discourse 


Text. 


Subject. 


Pag*. 


623. 
624. 
625. 
626. 
627. 
628. 
629. 


PSALMS 

Ixxiii. 1. 
Ixxiii. 16, 17. 
Ixxiii. 23, 24. 
Ixxiii. 25. 
Ixxiii. 28. 
Ixxiv. 22. 
Ixxvi. 7. 


The Goodness of God to Israel . . . 
Prosperity of Sinners not to be envied 
The Christian s Experience and Hopes 
The Christian s Choice 
Benefit of drawing near to God 
God s Interest in his People . . . . 
God Greatly to be feared . . 


1 

5 
11 
15 
18 
23 
27 


630. 
631. 
632. 


Ixxvii. 7 10. 
Ixxviii. 8. 
Ixxviii. 19 22. 


Despondency depicted and reproved . 
Jews and Christians compared . . . 
The Evil of Unbelief 


31 
37 
42 


633. 
634. 


Ixxviii. 32. 
Ixxviii. 32, 33. 


Obstinacy in Sin reproved . . . . 
The Fruit of Impenitence and Un 
belief 


45 
49 


635. 
636. 


Ixxviii. 34 39. 
Ixxx. 17 19. 


The Extent of God s Mercy . . - 


53 
56 


637. 
638. 
639. 
640. 
641. 


Ixxxi. 10. 
Ixxxi. 11, 12. 
Ixxxiv. 1 4. 
Ixxxiv. 10. 
Ixxxiv. 1 1. 


Prayer Effectual to any Extent 
God giving up obstinate Transgressors 
Divine Ordinances lovely .... 
God s Ordinances precious .... 
Promises to the Unrioht . . . . 


60 
64 
67 
71 
76 


642. 
643. 


Ixxxv. 8. 
Ixxxv. 9, 10. 


Attention to God s Word encouraged . 
The Perfections of God reconciled in 
Christ Jesus 


80 
83 


644. 
645 


Ixxxvi. 1 5. 
Ixxxvi. 11. 


A praying Spirit exemplified . . 
How to walk with God 


88 
93 


646 


Ixxxvii. 3. 




97 


647. 
648. 
649. 
650. 


Ixxxviii. 14 16. 
Ixxxix. 15, 16. 
Ixxxix. 19. 
Ixxxix. 28 35. 


j j 
Distress of Soul considered .... 
The Blessings of God s People . . . 
The Sufficiency of Christ to save . . 
God s covenant Engagements with Christ 
and us .... 


101 
107 
110 

113 











VI 



CONTENTS. 



Discourse. 


Text. 


Subject. 


Page 


651. 


PSALMS 

xc. 11, 12. 


God s Anger a Reason for turning to 


116 


652. 
653. 


xc. 14. 
xc. 17. 


Satisfaction in God alone . . . 
The Beauty of Jehovah imparted to his 


121 
125 


654. 
655. 
656. 


xci. 1 4. 
xci. 9, 10. 
xci. 14 16. 


The Blessedness of God s People . 
The Security of those who dwell in God 
The Character and Privilege of the 
Gospel 


131 
137 

141 


657. 
658. 
659 


xcii. 4, 5. 
xcii. 1215. 
xciv 1 9 


God admired in his Works . . . . 
The Believer s Security 
Comfort in God ...... 


144 
146 
151 


660. 


xcv. 6 1 1 . 


Devotion to God recommended and en- 


153 


661. 


xcvi. 1 3. 


The Duty of making Christ known to 
the Heathen 


156 


662. 
663. 
664. 
665. 
666. 
667. 
668. 
669 


xcvi. 9. 
xcvii. 2. 
xcvii. 1 1. 
xcviii. 1 9. 
c.l 5. 
ci. 1. 
ci. 2. 
ci. 3. 


Worship in the Beauty of Holiness 
God s Ways dark but just .... 
The Blessedness of the Righteous . 
Christ s Advent a Ground of Joy . 
Gentiles called to glorify God . . 
Mercy and Judgment Grounds of Praise 
A wise Deportment delineated . . 


159 
164 
169 
174 

178 
181 
187 
194 


670. 
671. 
672. 
673. 


cii. 1315. 
cii. 2528. 
ciii. 1 5. 
ciii. 8 13. 


The Restoration of the Jews .... 
The Eternity and Immutability of Christ 
Duty of praising God for his Mercies 
The Goodness of God 


197 
203 
205 
209 


674. 
675. 
676. 


ciii. 1518. 
civ. 33, 34. 
cvi. 4, 5. 


Perpetuity of God s Mercy .... 
The Duty of praising God .... 


212 
215 
218 


677. 


cvi. 1012. 


The Effects which national Mercies 
should produce on us 


220 


678. 
679. 
680. 
681. 
682. 
683. 


cvi. 2123. 
cvi. 30. 
cvi. 48. 
cvii. 1 3. 
cvii. 8, 9. 
cvii. 43. 


The Evil and Danger of Ingratitude . 
The Zeal of Phinehas commended . . 
Praise to God for his Mercies . 
Praise to God for Redemption . 
The Duty and Grounds of Praise . . 
God s Love seen in all his Dispensations 


222 
225 
235 
238 
242 
246 



CONTENTS. 



Discourse 


Text. 


Subject. 


Page. 


684. 
685. 
686. 


PSALMS 

ex. 17. 
cxi. 2. 
cxi. 10. 


The Person and Offices of Christ . . 
The great Work of Redemption . . . 
The Fear of the Lord .... 


250 
256 
260 


687. 
688. 
689. 
690. 


cxiii. 5 8. 
cxv. 9 13. 
cxvi. 1 7. 
cxvi. 8, 9. 


Greatness and Condescension of God . 
Trust in God recommended . 
Thanksgiving for Deliverance . 
Grateful Recollections 


265 
269 
273 
277 


691. 
692. 
693. 
694. 


cxvi. 12 14. 
cxvi. 15. 
cxvii. 
cxviii. 27, 28. 


How to requite the Lord for his Mercies 
The Death of Saints precious 
The Gentiles called to praise God . 
The Exaltation of Christ a Ground oj 
Confidence . . . . . 


282 
288 
291 

295 


695. 
696. 
697. 
698. 
699. 
700. 


cxix. 4 6. 
cxix. 9. 
cxix. 18. 
cxix. 20. 
cxix. 30 32. 
cxix. 34. 


Practical Religion enforced . 
God s Word the Means of Sanctification 
How to attain Divine Knowledge 
David s Desire after God s Word . 
Christian Experience . 
Wisdom of true Piety 


299 
302 
306 
310 
315 
318 


701. 
702. 


cxix. 37. 
cxix. 45. 


The Vanities of this World an Obstacle 
to spiritual Progress 
True Liberty 


322 

326 


703. 
704. 


cxix. 51, 52. 
cxix. 59, 60. 


Comfort under Persecution . . . 
Serious and speedy Conversion to God 
recommended 


329 
333 


705. 


cxix. 68. 


The Goodness of God 


337 


706. 


cxix. 71 . 


The Benefit of Affliction . 


339 


707. 

708. 


cxix. 76. 
cxix. 97 100. 


The Loving-kindness of God . . . 
David s Boasting explained and vin- 


344 
347 


709. 
710. 
711. 
712. 
713. 


cxix. 128. 
cxix. 132, 133. 
cxix. 136. 
cxix. 145148. 
cxix. 165. 


The true Test of Religion in the Soul 
The Christian s chief Desires . 
Reasons for weeping over Sinners . 
David s Desire to serve God 
Blessedness of those who love God s 
Law 


350 
364 
368 
371 

375 


714. 
715. 
716. 
717. 


cxxi. 1 8. 
cxxiv. 1 8. 
cxxiv. 1 8. 
cxxv. 1, 2. 


Security of those who trust in God . . 
Thanksgiving for great Deliverance 
God to be acknowledged in our Mercies 
Trust in the Lord 


379 
384 

385 
391 











Vlll 



CONTENTS. 



l>icourse. 


Text. 


Subject. 


Page. 


718. 
719. 

720. 
721. 
722. 

723. 
724. 
725. 
726. 
727. 
728. 
729. 
730. 
731. 
732. 

733. 
734. 
735. 
736. 
737. 
738. 
739. 
740. 
741. 

742. 
743. 
744. 
745. 
746. 
747. 
748. 
749. 
750. 
751. 
752. 


PSALMS 

cxxv. 4, 5. 
cxxvi. 1 4. 

cxxvi. 5. 
cxxvi. 5, 6. 
cxxx. 1 4. 

cxxx. 5, 6. 
cxxx, 7, 8. 
cxxxi. 2, 
cxxxii. 13 16. 
cxxxiii. 1 3. 
cxxxvi. 26. 
cxxxviii. 2. 
cxxxviii. 3. 
cxxxviii. 4, 5. 
cxxxviii. 6. 

cxxxviii. 8. 
cxxxix. 1 12. 
cxxxix. 17, 18. 
cxxxix. 23, 24. 

cxlii. 7. 
cxliii. 2. 
cxliii. 7 10. 
cxliv. 15. 
cxlv. 1, 2. 

cxlv. 8. 9. 
cxlv. 18, 19. 
cxlvi. 5. 
cxlvi. 7, 8. 
cxlvii. 5 7. 
cxlvii. 11. 
cxlvii. 12 14. 
cxlviii. 14. 
cxlix. 2. 
cxlix. 46. 
cl. 6. 


The Upright and Apostates contrasted 
Deliverance from spiritual Bondage 


394 

397 
402 
405 

411 
415 
419 
422 
426 
429 
432 
436 
441 
444 

448 
452 
455 
460 
465 
467 
471 
475 
480 

485 
490 
493 
498 
502 
506 
509 
512 
516 
520 
523 
526 






God s Mercy an Encouragement to 
Praiier 


^Vaitino upon God 


The Duty of hoping in God .... 
Weanedness from the World 
Zion a Type of the Church .... 
The Benefit of Christian Unity 
A Call to adore God for his Mercy . 
God s TVord magnified . . . . 


j j 


The Gospel a Source of Happiness 
God s Views of the Lowly and of the 
Proud 


God s Care of his People .... 
Omnipresence and Omniscience of God 
A Christian s Delight in God . . . 
The Difficulty of knowing our own State 


A strict Award of Justice deprecated . 
God a Refuge to the Distressed . . 
The Blessedness of the Righteous . . 
Praise to God for his Goodness and 


The Goodness of God to Man . . . 
God s Readiness to answer Prayer . 
The Blessedness of trusting in God 
The Extent of Christ s Compassion 
The Power and Wisdom of God . . 
God s Regard for the least of his Saints 
Temporal Mercies a Ground of Praise 
God s People near unto him . 


Duty of praising God for his Goodness 
The Duty of praising God . 



PSALMS. 



DCXXIII. 

THE GOODNESS OF GOD TO ISRAEL. 

Ps. Ixxiii. 1. Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are 
of a clean heart. 

THE aversion which men usually feel to a vindi 
cation of God s absolute sovereignty, proceeds from 
an idea, that the exercise of it would be repugnant to 
his other perfections of goodness and mercy. But 
there is no just foundation for this conceit : nor is 
there any reason why we should doubt the sove 
reignty of God, any more than any other of his 
attributes. That God does dispense his favours 
according to his own will is an undeniable truth : 
how else can we account for his taking one nation 
from the midst of another nation, and forming them 
for his peculiar people, and giving them his righteous 
laws, and expelling seven nations from the land of 
Canaan in order to give it to his chosen people for 
their inheritance ? But however freely he exercises 
his own prerogative in this respect, he will take care 
that his final appointment of men s states shall accord 
with perfect equity : he even calls the day in which 
that decision shall pass, " The day of the revelation 
of the righteous judgment of God." The truth is, 
that though God has no respect to men s moral cha 
racters in the first communications of his mercy, he 
invariably transforms the objects of that mercy in 
such a manner, as to make it suitable and proper that 
he should confer upon them the ultimate and ever 
lasting tokens of his love. The Israel of old, and 
those to whom that name at this time belongs, were, 
and are, a chosen people : but all the true Israel are 
renewed in the spirit of their minds ; they are " such 

VOL. VI. B 



2 PSALMS, LXXIII. 1. [623. 

as are of a clean heart;" and therefore they are such 
as may reasonably hope to experience the transcen 
dent goodness of their God. 

The words before us will naturally lead us to 
consider, 
I. The character of Israel 

" All are not Israel, who are of Israel*." The 
true Israel are widely different from those who are 
only " Israelites after the flesh." They cannot how 
ever be known from others by their outward appear 
ance. Others may be as modest in their apparel, and 
as humble in their looks, as they ; and yet have no 
part with them in their more distinctive characters. 
They cannot be distinguished from others by their 
language. There certainly is a mode of speaking 
which religious people will adopt : they will be sin 
cere, modest, inoffensive ; and will accustom them 
selves to such speech as, " being seasoned with salt," 
is calculated to " administer grace to the hearers." 
But hypocrites may vie with them in this particular 
also. Nor can they be altogether known from others 
by their actions : for though their actions will doubt 
less be holy, and just, and good, and extremely dif 
ferent from those of the ungodly world, yet Pharisees 
and formalists may " cleanse the outside of the cup 
and platter," and be as punctual and correct in all 
external duties as any persons whatever. 

The true Israelite is known by no external badge, 
but by "the circumcision of the heart" only b . He 
is of a clean heart : he is clean, 

1. From idolatrous regards 

[The very best of ungodly men teas some idol in his heart 
which usurps the throne of God. Pleasure, riches, and honour 
are the common objects of men s regards: but some, who seem 
indifferent to these things, are no less in subjection to a carnal 
love of ease, wherein their happiness principally consists. But 
the true Christian has taken the Lord for his God; and has 
determined, through grace, that no rival shall ever be harboured 
in his bosom. He makes his adorable Saviour the one object 
of all his trust, his love, and his obedience 6 .] 

2. From allowed lusts 

a Rom. ix. G. t> Rom. ii. 28, 29. c Ps. Ixxiii. 25. 



623.] THE GOODNESS OF GOD TO ISRAEL. 3 

[None but those who have embraced the promises of the 
Gospel have been able to " cleanse themselves from all fleshly 
and spiritual filthiness :" but " all who are really Christ s, have 
crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." We say not, 
that Christians have no lusts remaining in them ; (for a man 
that is crucified may still continue to live a considerable time ; 
and the lusts that are crucified may still live and act :) but their 
lusts shall never regain the liberty which they once had : the 
death of their corruption is irreversibly decreed ; and their 
strength is gradually weakening; and in due time they shall 
utterly expire. In all other persons, sin of some kind has 
dominion ; but over the Christian " it shall not ; because he is 
not under the law, but under grace."] 

3. From sinister and selfish motives 

[All, even the most refined hypocrites, are under the 
influence of self-seeking and self-complacency. But the true 
Christian endeavours to consult the glory of his God. He is 
as jealous of his motives, as of his actions. He knows that 
self is but too apt to mix with what we do ; and therefore he 
labours to counteract its influence, and to do his most common 
actions to the glory of his God. To please God, to serve God, 
to honour God, these are the ends which he proposes to him 
self; nor is he ever satisfied with any one action which has not 
these objects as their true and ultimate scope. He that is " an 
Israelite indeed, is an Israelite without guile d ."] 

Let us now proceed to contemplate, 
II. The character of Israel s God 

" God is good to all, and his tender mercy is over 
a~ll his works :" but he is more especially good to 
Israel : for, 

1. He is reconciled to them 

[They once were under his displeasure, even as others : 
but he has given them repentance unto life ; he has accepted 
them in and through his beloved Son ; he has blotted out all 
their transgressions as a morning cloud; and " he has given 
them a name better than of sons and of daughters." These are 
peculiar mercies not vouchsafed to others, whatever be their 
profession, or whatever their character.] 

2. He admits them to most familiar communion 
with himself 

[Others may have prayed in some peculiar extremity, and 
may have obtained deliverance from their distress ; but " they 
will not always call upon God:" prayer is not their delight; 
nor have they any freedom of access to God in it. But " the 

a John i. 47. 



4 PSALMS, LXXIII. 1. [623. 

true Israel" are " a people nigh unto God." It is their delight 
to draw nigh to God at all times, to make known to him their 
requests on all occasions, and to walk continually in the light of 
his countenance. He, on the other hand, like a tender parent, 
condescends to hear and answer their petitions, and reveals 
himself to them as he does not unto the world. Thus, while 
others perform prayer as a mere service which they would think 
it criminal to neglect, they account it their highest privilege to 
say, " Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, 
Jesus Christ."] 

3. He makes all things to work together for their 
good 

[Many dark and afflictive dispensations do they meet with; 
but not one more than shall issue in their good. Under the pres 
sure of their trials they may be ready to say, " All these things 
are against me : " but they shall at last see reason to confess, 
that " it is good for them that they have been afflicted." God 
has expressly promised, that " all things should work together 
for their good ; " and he sooner or later fulfils the promise, to 
every one that loves him, and that trusts in him. The perse 
cutions of men and the temptations of Satan shall ultimately 
conduce to this end: " The wrath of men and devils shall praise 
him ; and the remainder of it," which would counteract his 
designs, " he will restrain."] 

4. He has prepared for them a glorious and ever 
lasting inheritance 

[To others he generally gives a greater measure of earthly 
wealth: but " for these he has prepared a city;" being " not 
ashamed to be called their God." The very hope and prospect 
of that far outweighs all earthly possessions ; What then must 
the actual enjoyment of it be ! With what emphasis do those 
in heaven say, "Truly God is good to Israel!" Well does 
David exclaim, " O how great is thy goodness which thou hast 
laid up for them that fear thee e !" But we must wait till we 
come to heaven, before we can form any adequate idea of this 
glorious subject.] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who are ignorant of God 

[You are ready to think of God only as a harsh Master, 
and a severe Judge : but if you knew him aright, you would 
cry out, with the prophet, " How great is his goodness ! how 
great is his beauty!"" The fact is, that while your heart is so 
corrupt, you cannot form any correct judgment concerning God: 
your eyes are jaundiced, and you behold all his perfections, 
yea, and his dispensations too, under false colours : " the light 

e Ps. xxxi. 19. 



624.] SINNERS PROSPERITY NOT ENVIABLE. 5 

shines ; but your darkness doth not comprehend it." If you 
would know him as he is, pray that he would " create in you 
a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within you." Then 
shall you be disposed to admire the justice and holiness which 
you now hate, and, instead of denying his distinguishing grace, 
you will seek to obtain an interest in it f .] 

2. Those who are tempted to think hardly of God 
[This had been the state of the Psalmist s mind, just before 
he penned this psalm : and it was on finding his error, that he 
abruptly exclaimed, " Truly God is good," notwithstanding- 
all I have been tempted to think to the contrary. The same 
temptations are common with us : and when we see the un 
godly triumphing and the righteous afflicted, we are ready to 
say, " I have cleansed my heart in vain> and washed my hands 
in innocency." But go into the sanctuary, as David did, and 
then you will learn the different ends of the righteous and the 
wicked. Take eternity into your estimate, and the delusion 
will vanish ; and you will see, that no state in which an ungodly 
man can possibly be, is any more to be compared with yours, 
than the twinkling of a taper is with the light and splendour 
of the meridian sun.] 

f See Ps. cvi. 4, 5. 



DCXXIV. 

PROSPERITY OF SINNERS NOT TO BE ENVIED. 

Ps. Ixxiii. 16, 17. When I thought to know this, it was too 
painful for me ; until 1 went into the sanctuary of God : 
then understood I their end. 

TO unenlightened man, there are numberless things 
in the dispensations of Providence altogether dark 
and inexplicable : it is the light of Revelation only 
that enables us to form any just notions respecting 
them. Moreover, after that men are enlightened, 
they still are liable to be disconcerted and perplexed 
by the events which daily occur, in proportion as they 
lean to their own understandings, and neglect to avail 
themselves of the means which are afforded them for 
the regulation of their judgment. Nor has Satan 
any more powerful instruments wherewith to assault 
the minds of Believers, than those which he derives 
from this source. The temptation with which he 
assaulted our first parents in Paradise, was furnished 
by the prohibition which God had given them to eat 



6 PSALMS, LXXIII. 16, 17. [624. 

of a certain tree ; " Hath God said, Ye shall not eat 
of every tree of the garden ?" insinuating, that such a 
prohibition could never have proceeded from a God 
of love. In like manner, if God have seen fit to 
deny his people any particular comfort which he has 
vouchsafed to others, or suffered them to be afflicted 
in any respect more than others, Satan suggests to 
their minds, How can these dispensations consist 
with his professed regard for you as his own peculiar 
people ? Thus their subtle adversary would instil 
into their minds hard thoughts of God, and a distrust 
of his providential care. It was in this way that he 
assaulted the author of the psalm before us, and 
caused him almost to renounce his confidence in 
God. The Psalmist himself (whether it were Asaph, 
or David, we cannot certainly declare) tells us, how 
nearly he was overcome by this temptation : " As for 
me, my feet were almost gone ; my steps had well 
nigh slipped : for I was envious at the foolish, when 
I saw the prosperity of the wicked." He proceeds 
more fully to state the difficulty with which his mind 
was harassed, and the way in which the snare was 
broken : and as the subject is of universal interest, 
we will draw your attention to it, by stating, 
I. The difficulty- 
It is frequently seen that the wicked prosper, whilst 
the godly are grievously oppressed 

[The godly are for the most part " a poor and afflicted 
people 3 ." They are objects of hatred and contempt to an un 
godly world b , and they suffer much from the unkind treatment 
which they meet with c . Not unfrequently, " their greatest foes 
are those of their own household." From the hand of God 
also they receive many strokes of fatherly correction, from which 
the avowed enemies of God are in great measure exempt d . It 
is necessary also, with a view to the accomplishment of God s 
purpose of love towards them, that they should, for the most 
part, " be in heaviness through manifold temptations 6 ." 

The wicked, on the contrary, frequently pass through life 
without any particular trials f : having nothing to humble them, 
they are lifted up with pride, (which they glory in as their 
brightest ornament g ;) and are encompassed with violence, as 

a Zeph. iii. 12. b John xv. 19. c 2 Tim. iii. 12. 

d Heb. xii. 68. e 1 Pet. i. 6. f ver. 4, 5. 

e Dan. v. 29. with ver. 6. 



624.] SINNERS PROSPERITY NOT ENVIABLE. 7 

their daily habit: they gratify their sensual appetites, " till their 
eyes stand out with fatness 11 :" they despise all restraint, whether 
human or divine 1 ; and even atheistically question, Whether 
God notices and regards the conduct of his creatures k . These 
are the persons who generally get forward in life, and engross 
to themselves the wealth and honours of a corrupt world. 
Doubtless, in countries where the rights of individuals are 
secured by just laws and a righteous administration, this in 
equality will be less apparent, than in places, where there 
is more scope afforded for the unrestrained exercise of fraud 
and violence : but in every place there is ample evidence, that 
worldly prosperity is the attainment, not of spiritual, but of 
carnal minds 

This, to the carnal mind, presents a difficulty not 
easy to be explained 

[There is in the mind of man a general idea that the 
Governor of the universe will testify by his present dispensa 
tions his love for virtue, and his hatred of iniquity. The 
friends of Job carried this notion so far, that, without any 
other evidence than what arose from his peculiar trials, they 
concluded, that he must of necessity have been a hypocrite and 
deceiver, whom justice at last had visibly overtaken. Nor 
could Job himself understand, how it should be, that the pro 
sperity of the wicked should be so great, whilst he, who had 
walked in his integrity, was so overwhelmed with troubles 1 . 
Even the Prophet Jeremiah, who might be supposed to have 
a deeper insight into divine truth than Job, was stumbled at 
the same thing: and therefore we must not wonder that it 
operates as a temptation in the minds of the generality. 

Under the Mosaic dispensation, the difficulty of accounting 
for these things was certainly very great : for all the sanctions 
of the Law were almost, if not altogether, of a temporal nature: 
temporal prosperity was promised, and that too in very general 
and unqualified terms, as the reward of obedience ; and temporal 
judgments were threatened as the punishment of disobedience: 
and consequently, when the wicked prospered and the righteous 
were oppressed, it seemed as if the providence of God were 
in direct opposition to his word. Nor did Moses alone give 
ground for such expectations: even David himself had said, 
that " they who sought the Lord should want no manner of 
thing that was good 11 ." Nay more, the same language is used 
in the New Testament : If we " seek first the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness, all earthly comforts shall be added unto 
us." And again, " Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit 
the earth ." Now it may be asked, How can this consist with 

h ver. 7. * ver. 8, 9. Mark the language of ver. 9. 

k ver. 11. i Job xxi. 713. m Jer. xii. 1. 

11 Ps. xxxiv. 10. and Ixxxiv. 11. Matt. v. 5. and vi. 33. 



8 PSALMS, LXXIII. 16, 17. [624. 

the exaltation of the wicked, and the almost universal depres 
sion of the righteous, of whom it may be said, that ^ they are 
plagued all the day long, and chastened every morning p ?"] 

But the Psalmist, having stated his difficulty, gives 
us, 
II. The solution- 

To the carnal mind the difficulty is insurmount 
able : but " if we enter into the sanctuary of God," 
it will vanish instantly. There we shall see the 
lamentable state of the wicked in the midst of their 
prosperity ; 

1. The danger of their way 

[" Their feet are set in slippery places," where it is, 
humanly speaking, impossible for them to stand. This may 
appear a strong assertion; but it is not at all too strong: it is 

the assertion of our Lord himself q Indeed, it is with 

great justice said by Solomon, that " the prosperity of fools 
destroyeth them 1 ;" for it almost universally generates those 
very dispositions which are so strongly depicted in the psalm 
before us s . If riches increase, we are immediately ready " to 
set our heart upon them*," and to trust in them rather than 
in God u . They foster pride in the heart of the possessor x ; 
and lead not unfrequently to an oppressive conduct towards 
the poor y , and to the most daring impiety towards God 2 . Are 
they then to be envied, who are placed in such perilous circum 
stances ? or are they to be envied, who, when running for 
their lives, have " their feet laden with thick clay ?" Be it so, 
that the rich have many comforts which the poor taste not of: 
but what enjoyment can that man have of a feast, who sees a 
sword suspended over his head by a single hair, and knows not 
but that it may fall and pierce him the very next minute ? So 
the man who knows his own weakness, and the force of the 
temptations to which he may be exposed, will be well satisfied 
to have such a portion only of this world as God sees fit to 
give him ; and will abundantly prefer the eternal welfare of 
his soul before all the gratifications that wealth or honour can 
afford him.] 

2. The awfulness of their end 

[As God raised up Pharaoh to the throne of Egypt, with 
an intent to shew forth in him his wrathful indignation against 
sin a ; so he loads with temporal benefits many, who shall 

P ver. 14. q Mark x. 23 27. r Prov. i. 32. 

8 ver. 6 11. t p s . i x ii. IQ. 

u 1 Tim. vi. 17. Luke xii. 19. * Prov. xviii. 23. 

y Jam. ii. 6. z Jam. ii. 7. a Rom. ix. 17. 



624.] SINNERS PROSPERITY NOT ENVIABLE. 9 

finally be made objects of his heavy displeasure for their abuse 
of them. He bears with them for a season : but " their feet 
shall slide in due time b ;" and then " they will be cast down 
into everlasting destruction ." O how terrible is their trans 
ition in a single instant, from a fulness of all earthly comforts 
to an utter destitution d even of " a drop of water to cool their 
tongue !" Think of the Rich Man who was clothed in purple 
and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: what a 
change did he experience the moment that his soul departed 
from the body ! The next thing we hear of him is, that " he 
was in hell, lifting up his eyes in torment," such as no words 
can describe, no imagination can conceive 6 . Lazarus, on the 
contrary, who in this world had not the most common neces 
saries of life, was enjoying unspeakable and endless felicity in 
Abraham s bosom. Who that beholds the termination of their 
career, would not infinitely prefer the temporal estate of 
Lazarus, even though it should last a thousand years, before 
all the vanishing gratifications of the man of wealth ? If it 
should be thought that this rich man was more addicted to sin 
than others, the account we have of him suggests no ground 
for it whatever: on the contrary, it tells us, that his five 
surviving brethren, who inherited his wealth, were, like him, 
yielding to the sad influence of the temptations which it offered, 
and therefore were hastening to that same place of torment, 
to which he had been consigned f . Doubtless it is painful to 
reflect on the thoughtless security of millions, who, if not 
guilty of any flagrant enormity, have no conception of the 
predicament in which they stand. But the Scripture speaks 
too plainly on this subject to admit of any doubt g 
Say then, Are these to be envied? Alas! if viewed aright, 
they must be regarded only as persons accumulating wrath 
upon their own heads h , or as victims fattening for the slaughter 1 : 
and consequently, their superior prosperity in earthly things 
affords no ground for complaint to the godly, however destitute 
they may be, or however afflicted.] 

Let us LEARN then from this subject, 

1. To mark the motions of our own hearts 

[We greatly deceive ourselves if we imagine that our 
actions afford a sufficient criterion for judging of our state. 
There are many who indulge in all manner of evil thoughts, 
whilst yet they are restrained by merely political considera 
tions from carrying them into effect. Whilst therefore man 

b Deut. xxxii. 35. c ver. 18. d ver. 19. 

e Luke xvi. 23, 24. f Luke xvi. 27, 28. 

g Ps. xcii. 7. Job xx. 4 7. and xxi. 30. Prov. xxiii. 17, 18. 

h Rom. ii. 5. Jam. v. 1, 2, 3, 5. 



10 PSALMS, LXXIII. 16, 17. [624. 

sees nothing amiss in us, God may see our " hearts to be full 
of evil." It was not any overt act that the Psalmist spoke of 
in our text, but of his thoughts only : and yet he acknow 
ledges, that they had well nigh destroyed and ruined his soul k . 
O let us observe from time to time the various thoughts that 
arise in our corrupt hearts, (the proud, the vain, the envious, 
the wrathful, the vindictive, the impure, the covetous, the 
worldly thoughts,) and let us humble ourselves for them in 
dust and ashes, and pray, that " the thoughts of our hearts 
may be forgiven us 1 !" If we view ourselves as we really are 
in the sight of God, we shall see that we may, on many occa 
sions, justly, and without hyperbole, say, " So foolish am I 
and ignorant, I am even as a beast before thee m ."] 

2. To be satisfied with our condition 

[To Judas was consigned the custody of the stock provided 
for the daily support of our Lord and his disciples. What if 
the other disciples had envied him that honour ? would they 
have been wise ? Judas was a thief: and the pre-eminence he 
enjoyed, afforded him an opportunity of gratifying his covetous 
desires, whilst the rest were free from any such temptation. God 
knows that many of those things which we would fain enjoy, 
would only prove snares and temptations to our souls. He 
sees, not only the evil that does exist, but the evil also that 
might arise, within us : and he withholds in mercy many things, 
which he knows would be injurious to our spiritual welfare. 
How happy would it have been for the Rich Youth in the 
Gospel, if, instead of being possessed of wealth, he had been 
as poor as Lazarus ! It was his wealth alone that induced 
him to forego all hope of an interest in Christ": and, if he had 
been a poor man, he might, for aught we know, have been at 
this moment a blest inhabitant of heaven. Let us then re 
member, that if God sends us trials which we would gladly 
escape, or withholds comforts which we would desire to pos 
sess, he does it in wisdom, and in love : and in all probability 
we shall one day see reason to adore him for the things which 
we now deplore, as much as for any of those benefits in which 
we are most disposed to rejoice.] 

3. To seek above all things the prosperity of our 
souls 

[Here is full scope for our ambition. We may " covet, as 
earnestly as we will, the best gifts." We must not indeed 
grudge to any their higher attainments: but we may take 
occasion from the superior piety of others to aspire after the 
highest possible communications of grace and peace. Were 
we to possess the whole world, we must leave it all, and " go 

k vcr. 2, 3. l Acts viii. 22. m ver. 22. n Mark x. 22. 



625. J THE CHRISTIAN S EXPERIENCE AND HOPES. 11 

as naked out of the world as we came into it." But, if we 
possess spiritual riches, we shall carry them with us into the 
eternal world, and have our weight of glory proportioned to 
them. The operation of these upon our souls needs not to be 
feared : they bring no snare with them ; or, if they be accom 
panied with a temptation to pride, they will lead us to Him, 
who will assuredly supply an antidote, to screen us from its 
injurious effects . If we are " rich towards God," we are 
truly rich ; yea, though we possess nothing in the world be 
sides, we may exult, as " having nothing, and yet possessing 
aU things P."] 

2 Cor. xii. 79. P 2 Cor. vi. 10. 



DCXXV. 

THE CHRISTIAN S EXPERIENCE AND HOPES. 

Ps. Ixxiii. 23, 24. / am continually with tliee : Thou hast 
holden me by my right hand. Thou shalt guide me with thy 
counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 

THERE are in the Holy Scriptures many expres 
sions which are difficult to be reconciled with each 
other. For instance, the Psalmist, in the very words 
before my text, says, " So foolish was I and ignorant, 
I was as a beast before thee." Yet behold, in the 
text itself, he speaks as one enjoying the sublimest 
communion with his God, and possessing a most con 
fident expectation of his favour. Now, how is this 
to be explained? The fact is, that he had been 
sorely tempted to envy the ungodly world, when he 
saw how prosperous they were, in comparison of 
many of God s most faithful servants. But when he 
reflected on "the end" that awaited them, he con 
demned his former thoughts, as betraying rather the 
ignorance of a beast than the judgment of a real 
saint : and then he congratulated himself as elevated 
far above the most prosperous of ungodly men, in 
that, whatever he might want in this world, he pos 
sessed God himself for his friend, his counsellor, his 
everlasting portion. 

I shall take occasion from these words to consider 
the saint in, 
I. His present experience 



12 PSALMS, LXX1II. 23, 24. [625. 

Here we see, the saint with his God, in a way of 
humble dependence ; and his God with him, in a way 
of effectual support. 

1. The saint with his God 

[Numberless are the difficulties with which the Christian 
is encompassed, whilst yet in himself he has not power to 
surmount the smallest of them. In fact, he has to wrestle not 
only with flesh and blood, but with all the principalities and 
powers of hell itself. What then shall he do ? How shall he 
entertain a hope of a successful issue ? He would sit down in 
utter despair, but that he remembers he has with him, at all 
times, a Friend, who is almighty, and all-sufficient for him. 
He has been taught to look unto God as his Father in Christ 
Jesus : he has been assured, that, since he has fled to Christ 
for refuge, and sought for reconciliation with God through 
Him, he is entitled to regard God as a friend, and to commit 
into his hands his every concern. Hence he becomes com 
posed, in the midst of all his trials ; and comforts himself with 
the reflection, ( I am continually with my God : I see him 
ever present with me : confiding in him, I have no fear : it is 
a small matter to me what confederacies there may be against 
me : having him at hand, I need no other help : I therefore 
repose all my confidence on him, and " cast all my care 
on him". ] 

2. His God with him 

[To enter fully into this idea ; conceive of a child passing 
over rocks where there is scarcely room for his feet ; and where 
the path is so slippery, that it is scarcely possible for him to 
stand ; and where there are precipices on every hand so steep 
and tremendous, that a single false step must of necessity 
cause him to be dashed in pieces. Conceive a father guiding 
his beloved child in all this way ; " holding him by his right 
hand," that he may not fall ; and raising him up, if at any time 
he have fallen ; and preserving him from all the dangers to 
which he is exposed. Here you see our God with the soul 
who trusts in him. Not for a moment does he leave the 
trembling saint : and it is altogether in consequence of this 
effectual help that any saint in the universe is enabled to 
pursue his way. Hence every child of God ascribes his safety 
to him who has thus upheld him ; and with unfeigned gratitude 
exclaims, " My foot standeth fast : in the congregation will I 
bless the LordV] 

In unison with his present experience, are, 
II. His future prospects 

a Ps. xxvi. 12. 



625.] T HE CHRISTIAN S EXPERIENCE AND HOPES. 13 

" Knowing in whom he has believed/ he expects 

1. Guidance in all his way- 
fin addition to all the difficulties of his journey, he knows 

not which way he is to pursue. He has a general notion of 
his path : but an infinite variety of circumstances occur from 
time to time, to render it difficult to discern which is the way 
in which it will be best and safest for him to proceed. He is 
aware that one single step may lead to consequences incon 
ceivably important. Joseph was sent to visit his brethren. 
The step was good : but oh ! to what a diversity of trials did 
it lead b ! David also was sent to visit his brethren : here too 
the step was good; and from it resulted the victory over 
Goliath, and the deliverance of Israel from their oppressors . 
In the consciousness that God alone can guide him, he asks 
counsel of the Lord every step he takes : and God vouch 
safes to guide his feet into the way of peace. There are 
many different means which God is pleased to make use of 
for the direction of his people : sometimes he guides by his 
word; sometimes by his Spirit; sometimes by his providence, 
opening or shutting a door, as is pleasing in his sight : diver 
sifying these as he sees occasion, he accomplishes his gracious 
ends; just as, in the days of old, he led his people Israel 
through the trackless wilderness, till they came in safety to the 
Promised Land. 

The entire process may be seen, as it were, realized in 
actual life. Behold the saint s desire of counsel, as expressed 
in the prayers of David d and mark the accomplish 
ment of that desire in the consolations and encouragements 
administered to the waiting soul 6 - And this is exactly 
what every believing soul is warranted to expect: " I will 
instruct thee, and teach thee in the way thou shalt go : I will 
guide thee with mine eye f ."] 

2. Glory at the end 

[Never will God cease from his offices of love, till he has 
completed all his gracious purposes, and fulfilled the utmost 
desires of those who wait upon him. Glory is that to which 
every soul looks forward, as the consummation of its bliss : 
that is " the joy that is set before us, the prize of our high 
calling," " the recompence of our reward ; " and God will not 
suffer his people to come short of it. " He will fulfil in them 
all the good pleasure of his goodness," till the work which has 
been begun in grace is consummated in glory. Of this St. Paul 
was confident^; and in the prospect of it every believing soul 

b Gen. xxxvii. 14. c 1 Sam. xvii. 20. d Ps. cxliii. 4 8. 
e Isai. xli. 1015. f Ps. xxxii. 8. Phil. i. 6. 



14 PSALMS, LXXIII. 23, 24. [625. 

may rejoice, even as if he were already in possession of the 
full result 11 - ] 

SEE, then, the Christian s life exhibited before you. 
It is, 

1. An arduous life 

[The people of the world imagine it an easy thing to get 
to heaven : but the real saint finds it far otherwise. They 
glide down the stream in a way of carnal gratification : but he 
has to go against the stream of corrupt nature, and to stem 
the tide of a voluptuous world. Were it so easy a matter to 
serve the Lord, it would never have been characterized by 
terms which convey so different an idea. The wrestler, the 
racer, the warrior, find that they have enough to do, in order 
to obtain a successful issue to their exertions.] 

2. An anxious life 

[St. Paul says, " I would have you without carefulness." 
But our Lord says, " Watch and pray, that ye enter not into 
temptation." Unbelieving anxiety is doubtless to be put away: 
but watchfulness and holy fear are never to be intermitted one 
single moment. St. Peter knew, by bitter experience, how 
needful that caution was, " Be sober, be vigilant; because 
your Adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about, seek 
ing whom he may devour." It would ill become a man on the 
borders of eternity to indulge a careless frame of mind. The 
most eminent saint in the universe should " take heed lest he 
fall," and should " walk in the fear of the Lord all the day 
long."] 

3. A happy life- 
fit should seem as if anxiety were inconsistent with hap 
piness. And it would be so, if we knew not where to look for 
the grace that is needful for us. But the very trials which 
drive us to our God for help, are the means of drawing forth 
the succours which God has promised, and of bringing God 
himself into closer union with us. In truth, it is from such 
discoveries of the divine character, and such communications 
of the heavenly grace, that the Believer derives his sublimes t 
pleasures : and he is then most truly happy, when " his fel 
lowship is most intimate with the Father, and with his Son 
Jesus Christ 1 ."] 

4. A glorious life 

[To the eye of sense, a Believer is only like a common 
man, and his walk like that of other men : but to the eye of 
faith it is not so. A Believer walks with God : his soul is 

h Rom. viii. 3339. * 1 John i. 3. 



THE CHRISTIAN S CHOICE. 15 

brought into closest union with the Deity. What has been 
said of a father and a son, does but very faintly convey what 
actually passes between God and him. There is, on the one 
part, the entire dependence of his soul on God ; and, on the 
other part, the tender care of a father exercised towards him 
in every step he takes. Throughout the whole of his life is this 
continued, till the period has arrived for his being invested with 
all the glory and felicity of heaven. And is not this a glorious 
life ; ordered as it is by the Father ; prepared by the Son ; 
effected by the Holy Spirit ; begun in grace ; consummated in 
glory ? Think what ye will, this is a glorious life indeed ; a 
life which even an angel might affect; and which is, in some 
respects, more glorious than that of angels, inasmuch as it is 
the effect of Redeeming Love, and will issue in louder songs of 
praise and thanksgiving, than the angels, who never experienced 
such trials, will ever be able to sing.] 

DCXXVI. 

THE CHRISTIAN S CHOICE. 

Ps. Ixxiii. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is 
none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 

THIS evil and deceitful world promises happiness 
to its votaries ; and men, naturally carnal, are too 
willing to be deceived by it. Even the godly them 
selves are sometimes drawn aside by its delusions ; 
but when the snare is broken, they see, and lament 
their folly a . David contrasted the mirth of the 
wicked with the troubles he had to conflict with, 
and was ready to conclude that they had a better 
portion than himself b ; but on deeper investigation 
he found, that their happiness was soon to end c . 
Whereas, however difficult his path at present was, 
God would guide him safely to the regions of eternal 
felicity d . 

Hence, as the result of his more deliberate judg 
ment, he determines to take God as his only portion 6 . 

I. The Christian s choice 

The Christian, by nature, differs not at all from 
those who are still in darkness. He once chose the 

a ver. 22. t> ver . ^ 4, .^ IQ, 12, 13, 14. 

c ver. 1720. a ver< 23, 24. e The text. 



16 PSALMS, LXXIII. 25. [626. 

world as the portion in which his soul delighted, but 
now he renounces it as sincerely as he ever loved it 
[He does not indeed treat it with stoical indifference. 
He knows that wealth and honour are capable of important 
uses, and that, if God bestow them, they may be richly 
enjoyed f . But he is well assured that they are not a satisfying 
portion : he is persuaded that our cares increase with our pos 
sessions g , and that Solomon s testimony respecting the world 
is true h .] 

God is the one object of his choice 

[Before his conversion he could think as lightly of God as 
others 1 , but grace has altogether changed his sentiments and 
desires. God appears to him now exceeding great and glorious. 
The love of God in sending his own Son to die for us has 
made an indelible impression on his mind. Since the Chris 
tian has been enabled to see this mystery, all created beauties 
have vanished as the stars before the sun. There is nothing 
" on earth" which, in his eyes, can stand for one moment in 
competition with his incarnate God. The pleasures, riches, 
and honours of the world seem lighter than vanity : by the 
cross of Christ he is utterly crucified to them all k . Without 
the Saviour s presence there would be nothing desirable even 
" in heaven" itself; the glorified saints and angels would have 
nothing to attract the soul, nor would the bright regions in 
which they dwell, be any better than darkness itself. Created 
glory would be utterly extinguished, if the Sun of righteous 
ness were withdrawn l . The Christian has ALL in God ; with 
out him NOTHING.] 

Nor is this an exaggerated description of the 
Christian s character 

[The children of God in all ages have been of one mind 
in these respects. Though their attainments have been dif 
ferent, their aims have been the same. David frequently 
expresses, in yet stronger terms, his desires after God m , and 
declares that he coveted nothing so much as the divine pre 
sence". St. Paul had as much to glory in as any man what 
ever, yet he despised it all as dung for the excellency of the 
knowledge of Christ . Nor were these views peculiar to these 
distinguished servants of God, they were common to all the 
saints^in the days of old?; nor is there a true Christian now, 
who, if interrogated respecting true happiness, would not reply 
in the language of the Psalmist <*.] 

f 1 Tim. vi. 17. Eccl. v. 11. h Eccl. iL 11. 

1 Job xxi. 15. k Gal. vi. 14. 1 Rev. xxi. 23. 

m Ps. xlii. 1, 2. and Ixiii. 1, 2. Ps. xxvii. 4. 

Phil. iii. 7, 8. P Isai. xxvi. 8, 9. q Ps. iv. 6. 



626.] THE CHRISTIAN S CHOICE. 17 

However enthusiastic such a choice may be thought 
by a blind and sensual world, it is perfectly rational 
and wise 

II. The reasons of it- 
Whatever men choose, they invariably choose it 
under the idea of good. Now there is no created 
good that can be at all compared with God : 

1. He is an ever-present portion 

[We may possess many things, yet not have them with 
us in the time of necessity ; yea, we may be utterly deprived 
of them by fraud or violence : but God is every where present 
to afford us help : though we be immured in a dungeon, he 
can visit us ; nor can any human power intercept his gracious 
communications. This was a reflection peculiarly grateful to 
the Psalmist r , and, doubtless, was an important ground on 
which he fixed his choice 8 .] 

2. He is an all-sufficient portion 

[A man may enjoy all which this world can bestow, but 
what can it avail him while racked with excruciating pains ? 
What relief can it afford him under the agonies of a guilty con 
science ? Or what can it do to appease the fears of death ? 
But there is no situation wherein God is not a suitable por 
tion. In the possession of earthly blessings, his presence will 
greatly enhance our enjoyment of them. In the absence of 
all temporal comforts, with HIM we can feel no want 1 . A 
view of him as our friend will allay every fear, and assuage 
every pain ; nor, having HIM, can we want any other thing 
that is good u .] 

3. He is an eternal portion 

[However long we retain earthly things, we must part 
with them at last. Death will reduce us to a level with the 
poorest of mankind, nor can we carry any thing along with us 
into the invisible world x . But, if God be ours, we shall pos 
sess him for ever. We are not left without many rich com 
munications from him now ; yea, sometimes, even in this vale 
of tears, our joy in him is unspeakable y . But it is not till 
after death that we shall have the full enjoyment of him. Now 
we taste of the streams ; then we shall drink at the fountain- 
head. Now our capacity to enjoy him is but small ; then all 
our faculties will be wonderfully enlarged. Now our delight 

r Ps. cxxxix. 7 10. 6 Ps. cxxxix. 17, 18. 

i 1 Cor. iii. 21 23. and 2 Cor. vi. 10. u Ps. xxxiv. 9, 10. 

x Ps. xlix. 17. y 1 Pet. i. 8. 
VOL. vi. c 



18 PSALMS, LXXIII. 28. [627. 

in him is transient; then, without intermission or end 2 . Hence 
the Psalmist looked forward to that period for his full satisfac 
tion a .] 
INFER 

1. How little is there of true religion in the world! 
[If to be called after the name of Christ were sufficient, 

his flock would be large. If to attend his ordinances and 
profess his faith were enough, there would be many in the 
way to heaven. But God will judge us, not according to our 
professions, but our practice. That, which alone can consti 
tute us truly religious, is, to choose God for our portion. Can 
we then, like David, appeal to God himself, that we do this ? 
Could we make Peter s reply to the question which was put 
to him b ? Does the ardour of our devotions attest the strength 
of our desires after God ? Have we the same evidence of our 
supreme regard for him, that the sensualist or worldling have 
of their love to the things of time and sense? Let us be 
assured that God can never be our portion, unless we delibe 
rately choose him in preference to all others.] 

2. How enviable a character is the true Christian ! 
[He can adopt the language of David c , and of the ancient 

church d . Hence, however destitute he may seem to be, he needs 
envy none ; he is freed from the cares which corrode the hearts 
of others ; he is sure, not of attaining only, but of possessing 
for ever, the object of his desires, and that, in proportion as 
he delights in God, his God will delight in him 6 . Surely we 
cannot but subscribe to the truth of that assertion f . Let us 
then beg of God to deliver us from the love of this present evil 
world, and so to cast the mantle of his love upon us, that we 
may both follow him and serve him for ever g .] 

z Ps. xvi. 11. a Ps. xvii. 15. * John xxi. 17. 

c Ps. xvi. 5. d Song v. 10. e Zeph. iii. 17. 

f Ps. cxliv. 15. g 1 Kings xix. 1921. 

DCXXVII. 

BENEFIT OF DRAWING NEAR TO GOD. 

Ps. Ixxiii. 28. It is good for me to draw near to God. 

THE dispensations of Providence are often so 
dark and inscrutable,, that the proud man is ready to 
question the wisdom of them, and almost to doubt 
whether they are the result of design or chance. 
The prosperity of the wicked is more particularly a 
stumbling-block to those who limit their views to the 



627.1 BENEFIT OF DRAWING NEAR TO GOD. 19 

things of this life. But a more enlarged acquaintance 
with God and his ways will silence every cavil, and 
oblige us to confess, that however " clouds and dark 
ness may be round about him, righteousness and 
judgment are the basis of his throne." The Psalmist 
himself for a season was unable to account for the 
prosperous state of the ungodly, while the righteous 
were regarded by them as objects of contempt and 
abhorrence. His reasonings upon the subject could 
not satisfy his mind : but at last he " went into the 
sanctuary of God," and there learned to estimate the 
ways of God by a very different standard, and to 
think those the most happy who were happy for 
eternity. In the review of this experience, he was 
led to acknowledge the more than brutish stupidity 
of his soul a , and the benefit which he had received 
from drawing near to God : " It is good for me," 
says he," " to draw near to God." 

In discoursing on these words, we shall shew, 
I. What is meant by drawing near to God 

We must not suppose that any bodily motion is 
necessary in order to the drawing nigh to God ; since 
he filleth all space, and is " never far from any one 
of us b ." The expression in the text imports a draw 
ing nigh to him, 

1. With the mind 

[Though " God is a Spirit, " and therefore not to be 
apprehended with bodily eyes, yet man is able, by the exercise 
of faith, to place him as it were before the eyes of his mind, 
and thereby to " see Him that is invisible c ." Nothing can be 
more absurd or delusive, than to draw a picture of him, as it 
were, in our imagination, and to present him before us in a 
way of vision. Whatever visions were granted to men in former 
times, it is rather a sense and consciousness of his presence, tha<i 
a sight of him as present, which we are to expect. We must 
not look for such a luminous appearance as Moses saw ; but it 
is our privilege to say with David, " I have set the Lord 
always before me d ." When we set God before us, we also 
set ourselves before him : we summon ourselves into his pre 
sence ; and endeavour to impress our minds with the con 
viction that he discerns our inmost thoughts. In this way 

a ver. 22. b Acts xvii. 27. c Heb. xi. 27. d Ps. xvi. 8. 



20 PSALMS, LXXIIL 28. [627. 

we may properly be said to draw near to him ; because, though 
in fact we are no nearer to him than before, yet we are much 
nearer in our own apprehension ; and the effect upon our 
own minds is precisely the same as if the approximation were 
real.] 

2. With the heart 

[The drawing nigh to God is not a work of the under 
standing only, but also of the heart e : and the exercises of the 
one are as necessary as those of the other. Indeed the idea of 
approaching God without suitable affections, is vain ; since 
man cannot remain unaffected in the Divine presence ; nor 
would he be approved of God if he did. It is obvious there 
fore that an acceptable approach to God must be attended with 
such emotions, as become a sinner in the presence of his Judge, 
and a redeemed sinner in the presence of his Lord and Saviour. 
It must be accompanied with a fear of God s majesty, an admi 
ration of his goodnesss, an affiance in his mercy, a love to his 
name, a submission to his will, a zeal for his glory. These 
various, feelings must be expressed in such petitions and 
acknowledgments as the occasion requires. In short, our 
drawing nigh to God must somewhat resemble Esther s ap 
proach to Ahasuerus. She knew that none but the king could 
help her ; and that she must perish if she did not obtain 
favour in his sight : and therefore, with much preparation of 
mind, she humbly presented herself before him, and then 
offered her petition in the manner she thought most likely to 
prevail f .] 

Having ascertained the import of drawing nigh to 
God, we proceed to shew 
II. The benefit arising from it 

There is no other thing under heaven so " good 
for" the soul, as this g : 

1. There is nothing so pleasant 

[We will grant, for argument sake, that the things which 
this world afford are capable of imparting as much happiness 
as the votaries of pleasure expect : still the happiness of draw 
ing near to God is incomparably greater. We appear indeed 
to " speak parables 11 " when we descant on such a subject as 
this, because the things we affirm can be known only from 

e 1 Cor. xiv. 15. 

f Esth. v. 1 4. This whole head might be changed ; and, in 
stead of it, one might shew, How we are to draw nigh to God. This 
would be more in the common-place way ; but it would be easier, 
and perhaps more profitable to the lower class of hearers. 

s Lam. iii. 25. t Ezek. xx. 49. 



027.] BENEFIT OF DRAWING NEAR TO GOD. 21 

Scripture and experience : and people have an easy way of 
setting both these aside. The words of Scripture are repre 
sented as high eastern metaphors : and the experience of the 
primitive saints is supposed to be confined to the earlier ages 
of the Church. And with respect to the experience of living 
saints, that is derided as enthusiasm. But there is a blessed 
ness in communion with God, whether man will admit it or 
not. To the ungodly it is an irksome task to approach God ; 
but to the godly it is their chief joy. The Psalmist justly 
says, " Blessed is the man, O Lord, whom thou choosest, and 
causest to approach unto thee V But how shall we describe 
this blessedness ? How shall we paint the lowly self-abasing 
thoughts which lead a man to prostrate himself in the very 
dust before God ? How shall we express the wonder and 
admiration with which he is filled, when he contemplates 
the goodness of God towards him ? How shall we declare 
the ardour of his feelings when he is adoring that Saviour 
who bought him with his blood ? We do not say, that any 
man feels at all times the same rapturous and exalted joys; 
but we do say, that the joys of those who live nigh to God are 
at some seasons " unspeakable and full of glory k ," an earnest 
and foretaste of heaven itself.] 

2. There is nothing so profitable 

[Not to mention the pardon and acceptance which flow 
from communion with God, it is certain that it will restrain 
from sin. The presence of a fellow-creature, yea, even of a 
child, will restrain men from the commission of crimes, which 
in secret they would perpetrate without remorse. How much 
more then would a consciousness of God s presence awe us, if 
we felt it as we ought ] ! The falls and apostasies of those who 
profess religion always originate from, or are preceded by, a 
secret departure of the heart from God. 

It will also console us in trouble. David, both on this and 
many other occasions, found prayer the best means of com 
posing his spirit when it was harassed by temptations or per 
secutions m . And did any one ever apply this remedy in vain ? 
When we have complained to man only, we have felt the pres 
sure of our burthens still, and groaned under them as much as 
ever : but when we have carried our complaints to God, we 
have almost invariably had our murmurs silenced, our agita 
tions tranquillized, our spirits comforted. God has fulfilled to 
us his promise, " Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I 
will hear thee, and thou shalt glorify me n ." 

1 Ps. Ixiv. 5. * 1 p ett j. 5> i p s . i v . 4. 

m ver. 3, 13, 17. See also Ps. Ixix. 17, 18. and cxvi. 35. 
u Ps. 1. 15. 



22 PSALMS, LXXIII. 28. [627. 

It will moreover strengthen us for duty. We should not so 
often faint in the way of duty, if we waited more constantly 
upon our God. He " would renew our strength as the eagle s :" 
he would " give us more grace p ," even " grace sufficient for 
us." However weak we are in ourselves, we should be " able 
to do all things through the strength which he would impart 
unto us q ." By drawing nigh to God, our humility is increased, 
our faith invigorated, our hope quickened, our love inflamed, 
and the whole work of grace advanced in our souls. 

Lastly, it will prepare us for glory. Nothing transforms us 
into the Divine image so much as communion with God. 
When Moses continued with God for a season upon the holy 
mount, his face contracted a radiance which was visible to all 
who beheld him. And, though no bright effulgence will now 
adorn the countenances of those who live nigh to God, yet a 
glory will shine around their paths, a lustre which will compel 
others to " take notice of them, that they have been with 
Jesus r ." By " beholding his glory they will be changed into 
the same image s ," and be progressively fitted to " see him as 
he is V] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who never draw near to God at all 

[How many are there of this description ! You rather say 
to him in your hearts, " Depart from us u :" and, in so doing, 
you pass sentence upon yourselves : you even inflict on your 
selves, by anticipation, the punishment prepared for you x . 
God assures you, that " all who are far from him shall perish y ." 
O that you might tremble at the denunciations of his wrath, 
and not bring upon yourselves the bitter experience of it in the 
eternal world !] 

2. Those who draw nigh to him, but only in a 
formal manner 

[Your state is as dangerous and deplorable as if you lived 
ever so far from God: for it is to no purpose to " draw nigh to 
him with your lips, while your hearts are far from him 2 ." 
" Bodily exercise profiteth nothing a :" you must have " the 
power of godliness as well as the formV " God is a Spirit: 
and, if you do not worship him in spirit and in truth c ," your 
service is a mockery, and your hope a delusion. Be in earnest 
therefore in your walk with God : for as your formal duties, 

Isai. xl. 31. P Jam. iv. 6. i Phil. iv. 13. 

r Acts iv. 13. 2 Cor. iii. 18. * 1 John iii. 2. 

u Job xxi. 14. x Matt. xxv. 41. y ver. 27. 

z Matt. xv. 8, 9. " 1 Tim. iv. 8. *> 2 Tim. iii. 5. 
c John iv. 24. 



628.] GOD S INTEREST IN HIS PEOPLE. 23 

whether in the Church or closet, bring with them neither 
pleasure nor profit, so will they ultimately deceive you to your 
ruin. On the contrary, if you really draw nigh to God, and 
" stir up yourselves to lay hold of him," he will draw nigh to 
you, and load you with his richest benefits 1 ."] 

3. Those who find their happiness in communion 
with God 

[This is the character of all the saints : " they are a people 
nigh unto God e :" " truly their fellowship is with God, and 
with his Son Jesus Christ f ." It is true, that there is no merit 
in this ; and it arises only from the grace of God, which effect 
ually worketh in them : nevertheless God admires and applauds 
their conduct : viewing them with a kind of rapture and sur 
prise, he says, " Who is this that hath engaged his heart to 
approach unto me g ?" Happy, happy are the people who can 
say, " Lord, it is I," " Lord, it is I." Continue then and 
increase your diligence in walking with God. Then you shall 
not only say now, " It is good for me to draw nigh to God;" 
but you shall one day add with ten-fold emphasis, " It is good 
for me to have drawn nigh to God : " yes ; if now you can look 
back upon your seasons of communion with God as the best and 
happiest hours of your life, much more shall you, when your 
intercourse with him shall be more immediate, and you are 
dwelling in the very bosom of your God.] 

d Jam. iv. 8. e Ps. cxlviii. 14. 

f 1 John i. 3. s Jer. xxx. 21. 

DCXXVIII. 

GOD S INTEREST IN HIS PEOPLE. 

Ps. Ixxiv. 22. Arise, God ! plead thine own cause. 

NO one can have ever heard or read the account 
given us of Abraham s intercession for Sodom, with 
out being struck with the condescension of God in 
suffering a poor sinful worm so to urge his requests 
as to make every fresh concession an occasion of still 
larger demands. Yet, methinks, the petition offered 
in my text is incomparably more bold than perhaps 
any other that was ever offered by fallen man. 

In unfolding this petition, I will shew you, 
I. That there is an identity of interests between God 
and his people 

This the psalm before us clearly proves 



24 PSALMS, LXXIV. 22. [628. 

[Great was the distress of God s people at the time it was 
written: they appear to have been forsaken of their God, and 
delivered over into the hands of their enemies. But the writer 
speaks, throughout the psalm, as if their cause was God s ; and 
calls upon God to take it up altogether as his own: " O God, 
why hast thou cast us off for ever ? why doth thine anger 
smoke against the sheep of thy pasture ? Remember thy con 
gregation, which thou hast purchased of old ; the rod of thine 
inheritance, which thou hast redeemed; this Mount Zion, 
wherein thou hast dwelt*!" " Have respect unto the Covenant*" 
" Arise, O God ! plead thine own cause." Who would imagine 
that this is the address of a sinner imploring mercy for himself 
and for his people ? Yet such it is : and this clearly proves 
that God considers his people s cause as his own, and their 
interests as identified with his.] 

The whole Scriptures also speak to the same 
effect 

[When the people murmured against Moses, he warned 
them that their murmuring was not against him, but against 
God himself . When the people of Israel desired to have 
no longer a judge, like Samuel, but a king, like other nations 
around them, Samuel told them, that it was not him that 
they had rejected, but God d . The Prophet Zechariah con 
firms this, in terms peculiarly strong and energetic, when he 
represents God as saying to his oppressed people, " He that 
toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye e ." Our blessed 
Lord and Saviour speaks to the same effect ; and so identifies 
himself with his people, that, whether they be benefited or 
injured, he considers it as done to himself. Is any poor ser 
vant of his clothed or fed or visited, Christ says, " In doing it 
to him, ye did it to ME f ." On the other hand, is any one of 
them oppressed, Christ feels the stroke as inflicted on himself: 
" Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME g ?"] 

This being clear, I proceed to shew., 
II. Whence this identity arises 
It arises, 

1. From the relation in which they stand to God 
[In the psalm before us this is strongly marked. The 
Jewish nation being " his sheep," " his congregation," " his 
inheritance," was a reason why he should consider " their cause 
as his own." The whole people of Israel were accounted by 
God as " his portion and inheritance," and the more religious 

a ver. 1, 2. b ver. 20. c Exod. xvi. 8. 

d 1 Sam. viii. 7. e Zech. ii. 8. f Matt. xxv. 40. 

g Acts. ix. 4. 



628. J GOD S INTEREST IN HIS PEOPLE. 25 

part of them as "his peculiar treasure" and "his jewels." 
Yea, he accounted himself as their Father, and them as his 
children. Now, is there a parent in the universe who, if his 
child were injured, would not account the injury as done to 
himself? We wonder not, then, that God should regard his 
children s cause as identified with his own.] 

2. From the union which subsists between them 
and the Lord Jesus Christ 

[They have been " bought with the precious blood of 
Christ," who therefore considers them as " his own h ." And 
how near their union with him is, may be seen by the images 
under which it is described. He is " the foundation" on which 
they stand 1 , and consequently one with the superstructure 
built upon him. He is " the Husband" of his Church, and 
therefore one with his spouse k . But the union is far closer 
than this : for " He is the vine, and they are the branches," 
vitally united to him, and deriving all their sap and nourish 
ment from him 1 . But neither does that come up to the full 
idea of our union with him: for " we are members of his body, 
even of his flesh and of his bones m ," yea, and are also " one 
Spirit with him"," he being " the very life that liveth in us ." 
In fact, there is no union with which it can be compared, but 
that which exists between the Father and Christ p : and hence 
St. Paul calls the collective members of his body by the very 
name of Christ: " As the body is one, and hath many members, 
and all the members of that one body, being many, are one 
body, so also is Christ * ;" that is, so also is the Church of Christ, 
which is so identified with him, that it may well bear his very 
name. How can it be, then, but that he should make our 
cause his own ?] 

3. From the connexion which there is between 
their prosperity and his glory 

[When God threatened to extirpate Israel for their heinous 
provocations, Moses urged on God the consideration of his own 
glory, which would suffer, if that threat were carried into exe 
cution 1 ". On the other hand, God s honour is represented as 
greatly advanced by their welfare. If they flourish as " trees 
of righteousness, the planting of the Lord 8 ," and " bring forth 
much fruit, God is glorified*." Hence, in the book of Psalms, 
this consideration is urged with earnest importunity as a plea 
for speedy and effectual relief: " Help us, O God of our 

h 1 Cor. vi. 20. i 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. k Eph. v. 32. 

1 John xv. 4, 5. m Eph. v. 30. n 1 Cor. vi. 17. 

Col. iii. 4. and Gal. ii. 20. P John xvii. 21. 

q 1 Cor. xii. 12. r Exod.xxxii.il 13. Numb. xiv. 13 16. 
s Isai. Ixi. 3. * John xv. 8. 



26 PSALMS, LXX1V. 22. [628. 

salvation, for the glory of thy name; and deliver us, and 
purge away our sins/or thy names sake. Wherefore should the 
heathen say, Where is their God u ?" In a word, as children 
by their conduct may reflect either honour or disgrace upon 
their parents according as that conduct may deserve, so God 
himself participates in the honour or disgrace of his people ; 
" being blasphemed," when they violate their duty x ; and lauded, 
when they approve themselves faithful in the discharge of it y .] 

This point being clear, let us consider, 

III. The use which we should make of it in our 
addresses at the throne of grace 

We should plead with God precisely as the Psalmist 
does in the words of our text. Whatever be the 
pressure under which we labour, whether it be from 
men or devils, we shall do well in offering up this 
prayer, " Arise, O God, and plead thine own cause." 

[Let us suppose a person bowed down with a sense of 
sin, and an apprehension of God s heavy displeasure : Is that 
a case wherein this plea may be urged ? Yes, assuredly ; for 
so it was urged by the Church of old, in language peculiarly 
strong, and, I had almost said, presumptuous : " We acknow 
ledge, O Lord, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our 
fathers : for we have sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, 
for thy name s sake ; do not disgrace the throne of thy glory : 
remember, break not thy covenant with us 2 ." Precisely thus, 
however, may we also address the Father of mercies : for he 
has covenanted to receive all who come to him humbly in his 
Son s name ; and if he should cast out one, he would violate 
his covenant, and " disgrace the throne of his glory" 
In like manner, if we are suffering under persecution, we may 
come to God in this very manner, and entreat him to plead 
his own cause : " Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that 
strive with me : fight thou against them that fight against me. 
Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help : 
draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that 
persecute me : say unto my soul, I am thy salvation ..... 
This thou hast seen, O Lord ; keep not silence : O Lord, be 
not thou far from me ! Stir up thyself, and awake to my judg 
ment, even unto my cause, my God, and my Lord\" There 
can be no situation whatever, where this plea is not proper ; 
nor any in which it shall not prevail, if it be offered in humility 
and faith --- ] 



u Ps. Ixxix. 9, 10. * R. om . ft t 4. y i p et j v< 

z Jer. xiv. 20, 21. * p s> xxxv . i_3, 22, 23. 



629.1 GOD GREATLY TO BE FEARED. 27 

1. A word of caution, however, may not be un 
seasonable 

[It may be supposed, that, whilst we thus consider God 
as engaged to help us, we are at liberty to sit down in sloth 
and inactivity. But God will help those only who endeavour, 
as far as they are able, to help themselves. Hence, when the 
Church of old cried to him, " Awake, awake, O arm of the 
Lord ! awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of 
old !" he replied, " Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem !" 
and again, " Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion b !" 
The paralytic, notwithstanding his impotence, endeavoured 
to put forth his arm ; and in that effort he was healed . And 
so also shall it be with us : let us labour to the uttermost to 
maintain our own cause, and God will then both make it his 
own, and plead it for us 

2. A word of encouragement, at all events, must 
not be omitted 

[If God make our cause his own, what have we to fear ? 
for " who can be against us, if He be for us ?" Let our Sa 
viour s consolations in the depth of all his troubles be applied 
by you for the comfort of your own souls : " The Lord God 
will help me ; therefore shall I not be confounded : therefore 
have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be 
ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend 
with me ? let us stand together : who is mine adversary ? let 
him come near to me. Behold, the Lord God will help me ; 
who is he that shall condemn me ? lo, they all shall wax old 
as a garment; the moth shall eat them up d ." Rely on God 
thus, and all will be well : for of " those who thus trust in 
God, not one shall ever be confounded."] 

* Isai. li. 9, 17. and Hi. 1. c Matt. xii. 13. d Isai. 1. 79. 

DCXXIX. 

GOD GREATLY TO BE FEARED. 

Ps. Ixxvi. 7. Thou, even thou, art to be feared : and who may 
stand in thy sight, when once thou art angry? 

THERE is not only a generally prevailing notion 
that God is merciful, but the consideration of his 
mercy is with many a ground and reason for dis 
missing from their minds all fear of his displeasure. 
But it is not in this partial view that the Deity 
is represented in the Scriptures of truth : on the 
contrary, the whole sacred records bear witness to 



28 PSALMS, LXXVI. 7. [629. 

him as a God who is greatly to be feared. On many 
occasions has his indignation against sin and sinners 
been most awfully displayed ; as when, in one single 
night, he slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand 
of the Assyrian army, who had besieged Jerusalem 
and defied his power. It was probably on that 
occasion that the psalm before us was written : and 
in reference to it was this testimony given, " Thou, 
even thou, art to be feared : and who may stand in 
thy sight, when thou art angry?" To establish and 
confirm this sentiment, is my purpose at this time. 
I. To establish it 

But where shall I begin? or where shall I end? 
Of course, it is but a very partial view of this subject 
that can be presented in one discourse. Let us, 
however, notice, 

1. What God is in himself 

[If we contemplate his natural perfections, we shall see 
this truth in very striking colours. He is omnipresent, so that 
we can never escape from him for a single moment. He is 
omniscient, so that there is not so much as a thought of our 
hearts which can be hidden from him. He is omnipotent 
also, to deal with men according to their deserts. His moral 
perfections, too, are well calculated to impress our minds with 
awe. So holy is he, that " he cannot behold iniquity" of any 
kind without the utmost abhorrence; and BO just, that he cannot 
but enforce on men the observance of his laws, and execute his 
judgments upon them for every act of disobedience : and so 
unalterable is his truth, that sooner should heaven and earth 
pass away than one jot or tittle of his word should fail. Say, 
then, whether such a God be not greatly to be feared.] 

2. What he has recorded respecting his dealings 
with mankind 

[Behold Adam in Paradise: he violated the command 
which had been given him respecting the forbidden tree : and 
how was he dealt with ? The curse of God came upon him 
instantly; and he was driven from Paradise, and with all his 
posterity subjected to misery both in this world and the world 
to come. See the whole race of mankind after they had mul 
tiplied and filled the earth : they had provoked God to anger 
by their abominations: and he swept them all, with every 
living creature, from the face of the earth, a remnant only in 
the ark excepted, by an universal deluge. Trace the Deity 
at subsequent periods; his judgments upon Sodom and all the 



629.] GOD GREATLY TO BE FEARED. 29 

cities of the plain ; his wonders in Egypt ; his judgments on 
all his own chosen people in the wilderness ; his extirpation of 
all the nations that inhabited the land of Canaan : in a word, 
see his dealings either with nations or individuals, and you 
must come speedily to this same conclusion, that he is a God 
very greatly to be feared.] 

3. What he has taught us to expect at his hands- 
file has told us plainly, that " the wicked shall be turned 
into hell, even all the nations that forget God a ." He has said, 
that " he will rain upon them snares, fire and brimstone, and 
an horrible tempest; and that this shall be their portion to 
drink b ." And what is the feeling which such declarations 
should inspire ? Even in heaven itself they connect with these 
views the fear of God ; saying, " Great and marvellous are thy 
works, Lord God Almighty ; just and true are thy ways, thou 
King of saints ! Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify 
thy name ?"] 

Plain and undeniable as this sentiment is, I will 
nevertheless proceed, 
II. To confirm it- 
Here is an appeal to every child of man ; " Who 
shall stand before God, when once he is angry?" 

Indeed, God is angry with those who are disobe 
dient to his laws 

[Of course, we are not to conceive of God as under the 
influence of such a feeling as we call anger : but he will surely 
act, in reference to sinners, as men do against those who have 
excited their displeasure ; and this we call a manifestation of 
his anger. To this effect the Psalmist speaks : " God is angry 
with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his 
sword : he hath bent his bow, and made it ready : he hath also 
prepared for him the instruments of death d ."] 

And who may stand in his sight, when once his 
anger is excited ? 

[Not even the angels in heaven could abide his wrath, 
when once they had kindled his indignation against them : how 
much less, then, can man, who is crushed before the moth e ! 
Shall it be thought that any man is so holy, as not to deserve 
God s anger ? Vain imagination ! fatal conceit ! " There is 
no man that liveth and sinneth not." " In many things we all 
offend f :" and " if any man say he hath not sinned, he maketh 

a Ps. ix. 17. b Ps. xi. 6. See also Rev. xiv. 911. 

c Rev. xv. 3,4. a Ps. vii. 1113. e 2 Pet. ii. 4. 

f James iii. 2. 



30 PSALMS, LXXVI. 7. [629. 

God a liarC Even Job himself says, " If I justify myself, 
mine own mouth shall condemn me : if I say, I am perfect, it 
shall also prove me perverse 11 ." But possibly it may be thought 
that God will never proceed to extremities with all the human 
race ; and that, consequently, if we are as good as the genera 
lity, we have nothing to fear. This, however, is a fatal delu 
sion : ibr already is death inflicted upon all as the wages of 
sin ; and on all who die in impenitence and unbelief will his 
ulterior judgments fall, even the destruction of body and soul 
in hell."] 

APPLICATION 

1. Let the ungodly, then, seek reconciliation with 
God 

[Indeed, indeed, ye have angered the Most High God, all 
ye who have lived to yourselves and not to him. But is there 
no way of reconciliation with him ? Yes, blessed be his name ! 
he has given his only dear Son to bear your sins in his 
own body on the tree, and to effect reconciliation for you 
through the blood of his Cross. Yes, and he has given to us 
the ministry of reconciliation, and commissioned us to pro 
claim, that " God was in Christ reconciling the world unto 
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." Happy 
are we, Brethren, to announce, that, however ye may have 
angered God in past times, ye may yet find mercy with him 
through the Son of his love. In the name of Christ himself, 
then, we address you; and in his stead we beseech you all, 
" Be ye reconciled to God 1 ."] 

2. Let the godly forbear to anger him any more 

[Though God will be merciful to his repentant people, 
he will not spare any who shall live in sin. No : he com- 
mandeth "everyone that nameth the name of Christ to depart 
from iniquity." And so far will he be from overlooking sin in 
his professing people, that he has declared, " His judgments 
shall begin with them k :" " You only have I known of all the 
families of the earth, therefore I will punish you for all your 
iniquities 1 ." Presume not, then, upon your being in his favour, 
as though that would preserve you from his judgments : for 
I tell you, that of all who came out of Egypt, two only were 
suffered to enter into the land of Canaan : and the only evi 
dence of real friendship with God, is the keeping of God s 
commandments, and the doing unreservedly whatsoever is 
pleasing in his sight m ."] 

e 1 John i. 10. h Job ix. 20. * 2 Cor. v. 1820. 

k 1 Pet. iv. 17. l Amosiii. 2. m John xv. 14. 



630.] DESPONDENCY DEPICTED AND REPROVED. 31 

DCXXX. 

DESPONDENCY DEPICTED AND REPROVED. 

Ps. Ixxvii. 7 10. Will the Lord cast of for ever? and will 
he be favourable no more ? Is his mercy clean gone for ever ? 
doth his promise fail for evermore ? Hath God forgotten to 
be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ? 
And I said, this is my infirmity : but I will remember the 
years of the right hand of the Most High. 

IT pleases God to deal with men in a great variety 
of ways : some, in their bodies, experience scarce any 
pain or sickness till the period of their dissolution ; 
whilst others know little of health or ease through 
the greatest part of their lives. In like manner, the 
souls of some enjoy an almost uninterrupted course 
of peace and prosperity; whilst others are made to 
pass through deep waters, and to sustain fiery trials 
during a great part of their earthly pilgrimage. It is 
of these last that we propose at this time to speak. 
The afflictions of Asaph were certainly exceeding 
heavy : and the account, which in the preceding 
verses he gives of himself, shews, that he may well 
be considered as a mirror, wherein the Lord s people 
in all ages may, under their several temptations, 
behold the workings of their own minds. Scarcely 
any one can experience a sorer temptation than his a . 
When he wrote this psalm, he was brought through 
it b : but he tells us faithfully, what were his views 
and feelings under it. He sought the Lord without 
intermission ; but found no comfort : his very recol 
lections of God s character contributed only to aug 
ment his grief d . To such a degree was his spirit 
oppressed, that he was deprived of all rest by night, 
and of all power of friendly communication by day; 
and he altogether sunk under his trouble 6 . In vain 
did he call to mind the consolations he had enjoyed 
under former trials f , or examine to find the causes of 
this peculiar dispensation g : he thought surely that 

a He seems to have been that Asaph who was contemporary with 
David. 

b ver. 1. c ver. 2. d ver. 3. e ver. 3, 4. 

f ver. 5, 6. ver. 6. 



32 PSALMS, LXXVIL 710. [630. 

God himself must have changed, and have cast off 
that character, which, in appearance at least, he had on 
all former occasions exhibited : yea, his darling attri 
butes of mercy and truth seemed to have undergone a 
change, and to have assumed an aspect totally different 
from that in which they had hitherto been viewed 11 . 

Happily, however, the snare was broken ; and he 
saw, that these hard thoughts of God had no founda 
tion in truth : they were the result only of his own 
weakness 1 ; and would be effectually removed by a 
more attentive consideration of all that God had 
done for his people of old k . 

His temptation was at its height, when he asked 
the questions recorded in our text. We shall do 
well therefore to consider, 

I. What these questions import 

They are not to be viewed as subjects of a merely 
speculative inquiry, but to be taken in connexion 
with all that agitation of mind that is depicted in the 
foregoing context. In this view they express, 

1. Disquieting apprehensions in reference to him- 
self- 

[He had thought in former times, that he was a monu 
ment of God s " mercy," and an object of his " favourable" 
regard: but now he seems as one cast out, and doomed to 
everlasting misery. It must be remembered, that interroga 
tions, which in our language would imply a negation of the 
thing inquired about, have frequently in Scripture the force of 
affirmations 1 : and thus it is in the various questions that are 
before us, in which therefore there is a very strong degree of 
apprehension intimated. Yet is this feeling by no means un 
common at the present day. Many in a season of darkness 
are led to write bitter things against themselves, and to 
account all their past profession a continued scene of hypo 
crisy and self-delusion. They think that they have resisted 
the Spirit, till they have utterly quenched his sacred motions; 
yea, that they have committed the sin against the Holy Ghost, 
and placed themselves, as it were, out of the reach of mercy : and 
such an unhappy degree of positiveness frequently accompanies 
these apprehensions, that they read their doom as if it had 

h ver. 7 9. ver. 10. k ver. 10 20. 

1 Jer. ii. 14. and xxxi. 20. 



630.] DESPONDENCY DEPICTED AND REPROVED. 33 

been already past, and disregard all means of grace as though 
it were utterly in vain to use them.] 

2. Desponding fears in reference to God 

[He properly referred every thing to God as the one 
source of all good : but instead of deriving comfort from this, 
he made it an occasion of increased despondency. And thus it 
is with many : " They remember God, and are troubled." 
Every attribute of the Deity is brought against them, to 
aggravate their guilt and ensure their condemnation. Even 
mercy and truth are regarded by them as arrayed in hostile 
attitude against them, and as uniting their influence on the 
side of offended justice. His paternal corrections are con 
sidered by them as judicial inflictions, and as the forerunners 
of yet heavier judgments in the lake that burneth with fire and 
brimstone. His delays in answering prayer are viewed as 
absolute refusals, and as decisive proofs of final dereliction. 
Hence their fears are vented in terms similar to those in the 
passage before us m .] 

An apprehension of the true import of these ques 
tions will enable us to discover, 
II. Whence they proceed- 
Justly did Asaph say, " This is my infirmity :" and a 
grievous infirmity it was. Such questions as his arise, 

1. From impatience 

[There is great impatience in the mind of man, yea, even 
of good men, and especially under any dark and mysterious 
dispensation. We are apt to think that God is, as it were, bound 
to hear us, and to interpose, either for the solution of our dif 
ficulties, or the removal of our trials, as soon as we call upon 
him. We cannot wait his leisure. Like Saul, we think he has 
forgotten us ; and, that our enemies will crush us, before he can 
come to our relief". Thus David was exercised, as he himself 
tells us : "I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine 
eyes ." To such a degree was he agitated on one occasion, that 
he declared, it was altogether in vain that he had served God : 
" Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my 
hands in innocency p ." Arid, as for all that God s saints had 
spoken from the beginning of the world respecting the grace 
and mercy and fidelity of God, he did riot hesitate to pronounce 
it all a downright falsehood : " I said in my haste, all men are 
liars q ." The Prophet Jeremiah, too, cast reflections even upon 
God himself, as having deceived him by false promises ; " Thou 

m Lam. iii. 17, 18. " 1 Sam. xiii. 12, 13. Ps. xxxi. 22. 

P Ps. Ixxiii. 13, 21. 1 Ps. cxvi. 11. 

VOL. VI. D 



34. PSALMS, LXXVII. 710. [630. 

hast deceived me, and I was deceived 1 ." Alas! what a root of bit 
terness is an impatient spirit ! and how greatly does it aggra 
vate the calamities under which we suffer ! Surely we should 
leave times and seasons, whether of trial or consolation, unto 
God, and say, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him 8 ."] 

2. From unbelief 

[This is the great source of all our disquietude. If we 
truly believe that God ordered every thing with infallible 
wisdom, and unbounded goodness, and an inviolable fidelity, 
we could never be put into such a consternation as is expressed 
in our text. We should rather lie as clay in his hands ; and 
leave him to fashion us according to his will, and to put us 
into as many successive furnaces as he sees fit, and to accom 
plish his own purposes in his own way. We should have it 
fixed as an immutable principle in our minds, that though 
" clouds and darkness may be round about him, justice and 
judgment are the basis of his throne: " and under the influence of 
this faith, we should adopt the language of the Prophet Habak- 
kuk, and say, " Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither 
shall fruit be in the vines ; the labour of the olive shall fail, and 
the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off from 
the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall ; yet I will 
rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation*."] 

Happily the same authority that points out the 
source of these questions, shews us also, 
III. How they should be answered 

Would we know what God will do, we should 
attentively consider what he hath done. We should 
mark his wonders of old, and observe all the diver 
sified exercises of his perfections towards his people 
from the beginning of the world, and especially 
towards the Israelites whom he redeemed from the 
land of Egypt : 

1. How mighty his power ! 

[When the moment for the deliverance of his people was 
arrived, not all the power of Egypt could detain them. Dif 
ficulties indeed were multiplied, but only for the purpose of 
displaying more gloriously his power in their behalf. The Red 
Sea obstructed their flight; but it opened at God s command, 
and made for his people a passage on dry ground; and then closed 
again to overwhelm their enemies. Their necessities in the 
wilderness were such as no human power or wisdom could 
supply : but this also only tended in the same manner to 

r Jer. xx. 7. s Job xiii. 15. t Hab. iii. 17, 18. 



630.] DESPONDENCY DEPICTED AND REPROVED. 35 

proclaim His might, who for the space of forty years fed them 
with bread from heaven, and with water out of the stony rock, 
and caused their garments never to decay. Be it so then, that 
our difficulties are great, yea, insuperable by human power : 
then will God magnify towards us his power so much the 
more, and shew, that still, as in former times, he " makes the 
depths of the sea (not a place for his people to be drowned in, 
but) a way for the ransomed to pass over u ." J 

2. How rich his mercy! 

[Truly it was " not for their righteousness that he brought 
them out; for they were a stiff-necked people" from the very 
beginning : and " many a time would he have consumed them 
for their iniquities, but for his own name s sake, that it should 
not be dishonoured among the heathen." See their mur- 
murings, their idolatries, their innumerable provocations, and 
then say, whether God s grace be not sovereign, and his 
mercy infinite ? And, if such surmises as those suggested in 
our text arise in our minds respecting him, let us remember, 
that he is the same God now as in former ages, and that now, 
as well as in former times, the very chief of sinners, if truly 
penitent, shall be accepted of him ; and that " where sin has 
abounded, his grace shall much more abound V] 

3. How mysterious his ways! 

[In the space of a few months God had brought his people 
to the borders of Canaan ; and yet for their murmuring and 
unbelief he turned them back into the wilderness, and caused 
them to wander there forty years, till all that generation, 
excepting two persons, were swept away. This was most 
mysterious : yet are we told on infallible authority, that " He 
led them by the right way." In truth, that dispensation has 
afforded the richest instruction to the Church from that period 
to the present hour, and will continue to do so to the end of 
time : and it will be found that his darkest dispensations 
towards us also are the most replete with instruction to our 
souls. It is usually those who are most exercised with trials, 
that know most of themselves, and most of God. Whenever 
therefore his dealings with us appear strange and inexplicable, 
let us compose our minds with the reflection suggested toward 
the close of this psalm, " Thy way is in the sea, and thy path 
in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known V] 

4. How sure his promises! 

[He had pledged himself to Abraham, that he would bring 
his posterity into the full possession of the Promised Land : 
and, though for their iniquities he caused all who came out of 

u Isai. li. 10. x Rom. v. 20. y Isai. li. 10. 



36 PSALMS, LXXVII. 710. [630. 

Egypt to die in the wilderness, yet he brought their children, 
who they supposed would fall an easy prey to their enemies, 
into that good land, and gave it them for their inheritance : 
and so perfectly did he fulfil his word to them in every respect, 
that Joshua after many years could appeal to the whole nation, 
that " not one thing had failed of all the good things which the 
Lord their God had spoken concerning them; all was come to 
pass unto them, and not one thing had failed thereof 2 ." Thus, 
if the thought arise in our hearts, " Is his mercy clean gone 
for ever ? doth his promise fail for evermore ? " our answer 
must be, " No:" " it is impossible for God to lie a :" " his 
promises in Christ are all yea, and amenV and "his mercy 
endure th for ever ."] 

ADDRESS, 

1. Those who are walking in darkness 

[There are changes in the spiritual, as well as in the 
natural world. We must not any of us expect that our sun 
shall shine equally at all times with unclouded splendour. 
Notwithstanding we may truly " fear God and obey the voice 
of his servants, we may yet be walking in darkness and have 
no light." But in that state we are directed what to do : we 
must " trust in the Lord, and stay upon our God d ." The 
longest night will have an end : and if we wait patiently upon 
our God, " his way is prepared as the morning," which, though 
the night appear exceeding long and tedious, will come at last 6 . 
He may for wise reasons hide his face from us for a time ; but 
it shall not be for ever f . Hear his own answer to the com 
plaints which we are apt to make g And know, that 

though " heaviness may endure for a night, joy shall surely 
come to us in the morning h :" if only we wait till the appointed 
hour, " our light shall rise in obscurity, and our darkness shall 
be as the noon day 1 ."] 

2. Those who enjoy the light of God s counte 
nance 

[O what a privilege, what an unspeakable blessing, is this ! 
Learn to value it aright : and take care that you do not pre 
sume upon the mercy vouchsafed unto you. Do not be saying 
with David, " My mountain stands strong, I shall never be 
moved," lest you provoke " God to hide his face from you, and 
you be troubled 11 ." A slavish fear is doubtless to be avoided 
on the one hand ; but so is a presumptuous security on the 
other. The true medium is, to " rejoice with trembling 1 ," and 

z Josh, xxiii. 14. a Heb. vi. 18. b 2 Cor. i. 20. 

c Ps. cxxxvi. 1 26. d Isai. 1. 10. e Hos. vi. 3. 

f Isai. liv. 7, 8. s Isai.xlix. 14 16. h Ps. xxx. 5. 

1 Isai. Iviii. 10. k Ps. xxx, 7. ] Ps. ii. 11. 



631.] JEWS AND CHRISTIANS COMPARED. 37 

to unite " the fear of the Lord with the comforts of the Holy 
Ghost m ." Be watchful then, that you do not by any unhallowed 
dispositions " grieve the Holy Spirit" ;" but endeavour to " walk 
in the fear of the Lord all the day long ."] 

m Acts ix. 31. n Eph. iv. 30. Prov. xxiii. 17. 

DCXXXI. 

JEWS AND CHRISTIANS COMPARED. 

Ps. Ixxviii. 8. A generation that set not their heart aright, and 
whose spirit was not steadfast with God. 

HISTORY is universally considered as a source of 
the most valuable instruction, since it sets before us 
the actions of men, under all the most important 
circumstances of life, and teaches us what to avoid, 
and what to follow. But in this point of view the 
inspired history is of incomparably greater value 
than any other, because it portrays the conduct of 
men under an infinitely greater variety of circum 
stances than any other history can do, and does it 
also with far greater truth and certainty. Its im 
portance in this respect is strongly marked by the 
Psalmist in the preceding context. He calls on the 
whole Jewish nation to listen to him, whilst he sets 
before them the dealings of Jehovah with their 
ancestors, and their conduct towards him: and he 
charges them to impart the information to their 
children, in order to its being transmitted through 
successive generations to their latest posterity; that 
all might learn their obligations to God, and be 
instructed to avoid the evils into which their an 
cestors had fallen : " that they might set their hope 
in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep 
his commandments : and might not be, as their 
fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a 
generation that set not their heart aright, and whose 
spirit was not steadfast with God." 

With a view to a similar improvement of the sub 
ject for ourselves, I will point out, 
I. The character of that generation 

To estimate this aright, we must consider what 
might reasonably have been expected of them 



38 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 8. [631. 

[No nation under heaven were ever so distinguished by 
the Divine favour as they. The wonders that were wrought for 
them in Egypt their passage through the Red Sea, in which 
the enemies who followed them were drowned their being 
guided by a cloud which afforded them shade by day, and light 
by night their being nourished for forty years by bread from 
heaven, and by water, which, issuing from a rock, followed 
them in all their way their having the Law written by the 
finger of God himself given them, together with laws and 
ordinances for the political and religious government of their 
nation their having the river Jordan open a passage for them 
as the sea had formerly done the seven nations, greater and 
mightier than they, all subdued before them the promised 
land in due time put into their possession ; and the worship of 
God, with all its attendant privileges and blessings, established 
amongst them these were favours peculiar to that nation, and 
elevated them above all other people upon the face of the earth. 
Respecting their superior obligations to love and serve God 
on account of these things, Moses made an appeal to their 
forefathers, which appeal may still be made to their descendants 
at the present day a 

Now, I ask, what might reasonably be expected of a people 
so favoured ? Might it not be supposed, that they would love 
their God supremely, and cleave to him steadfastly, and trust 
in him confidently, and serve him with their whole hearts? 
One would think it impossible that they should do otherwise, 
if we did not know that] 

The very reverse of this characterized their whole 
deportment 

[Their whole history from the beginning records one con 
tinued series of murmurings and rebellions. In Egypt itself, 
and within a few days after their passage through the Red 
Sea but how shall I recite all their provocations? I must 
recite their whole history, if I would bring before you the full 
extent of their wickedness. Now and then they seemed to 
manifest a better spirit. When they saw all their enemies dead 
upon the sea-shore, they began to sing praise to their almighty 
Deliverer : and on some occasions, when he punished them for 
their rebellions, they manifested some contrition, and promised 

to amend b But they soon returned to their former 

habits, and " turned aside like a deceitful bow," which, when 
promising to carry the arrow to the mark, causes it to drop at 
your very feet c . At no time did they evince any real desire 
" to set their heart aright ;" and, when they professed any such 
purpose, they soon forgat their engagements, and shewed, that 
" their spirit was not steadfast with their God."] 

a Deut. iv. 3235. b ver. 3437. c ver. 57. 



631.] JEWS AND CHRISTIANS COMPARED. 39 

Now from having so complete a knowledge of 
them, we are ready to imagine, that they were as far 
beyond all others in depravity as they were in their 
privileges. But, that we may do justice to the cha 
racter of that generation, let us proceed to consider, 

II. The character of ours 

The favours conferred on us are as superior to any 
bestowed on them as it is possible to conceive 

[Their redemption was from oppressive task-masters ; but 
ours is from sin and Satan, death and hell. Theirs was 
accomplished by power only; ours by a price surpassing all 
calculation, even the inestimably precious blood of God s only- 
begotten Son. Theirs was for a time in the earthly Canaan ; 
ours for eternity in heaven. Theirs was a mere shadow; 
ours is the substance ] 

What then may not reasonably be expected of us ? 

[Suppose we could divest ourselves of all recollection that 
we were a party concerned in this matter, and were called 
upon to give our opinion, how any people, so favoured as we 
have been, might be expected to requite their heavenly Bene 
factor ; what answer should we give ? Should we not say, 
There will be no bounds to their gratitude : they will adore 
their God day and night : they will almost grudge a moment 
that is not spent in his praise : they will commit all their 
concerns to him with a confidence which nothing can shake ; 
and devote themselves to him with an ardour which nothing 
can abate : they will be wholly his, in body, soul, and spirit ; 
and will look for his presence and his blessing as the only 
portion of their souls ? ] 

And how is it with us ? 

[How is it with the generality ? Do they " set their heart 
aright " towards him ? Is there in their hearts any real deter 
mination to live to him, and for him, as their rightful Lord 
and Master ? Is there any decided purpose to secure at all 
events an interest in that redemption which he has wrought 
out for them; and to live entirely on Him, who has lived and 
died for them ? Let me rather ask, Is there any con 

cern about their heart at all ? Provided only they be moral 
in their lives, and regular in their attendance on ordinances, 
do they not think themselves at liberty to set their affections 
on things below, instead of reserving them exclusively for 
things above ? See, in their converse with the world, how little 
they savour of heaven and heavenly things ! See them even in 
their religious worship, (whether in the closet, or the family, 
or the public assembly,) how cold and formal all their services 



40 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 8. [631. 

are ; performed from a sense of duty, rather than from inclina 
tion ; and with a view to satisfy their conscience, rather than to 
enjoy and glorify their God ! In a word, instead of pointing like 
the needle to the pole, their heart rests indifferently in any other 
position than the right ; and never, unless from some forcible 
impulse, and for a moment, points towards God as its rest at all. 
And how is it with the greater part of those who profess 
godliness ? As the former " set not their heart aright," so these 
" in their spirit are not steadfast with God." What lamentable 
instability is found in many who embrace the Gospel as a 
system, and number themselves amongst the Israel of God ! 
They " name the name of Christ ; but depart not from ini 
quity :" they " profess to know him ; but in works deny him :" 
they " have a name to live ; but are really dead :" or, if they 
" run well, it is only for a season ;" they are soon diverted 
from their course ; they are drawn aside by temptation ; and 
though they " begin in the Spirit, they end in the flesh." 
Thus it was in the Apostle s days : and thus we are taught to 
expect it will be in every age, till that blessed period shall 
arrive, when " all nations shall serve the Lord," and " the 
Canaanite no more be found in the house of the Lord of hosts." 
The good-ground hearers are but few, in comparison of those 
wiiose unfruitfulness or instability disappoint the efforts of the 
labourer. Discontent with respect to what God has done, and 
distrust as to what he will do ; a love of present gratifications, 
and a contempt of future good ; a renunciation of God himself 
for base and worthless idols ; are not evils peculiar to that 
generation: they exist and operate amongst ourselves with 
undiminished force ; and in the conduct of the Israelites we 
have a mirror, wherein we may see our own faces, with the 
exception of a few who serve God in spirit and in truth. There 
is indeed, thanks be unto God! " a generation of righteous" 
persons, who are truly " upright," and truly " blessed d ." But, 
for the most part, the present generation has little reason to 
boast against that which is mentioned in our text : yea rather, 
inasmuch as our privileges exceed theirs, and our obligations 
to holiness are greater, it may well be doubted whether we 
are not more criminal than they ; and whether they in the day 
of judgment will not rise up against us and condemn us.] 

ADDRESS, 

1. Those who are satisfied with themselves 

[We are told that " there is a generation that are pure in 
their own eyes, but are not washed from their filthiness e ." 
Yes, thousands are well satisfied with themselves on account 
of their outward morality, though they have no real spirituality 

d Ps. xiv. 5. and cxii. 2. e Prov. xxx. 12. 



631.] JEWS AND CHRISTIANS COMPARED. 41 

of mind, no entire devotedness of heart to God. But let it be 
remembered, that " God looketh not at the outward appear 
ance, but at the heart :" he " requireth truth in the inward 
parts." And to the heart must we also look: for " as a man 
thinketh in his heart, so is he." I mean not that we should 
take no notice of our actions ; because if they be bad, our 
hearts must of necessity be bad also ; since it is " out of the 
abundance of the heart that we both speak" and act. But 
actions, though good in appearance, will not suffice to prove 
our integrity before God. By the heart alone he judges : (acts 
are regarded only as proofs and evidences of our state :) and 
according as that is found upright or hypocritical before him, 
will our sentence at his tribunal be. Let us then look well to 
the truth of our profession, and to the stability of our ways. 
Let us see to it, that our " heart is set aright " to glorify his 
name, and that our spirit is steadfast with him, whatever 
temptations or difficulties be put in our way. For then only 
" have we a good hope," when we are " Israelites indeed, and 
without guile f ."] 

2. Those who are conscious of their departures 
from God 

[To see that we have erred from his ways is the first step 
towards a return to him. If you see then a resemblance 
between yourselves and the Jews of old, be thankful that " God 
has not yet sworn in his wrath that you shall not enter into 
his rest." And without delay flee to the Saviour, " whose blood 
will cleanse you from all sin." Yet be not content to have 
your sins forgiven. When you pray with David, " Purge me 
with hyssop, and I shall be clean," " wash me, and I shall be 
whiter than snow," forget not to add, " Create in me a clean 
heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me ! " " The old 
heart must be taken away, and a new heart be given you," 
before you can enter into the kingdom of heaven. You must 
be born again, and become " new creatures in Christ Jesus." 
You must become the very reverse of what the world are, 
regarding God, as they regard the world ; and the world, as 
they regard their God. When they are in holy exercises, they 
are quite out of their element : but when engaged in worldly 
pursuits or company, they are quite at home. Be ye, on the 
contrary, strangers in the world, and at home with God. Let 
your whole life and conversation testify for you, whose you 
are, and whom you serve : and then will God acknowledge you 
as his In the eternal world.] 

f John i. 47. 



42 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 1922. [632. 

DCXXXII. 

THE EVIL OF UNBELIEF. 

Ps. Ixxviii. 19 22. They spake against God : they said, Can 
God furnish a table in the wilderness ? Behold, he smote the 
rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams over 
flowed ; can he give bread also ? can he provide flesh for his 
people ? Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth : so 
a flre ivas kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up 
against Israel; because they believed not in God, and 
trusted not in his salvation. 

HUMAN nature is the same in all ages. On a 
comparison of ourselves with the ancient Jews, we 
are ready to suppose that we are better than they. 
But, if we were subjected to the same trials as they, 
and as faithful a record were kept of all the workings 
of our hearts, I doubt not but that our incorrigible 
perverseness would be found to equal theirs. 

This murmuring of theirs will lead me to shew, 

I. The evil of unbelief 

Unbelief often assumes the garb of humility. But 
the evil of it appears, 

1. From the construction which God himself has 
put upon it 

[He says, " They spake against God," when they ques 
tioned his power to give them flesh. And this is what we do, 
whensoever we call in question God s power to effect any thing 
which our necessities require. He has declared himself to be 
possessed of all power in heaven and in earth : " I am the Al 
mighty God a ." But when we limit his power, we represent 
him as unworthy of credit; or, as St. John strongly expresses 
it, " We make him a liarV We may not intend to cast this 
reflection upon him ; but we do it ; and, in fact, reduce him to 
a level with his creatures. 

As for our acknowledgments of his past interpositions, these 
aggravate, rather than excuse, our doubts of his power ; since 
they are standing witnesses for him : and our doubts are enter 
tained in direct opposition to their testimony. Let us not, 
therefore, imagine that the giving of glory to God for past 
favours will at all palliate our refusal of credit to him for the fu 
ture: for, on the contrary, he will rather say to us, " Out of thine 
own mouth will I judge thee, thou calumniator of thy God."] 

a Gen. xvii. 1. *> 1 John v. 10. 



632.] THE EVIL OF UNBELIEF. 43 

2. From the indignation which he manifested on 
account of it 

[" When he heard these unbelieving doubts, he was wroth : 
and so a fire was kindled in Jacob, and anger also came up 
against Israel," and " he smote them with a very great and 
fatal plague ." Now, it is true, we do not see the same dis 
pleasure exercised on us ; but we can have no doubt but that 
our unbelief is as offensive to God as theirs was : indeed, it 
involves us in deeper guilt ; because his mercies to us, in our 
redemption by Christ, infinitely exceed all which the Jews 
experienced in the wilderness. And, if we still harbour it in 
our hearts, it will bring down a proportionably heavier judg 
ment than what theirs brought on them. They were excluded 
from the earthly Canaan for their unbelief: but we shall be 
excluded from heaven itself, and from the everlasting enjoy 
ment of our God d ."] 

Seeing, then, that unbelief is so offensive to him, let 
us inquire after, 
II. The disposition of mind which God approves 

This is clearly intimated in our text : His anger 
was kindled against Israel, " because they believed 
not in God, and trusted not in his salvation." Of all 
the images that human wisdom can suggest, no one 
can be devised so complete as that before us, for the 
purpose of illustrating a life of faith 

[The people of Israel were brought out of Egypt ; but 
they knew not one step of the way that they were to take : 
they were unprovided with any sustenance : they were inca 
pable of protecting themselves against any enemy : they had to 
pass through a country infested with wild beasts, and full of 
obstacles apparently insurmountable : consequently, they had 
to trust to God for every thing from day to day ; and, in 
dependence upon him, to expect a successful termination of 
their labours in a peaceful enjoyment of the Promised Land. 
A new-born infant was not more incapable of providing for 
itself than they: yet were they to prosecute their journey 
without fear, and without any apprehension respecting its final 
issue. Now this is precisely the frame of mind which God 
expects from us. We must feel our dependence on him as 
much as they did. We must look to him in every difficulty; 
and expect from him a supply of every want ; and never move, 
but as guided and directed by him. If trials arise, they must 
drive us all to him, and lead us to expect from him the more 

c Numb. xi. 33. d Heb. iii. 19. and iv. 1, 11. 



44 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 19 22. [632 

visible manifestations of his power and love. If he delay, we 
must wait his time : if he appear for a time to have forgotten 
us, we must regard it only as a call to give him a more abun 
dant measure of glory, by a full persuasion, that " in the mount 
of difficulty he will be seen ; " and that, though he were to 
suffer us all to perish, he would rather raise us up again from 
the dead than fail to accomplish any one of his promises. Such 
was Abraham s faith; and such should be ours also 6 : and 
"sooner shall heaven and earth pass away" than one such 
Believer ever fall short of the promised inheritance.] 

And now let me ADDRESS, 

1. The querulous 

[Alas ! to what an awful degree has discontent raged in 
our hearts, under circumstances of trial ; so that we have dared 
to question, not only the willingness, but even the power, of 
God to relieve us ! Nay, we have even, like Jonah, vindicated 
our complaints, and thought that " we did well to be angry." 
But remember, Brethren, that God is the disposer of all events: 
and, whilst you vent your rage against those who may have 
been accessary to your troubles, your murmuring is in reality 
against God. Beware, I pray you, lest you provoke him to 
anger, and bring down upon your souls his heavy displeasure. 
Your wisdom and your duty is, under every affliction, to " be 
silent before God," or to say, " It is the Lord, let him do what 
seemeth him good."] 

2. The doubting 

[You do not well to limit the mercies of your God. 
" Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall / have a child, who 
am old f ?" And wherefore do you suffer any difficulties to 
shake your confidence in God ? " Is there any thing too hard 
for the Lord?" Peter, when he saw the waves, began to sink 
through fear. But our Lord reproved him, saying, " O thou 
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" So then I say to 
you, Look only to the promises : and think not whether they 
be more or less difficult of accomplishment : but take them ; 
plead them ; rest on them ; expect the fulfilment of them : and 
be assured, that " not one thing shall fail, of all the good things 
which the Lord your God has promised to you&." " Faithful 
is He that hath called you ; who also will do it h ."] 

3. The true believer 

[" Hold fast your confidence in God." This will bring 
peace unto your souls, and will give glory to your God. Of 
all the graces that have been ever exercised by the Lord s 

e Heb. xi. 1719. f Gen. xviii. 12, 13. & Josh, xxiii. 14. 
b 1 Thess. v. 24. 



633 J OBSTINACY IN SIN REPROVED. 45 

people, no one has been so much noticed, and so highly ap 
plauded by him, as faith. Even when as bright an assemblage 
of graces as ever were united, were called forth into exercise 
by the penitent Mary, nothing but her faith was noticed by our 
Lord: " Thy faith hath saved thee: go in peace 1 ." In fact, 
as it is that which, more than any other grace, honours God, 
that beyond every other shall be honoured by him. "Be 
strong then in faith, giving glory to God;" and " according to 
your faith it shall be unto you."] 

1 Luke vii. 50. 

DCXXXIII. 

OBSTINACY IN SIN REPROVED. 

Ps. Ixxviii. 32. For all this, they sinned still. 

THE history of the Israelites in the wilderness 
should not be considered as the history of that people 
only, but of human nature in general. In this view, 
it is pre-eminently instructive ; because it serves as 
a mirror, to reflect our own persons, and to shew us 
what is actually passing in our own hearts. In illus 
tration of this remark, I will set before you, 
I. The state of Israel in the wilderness 

It is plainly depicted in the psalm before us. It 
was one continued contest between God and them ; 
God endeavouring, by mercies and judgments, to 
reclaim them from their evil ways ; and they deter- 
minately persisting in their rebellion against him. 

1. They had begun their wickedness early 

[Whilst they were yet in Egypt, where, as might be 
supposed, they were led to commit idolatry, God had endea 
voured to withdraw them from it. He had revealed himself 
to them as the God of their fathers ; and had urged them to 
cast away their abominations and their idols. But they 
would not hearken unto him : on the contrary, so obstinately 
did they adhere to their idol worship, that, had it not been 
for his own great Name s sake, which would have been dis 
honoured among the heathen, God would have cut them off 
from being a nation, and have utterly destroyed them from 
the face of the earth a . When Moses had clearly proved to 
them his divine mission to deliver them, they murmured at 
the delay which Pharaoh s obstinacy had created, and made 
their augmented trials an occasion of utter despondency b . 
After all the wonders that had been wrought in Egypt before 
a Ezek. xx. 5 9. b Exod. v. 20, 21. 



46 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 32. [633. 

their eyes, and they were brought out with a high hand, no 
sooner did they see fresh perils arise, than they renewed their 
murmurings with augmented vehemence, and complained that 
they had been betrayed to their utter ruin c . Nor did even 
the passage of the Red Sea, and the sight of all their enemies 
dead upon the sea-shore, cure them of this propensity : for 
they were a rebellious and stiff-necked people even to the end d .] 
2. They continued it with scarcely any intermission 

[For a little moment " they believed the words of God, 
and sang his praise 6 :" but "they soon forgat his works f ," 
and provoked him at the sea, even at the Red Sea g ." Read 
their history, of which a summary is given in the psalm before 
us, and you will find it one continued series of murmurings and 
rebellions. Dissatisfied with the provision which God gave 
them in the wilderness, they invidiously contrasted with it the 
delicacies which they had enjoyed in Egypt, their flesh and 
fish, their leeks and onions, and expressed their doubt whether 
God could furnish them with such provisions as those h : and, 
when God had done it in such profusion that it was not possi 
ble for them to consume it all, and at the same time had testi 
fied his abhorrence of their inordinate desires, they, instead of 
humbling themselves before him, continued impenitent, and, 
as my text expresses it, " for all this, they sinned still 1 ." 
They had not been three months in the wilderness before they 
even made a golden calf, and worshipped that as their deliverer. 
On some occasions, indeed, after signal judgments had been 
inflicted on them, they pretended to repent, and to turn unto 
God ; but " their heart was not right with him, neither were 
they steadfast in his covenant k ." In truth, " they despised 
the pleasant land 1 " which God had promised to them for an 
inheritance ; and, in the issue, they provoked " him to swear 
in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest m ."] 

3. They were utterly irreclaimable by any dispen 
sations, whether of mercy or of judgment 

[The mercies which God vouchsafed to them were innu 
merable; yet, " for all this, they sinned still." The judgments 
also which he inflicted were most awful ; but, " for all this, they 
sinned still." In a word, they kept up the contest, till they all, 
with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, were utterly consumed.] 

And can any parallel to this be found ? Yes, in 
deed, it will be found in, 
II. The state of the Christian Church at this day 

c Exod. xiv. 11, 12. d Deut. ix. 7. e Ps. cvi. 12. 

f Ps. cvi. 13. s Ps. cvi. 7. h ver. 19, 20. 

1 ver. 2732. k ver . 3437. l Ps. cvi. 24. 
m Ps. xcv. 11. 



633.] OBSTINACY IN SIN REPROVED. 47 

1. Our guilt resembles theirs 

[The sins of Israel may be comprehended under these 
two, ingratitude and unbelief. And let me ask, Are not these 
sins as prevalent amongst ourselves as ever they were in the 
days of Israel ? Are not we loaded with benefits, even as they 
were ? What conveniences had they, which are not showered 
down on us? It matters not whether our food be rained 
down from the clouds, or raised up from the earth : here it is, 
and we gather it, and have the calls of nature satisfied. The 
providence of God, if less visibly displayed towards us, is not 
a whit less careful of us, nor is his goodness towards us less 
manifest to the eye of faith. But where do we find hearts 
duly sensible of his tender mercy ? Where do we find persons 
rendering to him the honour due unto his name ? Where do 
we find persons, under circumstances of trial, able to repose 
their confidence in God, and with peaceful resignation ex 
pecting his gracious and seasonable interposition? Where 
do we find that his word forms such a ground of affiance, as 
to supersede all doubts and fears respecting the final issue of 
events ? In a word, who amongst us is in the daily habit of 
acknowledging God in every thing, and of committing every 
thing to his disposal, and of living only to his glory ? If our 
murmurings and discontent be less visible, they are not less 
real, when we cast the blame of our trials on second causes, 
instead of tracing them to that divine hand from whence they 
all proceed. And if, instead of living with heaven in our view, 
and proceeding towards that as our desired rest, we are occu 
pied mainly with the things of time and sense, we are really 
in the state which we have before contemplated, and may see 
in the Israelites of old our own hateful deformity.] 

2. The gradations of our guilt, too, are the same 

[They sinned they sinned still they sinned still, not 
withstanding all that God could do to reclaim them. And 
what have we done from our youth up ? In our earliest years, 
we no sooner began to act, than we began to violate the laws 

of God As our reason became matured, it might be 

hoped that we should act in a way more suited to our profes 
sion, and more pleasing to God. But neither days nor years 
have made any difference in this respect : on the contrary, we 
have gone on adding iniquity to iniquity, in one continued series, 
even to the present hour : nor have any dispensations of God, 
whether in a way of mercy or of judgment, produced any per 
manent effect upon our minds. Now and then, perhaps, we may 
have felt a transient gleam of thankfulness on our minds, or 
some faint resolve to amend our ways : but both the one and 
the other have passed away without lasting benefit; and notwith 
standing all God s efforts to reclaim us, we are still the same.] 



48 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 32. [633. 

3. The aggravations of our guilt are greater far 

[We have sinned against greater light than they. What 
knew they of the mind of God, in comparison with us ? The 
poorest person in the midst of us is better informed than they : 
and, consequently, our violations of duty are proper tionably 
heinous in the sight of God. We have sinned, too, against 
richer mercies than they. What is their redemption from 
Egypt in comparison of that which has been vouchsafed to us 
from sin and death ? Theirs was by power only : but who can 
estimate the price that has been paid for us, even " the pre 
cious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and 
without spot n ? " They ate indeed of manna, and drank of 
water from the rock : but we have Christ himself, who is the 
true bread from heaven ; and we have the Holy Spirit, whom 
Christ pours out abundantly upon us, for the refreshing of 
our thirsty souls. They had the guidance of the pillar and 
the cloud; but we have the word of God, which is both " a 
light to our feet in general, and a lantern to our paths," for 
our direction and preservation, every step we take. We have 
sinned, also, against stronger inducements than they. To them 
was promised the enjoyment of the land of Canaan, as a land 
flowing with milk and honey; and the loss of it was threatened 
as the punishment of disobedience. But heaven and hell are 
set before us ; even heaven with all its glory, and hell with all 
its inconceivable terrors : the one, as the reward of our fidelity ; 
the other, as the recompence of impenitence and unbelief. 
Say, then, whether the guilt of Israel can be compared with 
ours ? and whether, whilst we are ready to cast reflections on 
the Jews of old as a race of unparalleled impiety, we have not 
reason to acknowledge ourselves their equals, or rather their 
superiors, in iniquity ?] 

But it is time that we descend from general views 
of this subject, to a PERSONAL APPLICATION of it. 
Permit me, then, to ask of you individually, 

1. What is your state at this time ? 

[You have seen what the state of Israel was : and you 
know, by the state of Caleb and Joshua, what it ought to have 
been. Now, has your state resembled theirs ? Are you 
" following the Lord fully ? " Have you searched out the Pro 
mised Land, and brought from thence the grapes of Eschol ? 
and are you bearing your testimony before all, that it is the 
duty of every man to go up and possess the land ? Are you 
exercising faith in God, as able to put down your enemies, and 
as pledged to bring you into possession of your promised inhe 
ritance ? Is there a wide difference between the unbelieving 

" 1 Pet. i. 19. 



634.] THE FRUIT OF IMPENITENCE AND UNBELIEF. 49 

world and you, so that to the whole camp of Israel you are 
patterns of courage and fidelity ? Be assured, your conduct 
must resemble theirs : your faith, your hope, your love, your 
zeal, must operate to the production of a life like theirs, if you 
would attain the same testimony from God, and the same 
happy issue of your labours ] 

2. What will your state very shortly be ? 

[Death is spreading its desolations far and wide ; and, 
whether by sweeping judgments or a more silent process, is 
terminating the career of thousands ; so that in the space of 
forty years a whole generation, as it were, passes away from 
the face of the earth. But do all go to one place ? O ! 
could we but follow the spirits of departed men into the pre 
sence of their God, as we follow their bodies to the grave, 
what scenes should we behold ? In some happy cases, we 
should behold them seated on thrones of glory, and crowned 
with immortal bliss: but in how many cases should we see 
them hurled from the tribunal of their God into the bottom 
less abyss of hell, and cast for ever into the lake that burneth 
with fire and brimstone sad monuments of human folly, and 
objects of God s everlasting wrath and indignation! Indeed, 
my Brethren, this is no vain conceit ; it is a reality : it is an 
event that is taking place every moment ; and in the space of 
another day may be realized in you. Is it not time for you 
to inquire, whether you have turned unfeignedly to God, as 
reconciled to you in the Son of his love ; or whether you are 

" sinning still??" Remember, that " the goodness and 

patience and long-suffering of God, which have been so long 
exercised towards you, are intended to bring you to repent 
ance q ." I pray you, despise not these mercies, as the Israelites 
did in the wilderness, and as thousands around us do : but 
" to-day, whilst it is yet called to-day," bear in mind the doom 
that befel them, lest " ye also, having the same promise of 
entering into God s rest, should at last come short of it 1 ."] 

Numb, xxxii. 12. 

v Here the particular dispensation, whether of war, famine, pes 
tilence, sudden death, or any other calamity, may he urged as a call 
from God to personal self-examination, and preparation for death. 

<i Rom. ii. 4. r Heb. iv. 1. 



DCXXXIV. 

THE FRUIT OF IMPENITENCE AND UNBELIEF. 

Ps. Ixxviii. 32, 33. For all this, they sinned still, and believed 
not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he 
consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. 

VOL. VI. E 



50 PSALMS, LXXVI1I. 32, S3. [634. 

IT is a saying of Solomon s, that " he who soweth 
iniquity, shall reap vanity a :" and the truth of this is 
remarkably illustrated throughout all the history of 
God s ancient people. The Jews were, beyond all 
comparison, the most favoured people upon earth : 
and if they had made a due improvement of their 
mercies, they would have been as much exalted above 
others in happiness, as they were in their outward 
privileges. But neither mercies nor judgments could 
prevail upon them to yield themselves unfeignedly to 
God. The mercies they received were so signal, that 
one would have supposed it impossible for them to 
forget the Donor. Their judgments, too, on some 
occasions were so awful, that one would have sup 
posed fear should supply the place of love, and con 
strain them to turn to God with their whole hearts. 
In the preceding part of this psalm, these dealings of 
God with them are especially referred to : yet, in my 
text we are told, " They sinned still, and believed 
not for his wondrous works." In consequence of this, 
they reaped according to what they sowed : for, on 
account of this incorrigibleness, " God consumed 
their days in vanity and their years in trouble." 

But is that generation passed away ? Is there not 
amongst us the same obstinacy in sin ? and do we 
not feel the same effects of transgression ? Yes, verily, 
they are a mirror in which we may see our own 
image ; and the events of their days are still visible 
in ours. This will appear, whilst I shew, 
I. The incorrigible obstinacy of sinners 

God diversifies his dealings with us for our good 
[Our temporal mercies, public, social, personal, have been 
equal to any that have been vouchsafed to any people under 
heaven But what shall I say of our spiritual mercies? 
Verily, if a preached Gospel be the greatest of all mercies, we 
have indeed very abundant reason to acknowledge the tran 
scendent goodness of God to us In some instances, 
too, has God dealt with us, both individually and collectively, 
in a way of paternal chastisement ] 

But to an awful extent have we persisted in im 
penitence and unbelief 

a Prov. xxii. 8. 



634.] THE FRUIT OF IMPENITENCE AND UNBELIEF. 51 

[What were the sins in which we indulged years ago? 
Take us as a collective body; and it must be said, " In those 
we continue still." The gay, the worldly, the sensual, the pro 
fane, all follow their respective courses as much as ever, equally 

unallured by mercies, and unawed by judgments Nor 

have all " the wonders" of redeeming love, though so fully 
and faithfully proclaimed, wrought any change in us. As the 
Israelites, though so visibly under the care of Almighty God, 
could not be prevailed upon to enter into the design of God s 
mercies to them, or to yield up themselves to him in a way of 
holy obedience, so neither are we led to exercise a simple faith 
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and to " cleave unto him with full 
purpose of heart" - - Dependence on him, communion 

with him, and devotedness to him, are as far from us as 

ever Our heads possibly may be instructed ; but our 

hearts and lives are unchanged 

And now let me ask, What are, 
II. The bitter fruits which they reap from it? 

Certainly, if ever a people could be happy, the cir 
cumstances in which the Israelites were placed were 
calculated to make them happy. But " their days 
were consumed in vanity, and their years in trouble," 
as the just punishment of their sins. And how are 
our lives spent ? 

What have we, but vanity and trouble ? 

[In the abundance of all things that we enjoy, it is sur 
prising how little there is of real comfort to the possessors. 
Many possess all that the world can give ; yet " in the midst 
of their sufficiency they are in straits b ." It may be thought 
that the rich are happier than the poor : but the very reverse 
of this is true. God has cursed their very blessings 
Yea, the nearest of all connexions which God ordained for 
the happiness of man is, in a great majority of instances, un 
attended with the blessedness which the parties hoped for; 
yea, and too often is made a source of bitterest woe. Truly, 
" man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upwards d :" and this 
poor wilderness world is found to most a vale of tears ] 

And what is this but the fruit of sin ? 

[This was not the state of man in Paradise : it came as the 
fruit of sin : and in proportion as men live without God in the 
world, is the world and every thing in it embittered to them. 

It may be asked, Are the saints exempt from this common 
lot? Do not they find "vanity and trouble" here below, as 
well as others ? They do; but by no means in the same degree. 

b Job xx. 22. c Dent, xxviii. 15 20. d Job v. 6, 7. 



52 PSALMS, LXXVIII. 32, 33. [634. 

To the saints, blessings are really blessings ; and even troubles 
are blessings in disguise. The man who truly believes in Christ, 
enjoys, in common mercies, a sense of God s love and favour, 
to which an unbeliever is an utter stranger : and his trials 
he receives as paternal chastisements, which are the means 
ordained for his furtherance in the divine life, and for the 
eventual increase of his happiness to all eternity. Though 
therefore, in a certain degree, he finds vanity and vexation of 
spirit to be stamped on all sublunary good, he has, on the 
whole, a different portion from that of the ungodly world even 
here : and hereafter, I need not say how widely different is his 
lot. As for the impenitent and unbelieving, possess what they 
may, they are not happy ; and, in the prospect of death and 
judgment, it is from want of reflection only if they are not 
completely miserable ] 

To APPLY the subject to our hearts 

[Have we not sinned enough already? May not the past 
time suffice for our neglect of God, and our contempt of his 
favours? Shall it continue to be said of us, They have sinned 
still; and will not believe in God, notwithstanding all his 
wondrous works? Do but look back, and see what has hitherto 
been the " fruit" of such a life 6 . I appeal to all, What have 
ye found but vanity and trouble, even in your best enjoyments ? 
Verily, they have been but as the " crackling of thorns under 
a pot," which blazed for a moment, and then vanished in 
smoke f . Indeed, Brethren, if the happiness of this world only 
were concerned, I should recommend to you a life of peni 
tential sorrow, and of entire devotedness to God : for " godli 
ness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life 
which now is, as well as of that which is to come g ." But 
there is a world to come ; a world in which we shall reap, in 
its full extent, the fruit of our present conduct. Oh! where will 
the impenitent transgressor find pardon then? and where the 
contemptuous unbelieving sinner flee to hide himself from the 
wrath of an avenging God ? Let there then, Brethren, be an 
end to your contest with the God of heaven. Cast down the 
weapons of your rebellion; and, with penitential faith, cast 
yourselves on the Saviour, who died even for the very chief of 
sinners. " Humble yourselves truly under the mighty hand 
of God ; and in due season, notwithstanding all your past 
transgressions, he will lift you up h ." - 

e Rom. vi. 21. f Eccl. vii. 6. 

g 1 Tim. iv. 8. h Jam. iv. 10. 



635. J THE EXTENT OF GOD s MERCY. 53 

DCXXXV. 

THE EXTENT OF GOD s MERCY. 

Ps. Ixxviii. 34 39. When he slew them, then they sought 
him ; and they returned and inquired early after God : and 
they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high 
God their Redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him 
^vith their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues : 
for their heart was not right with him, neither were they 
steadfast in his covenant. But he, being full of compassion, 
forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not : yea, many 
a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his 
wrath : for he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind 
that passeth away, and cometh not again. 

THE psalm before us is altogether historical : yet 
may it be called one great parable. It is, in fact, so 
called by the Psalmist himself: and the very words 
by which he designates this composition are quoted 
by the Evangelist as fulfilled, when our blessed Lord 
spake to the people in parables, and in parables ex 
clusively a . The truth is, that the whole account of 
the redemption of Israel from Egypt, with their pre 
servation in the wilderness, and their final establish 
ment in the land of Canaan, is typical of man s 
redemption through Christ, and of the final salvation 
of all God s chosen people. It is not unlike the 
parable of the Prodigal Son : and, unless we view it 
in this light, and read in it the great concerns of our 
own souls, we have no just conception of its true 
import. As a record of the most important events 
in the Jewish history, the writer of it might justly 
urge the importance of transmitting it with care, 
and teaching it with diligence, to all succeeding 
generations 15 : but, as a vehicle of spiritual instruc 
tion, it is of inestimable value, not to Jews only, but 
to Gentiles also, and ought to be studied with care 
by every child of man. 

We shall not now enter into a minute illustration 
of this truth, because it would occupy far more of 
your attention than could be allotted to one dis 
course : but a general view of the subject will be 

a Compare ver. 2. with Matt. xiii. 35. b ver. 3 6. 



54 PSALMS, LXXVI1I. 34, 39. [635. 

brought before us, whilst we notice the conduct of 
the Israelites towards God, and his forbearance 
towards them, or, in other words, 
I. The extent of their wickedness 

They were continually provoking God to anger 

[They were frcm the beginning " a rebellious and gain 
saying people." Never would they pay any regard to God, till 
they were constrained to do so by his chastening rod. In vain 
were his mercies multiplied unto them : they overlooked them 
all, and " forgat all the wonders" of his love and mercy c . Dis 
satisfied with what he gave them for their subsistence, notwith 
standing it was " angels food," they lusted after things which 
were in no respect necessary for their well-being 01 . And when 
they had provoked God to punish them for their ungrateful 
murmurings, instead of being reclaimed by his chastisements, 
" they only sinned yet more against him 6 ." When, in conse 
quence of their obstinacy, these chastisements became more 
severe, and no way of deliverance was found but by their 
turning unto God, they pretended to return unto him ; but it 
was a mere pretence. They called to remembrance his past 
interpositions in their favour, and professed to acknowledge him 
as their Redeemer and their God : but they only " flattered 
him" with titles, which excited no corresponding sentiments in 
their hearts, and " lied unto him " with vows, which they never 
intended to perform. They pretended to lay hold on " his 
covenant : " but they would " not be steadfast in it, or perform 
any of the engagements which it entailed upon them."] 

And what is this, but a history of ourselves also ? 
[In our prosperity, we care not about God ; " he is not in 

all our thoughts" But under some heavy calamity we 

begin to lay to heart our former transgressions, and to inquire 
after God. This is common, especially in sickness, and at the 
expected approach of death f . Then we can bear to hear of 
God, and of Christ ; yea, we apply to God as our Father, and 
to Christ as our Redeemer ; we acknowledge with apparent 
gratitude all that they have done for us ; and profess a depend 
ence on them for all that we stand in need of -Yet in the 
midst of all these professions there is no true contrition, no real 
self-abhorrence, no fixed determination to give up ourselves 
unreservedly to God. We approach our God indeed, but it is 
" with flattery and lies g ." We profess much love to him, and 
much delight in that covenant which he has made with us in 
Christ Jesus ; but " our hearts are not right with him, neither 
are we steadfast in his covenant." This appears from our 

c ver. 11. d ver. 18 25. e ver. 17, 32. 

f Isai. xxvi. 16. and Hcs. v. 15. e Hos. xi. 12. 



635.] THE EXTENT OF GOD*S MERCY. 55 

speedy return to vanity, as soon as ever the judgment is 
removed from us. We are like metal taken out of the furnace, 
which, however liquefied, soon returns to its original hardness. 
Our relentings possibly have been renewed either under the 
ministry of the word, or by some fresh calamity : but, after all, 
like Pharaoh, we have only verified that humiliating description 
of the Apostle, "we have turned again with the dog to his vomit, 
and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."] 

These rebellions however against their God only 
gave occasion for displaying, 
II. The extent of his mercy 

Many times did he forgive them 

[Often, through the greatness of their provocations, did 
he lift up his hand to destroy them in the wilderness ; but he 
forbore to execute upon them the judgments they deserved. 
" He remembered that they were but flesh, or as a wind that 
passeth away, and cometh not again ; " and, if he should give 
vent to his indignation against them, they must inevitably, and 
irremediably perish.] 

It is thus also that he hath dealt with us 
[" How oft have we provoked him, and grieved him by our 

transgressions h ! " yet on every fresh occasion he has 

shewn himself " slow to anger and of great kindness." Let 
every one think with himself how many seasons there have 
been, when, in heart at least, if not in act, we have exceeded 
our usual measure of wickedness, and when he might have cut 
us off, so to speak, with advantage, and made us signal monu 
ments of his displeasure Yet he has borne with us, 

and not suffered his whole displeasure to arise. He has, thus 
far at least, " forgiven us;" and, in answer to the intercessions 
of our great High Priest, he has spared the barren fig-tree, 
revoking the order for its removal, and renewing, for its pre 
servation, all the means which have hitherto been used in vain. 
Of this his mercy we are all living monuments : from time to 
time he has said concerning us, " How shall I give thee up 1 ? " 
" Wilt thou not be made clean ? when shall it once be k ? " Yes, 
we must all bear witness for him, that the only reason of our 
not having been long since " consumed, is, because his com 
passions fail not."] 

SEE, then, 

1. What improvement we should make of afflictive 
providences 

[What the Jews professed to do, we should do in reality 

God sends afflictions for this end and, if they 

h ver. 40. * Hos. xi. 7 9. k Jer. xiii. 27. 



56 PSALMS, LXXX. 1719. [636. 

produce this happy effect, we shall have reason to be thankful 
for them.] 

2. What, under all circumstances, should be the 
chief object of our attention 

[The Jews failed, because " their heart was not right with 
God." Let us look to this, that we indulge not hypocrisy in 
our hearts. If we call God our God, and our Redeemer, let 
our eyes be to him as our only, and our all-sufficient Help.] 

DCXXXVI. 

THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER. 

Ps. Ixxx. 17 19. Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right 
hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thy 
self. So will not we go back from thee : quicken us, and we 
will call upon thy name. Turn us again, Lord God of 
Hosts ; cause thy face to shine : and we shall be saved. 

THIS psalm appears to have been written about 
the time when Sennacherib had invaded the land of 
Judah, and threatened the two remaining tribes of 
Judah and Benjamin with the same utter destruction 
as had already been inflicted on the ten tribes of 
Israel. The writer, whoever he was, addresses Je 
hovah in nearly the same terms as Hezekiah did on 
that occasion, even as " the Lord of Hosts that dwelt 
between the cherubim a ." And when he says, "Be 
fore Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy 
strength, and come and save us ;" he merely desires 
that God would afford them now the same protection 
as he had formerly afforded to all his people in the 
wilderness ; which protection these three tribes had 
better opportunities of discovering than others ; be 
cause, whilst three tribes preceded the ark, and three 
marched on either side, these three brought up the 
rear, and consequently were in a better situation for 
noticing the various interpositions of Jehovah in their 
behalf. The disconsolate state of the country at that 
time is set forth by the Psalmist under the figure of 
a vine, which had been planted there by Jehovah 
himself, and had flourished so as to fill the whole 
land ; but now it was exposed to all the rage of the 

a ver. 1. with Isai. xxxvii. 15 17. 



636.] THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER. 57 

enemy, who " wasted and destroyed it ;" and it would 
shortly be entirely rooted out, if God did not speedily 
interpose for its protection b . By " the man of God s 
right hand, and the Son of Man whom God had made 
strong for himself," I suppose the Psalmist intended 
to specify king Hezekiah, whom he entreated God to 
make his instrument for effecting the desired deli 
verance : and in the latter verses of my text he pro 
mises, in behalf of the nation at large, that the mercy 
shall not be lost upon them, but shall be requited by 
them in the way which God will approve, even by 
greater steadfastness in their future adherence to 
him, and a more entire obedience to his commands. 

In this view, I conceive, the psalm may properly 
be applied either to the Church, or to any individual 
Believer in a season of deep distress : and " the Son 
of Man, whom Jehovah has made strong for himself," 
may be understood as designating the Lord Jesus 
Christ, who is the King of Israel, and whom in that 
capacity Hezekiah especially prefigured. 

Let the afflicted Believer then see in this passage, 
I. How to approach God in a season of trouble 

We are especially invited to " go to God in a time 
of trouble." But in what way shall we approach him ? 

The Lord Jesus Christ is the appointed Head of 
God s Church and people 

[Even whilst he was yet on earth, " all power in heaven 
and on earth was given to him c :" and, on his ascension to 
heaven, he was constituted " Head over all things to the 
Church d ," and had all fulness committed to him e , " that he 
might fill all things f ," and be the one source of light and life 
to the spiritual world, as the sun in the firmament is to this 
material globe on which we live. To this the Psalmist bears 
testimony, when he says, "Thou spakest in vision to thy Holy 
One, and saidst, / have laid help upon One that is mighty ,- I 
have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found 
David my servant : with my holy oil have I anointed him : 
with whom my hand shall be established : mine arm also shall 
strengthen him g ." In this passage there is no doubt but that 
the Lord Jesus Christ is spoken of precisely in the view in 

b ver. 816. c Matt, xxvii. 18. d Eph. i. 22. 

e Col. i. 19. f Eph. iv. 10. e Ps. Ixxxix. 1921. 



58 PSALMS, LXXX. 1719. [636. 

which I suppose him to be spoken of in the psalm before us. 
He is that David whom God has anointed to rule over his 
Church and people, and through whom he will shew himself 
at all times mighty to save.] 

Through Him, then, we must seek for God s effec 
tual help 

[Through him must we look for the acceptance of our 
prayers ; and from him must we expect those communications 
which God has promised to his believing people. " God has 
made him strong," not for us only, but " for himself" also ; see 
ing that in this mode of dispensing his blessings he is particu 
larly glorified. This is the account given us by an inspired 
Apostle : " Him hath God highly exalted, and given him a 
name above every name ; that at the name of Jesus every 
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and 
things under the earth ; and that every tongue should confess 
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father 11 ." 
And to the same effect our Lord himself also says, " What 
soever ye shall ask in my name, that will / do, that the father 
may be glorified in the Son i ." Let not any one, then, hesitate 
to look thus to Christ, from an apprehension that, in so 
honouring the Son, he should dishonour the Father : for God 
would have " all men to honour the Son even as they honour 
the Father:" and he declares, that " he who honoureth not the 
Son, honoureth not the Father who hath sent him k ." Be it 
remembered, then, that Jesus is " the way, the truth, and the 
life ; and that no man cometh unto the Father, but by him V] 

From the passage before us we may further learn, 
II. What we should seek for at His hands 

Doubtless we are permitted to ask for deliverance 
from trouble. But there are other things which we 
are far more concerned to ask, even things for the 
production of which affliction itself is sent us. We 
should seek, 

1 . The communications of God s grace 

[These are of infinitely more importance than any tem 
poral deliverance. With these, every affliction is light : without 
them, no enjoyment whatever is of any real value. Whatever 
be our state as it respects ease or trouble, we are dead, and 
need to be " quickened ; " we are rebellious, and need to be 
" turned." The first thing, then, that we should seek, should 
be quickening and converting grace. Every creature in the 

h Phil. ii. 911, * John xiv. 13. 

k John v. 23. J John xiv. 6. 



63G.] THE EFFICACY OF PRAYER. 59 

universe stands in need of these ; and on the attainment of 
it depends our everlasting welfare. Let every one, then, 
pray, " Quicken me, O Lord ! " Oh! turn me, for thy mercy s 
sake ! " Turn thou me, and I shall be turned."] 

2. The manifestations of his favour 

[We should never rest without an evidence in our own 
souls that we are the Lord s. While our interest in his favour 
is doubtful, what happiness can we enjoy I There must 
always be a secret fear and misgiving, that ere long we may 
become monuments of his righteous indignation. We should 
therefore entreat of God to " lift up the light of his counte 
nance upon us," and to give us a spirit of adoption, testifying 
that we are his. It is not the sun of outward prosperity that 
we are to desire, but that inward light, by which we can dis 
cern our adoption into his family, and our title to his glory. 
This will make every " yoke easy, and every burthen light."] 

But the text itself leads us to consider, 
III. The fruit and consequence of accepted prayer 

These blessings once obtained, we shall assuredly, 
possess, 

1. Stability in God s ways 

[Thousands there are who " run well only for a season," 
and who, by turning back from God, make " their latter end 
worse than their beginning." But real conversion, especially 
when it issues in a peaceful walk with God, produces a decision 
of character which nothing can shake. I mean not to say that 
any man has strength of his own, whereby he can stand : 
even St. Paul himself needed incessant care and watchfulness, 
lest, " after having preached to others, he himself should be 
come a cast-away." But a sense of God s love in the soul 
confirms our confidence in him ; and enables us, in dependence 
on his grace, to hurl defiance at all the enemies of our salva 
tion, and to rest assured that "none shall ever prevail to 
separate us from his love."] 

2. The everlasting enjoyment of his favour 

[Thrice is this repeated, and each time with increasing 
earnestness : " Turn us again, O God, and we shall be saved : 
turn again, O God of Hosts, and we shall be saved : turn us 
again, O Lord God of Hosts, and we shall be saved m ." If we 
commit ourselves truly to the Lord Jesus Christ, " none shall 
ever pluck us out of his hands ; " but that promise shall be 
fully verified, " Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an ever 
lasting salvation ; ye shall not be ashamed or confounded world 
without end n ."] 

m ver. iii. 7, 19. n Isai. xlv. 17. 



GO PSALMS, LXXXI. 10. [637. 

Hence we may SEE, 

1. How little reason there is for any man to de 
spond 

[Who can be in a more desperate state than that depicted 
in the psalm before us ? Yet for them was relief solicited and 
obtained. And is there not the same help for us ? Is not the 
Saviour as mighty as ever ? Is his hand shortened at all, that 
it cannot save ? or his ear heavy, that it cannot hear ? Let, 
then, the same means be used, and the same result may 
assuredly be expected. I will suppose that the enemy has 
" overflowed even to the neck," and is even now exulting in his 
triumphs. Spread but your case before the Lord, as Hezekiah 
did, and you may adopt the language which was put into his 
mouth; " The virgin, the daughter of Israel, hath despised thee, 
and laughed thee to scorn ; the daughter of Jerusalem hath 
shaken her head at thee ." Sooner shall heaven and earth pass 
away, than one praying and believing soul be left to perish.] 

2. How little ground there is for any one to glory 
[I will suppose that any one of you is now flourishing like 

the vine, of which the Psalmist speaks, in all its glory. Whence 
came you ? Know that you were once in Egypt, and were 
brought out thence to the place in which you stand. And who 
has kept you from being trodden down and devoured by the 
beasts of the field? It is God alone who has kept you, even 
to the present hour. It is He who gave you his converting 
grace ; He who infused peace into your soul by the light of 
his reconciled countenance. And when you shall arrive at the 
realms of glory, it is to Him that you must ascribe your salva 
tion, from first to last. If any man be disposed to glory, I 
would ask, " Who made thee to differ ? And what hast thou, 
which thou hast not received ? " Whilst you are building on 
the true foundation here, you must say continually, " By the 
grace of God, I am what I am P :" and when " the headstone 
shall be brought forth with shoutings," you must spend eternity 
in crying, " Grace, grace unto " 



Isai. xxxvii. 22. P 1 Cor. xv. 10. Q Zech. iv. 7. 



DCXXXVII. 

PRAYER EFFECTUAL, TO ANY EXTENT. 

Ps. Ixxxi. 10. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out 
of the land of Egypt : open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. 

ACCESS to God, and a certainty of acceptance 
with him, have been amongst the most distinguished 
privileges of the Lord s people in all ages. To his 



637.] PRAYER EFFECTUAL, TO ANY EXTENT. 61 

ancient people the Jews, God said, " What nation is 
there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them as 
the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon 
him for?" To us, under the Christian dispensation, 
it is promised, that " wherever two or three are 
gathered together in the name of Jesus, there will 
that blessed Saviour be in the midst of them." None 
shall " draw nigh to him in prayer, but he will also 
draw nigh to them," to answer their prayers. In the 
psalm before us, God most affectionately encourages 
his people to come to him, and to enlarge their re 
quests to the utmost extent of their necessities : 
" Hear, O my people ! and I will testify unto thee, 
O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me." " I am the 
Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of 
Egypt ; open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." 

Here, Brethren, let me call your attention to, 
I. The invitation given us 

How comprehensive the words in which it is 
contained ! 

[Here is no limit to our petitions. On the contrary, we 
are encouraged to extend them to every thing that our souls 
can desire. Nor is there any limit assigned, beyond which we 
are not to expect an answer. Whatever we want for body or 
for soul, for time or for eternity, it shall all be given us, if only 
we will " approach unto God," and "make our requests known 
unto him."] 

And how marvellous the invitation, as sent by God 
to sinful man ! 

[God can receive nothing from us : " our goodness can 
never extend to him. 1 He is altogether independent of us: 
and if the whole human race were annihilated this very moment, 
God would suffer no loss. Neither his honour nor his happi 
ness were in the least diminished, when the fallen angels were 
cast oat of heaven into the bottomless abyss of hell : nor if we 
were all plunged into the same abyss of misery, would God be 
in the least affected by it. Yet, behold, He deigns to send us 
the gracious invitation which we have just heard, and permits 
even the vilest amongst us to regard it as addressed personally 
to himself. To every soul amongst us he says, " Open thy 
mouth wide, and I will fill it."] 

Listen then with wonder to, 



62 PSALMS, LXXXI. 10. [637. 

II. The consideration with which it is enfo reed- 
Surprising encouragement ! Mark it, 

1. As referring to God s ancient people 

[God had brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand 
and a stretched-out arm. What an evidence was this of his 
power ! and what a pledge was this of his willingness to do for 
them all that their necessities might require! Behold the 
sea opening before them, to give a dry path to them, and to 
overwhelm in one common ruin every one of their pursuers ! 
Behold the bread given them for forty years by a daily mira 
culous supply from heaven, and the water from the rock follow 
ing them in all their way! See them at last established in the 
Promised Land ! Could they ask more than had already been 
done for them ? And if these things had been done notwith 
standing all their rebellions, what should they not obtain if 
they would implore it with all humility from God ?] 

2. As comprehending that more wonderful redemp 
tion vouchsafed to us 

[If the typical redemption from Egypt afforded such 
encouragement to prayer, what must we think of that redemp 
tion which it shadowed forth, even the redemption of our souls 
from death and hell, by the precious blood of God s only dear 
Son ? Hear Jehovah saying, 1 I am the Lord thy God, who 
became a man for thee ; who died upon the cross for thee ; 
who bore thy sins in my own body on the tree, that thou 
mightest be freed from the condemnation due to them, and 
mightest inherit a throne of glory ! What a claim is this to 
our gratitude ! what an incentive to the utmost possible enlarge 
ment of our petitions ! and what an encouragement to our most 
unshaken affiance ! Take the invitation by itself, and it ex 
presses all that we can wish : but take it in connexion with 
this consideration with which it is enforced, and methinks there 
will not be one amongst us that will not most cordially accept 
it, and most thankfully avail himself of the liberty, the inesti 
mable liberty, thus accorded to him.] 

But, seeing that this invitation has been so often 
sent to us, 

1. How amazing is it that any of us can live with 
out prayer ! 

[Methinks it were almost a libel upon human nature to 
suppose that there should be any one so stupid and so brutish 
as to live without prayer; and I ought to make an apology 
for suggesting even a possibility that such an one may be 
found in this assembly. Well ; forgive me, if in this I have 
erred : yet I would affectionately put it home to the consciences 



637.] PRAYER EFFECTUAL, TO ANY EXTENT. 63 

of all who are here present, and ask, Have you, my Brethren, 
and you, and you, really sought after God, and spread your 
wants before him, and implored mercy at his hands, and wrestled 
with him, as it were, in prayer, for an out-pouring of his Spirit 
upon you ? Have you done it this week past ? Have you done 
it this very morning ? Can you call God to witness that you 
have thus opened your mouth wide before him, in the hope 
that he would fill and satisfy you with the abundance of his 
grace ? Is there no one amongst you that stands reproved for 
his neglect of this duty? Yea, rather, are there not some 
amongst you who have never poured out their souls before God 
in prayer during their whole life, or, at all events, only under 
the pressure of some great calamity, which, when it was past, 
left them in the same careless and obdurate state as before ? 
Perhaps some of you may have repeated some form which you 
learned in early life, or may have read some form out of a book : 
but this is not prayer, if it be unattended with the real desires 
of the heart : prayer, is not a mere service of the lip and knee, 
but the effusion of the soul before God in earnest supplication. 
I lament to think how many there are utter strangers to such 
holy wrestlings, such sweet communion with their God. Let 
me, then, remind such persons what sad regret they excite in 
the bosom of Jehovah ; and what bitter regret they themselves 
also will one day experience in their own bosoms. God says, 
" O that my people had hearkened to me, and Israel had walked 
in my ways ! " And will not you also, ere long, adopt a similar 
language, and say, " O that I had hearkened to the voice of 
my God, and had walked in the ways to which he called me!" 
And if God contemplate with such regret the blessings which 
he would have bestowed % with what sad regret will you one 
day view the blessings you have lost ! Be wise in time ; and 
now avail yourselves of the opportunity that is afforded you, 
" seeking the Lord whilst he may be found, and calling upon 
him whilst he is near."] 

2. How lamentable is it that any one should yield 
to discouragement in prayer ! 

[What could God say to you, more than he has said; or 
do for you, more than he has done ? St. Paul says, " He that 
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how 
shall he not with Him also freely give us all things ? " Only 
reflect on what he has done, and how impossible it was any 
fallen creature should dare to ask SUCH things at God s hands, 
and you need not fear to enlarge your petitions, to the utmost 
extent of language to express, or of imagination to conceive. 
You are not straitened in him; be not straitened in yourselves b . 
Only spread your wants before him freely, and you shall find 

ver. 1316. b 2 Cor. vi. 12. 



64 PSALMS, LXXXI. 11, 12. [638. 

that " He is able to do for you exceeding abundantly above 
all that you can ask or even think c ." Go to him, then, and 
"pray to him with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit;" 
yea, "pray without ceasing," and "give him no rest" till he 
has answered your requests. But be not hasty to imagine that 
he will not hear ; because he may already have heard and an 
swered in the way most conducive to your good, whilst you are 
doubting whether he will so much as listen to your petitions. 
Of course you cannot expect to receive, unless you ask accord 
ing to his will d ; but, with that reserve only, I assure you, that 
" ye may ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you 6 ." 
Only " ask in faith," and " according to your faith it shall be 
done unto you."] 

c Eph. iii. 20. <* 1 John v. 14. e John xv. 7. 

DCXXXVIII. 

GOD GIVING UP OBSTINATE TRANSGRESSORS. 

Ps. Ixxxi. 11, 12. My people would not hearken to my voice, 
and Israel would none of me : so 1 gave them up. 

THE history of the Jews is not a mere record of 
times and persons far distant from us, but a display 
of the Divine procedure towards others, as a pledge 
of a similar procedure towards us. The Jews were 
intended as examples to the Church of God in all 
ages : their prosperity whilst serving God, and their 
adversity when they had departed from him, were 
designed to shew us what blessings we may expect 
at God s hands, if we serve him acceptably ; and 
what judgments, if we rebel against him a . In this 
view it will be profitable to consider the words before 
us ; and, 
I. The perverseness complained of 

Nothing could exceed the kindness of God towards 
his people of old 

[How tender and affectionate is his address to them b ! 

He entreats them not to look to any strange god, 

since he alone has an exclusive right to their regard 

He assures them also, that whatsoever they shall ask at his 

hands, he will do it for them d 

And is it not precisely in the same way that he addresses us? 

a See 1 Cor. x. 111. and Heb. iii. 1619. and iv. 1. 

b ver. 8. c ver. 9, 10. d ver. 10. with Deut. iv. 7. 



638.] GOD GIVING UP OBSTINATE TRANSGRESSORS. 65 

He invites us to look to him 6 , and to come unto him f , and to ask 
of him whatsoever we will, with an assurance that we shall 
not be disappointed of our hope g . There is no limitation or 
exception, provided only the things we desire be agreeable to 
his holy will. If we plead with him in earnest, there is no 
sin that shall not be forgiven 11 , no corruption that shall not be 
mortified 1 , no want that shall not be supplied k . He engages, 
that, to whatever temptation we may be exposed, his grace 
shall be sufficient for us 1 .] 

But their obstinacy was incorrigible 

[The Jews, with but few exceptions, " would not hearken 
to his voice." His precepts, his promises, his threatenings, 
were alike disregarded by them. " They would none of him ;" 
but said to his messengers whom he sent to reclaim them, " Make 
the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us" - 

And is it not thus with us ? Is not his authority trampled 
on by us? and are not both his mercies and judgments almost 
universally despised? We will have other objects of our affec 
tions in preference to him - We will not open our mouths 
in prayer, though we know that nothing is to be obtained with 
out it - The language of our hearts and actions is, " We 
will not have this man to reign over us m " - Notwith 

standing all that he has done to " redeem" us from death and 
hell, we will not take upon ourselves his light and easy yoke.] 

While we thus imitate the perverseness of the 
Jews, let us tremble for fear of, 
II. The judgments inflicted on account of it- 
Consider, 

1. What a loss they sustained 

[He would have preserved them in Canaan, and loaded 
them with all imaginable blessings, even as he had done in 
former times n 

But this was a very faint shadow of what he would do for us. 
What victory would he have given us over all our spiritual 
enemies! - -What a fulness of consolation and joy also 

would he have bestowed upon us, in the communications of his 
grace, and the manifestations of his love ! Surely his Spirit, 
as " a Spirit of adoption," should have " witnessed with our 
spirits that we were his," and should have " sealed us unto the 
day of redemption " ] 

2. What misery they incurred 

e Isai. xlv. 22. and Iv. 13. f Matt. xi. 28. 

s John xiv. 13, 14. and xv. 7. h Isai. i. 18. 

1 Mic. vii. 19. k Phil. iv. 19. l 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. 

m Luke xix. 14. n Dent, xxxii. 29. 

VOL. VI. F 



63 PSALMS, LXXXT. 11,12. [638. 

[God gave them up to idolatry, and to their own hearts 
lusts ; and left them to " walk in their own counsels " - 

And this is the curse which he denounces against us also. 
" His spirit will not always strive with us." If he see that we 
are bent upon our evil ways, he will abandon us to our own 
delusions P, and will say, " He is joined to idols, let him alone q " 
A greater curse than this God cannot inflict, because 
our remaining days will be occupied only in augmenting our 
guilt and aggravating our condemnation 1 Were the 
judgment only to deliver our bodies to Satan now, that might 
lead to our final salvation : but to give us over to the uncon 
trolled influence of self, is a certain prelude to our everlasting 
damnation. It is, in fact, the very beginning of hell, where it 
will be said to the unhappy souls, " He that is filthy, let him 
be filthy still ; and he that is unjust, let him be unjust still 8 ."] 

Hence it APPEARS, 

1. Whose will be the fault, if any be lost 

[None can lay it to the charge of God that he is unwilling 
to save them. He has sworn with an oath that he willeth not 
the death of any sinner*. And in the psalm before us he takes 
up a lamentation over those who obstinately compel him to 
give them up u . Thus did our blessed Lord over the murderous 
Jerusalem x : and thus does he over all impenitent transgressors ; 
" Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life y ." " Often 
would I have gathered you, even as a hen gathereth her chickens 
under her wings; but ye would not 2 ." And what a bitter source 
of self-condemnation will this be to us, that God would have 
saved us, but we would not be saved by him ! The language 
which God noiv uses over us, we shall then use in reference to 
ourselves : " O that I had hearkened to his voice ! O that I had 
walked in his ways !" How should I have been at this instant 
triumphing over my cruel adversary, and feasting on all the 
richest fruits of paradise, instead of dwelling with everlasting 
burnings, without one drop of water to cool my tongue ! Surely 
this reflection will be the bitterest ingredient in that bitter cup, 
which they who perish will be drinking of to all eternity.] 

2. Whose will be the glory, if any be saved 
[We never come to Christ, till the Father, by the mighty 

working of his power, draws us to him. Such is the pride of 
the human heart, that no man will submit to be saved by grace 
alone, till God has made him " willing in the day of his power." 

See Rom. i. 24, 26, 28. " So I gave them up." 

P 2 Thess. ii. 1012. q Hos. iv. 17. r Rom. ii. 5. 

8 Rev. xxii. 11. t Ezek. xxxiii. 11. 1 Tim. ii. 4. 

u ver. 13. * Luke xix. 40, 41. 

y John v. 40. * Matt, xxiii. 37. 



639.]] DIVINE ORDINANCES LOVELY. 67 

If therefore we have been brought to hearken to his voice, let 
us remember Who it is that has unstopped our ears. 

If it be said, We prayed for these blessings ; and therefore 
we at least may glory that the blessings do not come to us un 
solicited ; we would ask, Who inclined or enabled us to pray ? 
We should never have been inclined to pray, if God had not 
given us a spirit of grace and of supplication ; " nor should we 
have known what to pray for as we ought, if He by his Spirit 
had not helped our infirmities." If still it be said, " Yet we 
prayed ;" Be it so : but how long were you before you prayed 
at all ? And what have been your prayers since ever you began 
to pray ? Are you not amazed when you review your prayers, 
and see how cold, and dead, and formal they have been ? What 
if a beggar had asked of you in the way that you have but too 
often asked of God ? Would you have granted his request ? 
or, if you had granted his request, and not only relieved his 
present necessities, but conferred upon him one half of your 
fortune, would you not be surprised, if he, instead of admiring 
your unequalled generosity, were taking credit to himself for 
asking relief from you ? Know then, that if you are partaking 
of God s mercy, you are no other than " beggars, who have 
been taken from the dunghill, and set among the princes." 
Know, that ye are altogether debtors to the grace of God, 
and must ascribe to him " the kingdom, and the power, and 
the glory, for ever and ever."] 

DCXXXIX. 

DIVINE ORDINANCES LOVELY. 

Ps. Ixxxiv. 1 4. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of 
Hosts ! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts 
of the Lord : my heart and my jlesh crieth out for the living 
God. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow 
a nest for herself, where she m.ay lay her young, even thine 
altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are 
they that dwell in thine house : they will be still praising thee. 

TRULY it is sweet to read of the experience of 
the saints, and to be able to appeal to it in vin 
dication of our own experience. I wonder not that 
the world should cry out against the people of the 
Lord as enthusiastic and absurd ; for they cannot 
by any means conceive how a person should lose all 
relish for carnal delights, and find all his happiness 
in employments wherein they see nothing but re 
straint and melancholy. But, indeed, there is a 
delight in communion with a reconciled God, an 

F2 



68 PSALMS, LXXXIV. 14. [639. 

ineffable "joy, with which the stranger intermeddleth 
not." This is well expressed in the passage before 
us ; from whence I shall take occasion to shew, 

I. The light in which we should view divine ordi 
nances 

Certainly the expressions here used in reference to 
them are exceeding strong. To a mind not conversant 
with the subject, they would appear rather like the 
flights of a poetical imagination than as the dictates 
of sober judgment. But they are not a whit too 
strong, if viewed in reference to the object respecting 
which they treat. Both body and soul may well unite 
in the feelings here expressed, feelings of intense de 
sire, such as envies the very birds the privilege they 
enjoy of building their nests around the sacred edifice 
where God s presence is enjoyed. Truly the taber 
nacles of the Most High will appear amiable, if we 
consider that in them, 

1. God s presence is vouchsafed 

[Formerly God dwelt in his sanctuary by the Shechinah, 
a bright cloud, the symbol of his presence, which was in itself 
visible to the eye of sense, though it was seen only by the High 
Priest, and that only on one day in the year. Now, his pre 
sence is visible only to the eye of faith (for there is an eye that 
" seeth Him that is invisible 21 "), and by him who possesses a 
spiritual discernment, even though he be the least and meanest 
of God s children, the divine presence is both seen and felt. 
What else is the meaning of those words, " If a man love me, 
my Father will love him ; and we will come unto him, and 
make our abode with him? " Yes, verily, God will manifest him 
self to his believing people as he does not unto the worldV he 
will, in an especial manner, " draw nigh to those who draw nigh 
to him : " Wherever two or three are met together in his name, 
he will be in the midst of them ; " and to every weeping sup 
pliant he will say, " Behold me, behold me c ! " " Here I am d ."] 

2. His blessings are dispensed 

[In the days of our blessed Lord, we are informed, that 
multitudes, labouring under every kind of malady, thronged 
about him ; and that " virtue went forth from him to heal 
them all 6 ." Somewhat similar to this may yet be seen under 
the ministration of the Gospel. Multitudes, oppressed with 

a Heb. xi. 27. b John xiv. 21 23. c Isai. Ixv. 1. 

d Isai. h iii. 9. e Luke vi. 19. 



639.] DIVINE ORDINANCES LOVELY. 69 

every species of mental trouble, approach the Majesty of 
heaven, to pour out before him their supplications, and to re 
ceive from him a supply for their diversified necessities. The 
weary and heavy-laden sinner sues for pardon and peace : the 
soul, harassed with temptations, implores strength whereby to 
cope with its great Adversary, and to fulfil the will of God : 
in a word, whatever be men s trials, thither they bring them 
all; and there they look for aid; and there, through the mi 
nistry of the Word, they actually " find mercy and grace to 
help them in the time of need." To every distinct case God 
mercifully suits his aid ; and the succour afforded by him proves 
sufficient for them all : so that, as thousands can testify, when 
they have come hungering and thirsting for the blessings of 
salvation, they have not been sent empty away, but have been 
filled and satisfied with the plenteousness of God s house, and 
had all their sorrows turned into joy.] 

3, His name is glorified 

[Every one, entering the house of God in a becoming 
spirit, feels a consciousness, that he is approaching a Father 
and a Friend ; yea, a Friend who is infinitely more willing to 
give than the most oppressed suppliants can be to ask, and 
" willing to give exceedingly above all that they can either ask 
or think." Conceive of millions assembled at the very same 
instant of time, in every quarter of the globe, thus honouring 
their God as omnipresent to hear their prayers, and omnipotent 
to supply their wants. Who must not love those ordinances 
where God is so exalted? Again, amidst all the millions that 
have been relieved, there is but one sentiment of gratitude to 
God as their Almighty and all-gracious Benefactor. Verily, in 
this respect the tabernacles of the Most High on earth resemble 
his house above, where all the hosts, whether of saints or angels, 
join in one harmonious song of praise to their creating and 
redeeming God. Say, are not " God s tabernacles amiable" in 
such a view as this ? and can any one long for them with too 
intense desire, or enter them with too sublime delight ?] 

But that this may be more manifest, let us consider, 
II. The blessedness of those who estimate them 
aright 

As for those who only occasionally visit the house 
of God, merely for form sake or to perform a duty, it 
cannot be expected that they should derive much 
benefit to their souls. But those who, in the habit of 
their minds, " dwell" as it were, " in God s courts," 
will find their souls exceedingly elated and com 
forted. They will acquire, yea, and speedily too 



70 PSALMS, LXXXIV. 14. [639. 

attain, a disposition of mind that is little understood 
by the world at large, a spirit of praise and thanks 
giving, not unlike to that which animates the hosts 
above. 

1. Their occasions for praise will incessantly be 
renewed 

[Not a prayer they offer shall ever go forth in vain. Their 
access to God will become more intimate, their confidence in 
him more entire, their communion with him more sweet, and 
their communications from him more abundant. As every day 
brings with it fresh temporal benefits, so will their stock of 
spiritual blessings be daily multiplied, so that it shall appear 
to them as if a new series of mercies were every day begun ; 
a series, for the acknowledgment of which an eternity of ages 
would scarcely suffice.] 

2. In the exercise of praise they will abound more 
and more 

[I say not that they will cease to pray ; for their need of 
prayer will never cease, till they arrive in heaven itself. But 
their devotions will more assume the character of praise : their 
view of the divine perfections will be greatly enlarged; and 
their sense of God s mercies be deepened, insomuch that they 
will see mercy in every thing, and be disposed " in every thing 
to give thanks." Their very trials and afflictions will be regarded 
as tokens of God s love, and as incentives to praise Him " who 
giveth songs in the night." If their tribulations be great, they 
will glory in them, as contributing both to their present f and 
eternal welfare g . Behold the Apostles just dismissed from 
scourging and imprisonment ! they go forth " rejoicing that 
they are counted worthy to suffer shame for Christ s sake." 
Behold Paul and Silas also with their feet made fast in the 
stocks, whilst their backs are yet bleeding by the stripes just 
recently inflicted on them ! Do they mourn and weep ? No, 
" they sing praises unto God at midnight." Now, all this was 
the fruit of communion with God : and in proportion as we 
also live nigh to God in prayer, we shall surely find, whether in 
life or death, little else than occasions of praise. In whatever 
state we be, we shall be uttering thanksgivings to God; yea, 
come what may, we shall " be still praising him."] 

SEE, then, I pray you, 

1. The happiness of the saints 

[I may appeal to you, whether the worldling has any 
source of joy that can be compared with this ? No, verily ; 
the first monarch upon earth that is ignorant of God, feedeth 

f Rom. viii. 28. e 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. 



640.] GOD S ORDINANCES. PRECIOUS. 71 

only upon husks : whereas the true saint, though poor as 
Lazarus himself, eateth of " angels food" ] 

2. The blessedness of heaven 

[If such be God s courts below, what must heaven itself be? 
Well may we long to be there. Well may we " desire to depart 
and be with Christ," where we shall " behold him face to face." 
I need not say, how blessed are that choir who day and night 
incessantly sing praises to God and to the Lamb. But may 
we so anticipate that employment, that we may be prepared to 
join in it to all eternity! Amen, and Amen.] 

DCXL. 

GOD S ORDINANCES PRECIOUS. 

Ps. Ixxxiv. 10. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of 
my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. 

IN matters of doubtful disputation, it is of great 
advantage to have some established ground, to which 
reference may be made; and some adjudged case, on 
which arguments may be founded, without any far 
ther appeal. In my text, the point at issue is, Which 
is preferable, the service of God, or the service of 
the world ? On this subject there is a great diversity 
of opinion ; some accounting the world the only true 
source of happiness, whilst others conceive that there 
is no happiness but in God. But we have in the 
very words before the text an adjudged case, which 
may well determine the point for ever. The Psalmist 
expressly declares, that "a day in God s courts is 
better than a thousand" elsewhere. If a doubt arise 
whether he was competent to decide the matter, I 
answer, that, as a King, he knew all that attached to 
royalty and to the splendour of earthly courts ; and, 
as a Saint, he knew what was to be found in the 
exercises of piety and devotion : and, consequently, 
he was a proper person to hold the scales, and to 
declare on which side true happiness preponderated. 
Besides, his particular situation at this time qualified 
him in a more than ordinary way to form a just 
judgment : for he was driven (it is supposed) by 
Absalom both from his throne and from the house of 
God : and consequently he could declare, from his 
own experience, which of the two losses was the 



72 PSALMS, LXXXIV. 10. [640. 

heavier, and which was the greater subject of regret. 
Under these circumstances we read not one word of 
complaint respecting the loss of his kingdom : his 
mind was wholly occupied about the ordinances of 
God, of which he was deprived. " How amiable are 
thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts ! My soul longeth, 
yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord : my 
heart and my flesh cry out for the living God a ." He 
envies the very birds the facility which they enjoyed 
of approaching the altars of the Lord, and more 
especially the priests who had constant opportunities 
of officiating there ; as also the people, who could 
come, though with great difficulty, from the extremest 
parts of the land to worship there at the appointed 
feasts b . He then begs of God to restore him to the 
enjoyment of these lost privileges ; and declares, 
that, in his judgment, " one day spent in his courts 
was better than a thousand" elsewhere ; and that he 
would rather be a door-keeper in the House of God, 
than to dwell amidst the richest enjoyments that the 
tents of wickedness could afford him. 

The case being so clearly determined by him, I 
will endeavour to point out, 
I. The grounds of his judgment- 
He preferred the lowest office imaginable in the 
House of the Lord, before the highest that was 
merely secular ; for he deemed it, 

1. More honourable 

[In earthly palaces, dwell " men of like passions with our 
selves:" but in Mount Zion. God himself dwells: there he holds 
his court : there he sits upon his throne : thither all his servants 
come to behold his glory, to worship at his footstool, and to 
receive the tokens of his gracious favour. There, though 
invisible, are assembled all the hosts of heaven ; so that the 
humble worshipper, when coming thither, is justly said to have 
" come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, 
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of 
angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born that 
are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to Jesus 
the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, 
that speaketh better things than the blood of Abel d ." 

a ver. 1,2. t> ver . 3 7. c ver> g, 9. d Heb. xii. 22 24. 



640J GOD S ORDINANCES PRECIOUS. 73 

Now, conceive of a poor man admitted only to " the threshold" 
of this holy place 6 , and compare his state with that of the most 
distinguished favourite of an earthly monarch; and say, whether 
the honour conferred on him be not infinitely higher than any 
which earthly courtiers can possess ? In truth, the matter admits 
not of comparison. Between a king on his throne and a beggar 
on the dunghill there is no disparity at all, when compared with 
that between a creature and his Creator ; so that in this respect 
the Psalmist had just ground for his preference: for in propor 
tion as " God humbles himself, when he beholds the things which 
are on earth," is that man exalted, who becomes the object of 
his condescension and grace.] 

2. More delightful 

[We will concede to the delights of sense all that the most 
sanguine mind can annex to them : but still they are carnal and 
temporary, and cloying and unsatisfying ; and the man who 
possesses the greatest portion of them all, must acknowledge 
them to be justly designated, " Vanity, and vexation of spirit." 
But very different is the character of those pleasures which the 
sinner partakes of in the presence of his God. Behold the 
publican standing, as it were, on the very threshold of God s 
house, as unworthy to enter in : behold him smiting his breast, 
and, with floods of tears, crying, " God be merciful to me, a 
sinner!" To the eye of sense he appears a miserable object, 
that decides at once the point at issue in favour of the world : 
but to the eye of faith he is an object, whose state may well be 
envied by the greatest and happiest of carnal men : for He, 
who is " the true and faithful Witness," has said, " Blessed are 
the poor in spirit : blessed are they that mourn." On the 
mind of such a penitent the light of truth beams with increas 
ing splendour : the peace of God flows down into his soul : a 
hope full of immortality springs up within him : and the joy of 
the Holy Ghost elevates his mind to heaven, and gives him a 
foretaste of angelic bliss. Follow this same person through all 
the services of the sanctuary : behold him pouring out his soul 
in prayer to God : hear him singing the praises of redeeming 
love : mark the emotions of his soul when God s word is preached, 
and the blessings of redemption, as purchased by Christ and se 
cured to him by an everlasting covenant, are unfolded to his view. 
What are any carnal delights in comparison of those which fill 
his soul ? Verily, they are not worth a thought : they are only 
as the husks of swine, whilst he is feasting on " angels food."] 

3. More profitable 

[Temporal advancement a man may gain by attending on 
earthly courts : but how many miss their aim ! and, after all, 

c See the marginal translation. 



74 PSALMS, LXXXIV. 10. [640. 

what does the most successful gain ? what can he possess, more 
than food and raiment? Let the most favoured courtier in the 
universe say, whether that which he has so assiduously followed 
be not a delusive shadow, an unsubstantial vanity ? But the 
humble worshipper is in no danger of disappointment ; and 
every particle of what he gains is " durable riches." What can 
be put in competition with " a new heart," " a right spirit," " a 
divine nature," a transformation of soul into the very image of 
God, a meetness for heaven, and a title to an everlasting inhe 
ritance ? Yet these are the certain portion of those who wait 
on God in his appointed ordinances : not one can fail, if only 
he seek these things in the way that God has ordained, namely, 
through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and by an entire sur 
render of the soul to him. Take notice, I speak not here of 
those who may be supposed to occupy the highest seats in the 
Lord s house, as prophets and Apostles : I speak of" the door 
keeper, the man upon the threshold," whose conscious unwor- 
thiness suffers him " not so much as to lift up his eyes" to his 
Redeemer s throne : it is of him I say, that he has a better 
portion than the whole world can bestow ; and that " happy is 
the man that is in such a case ; yea, happy is the man who 
has the Lord for his God."] 

Having given what I conceive to be ample grounds 
for David s judgment, I now come to mark, 
II. The wisdom of his decision 

Certainly the whole world of the ungodly are at 
issue with him on this point. They have no taste 
for spiritual exercises or spiritual enjoyments. They 
observe, indeed, the outward forms of religion, for the 
sake of setting an example to others ; but of felicity 
to be enjoyed in the worship of God they have no 
idea. If they see persons much interested about the 
worship of God, they are ready to account them 
superstitious, and scrupulous, and " righteous over 
much ;" and all the delight which they perceive to 
be derived from that source they impute to vanity or 
enthusiasm. But, however the multitude may prefer 
the pleasures of sense, we have no hesitation in saying 
that David s decision was wise, 

1. On his side are ranged all the Inspired Men 
from the foundation of the world 

[There is not a shadow of difference among them in rela 
tion to this matter. One common testimony pervades the whole 
Scriptures. The things of time and sense are invariably 



040.] GOD S ORDINANCES PRECIOUS. 75 

represented as of no value, in comparison of the things which 
are invisible and eternal ; and the possession of the whole world 
as of no account in exchange for the soul. Now, when there are 
so many witnesses, all unconnected with each other, and living 
at times and places so distant from each other, and all inspired 
by an unerring God, must we not conclude that their testimony 
is true, and that David, in according with them, was true also ? 
The whole Inspired Volume must be set aside as an imposture 
and a delusion, if David s preference was not such as wisdom 
dictated, and God approved.] 

2. On his side are even the ungodly, in their hours 
of more serious reflection 

[Giddy as the world are, and ready to pour contempt on 
all serious religion, there is not one who does not sometimes 
say in his heart, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and 
let my last end be like his." The consciences of men will 
sometimes speak ; and they will acknowledge that they have 
never found that satisfaction in earthly things which they had 
once hoped to find : and that religion alone can bring solid peace 
into the soul. And here I will venture to appeal to every indi 
vidual, whether on some particular occasions, perhaps on the 
death of a friend or in a time of sickness, or after some faithful 
discourse, he have not felt the vanity of this present world, and 
the need of securing a portion beyond the grave ? and whether, 
on such occasions, he have not envied the state of those, whom, 
in his more thoughtless seasons, he has ridiculed ? Yes, Herod 
revered John, because he knew him to be a just and holy man : 
and Felix trembled, because he could not controvert the state 
ments of Paul : and scarcely is there an ungodly man to be found, 
who has not, on some occasion or other, justified in his mind, if 
not in his words, the sentiment avowed by David in our text.] 

3. On his side is every man, the very instant he 
enters into the eternal world 

[Think you that there is a man in heaven that is not like- 
minded with David ? or, that there is one in hell who would 
not assent to it as a truth which he could no longer doubt ? 
Here, men are blinded by their love of earthly things ; but in 
the eternal world they view things as they really are : nor is 
there one to be found either in heaven or in hell that would 
not prefer the state of Lazarus with all his privations to that 
of the Rich Man with all his indulgences. Whence was it that 
the Rich Man was so anxious to send a messenger to his five 
surviving brethren ? was it not to undeceive them, and to make 
known to them the proper mode of estimating the things be 
longing to their peace ? So, if it were permitted, would they 
who are daily and hourly going into the eternal world : gladly 



76 PSALMS, LXXXIV. 11. [641. 

would they send to warn their surviving relatives ; but that 
cannot be : and if we will not believe Moses and the prophets, 
we shall learn the truth when it is too late to avail ourselves of 
it. But all this may serve at least to shew us that the decision 
of David was truly wise.] 

LEARN, then, from hence, 

1. How to form a right estimate of your state 
[You must not judge of yourselves by your actions only, 

but by the tendencies and habits of your minds. What is your 
taste ? is it for communion with God in holy exercises ? or is 
it for the vanities of this present world ? God himself teaches 
us to judge of ourselves by this standard : " They that are 
after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh ; and they that 
are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit f ." If your taste 
accord with that of David, it is well ; you have so far an evi 
dence that you are the Lord s : but if it be the reverse of his, 
deceive not yourselves ; "ye are yet in your sins," children of 
the wicked one, and heirs of wrath.] 

2. How to make your profiting to appear 

[Cultivate this high and heavenly disposition. Let the 
things of this world sink in your estimation sink, I had almost 
said, into absolute insignificance; and let communion with God 
be the delight of your soul. Let it be a small matter to you 
whether you have more or less of the honour that cometh of 
man ; and seek the honour that cometh of God only : and " let 
your conversation be more and more in heaven, from whence 
you look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ," with whom 
you hope ere long to participate an eternity of bliss.] 
f Rom. viii. 5. 

DCXLI. 

PROMISES TO THE UPRIGHT. 

Ps. Ixxxiv. 11. The Lord God is a sun and a shield: the 
Lord will give grace and glory : no good thing will be with 
hold from them that walk uprightly. 

THE choice which every true Christian makes, 
affords matter of astonishment to the ungodly world. 
He prefers a life of godliness with all the odium 
attached to it, before all the pleasures and honours 
which he could possibly enjoy in the ways of sin. 
They, who look no further than to the concerns of 
time and sense, are amazed that so many sacrifices 
should be made without any visible recompence. 
Doubtless the choice of Moses must have been 



641. J PROMISES TO THE UPRIGHT. 77 

deemed marvellously absurd in the palace of Pha 
raoh a ; as that also, which David deliberately made, 
mast have been among his ungodly courtiers. But 
the reason assigned for it was sufficient to justify 
him in the eyes of every rational being b . 
His words lead us to shew, 

I. The character of true Christians as here described 
" They walk uprightly " both towards God and 
man. Integrity in our dealings with man is an essen 
tial part of true uprightness, yet it is far from 
being the whole of what is comprehended in that 
term. Many act honestly from a mere sense of ho 
nour, while they pay no regard at all to their duties 
towards God. But sincere Christians act in a very 
different manner, they have respect to God in every 
thing, that they may approve themselves to him. 
They search out their duty diligently 

[A child of God will not conclude hastily that he knows 
his duty. He is aware of the deceitfulness of sin, and the 
wickedness of his own heart. He knows that, if he blindly 
follow the dictates of an unenlightened conscience, he may 
commit murder itself under the idea of doing God service . 
He therefore desires to have his judgment informed. For this 
end he reads the Holy Scriptures and begs the Spirit 
of God to guide him into all truth He is glad of in 
struction and reproof from his fellow-creatures, that he may be 
preserved from error. And the one desire of his heart is, to 
be freed from every undue bias and to fulfil in all things 
the will of God.] 

They perform it uniformly 

[Every true Christian labours to do unto others as he would 
have others do to him. But he does not rest satisfied with this. 
He strives to maintain the mastery over all his motives and 

principles of action He endeavours to have his tempers 

regulated according to the word of God, and the example of 
his Lord and Saviour He moreover watches unto secret 

prayer. He lives a life of communion with God and 

of dependence on God He would not make any ex 
ceptions or reserves - He longs to be free both from 
partiality and hypocrisy ; and desires rather to descend from 
a throne to the place of a door-keeper in God s house for the 

a Heb.xi.24 26. b ver.10,11. " I had rather ," &c." For ," &c. 
c John xvi. 2. Acts xxvi. 9. 



78 PSALMS, LXXXIV. 11. [641. 

maintenance of his integrity, than to rise from the place of a 
door-keeper to a throne through the smallest violation of his 
duty d . He says with David, I esteem all thy precepts con 
cerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way 6 . 
And with him also he prays, " O that my ways may be directed 
to keep thy statutes 1 "!"] 

What delight God has in such characters we may 
see, if we consider, 
II. The blessedness that shall be accorded to them 

We are here distinctly told what God will be to 
them 

[There is scarcely any thing noble or useful in the sphere 
of nature or of art, which is not used to illustrate the goodness 
of God towards his people. To the upright he will be " a sun." 

How welcome is the sun to one who has been groping his 
dubious way during a long and dreary night g . His path is now 
made clear, and he is enabled to avoid the stumbling-blocks 
which before obstructed his progress. Nor are its beams less 
refreshing to his body, than its light is useful to his feet. He 
now shakes off the anxieties and cares with which he was before 
disquieted. He feels his spirit exhilarated; and prosecutes his 
journey with ease and pleasure. Thus does God arise on those 
who have been sincerely occupied in doing his will. He causes 
light to arise in the darkness 11 . Even when they were in dark 
ness, he was a light unto them 1 ; but now he dispels all the 
clouds, and shines upon them with healing in his beams k . How 
sweet the change when the light of God s countenance is thus 
lifted up upon them! How plain is now the way of duty, which 
before was dark and intricate ! And how pleasant is it to " run 
the way of his commandments, now that their feet are set at 
liberty!" 

He will also be to them " a shield." The more upright they 
are, the more will Satan and the world combine against them. 
Men will strike at them with the sword of persecution ; and 
Satan will cast at them the fiery darts of temptation. But God 
will " compass them with his favour as with a shield." If they 
be wounded, he will heal them again, and overrule their mo 
mentary pain for their greater advantage. As for their head, 
he will surely protect it in the day of battle. He will perfectly 
secure them from every fatal blow. Nor shall any weapon that 
is formed against them be ever suffered finally to prosper 1 . 

d ver. 10. e Ps. cxix. 128. f Ps. cxix. 5. 

s This metaphor must not be taken in its full extent, but only in 
reference to a traveller. h Ps. cxii. 4. 

1 Mic. vii. 8. k Mai. iv. 2. * Isai. liv. 17. 



PROMISES TO THE UPRIGHT. 79 

Whilst God himself thus becomes their light and protection, 
he informs us further,] 

What he will do for them 

[He will give them grace. Certain it is that he must have 
given them grace before, or else they never would have been 
able to attain to real uprightness. But, as their conflicts in 
crease, he will give them more grace" 1 . As particular occasions 
call for it, he will give them seasonable grace, even in the very 
time of need 11 . And if their temptations should exceed all that 
ever were experienced by man, he will give them grace sufficient 
for them . " My grace is sufficient for thee," is his word to 
every soul, however buffeted by Satan, or ready to sink under 
the violence of his assaults. " They shall receive continually 
out of Christ s fulness, even grace for grace." 

He will also give them glory. His favours to them shall not 
terminate with their present state of existence. He will not 
only make them more than conquerors here, but will give them 
an unfading crown of righteousness and glory in a better world. 
Whatever felicity the angels enjoy in heaven, that shall his 
saints also participate. And as our first parents were banished 
from the tree of life for yielding to the tempter, so shall they, 
who resist and overcome him, be admitted to the tree of life 
that grows in the midst of the paradise of God, and shall go no 
more out for ever P. 

" Nor will he withhold from them any thing that is truly good." 
Were wealth and honour good for them here below, they should 
possess it. If God withhold those things from his people now, 
he does it because he knows that they would not, on the whole, 
be good for them. He that gave his own Son to die for them, 
will assuredly give them all other things that will promote their 
welfare. They shall never want any thing for body or soul, for 
time or eternity.] 

INFER 

1. How truly blessed are they who are upright 
before God! 

[This is the Psalmist s own reflection q . He varies indeed 
the term by which he describes the people of God ; but his 
meaning is the same ; for none can be upright except those 
who trust in him, because nothing but the grace of God can 
make them so : nor do any trust in him without receiving that 
grace which shall make them upright. The manner in which 
he expresses his reflection, is worthy of notice ; he does not 
merely assert it as a fact, or appeal to men for the truth of it, 
but appeals to God himself respecting it. " O Lord God of 

m Jam. iv. 6. n Heb. iv. 16. 2 Cor. xii. 9. 

P Rev. ii. 7. 1 ver. 12. 



80 PSALMS, LXXXV. 8. [642. 

hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." How strong 
must have been the conviction of it in his mind! And can 
any thing be more clear? To have the LORD GOD himself 
for their light and defence, and to have all the blessings of 
grace and glory ensured to them by the unalterable promise 
of JEHOVAH; what can they have more? Let every upright 
soul then rejoice ; for he is and shall be blessed. And let all 
be stirred up to walk worthy of their high calling. So shall 
God be glorified in them ; and they, ere long, be glorified with 
him for evermore.] 

2. In what a pitiable state are the generality of 
mankind ! 

[There are many who are honest and just even among the 
heathen. But, alas! the generality labour not in earnest to 
find out their duty; nor do they know any thing of that unre 
served devotedness to God which characterizes the true Chris 
tian. Is God then a sun to them ? Is he not rather a cloud 
of darkness to them, or rather, I should say, a consuming fire r ? 
Is he a shield to them ? Is he not rather an irresistible adver 
sary s ? Will he give them grace and glory? Shall he not rather 
visit them with wrath and fiery indignation 1 ? Will he with 
hold from them no good ? Is there not rather a time shortly 
coming when they shall not have so much as a drop of water 
to cool their tongue ? O that men would consider this ! Surely 
their state calls for much compassion. Let every one lay this to 
heart. Let every one seek to be found " an Israelite indeed, in 
whom is no guile." And let it be the one ambition of us all to 
be found of God in peace, without spot and blameless".] 

r Exod. xiv. 20. Heb. xii. 29. s Matt. v. 25. 

t Rom. ii. 8. u 2 Pet. iii. 14. 

DCXLII. 

ATTENTION TO GOD s WORD ENCOURAGED. 

Ps. Ixxxv. 8. / will hear what God the Lord will speak : for 
he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints : but 
let them not turn again to folly. 

IF we would obtain any blessing from God, we 
must seek it in the exercise of fervent prayer. Yet 
shall we not really obtain a blessing, unless we look 
up to God in expectation of an answer to our prayers. 
In this respect we must resemble a beggar who sup 
plicates for alms. He is not satisfied with having 
presented his petition : he waits for an answer ; and 
never considers himself as having succeeded in his 



642.] ATTENTION TO GOD s WORD ENCOURAGED. 81 

requests, till he is in the actual enjoyment of the 
desired boon. This waiting spirit was exemplified in 
David, when he said, "In the morning will I direct 
my prayer unto thee, and will look up*." In like 
manner it is illustrated in the psalm before us, which 
seems to have been written after the Babylonish 
captivity, but previous to the complete and quiet 
settlement of the people in their own land. The 
petitions which are offered are extremely urgent : 
" Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine 
anger towards us to cease ! Wilt thou be angry with 
us for ever ? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all 
generations ? Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy 
people may rejoice in thee ? Shew us thy mercy, O 
Lord, and grant us thy salvation b ." The petitioner, 
then, determines to listen to God s voice, in the hope 
that he shall, in due season, receive an answer of 
peace : " I will hear what God the Lord will speak." 
Let us, for the elucidation of this subject, consider, 

I. The attention to be paid to the word of God 

[The word, whether as contained in the inspired volume, 
or as delivered to us by the ministers of Christ, is truly and 
properly God s ; and, as his, it should be received by us vvitli 
the deepest reverence. When St. Paul ministered at Thessa- 
lonica, the people "received his word, not as the word of man, 
but as the word of God :" and for that he specially commends 
them . And thus, whether written or preached, it must be 
received by us. Whether we open the inspired volume our 
selves, or go up to hear it in the house of God, we must, like 
Cornelius and his family, place ourselves as in the immediate 
presence of God, "to hear all that is commanded us of God d :" 
and with meek submission we must say, like Samuel, " Speak, 
Lord, for thy servant heareth e ."] 

But in our text we are informed, 

II. What particular reason there is for that attention 

[" The Lord will speak peace unto his people and to his 
saints : " however much they have deserved his wrath and in 
dignation, he will not retain his anger against them, if only 
they give ear to his word, and set themselves diligently to obey 
it. To the impenitent he never utters a single word of peace : 

a Ps. v. 3. b ver. 47. c 1 Thess. ii. 13. 

d Acts x. 33. e 1 Sam. iii. 10. 

VOL. VI. G 



82 PSALMS, LXXXV. 8. [642. 

but to the humble and contrite soul, that relies on his pro 
mises in Christ Jesus, there is not a syllable throughout all the 
inspired volume that leads to discouragement : grace, mercy, 
and peace are held forth to all of this character. These, 
though but in an infantine state, are God s "saints and people;" 
and for them are prepared " a peace that passeth all under 
standing," and " a joy that is unspeakable and glorified. " 
Shall such tidings, then, be announced, and the trembling soul 
not listen to them ? If there were nothing but precepts pro 
claimed, they should be listened to with the most reverent 
attention : but, when nothing but the voice of love and mercy 
sounds in our ears, it must be strange indeed if we do not hear 
it with the devoutest gratitude, and treasure it up in our minds 
as a source of the richest consolation.] 

With this attention, however, must be blended a 
regard to, 

III. The ultimate scope and object of all his gra 
cious declarations 

[Sin, under what circumstances soever it be committed, is 
" folly" in the extreme : and to turn us from that folly is the 
true end of all that God has done for us. "Our Lord Jesus 
Christ gave himself for us, to deliver us from this present evil 
world, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of 
good works f ." To him, therefore, we must cleave in a way of 
holiness, never for a moment turning back to our evil ways, or 
even so much as " looking back after having once put our 
hands to the plough g ." For, whatever we may have experi 
enced, it will all cease to be of any value in the sight of God 
the very instant we depart from his holy ways h : yea, it will 
be " better never to have known the way of righteousness at 
all, than after having known it, to depart from it 1 ." It is " by 
patient continuance in well-doing that we must seek for eter 
nal life k ;" and only by enduring to the end, can we ever attain 
the promised salvation *.] 

Let me, then, ADDRESS 
1. The inattentive hearer 

[God speaks in his word : but the generality of the world, 
though within reach of the sound, hear him not : " They have 
no ears to hear." But let me ask, Will you be always able to 
shut your ears against his voice? Will you not hear him 
when he shall summon both the quick and dead to his tribu 
nal ? Will you be deaf to his voice when he shall pronounce 
upon you that awful doom, " Depart accursed into everlasting 

f Tit. ii. 14. s Luke ix. 62. h Ezek. xxxiii. 18. 

1 2 Pet. ii. 21. k Rom. ii. 7. ] Mark xiii. 13. 



643.] GOD S PERFECTIONS RECONCILED IN CHRIST. 83 

fire prepared for the devil and his angels ? " If, then, you must 
listen to him in that day, would it not be wise to regard him 
now ? Be assured the day will come when you will regret that 
presumptuous indifference which now you manifest ; and when, 
if you turn not to him in sincerity and truth, you will "call upon 
the rocks and mountains in vain to hide you from his wrath."] 

2. The backsliding professor 

[What have you gained by returning to the world ? Nay, 
have you not lost the peace which you once enjoyed ? You 
may pretend to possess a quiet mind ; but you do not : or, if 
you do, it is only by drowning the voice of conscience, and 
silencing its remonstrances. Compare the penitential sorrows 
which you once felt, with the liveliest joys that you now expe 
rience ; and then say, whether you were not really happier 
when weeping for your sins, than you now are when launching 
into either the cares or pleasures of the world ? I well know 
the answer you must give, if you will speak truly ; and there 
fore you, of all men, are constrained to acknowledge the folly 
of sin. " Remember, then, whence you have fallen, and repent ; 
and do your first works m ." But if you will not repent and turn 
to God, then prepare to meet him in judgment, and to receive 
at his hands the just recompence of your deeds.] 

3. The obedient saint- 
fit is your privilege to have your " peace flowing down 

like a river." And such it will be, if you apply to your souls 
the many " great and precious promises " which are given you 
in the Gospel. Search them out, therefore, and treasure them 
up in your minds. Hear God himself speaking to you in them : 
and so embrace them, as to live upon them, and to derive from 
them all the consolation which they are calculated to impart. In 
this way will you be kept from spiritual declension, and will 
be enabled to " cleanse yourselves from all filthiness both of 
flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God"."] 

m Rev. ii. 5. "2 Cor. vii. 1. 



DCXLIII. 

THE PERFECTIONS OF GOD RECONCILED IN CHRIST JESUS. 

Ps. Ixxxv. 9, 10. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear 
him, that glory may dwell in our land. Mercy and truth 
are met together ; righteousness and peace have kissed each 
other. 

WE are told in Scripture, that " the prayer of the 
upright is God s delight :" and in instances without 
number has he evinced the truth of this saying. If 



84 PSALMS, LXXXV. 9, 10. [643. 

only we wait upon him with humility, and listen to 
his voice, "he will speak peace unto us a ." The 
writer of this psalm, which was most probably com 
posed after the return of the Jews from their cap 
tivity in Babylon, records for our instruction, that he 
sought not the Lord in vain. The people, though 
restored, found many difficulties to encounter : and 
the Psalmist earnestly entreated God to perfect for 
them what he had begun, and to establish the nation 
in righteousness and peace b . In answer to this 
prayer, God assured him, not only that the blessings 
which had been solicited should be conferred, but 
that the more glorious redemption, which was sha 
dowed forth by those events, should in due time be 
accomplished. In this sense of the passage all the 
best interpreters concur : and it perfectly accords 
with the general language of the Prophets, which, in 
addition to the literal meaning, has also a spiritual 
or mystical sense ; and which, under images appa 
rently relating only to one peculiar people, has 
respect to Christ and his Church to the end of time. 
Taking the words then in a prophetical sense, we 
may notice in them, 
I. The obstacles on God s part to the salvation of 

man- 
When man fell, the "truth and righteousness" of 
God required that the penalties of his transgression 
should be executed upon him 

[To man in Paradise, God gave liberty to eat of every tree 
in the garden, except the tree of the knowledge of good and 
evil: but in reference to that tree he said, " In the day that 
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." This death com 
prehended not merely the dissolution of the body, but the de 
struction also of the soul, even that everlasting destruction 
from which the second Adam has delivered us : according as it 
is written, " The wages of sin is death ; but the gift of God is 
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord c ." From the moment 
therefore of his transgression, man became obnoxious to this 
punishment ; and the truth of God was pledged to inflict it. 
Moreover, God as a righteous Governor could not but maintain 
the honour of his law. His justice was engaged not to suffer 
the violations of that law to pass unpunished.] 

a ver. 8. b ver. 17. c Rom. v. 1219. and \i. 23. 



643.] GOD S PERFECTIONS RECONCILED IN CHRIST. 85 

This presented an apparently insurmountable ob 
stacle to man s salvation 

[To say that God could not have found some other means 
of satisfying the demands of truth and righteousness, would be 
presumptuous, because the resources of his wisdom are infinite : 
but we are perfectly justified in saying, that he could not save 
man unless some way of satisfying the demands of truth and 
righteousness were found. However God might desire to 
exercise mercy, and to be at peace with man, he could not 
do it at the expense of any other of his perfections. St. Paul 
himself frequently assigns this limit to the divine procedure : 
" God cannot lie," says he : and again, " It is impossible for 
God to lie :" and again, " God cannot deny himself." Again 
he says, " Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid." 
It is plain, therefore, that unless a way could be found for 
" mercy and truth to meet together, and righteousness and 
peace to kiss each other," no hope could be entertained for 
fallen man: the judgments denounced against him must be 
executed ; and, having partaken with the fallen angels in their 
guilt, he must partake with them also in their misery.] 

But, formidable as these obstacles were, we behold 
in our text, 
II. The way in which they are removed 

All has been done for man that was required of man 
[A substitute has been provided for our guilty race. The 
Son of God himself has come down from heaven, and been 
made under the law, that, in the very nature that had sinned, 
he might bear the penalty of sin, and fulfil the utmost possible 
demands of that law which we had broken. True it is, that 
the law denounced eternal death ; and that Christ bore that 
penalty only for a season: but then it must be remembered, 
that he was God, as well as man : and from his godhead is 
derived a virtue on all that he did or suffered, a virtue which 
is fully adequate to the obedience or sufferings of the whole 
world. Indeed the law gains more honour by the sufferings 
of our incarnate God, than it ever could have gained from the 
sufferings of the whole human race : for, if man had undertaken 
to pay the penalty, no time could ever have arrived, when it 
might be said, " Now divine justice is satisfied, and the law has 
received a full compensation for the dishonour done to it:" 
but in the sufferings of God s co-equal Son there is " a full, 
perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation and satisfaction for the 
sins of the whole world." In his obedience also to the law 
there is an honour done to it far beyond all that could have 
accrued to it from the obedience of man. That God himself 
should become subject to his own law, and fulfil in his own 



86 PSALMS, LXXXV. 9, 10. [643. 

person all that is required of his creatures, is such an exalted 
honour to the law, that it may well be regarded as a sufficient 
substitute for the obedience of man, and as an adequate ground 
for the justification of all who shall trust in it d .] 

Thus a way is opened for man s salvation, in per 
fect consistency with every perfection of the Deity 
[" Truth and righteousness" are now completely satisfied. 
They demanded a perfect fulfilment of the law ; and the law 
has been perfectly fulfilled : they demanded the penalty of death 
to be inflicted on account of sin ; and it has been inflicted on 
the sinner s substitute. Now as a debt, discharged by a surety, 
can no longer be demanded of the principal, so can our debt 
no longer be demanded of us, if we plead what Christ has 
done and suffered for us. And, as a thing purchased for any 
person, belongs to him for whom it was purchased, so we, who 
have all the glory of heaven purchased for us by our adorable 
Emmanuel, have a right to it, if we plead the purchase he has 
made. Hence it appears that truth and righteousness are no 
longer against us, but are rather on our side ; and, instead of 
demanding, as before, the destruction of our souls, are become 
advocates for our free and full salvation. Justice now says, 
Pay them, O God, what their Redeemer has purchased for 
them : and Truth says, Fulfil to them, O Lord, all that thou 
hast promised to those who believe in Jesus.] 

But let us more particularly consider, 
III. The blessed consequences of the removal of them 

[Salvation is now accessible to all : it is come both to Jews 
and Gentiles : " It is near unto us." To those especially " who 
fear the Lord," it is near, even " in their mouth and in their 
heart 6 ." No longer does the fiery sword prohibit our access 
to the tree of life. " Mercy" has now full scope for the freest 
exercise. God can now be " a just God, and yet a SaviourV 
He " declares his righteousness," no less than his mercy, " in 
the forgiveness of sins ; and is just, and yet the justifier of all 
who believe in Christ g ." Hence he proclaims " peace" to all 
that are afar off h . He establishes his tabernacle in the midst 
of us : and invites all to come unto him, even to his mercy-seat, 
in full assurance of faith. " In every corner of the land his 
glory dwells 1 :" and all who truly fear him may have daily 
" fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." 
The manner in which this assertion is made, deserves particular 
atention : " Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him." 
This blessed truth admits not of the smallest doubt : it may be 

d Isai. xlii. 21. R om . x . g, 9. f Isai. xlv. 21. 

R Rom. iii. 25, 26. h Eph. ii. 17. * Isai. iv. 5. 



643. J GOD S PERFECTIONS RECONCILED IN CHRIST. 87 

fully and firmly depended upon. A spring of great elastic 
force does not more certainly rise up when the superincumbent 
pressure is withdrawn from it, than mercy issues from the bosom 
of our God now that the obstacles to its exercise are removed.] 

BEHOLD then how replete this passage is with, 

1. Instruction to the ignorant 

[Men differ much about the way of salvation : but this 
passage clearly determines who is right. That plan of salva 
tion, and that alone, is right, which is carried into effect in 
perfect consistency with all the attributes of God. But there 
is no way that provides for the honour of God s truth and 
righteousness, but that which is revealed in the Gospel, the 
way of salvation by faith in Christ. Nothing but Christ s 
obedience unto death ever did, or ever could, answer the de 
mands of law and justice : nothing but Christ s completion of 
that work in the quality of our Surety could enable the sinner 
to say to the supreme Governor of the universe, " Avert thy 
wrath from me ; for I have already endured it in my Surety ; 
and give me everlasting glory, for I, in the person of my 
Surety, have fulfilled all righteousness, and perfectly obeyed 
thy law." But the Believer may adopt this language ; since 
God himself has said, that " Christ, who knew no sin, was made 
sin for us, that we, who had no righteousness, might be made 
the righteousness of God in him." Let the uninstructed bear 
this in mind, and " determine to know nothing" as a ground of 
hope towards God, " but Jesus Christ, and him crucified."] 

2. Terror to the presumptuous 

[It is surprising what a measure of confidence some will 
express, notwithstanding neither their principles nor their 
conduct at all accord with the Scriptures of Truth. But we 
must declare to all, that both in the foundation of our hope, 
and in the superstructure built upon it, " Mercy and truth must 
meet together, and righteousness and peace must kiss each 
other." We have before shewn, that no one perfection of the 
Deity will display itself at the expense of another : all must 
unite and harmonize in every work of his : it is as impossible 
for God in any one instance to violate his righteousness or 
truth, as for him to cease from his existence. In us also must 
those graces which correspond with his perfections be found in 
united and harmonious exercise : we must be just and true, and 
merciful and kind : yea, it is by our conformity to the Divine 
image in righteousness and true holiness, that we must judge of 
our state before him : for, however accurate our views of his 
Gospel may be, it is a certain truth, that " without holiness no 
man shall see the Lord : " " Truth must spring out of the earth, 
if ever righteousness shall look down from heaven V] 
k ver. 11. with Isai. xlv. 8. 



88 PSALMS, LXXXVI. 15. [644. 

3. Consolation to the timid- 
fit is frequently amongst those who truly " fear God" a 
matter of doubt and anxiety, whether God can pardon them : 
they see their manifold imperfections in so strong a light, that 
God appears to them bound, as it were, in justice, to banish 
them from his presence, yea, and bound in truth also to exe 
cute his threatenings upon them. But let such persons view 
God, not as he is in himself, but as he is in Christ Jesus. 
There it is that he must be seen as a God of love and peace. 
There it is that the drooping penitent may behold him " as a 
reconciled God, who will never impute to him his trespasses V 
Yes, in Christ Jesus, " God is not only merciful and kind, but 
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from 
all unrighteousness." Dismiss then your fears, ye trembling 
saints ; and put your trust in Him, who has in so wonderful a 
way removed all the obstacles to your salvation. The veil of 
the temple was rent in twain on purpose to shew you, that 
henceforth there is free access to God for every sinner upon 
earth, and that all who approach him in that new and living 
way, by faith in Christ Jesus, shall surely find acceptance with 
him. If God will be just in punishing the ungodly, he will be 
no less just to his Son in pardoning all who plead the merit of 
his blood : and if he will be true in executing his threatenings, 
he will be no less true in fulfilling his exceeding great and 
precious promises. Only rely on them, and plead them at a 
throne of grace, and you shall never, never be disappointed of 
your hope.] 

i 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. "i ] j o hn i. 9. 

DCXLIV. 

A PRAYING SPIRIT EXEMPLIFIED. 

Ps. Ixxxvi. 1 5. Boiv down thine ear, O Lord ! hear me ; 
for I am poor and needy . Preserve my soul ; for I am holy. 
O thou my God, save thy servant that trust eth in thee ! Be 
merciful unto me, Lord ! for I cry unto thee daily. Re 
joice the soul of thy servant : for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift 
up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; 
plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. 

TRUE and genuine piety cannot always be cer 
tainly known by men s intercourse with their fellow- 
creatures. Appearances may be so plausible, that 
they cannot, except by Him who searcheth the heart, 
be distinguished from realities. But in their inter 
course with the Deity, the truth or falsehood of their 



644.] A PRAYING SPIRIT EXEMPLIFIED. 89 

profession may be clearly discerned. The most re 
fined hypocrite may, by examining the state of his 
soul in his private devotions, obtain the certain 
means of discovering his proper character, provided 
he have his standard rightly fixed, and his test im 
partially applied. To furnish such a standard, is our 
object in the present discourse. We here behold 
the man after God s own heart drawing nigh to a 
throne of grace, and pouring out his soul in suppli 
cations before God : and we wish to call your atten 
tion especially to the spirit which he manifested in 
this sacred duty, since it will serve as an excellent 
criterion whereby to try and judge ourselves. 

Let us then consider, 
I. The subject-matter of his prayer 

It should seem that David was now under great 
affliction, either from the persecutions of Saul, or 
from the unnatural rebellion of his son Absalom : 
and his prayers may well be understood, in the first 
instance, as relating to his temporal trials. But, as 
it is of his soul that he chiefly speaks, we shall dwell 
upon his prayer principally in that view. Let us 
notice then, 

1. His petitions 

[St. Paul, in both his Epistles to Timothy, prays, that 
"grace, and mercy, and peace" may be multiplied upon him. 
These three terms comprehend the substance of the Psalmist s 
petitions. He desired " grace," to " preserve and save his soul." 
He desired " mercy ;" " Be merciful unto me, O Lord !" And 
he desired " peace;" " Rejoice the soul of thy servant, O Lord!" 
Now these are such petitions as every sinner in the universe 
should offer. There are no other that can be compared with 
them, in point of importance to the souls of men. As for all 
the objects of time and sense, they sink into perfect insignifi 
cance before the things which appertain to our everlasting 
salvation. To all therefore I would say, Seek what David 
sought. Cry mightily to God to have mercy upon you, and 
to preserve and save your soul : and when you have done that, 
you may fitly pray also for that consolation and joy, which a 
sense of his pardoning love will produce in the soul.] 

2. His pleas 

[These are taken, partly, from what he experienced in his 
own soul; and, partly, from the character of God himself . 



90 PSALMS, LXXXVI. 15. [644. 

Observe how he urges, what he experienced in his own soul. 
The things which God himself requires from us, in order to the 
acceptance of our prayers, are, a deep sense of our necessities, 
an entire surrender of our souls to him, a reliance on him for 
all needful blessings, and a continual application to him in a 
way of fervent and believing prayer. Behold, these are the 
very things which David at this time experienced, and which 
therefore he pleaded before God as evidences of the sincerity 
of his prayers : " Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me ; 
for I am poor and needy!" And who is there that must not 
adopt the same acknowledgment ? Who that considers, how 
destitute his soul is of all that is truly good, will not find these 
words exactly descriptive of his state? Again, the Psalmist 
prays, " Preserve my soul ; for / am holy." We must not 
imagine that David here meant to boast of his high attainments 
in holiness: the term " holy" is applied in Scripture to every 
thing that is dedicated to God, though from its very nature it 
cannot possess any inherent sanctity : the temple of God, the 
vessels of the sanctuary, and all the offerings, were holy, be 
cause they were set apart for God. So David here speaks of 
himself as " set apart for God a :" and his expression is exactly 
equivalent to that which he uses in another place; " I am 
THINE; save meV This then is another plea which it be 
comes us all to use. As the Israelites were " a holy nation ," 
so are we d : and if we have given up ourselves unreservedly 
to God, we may well hope, that he will hear and answer our 
petitions. Once more David says, " Save me ; for / trust in 
Thee." This also was a most acceptable plea. If we ask with 
a wavering and doubtful mind, we can never succeed 6 : but the 
prayer of faith must of necessity prevail f . The suppliant who 
truly and habitually trusts in God, can never be disappointed. 
Lastly, David says, " I cry unto thee daily :" " Unto thee, O 
Lord, do I lift up my soul" God " will be inquired of, to do 
for us the things that he has promised." " If we ask, we shall 
have ; if we seek, we shall find ; if we knock, it shall be opened 
unto us g :" but, if we ask not, we shall not, we cannot, have h . 

But David s chief plea is taken from the character of God 
himself : and this is, in reality, the most satisfactory to the 
human mind, and most acceptable to the Divine Majesty, who 
" will work for his own great Name s sake," when all other 
grounds of hope are subverted and lost. Towards his creatures 
generally, whether rational or irrational, God is "good;" but 
towards the children of men he is "ready to forgive, and plen- 

a See Ps. iv. 3. b Ps. cxix. 94. c Exod. xix. 6. 

d 1 Pet. ii. 9. e Jam. i. 6, 7. 

f Matt. xxi. 22. Mark xi. 24. g Matt. vii. 7, 8. 

h Jam. iv. 2. 



644. ] A PRAYING SPIRIT EXEMPLIFIED. 91 

teous in mercy unto all that call upon him." No mother is so 
tender towards her new-born child, as God is towards his peni 
tent and believing people. He is far more " ready to forgive," 
than they are to ask forgiveness ; and will multiply his pardons 
beyond all the multitude of their offences 1 . " Where sin has 
abounded, his grace shall much more abound k ." The freeness 
and fulness of God s grace should be clearly seen, and confidently 
relied upon : but then we must never forget, that this glorious 
perfection shines only in the face of Jesus Christ. It is in Christ 
only that God can pardon sinners in consistency with his jus 
tice : but in Christ, " he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 ." In Christ there 
fore, and in God as reconciled to us through the blood of his 
Son, must be all our hope. If we rest solely on Christ s obe 
dience unto death, all will be well ; for " in him all the promises 
of God are yea, and amen m ." But, if we look at God in any 
way but as in the person of Christ, we shall surely find him " a 
consuming fire"."] 

The prayer itself not calling for any farther eluci 
dation, we proceed to notice, 
II. The spirit manifested in it- 
Here the subject is peculiarly important, because 
it exhibits in so striking a view the dispositions of 
mind which we should invariably exercise in our 
approaches to the Divine Majesty. In this example 
of David, then observe, 

1. His meekness and modesty 

[He approaches God, as a sinner ought to do, with reve 
rential awe. He exhibits none of that unhallowed boldness, and 
indecent familiarity, which are so commonly to be noticed in the 
prayers of many at this day. It is much to be lamented that 
many address God almost as if he were an equal. We speak 
not now of that irreverence with which people, altogether igno 
rant of religion, conduct themselves in the public services of the 
church ; (though that is deeply to be deplored ;) but of the 
state of mind manifested by many religious people, ministers, as 
well as others, in their public and social addresses to the throne 
of Heaven. How different, alas ! is it from that which is incul 
cated, both in the Scriptures , and in the Liturgy of our Church! 
In the Liturgy, the people are exhorted to " accompany their 
minister with a pure heart and humble voice to the throne of the 
heavenly grace :" and, in another place, " to make their humble 
confession to Almighty God, meekly kneeling on their knees." 

* Isai. Iv. 79. k Rom. v. 20. ] Rom. iii. 24, 25. 

m 2 Cor. i. 20. n Heb. xii. 29. Ps. Ixxxix. 7. Eccl. v. 2. 



92 PSALMS, LXXXVI. 15. [644. 

This is a lovely state of mind, and as opposite to that which many 
religious people manifest, as light to darkness. Many whose 
religious principles differ widely from the self-applauding Pha 
risee, resemble him very nearly in his spirit and conduct : but 
let us, on the contrary, imitate the publican, who, " not ven 
turing so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven, smote upon his 
breast, and cried, God be merciful to me a sinner."] 

2. His humility and contrition 

[He felt himself a guilty and undone creature, deserving of 
God s everlasting displeasure : and hence he cried so repeatedly 
for mercy and salvation. And here again we see how the same 
views and dispositions are inculcated in the services of our 
Church. Let any one peruse the confession which is daily 
offered or that which we are taught to utter at the table 

of the Lord or let him read the responses after every 

one of the Ten Commandments or the repeated cries, 

" Lord, have mercy upon me ! Christ, have mercy upon me ! 
Lord, have mercy upon me ! " and he will see at once, what a 
beautiful harmony there is between our Liturgy and the Holy 
Scriptures ; and what distinguished saints all her members would 
be, if the Spirit of her Liturgy were transfused into their minds. 
This is the state of mind which, above all, we would recommend 
to those who desire to find acceptance with God : for " to this 
man will God look, even to him who is of a broken and contrite 
spirit p :" this is the sacrifice which, above all, God requires, and 
which he has assured us "he will never despiseV] 

3. His faith and love 

[David did not so view his own sinfulness as to distrust the 
mercy of his heavenly Father ; but rather took occasion from 
his own sinfulness to magnify still more the free and supera- 
bounding grace of God. In this, his example is especially to 
be followed. Nothing can warrant us to limit the mercy of our 
God. O how " ready is he to forgive " returning penitents ! 
Of this, the conduct of the father towards the repenting pro 
digal is a lively and instructive image. In that parable, the 
compassion of God towards returning sinners is, as it were, 
exhibited even to the eye of sense. Let us then, whatever be our 
state, bear this in mind, that unbelief is a sin which binds all 
our other sins upon us. Never, under any circumstances, 
should we harbour it for a moment. It is enough to have 
resisted God s authority, without proceeding further to rob 
him of the brightest jewels of his crown his grace and 
mercy. The goodness of God, as described in our text, and 
in another subsequent part of this psalm r , is a sufii- 

P Isai. Ivii. 15. and Ixv. 2. <i Ps. li. 17. r ver. 15. 



HOW TO WALK WITH GOD. 93 



645.] 

cient pledge to us, that of those who come to him in his Son s 
name, he never did, nor ever will, cast out so much as one.] 

4. His zeal and earnestness 

[The diversified petitions and pleas which we have already 
considered, together with the renewed urgency of his supplica 
tions in the verse following my text 8 , shew, how determined 
David was not to rest, till he had obtained favour of the Lord. 
And thus must we also "continue instant in prayer: " we must 
" watch unto it with all perseverance ;" we must "pray always, 
and not faint." Alas ! how are we condemned in our own 
minds for our manifold neglects, and for our lukewarmness in 
prayer to God ! But we must not rest satisfied with confessing 
these neglects : we should remedy them, and break through this 
supineness, and correct this negligence, and lie at Bethesda s 
pool till the angel come for our relief. This is suggested to us 
in our text. What we translate, " I cry unto thee daily" is, 
in the margin, " I cry unto thee all the day." O that there were 
in us such a heart ! O that our sense of need were so deep, 
our desire of mercy so ardent, and our faith in God so assured, 
that we were drawn to God with an irresistible and abiding 
impulse ; and that, like Jacob of old, we " wrestled with him 
day and night, saying, I will not let thee go except thou bless 
me 4 ." Such prayer could not but prevail; and such a suppliant 
could not but find everlasting acceptance with God, who is so 
"plenteous in mercy, so ready to forgive 11 ."] 

8 ver. 6. * Gen. xxxii. 24, 26, 28. with Hos. xii. 3 5. 

u Luke xviii. 1 8. 



DCXLV. 

HOW TO WALK WITH GOD. 

Ps. Ixxxvi. 11. Teach me thy way, O Lord! I will walk in 
thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. 

IN mercy, no less than in judgment, does God see 
fit to afflict his people : he does it " for their profit, 
that they may in a more abundant measure be par 
takers of his holiness a ." And when we are brought 
nigh to him by means of our afflictions, then have 
they answered the great end for which they were sent. 

David was a man who enjoyed much communion 
with God ; and probably it was to the extraordinary 
trials with which, for many years, he was visited, 
that he was indebted, under God, for that sublime 

a Heb. xii. 10. 



94 PSALMS, LXXXVI. 11. [645. 

piety which shone so conspicuously in him. In the 
psalm before us, he pours out his soul before God 
under some great and heavy affliction, probably under 
the persecutions of Saul : but it had produced the 
most beneficial effect upon his mind ; seeing that it 
stirred up within him more ardent desires after God, 
and determined him, through grace, to walk more 
diligently in the ways of God : " Teach me thy way, 
O Lord ! I will walk in thy truth : unite my heart to 
fear thy name." 

In these words we see the two great requisites for 
an acceptable walk with God ; which are, 

I. An illumination of mind, that we may know His 

ways 

[We know nothing of God or his ways, any farther than 
he has seen fit to reveal himself to us (How little our 
unassisted reason can teach us, has abundantly appeared in all 
the philosophers of Greece and Rome.) Least of all can we 
know any thing of the way which he has appointed for our 
reconciliation with him through the blood of his Son : respect 
ing that no finite intelligence could have formed any con 
ception, if it had not been made known to us by a special 
communication from heaven But we need also, yet 
further, a special revelation of it to our own souls. The mere 
report, as contained in the written word, is not of itself suffi 
cient to bring us to a saving knowledge of these sublime truths : 
Christ must be revealed in us b , as well as to us, or we shall 
never " know him as we ought." These great things are, in 
deed, " freely given to us of God:" yet must we " receive the 
Spirit of God, in order that we may know them" aright : 
He must, as " a Spirit of wisdom and revelation," open the eyes 
of our understanding, before we can comprehend d this great 
mystery, so as really to acquiesce in it, and cordially to come 
to Christ as "the way, the truth, and the life 6 " - - If the 

Apostles themselves, after above three years attendance on 
the public and private instructions of our Lord, yet needed to 
have " their understandings opened, in order that they might 
understand the Scriptures f ," there can be no doubt but that 
the same is necessary for us all ; and that we all need to cry 
with David, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous 
things out of thy law g ;" or, as he speaks more fully in another 
psalm, " Shew me thy ways, O Lord ; teach me thy paths ; 

b Gal. i. 16. c 1 Cor. ii. 12. d Eph. i. 17, 18. 

e John xiv. 6. f Luke xxiv. 45. e Ps. cxix. 18. 



645.] HOW TO WALK WITH GOD. 95 

lead me in thy truth, and teach me : for thou art the God of 
my salvation : on thee do I wait all the day V] 

To this must be added, 

II. A concentration of our souls, that we may walk 
in it 

[Our heart by nature is divided amongst ten thousand 
vanities, all of which are sought in preference to God. What 
ever can contribute to the satisfaction of the carnal mind be 
comes, on that account, an object of desire ; and according as 
our prospects of attaining it are varied, our hopes and fears, 
our joys and sorrows, are called forth into powerful and suc 
cessive operation. But the powers of the soul are not to be 
so abused : they were given by God in order that they might 
be employed in his service : and in order to an acceptable walk 
with him, they must all centre in him. He will not accept a 
divided heart. Whosoever possesses that, " will be found 
faulty 1 . God says, " My son, give ME thine heart k :" and it 
must be given to him entire. To him it must be exclusively 
devoted, in all its faculties : at least, nothing must be an object 
of hope or fear, joy or sorrow, but in subserviency to his glory, 
and in obedience to his command. " We cannot serve God 
and Mammon too 1 ." There is " a singleness of eye," and "a 
singleness of heart," that is indispensable to a right walking 
with God m : without that we cannot be " Israelites indeed 11 ," 
or approve ourselves to " Him who searcheth the heart and 
trieth the reins " ] 

ADDRESS 

1 . Those who think it an easy thing to serve God 
[Many have an idea that this is so easy a matter, that 
they may execute it at any time, whenever satiety shall have 
rendered them less anxious about carnal enjoyments, or the 
approach of death shall render a preparation for eternity more 
an object of desire. But supposing it to be so easy, how great 
must be their guilt in neglecting it! Is it so easy a matter to 
please, and serve, and honour God : and will they not do it ? 
Then " out of their own mouth shall they be judged :" and the 
heaviest condemnation shall be awarded to them, because they 
would rather rebel against their God and " provoke the eyes of 
his glory " by their impieties, than they would take on them, what 
they themselves acknowledged to be, his " light and easy yoke." 

But if it be, indeed, so easy, try it; and see if it be so easy 
to come to God in his appointed " way." See, if you can come 
with brokenness of heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the 

h Ps. xxv. 4, 5. Hos. x. 2. k Prov. xxiii. 26. 

1 Matt. vi. 24. m Acts ii. 46. Col.iii.22. n John i. 47. 



96 PSALMS, LXXXVI. 11. [645. 

Father through him, imploring mercy solely through the blood 

and righteousness of your adorable Saviour You will 

soon find that the proud heart of man does not easily stoop to 
so humiliating a way of approaching God. If you might come 
in your own name, and in your own righteousness, you would 
perhaps consent to do it : but to come with penitential sorrow 
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in a simple depend 
ence on his atoning sacrifice, is a work to which you are utterly 
averse, and which none but God can enable you to perform. 

Again, if it be so easy to gather in all the affections of the 
soul, and to fix them exclusively on God. do it. But you will 
find that this is far beyond the power of man to effect. In 
order to this, you must have " a new heart given you, and a 
right spirit renewed within you : " nor can any power short of 
that which created the world at first form such a new creation 
within you. Lay aside, then, your vain conceits respecting 
this matter; and begin, without delay, that work, which a 
whole life is short enough to accomplish, and which, if not 
wrought speedily, may soon become a subject of remediless and 
endless woe ] 

2. Those who desire, but find it difficult to serve 
him 

[You, probably, have depended too much on the resolu 
tions you have formed. I am far from disapproving of reso 
lutions, if formed in dependence upon God. Joshua s has been 
the just subject of applause in all ages : " As for me and my 
house, we will serve the Lord ." But Peter has sufficiently 
shewn how weak all human strength is, when unaided from on 
high. It is by prayer alone that we can hope to prevail, either 
for the illumination of our minds, or the concentration of our 
souls, both of which are so necessary in this good work. David 
was no novice in the divine life ; yet did he cry, " Teach me 
thy way, O Lord ; and unite my heart to fear thee ! " And, 
if he had not so cried to the Lord, in vain would he have said, 
" I will walk in thy truth." If then he, notwithstanding his 
attainments, still had recourse to God in prayer, know, that 
there is no other way for us to prevail ; and that, if you would 
succeed according to your desire, you must cry day and night 
to God in prayer, and bring down from him those supplies of 
grace and strength which are so needful for you ] 

3. Those who are really walking with God accord 
ing to his command 

[Be not discouraged, if you should find that, notwith 
standing your good endeavours, you make not all the advance 

Josh. xxiv. 15. 



646.] THE GLORY OF ZION. " 97 

that you could wish. You yet have flesh, as well as spirit; 
and " if the spirit lust against the flesh, so will the flesh still 
strive against the spirit p ." You will yet find a law of sin in 
your members, warring against the law of your minds, and con 
straining you at times to cry out, " O ! wretched man that 
I am! who shall deliver me q ?" But go forward, in humble 
dependence on God. " Continue instant in prayer." Let not 
your hands hang down ; but let them be stretched forth to God 
in continual supplications ; and he will come to your relief. 
He will embitter to you the vanities on which you are tempted 
to set your affections, and will gradually get himself the victory 
over all the enemies of your souls. It was only " by little and 
little that he drove out the Canaanites" before his people of old; 
and it is not to be expected that you should have no difficulties 
to contend with, no conflicts to sustain. But remember where 
your strength is ; and, "as ye have received the Lord Jesus 
Christ, so walk ye in him, rooted and built up in him, and esta 
blished in the faith as ye have been taught, and abounding 
therein with thanksgiving r :" so will he " preserve you blame 
less unto his heavenly kingdom," and " present you faultless 
before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy."] 

P Gal. v. 17. Rom. vii. 23, 24. r Col. ii. G, 7. 



DCXLVI. 

THE GLORY OF ZION. 

Ps. Ixxxvii. 3. Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of 

God, 

THE city here spoken of, is Zion : of whose 
praises the whole Scriptures speak. She is repre 
sented as " beautiful for situation, and as being the 
joy of the whole earth a ." Even God himself is repre 
sented as delighting in her, and as " loving the gates 
of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob V Why 
she, and the Church which is represented by her, 
are so high in the estimation of God and man, it will 
be not unimportant to consider. 

To bring the subject fully before you, I will shew, 
I. What glorious things are spoken of her 

Amongst the many things spoken of her in Scrip 
ture, she is particularly commended, 

1. As the residence of the Deity 

a Ps. xlviii. 2. b ver. 2. 

VOL. VI. H 



98 PSALMS, LXXXVIL 3. [646. 

[God chose Zion of old for his habitation, and delighted 
to make that above all other cities in the universe " the place 
of his rest c ." There he abode in that bright symbol of his pre 
sence, the Shechinah, " dwelling between the cherubims d ." 
There his people assembled by his appointment to worship him : 
thence he dispensed his blessings : and thence in due time he 
sent forth his everlasting Gospel 6 . 

Thus under the Christian dispensation he has honoured his 
Church, dwelling in it ; as he has said, " I am with you alway, 
even to the end of the world." There he reveals his glory, 
even " all the glory of the godhead, in the face of Jesus Christ" 
- There he makes known all the riches of his grace and 
love - There he communes with his people who pre 
sent their supplications before him, " drawing nigh to them, 
whilst they draw nigh to him ;" and giving them answers of peace ; 
not indeed visibly, as by the Urim and Thummim of old, but 
really, and satisfactorily to their souls - In a word, though 
unknown in every other place under heaven, " He is known in 
her palaces as a refuge f ."] 

2. As the birth-place of the saints 

[This is particularly noticed in the psalm before us : " Of 
Zion it shall be said, This and that man is born in her g ." 
Under the Jewish dispensation conversions were comparatively 
few ; but under the Christian dispensation they are very nume 
rous ; though at present they are only as the drop before the 
shower. On the day of Pentecost the Spirit was poured out in 
richer abundance, and thousands were converted in a day : and 
still, wherever the Gospel is preached in sincerity and truth, 
there the power of God accompanies the word, and " subdues 
the souls of men to the obedience of faith." Amongst the heathen, 
Satan maintains an universal sway : and amongst those Chris 
tians who are not blessed with a faithful ministry, very few are 
ever rescued from his dominion : but where the cross of Christ is 
exalted, there will be found " a stir among the dry bones," and 
multitudes will be born to God. And may we not ask, Whether 
this is not confirmed by the experience of many here present ? 
Once you were dead in trespasses and sins, and as destitute of 
all desire after God, as any people in the world : but, through 
the preaching of a crucified Saviour in this place, your souls have 
been " turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of 
Satan unto God." Here also, when you have been mourning 
on account of your indwelling corruptions, God has "given you 
the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the 
spirit of heaviness 11 ;" so that you can confidently say, " I was 
born there." Blessed testimony, that may well endear to you 

c Ps. cxxxii. 13, 14. d Ps. Ixxx. 1. e Isai. ii. 3. 

f Ps. xlviii. 3. s ver. 5, 6. h Isai. Ixi. 3. 



646.] THE GLORY OF ZION. 99 

the gates of Zion, and render her more lovely in your eyes than 
all the palaces in the universe !] 

3. As an emblem of heaven itself 

[Such it really is : for all who are horn in her " are come 
unto Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jeru 
salem 1 ." Though she is a spiritual edifice, she has her foun 
dations, her walls, her gates ; all of which are found also in that 
heavenly Zion which St. John saw, even in " that great city, 
the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, and 
having the glory of God k ." And both the one city and the 
other " are of pure gold 1 ." Each of them too, amongst the many 
distinctions which they enjoy above all earthly cities, have a light 
peculiar to themselves. Of our Zion it is said, " The sun is no 
more her light by day, neither for brightness does the moon give 
light unto her ; but the Lord is unto her an everlasting light, 
and her God her glory m ." And thus it is also in the heavenly 
Zion : " The city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, 
to shine in it : for the glory of God does lighten it ; and the 
Lamb is the light thereof"." It is but one family that is in 
habiting both the one city and the other, " even the family of 
our Lord Jesus Christ ;" and their employments are altogether 
the same : for whilst the one are " rejoicing in the Lord always" 
here below p , the other are incessantly engaged in singing praises 
to him above, even " to Him, who loved them, and washed them 
from their sins in his own blood, and made them kings and 
priests unto their God ; to him, I say, do they ascribe all glory 
and dominion for ever and ever q ."] 

II. The effect which these testimonies should have 
upon us 

Surely, when the Church is so high in the esti 
mation of God, 

1. We should inquire what place she holds in our 
esteem 

[Never has she had, at least in a spiritual view, any visible 
glory. In the days of the prophets, her limits were contracted, 
and her members poor, despised, persecuted. In the days of 
Christ and his Apostles, though her limits were enlarged, she, 
like her Lord himself, had " no beauty nor comeliness for which 
she was to be desired 1 ." She has been in a wilderness state even 
to this present hour 8 , an object of hatred and derision to all that 
were round about her. Yet to the eye of faith she is most 

1 Heb. xii. 22. * Rev. xxi. 10, 11, 14, 21. 

1 Rev. xxi. 18. m Isai. Ix. 19. n Rev. xxi. 23. 

o Eph. iii. 14, 15. P Phil. iv. 4. 1 Rev. i. 5, 6. 

r Isai. liii. 2. s Rev. xii. 6. 




100 PSALMS, LXXXVII. 3. [646. 

beautful, most glorious. In all that pertains to her, she is " the 
perfection of beauty*." Her foundations are of the most pre 
cious stones : " her walls are salvation, and her gates praise u ." 
Her laws are all holy, and just, and good : her ordinances are 
a very heaven upon earth : and her members more highly privi 
leged than all other creatures in the universe. Say then, Brethren, 
whether such be your views of Zion ; and whether to be enrolled 
amongst her citizens be the highest object of your ambition? 
Our blessed Lord told his disciples, that even to have " the devils 
made subject unto them" was no ground of joy in comparison 
of this x : for, if you really belong to Zion, "your names are 
written in heaven," and all the glory and felicity of heaven are 
yours. But if you are " aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, 
you are strangers from the covenants of promise, without God, 
without Christ, without hope y ."] 

2. We should seek to advance her glory 

[God has promised, that, in due season, " the mountain 
of the Lord s house shall be established on the top of the 
mountains, and that all nations shall flow unto her 2 ." " Then 
shall Zion be no more termed desolate, or forsaken : for God 
will delight in her ; and all the kings of the earth shall bring 
their glory to her." " Her gates shall be open continually: 
they shall not be shut day nor night ; that men may bring unto 
her the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be 
brought. Then the nation and kingdom which shall not serve 
her shall perish ; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. 
The glory of Lebanon shall come unto her, the fir-tree, the 
pine-tree, and the box together, (the meanest slave being as 
acceptable as the mightiest monarch,) to beautify the place of 
God s sanctuary, and to make the place of his feet glorious. 
The sons also of them that afflicted her, shall come bending 
unto her ; and all that despised her shall bow down themselves 
at the soles of her feet ; and shall call her, The city of the Lord, 
the Zion of the Holy One of Israel a ." Now then I ask, Should 
we not long for this glorious period? Should we not exert 
ourselves to the uttermost to help it forward ? Should we not 
search out the benighted Gentiles, and labour to bring back to 
their God the dispersed of Israel ? Should we not endeavour 
to bring men from every quarter, " their sons in our arms, and 
their daughters in litters upon our shoulders, to glorify the 
house of his glory ? " Men may pretend to love the Church : 
but their professions must be brought to this test. If we are 
at all sensible of the benefit of belonging to Zion, we shall 
neither rest ourselves, " nor give any rest to our God," till 

t Ps. 1. 2. u Isai. Ix. 18. x Luke x. 20. 

y Eph. ii. 12. z Isai. ii. 2. a Isai. Ix. 11 14. 



647.1 DISTRESS OF SOUL CONSIDERED. 101 

" the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the 
salvation thereof as a lamp that burnethV] 

3. We should labour to participate in all her pri 
vileges 

[Is God indeed revealed there in all his excellency and 
glory ? Is it the place, the only place, where sinners are born 
to God? Is it an emblem even of heaven itself? We should 
determine then to come to her without delay, and to seek 
admission into her blissful community. In comparison of being 
numbered amongst her children, all that the world can give 
should be esteemed by us as dung and dross ; and we should 
say with David, " I would rather be a door-keeper in the house 
of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness ." As for 
hatred, contempt, persecution, or even death itself, they should 
be accounted rather as an honour, and a happiness, and a pri 
vilege, than as objects of fear, if they are brought upon us for 
Zion s sake. It should be a sufficient recompence to us, that 
our God is glorified, and that the interests of Zion are ad 
vanced/ 1 . If we are children of Zion indeed, we shall be joyful 
under any circumstances; we shall u be joyful, I say, in our 
King 6 :" as it is written; " They shall come and sing in the 
height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the 
Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young 
of the flock and of the herd ; (that is, for all spiritual consola 
tion and support ;) and their soul shall be as a watered garden ; 
and they shall not sorrow any more at all f ." Whether they be 
priests or people, it shall be thus with them : for, " I will satiate 
the soul of the priests with fatness ; and my people shall be 
satisfied with my goodness, saith the Lord g ."] 
APPLICATION 

[Let us then love Zion, and " prefer her before our chief 
joy h ." Let her ordinances be our delight 1 ; and let us pray for 
her advancement, saying, " Peace be within thy walls, and pro 
sperity within her palaces." Then shall our own souls most 
assuredly flourish: for " they shall prosper that love her k ."] 

b Isai. Ixii. 1, 6, 7. c Ps. Ixxxiv. 10. d 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14. 
e Ps. cxlix. 2. f Jer. xxxi. 12. s Jer. xxxi. 14. 

h Ps. cxxxvii. 5, 6. * Ps. Ixxxiv. 4, 7. k Ps. cxxii. 6, 7. 

DCXLVII. 

DISTRESS OF SOUL CONSIDERED. 

Ps. Ixxxviii. 14 16. Lord, why easiest thou off my soul ? 
why hidest thou thy face from me ? I am afflicted, and ready 
to die, from my youth up : ivhile I suffer thy terrors, I am 
distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me , thy terrors have 
cut me off. 



102 PSALMS, LXXXVIII. 1416. [647. 

HEMAN the Ezrahite, the author of this psalm, 
is thought by most to have been the grandson of 
Judah a ; and to have been so eminent for wisdom, 
as almost to have equalled Solomon himself b . But 
he seems rather to have been the grandson of 
Shemuel, or Samuel . Whoever he was, he was a 
man greatly afflicted, and, at the time that he wrote 
this psalm, altogether destitute of any other conso 
lation, than what he felt in spreading his sorrows 
before God. In other psalms we find many and 
grievous complaints ; but the gloom that overspreads 
the mind of the author at the commencement of 
them, is usually dispelled before they are brought to 
a close ; and what began with sorrow is terminated 
with joy. But in the composition before us there is 
no such pleasing change : it is nothing but one con 
tinued complaint from beginning to end. In dis 
coursing on it, we shall point out, 
I. The state to which a righteous soul may be reduced 

Truly the state of Heman was most afflictive 

[There can be no doubt but that he was a righteous man. 
Had he not been so, he would not have addressed Jehovah in 
such expressions of holy confidence, as " The Lord God of his 
salvation ;" nor could he have affirmed, that " night and day 
he had poured out his prayers and cries before him d ." Yet be 
hold, how heavy, how exceeding heavy, was his affliction! " His 
soul was so full of troubles, that they brought him nigh to the 
grave 6 ." Hear how he himself represents them, referring 
them all at the same time to God himself as the author of 
them : " Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in 
the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me; and thou hast 
afflicted me with all thy waves f ." To the same effect he speaks 
also in the words of our text, complaining of the dereliction he 
experienced in this hour of his calamity, and of the terrors 
which he endured, which, whilst they were rapidly bringing 
down his body to the grave, had well nigh bereaved him of his 
senses, and reduced him to a state of utter distraction.] 

And such, alas ! is the state of many in every age 
of the Church 

a 1 Chron. ii. 6. b 1 Kings iv. 31. 

c 1 Chron. vi. 33. and xv. 19. compared with the title to Ps. 
ixxxix. The grandson of Judah could not have written so about David. 
11 ver. 1, 2, 9, 13. e ver. 3. f ver. 6, 7. 



647. J DISTRESS OF SOUL CONSIDERED. 103 

[Some there are of a low, nervous, hypochondriac tempe 
rament both of mind and body, and who, whether they were 
religious or not, would of necessity be of a melancholy dispo 
sition; that being their constitutional tendency, just as cheer 
fulness or confidence are the tendencies of others. Persons of 
this class view every thing in a dark unfavourable light : they 
forbode nothing but evil : and, if religion occupies their minds, 
they write bitter things against themselves, and conclude that 
they never can be saved. They love gloomy thoughts, and brood 
over them day and night; and greatly injure both their minds 
and bodies by ruminating on subjects that are too deep for them. 
They perplex themselves about the divine decrees, and thus 
give occasion to many to represent religion as distracting their 
minds. But the truth is, that they seek for nothing but poison : 
they have no appetite for wholesome food : and religion is 
no more answerable for their distraction, than a fertilizing 
stream is for the death of a maniac who drowns himself in it. 

Some there are who are brought into this state by long and 
complicated troubles. The mind of man, unless supported in 
a miraculous way, cannot endure a pressure beyond certain 
limits. Even Job himself, notwithstanding his extraordinary 
patience, seemed at times to sink under the accumulated load 
of his afflictions, and to be transported beyond the bounds of 
sense or reason. And the dejection of many, however it 
appear to originate in matters connected with religion, must 
in reality be traced to this source : their mind is enfeebled by 
a complication of bodily diseases, and of worldly sorrows, and 
then becomes an easy prey to any discouragements which may 
engross its attention. 

Some are broken down by means of some great transgression, 
which, either before, or after, their religious course, they have 
committed, and which has destroyed all hope of respect from 
man, or comfort in their own minds. To such, life is become 
a burthen : they cannot bear even the sight of those whose 
esteem they have forfeited : they affect solitude, which yet is 
irksome to them ; and they long for death, as a relief from 
the torments of a self-condemning conscience. It is no wonder 
if such, though truly penitent before God, yield to desponding 
fears, and anticipate nothing but misery in the eternal world. 

Some are in a more extraordinary degree than others exposed 
to the assaults of Satan. That powerful adversary seems, as 
it were, to take possession of their minds, as formerly he pos 
sessed the bodies of men : and by his fiery darts he inflicts the 
deadliest wounds upon their souls. He is well called, " The 
accuser of the brethren ;" for he accuses them to God, as he 
did Job of old ; and accuses them also at the bar of their own 
consciences, to prove them hypocrites and self- deceivers. Is it 
to be wondered at, if that roaring lion prevail over a weak 



104 PSALMS, LXXXVJII. 1416. [647- 

and unprotected sheep ? The wonder rather is, that any are 
enabled to withstand him. 

But once more : there are some who by God himself are 
brought into manifold temptations, and are suffered to expe 
rience much darkness in their souls. And though at first sight 
it should seem as if these persons were less beloved of the 
Lord than others, the truth is, that they are often to be found 
amongst those who are his chief favourites : " Whom the Lord 
loveth, he chasteneth ;" and usually, those most, who are most 
beloved. We cannot doubt but that Job was an object of God s 
peculiar favour : yet who was ever more afflicted than he, even 
in the very way that we are now speaking of? Hear his own 
words : " The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the 
poison whereof drinketh up my spirit : the terrors of God do 
set themselves in array against me g ." And need we say how 
deeply our blessed Lord himself was afflicted, when " his soul 
was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," and his mind was 
so distracted, that " he knew not what to say 11 ?" 

That God sends these dispensations to his people in love, 
will appear even from our text : for Heman, who was eminent 
for his piety, declares, that he had been so " afflicted from his 
youth up." And where did he attain this extraordinary piety, 
but in the school of affliction ? Whilst others were intent on 
pleasure, he by his troubles was led to study his own heart, 
and to seek an acquaintance with his God ; and thus he gained 
a knowledge which well repaid him for all that he endured. 
And it is a well-known fact, that those who are most exercised 
with spiritual troubles, are usually best instructed in " the 
deep things of God." 

It is evident, then, that pious souls may be reduced to great 
distress, and that, in fact, many in every age are really so 
reduced ; some through constitutional infirmity ; some by means 
of accumulated afflictions ; and some by an irretrievable loss of 
character consequent on some heinous transgression : some are 
brought into it by the assaults of Satan, and some by the wise 
and gracious appointment of their God.~\ 

Let us now turn our attention to, 
II. The reflections which naturally arise from the 

subject 
And, 
1. How great is the evil and bitterness of sin 

[If there had been no sin, there would have been no 
sorrow. Sorrow is the fruit of sin ; the fruit which immedi 
ately sprang up, as soon as this root of bitterness was planted 
in the human breast. Till Adam fell, he enjoyed the sweetest 

s Job vi. 4. h John xii. 27. 



647.] DISTRESS OF SOUL CONSIDERED. 105 

intercourse with his Creator : but, after his transgression, 
instead of going forth as before to meet his God, he fled from 
his face, and strove to hide himself. From that moment has 
the world become a " Bochim," a land of weeping and of 
mourning \ Sorrow is that inheritance to which every child of 
man is born : and, even if any be truly converted unto God, 
still, as long as they continue in this vale of tears, they will, at 
a greater or smaller distance, be followed by two inseparable 
attendants, " sorrow and sighing :" and it is only when they 
shall arrive at the portals of heaven, that joy and gladness will 
be their sole companions : then indeed, but never till then, will 
that Scripture be fulfilled, " They shall obtain joy and glad 
ness ; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away k ." How fearfully 
the minds even of good men may be oppressed, by a sense of 
God s displeasure against sin, will appear from the experience 
of David ; who " ate ashes like bread, and mingled his drink 
with weeping, because of God s indignation and wrath 1 ." And 
it yet more forcibly appears from the complaints of Job : " Thou 
scarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me through visions : so 
that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than life m ." 
If we look to the terrifying effects of sin on the ungodly, the 
sad history of Judas paints them in their true colours. Let 
these sorrows then, in whomsoever they be found, be traced to 
their proper source : and let this at least be learned from them, 
that "it is an evil and bitter thing to sin against the Lord."] 

2. What obligations to God do they lie under, who 
are favoured with any measure of peace and joy ! 

[This point, we apprehend, is by no means duly considered. 
It is thought by many to be a hard thing if there be any inter 
mission of their spiritual comfort : but the wonder rather is, 
that there is any intermission of their sorrow. Who that con 
siders the desert of sin, who that views the imperfection of his 
best services, has not reason to adore and magnify his God, for 
the willingness he shews to revive the hearts of the contrite ? 
Were God extreme to mark what is done amiss, the experience 
in our text would be the lot of all without exception, even of 
those who should find grace in the eternal world. But, blessed 
be God ! this is far from being the case : there are many to 
whom God vouchsafes the light of his countenance, and the 
joys of his salvation. We desire, however, that such persons 
should appreciate aright the blessings conferred upon them : and 
that, instead of ever complaining of darkness or of trouble, they 
should improve every manifestation of God s love to the further 
ance of their confidence in him, and of their zeal in his service.] 

1 Judg. ii. 4, 5. k Isai. xxxv. 10. 

1 See Ps. xxxviii. 1, 2. and cii. 9, 10. m Job vii. 14, 15. 



106 PSALMS, LXXXVIII. 1416. [647. 

3. How astonishing was the compassion of our 
Lord Jesus Christ, when he undertook to redeem a 
ruined world ! 

[He well knew, that, as the surety and substitute of sinners, 
he must bear all that the violated law would have inflicted upon 
them. And, if to us, who are by nature alienated from God, it 
is such a dreadful thing to endure the hidings of his face and 
the terrors of his wrath, what must it be to that immaculate 
Lamb of God, who from all eternity " lay in the bosom of his 
Father," and "was daily his delight" ! " Yet behold, having under 
taken for us, he suffered all that was due to us, " He the just, 
for us the unjust! " From his youth up was he " a man of sorrows, 
and acquainted with grief : " and, especially at the close of his 
life, he drank to the very dregs the cup of bitterness that must 
otherwise have been put into our hands. Truly "he was made 
a curse for us :" and so grievously did he suffer under the united 
assaults of men and devils, and from a sense also of his Father s 
wrath, that he sweat great drops of blood, and, in the midst of 
his severest agonies, had yet further to bewail the hidings of 
his Father s face ; " My God, my God ! why hast thou forsaken 
me ? " Let us learn to estimate as we ought this stupendous 
mystery, of " God manifest in the flesh " to expiate by his own 
sufferings the sins of his rebellious creatures. O let us con 
template this mystery, till we are altogether lost in wonder, 
love, and praise !] 

4. How awful will be the state of all who die 
without an interest in Christ ! 

[This which Heman so bitterly bewails as his portion in 
this world, will, in an infinitely higher degree, be the portion of 
all who shall perish in their sins. They will indeed be " cast 
out from God s sight," as objects of his everlasting abhorrence. 
Never to all eternity will they have one look from him, but will 
behold "his face turned away" from them, and "his fierce 
wrath" executed upon them. Verily, " whilst they suffer his 
terrors, they will be distracted." Who can conceive the dis 
traction of their minds at the overwhelming thought of eternity ? 
Oh ! what " weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth" will 
there be amongst that wretched assembly, whose agonies are so 
insupportable, and whose prospects so interminable ! But thus 
it must be, if we will not flee to that Saviour, who has laid 
down his life for us. Shall we not then awake from our 
slumbers ? Shall we not cry unto our God, now that his ear 
is open to our petitions ? Shall we stay till we come into that 
place of torment, and have an impassable gulf fixed between 
him and us ? O let us " seek the Lord whilst he may be found, 
n John i. 18. and Prov. viii. 30. 



648. THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD s PEOPLE. 107 



and call upon him whilst he is near : " then, though we should 
not enjoy all that we may wish for here, we shall hereafter ; and 
even, by our occasional sorrows here, be fitted for an uninter 
rupted fruition of his glory to all eternity.] 

DCXLVIII. 

THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD s PEOPLE. 

Ps. Ixxxix. 15, 16. Blessed is the people that know the joyful 
sound: they shall walk, Lord, in the light of thy counte 
nance. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day : and in 
thy righteousness shall they be exalted. 

EVERY man by nature desires happiness: but 
few know where it is to be found. The generality 
imagine that it will be a sure attendant on earthly 
prosperity ---- But the Psalmist points out to us 
its only true source : " There be many that say, who 
will shew us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light 
of thy countenance upon us a ." In like manner he 
instructs us in the text ; " Blessed are the people 
that know the joyful sound." 

In these words the character and blessedness of 
the Lord s people are fully declared. Let us consider, 
I. Their character 

" The joyful sound" must here import the Gospel- 
fin the Gospel a Saviour is revealed, even such a Saviour 
as our necessities require, a Saviour who has made a full atone 
ment for our sins, and who promises " salvation to all who come 
unto God by him." When this Saviour was proclaimed to the 
shepherds, it was in these memorable terms ; " Behold, we 
bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people : 
for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, 
which is Christ the Lord ! " 

But " the joyful sound" refers to the sound of the trumpets 
under the law, when the people were convoked to come up to 
God in the solemn assembly b , or when the year of Jubilee was 
proclaimed . On this latter occasion, in particular, it was in 
deed a joyful sound : for then all persons who had sold their 
houses and lands, yea, and their wives and children, and their 
own selves too for bond-slaves, were restored to perfect liberty, 
and to the full possession of their former inheritance 
Suppose a person so circumstanced, what a joyful sound would 
that of the trumpet be to him! --- Such then is the Gospel 

a Ps. iv. 6. b Numb. x. 13, 10. c Lev. xxv. 813. 



108 PSALMS, LXXXIX. 15, 16. [648. 

to the weary and heavy-laden sinner, when he hears of a free 
and full salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ ] 

This " sound" the true Believer " knows" 

[A speculative knowledge of the Gospel is possessed by 

many who have no personal interest in it, and no desire after 

its blessings: but the true Believer knows it practically : he 

has felt its power ; he has tasted its sweetness : and he has been 

brought to a reliance on it for the salvation of his soul. This 

distinction must be carefully made by us. It is not of a liectd- 

knowledge that my text speaks; but of such a knowledge as 

enters into the heart, and engages all the powers of the soul 

It is such a knowledge as God alone can impart 

and all who possess that are truly " blessed."] 

In our text we have a rich description of, 
II. Their blessedness 

They may not have much of this world : but they 
have much of God : they enjoy, 

1. A sweet sense of his love 

[" They walk in the light of his countenance." This is a 
privilege of which a worldly man can form no conception : but 
it is understood, and experienced, by all who enter into the 
spirit of the Gospel. They can go to God as a Father : they 
know that he is reconciled towards them in the Son of his 
love : and with a spirit of adoption they can draw nigh to him, 
and pour out their hearts before him, and hear him speaking 
peace unto their souls. In answer to their daily prayers he 
draws nigh to them, and " lifts up the light of his countenance 
upon them," and " fills them with joy and peace in believing." 
Such is their daily " walk" with God, a foretaste of their hap 
piness in the realms of bliss."] 

2. An habitual confidence in his care 

[They are subjected to a variety of circumstances like 
other men : but they have a Friend to whom they can go on 
every occasion, and from whom they can receive all such com 
munications as they stand in need of. " The name of the Lord 
is a strong tower, to which they run and are safe." His per 
fections are all exercised in their behalf: and, being their God, 
he is " a God unto them," doing for them whatsoever their 
diversified necessities require. In Him " therefore, even in his 
name, they rejoice all the day;" spreading before him their 
every want, and committing to him their every desire. " They 
know in whom they have believed," and cast all their care on 
him who careth for them."] 

3. An assured prospect of his glory 



648.] THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD S PEOPLE. 109 

[In the Gospel the Lord Jesus Christ reveals himself to 
his people as a complete Saviour, who not only obtains a par 
don for them, but has provided also a righteousness, wherein 
they may stand before God without spot or blemish. To him 
therefore they look in this view: and on him they rely, as 
"The Lord their righteousness" " In this righteousness they are 
exalted : " they are exalted in their own eyes, being no longer 
condemned sinners, but saints accepted and justified from all 
their sins. They are exalted in the eyes of God also ; for he 
now " beholds no iniquity in them:" he views them as one 
with his dear Son, partakers of his nature, and joint-heirs of 
his glory. They are exalted also in the eyes of all the angelic 
hosts, who now delight to minister unto them, and will ere long 
give them the precedence in heaven, and take their station 
behind them before the throne of God d ." 

Say now, are not these happy ? Yes : and David not 
only asserts it, but appeals to God himself for the truth of his 
assertion : " They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy 
countenance."] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who have no knowledge of this joyful 
sound 

[How many amongst us are altogether ignorant of the 
Gospel itself! and, of those who hear it and profess to receive 
it, how many have no taste for that joy which it is intended to 
impart ! - Will you then call yourselves the people of 
God ; or imagine that salvation belongs to you ? Know, that 
" all are not Israel, who are of Israel;" nor are all Christians 
who bear that name. Whilst you are ignorant of the joyful 
sound, you can have no part or lot in those blessings which the 
Gospel is intended to convey.] 

2. Those who know the Gospel, but find no 
blessedness in it 

[There are, I must acknowledge, many of this description. 
But whence does this arise ? Is it owing to any insufficiency 
in the Gospel to make them happy ? No : it proceeds in some 
cases from a disordered constitution : in others, from imperfect 
views of the Gospel : and in others, from not walking stead 
fastly and consistently before God. But from whatever source 
it arise, I would say, Remember what an injury you do to the 
Gospel itself, and to the souls of men : the world around you 
will impute your gloom to religion, and take occasion from it 
to condemn the Gospel itself as a source of melancholy to all 
who embrace it. O ! brethren, do not so dishonour the Lord 
Jesus Christ : but view the Gospel in all its freeness and all its 
d Rev. vii. 11. 



110 PSALMS, LXXXIX. 19. [649. 

fulness, and all its excellency ; and rest not till you have 
attained those rich blessings, which every true Believer is 
privileged to enjoy.] 

3. Those who both know and enjoy the Gospel 
[Happy indeed are ye, even though ye be in all other 
respects the most destitute and distressed. Let then your gra 
titude to God evince itself in a suitable life and conversation. 
As for your joys, the world knows nothing about them ; and 
will therefore impute them to enthusiasm and delusion. But 
they can understand a holy life : that will approve itself to 
them as a good and genuine fruit of the Gospel. Let them 
then see, that this Gospel which makes you happy, makes you 
holy also. Let them see that it brings into subjection every un 
hallowed temper, every evil desire. Let them see that in every 
station and relation of life it elevates you above others, ren 
dering you more amiable, more consistent. In a word, " let 
your whole conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of 
Christ ; " and, whilst you are made partakers of a felicity which 
the world knows not of, endeavour to make your light shine 
before men, that they may be constrained to acknowledge the 
excellence of your principles, and be led to seek a participation 
of your bliss.] 

DCXLIX. 

THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST TO SAVE. 

Ps Ixxxix. 19. Thou spakest in vision to thy Holy One, and 
saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty. 

HOW joyful must these tidings be, to whomsoever 
they may have respect ! Suppose them to refer to an 
oppressed nation ; the raising up to them a mighty 
deliverer must be a rich, inestimable blessing : and 
such were David and Solomon, who were raised up to 
govern Israel, and to put all their enemies under their 
feet. But a greater than David or Solomon is here. 
The words spoken by God to Samuel did certainly, 
in their primary sense, relate to David a ; as those 
spoken afterwards to Nathan did to Solomon b . But 
their ultimate reference was to Christ , who is the 
true David d , and the Son of David 6 . On him was 

a 1 Sam. xvi. 1. b 2 Sam. vii. 1216. 

c Compare 2 Sam. vii. 14. with HeK-i. 5. 

d Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. and Hos. iii. 5. e Matt. xxii. 42. 



649.] THE SUFFICIENCY OF CHRIST TO SAVE. Ill 

laid all the help that the Israel of God required; 
and God the Father declared beforehand, to his holy 
prophets, the sufficiency of Christ to discharge the 
office committed to him. 

Two things are here obviously presented to us for 
our consideration : 

I. The office committed unto Christ 

What this was, may be known from the necessities 
of fallen man ; because it was to supply them that 
he was sent into the world. It was then, 

1. To make reconciliation for man 

[This was a work which no man could accomplish for him 
self; a work which all the angels in heaven were unequal to 
perform. Satisfaction must be made for sin ; made too in the 
nature that had sinned. The curse due to sin must be borne, 
even the wrath of Almighty God. Who could afford us this help? 
who could sustain this weight ? It would crush in an instant 
the highest archangel. None could endure it, but God s co-equal 
Son. He cheerfully undertaking to bear it for us, the Father 
made him our substitute ; that, divine justice being satisfied, and 
the law magnified by his obedience unto death, mercy might be 
extended unto us, and reconciliation be made between God and 
his offending creatures.] 

2. To effect their complete salvation- 
fit was not enough to die for them: they were wandering 

afar off, and they must be searched out ; they were in rebellion, 
and must be subdued : when brought home to their Father s 
house, they are weak, and must be upheld; tempted, and must 
be strengthened ; beset with enemies, and must be protected : 
they must never be left to themselves one moment : they must 
have every thing done for them, and in them : the whole care 
of preserving them, from first to last, must be devolved on him 
who undertakes for them : they must be " carried in the arms," 
" dandled on the knees," fed at the breast, and be watched over 
exactly like new-born infants. Nothing less than this will 
suffice for them. Though there be millions of them spread over 
the face of the whole globe, they must all be attended to as much 
as if there were only one. What a work was this to undertake ! 
Yet was this " the help which God laid upon" his dear Son.] 

But weighty as this office is, we have no reason to 
doubt, 

II. His sufficiency to discharge it 

To be convinced of this, we need only to consider, 



112 PSALMS, LXXXIX. 19. [649. 

1. His essential perfections 

[He is said to be " mighty." But the angels are also called 
mighty; yet are they not therefore able to execute such an office 
as this. But Jesus is almighty : he is expressly called " The 
mighty God f ," even " God over all blessed for ever g ." In him 
therefore are all the perfections of the Deity. He is omnipre 
sent, to behold the states of men ; omniscient, to discern the 
things that will be most expedient for their relief; and omnipo 
tent, to effect whatever shall be most conducive to their good. 
Difficulties can be no difficulties with him. He who spake the 
universe into existence, can be at no loss to accomplish, every 
where, and at the same instant, whatsoever the necessities of 
his creatures may require.] 

2. His Mediatorial endowments 

[As Mediator, he has received his qualifications from God 
the Father : and those qualifications are abundantly sufficient 
for the work assigned him. The Spirit has been given to him, 
not by measure, as to others, but without measure 11 : " In him, 
even in his human nature, dwelleth all the fulness of the God 
head bodily 1 ." Hence "on him may be hanged every vessel, 
even all the glory of his Father s house k ." 

But, not to mention the infinite merit of his blood, and the 
all-prevailing efficacy of his intercession (" through which he is 
able to save men to the uttermost"), he has, as man, qualifi 
cations which he could not have as God. He has, from his own 
experience of temptation, a tender sympathy with his tempted 
people, and a peculiar fitness and readiness to afford them all 
needful succour 1 .] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who feel not their need of Christ 
[You cannot be persuaded that you are in a guilty, help 
less, and undone state. But wherefore did God lay help upon 
One that was so mighty ? Did he exert himself thus without 
a cause ? If not, the greatness of the remedy should shew you 
the extent and imminence of your danger. Be persuaded then 
to put away your high thoughts of yourselves. Beg of God that 
you may feel in what a helpless and hopeless state you are with 
out Christ : and never imagine that your repentance is at all ge 
nuine, till your sense of your misery corresponds, in some measure 
at least, with the provision which God has made for your relief.] 

2. Those who are discouraged on account of their 
extreme weakness and sinfulness 

[That you should be humbled on this account is right 

f Isai. ix, 6. s Rom. ix. 5. h John iii. 34. 

1 Col. ii. 9. * Isai. xxii. 2224. 1 Heb. ii. 18. 



650. J GOD S COVENANT ENGAGEMENTS. 113 

enough : but why should -you fear? Do you suppose, that when 
God laid help for you upon his dear Son, he was not aware 
how much would be necessary for your salvation ? or, has he 
been disappointed in his Son, finding him, after all, unequal to 
the task assigned him ? Be ashamed of your unbelieving fears. 
Come not to Christ, saying, " Lord, if thou canst, or if thou 
wilt;" but cast your burthen wholly upon him, and see whether 
he be not able and willing to sustain you. He himself says to 
you, " O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thy 
help m ." This is your warrant to trust in him. " Trust in him 
therefore with all your heart, and he will bring to pass" what 
soever he sees to be needful for you. " Cast all your care upon 
him ;" and you " shall be saved in him with an everlasting 
salvation."] 

m Hos. xiii. 9. 

DCL. 

GOD S COVENANT ENGAGEMENTS WITH CHRIST AND US. 

Ps. Ixxxix. 28 35. My mercy will I keep for him for ever 
more, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed 
also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the 
days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk 
not in my judgments ; if they break my statutes, and keep 
not my commandments , then will I visit their transgression 
with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, 
my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor 
suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not 
break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once 
have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. 

IN seasons of deep affliction, when, through unbe 
lief, we are ready to think that God has forsaken and 
forgotten us, it is well to look back to God s covenant 
engagements, whereon, as on a rock, we may stand 
firm amidst the tempest that surrounds us. It was 
under such circumstances (probably about the time 
of the Babylonish captivity) that this psalm was 
penned. In it the stability of God s covenant is 
fully declared. The fears and apprehensions of his 
people, as arising from his apparent violation of it, 
are next delineated : and it concludes with fervent 
adorations of God, who, notwithstanding all the dic 
tates of unbelief, is worthy to be blessed for evermore. 

For the just use, as well as understanding, of the 
passage before us, we shall, 

VOL. VI. I 



114 PSALMS, LXXXIX. 28-35. [650. 

I. Explain it 

[There can be no doubt but that the words, in their literal 
meaning, refer to the covenant which God made with David 
respecting the continuance of his posterity on his throne 3 ; 
and which seemed to be violated, now that both king and 
people were carried captive to Babylon ; but which, in fact, 
should be accomplished in all its parts ; because whatever they 
might endure for a season, the sceptre should not depart from 
Judah till Shiloh should come. 

But there is doubtless a reference to Christ, who is often 
called David b . Some of the words originally addressed to 
David, are expressly declared to refer to Christ chiefly, yea 
exclusively |C . They must be understood therefore as containing 
God s covenant with Christ. 

In them we see, first, God s assurances respecting Christ 
himself, that notwithstanding all the troubles he should expe 
rience, he should be raised from the dead d , and have all the 
kingdoms of the earth for his possession 6 . 

Next, Christ is assured respecting his people, who are his 
seed f , that though through infirmity and temptation they may 
fall into sin, the Father will not utterly abandon them, or 
finally withdraw his love from tliem^. He will not indeed 
leave them to continue in sin (for that would be incompatible 
with their salvation 11 ) but he will chastise them, till they repent 
and turn from all their transgressions, and thus will he secure 
them to Christ as his inheritance 1 . 

The grounds of these assurances are, lastly, specified. These 
are God s covenant, and his oath. Having entered into cove 
nant with his Son, he cannot disannul it. Yet, if he were to 
give up to final destruction any who were Christ s spiritual seed, 
this covenant would be broken ; seeing that some who were 
given to Christ would perish, and Christ, as far as relates to 
them, would have died in vain. Moreover, in this, the oath, 
which (for our consolation) he sware to his Son, would be 
violated : but, having sworn by his holiness, which is the glory 
of all his perfections, he never can, nor ever will recede. On 
these grounds therefore the glory of Christ, and the salvation 
of his people are irrevocably secured.] 

Lest however this consolatory passage should be 
abused, let us, 

a 2 Sam. vii. 12 17. b Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24. Hos. iii. 5. 

c Compare 2 Sam. vii. 14. with Heb. i. 5. 

d Compare Isai. Iv. 3. with Acts xiii. 34. 

e Luke i. 32, 33. Rev. xi. 15. 

f Isai. liii. 10. Ps. xxii. 30. 1 Pet. i. 23. 

s Isai. liv. 7 10. Jer. xxxii. 40. h Heb. xii. 14. 

1 John xvii. 11, 1 Pet. i. 57. 



650.] GOD S COVENANT ENGAGEMENTS. 115 

II. Improve it 

It evidently TEACHES us, 

1. To cleave unto Christ with full purpose of heart 
[The covenant, whether made with David or with Abra 
ham, was confirmed before of God in Christ k . Every blessing 
of the covenant was made over to him as our head and repre 
sentative, and must be received from him by faith 1 . To him 
therefore must we look for pardon, stability, and everlasting 
salvation. As to him the promises were inade m , so in him 
alone are they yea, and Amen n . Let it then be our great 
care to be found in him ; and then we may rest assured that 
nothing shall ever separate us from him p .] 

2. To endure with patience and thankfulness what 
ever afflictions God may lay upon us 

[Part of God s covenant is, to " correct us in measure q ." 
And, however afflicted any may be, have they any cause to 
say, that they are corrected beyond measure ? Can a living 
man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins r ? Surely 
it is far better to be chastened here, than to be condemned 
with the world hereafter 8 . We may all see reason enough 
for chastisement, if we will but mark our daily and hourly 
transgressions. Let us therefore not so much as desire God 
to spare us, provided he see that we need correction for the 
welfare of our souls ; but rather let us kiss the rod *, and im 
prove it u , and adore the hand that uses it for our good x .] 

3. To dread sin as the greatest of all evils 

[Though at first sight this passage may seem to weaken our 
dread of sin, yet, in reality, it is calculated to impress us with a 
holy fear of offending God. The covenant made with Christ 
does indeed secure the salvation of his people : but does it 
provide them impunity in sin? No on the contrary, it engages 
God to punish sin, yea, to punish it effectually ; and never to 
leave his people under its dominion y . Is there then room to 
say, I shall be saved, though I commit sin ? No : for either 
God will " drive it out with the rod of correction," or leave it 
as an indisputable mark that we never belonged to him at all z . 
Let us never then make Christ a minister of sin a ; but learn 
from the very grace that saves us, to glorify him by a holy 
conversation b .] 

k Gal. iii. 17. ! Col. i. 19. John i. 16. m Gal. iii. 16. 

n 2 Cor. i. 20. Phil. iii. 9. P Rom. viii. 38, 39. 

q Jer. xxx. 11. r Lam. iii. 39. s 1 Cor. xi. 32. 

4 Mic. vi. 9. u Isai. xxvii. 9. x Heb. xii. 10. 

y Rom. vi. 14. z 1 John iii. 9, 10. a Gal. ii. 17. 

b Tit. ii. 11, 12. 

I 2 



116 PSALMS, XC. 11, 12. [651, 

DCLI. 

GOD S ANGER A REASON FOR TURNING TO HIM. 

Ps. xc. 11, 12. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even 
according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number 
our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. 

THIS psalm is entitled, " A prayer of Moses the 
man of God." It seems to have been written by 
Moses on account of the judgment denounced against 
the whole nation of Israel, that they should die in 
the wilderness a . It had been already executed to a 
great extent, God having consumed multitudes of 
them in his anger b : and the period of man s life was 
then reduced to its present standard of seventy or 
eighty years . From this awful demonstration of 
God s displeasure, he is led to this reflection : " Who 
knoweth the power of thine anger?" And then he 
prays, that the whole nation might be induced by 
the shortness and uncertainty of their lives to seek 
without delay the favour of their offended God : " So 
teach us to number our days, that we may apply our 
hearts unto wisdom." 

In accordance with our text let us also contemplate, 
I. The inconceivable weight of God s anger 

Of course, in speaking of God s anger we must 
divest it of all those tumultuous feelings, which 
agitate the minds of men ; and conceive of it as 
manifested only in his dispensations towards the 
objects of his displeasure. 

Let us contemplate it then, 

1. As it appears in this world 

[The whole world bears the evidence of being under the dis 
pleasure of an angry God. The creation itself, even the animal 
and vegetable, as well as the rational parts of it, is greatly 
changed since it came out of its Creator s hands. A curse has 
been inflicted on it all, on account of sin. Storms, and tem 
pests, and earthquakes, and pestilences, and diseases of every 
kind, and death with its antecedent pains and its attendant 
horrors, are all the sad fruits of sin, and the effects of God s 
anger on account of sin. Death has obtained an universal 

a ver. 3. b ver. 5 7. c ver. 10. 



651.] GOD S ANGER A REASON FOR SEEKING HIM. 117 

empire, and "reigns even over those who have never sinned after 
the similitude of Adam s transgression," as well as over the 
actual transgressors of God s law. 

But the anger of God is yet more strikingly visible, in those 
particular judgments which God has executed upon men from 
time to time. Behold the plagues in Egypt, the destruction of 
the Egyptian first-born, and of Pharaoh and all his host in the 
Red Sea! behold the awful judgments inflicted on Korah, 
Dathan, and Abiram, and on the myriads, who, by their lewd- 
ness, their unbelief, and their murmu rings, drew down the 
wrath of God upon them d ! behold fire and brimstone rained 
down from heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities of 
the plain ! yea, and the whole world, with every living creature 
except those contained in the ark, swept away by one universal 
deluge! these serve as awful proofs of God s indignation against 
sin, and his determination to punish it according to its deserts. 

There are other proofs, less visible indeed, but not less real, 
of God s anger, which may be found in the horrors of a guilty 
conscience, or the distresses of a soul that is under the hidings 
of his face. Hear what was Job s experience under a sense of 
God s displeasure : " The arrows of the Almighty are within 
me ; the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit : the terrors of 
God do set themselves in array against me e ." To the same 
effect the Psalmist also speaks, when describing the anguish of 
his own mind : " Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand 
presseth me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because 
of thine anger ; neither is there any rest in my bones because 
of my sin. I am troubled ; I am bowed down greatly ; I go 
mourning all the day. I am feeble and sore broken ; I have 
roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart f ." The unhappy 
end of Judas shews how insupportable is a sense of God s wrath, 
when the consolations of hope are altogether withdrawn. 

But, after all, there is nothing that will give us such an idea 
of God s anger, as a view of the Lord Jesus Christ when 
" Jehovah s sword awoke against him" to inflict the penalty that 
was due to sin. Behold that immaculate Lamb of God sweating 
great drops of blood from every pore of his body, through the 
inconceivable agonies of his soul ! Hear him, in the depths of 
dereliction, crying, " My God, my God! why hast thou forsaken 
me ? " and see him, finally, giving up the ghost, and dying 
under the load of his people s sins! Could we at all appreciate 
this mystery, we should indeed say, " Who knoweth the power 
of thine anger ? " 

But let us contemplate it,] 

2. As it appears in the world to come 

d 1 Cor. x. 810. e Job vi. 4. f Ps. xxxviii. 2, 3, 6, 8. 



118 PSALMS, XC. 11, 12. [651. 

[Of this however we can form but little conception. The 
terms which are used to depict the misery of the fallen angels, 
and of those who from amongst the human race have died in their 
sins, though exceeding terrible to the imagination, fall infinitely 
short of the reality. But the very circumstance of millions of 
once happy angels, as happy as any that are now before the 
throne of God, being cast out of heaven for their pride ; and 
hell itself being prepared by Almighty God for their reception, 
that they may there endure his wrath and indignation to the 
uttermost this very circumstance, I say, may serve to shew, 
how deeply God abhors iniquity, and how fearfully he will 
punish it. Of the place where they are confined " in chains 
of darkness to the judgment of the great day," Tophet, as 
described by the Prophet Isaiah, may be considered as a type 
or emblem : " It is a place both deep and large : the pile 
thereof is fire and much wood : and the breath of the Lord, like 
a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it g ." And the state of the 
unhappy sufferers there is thus described in the Revelation of 
St. John: " They drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which 
is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation : 
and they are tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence 
of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the 
smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever : and 
they have no rest day nor night h ." Yet, terrible as this 
description is, it conveys no adequate idea either of the torment 
itself, or even of those foretastes of it, which are sometimes 
given to those for whom it is prepared. Well therefore may 
it be asked, " Who knoweth the power of thine anger?" and 
well is it added, " According to thy fear," that is, according to 
the terror which the very apprehension of it excites, " so is 
thy wrath:" for, in truth, it not only equals, but infinitely 
exceeds, all the conceptions that can be formed of it.] 

The whole scope both of the preceding and fol 
lowing context leads us to consider, 
II. The wisdom of seeking reconciliation with him 
without delay 

Notwithstanding his anger against sin, God is 
willing to be reconciled to his offending people 

[" He will not always chide; neither will he keep his anger 
for ever." " Many times did he turn away his wrath from his 
people in the wilderness ; and did not suffer his whole dis 
pleasure to arise." He has even sent his own Son into the 
world to effect reconciliation by the blood of his cross. He 
could not consistently with his own honour pardon sin without 
an atonement made for it : and, that a sufficient atonement 

8 Isai, xxx. 33. h Rev. xiv. 10, 11. 



651.] GOD S ANGER A REASON FOR SEEKING HIM. 119 

might be made, he gave his Son to " bear our iniquities in his 
own body on the tree," and to " be made sin for us, that we 
might be made the righteousness of God in him." For the 
fallen angels he made no such provision : but for us he did : 
and he sends forth his servants into all the world, to proclaim 
his offers of mercy, and to " beseech sinners in his name to be 
reconciled to him " ] 

To seek reconciliation with him then is our true 
wisdom 

[The world may account it folly, and may stigmatize all 
serious piety as needless preciseness : but we hesitate not to 
declare with David, that " the fear of the Lord is the very 
beginning of wisdom ;" and that the prodigal s return to his 
father s house was an evidence, not, as his ungodly companions 
would say, of weakness and folly, but of his having attained a 
soundness of mind and judgment : for it was " when he came to 
himself he said, I will return, and go to my father." Who that 
reflects upon the inconceivable weight of God s anger, and on 
the misery of those who are exposed to it, would continue one 
moment obnoxious to it, when God is offering him pardon, 
and beseeching him to accept of all spiritual and eternal bless 
ings ? 

But add to this the shortness and uncertainty of human life. 
Who that considers this, would delay to deprecate God s wrath, 
and to avail himself of the present hour to secure the proffered 
mercy ? O beg of God to impress your minds with a sense of 
the shortness of time, and to " teach you so to number your 
days, that you may without delay apply your hearts unto wis 
dom." Obvious as this lesson is, you can never learn it, unless 
you are taught of God. You will be ever calculating upon 
months and years to come, when " you know not what a single 
day may bring forth." You may even, like the Rich Fool, be 
promising yourselves " years of ease and pleasure," when God 
may have said, " This night shall thy soul be required of 
thee k ." To turn unto God instantly is true wisdom : to put it 
off to a more convenient season is folly and madness 
" To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts V] 

But, to this work you must " apply with your 
heart/ your whole heart- 
fit is not by seeking merely, but by "striving, to enter in 
at the strait gate," that you are to obtain acceptance with your 
God m . You must " apply your heart " unto wisdom : and 
" whatsoever your hand findeth to do, you must do it with all 
your might n "- 

1 Ps. cxi. 10. k Luke xii. 19, 20. 1 Ps. cxix. 60. Heb. iii.7, 8. 
ra Luke xiii. 24. " Eccl. ix. 10. 



120 PSALMS, XC. 11, 12. [651. 

ADDRESS 

1 . Those who make light of God s wrath 

[There are, alas ! too many who do this. " The wicked," as 
David says, " through the pride of his countenance will not 
seek after God : God is not in all his thoughts. His ways are 
always grievous : thy judgments are far above out of his sight : 
and as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them ;" and, with 
atheistical impiety, " says in his heart, God will not do good ; 
neither will he do evil p ." But consider, brethren, whether you 
will think so lightly of God s judgments when you shall have 
begun to feel the weight of them ? Think whether, on first 
opening your eyes in the invisible world, and beholding the face 
of your incensed God, you will not bewail your present supine- 
ness, and curse the day when you listened to the dictates of 
flesh and blood, instead of attending to the counsels of true 
wisdom ? O ! think, " Who can stand before his indignation? 
and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger q ? " " Who 
can dwell with everlasting burnings r ? " I pray you to number 
your days, not as the world does, but as God directs you : and 
to consider every day as if it were to be your last. This, with 
God s blessing, will stir you up to redeem the present time, 
and will put energy into your exertions in " fleeing from the 
wrath to come." Whatever be your age, my advice is still the 
same : for " you know not whether your Lord will come in the 
evening, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morn 
ing." " Knowing the terrors of the Lord, I would persuade 
you s ;" and " what I say unto one, I say unto all, Watch."] 

2. Those who are in a state of reconciliation with 
him 

[Doubtless there are many amongst you, who can say with 
the church of old, " Though thou wast angry with me, thine 
anger is turned away, and thou comfortest me V To you then 
I would say, " Who knoweth the power of God s love ? Accord 
ing to your hope, even your most sanguine hope, so is his 
mercy ; " yes, and infinitely above all that either men or angels 
can conceive. Compare your state with that of those who are 
now lifting up their eyes in the torments of hell ; and say 
whether eternity itself will suffice, to express your obligations 
to Him who has redeemed you by his blood, and to the Father 
who has accepted that atonement in your behalf? O ! bless 
without ceasing your reconciled God. Labour to count, if it 
were possible, the riches of his grace ; and to explore " the 

Ps. x. 4, 5. P Zeph. i. 12. q Nah. i. 6. 

r Isai. xxxiii. 14. s 2 Cor. v. 11. * Isai. xii. 1. 



652.] SATISFACTION IN GOD ALONE. 121 

height and depth and length and breadth of his incomprehen 
sible love." And let the stupendous mercy vouchsafed unto 
you, quicken you to every possible expression of gratitude to 
your adorable Benefactor.] 



DCLII. 

SATISFACTION IN GOD ALONE. 

Ps. xc. 14. satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may 
rejoice and be glad all our days ! 

WE are told, on most unquestionable authority, 
that " godliness is profitable unto all things, having 
the promise of the life that now is, and of that which 
is to come a ." We are further assured, that " its 
ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are 
peace V This was the conviction of Moses, when he 
penned this psalm. The vanity and bitterness of 
sin had been deeply felt by all that generation whom 
he had brought out of Egypt : and here, he declared 
that there was no happiness but in God : he prays, 
" O satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may 
rejoice and be glad all our days!" Now, Brethren, 
longing as I do for the happiness of you all, both here 
and in the eternal world, I will shew, 
I. Where, and where alone, true satisfaction can be 
found 

The whole world are inquiring, " Who will shew 
us any good?" And to that there is but one answer 
to be given ; namely this : " Lord, lift thou up the 
light of thy countenance upon us c !" 

Satisfaction is not to be found in any earthly pursuit 
[Pleasure, how diversified soever it may be, can never 
satisfy a rational being. Solomon drank more deeply of that 
cup than any other man ; and, after all, pronounced it to be 
" vanity and vexation of spirit." The same may be said of 
wealth and honour : they can never fill the desires and capa 
cities of an immortal soul. As the eye is never satisfied with 
seeing, nor the ear with hearing, so no man that attains the 
greatest eminence can be sure that he has reached the highest 
pinnacle of his ambition. Let him possess all that mortal man 
can possess, and there will be some Naboth, whose vineyard 

a 1 Tim. iv. 8. b Prov. iii. 17. c Ps. iv. G. 



122 PSALMS, XC. 14. [652. 

he covets ; or some Mordecai, who wounds him by refusing to 
pay him the homage he demands ] 

Nor is it to be found in any religious services which 
are performed with a self-righteous view 

[Doubtless a self-righteous man may be gratified for a 
season with the notion that he has established a ground of con 
fidence before God : but at times there will arise in his mind 
such thoughts as these : " Have I done enough to secure for 
me the forgiveness of my sins, and to purchase moreover the 
blessedness of heaven ? " And, after all his labour, he will feel 
some secret misgivings that all is not right. He has not a 
standard whereby to measure his attainments, except indeed 
the holy Law of God : and that altogether condemns him. In 
this state of uncertainty he cannot contemplate death and 
judgment without a degree of alarm, which casts a gloom over 
his prospect of the eternal world, and to a certain degree em 
bitters also his enjoyments in this present world.] 

That which alone can afford solid satisfaction to the 
soul, is, the having obtained " mercy" of the Lord 

[Every man is conscious that he has sinned, and must 
give an account of himself to the Judge of quick and dead. 
But, if he have fled for refuge to Christ, and embraced the sal 
vation offered him in the Gospel, he is ready to go into the 
presence of his God. He knows " in whom he has believed d ; " 
and has no doubt but that through the Redeemer s righteous 
ness he shall find acceptance with God. He will be able to 
say, " I know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle 
shall be dissolved, I have an house not made with hands, eternal 
in the heavens e ." In Christ he sees all that he can need : and, 
being " in Christ," he is assured that " there is no condemnation 
to him f " either now or at the bar of judgment. " Believing 
in Christ, he has peace with God," and rejoices before him 
" with joy unspeakable and glorified^."] 

This point being ascertained, let us direct our atten 
tion to, 
II. The blessedness of those who seek it there 

Mercy, once obtained from the Lord, is the richest 
balm of life 

1. It constitutes the chief felicity in youth 

[Who is there that has sought the Lord in early life, and 
did not experience the benefit of that blessed employment 
beyond his most sanguine expectations ? Nay, I will ask, Who 
ever spent one hour in penitential exercises, and in crying to 

d 2 Tim. i. 12. e 2 Cor. v. 1. f Rom. viii. l. * 1 Pet. i. 8. 



652.] SATISFACTION IN GOD ALONE. 123 

the Lord for mercy, and did not find more satisfaction in that 
hour than in all the pleasures he ever enjoyed? Who does not 
look back to such a period, as the happiest hour of his life ? 
I will gladly concede to every man the liberty of passing judg 
ment on himself; and will venture to abide the verdict which 
every man shall give. Into whatever state of carnal pleasures 
such an one may have turned aside, I can have no doubt but 
that, in seasons of reflection, he says, " Oh that it were with 
me as in times past !" - 

2. It renders us happy amidst all the most afflictive 
circumstances of life 

[Every man is, sooner or later, brought into trouble : for 
" man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward." But a 
sense of God s pardoning love upon his soul will more than 
counterbalance all his afflictions. " Being justified by faith, 
and having peace with God, he will glory in tribulations," of 
whatever kind they be h . He will see his trials to be a rod in 
his Father s hand 1 ; and he will acquiesce in the dispensation, 
from the hope that " all things shall work together for his 
good k ," and shall ultimately " work out for him a far more 
exceeding and eternal weight of glory 1 ." - ] 

3. It administers consolation to him, even on the 
bed of death 

[How blessed were the reflections of St. Paul when in 
the daily expectation of a cruel death ! " I have fought a good 
fight ; I have finished my course; I have kept the faith : hence 
forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which 
the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me in that day m ." 
Such was Jacob s consolation in his dying hour: " I have waited 
for thy salvation, O Lord n ." Yes, Brethren, a sense of God s 
pardoning mercy upon the soul will take away the sting of 
death, and make us rather to " desire that we may depart and 
be with Christ ," in the full fruition of his glory. ] 

ADDRESS 

1. The young- 
fit is never too "early" to seek, and to obtain, " mercy" 
from God. We read of several who from their very infancy 
were sanctified unto the Lord : and why should not you be 
numbered amongst that highly-privileged class ? You have an 
idea that the good things of this world, and the enjoyment of 
all pleasurable amusements, will make you happy. But if you 
will transfer this notion to spiritual things, and seek your 
happiness in them, I pledge myself that ye shall be satisfied 

. h Rom. v. 1, 3. * Mic. vi. 9. k Rom. viii. 28. l 2 Cor. iv. 17. 
m 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. Gen. xlix. 18. Phil. i. 23. 



124 PSALMS, XC. 14. [652. 

to the full: for of all the ransomed of the Lord it is said, 
" They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall 
flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for 
wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the 
herd ; and their soul shall be as a watered garden ; and they 
shall not sorrow any more at all. Then shall the virgin rejoice 
in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will 
turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make 
them rejoice from their sorrow. And I will satiate the soul 
of the priests with fatness ; and my people shall be satisfied 
with my goodness, saith the Lord p ." Indeed, you have a 
promise peculiar to yourselves : for God has said, " They that 
seek me early, shall find me q ."] 

2. The busy- 

[I would not have any one neglect his proper occupation 
in life. We are as much bound to be " diligent in business," as 
we are to be " fervent in spirit :" in the one, as well as in the 
other, we may " serve the Lord r ." But, in comparison, our 
zeal in the service of God should swallow up that which we 
exercise in reference to the world. Our Lord says, " Labour 
not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth 
unto everlasting life 8 ." I will suppose that you succeed to the 
utmost extent of your wishes in this world, what satisfaction 
will it afford you in the eternal world, if you have not secured 
" an inheritance amongst the saints in light?" There is no 
occupation whatever that can justify a neglect of your eternal 
interests. There may be other things desirable ; but this is 
needful, yea, " the one thing needful ;" and therefore I say, 
" Seekj#rs the kingdom of God and his righteousness," and 
leave it to God to " add other things to you" in the measure 
which in his unerring wisdom he shall see fit 1 .] 

3. Those advanced in life 

[Our text has a peculiar force as it relates to you. Much 
of your time is gone : and what is done either by you or for 
yrou, must be done quickly. There is, indeed, no time to be 
ost. The work of the soul is not to be left to a dying hour. 
Verily, that is but an unfavourable season for such a work ; 
and the reality of it, when commenced at that season, is always 
dubious. Be in earnest now. Delay not another hour. Cry 
mightily to God, " O satisfy me early with thy mercy ! " " Blot 
out my transgressions as a morning cloud :" wash them away 
in my Redeemer s blood. " Bring me out of the horrible pit, 
out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon the rock, and esta 
blish my goings ; and put a new song into my mouth, even 
praise unto my God u ." " Then will I bless thee while I live: 

P Jer. xxxi. 12 14. 1 Prov. viii. 17. r Rom. xii. 11. 

8 John vi. 27. t Matt. vi. 33. u Ps. xl. 2, 3. 



I 



653.] GOD S BEAUTY IMPARTED TO HIS PEOPLE. 125 

I will lift up my hands in thy name : my soul shall be satisfied 
as with marrow and fatness ; and my mouth shall praise thee 
with joyful lips, when I remember thee upon my bed, and 
meditate upon thee in the night-watches V " Yea, when my 
flesh and my heart fail, thou shalt be the strength of my heart, 
and my portion for ever."] 

x Ps. Ixiii. 4. 



DCLIII. 

THE BEAUTY OF JEHOVAH IMPARTED TO HIS PEOPLE. 

Ps. xc. 17. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us ! 

IT is pleasing to think that in every age the Lord 
has many " hidden ones:" even as in the days of 
Elijah,, who thought himself the only worshipper of 
Jehovah, whilst there were in reality " seven thousand 
men who had not bowed their knee to the image of 
Baal." It is not every one who dies apparently under 
the displeasure of God, that will be visited with his 
judgments in the world to come. Many " are judged 
of the Lord now, in order that they may not be con 
demned with the world hereafter a ." Amongst those 
who died in the wilderness for their transgressions, 
we know, infallibly, that some were received to mercy. 
We have no more doubt of the salvation of Moses 
and Aaron than we have of any saint from the 
foundation of the world. And we think that there is 
evidence in the psalm before us, that many repented 
in the wilderness, and that though " they were de 
livered, as it were, to Satan for the destruction of the 
flesh, their spirit will be saved in the day of the Lord 
Jesus V When they found that the sentence passed 
against them could not be reversed, they humbled 
themselves before God for their iniquities ; and in 
consequence thereof they found favour in his sight, 
passing their remaining days upon earth in some 
measure of peace, and enjoying a hope, that, though 
they were never to possess the earthly Canaan, they 
should be admitted to the enjoyment of a heavenly 
inheritance. Their supplications for mercy were such 

a 1 Cor. xi. 32. b 1 Cor. v. 5, 



126 PSALMS, XC. 17. [653. 

as God never did, nor ever will, reject. " O satisfy 
us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be 
glad all our days ! Make us glad according to the days 
wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein 
we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy ser 
vants, and thy glory unto their children : and let the 
beauty of the Lord our God be upon us :" that is, Let 
us have such tokens of thy love, and such communi 
cations of thy grace, as may carry us forward with com 
fort, and prepare us for thy more immediate presence. 

For the further elucidation of my text, I will en 
deavour to shew, 
I. Wherein the beauty of the Lord our God consists 

But in attempting to speak on such a subject, I feel 
that I shall only " darken counsel by words without 
knowledge:" for " we cannot by searching find out 
God, we cannot find out the Almighty to perfection." 
Yet, as we are able, we must declare him unto you, 
and set forth his perfections, 

1. As existing in himself 

[We need only open our eyes and survey the visible crea 
tion, to be assured of his eternal power and godhead. In this 
respect the most stupid heathens, in neglecting to worship him, 
are without excuse. The magnitude and number of the hea 
venly bodies, all moving so exactly in their respective courses, 
and fulfilling the ends for which they were designed ; and the 
variety and beauty of the things existing on this terraqueous 
globe, all so adapted for their respective offices and uses, and 
all subservient to one great design, the glory of their Creator ; 
evince that his wisdom and goodness are equal to his power. I 
am not aware that philosophers have any advantage over those 
of less intelligence in things which are known only by revelation: 
because those things can be known only by the teachings of 
God s Spirit ; and the Holy Spirit can instruct one as easily as 
another, and does often " reveal to babes what is hid from the 
wise and prudent :" but in the things which are obvious to our 
senses they have a great advantage, because by their proficiency 
in different sciences they attain a comprehensive knowledge of 
many things, of which the generality of persons have no con 
ception ; and consequently, they can discern traces of divine 
wisdom, and goodness, and power, which can never come under 
the view of one that is illiterate and uninformed. 

If from the works of creation we turn our eyes to the dis 
pensations of Providence, we shall see all the same perfections 



653. ] GOD S BEAUTY IMPARTED TO HIS PEOPLE. 127 

illustrated and displayed to yet greater advantage ; because they 
shew how entirely every created being, however unconscious, or 
however adverse, fulfils his will, and executes his designs 

But it is in the work of redemption that the perfections of 
God must be chiefly viewed ; because in that are displayed his 
justice, his mercy, and his grace : for the exercise of which 
there is, in the works of creation and of providence, compara 
tively but little scope. 

But, to discover these, we must view them,] 

As displayed in the person of his Son 

[The Lord Jesus Christ is called " the image of the invi 
sible God c ," because in him Jehovah, "who dwelleth in the light 
which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen or 
can see d ," is rendered visible to mortal eyes ; so that in him we 
see " the brightness of his Father s glory, and the express image 
of his person 6 ." We know that "in his face all the glory of 
the Godhead shines ;" and that on that account the god of this 
world is so anxious to blind our eyes, and to hide him from our 
view f . See then in him, and in his cross, not some perfections 
only, but all, even all the perfections of the Godhead shining in 
their utmost splendour. Draw nigh to the garden of Gethsemane, 
or to Mount Calvary, and there take a view of your adorable 
Saviour. How awful does the justice of the Deity appear, when 
not one sinner in the universe could be received to mercy, nor 
one single transgression of God s law be pardoned, till an atone 
ment should be offered for it, not by any creature, but by the 
Creator himself, whose blood alone could expiate our guilt, and 
whose righteousness alone could serve as a sufficient title for our 
acceptance before God. And how bright does mercy appear, 
in that, rather than man should perish after the example of the 
fallen angels, God vouchsafed to give his only dear Son to die 
for us, and to effect our reconciliation by the blood of his cross ! 
What wisdom too is displayed in this way of making the truth 
of God, which denounced death as the penalty of sin, to consist 
with the happiness and salvation of those who had committed 
it! as the Psalmist says, " Mercy and truth are met together; 
righteousness and peace have kissed each other &." To make 
these perfections unite in the salvation of men, and to bring to 
every perfection far higher glory than it could have had if it had 
stood alone ; (for whilst each shines in its own proper glory, each 
has a tenfold lustre reflected on it by the opposite perfection 
with which it is made to harmonize ;) this required the utmost 
possible effort both of wisdom and grace ; and to all eternity 
will it form the chief subject of adoration and praise amongst 
all the hosts of heaven. Here is God seen as " forgiving 

c Col. i. 15. <i 1 Tim. vi. 16. e Heb. i. 3. 

f 2 Cor. iv. 4. e Ps. Ixxxv. 10. 



US PSALMS, XC. 17. [653. 

iniquity, transgression, and sin, whilst he by no means clears 
the guilty h ;" because their guilt has been expiated, and a 
righteousness has been wrought out by the Lord Jesus Christ, so 
that God is " a just God, and yet a Saviour 1 , and is no less 
just than he is merciful, in every exercise of his pardoning love, 
and in every blessing which he bestows on his redeemed people k .] 

The petition offered respecting this, leads us to 
inquire, 

II. In what respects we may hope that " this beauty 
shall be on us"- 

Had the prayer been offered by Moses alone, like 
that, " I beseech thee, shew me thy glory 1 ," we might 
have supposed, that it was a peculiar favour, which 
other saints had no right to expect. But the prayer 
was uttered by multitudes, even by the great mass of 
those who repented in the wilderness : and therefore 
it may be poured forth by all true penitents amongst 
ourselves, who may expect that " the beauty of the 
Lord shall be upon them : " 

1 . By an outward manifestation of it to our minds 

[To the Corinthian Church was this honour vouchsafed : 
for " God, who commanded light to shine out of darkness at 
the first Creation, shined into their hearts, to give them the 
light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus 
Christ m ." Such manifestations therefore may we also expect. 
The Lord Jesus Christ has expressly promised, that he will 
manifest himself to us, as he does not unto the world : and with 
such convincing evidence will he shew us his glory, that we shall 
differ from those around us, as Paul at his conversion differed 
from his attendants : they heard a voice as well as he ; but he 
alone was favoured with the sight of the Lord Jesus Christ 
himself" : so that the words which we hear or read may be 
heard or read by thousands ; but to us only, that is, to those 
only who are truly penitent and believing, will he " manifest 
forth his glory," so as to constrain us to cry out, " How great 
is his goodness! how great is his beauty !" 

It is by the public ordinances chiefly that he will make these 
revelations of himself to us : and hence it was that David so 
exceedingly delighted in the house of God, saying, " One thing 
have I desired of the Lord, which I will seek after, that I may 
dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold 

h Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. Isai. xlv. 21. k 1 John i. 9. 

1 Exod. xxxiii. 18. m 2 Cor. iv. 6. 

n Acts ix. 7. 1 Cor. ix. 1. and xv, 8. Zech. ix. 17. 



653.] GOD S BEAUTY IMPARTED TO HIS PEOPLE. 129 

the fair beauty of the Lord p ." If only we come up to his house 
with raised expectations, and a humble mind, he will reveal 
himself to us, and lift up the light of his countenance upon us, 
and shew us " his power and glory so as he is accustomed to 
display them in his sanctuary* 1 ."] 

2. By an inward communication of it to our souls 

[" God originally made man after his own image 1 :" and 
after the same image will he create us anew " in righteousness 
and true holiness 8 ." It is for this very end that he so reveals 
himself in his ordinances ; namely, that, by communing with 
him there, our faces may be made to shine, as the face of Moses 
did*; and that " by beholding his glory we may be changed 
into the same image from glory to glory by the Spirit of our 
God u ." In this sense the beauty of the Lord our God shall 
be upon all his children, according as it is written, " He that 
hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure x ." 
No inferior standard will they aim at : they know their duty ; 
and they know their privilege : and with no attainments will 
they be satisfied, till they "are holy, as God is holy;" and 
" perfect, even as their Father that is in heaven is perfect." 

This indeed will not be imparted to any one at once : it is a 
progressive work: persons must be babes, and young men, 
before they are fathers : but from the time that they are truly 
converted unto God, they will " grow in grace," and " make 
their profiting to appear," till they have " attained to the full 
measure of the stature of Christ y ." To all of you then I would 
say, Offer up with devoutest earnestness to God the petition in 
my text, " Let THE BEAUTY OF THE LORD our God be upon 
us : " and add to it that prayer of Paul for the Ephesian con 
verts, which in import corresponds exactly with it ; " Let me 
so comprehend the love of Christ, as to be filled by it with all 

THE FULNESS OF GOD."] 

From the text thus explained, we may LEARN, 

1 . What is the great antidote to the troubles of life ? 

[Certainly the Israelites, when doomed to perish in the 
wilderness, were in a very pitiable condition. But, if they 
could only attain this great object, they declared that their 
sorrows would all be turned into joy z . So whatever our 
troubles be, their sting will be altogether taken away, if they 
prevail to bring us to the footstool of our God, and to the 
enjoyment of the light of his countenance. The trials which 
God sends are for this very end; to purge away our dross, and 

P Ps. xxvii. 4. <i Ps. Ixiii. 2. r Gen. i. 26, 27. 

8 Eph. iv. 24. * Exod. xxxiv. 29, 30. u 2 Cor. iii. 18. 
x 1 John iii. 3. y Eph. iv. 13. z Eph. iii. 18, 19, 

VOL. VI. K 



130 PSALMS, XC. 17. [653. 

to purify us as gold, that we may be vessels of honour, meet 
for our Master s use. Let us then not be so anxious to get rid of 
our afflictions, as to obtain from God a sanctified use of them, in 
brighter manifestations of him, and richer communications from 
him, and a more entire conformity to him a . Let us but get even 
a small measure of these benefits, and ft our consolations shall 
abound far above all that our afflictions have abounded b " - 

2. What we are to aim at, in our pursuit of holiness- 
fit is not any one grace, or any particular set of graces, 
that we should seek after, but an entire conformity to the image 
of our God. Now his beauty, as we have seen, consists not in 
any one perfection, but in an union of all perfections, however 
opposite to each other. So must there be in us, not such graces 
only as are suited to the natural temperament of our minds, but 
an assemblage of all graces, however different from each other ; 
every one being blended with, and tempered by, its opposite, 
and all together brought, as occasion may require, into united 
exercise. God is compared to " light ; " which is an union of 
rays, exceedingly diverse from each other, and all in simul 
taneous motion. Now as some may think that the brighter 
coloured rays, as the red, the orange, the yellow, would make 
a better light if divested of those which bear a more sombre 
aspect, as the blue, the indigo, and the violet ; so many imagine, 
that God would be more lovely, if justice were separated from 
his attributes, and mercy were to shine unalloyed by that more 
formidable perfection. But as neither can light part with any 
of its rays, nor, God with any of his perfections, so neither 
must the Christian dispense with any grace whatever : if he 
rejoice, it must be with trembling : if he walk in faith, he must 
be also in the fear of the Lord all the day long. If he be bold, 
he must also be meek and lowly of heart, and resemble him, 
who " was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before 
her shearers is dumb, so opened not he his mouth." This union 
of opposite graces it is which constitutes the beauty of holiness : 
as David, after the most exalted strains of adoration, says, " O 
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness : fear before him all 
the earth c ." 

Let me earnestly entreat the professors of religion to be 
attentive to this matter. Nothing is more common than for 
persons of this description to value themselves on account 
of some particular grace or set of graces, when they are offen 
sive, and, I had almost said, odious in the eyes both of God 
and man, for want of those graces which ought to temper, and 
to moderate the actings of their mind. Distortion in the human 
frame is not more disgusting than such distorted piety as this. 
Even without any particular blemish in the human frame, it is 

a ver. 15. ^ 2 Cor. i. 5. c Ps. xcvi. 7 9. 



654. J THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD s PEOPLE. 131 

not any one feature that constitutes beauty ; but a regular and 
harmonious set of features : so it is not faith, or fear, or zeal, 
or prudence, or any other separate grace, that will assimilate us 
to the Deity, but every grace in its proper measure, and its 
combined exercise ; or rather every grace borrowing from its 
opposite its chief lustre, and all harmoniously exercised for the 
glory of God. 

Were this subject better understood, we should see, as in 
Christ, so in all his followers also, the God and the man, the 
lion and the lamb.] 

DCLIV. 

THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD s PEOPLE. 

Ps. xci. 1 4*. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most 
High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will 
say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress : my God ; 
in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the 
snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence. He 
shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt 
thou trust : his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 

TO unfold the doctrines and duties of our holy 
religion is a matter of indispensable necessity to every 
one who would discharge the ministerial office with 
acceptance. Yet it is not necessary that a minister 
should always be laying the foundation of repentance 
towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ : 
there are times and seasons when he should " go on 
unto perfection*," and exhibit Christianity in its 
highest stages of practical efficiency. The psalm 
before us will afford us ample scope for this. The 
words which we have just read are somewhat discon 
nected: but a slight alteration in the translation, 
whilst it will not affect the sense of the passage, will 
cast a light and beauty over it, and render it doubly 
interesting to us all. Two prelates of our Church 
agree in reading the passage thus : " He that dwelleth 
in the secret place of the Most High, that abideth 
under the shadow of the Almighty ; that saith of the 
Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in 
whom I will trust." Then the Psalmist, instead of 
proceeding regularly with his speech, breaks off, and 
a Heb. vi. i. 



132 PSALMS, XCI. 14. [654. 

in an apostrophe addresses the person whom he has 
been describing ; " Surely he shall deliver thee*" &c. 
&c. According to this rendering, we have a clear 
exposition of the character and blessedness of every 
true believer. Let us consider, then, 
I. His character 

He is not described either by his religious creed 
or by his moral conduct. We are led to view him 
rather in his secret walk with God : and in this view 
his character is portrayed, 

1. Figuratively- 
fit will be remembered that God dwelt by a visible symbol 
of his presence in the tabernacle ; and that the high-priest on 
the great day of annual atonement went within the veil, and 
abode there till he had sprinkled the blood of his sacrifices upon 
the mercy-seat, and covered the mercy-seat with his incense. 
Now, what he did corporeally once in the year, the true Chris 
tian does spiritually every day in the year ; for through Christ 
we all are " made kings and priests unto our God." Paint to 
yourselves, then, the high-priest in his occasional access to God ; 
and there you see the Christian going continually within the 
veil, or rather habitually dwelling there, and " making God 
himself his habitation ." And truly this is " a secret place," 
of which an unconverted man has no conception : it is " the 
secret of God s pavilion, the secret of his tabernacle d ." But 
we must divest ourselves of the notion of locality : for this place 
is wherever God manifests his more immediate presence : and 
therefore David beautifully calls it, "the secret of his presence*." 
There the Believer dwells: and, O! who can conceive " the 
fellowship which he there enjoys with God the Father and with 
the Lord Jesus Christ f ;" whilst they, with condescending and 
affectionate endearment, come to him, and abidingly feast with 
hims. In truth, the communion between God and the soul is 
such as no language can convey: it is nothing less than a mutual 
in-dwelling, resembling that which subsists between the Father 
and the Son; they being in God, and God in them; yea, and 
being one with God, and God with them h -This is a 
mercy which the Believer alone enjoys. But some little idea 
of it may be formed from the favour conferred upon the camp 
of Israel in the wilderness. The cloudy pillar led them in all 

b Bishop Lowtli and Bishop Home. See Bishop Home on the place. 
c ver. 9. d Ps. xxvii. 5. e Ps. xxxi. 20. 

f 1 John i. 3. e John xiv. 21, 23. Rev. iii. 20. 
h Compare John vi. 56, and 1 John iv. 15, 16. with John xvii. 
2123. 



654. ] THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD s PEOPLE. 133 

their way, affording them shade by day from the heat of the 
burning sun, and light throughout the night season. To no 
other people under heaven was this ever vouchsafed. And so 
it is with the camp of the true Israelites at this day : they, and 
they only, behold the light of God s countenance in the night- 
season of adversity ; and they alone are sheltered from every 
thing that would oppress and overwhelm their souls ; as it is 
written, " The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of 
Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by 
day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night : for upon all 
the glory shall be a defence 1 ."] 

2. In plain terms 

[The workings of his mind, under all the trials and diffi 
culties which he has to encounter, are here set forth. He is con 
vinced that no created arm can be sufficient for him. Hence 
he directs his eyes towards the Creator himself, and saith of 
him, " He is my refuge" from every trouble: " He is my 
fortress" against every assailant: " He is my God," all whose 
powers and perfections shall be employed for me. " In Him 
will I trust," in Him only and exclusively ; in Him always, 
under all circumstances ; in Him, with perfect confidence and 
unshaken affiance. The man is not like the ungodly world, 
who know not what to do, and are at their wit s end when 
trouble comes : he is " in the secret place of the Most High;" 
and, where others can see nothing, he beholds " chariots of 
fire and horses of fire all around him k ," or, rather, he beholds 
" God himself as a wall of fire round about him 1 ," and has the 
very glory of God resting on him" 1 . Thus is the true Believer 
distinguished from all others: " he beholds Him who is in 
visible";" and walks as in his immediate presence, saying, " If 
God be for me, who can be against me ? " 

Shall this be thought an exaggerated description ? I do not 
say that the Divine presence is equally realized by all, or by 
any equally at all times : there are seasons when a Peter may 
be "of little faith ;" and a Paul may need a special revelation 
for his support, saying to him, " Be not afraid ; but speak, and 
hold not thy peace ; for I am with thee ; and no man shall set 
on thee to hurt thee p ." Nevertheless, in the general habit of 
their mind, their language is like that of David; " I will love 
thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, in whom I 
will trust ; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my 
high tower. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be 
praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies q ."] 

1 Isai. iv. 5. k 2 Kings vi. 17. ! Zech. ii. 5. 

m 1 Pet. iv. 14. n Heb. xi. 27. Matt. xiv. 31. 

P Acts xviii. 9, 10. <i Ps. xviii. 1 3, 



134 PSALMS, XCI. 14. [654. 

With such views of the believer s character, you can 
have no doubt of, 
II. His blessedness- 
Here let the abruptness of the address be borne in 
mind. The Psalmist, instead of proceeding, as might 
have been expected, to declare the blessings which a 
person of this description should receive, addresses 
himself to that person in these animated terms : 
" Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the 
fowler and from the noisome pestilence ; he shall 
cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt 
thou trust : his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." 
now, in these terms, he, in the very name of God 
himself, and in the most assured manner, pledges to 
him the protection, 

1. Of God s power 

[If war were raging in our country ; or pestilence, like that 
which desolated Judea after David had numbered the people, 
and which probably gave occasion to this psalm, were carrying 
off multitudes all around us ; we should enter more fully into 
the subject before us, and see more forcibly the exalted privi 
leges of the true Believer. But we must remember that there 
is a moral " pestilence" raging all around us, and sweeping 
myriads into the pit of destruction. We should remember, 
too, that there is a spiritual " fowler," who entangles, in his 
net, millions, unwary as the silly bird, and " leads them captive 
at his will r ." What is the example of men in every walk of 
life, but one deadly contagion, from which it is almost im 
possible to escape ? And what are those lusts and temptations 
with which we are continually beset, but baits, whereby the 
devil seeketh to ensnare us to our everlasting ruin ? And who 
can preserve us from these snares, but God himself? Little 
will human wisdom or power avail against such potent enemies. 
Peter imagined himself secure enough from denying his Lord, 
when he formed so steadfast a resolution respecting it : but, as 
our Lord had forewarned him, " the cock did not crow twice, 
till he had denied him thrice." And whomsoever Satan should 
get into his sieve, he would prove us all to be chaff, if we 
should be left without timely succour from on high 8 . But 
" God will keep the feet of his saints 1 ," and not suffer them to 
fall a prey to the destroyer. The care of a hen over her brood 
is well known. When a bird of prey is hovering over them, 

r 2 Tim. ii. 26. Tou diafioXov Trayt ^og 

s Luke xxii. 31. * 1 Sam. ii. 9. 



654.] THE BLESSEDNESS OF GOD s PEOPLE. 135 

she calls them under her wings, and there preserves them in 
perfect safety. The bird of prey, when searching for them, can 
behold nothing but the dam. Thus will God preserve his 
people from all their enemies : " He will cover them with his 
feathers, and under his wings shall they trust :" yea, " their 
lives shall be hid with Christ in God," beyond the reach of 
harm : and because " Christ himself is their life, when he shall 
appear, they also shall appear with him in glory u ." What was 
done by God for Israel in the wilderness, shall be done by him 
for every soul that puts its trust in him x 

2. Of his faithfulness 

[For every believer the very truth of God is pledged ; 
and " life is promised" to him by a " God who cannot lie^." 
It is not said that the believer shall not be tempted, or " be in 
heaviness through manifold temptations : but that he shall not 
be finally overcome, God does engage ; as the Apostle says : 
" God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above 
that ye are able ; but will with the temptation also make a 
way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it z ." Here, I say, 
the very faithfulness of God is pledged ; and we may be sure, 
that " of all the good things which he has promised to his 
people, not one shall ever fail*." No doubt they may through 
weakness be overcome for a season, as the lives of the most 
eminent saints but too clearly prove. But in such a case God 
has told us how he will act towards them : "If his children 
forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments ; if they break 
my statutes, and keep not my commandments ; then will I 
visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with 
stripes. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly 
take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail ; my covenant 
will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my 
lips : for once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie 
unto David b ." Of course, we are not to understand this of 
one who sins wilfully and habitually : for, whatever he may 
profess, he is no child of God, but a downright hypocrite: 
but of the weakest of real saints it is spoken ; and to him it 
shall assuredly be fulfilled : for " it is not the will of our 
Father that one of his little ones should perish ."] 

For a just IMPROVEMENT of this passage,, let it be 
remembered, 

1. In what way alone we can have access to God 

[We have spoken of the believer as " dwelling in God :" 

but how came he into that sanctuary ? and where did he find 

11 Col. in. 3, 4. x Deut. xxxii. 912. y Tit. i. 2. 

z 1 Cor. x. 13. a Josh, xxiii. 14. 

b Ps. Ixxxix. 30 35. Matt, xviii. 14. 



136 PSALMS, XCI. 14. (654. 

a door of entrance ? This is a point that should be well under 
stood. There is but one way to the Father ; and that is by 
Christ. Our blessed Lord himself tells us this, when he says, " I 
am the way, the truth, and the life : no man cometh unto the 
Father but by me." It must never be forgotten, that in our 
selves we are altogether departed from God ; and that we can 
be " brought nigh only by the blood of Jesus." It was by the 
blood of his sacrifice alone, that the High Priest, of whom we 
have before spoken, could come into the holy place of the Most 
High d : and it is by the blood of Jesus alone that we can ven 
ture into the holiest 6 , or presume to ask any thing at the hands 
of God f . I beseech you, therefore, to bear this in remembrance, 
and never to call God yours, until you have come to him in 
his appointed way ] 

2. What is that kind of confidence which we ought 
to maintain 

[It must not be a presumptuous confidence, that over 
looks the use of means or supersedes the necessity of holy fear. 
Satan could not be better served than by such confidence as 
that. And hence it was, that, in tempting our blessed Lord, 
he cited this very psalm, and urged a part of it as a warrant 
for him to cast himself down from a pinnacle of the temple ; 
saying, " If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down : for it 
is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee : and 
in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou 
dash thy foot against a stone g ." Our Lord s reply to him 
shews us our duty in relation to this matter ; " Thou shalt not 
tempt the Lord thy God." We are not needlessly to expose 
ourselves to dangers, in the expectation that God will preserve 
us : nor are we to neglect the use of means, as though God 
were engaged to work miracles in our behalf. We must be 
humble, watchful, diligent; as it is written, "Give all diligence 
to make your calling and election sure." God has, indeed, 
engaged to " give us both to will and to do : " but, whilst we 
depend on him for his effectual aid, we must " work out our own 
salvation with fear and trembling 11 ." In every step of our way to 
Zion, we must cry, " Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe."] 

3. What should be the frame of our minds after we 
have come to him 

[I have said, * We should fear ; for " blessed is the man 
that feareth always." But this fear should temper, not weaken, 
our confidence in God. Hear what the Prophet Isaiah says : 
" Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on 
thee ; because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for 

d Heb. ix. 7. e Heb. x. 19. f Heb. x. 2022. 

g ver. 11, 12. with Matt, iv. 0. h Phil. ii. 12, 13. 



655.] THE SECURITY OF THOSE WHO DWELL IN GOD. 137 

ever; for with the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength 1 ." St. 
Paul maintained to the uttermost the fear of which we have 
been speaking ; for he " kept under his body, and brought it 
into subjection ; lest that by any means, after he had preached 
to others, he himself should be a cast-away k ." But his confi 
dence in God was entire. He defied all the powers in the 
universe to separate him from the love of God 1 And 
you, also, may possess the same blessed hope, "knowing in 
whom you have believed m ," and assure ? that none shall ever 
pluck you out of the Saviour s hands n .] 

* Isai. xxvi. 3, 4. k 1 Cor. ix. 27. l Rom. viii. 3339. 
m 2 Tim. i. 12. * John x. 28. 



DCLV. 

THE SECURITY OF THOSE WHO DWELL IN GOD. 

Ps. xci. 9, 10. Because tlwu hast made the Lord which is my 
refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation, there shall no 
evil befall tJiee. 

IT is scarcely possible to conceive any terms more 
strong, or any images more lively, than those in which 
the Scripture represents the privileges of believers. 
We need look no further than to the psalm before us 
for a confirmation of this truth. Indeed, according 
to the view given of this psalm by a learned prelate, 
there is, in the first verses of it, an emphasis which 
cannot be surpassed* 1 . And the w r hole may be con 
sidered as the believer s charter, in which all his pri 
vileges are contained, from his first acceptance with 
God to the consummation of his happiness in glory. 

We have in the words of our text a just description 
of the believer : 
I. His experience 

The true Christian is one who has been " turned 
from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan 
unto God." Being once brought to God, he " makes 
the Most High his habitation." He regards God, not 

a Bishop Home reads the two first verses thus : " He that dwelleth 
&c. who abideth under &c. who saith of the Lord," &c. Then at the 
end of ver. 2, he supposes the Psalmist to break off abruptly, and, 
instead of continuing his description, to address himself to the person 
before described ; " Surely he shall deliver thee." 



138 PSALMS, XCI. 9, 10. [655. 

merely as reconciled to him, but as affording him 
(what a dwelling-house affords to its possessor), 

1. Free access 

[A person goes familiarly to his house at all times, not 
doubting but that he shall gain a ready admission into it. He 
considers it as his own, and feels that it exists only for his 
accommodation. It is thus that the believer goes to God as 
his God : he has " access to him with boldness and confidence :" 
he is certain that, when he calls, he shall receive an answer ; 
and " when he knocks, the door will be opened to him." In 
this precise view the Psalmist speaks of God ; "Be thou my 
strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort V] 

2. Necessary provision 

[Every man, whatever be his situation in life, expects to 
find in his own house the things suited to his necessities. He 
does not seek his meals at the houses of his neighbours, but in 
his own ; and he returns home at stated seasons to partake of 
them. And whither does the believer go for daily supplies of 
bread for his soul? It is in Christ Jesus that his fulness is 
treasured up; and in him the believer expects to find the 
" grace that is sufficient for him." God invites him to come 
to him for the express purpose, that he may be filled and satis 
fied with good things : " Wherefore do ye spend your money for 
that which is not bread? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat 
ye that which is good, and letyour soul delight itself in fatness ."] 

3. Sure protection 

[If storms descend, or dangers menace, we take refuge in 
our house, and find it a place of safety. Thus " The name of 
God also is a strong tower, into which the righteous runneth 
and is safe d ." It is to himself that God invites us, when he 
says, " Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, shut the 
door about thee, and hide thyself for a little moment, until the 
indignation be overpast e ." And that this was a primary idea 
in the rnind of the Psalmist, appears from the very words of the 
text, wherein he calls God " his Refuge," and from the whole 
scope of the psalm, from the beginning to the end. With this 
also agrees the beautiful description given of Jesus by the 
Prophet, as "an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from 
the tempest f ."] 

4. Sweet repose 

[To his house a man retires from the noise and bustle of 
the world ; and there he lays himself down to rest after the 
fatigues of the day. Home, though inferior in many respects 
to places of temporary residence, is to almost all persons the 

b Ps. Ixxi. 3. c Isai. Iv. 2, d Prov. xviii. 10. 

e Isai. xxvi. 20. f Isai. xxxii. 2. 



655.1 THE SECURITY OF THOSE WHO DWELL IN GOD. 139 

most agreeable, because they are most at ease. And such is 
God to the believer. " In every place, God is to him as a 
little sanctuary g ," where he finds himself at rest. He carries 
his wants to God, and " casts all his care on him," and enjoys 
that peace which passeth all understanding. In this sense he 
says for his own encouragement, " Return unto thy Rest, O 
my soul:" and attests for the glory of his God, " Lord thou 
hast been our dwelling-place in all generations 11 ."] 

In connexion with this experience of the believer, 
let us consider, 
II. His privilege 

The expression in the text seems to exceed the 
bounds of truth : but the more it is examined, the 
more will it be found to be strictly true. The man 
who makes God his habitation shall have no evil 
befall him : 

1. None here 

[No casual evil shall befall him. There is no such thing 
as chance ; every thing, even to the falling of a sparrow, is 
ordered of the Lord. As for the children of God, " their 
heavenly Father hath given his angels charge over them, to 
keep them in all their ways * ; " and if any thing were to hap 
pen to them, they (the angels) would contract a fearful respon 
sibility for their neglect. We must not however imagine that 
Believers are at liberty to rush into needless dangers; for our 
Lord, when tempted by Satan to cast himself from a pinnacle 
of the Temple in expectation that the angels would preserve 
him from injury, replied, " Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy 
God:" but nothing can happen to them except by the Divine 
appointment: they are hid in the shadow of their Father s 
hand, and " their very hairs are all numbered." 

But it may be thought that penal evil may come to them. 
This however we utterly deny. That they may be " visited 
with the rod," we readily acknowledge : but there is a great dif 
ference between the vindictive arm of an incensed judge, and 
the gentle chastisements of an indulgent parent. The cup that 
may at any time be put into their hands may be bitter; but it 
has not in it one drop of wrath : it is altogether mixed by love ; 
and not an ingredient can be found in it, which they themselves 
shall not one day confess to have been salutary and beneficial. 

In short, no real evil shall befall them. That they may have 
troubles, is certain : that their troubles may be heavy and ac 
cumulated, is also certain. But who accounts even the ampu 
tation of a limb evil, if it be the only and infallible method of 

8 Ezek. xi. 16. h Ps. xc. 1. ver. 11, 12. 



I K) PSALMS, XCI. 9, 10. [655. 

preserving life? Much less then are any sufferings to be 
accounted evil, which the Believer can ever be called to sus 
tain : for he shall never endure any, which shall not work for 
good to him in this life, and be the means of increasing his 
weight of glory in the nextV] 

2. None hereafter 

[It is in this life only that the Believer can meet with 
even the semblance of evil : when he goes hence, he is instantly 
placed beyond the reach of harm. No sin, no sorrow, no pain, 
no temptation, no weariness, no want, can ever be felt by him 
in the mansions of bliss. He will there enjoy for ever one 
unclouded day ! and his happiness will be without alloy, with 
out intermission, without end 1 ."] 

To render this subject more instructive, we shall ADD 
a word, 

1. Of direction 

[Christ, in reference to the sheepfold of his church, says, 
" I am the door ; if any man enter in by me, he shall be saved, 
and shall go in and out, and find pasture m . " The same figure 
we may apply to the subject before us : " Christ is the door ;" 
he is " the way to the Father;" and " no man cometh unto the 
Father, but by him." To those who come to God in any other 
way, he is not " a Refuge," or " Habitation," but " a consum 
ing fire "." But if we believe in Christ, then " will he dwell in 
us, and we shall dwell in him :" yea, " he will be our house of 
defence, to save us for ever p ."] 

2. Of warning 

[Who, except the believer, can apply to himself the pro 
mise in the text ? As for the unbelieving and disobedient, they 
are in danger every hour : they know not but that God s wrath 
may break forth against them the very next moment to their 
destruction. Of this they are certain, (whether they will be 
lieve it or not,) that in a little time his judgments shall overtake 
them, and the greatest of all evils shall befall them, unless they 
repent. O that they would be prevailed upon to flee for refuge 
to the hope that is set before them ! O that they would now 
seek to be " found in Christ ! " Then should the destroying 
angel pass over them, and " they should dwell safely, and be 
quiet from the fear of evil q ."] 

3. Of encouragement 

[The weakness of men s faith often robs them of the com 
fort which it is their privilege to enjoy. Why should a believer 

k Rom. viii. 28. and 2 Cor. iv. 17. ] Rev. xxi. 4. 

m John x. 9. n Heb. xii. 29. John vi. 56. 

P Ps. xxxi. 2. i Prov. i. 33. 



656. J CHARACTER AND PRIVILEGES OF THE GODLY. 141 

be afraid of thunder and lightning? Were he but sensible 
what a Protector he has, he would feel assured that no evil 
could come unto him. How varied are God s promises to 
him in the psalm before us ! How diversified also are the 
assurances given him by Eliphaz in the book of Job r ! Let 
him only commit himself to God, and he has nothing to fear. 
Let us then, beloved, have faith in God ; and let those words 
of David be our song in this land of our pilgrimage ; " God is 
our refuge, &c. ; therefore will we not fear, though the earth 
be removed, and though the waters be carried into the midst 
of the sea 8 : &c."] 

r Job v. 19 24. s Ps. xlvi. 1 4. 



DCLVI. 

THE CHARACTER AND PRIVILEGES OF THE GODLY. 

Ps. xci. 14 16. Because he hath set his love upon me, there 
fore will I deliver him : I will set him on high, because he 
hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will 
answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver 
him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and 
shew him my salvation. 

THE Scriptures are the charter of the Christian s 
privileges. They contain the most minute and accu 
rate description of his character, and set forth, in all 
the variety of expression that language can afford, 
the blessings he enjoys. The declarations concerning 
him in this Psalm may certainly be interpreted as re 
lating to the Messiah, hecause when a passage out of 
it was applied to Christ, he did not deny its refer 
ence to himself, but shewed with what limitations the 
passage was to be understood a . That it refers also to 
the church cannot admit of doubt. Throughout the 
whole of it the character and blessedness of God s 
people are delineated; but with peculiar force and 
beauty in the concluding verses. In discoursing upon 
them we shall consider, 
I. The character of God s people 

They "know the name" of God 

[The name of God as proclaimed by himself, is recorded 
in the Scriptures b ; and the Christian has a view of him as 

a Compare vcr. 11, 12. with Matt. iv. 6, 7. b Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. 



142 PSALMS, XCL 1416. [656. 

possessed of those very perfections which are there ascribed to 
him. He particularly sees these perfections harmonizing, and 
glorified, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ ; or, if he be 
not perfectly clear in his views of these things, he at least is 
sensible that the divine mercy flows only in one channel, and 
can be imparted only through the atoning blood of Christ.] 

They so know him as to "set their love upon him"- 

[It is not a mere speculative knowledge that Christians 
possess (in this the ungodly may far surpass them), but such a 
practical knowledge as influences their heart and life. They 
feel an interest in every perfection of the Deity. The justice 
and holiness of God are as amiable in their eyes as his love and 
mercy. From what they know of him they are constrained to 
love him, yea, to " set their love upon him," with intenseness 
of desire and fixedness of affection.] 

They wait upon him in continual prayer 

[Others may keep up an outward form of devotion, or 
even be exceedingly earnest in prayer on some particular occa 
sion; but they alone can maintain a real intercourse with the 
Deity, who have been taught by the Holy Spirit both to know 
and love him. When they have been thus enlightened and re 
newed, they will feel the necessity, and taste the sweetness, of 
secret prayer, and will account it their highest honour and hap 
piness to have access unto their God at the throne of grace ; 
nor will they ever be satisfied with the worship they offer, if 
they do not " worship him in spirit and in truth."] 

In perfect correspondence with their character will 
be found, 

IT. Their privileges- 
There is nothing good which shall be withheld from 
them in time or eternity. God will vouchsafe to them, 
1. Answers to prayer 

[They who offer their petitions only in a formal manner, 
never expect an answer to them. They conceive that all tes 
timonies from God respecting the acceptance of our prayers 
are chimerical and enthusiastic in the extreme. But God is 
at no loss to impart to his people a clear and lively sense of his 
approbation. He most assuredly will answer them, though not 
by tokens that may be heard or seen, yet by sensible communi 
cations, and effectual interpositions. Are they laden with guilt ? 
their burthen shall be removed, and they shall be filled with 
peace and joy. Are they bowed down under trials and temp 
tations ? they shall be strengthened by his grace, and be made 
more than conquerors over all. And though they cannot infal 
libly conclude from any feelings of their mind that God has 



656. J CHARACTER AND PRIVILEGES OF THE GODLY. 143 

answered their prayers, yet their feelings, in conjunction with 
the effects produced by them, will enable them to ascertain it, 
at least sufficiently for their own encouragement .] 

2. Deliverances from trouble 

[The people of God are exposed to troubles no less than 
others. But they are supported under them by the presence 
of their God. As the Son of man walked with the Hebrew 
youths in the furnace, so will he with all his afflicted people ; 
nor shall a hair of their head be singed. As a refiner he will 
carefully watch over every vessel, moderating the heat that 
would injure it, and bringing out the vessel as soon as his 
purposes in submitting it to the fire have been fully answered. 
This is twice declared in the text ; and in due season shall it 
be experienced by every true believer.] 

3. Present honour 

[The saints are, for the most part, loaded with contempt 
and ignominy. Yet the very persons who persecute them most, 
have frequently, like Herod, an inward reverence for them in 
their hearts. But, however they may be treated by the ungodly, 
they are universally respected by the saints. The very angels 
account it their honour and happiness to minister unto them. 
They are lights in the world, and living witnesses for God to 
all around them : and " God himself is not ashamed to be 
called their God." They are already exalted to the rank and 
dignity of God s children ; and are made " heirs of God and 
joint-heirs with Christ."] 

4. Everlasting glory 

[How far length of days is to be expected as the reward 
of piety under the Gospel dispensation, we cannot absolutely 
determine. But the true Christian will be " satisfied with his 
life," whether it be long or short. He does not wish for the 
termination of it merely because he is dissatisfied with his 
present state, but because he longs for his inheritance. He has 
Pisgah views of the promised land even here : and as soon as 
he has finished his appointed course, God will shew him his 
full salvation; causing him to behold all its glory and enjoy all 
its blessedness. Then shall be given to him a life which will 
fully satisfy his most enlarged desires. God will say to him, 
in the presence of the whole assembled universe, Come thou 
servant, whom I have decreed to " set on high," see the king 
dom that was prepared for thee from eternity; take possession 
of it as thine own, and inherit it for ever d . ] 

INFER 

1. In how pitiable a state are the ignorant and un 
godly world ! 

c Ps. cxxxviii. 3. d Matt. xxv. 34. 



144 PSALMS, XCII. 4, 5. [657. 

[Being ignorant of God, and destitute of any real love 
to him, they have no part or lot in his salvation. They are 
strangers to all those sublime pleasures, which are communicated 
to God s peculiar people. The witness of the Spirit, and many 
other unspeakably precious tokens of the divine favour, are with 
held from them. If they be in trouble, they have no heavenly 
consolations to support them. They may have the wealth of 
this world, and the honour which cometh of men ; but they can 
expect no salvation from God, nor any thing but shame and 
everlasting contempt 6 . O that they were wise and would 
consider these things!] 

2. How plain and simple is the duty of God s people ! 
[The privileges before mentioned, are all bestowed on us 
because we love and seek the Lord. Not that our services are 
meritorious, and can claim a " reward of debt ;" but God has 
appointed these as means, in the use of which we shall attain 
the end. Would we then have more abundant tokens of God s 
favour here, and secure a still richer inheritance hereafter ? Let 
us study to " grow in the knowledge of him," and in a more 
fervent and fixed love towards him. Let us wait upon him more 
earnestly and with greater constancy in prayer. Thus shall his 
blessings infinitely exceed our highest expectations, and be en 
joyed by us when the fleeting vanities of time shall be no more.] 
e Dan. xii. 2. 



DCLVII. 

GOD ADMIRED IN HIS WORKS. 

Ps. xcii. 4, 5. Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy 
work : I will triumph in the works of thy hands. O Lord, 
how great are thy works ! and thy thoughts are very deep. 

TO man, in this vale of tears, God has opened 
many sources of happiness ; many in his intercourse 
with his fellow-man, but more and greater in commu 
nion with his God. In truth, if it be not his own fault, 
he may have in a measure the felicity of the Para 
disiacal state restored to him : for though, through 
the weakness of the flesh, " he is in heaviness through 
manifold temptations," he has a God to go unto, a 
God ever at hand, in whom it is his privilege always 
to rejoice : " Rejoice in the Lord alway," says the 
Apostle ; and " again," he adds, " Rejoice." 

The frame of David s mind, in the psalm before us, 
(for we can scarcely doubt but that the composition 



657.] GOD ADMIRED IN HIS WORKS. 145 

was his,) being that which we should cultivate, we 

will consider, 

I. The works which he contemplated 

It is probable that the writer of this psalm had pri 
marily in his view the wonders of creation ; because 
the psalm was written for the Sabbath-day % which was 
instituted to commemorate God s rest from his cre 
ating work. Yet, in the body of the psalm, much is 
spoken respecting the dispensations of God in his 
providence : and David, whom I consider as the 
author of it, had experienced the most wonderful 
interpositions in his behalf; so that, amongst all the 
children of men, there was not one who had more 
cause than he to sing of " the loving-kindness and 
the faithfulness of Jehovah ;" of his " loving-kindness," 
in selecting him to such high destinies ; and his 
" faithfulness," in accomplishing to him his promises 
in their full extent. But the language of my text ne 
cessarily leads our minds to that greatest and most stu 
pendous of all God s works, the work of Redemption 

[This may be treated either in reference to Redemption 
generally, as wrought out for us by the incarnation, and death, 
and resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ ; or 
with a special reference to any one of these topics which may 
be suited to a particular season. But, in whatever way it be 
treated, the greatness of the work must be the point chiefly 
insisted on.] 

II. His experience in the contemplation of them 
He was filled, 

1. With triumphant joy- 
fit is not possible to view these wonders of Redeeming 

Love, and not feel the reasonableness of that command : " Re 
joice in the Lord alway ; and again I say, Rejoice b ." Well 
does the Psalmist say, " It is a good thing to give thanks unto 
the Lord." It is indeed good, at all times* , and in every pos 
sible way A . In this holy exercise should every faculty of our 
souls be engaged 6 .] 

2. With adoring gratitude 

[This, after all, is the fittest expression of our joy. The 
wonders of God s love are so stupendous, that all attempts to 

; a See the title to the Psalm. b Phil. iv. 4. c ver. 2. 

d ver. 3. e p St c iii. i. 

VOL. VI. L 



146 PSALMS, XCII. 1215. [658. 

celebrate them aright must fail ; and silence, the profoundest 
silence, on such a subject, if proceeding from an overwhelming 
sense of it, may justly be accounted the sublimest eloquence. 
The Psalmist s experience was of this kind f ; as were St. Paul s 
also, when he exclaimed, " O the depth &!"] 
ADDRESS 

1. Those who are strangers to this frame 

[Alas ! how little is this state of mind experienced by the 
generality of Christians! arid in what humiliating terms is 
their insensibility described in the words following my text ! I 
would not speak offensively, or wound the feelings of any : but 
I would ask you, whether David speaks too strongly, when he 
characterizes such persons as " brutish and fools h ?" You well 
know that the prophets often speak the same language 1 ; and 
I pray you to repent of your insensibility, that these characters 
may no longer attach to you.] 

2. Those who aspire after it 

[Let your thoughts soar to high and heavenly things; 
and especially let them be occupied on the works of God, and 
on his perfections as displayed in the great mystery of Re 
demption. Surely you shall^not long meditate on these things 
in vain. Your God will cause you to " triumph in Christ 
Jesus." But never rest, till you have those overwhelming 
views of Christ which characterize the worship of heaven. 
The glorified saints and angels all fall upon their faces before 
the throne : seek ye the same frame of mind with them ; and 
soon you shall join with them in everlasting hallelujahs to 
God and to the Lamb.] 

f ver. 5. e Rom. xi. 33. h ver. 6. 

1 Isai. i. 3. and Jer. viii. 7. 



DCLVIII. 

THE BELIEVER S SECURITY. 

Ps. xcii. 12 15. The righteous shall flourish like the palm- 
tree : he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be 
planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts 
of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age ; 
they shall be fat and flourishing ; to shew that the Lord is 
upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

WELL may we be filled with gratitude, whilst we 
contemplate the wonders of creation and of provi 
dence 3 : but deeper far are the wonders of redeeming 

a ver. 1 5. 



658.] THE BELIEVER S SECURITY. 147 

love, - ecured as they are to the saints by the immu 
table perfections of God. " A brutish man, indeed, 
knows them not; nor does a fool understand them b :" 
but those who " are anointed with that heavenly 
unction which teacheth them all things " have an 
insight into them, and can attest the truth of the 
assertions of the Psalmist, whilst he declares, 
I. The privileges of the righteous 

" The righteous" are indeed highly favoured of the 
Lord. To them, amidst innumerable other blessings, 
are secured, 

1. Stability 

[" The palm-tree and the cedar" are trees of most majestic 
growth ; the one retaining its foliage all the year, and the other 
pre-eminent in respect of strength and durability. And like 
these shall the righteous " flourish : " nothing shall despoil them 
of their beauty, nothing shall subvert their souls - They 
may indeed be assailed with many storms and tempests ; but 
they shall not be cast down ; or, if cast down, shall not be de 
stroy ed d Being once " planted in the house of the Lord, 

they shall flourish in the courts of our God," never withering for 
want of nourishment 6 , nor ever decaying by the lapse of years f .] 

2. Fruitfulness 

[The Gospel, wherever it comes, brings forth fruit g ; and 
all who receive it aright become "fat and flourishing," " being 
filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus 
Christ to the glory and praise of God h . For every season in 
the year they have appropriate fruit 1 : and even to "old age," 
when other trees decay, these retain their vigour and fertility. 
There may, indeed, be a difference in the fruits produced by 
them at the different periods of life ; that of youth being more 
beauteous to the eye ; and that of age, more pleasant to the 
taste, as savouring less of crudity, and as being more richly fla 
voured through the influence of many ripening suns. " The 
fruits of the Spirit," indeed, are seen in both k ; but in one, the 
fruit of activity and zeal ; and in the other, a patient waiting for 
the coming of their Lord 1 . To the latest hour of their exist 
ence shall they bring forth fruit unto God m , and God shall be 
" glorified in them"." Never shall their leaf wither or their 
fruit fail, till they are transplanted to the Paradise above.] 

b ver. 6. c i J hn ii. 20, 27. 

d Job v. 19. Ps. xxxiv. 19. 2 Cor. iv. 8 10. 

Ps. i. 3. and Jer. xvii. 8. f Isai. Ixv. 22. & Col. i. G. 

b Phil. i. 11. i Ezek. xlvii. 12. k Gal. v. 22, 23. 

1 1 Cor. i. 7. m Hos. xiv. 5 7. n Isai. Ixi. 3. 



148 PSALMS, XCII. 1215. [658. 

The confidence with which David announces to the 
righteous their privileges, will lead us to consider, 
II. Their security for the enjoyment of them 

God has solemnly engaged to confer these bless 
ings upon them 

[From all eternity did he enter into covenant with his dear 
Son, that "if HE would make his soul an offering for sin, he 
should see a seed, who should prolong their days; and the 
pleasure of the Lord should prosper in his hand ." The terms 
being accepted by the Lord Jesus, a people were " given to 
him ; " with an assurance that not one of them should ever be 
lost p . Accordingly, we find innumerable promises made to 
them, that " God will keep their feet q ," and carry on his work 
in their hearts r , and " preserve them blameless unto his 
heavenly kingdom 8 ."] 

From respect to these engagements, he will as 
suredly fulfil his word 

[Not one jot or tittle of his word shall fail 1 . His children 
may, indeed, by their transgressions, call forth some tokens of 
his displeasure : yet, though he visit their transgression with 
the rod, and their iniquity with stripes, his loving-kindness will 
he not utterly take from them, nor surfer his faithfulness to fail. 
His covenant will he not break, nor alter the thing that is gone 
out of his lips ; for once he has sworn by his holiness, that he 
will not lie unto David u . Having thus pledged his truth and 
faithfulness in their behalf x , and engaged never to leave them 
till he has accomplished in them and for them all that he has 
promised y , he considers his own honour as involved in their 
happiness 2 ; and would account himself " unrighteous," if he 
left so much as one of them to perish a . But " he cannot lie b :" 
and, therefore, all who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the 
hope set before them, may have the most abundant consola 
tion ," in an assured expectation that " he will perfect that 
which concerneth them d ," and " keep them, by his own power, 
unto everlasting salvation 6 ."] 

Comforting as this Scripture is, it needs to be very 
carefully guarded from abuse. Permit me, then, 
to ADDRESS myself, 

Isai. Hii. 10. P John xvii. 2, 6, 9, 10 12, 24. 

q 1 Sam. ii. 9. r Phil. i. 6. 

s 1 Cor. i. 8. 1 Thess. v. 23. * Isai. liv. 9, 10. 

u Ps.lxxxix.30 35. x 1 Thess. v. 24. y Heh. xiii. 5, 6. 

z Ezek. xxxix. 25. a Heb. vi. 10. b Tit. i. 2. 

c Heb. vi. 17, 18. d Ps. cxxxviii. 8. e 1 Pet. i. 5. 



658.] THE BELIEVER S SECURITY. 149 

1. To those who are indulging in undue security 

[Is there any one that will dare to say, I cannot fall ; or, 
if I fall, I cannot but rise again : for, if God were to leave me 
to perish, he would be unfaithful and unjust? I must reply 
to such an one, Thou art on the very border and precipice of 
hell. Who art thou, that thou shouldst not fall, when David, 
and Solomon, and Peter fell? Or, who art thou, that thou 
must be raised again, when Demas, as far as we know, fell for 
ever ? Hast thou been up to heaven, and seen thy name writ 
ten in the Book of Life ? Hast thou inspected that covenant 
which was made between the Father and the Son, and seen 
that thou wast among the number of those who were given to 
Christ before the foundation of the world ? " The Lord knoweth 
them that are his ; " but who besides him possesses that know 
ledge? What knowest thou, except as far as causes can be 
discerned by their effects ? Thou hast experienced what ap 
pears to be a work of grace in thy soul. Be thankful : but be 
not over confident : thousands have deceived themselves : and 
thou mayest have done the same. Could it be infallibly ascer 
tained that thou wast given to Christ before the foundation of 
the world, and, in consequence of God s engagement with 
him, wast effectually called to a state of union with him, 
we will acknowledge that none should ever pluck thee out of 
the Father s hands f : for "his gifts and calling are without 
repentance g ." But, as this can never be ascertained but by a 
special revelation from God, I must say to thee, and would say, 
if thou wert the most eminent Christian upon earth, " Be not 
high-minded, but fearV It is certain that multitudes of most 
distinguished professors have apostatized from their faith : and 
such may be thine end ; yea, and will, if thy confidence be so 
daring and presumptuous : and, if this should be thine unhappy 
fate, we shall not for one moment question the fidelity of G od ; 
but shall say of you, as St. John did of the apostates in his day, 
" They went out from us ; but they were not of us i for if they 
had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us : 
but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they 
were not all of us V] 

2. To those who have actually backslidden from 
God- 

[Are there none of this character amongst us ? Would 
to God there were not \ But look back, I pray you, and see 
whether it is still with you as it was in " the day of your 
espousals k ." Have none of you " left your first love 1 ?" Time 
was, perhaps, when the concerns of your souls were of such 

f John x. 2729. e Rom. xi. 29. h Rom. xi. 20. 

* 1 John ii. 19. k Jer. ii. 2. 1 Rev. ii. 4. 



150 PSALMS, XCII. 1215. [658. 

importance in your eyes, that you thought you could never do 
enough to promote their eternal interests. The word of God 
and prayer were then, as it were, your daily food : you walked 
with God all the day long. To maintain communion with him 
was your highest delight : you dreaded every thing that might 
draw you from him : your bodies and souls were, like living 
sacrifices, offered to him daily upon his altar. But how is it 
with you now ? Perhaps at this time any formal service will 
suffice to satisfy the conscience : the duties of the closet are 
become irksome to you ; the world has regained an ascendant 
over your minds ; and evil tempers, which once appeared sub 
dued and mortified, display themselves on every occasion, to 
the destruction of your own peace, and to the annoyance of all 
around you. Ah ! think what dishonour you do to God, and 
what cause of triumph you give to his enemies. Through 
your misconduct, " the way of truth is evil spoken of," and 
" the very name of God is blasphemed." But His word is 
true, whether men stumble over it or not : and, whatever a 
profane world may imagine, " He is a Rock ; and there is no 
unrighteousness in him. " But delude not yourselves with 
notions about electing love, or God s faithfulness to his pro 
mises. The only promises in which ye have any part, are 
those which are made to weeping penitents : " Repent ye, 
then, without delay, and do your first works m :" else " you 
shall be filled with your own ways n ," and reap for ever the 
bitter fruit of your own devices .] 

2. To those who are holding on in the good way 
[You are living witnesses for God, that he is both mer 
ciful and " upright." You know whence it is that you have 
been preserved. You know that you would have fallen, even 
as others, if he had not upheld you in his everlasting arms. 
Give Him the glory, then ; and cast yourselves altogether upon 
him. Beg of him to water your roots, and to make you 
" fruitful in every good work." Entreat him, not only " not to 
turn away from you, but to put his fear in your hearts, that 
you may never depart from him P." So may you look forward 
to all the occurrences of life with a joyful hope, that you shall 
be preserved even to the end, and be " more than conquerors 
through Him that loved you q . " The proper medium to be 
observed, is that between presumptuous hope and servile fear. 
A filial confidence is your high privilege : and you may go 
forward with joy, knowing in whom you have believed, that 
He is both able and willing to keep that which you have com 
mitted to him r ," and that he will be eternally glorified in the 
salvation of your souls.] 

m . Rev. ii. 5. n Proy. xiv. 14. Prov. i. 31. and xxii. 8. 
P Jer. xxxii. 40. 1 Rom. viii, 35 39. r 2 Tim. i. 12. 



659.] COMFORT IN GOD. 151 

DCLIX. 



COMFORT IN GOD. 



Ps. xciv. 1 9. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy 
comforts delight my soul. 

TO judge of the efficacy of Divine grace, we should 
see it in actual exercise, and under circumstances 
calculated to display its power. The writer of this 
psalm, whoever he was, (for respecting the author 
or the occasion of it we have no certain information,) 
was sorely oppressed under the sanction and autho 
rity of legal enactments. But he committed his cause 
to God ; and warned his oppressors that they should 
give an account of their conduct before another tri 
bunal, where their atheistical impiety would receive 
its just reward a . At the same time, he declared that 
he had heartfelt consolations, of which it was not in 
their power to deprive him : for that ff in the multi 
tude of his thoughts, which their cruelty excited 
within him, God s comforts delighted his soul." 

In these words we see, 

I. The fluctuations of mind to which the saints are 
exposed 

When men become saints, they are not raised 
above the feelings of mortality : they still have the 
common sensibilities of men, and consequently are 
exposed to great fluctuations of mind : 

1. In reference to their temporal concerns 

[As members of society, they must be engaged in earthly 
occupations of some kind ; and must depend, not on themselves 
only, but on others also, for their prosperity in the world. 
The misfortunes of others may involve them ; and, without 
any fault of their own, they may be drawn into circumstances 
of most painful embarrassment. In such a predicament, it 
would ill become them to be careless and unconcerned. They 
must of necessity have many thoughts, how to extricate them 
selves from their trouble, and to maintain their good character 

before men 

In a domestic relation, too, the saint cannot be insensible to 
the welfare of his wife and children : their health, their ho 
nour, their happiness, must of necessity occupy a deep interest 

a ver. 5 10, 20 23. 



152 PSALMS, XCIV. 19. . [659. 

in his mind, and be sources of much anxiety within him 

Religion is not intended to destroy these feelings, but only to 
regulate them, and to render them subservient to his spiritual 
welfare ] 

2. In reference to the concerns of their souls 

[The very intent of piety is, to make every thing that relates 
to eternity interesting to the soul. Now the saint, in this pre 
sent state of warfare, cannot always preserve the same state of 
sublime and spiritual affection : there will be seasons of compara 
tive darkness and deadness, and seasons too of temptation, when 
Satan has gained some advantage over him. Now, such ought 
to be seasons of deeper humiliation to the soul : and, together 
with contrition, there will often arise doubts and fears, which 
will fill the soul with most distressing perplexity. David himself 
sometimes had his fears, lest God should have cast him off for 
ever b : and similar apprehensions are experienced by the Lord s 
people, in every age and in every place 

But in the example before us we see, 
II. The consolations which God administers to them 
in their troubles 

Truly they have comforts which the world knows 
not of: they have for their refreshment and delight, 

1. The comforts of God s word 

[The Scriptures are a " well of salvation, from whence 
they draw water with joy." In them they behold the character 
of God, exhibited as it were at full length, in all the dispensa 
tions of his providence and grace. There they see how God 
has dealt with his people in every age, ordering every thing 
according to the counsels of his unerring wisdom, and overruling 
every thing for their eternal good. There they behold him as 
a refiner, regulating the furnace into which he puts his vessels ; 
and watching the process, in order to bring them forth in due 
season, fit for the master s use. There they see the " covenant 
ordered in all things and sure ;" and there they find promises 
without number, exactly suited to their state. These are as 
marrow and fatness to their souls ; and, nourished by these, 
they not only bear with patience, but glory and exult in, all 
their trials Encouraged by these promises, they are 
content to go into the furnace, assured that they shall come 
forth, at last, purified as gold.] 

2. The comforts of his Spirit 

[Afflictions are seasons when God for the most part ma 
nifests himself to the souls of his people. The Son of man 

b Ps. Ixxvii. 7 10. c 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. 



660.] DEVOTION TO GOD ENFORCED. 153 

then walks most visibly with them, when they are put into the 
furnace for his sake. In the mount of difficulty and trial he 
will be seen. In his people s extremity he vouchsafes to them 
his richest communications, imparting to them his Holy Spirit, 
as a Comforter, to witness their adoption into his family, and 
to seal them unto the day of redemption. Yea, so abundantly 
does he sometimes " shed abroad his love in their hearts," that 
they are fearful of losing their trials, lest they should lose at 
the same time their consolations also. Such were the comforts 
administered to the Apostle Paul d ; and such shall be the por 
tion of all who take the Lord for their God.] 

SEE 

1. How highly the saint is favoured above all other 
people upon earth ! 

[What source of comfort can the worldling find, in his 
trials? The whole creation is to him but "a broken cistern 
that can hold no water." It is the saint alone that has a 
never-failing source of joy and bliss 

2. How desirable it is to acquaint ourselves with 
God! 

[It is in God, as reconciled to us in Christ Jesus, that this 
blessedness is to be found. To those who seek him not in 
Christ Jesus, God himself is only " a consuming fire :" but 
to his believing people he is " a very present help," and " an 
eternal great reward."] 

d 2 Cor. i. 5. 



DCLX. 

DEVOTION TO GOD RECOMMENDED AND ENFORCED. 

Ps. xcv. 6 11. O come, let us worship and bow down : let us 
kneel before the Lord our Maker. For he is our God ; and 
we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. 
To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart, as in 
the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilder 
ness ; when your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my 
work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, 
and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they 
have not known my ways ; unto whom I sware in my wrath, 
that they should not enter into my rest. 

IN the former part of this psalm, the Jewish peo 
ple, for whom it was composed, mutually exhorted 
each other: in the latter part, God himself is the 
speaker : and the manner in which this latter part is 



154- PSALMS, XCV. G 11. [660. 

cited in the Epistle to the Hebrews, shews, that the 
whole psalm is as proper for the use of the Christian, 
as it was of the Jewish, Church. The peculiar cir 
cumstance of its consisting of a mutual exhortation 
is there expressly noticed : and noticed with parti 
cular approbation : " Exhort one another daily, while 
it is called To-day a ." This hint the Compilers of our 
Liturgy attended to, when they appointed this psalm 
to be read constantly in the Morning Service, as in 
troductory to the other psalms that should come in 
rotation : and, as being so appointed, it deserves 
from us a more than ordinary attention. 
In discoursing upon it, we shall notice, 

I. The exhortation 

[The proper object of our worship is here described. As 
addressed to the Jews, the terms here used would fix their 
attention on Jehovah, as contra-distinguished from all false 
gods : but, as addressed to Christians, they lead our minds to 
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is " God with us," even " God over 
all, blessed for evermore." HE is our Maker; for " by him 
were all things created, both which are in heaven and in earth V 
He is " the good Shepherd, who laid down his life for his sheep," 
and who watches over them, and preserves them day and night c . 
HIM then we must worship with all humility of mind, 
" bowing down, and kneeling before him." At his hands must 
we seek for mercy, even through his all-atoning sacrifice 
and from him, as our living Head, must we look for all neces 
sary supplies of grace and peace 

O come, let us thus approach him ! let us do it not merely 
in the public services of our Church, but in our secret cham 
bers ; and not occasionally only, but constantly ; having all our 
dependence upon him, and all our expectations from him.] 

That this exhortation may not be in vain, we en 
treat you to consider, 

II. The warning with which it is enforced 

[The Jews who, in the wilderness, disobeyed the heavenly 
call, were never suffered to enter into the land of Canaan. In 
the judgments inflicted upon them, they are held forth as a 
warning to us d . Like them, we have seen all the wonders of 
God s love, in delivering us from a far sorer than Egyptian 

* Heb. iii. 13. b John i. 3. 

c John x. 11. Heb. xiii. 20. Ezek. xxxiv. 11 16. 

* 1 Cor. x. 111. 



660.] DEVOTION TO GOD ENFORCED. 155 

bondage. Like them, we have had spiritual food administered 
to us in rich abundance in the Gospel of Christ. And if, like 
them, we harden our hearts, and rebel against our God, like 
them, we must be excluded from the heavenly Canaan. They 
by their obstinacy provoked God to exclude them with an oath : 
O that we may never provoke him to " swear that we also shall 
never enter into his rest ! " That we are in danger of bringing 
this awful judgment on ourselves is evident from the intimation 
given us by the Apostle Jude e , and yet more plainly from the 
warnings which St. Paul founds on this very passage f 
Let us then " hear the voice" of our good Shepherd, ere it be 
too late. Let us "grieve him" no longer but let us 
turn to him with our whole hearts Caleb and Joshua 
were admitted into Canaan, because " they followed the Lord 
fully:" let us follow him fully, and we shall certainly attain the 
promised rest.] 

After the example of St. Paul, we would with all 
earnestness caution you against, 

1. Unbelief- 

[The Jews believed neither the promises nor the threaten- 
ings of God, and therefore they perished. Let us beware lest 
we fall after the same example of unbelief g . If we will not 
believe that we stand in need of mercy to the extent that God 
has declared, or that the service of God is so reasonable and 
blessed as he has represented it to be, or that the judgments 
of God shall infallibly come on all who refuse to serve him, 
there is no hope : we must perish, notwithstanding all the offers 
of mercy that are sent to us : for " the word preached cannot 
profit us, if it be not mixed with faith in them that hear it h ."] 

2. Hardness of heart 

[As Israel hardened themselves against God when his 
messages were sent them by Moses, so do many now harden 
themselves against the word preached by the ministers of 
Christ. They " puff at" all the judgments denounced against 
them 1 . But " who ever hardened himself against God, and 
prospered?" O! " will your hearts be stout in the day that HE 
shall deal with you ? and will you thunder with a voice like his ? " 
Be persuaded: humble yourselves before him, yea, " bow down 
and kneel before him," and never cease to cry for mercy, till he 
has turned away his anger, and spoken peace to your souls.] 

3. Delay- 

[" To-day," says the Psalmist : " To-day, while it is. called 
To-day," says the Apostle Paul : and " To-day," would I say : 

e ver. 5. f Heb. iii. 719. and iv. 1. e Heh. iv. 12. 

h Heb. iv. 2. * Ps. x. 4, 5. 



156 PSALMS, XCVI. 13. [661. 

yes, Brethren, " to-day" " harden not your hearts;" for you 
know not what a day may bring forth. Before another day, 
you may be taken into the eternal world ; or, if not, you may 
provoke God to swear in his wrath, that you shall never enter 
into his rest ; and then your remaining days will answer no 
other end, than to fill up the measure of your iniquities. But 
surely you have grieved him long enough already; some of 
you twenty, some thirty, some perhaps even " forty years." 
Let there be an end of this rebellion against your Maker and 
your Redeemer ; and let this, which is with him the day of 
grace, be to you " the day of salvation."] 

DCLXI. 

THE DUTY OF MAKING CHRIST KNOWN TO THE HEATHEN. 

Ps. xcvi. 1 3. sing unto the Lord a new song ; sing unto 
the Lord all the earth. Sing unto the Lord ; bless his name : 
shew forth his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory 
among the heathen, his wonders among all people. 

TO any one who looks even in the most superficial 
manner into the Holy Scriptures, there must appear 
a very wide difference between the experience of the 
saints recorded there, and that which is found amongst 
persons reputed saints in the present day. The Sa 
viour himself is not so much the object of holy glory 
ing, as he was amongst some, who looked forward to 
him at the distance of a thousand years ; nor are the 
same elevated affections towards him brought into 
exercise, as were displayed by them. A man who 
should now exclaim, as David did, " O sing unto the 
Lord a new song ; sing unto the Lord, all the earth : 
sing unto the Lord ; bless his name ; shew forth his 
salvation from day to day I" he, I say, would be 
accounted an enthusiast at least ; and it would be 
well if he were not characterized by a yet harsher 
term. But religion is, or ought to be, the same in 
all ages ; except indeed that our views of Christ 
should be more elevated, and our delight in him be 
more ardent, in proportion as our means of knowing 
him are more ample, and our motives to love him 
more enlarged. The psalm before us undoubtedly 
refers to him ; for it speaks expressly of the pub 
lication of his Gospel to the Gentile world. It is 



661. J DUTY OF MAKING CHRIST KNOWN. 157 

indeed only a part of a psalm written originally by 
David at the time of his bringing up the ark to 
Mount Zion from the house of Obed-edom a : and 
this part was selected afterwards for the constant 
use of the Church, as being calculated to keep up in 
the minds of men an expectation of the Messiah, and 
to prepare their hearts for the reception of him. 

In discoursing on that portion of it which we have 
read, we shall, 
I. Point out your duty to the Lord Jesus Christ 

In speaking to persons who profess to derive all 
their hopes of salvation from the Lord Jesus, me- 
thinks it is scarcely necessary to say, that, 

1. We should praise him ourselves 

[We should not be content to acknowledge him in words; 
we should feel towards him in deed, as our " All in all b ." 
These feelings we should express in songs of praise : or if we be 
silent as to our voice, we should at least " make melody to him 
in our hearts;" " blessing" and adoring him from our inmost souls. 
We should sing to him " a new song." It was so called by 
David, because it was a song that was to be sung especially at 
the introduction of the Christian dispensation, the events pre 
dicted and shadowed forth being then fulfilled. But it is still 
a new song to all who sing it ; because in their unconverted 
state they have no disposition, no ability to sing it: "they can 
not, in that sense, say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy 
Ghost c ." Moreover, it will to all eternity continue new,- fresh 
discoveries of his glory being ever manifested to the soul, and 
fresh energies supplied for the celebration of his praise. Hence 
in heaven itself the songs of all the glorified saints are thus 
designated : " they sing unto the Lord a new song d . " Thus 
"from day to day " our harps should be tuned afresh, and our 
praises ascend to heaven with every breath we draw.] 

2. We should make him known to others 

[Who that had ever tasted of the blessings of salvation 
would " eat his morsel alone ? " who would not wish all the 
world to partake with him ? Yes surely, we should declare his 
glory among the heathen, and his wonders among all people." 
O what " wonders " of love and mercy have we to proclaim ! 
Who can reflect on the person of our "Emmanuel, who is God 
with us," leaving the bosom of his Father, taking our nature, 
bearing our sins, and effecting by his obedience unto death our 

a 1 Chron. xvi. 736. b 1 John iii. 18. 

c 1 Cor. xii. 3. <* R ev . v . 9. and xiv. 3. 



158 PSALMS, XCVI. 13. [661. 

reconciliation with God ; who, I say, can reflect on this, and 
not desire to make it known to all the sinners of mankind ? In 
a word, who can have beheld "the glory of God shining in the 
face of Jesus Christ," and not desire to reflect the light of it on 
all who are sitting in darkness and the shadow of death ? This 
is undoubtedly our duty : we are not to put our light under a 
bushel, but to set it on a candlestick, that all the world, if 
possible, may see the light.] 

This then being our duty to the Lord Jesus Christ, 
we will proceed to, 
II. Call you to the performance of it 

Consider, 

1. Your obligations to the Lord Jesus Christ 
[How inconceivably great are these ! If we attempt to 

estimate them, where shall we begin ? or, having begun, where 
shall we end ? If you have not yet experienced his converting 
grace, the very provision of a salvation for you, a salvation so 
dearly bought, and so freely offered, demands from you every 
tribute of love and gratitude that you can ever pay. But if 
you have reason to think yourselves partakers of this salvation, 
and are enabled with appropriating faith to say, " He has loved 
me, and given himself for me" there should be no bounds to 
your zeal and diligence in his service. Time, talents, property, 
yea life itself, should be esteemed by you as of no value, any 
farther than they may enable you to glorify his name. Enter 
then minutely into the consideration of this subject, and say, 
Whether, " if you hold your peace, the very stones will not cry 
out against you ? "] 

2. The necessities of the heathen world 

[The whole Scriptures speak of the heathen world as 
perishing for lack of knowledge : and though we will not pre 
sume to say, that none of them shall be made partakers of 
God s mercy for Christ s sake ; yet we are sure, that, as a 
body, they are under a sentence of guilt and condemnation. 
Can we then know the remedy which God has provided for 
them, and not feel ourselves bound to reveal it to them, and to 
labour, as far as possible, to extend to them its saving benefits ? 
Can we reflect on the unhappy state of the Jews, and not pity 
them ; blinded as they are by prejudice, and bent as they are 
on their own destruction? Can we look on all the different 
classes of the Gentile world, and see what penances they 
endure to pacify the supposed wrath of their senseless idols, and 
not feel a desire to proclaim to them the glad tidings of the 
Gospel ? If it would be our duty to stretch out our hand to 
one sinking in the waters, and to rescue him from destruction, 



662.] WORSHIP IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 159 

much more is it our duty to exert ourselves to the utmost of 
our power for the preservation of a ruined world.] 
ADDRESS- 

1. Those who are lukewarm in the cause of Christ 
[Many are so afraid of enthusiasm, that they banish from 

their minds all that may subject them to such an imputation. 
Hence, whilst they are correct and accurate in their principles, 
they are grievously defective in the sublimer parts of practical 
religion : they have a form of godliness, but no experience of 
its power. But let such persons know that the Lord Jesus 
Christ is more displeased with the lukewarmness of those who 
profess themselves his friends, than he is with the neglect of 
his avowed enemies e . If from our inmost souls we love him 
not, he denounces a solemn curse against us f : and if we serve 
him not with the talents entrusted to our care, he will require 
them at our hands, and punish us severely for our abuse of them.s] 

2. Those who are active in his service 

[God forbid that we should ever speak a word to discou 
rage activity in the service of our Lord. But it is certain that 
many are diligent in doing what they suppose to be his will, 
who yet are far from cultivating that spirit which he will approve. 
Pride, ostentation, and a variety of other corrupt motives, may 
stimulate men to exertion ; whilst humility and modesty, and 
all the lovelier graces of the Spirit, are wanting in them. Look 
to it then, that your love and zeal be duly tempered with reve 
rence and godly fear. At the same time, take care that you do 
not become weary in well-doing. Be on your guard that your 
love to the Saviour languish not, and that your endeavours to 
convert others to the knowledge of him be not relaxed. Try 
amongst your friends and neighbours to interest them in his 
salvation. Then extend your efforts to all, whether Jews or 
Gentiles : and " count not even life itself dear to you," if that 
you may but glorify him, and save the souls of your perishing 
fellow-creatures.] 

e Rev. iii. 15, 16. f 1 Cor. xvi. 22. s Matt. xxvi. 20. 



DCLXII. 

WORSHIP IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 

Ps. xcvi. 9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! 

THE calling of the Gentiles was a very favourite 
subject with the sweet singer of Israel. It is almost 
always blended with his sweetest strains. If at any 
time his soul be inflamed with more than ordinary 



160 PSALMS, XCVI. 9. [662. 

devotion, it expands itself immediately to the remotest 
corners of the earth, and anticipates the period when 
the whole world shall enjoy the privileges which 
were then confined within the narrow limits of the 
Jewish nation ; yea rather, when the richer blessings 
of Messiah s reign should be diffused with equal 
liberality over the face of the whole earth. The 
psalm before us had a special reference to the Mes 
siah. It speaks of "a new song" that was to be 
sung; a song unknown to Moses, who celebrated 
only a temporal deliverance : and it was to be sung 
by " the whole earth" because it was to be com 
memorative of a spiritual and eternal redemption, 
wrought out by the Messiah for the whole family of 
man. Let us read a part of this sublime composition : 
" O sing unto the Lord a new song ! sing unto the 
Lord all the whole earth. Sing unto the Lord ; bless 
his name ; shew forth his salvation from day to day. 
Declare his glory among the Heathen, his wonders 
among all people. Give unto the Lord, O ye kin 
dreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and 
strength. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holi 
ness ! fear before him, all the earth. Say among the 
Heathen that the Lord reigneth a ." That it is of the 
Messiah s advent and reign that he here speaks, is 
evident ; because he refers, not to any thing past, 
but to events yet future : " Let the heavens rejoice, 
and let the earth be glad ; let the sea roar, and the 
fulness thereof: let the field be joyful, and all that 
is therein : then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice 
before the Lord : for He cometh ; for he cometh to 
judge (to rule) the earth : he shall judge the world 
with righteousness, and the people with his truth b ." 
This psalm, together with a part of the 105th, was 
used by David, when he carried up the ark to Mount 
Zion, to place it in the Tabernacle* : and well was it 
adapted to that occasion ; because the ark was a very 
eminent type of that adorable " WORD, who in due 
time became flesh, and dwelt amongst us d ." Then, 

a ver. 13, 7, 9, 10. * ver. 1113. 

c 1 Chron. xvi. 7 33. d John i. 14. 



662.] WORSHIP IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 161 

even at the hour when we might have supposed that 
the interests of his own subjects would have an 
exclusive possession of his mind, did David contem 
plate the welfare of the Gentiles, and call on them to 
"worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness 6 ." 

We shall consider these words as containing, 
I. An invitation to the whole Gentile world 

By "the beauty of holiness," I understand the 
Sanctuary of the Lord 

[As the tabernacle and all its furniture were of the most 
costly materials and the most exquisite workmanship, so was 
the temple and all that it contained ; and especially every thing 
connected with the holy of holies. But though in this respect 
it exceeded every thing upon earth in " beauty," there was a 
far higher reason for its being called by this peculiar name : it 
was the immediate residence of the Deity, who dwelt there in 
a bright cloud, the Shechinah, the visible symbol of his presence. 
The heaven of heavens was not more holy than that sacred 
chamber, nor more beauteous : and therefore it might well be 
called, not beautiful, but "beauty ;" not holy, but " holiness" 
in the abstract, or more forcibly still, " The beauty of holiness," 
in comparison of which there was nothing beautiful or holy 
upon the face of the whole earth.] 

Thither David invites the whole Gentile world to 
come, and " worship the Lord," the Creator, the 
Governor, the Saviour of the world 

[By the Law of Moses it was forbidden them to enter into 
any part of the sanctuary. For them an outer court was pro 
vided, beyond which they were forbidden, on pain of death, to 
proceed. But, through the coining of the Messiah, " the parti 
tion-wall was to be broken down:" and all, both Jews and Gentiles, 
were to be incorporated into one body, and to be made parta 
kers of the same privileges f . Even the vail of the temple itself 
was to be rent in twain g , and " a new and living way be opened" 
for every child of man h , to approach for himself the very mercy- 
seat of the Most High, and to offer there his sacrifices of prayer 
and praise, and his incense too of fervent intercession. To 
this does David here invite the Gentile world. Not David 
himself would have dared to enter into the sanctuary which was 
then standing : into " the holy place of the tabernacle of the 
Most High" it would have been at the peril of his life to enter : 
but he foresaw, that that servile dispensation was in due time 

e 1 Chron. xvi. 29. f Eph. ii. 1416. 

g Matt, xxvii. 51. h Heb. x. 1922, 

VOL. VI. M 



162 PSALMS, XCVI. 9. [662. 

to pass away ; and that God would then hold out to every man, 
whether Jew or Gentile, whether bond or free, the golden 
sceptre of his grace, with free permission to make known to him 
his every request, even to the half, or to the whole, of his king 
dom. To the Gentiles therefore he calls, to " turn from their 
idols to serve the living God," and to " glorify God with their 
bodies and their spirits, which are his."] 

Let us next consider the words as, 
II. A special call to us 

" The beauty of holiness" is yet standing 

[The tabernacle and the temple are indeed long since 
swept away ; nor is there in existence a vessel that belonged 
to either. But, if the symbol of God s presence is removed, 
is God himself therefore gone ? No : he is here, in this very 
place, as truly as ever he was in his sanctuary of old. He has 
said, " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, 
there am I in the midst of them." " Lo, I am with you 
always, even to the end of the world." And have we not also 
a sacrifice wherewith we may approach him ? Yes, we have 
a sacrifice of infinitely greater value than all the cattle on a 
thousand hills. " The sacrifice of his dear Son is to him of a 
sweet-smelling savour:" and the merit of that every one of us 
may plead, and plead too with an infallible certainty of accept 
ance. What was there in the temple of old which we do not 
possess ? Not any thing ; not any thing which we do not 
possess to infinitely greater advantage. The Jews had the 
shadow ; we have the substance : and what we enjoy as far 
excels in beauty and in holiness all that they possessed, as a 
living body excels a reflection of it in a glass.] 

And may I not add, that "the beauty of holiness" 
is more especially visible in the ordinances of the 
Established Church ? 

[I mean not to speak disrespectfully of any other body 
of Christians whatever, or to detract from their ordinances, 
however administered : but I must say, and I say it from my 
inmost soul, that, in my judgment, there is in the worship of 
the Church of England a beauty and a holiness superior to 
what is found in any other Church upon earth. 

But, not to enter into invidious comparisons, or to diminish 
the respect which others have for their own peculiar modes 
of worship, let us confine our attention to the worship of that 
Church whereof we are members. If the principles on which 
our worship is founded are any tests of excellence, verily our 
Church stands most conspicuous for all that is beautiful and 
holy. The Scriptures themselves are the one standard which 
she follows. Disdaining the trammels of human systems, she 



662.] WORSHIP IN THE BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 163 

comprehends in her views all that the Scripture utters, without 
attempting to wrest or pervert any truth which may bear an 
aspect uncongenial with the dictates of unenlightened reason. 
It is not possible for the creature to be more deeply humbled, 
than her worshippers are when confessing their sins before God. 
And so fervent are her petitions, that nothing can exceed them. 
Nor is there a petition offered, which is not presented in the 
name of Jesus Christ, so entire is the dependence which all her 
children place in the merits and mediation of that adorable 
Saviour. Her praises and thanksgivings are as ardent as any 
that words can express. So that, if a whole congregation in 
one of our churches entered fully into the spirit of our Liturgy, 
it would be a brighter resemblance of heaven than was ever 
yet seen upon the face of the globe.] 

Let me, then, call you, as David does, to "wor 
ship the Lord in the beauty of holiness "- 

[" Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name : 
bring an offering: come into his courts 1 :" and take care that 
your worship be such as becomes his sanctuary. Let a holy 
reverential awe fill your souls, whenever you draw nigh to 
God. Let your confessions be humble ; your supplications, 
fervent ; your thanksgivings, devout. Have a special view to 
the Lord Jesus Christ throughout the whole of the service ; 
and think not to offer any thing to God, or to receive any thing 
from God, but through him, as your all-prevailing Friend and 
Mediator. Whether you approach God in your closet, or in 
the public assembly, watch over your spirit in relation to these 
things, and presume not to offer unto God the sacrifice of fools. 
Let not the consideration of your natural distance from God 
discourage you. Remember, that the invitation is given to the 
remotest Gentiles, who are bowing down to the works of their 
own hands, which can never profit or deliver. To you, there 
fore, whatever be your state, is the invitation sent : and we are 
authorised, by God himself, to declare, that of those who come 
to him in his Son s name, " not so much as one shall ever be 
cast out."] 
ADDRESS 

1. Make a due improvement of your own privileges 
[You cannot but see how highly David and his people 
were privileged above the benighted Heathen : yet were their 
blessings but a faint shadow of yours ; so much more distinct 
is your knowledge of God, and so much nearer is your access to 
him. Not any but the High Priest could enter into the Holy 
of Holies ; and he only on one day in the year : but of you, 
every individual may go to the very throne of the Divine Majesty, 
and that too every day and every hour of your lives. You are 

1 ver. 8. 
M 2 



164 PSALMS, XCVII. 2. [663. 

" a kingdom of priests," and may take the blood of your great 
sacrifice, and sprinkle it with acceptance on the Mercy-seat of 
your God. O that you might learn to estimate aright your 
high privilege, and improve it daily to the everlasting benefit 
of your souls !] 

2. Endeavour to extend them to the whole world 
[We should not be content to serve our God alone : we 
should wish him to be honoured and enjoyed by every child of 
man : and to advance his glory in the world should be an object 
of our most unwearied attention. Happily for us, there are 
Societies that have embarked in this blessed work, and through 
which every individual may contribute to the enlargement of 
the Redeemer s kingdom k And view the field, how ex 
tended it is ! " The field is the world." Arise, my Brethren, 
to the work that is before you : and if you cannot effect all that 
you could wish, let it at least be said of you by the heart- 
searching God, " They have done what they could."] 

k Here the particular Society, such as the SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING 
CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, the BIBLE SOCIETY, or the PRAYER-BOOK 
AND HOMILY SOCIETY, may be set forth, and its objects and opera 
tions may be detailed. 

DCLXIII. 

GOD S WAYS DARK, BUT JUST. 

Ps. xcvii. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him : 
righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. 

THE reign of Christ is here spoken of, as a ground 
of joy to the whole world : " The Lord reigneth ; 
let the earth rejoice : let the multitude of isles be 
glad thereof." That CHRIST is the person to whom 
the psalm refers, we are assured on infallible autho 
rity ; for, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, we are told 
that the injunction, " Worship HIM, all ye gods !" was 
given by the Father in reference to him : " When 
He (the Father) bringeth in the First-begotten into 
the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God 
worship him a ." As to the particular advent of our 
Lord, I conceive that, in the psalm before us, the 
period alluded to is that in which our Lord came to 
conduct the Hebrew nation through the wilderness 
to the Promised Land. " He came down witb thun- 
derings and lightnings, and a thick cloud," in exact 

a Compare ver. 7. with Heb. i. 6. 



663.] GOD S WAYS DARK, BUT JUST. 165 

accordance with the description given of him in this 
psalm b . At the precise period of his incarnation 
there were no such signs ; though at his death and 
resurrection, which may properly be included in that 
period, there were similar demonstrations of his 
Divine Majesty : and at his future advent we are 
assured he will " come in power and great glory," 
such as that with which he was attended at the time 
of his ascension to the right hand of God c . But it is 
not to any one of these periods that I shall confine 
my attention ; because the language of my text is 
general, and may well be considered as referring to 
all periods and to all events : for there is no one part 
of the divine government to which it may not be well 
applied, every act of it being involved in impenetra 
ble obscurity, yet founded in wisdom, and goodness, 
and truth, and equity. 

In unfolding, then, the truth contained in my text, 
I will endeavour to illustrate it, 
I. In the dispensations of God s providence- 
Survey the state of the whole world since the fall 
of man 

[See the state in which every child is born into the world ; 
how " shapen in iniquity," how altogether unlike to man in his 
original creation d ! - See, too, as they grow up to ma 
turity and put forth their powers, what wickedness they commit, 
and what misery they spread around them, none being a greater 
enemy to man than man himself ! 

Behold the brute creation : these, though incapable of sin, 
feel bitterly its penal consequences, and shew, beyond a possi 
bility of doubt, that they inherit qualities which they did not 
originally possess; being hostile to each other, and in many 
instances the common enemies of man. The very earth itself 
also partakes of the curse due to sin ; and all the elements are 
armed against the human race, to inflict on them, as God shall 
appoint, the destruction they have merited. 

I ask, then, Are not " clouds and darkness round about that 
God by whose ordinance these things exist? Can any one give 
a satisfactory explanation of them all, or even of any one of 
them? Yet we are sure that " righteousness and judgment 
are the habitation (the basis) of them all." For whether we 

b Compare ver. 2 5. with Exod. xix. 11, 16. 

c Acts i. 11. with Luke xxi. 27. d Ps. li. 5. Eph. ii. 3. 



166 PSALMS, XCVII. 2. [663. 

understand his ways or not, " his work is perfect, and all his 
ways are judgment : a God of truth, and without iniquity ; 
just and right is he 6 ."] 

Mark also his dealings with the individuals of 
mankind 

[What an amazing disparity do we find amongst the 
children of men ; some endued with great mental powers, 
whilst others, from their very birth, through a want of intellec 
tual capacity, are in a state more helpless and degraded than 
the beasts themselves ; some possessing all the comforts of 
health, and others protracting a miserable existence, from 
which, at any moment, death would be a merciful relief! some 
destitute of the most common necessaries of life, whilst others 
revel in every species of luxurious abundance ! To what can 
we trace this vast diversity ; or, if we attempt to account for it 
on the common principles of equity, what shall we say ? Surely 
" clouds and darkness are round about it" all ; and faith is left 
to supply the deficiencies of reason. We know that God can 
not err, and that " all his ways are both mercy and truth." 
His " way, indeed, is in the sea, and his footsteps are not 
known f :" but " his righteousness is like the great mountains, 
though his judgments are a great deep g ."] 

Inscrutable depths also will be found, 
II. In the revelation of his grace 

Here the difficulties are greater still. Consider, 

1. The revelation itself 

[What a mystery is here ! the substitution of God s co 
equal, co-eternal Son in the place of his own sinful and rebel 
lious creatures ; " the Holy One and the Just, in the place of 
the unholy and unjust h !" or rather, if I might venture to use 
such an expression, I should almost say, The death of an in 
carnate God, in the place and for the sake of incarnate devils ! 
You remember what our blessed Lord himself said, even to 
those who called themselves the Lord s people : " Ye are of 
your father the devil ; and the lusts of your father ye will do 1 ." 
Yet for such did Jesus die, even for the chief of sinners. Tell 
me, Are there not " clouds and darkness" here? Yet I hesi 
tate not to say, that "righteousness" pervades it all; and 
"judgment," such as shall finally approve itself to the whole 
intelligent creation, is the basis of it. In fact, it is this which, 
above all other things in the whole universe, displays the 
righteousness of God, who, by exacting such a sacrifice, then 
most of all shews himself just, when he justifies those who 
believe in his dear Son k .] 

e Deut. xxxii. 4. f Ps. Ixxvii. 19. s Ps. xxxvi. 6. 

h 1 Pet. iii. 18. * John viii. 44. k Rom. iii. 25 26. 



663.] GOD S WAYS DARK, BUT JUST. 167 

2. The objects selected to enjoy its benefits 

[The great mass of mankind, from the Deluge to the time 
of Abraham, were left in darkness, insomuch that the know 
ledge of the true God had nearly vanished from the earth. 
And then was God pleased to fix on Abraham, an idolater in 
the midst of an idolatrous family and nation, and to reveal his 
covenant to him. To Isaac also, in preference to Ishmael his 
elder child ; and to Jacob also, in preference to Esau, was it 
given to be comprehended in this covenant ; yea, given whilst 
both of them were yet in the womb, and consequently before 
they had clone either good or evil. Let any one explain this, 
or account for it in any other way than that suggested by our 
Lord : " Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." 
The same sovereignty appears at this hour, in choosing the 
poor, the weak, the vile, in preference, for the most part, to the 
rich, the great, the moral: for it is found, in ten thousand 
instances, that " publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom 
before the specious and self-righteous Pharisees." The man 
who sees no mystery here, only betrays his own ignorance and 
stupidity. A man with ever so contracted a view of this sub 
ject, must of necessity exclaim, " O the depth of the riches 
both of the wisdom and knowledge of God ! how unsearchable 
are his judgments, and his ways past finding out 1 ! "] 

3. The trials to which the elect are subjected, in 
their way to heaven 

[One would suppose that God s chosen people should be 
freed from the persecutions of men, the assaults of devils, 
the temptations of sin, and from all which might endanger 
their salvation : but God sees fit to give both to men and 
devils a kind of licence to assault his people; as it is said, " Ye 
wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and 
powers and spiritual wickedness in high places" 1 ." One would 
suppose that those whom he has redeemed with the blood of 
his only dear Son should be free from these things : but, on the 
contrary, he says, " If ye be without chastisement, whereof all 
are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." One would 
suppose at least, that from their conversion to God they should 
be freed from the corruptions of their nature and the power of 
the evil principle within them. But far different are his dealings 
with them; and through much tribulation he brings almost every 
one of them to glory. In all these things he is " both wise and 
good:" and, however intricate or circuitous the way may be 
whereby he leads his people to glory, it will be found at last to 
have been " the right way 11 ;" the right way for their benefit, and 
the right way _also for the honour of his own great name.] 

1 Rom. xi. 33. m Eph. vi. 12. n Ps. cvii. 7. 



168 PSALMS, XCVII. 2. [663. 

Let us yet further contemplate the inscrutableness 
of God s ways, 

III. In the final issue of all things- 
How tremendous will be the difference between 
the states of different men ! 

[View heaven and all its glory, and hell with all its misery; 
and consider that both the one and the other will be eternal : 
and then consider how short the period of time is in which any 
man is preparing for the one or the other of these states ; and 
how small the distance between their real characters, if estimated 
by the common standard of the world Above all, con 
template the youth, who thought he had fulfilled the whole Law 
from his earliest youth, cast out; and the dying thief, who spent 
his whole life, even to his latest hour, in sin, exalted to glory !] 

Is there nothing mysterious in this ? 

[Truly, we must acknowledge that these things utterly pass 
all human comprehension. We are sure that " the Judge of 
all will do right," and that the day of judgment is especially 
appointed " for the revelation of the righteous judgment of 
God :" but we must wait till he shall be pleased to throw the 
true light upon his own mysterious ways, and to take the veil 
from our hearts, that we may be able to comprehend them.] 

Surely from this subject we may LEARN, 

1. Submission 

[Your trials, I will suppose, are great. But are they 

greater than your desert of punishment ? or do you 

know all the gracious designs which God has to accomplish 
by them? " Be still, then, and know that he is God:" 
and, under the most grievous affliction that can come upon 
you, learn to say, " It is the Lord ; let him do what seemeth 
him good" ] 

2. Gratitude 

[Look back upon the ways of God ; and, however you may 
have been disposed at the time to say, " All these things are 
against me," say whether you have not found that he has brought 
good out of evil, and given you reason to acknowledge, that his 
judgments were mercies in disguise ? Were you left to your 
selves, you would choose nothing but what should be pleasing 
to flesh and blood : but God consults your best interests, and 
deals with you, not according to your wishes, but according to 
your necessities. Be thankful then to him, for having acted 
towards you as a wise and loving parent, who has withheld 
nothing that was good for you : and if at any time he have 

Rom. ii. 5. 



664.] THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 169 

inflicted chastisement upon you, he " has done it for your profit, 
that you might be partakers of his holiness," and be rendered 
meet for his glory.] 

3. Affiance 

[You know not what is before you : but you know that 
you are in God s hands, and that " not a hair can fall from 
your head" but by his special appointment. Look then to 
him, to order every thing for you : and if you understand not 
his dealings with you, be content to say, What I know not 
now, I shall know hereafter. Never for a moment doubt his 
power or grace. He has promised to " make all things work 
together for your good :" and therefore, under the darkest dis 
pensation, assure yourselves that " He is doing all things well;" 
and determine, through grace, to say with Job, " Though he 
slay me, yet will I trust in him."] 

DCLXIV. 

THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 

Ps. xcvii. 11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness 
for the upright in heart. 

THIS psalm, whatever was the particular occasion 
on which it was written, undoubtedly refers to the 
kingdom of the Messiah, in which the whole creation 
has abundant reason to rejoice 3 . To him it is ex 
pressly applied in the Epistle to the Hebrews, even 
to his incarnation : " When Jehovah bringeth in the 
First-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all 
the angels of God worship him b ." But it is not to 
rejoice in him merely that the saints are called : they 
are to love him, to serve him, to honour him, to 
trust in him, and to expect at his hands the blessed 
ness which he himself, in his exalted state, enjoys. 
He suffered indeed before he entered into his glory ; 
and so likewise must they : but, for their consolation 
under their sufferings, let them know that joy is 
treasured up for them : for " light is sown for the 
righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart :" 
and, if only they maintain their integrity, they shall 
assuredly reap their reward. 

In discoursing on these words, I shall open to you, 

I. The character here described 

a ver. 1. b Compare ver. 7. with Heb. i. 6. 



170 PSALMS, XCVII. 11. [664. 

Instead of entering into a general description of 
" the righteous," I shall take that particular repre 
sentation here given of them, " the upright in heart :" 
for this is peculiar to the righteous, and to them alone ; 
and at the same time there is not a righteous person 
in the universe whom it does not accurately depict. 

Now, uprightness of heart necessarily includes, 

1. A mind open to the reception of truth 

[The mind of a natural man is closed against divine truth : 
he hates the light, and will not come to it : and if it be obtruded 
upon him, he shuts his eyes against it, lest it should discover 
to him his corruptions. But a man that is upright in heart will 
come to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest. He 
desires to know the whole mind of God ; and is as thankful for 
the light which opens to him his sins, as for that which brings 
to his view the Saviour of the world. He is conscious that there 
is a film upon his eyes : but he begs of God to remove it : he 
is sensible that, through the weakness of his vision, the very 
light itself will blind him : and therefore he entreats of God to 
send his Holy Spirit into his soul, to " open the eyes of his 
understanding," and to " guide him into all truth." Whilst 
"his eye was evil, he was in total darkness:" but having attained 
" a single eye, his whole body is full of light ."] 

2. A will determined to follow the truth as far as 
it is discovered 

[He complains of no doctrine as " an hard saying," nor of 
any " commandment as grievous." When he goes to the Lord 
for instruction, he says with Paul, " Lord, what wilt thou have 
me to do ? " Only declare to me thy blessed will, and I am 
ready, and determined, through grace, to execute it. As to 
consequences, he will not regard them. What is duty ? will 
be his only inquiry. He will expect to have his conduct dis 
approved by an ignorant ungodly world ; but " he confers not 
with flesh and blood." It is a settled principle in his mind, 
" If I please men, I cannot be a servant of Jesus Christ d ." He 
will give his whole soul to God, to " be poured into the mould 
of the Gospel," and to be employed in " magnifying the Lord, 
whether by life or death 6 ."] 

3. A conscience faithfully inspecting the whole 
conduct, and bringing it to the test of God s word 

[Conscience in the natural man is partial. Indeed, in 
multitudes who profess religion, it is far from being a faithful 
monitor : it will deny in practice what it admits in principle, 

Matt. vi. 22, 23. d Gal. i. 10. e Phil. i. 20. 



664. J THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 171 

and allow in ourselves what it condemns in others. But where 
the heart is truly upright, conscience will act, not according to 
any selfish views or principles, but with strict equity, according 
to the unerring standard of the Gospel. This is essential to 
real integrity : and, when God has " put truth in our inward 
parts," and " renewed a right spirit within us," such will as 
suredly be the effects : conscience will be a light within us : it 
will be like a compass, that will guide us in the darkest night : 
it will be God s vicegerent in the soul, acquitting or condemn 
ing according to truth, even as God himself will do in the day 
of judgment. It will summon the whole man to give account 
of himself from day to day : it will cause all the actions, words, 
and thoughts to pass in review before it : in short, it will suffer 
no disposition, no habit, no inclination, to exist in the soul, 
without comparing it with the written word, and having reason 
to believe that it will be approved of the Lord.] 

4. A life in habitual accordance with these prin 
ciples 

[After all, "the tree must be known by its fruit." We 
can know nothing with certainty respecting the heart, but by 
the life. God sees it as it is in itself: we can discover it only 
by its acts. Behold then the upright man in his daily walk. 
See him searching with all humility the word of truth, and 
imploring direction from God, that he may understand it 
aright. Behold him giving up himself, in body, soul, and spirit, 
to the Lord from day to day ; and rising, above all earthly 
considerations, to the contemplation and execution of God s 
blessed will. Behold his searchings of heart also, and holy 
fear lest any hidden abomination should lurk within him. 
Hear him crying to God for his effectual aid: " Search me, 
O Lord, and know my heart : try me, and know my thoughts : 
and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the 
way everlasting f ." Then compare with this, his temper, his 
spirit, his conduct : and then you will see, though doubtless 
with manifold imperfections, " an Israelite indeed, in whom 
there is no guile."] 

Here is real uprightness of heart. Let us next 
contemplate, 
II. The blessedness that awaits it 

A person possessed of this character will have 
much to bear 

[We greatly mistake if we think that such a person will 
be approved of all ; or that he will have no trials within his own 
soul. No, indeed: he will, like Paul himself, have "fightings 

f Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24. 



172 PSALMS, XCVIL 11. [664. 

without and fears within." Much as such a character is 
admired in theory, it never is really exhibited before men 
without exciting great offence. From the days of Abel to the 
present moment, have " those who were born after the flesh 
hated and persecuted those who were born after the Spirit :" 
and for the most part has that been found true, that " the 
greatest foes have been those of a man s own household." If 
infallible wisdom, unbounded love, and sinless perfection could 
have obtained an exemption from the common lot, our blessed 
Lord would have passed without offence : but He, who was the 
most perfect of the human race, was pursued with more bitter 
acrimony than any other from the foundation of the world: 
and if they so hated him, they will hate us also : "if they 
called the Master of the house Beelzebub, much more will 
they those of his household." 

In his own soul, too, the saint feels much to humble and to 
try him. He still has a carnal principle within him, and is 
only renewed in part: " the flesh still lusteth against the 
Spirit, so that he cannot do the things that he would." The 
Apostle Paul himself " groaned within himself, being bur- 
thened;" and, under a distressing sense of his in-dwelling 
corruptions, cried, " O wretched man that I am ; who shall 
deliver me from this body of sin and death?" It may be, 
too, that he is assaulted with violent temptations, and that 
the fiery darts of Satan are permitted to pierce his soul. At 
such a season as this he may be ready to write bitter things 
against himself, and to call in question all that he has ever 
experienced of the grace of God.] 

But, whatever be his trials, a happy issue of them 
most assuredly awaits him 

[" Light and gladness are sown for him ;" and, though he 
may wait long for the harvest, " he shall surely reap, if he 
faint not." 

There is in the purposes of God a harvest of happiness 
secured to him. The trials of Joseph appeared, for a season, 
to defeat all the expectations which his dreams had excited ; 
but they led, all of them in succession, to the accomplishment 
of his predestined elevation. Our blessed Lord, if viewed in 
the garden, on the cross, and in the grave, seemed to have 
been utterly defeated ; but these were the forerunners of his 
glory : his resurrection soon changed the scene ; his ascension 
speedily followed ; and his sending of the Holy Spirit shewed, 
that all which had been ordained respecting him was fulfilled, 
and that he was invested with all power to save a ruined world. 
Thus shall God s purposes be accomplished in the final salvation 
of all his people. They may be tried, and sorely too, for a 
season : but they may adopt the language of the Church of old, 



664.] THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE RIGHTEOUS. 173 

under her deepest afflictions, and say, " Rejoice not against me, 
O mine enemy : when I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in dark 
ness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indig 
nation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until 
he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me : he will bring 
me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness g ." 

In the promises of God, also, is the same blessed issue secured. 
" If we suffer with Christ, God engages that we shall also 
reign with him," and " be glorified together." " The trial of 
our faith, from whatever quarter it may come, is precious, yea, 
more precious than gold itself ; because it will be to our praise 
and honour and glory, as well as to the glory of our Lord 
and Saviour, in the great day of his appearing 11 ." Hear 
how fully our blessed Lord declared this to his weeping and 
disconsolate disciples : " Verily, verily, I say unto you, That 
ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice : and ye 
shall be sorrowful ; but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. 
A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour 
is come ; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she 
remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born 
into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow : but I will 
see you again ; and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no 
man taketh from you ." So our " weeping may endure for a 
night; but joy shall most assuredly come in the morningV 

But even in the very experience of the upright is there a 
pledge of future glory. His tears are the seed of joy : and, 
" as surely as he goes on his way, bearing this precious seed- 
basket, so surely shall he come again with joy, bringing his 
sheaves with him." See this described, in its process, by St. 
Paul : " We glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation 
worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; and experience, 
hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed." Here tribulation is the 
seed ; patience the blade; experience the ear; hope the full corn 
in the ear ; and the completion of that hope in heaven, the in 
gathering of the harvest into the garner. In truth, " the light 
and momentary afflictions of the righteous actually work out 
for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 

Thus is every upright soul rendered conformable to his 
Divine Master : he first " drinks of the brook in the way, and 
then, like him, has the happiness to lift up his head V] 

ADDRESS 

1. Seek real integrity 

[This is universally held in high estimation : at least, men 
universally profess so to regard it : and therefore, waving at 

g Mic. vii. 8, 9. h 1 Pet. i. 7. * John xvi. 2022. 

k Ps. xxx. 5. ! Ps. ex. 7. 



174 PSALMS, XCVIIL 19. [665. 

present all consideration of the peculiarities of religion, I say, 
seek an honest and an upright heart. Let your minds be open 
to the reception of truth, and your wills be determined to em 
brace it. Let conscience act its part, and execute the office of 
a faithful monitor within you ; and let your lives be regulated 
altogether by its dictates. Let not prejudice or passion or interest 
blind you : let not the whole world cause you to swerve from 
the path of duty. Be bold for God ; and " serve him, without 
fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all your days." 
In a word, " Quit yourselves like men," and " be faithful unto 
death." Like Moses, be ready to suffer affliction with the 
people of God ; and in due season you shall, like him, receive 
an ample recompence of reward.] 

2. Seek real happiness 

[This also is an object of universal desire. But be sure 
to seek it in the way in which alone it can be found. If you 
"sow iniquity, you can reap nothing but vanity:" if you "sow 
the wind, you must reap the whirlwind." God has determined, 
that " whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap : he that 
soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption : but he 
who soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlast 
ing m ." It is the harvest which repays the husbandman for all 
his labours. Look ye to that: and know, that "the sufferings 
of this present life, however great or numerous they may be, 
are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be 
revealed in us." As for appearances of integrity, be not satis 
fied with them: they cannot but issue ill at the last. "Knowest 
thou riot," says Zophar, "since man was placed upon the earth, 
that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the 
hypocrite but for a moment ? Though his excellency mount 
up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet he 
shall perish for ever, like his own dung ; and they that have 
seen him shall say, Where is he n ?" " Seek, then, the honour 
that cometh of God," and the happiness that will endure. 
Then, when those who laughed now shall weep, you who wept 
now shall laugh and sing for joy to all eternity .] 

m Gal. vi. 7, 8. n Job xx. 4 7. Luke vi. 21, 25. 



DCLXV. 

CHRIST S ADVENT A GROUND OF JOY. 

Ps. xcviii. 1 9. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he 
hath done marvellous things : his right hand and his holy arm 
hath gotten him the victory. The Lord hath made known his 
salvation : his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight 
of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth 



665.] CHRIST S ADVENT A GROUND OF JOY. 175 

toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have 
seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the 
Lord, all the earth : make a loud noise, and rejoice and sing 
praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp ; with the harp 
and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cor 
net make a joyful noise before the Lord the King. Let the 
sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that 
dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands : let the hills 
be joyful together before the Lord : for he cometh to judge the 
earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the 
people with equity. 

THE Psalms are generally read as the effusions of 
a devout mind, whilst their reference to Christ is 
almost entirely overlooked. This, which is now 
under our consideration, like the 96th with which it 
accords, confessedly relates to Christ : the very lan 
guage of verse 3, is used by Mary, Zacharias, and 
Simeon, in the divine hymns whereby they celebrated 
his advent in the flesh a . It contains, 

I. Some grounds and matter for our joy- 
In the three first verses the Psalmist describes in 
figurative expressions, and in the last verse he ex 
pressly specifies, the proper ground of our joy. 

The incarnation of Christ seems to be the subject 
here referred to 

[Christ is " the LORD" Jehovah, " the King" of kings, 
and Lord of lords, who " is come to judge the earth," and to 
exercise dominion, not, like the judges of Israel, over one 
nation only, but over all the nations of the world. Nor under 
his government will any partiality be shewn either to Jews or 
Gentiles ; on the contrary, it is administered " with perfect 
righteousness and equity :" his laws are equally binding on the 
rich and poor : his invitations are equally extended to the most 
abandoned sinner, and the most decent moralist : his benefits 
are equally conferred on all, according to their attainments in 
holiness; and his judgments will be inflicted with equal severity 
on the proudest monarch and the meanest beggar. With him 
is no respect of persons ; and whatever difference he may put 
between one man and another in this life, he will manifest at 
last, that though clouds and darkness were round about him, 
righteousness and judgment were the basis of his throne.] 

This is indeed a ground for the most exalted joy : 

a Luke i. 54, 55, 72. and ii, 3032. 



176 PSALMS, XCVIII. 19. [665. 

1. It is the most "marvellous" occurrence that 
ever the world beheld 

[That God should be manifested in human flesh, in order 
to redeem his enemies from destruction, and to purchase to 
himself a church with his own blood! great indeed is this 
mystery of godliness : it has heights and depths that can never 
be explored.] 

2. It is the one mean of "victory" over death and 
hell-. 

[Satan, the god of this world, the prince of the power of 
the air, had usurped dominion over the whole race of man, 
which he would have retained for ever, if God himself had not 
interposed to rescue us from our sore bondage. But how should 
even God himself effect this great deliverance? No way was 
found, but for God himself to take our nature, and become our 
substitute. What joy then should not the execution of this 
plan excite in our hearts !] 

3. It opens salvation to a ruined world 

[By this was " made known" the way of " righteousness 
and salvation" through a vicarious sacrifice: nor was it any 
longer set forth in types, but " openly" in plain explicit declara 
tions ; and that, not to the house of Israel only, but " in the 
sight of the heathen." How should we benighted Gentiles 
rejoice in this !] 

4. It is the richest display of God s "mercy and 
truth" 

[It was in this incomprehensible mystery that " mercy and 
truth" met together, and righteousness and peace kissed each 
other. When the incarnation of Christ was first promised to 
the world, it was a most stupendous act of mercy : after that, 
the accomplishment of it was an exhibition of truth and faith 
fulness: yea, it was virtually the substance of all the types, 
the completion of all the prophecies, the consummation of all 
the promises. Who must not rejoice in it ?] 

After stating such grounds for joy, we may add 
with confidence, 
II. An exhortation to rejoice 

The animated exhortation of the Psalmist imports 
that, 

1. We should feel an interest in this great event 

[It is by no means sufficient to acknowledge Christ in a 

mere speculative manner ; we should consider ourselves as the 

subjects of his kingdom, and seek to participate the blessedness 

of his people. Let us then inquire, not merely whether we 



665.] CHRIST S ADVENT A GROUND OF JOY. 177 

believe that Christ came into the world, but whether we 
have been filled with wonder at his " marvellous" condescen 
sion? Let us ask ourselves whether " his right hand and his 
holy arm have gotten him the victory" over our rebellious 
hearts? Whether " he have made known" to us the sufficiency 
of " his righteousness," and the excellency of " his salvation?" 
and whether " his mercy and truth" have been magnified in 
the forgiveness of our sins, and in our renovation after his 
divine image ? All our pretences to joy will be vile hypocrisy, 
if we have not experienced, in some measure at least, these 
triumphs of his love, these victories of his grace.] 

2. We should express our gratitude for it 

With frequency- 
fit is not at one particular season only that we should call 
these things to remembrance, but frequently, yea, continually; 
since we every moment reap the benefits of Christ s adminis 
tration. As the fire that burnt upon the altar was never 
suffered to go out, so neither should the flames of love and 
gratitude ever be extinguished in our hearts.] 

With fervour 

[With what energy does the Psalmist repeat and diversify 
his exhortations to rejoice! Shall we then be contented to 
offer to our Lord a few cold and languid acknowledgments ? 
No : we should make melody in our hearts unto him; we should 
even shout for joy. What if the world accuse us of enthusiasm ? 
shall we relax the tone of Christian joy for them; or bring down 
the injunctions of heaven to the standard of their religion? 
Let the angels or glorified saints be blamed for carrying their 
exultations to excess, would they regard it, and compliment 
their accusers at the expense of duty? We plead not indeed 
for any thing that is extravagant and foolish ; but if we can 
obtain more of heaven in our hearts, and manifest it more in 
our lives, let us not be afraid or ashamed to do it.] 

With unanimity 

[The Psalmist calls, not only upon all the human race, but 
even upon the whole inanimate creation, to join in songs of 
praise and thanksgiving. And how lamentable is it that there 
should be found a creature upon earth, a rational and redeemed 
creature, that is indisposed for this exercise! O let us all be 
of one heart and mind : let us sing, rejoice, and give thanks : 
let our harps no longer be hung upon the willows, or struck in 
commendation of carnal joys; but let them be tuned in honour 
of our incarnate God ; and let us celebrate upon them Messiah s 
praise. Thus shall even now our joy be unspeakable and 
glorified, a preparation for glory, an antepast of heaven.] 

VOL. VI. N 



178 



PSALMS, C. 15. [666. 



DCLXVI. 

GENTILES CALLED TO GLORIFY GOD. 

Ps. c. 1 5. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 
Serve the Lord with gladness: come before his presence with 
singing. Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that 
hath made us, and not we ourselves : we are his people, and 
the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanks 
giving, and into his courts with praise : be thankful unto 
him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy 
is everlasting ; and his truth endureth to all generations. 

IN discoursing upon short and insulated passages, 
we have scope for discussion upon whatever topic 
may come before us ; but, in taking a whole psalm 
for our subject, we can do little more than mark the 
spirit of it, together with its general import. In truth, 
the psalm before us, which is entitled " A psalm of 
praise," requires no particular discussion : it is merely 
a call to the whole world to render unto God the ho 
nour due unto his name. It is obviously addressed 
to the Gentiles, as much as to the Jews ; and may 
therefore, as St. Paul informs us, be considered, not 
as an exhortation only, but as a prophecy, that, in due 
season, the Gentiles, even to the remotest ends of the 
earth, shall " see the salvation of God . a " 

That we may present the contents of the psalm 
before you in an orderly way, we would observe that 
we have in it, 
I. A call to delight ourselves in God 

[We, as Gentiles, are particularly invited to engage in 
this blessed work. Religion is not a source of melancholy, 
but of sacred and exalted joy. At the commencement of the 
year of Jubilee, the trumpets sounded throughout all the land 
of Israel ; and the joy which they diffused no words are ade 
quate to express. The man who, from whatever cause, had 
parted with his possessions, and sold himself for a slave, was 
restored to perfect liberty, and to the full enjoyment of his 
paternal inheritance. What a surprising change to be wrought 
in one moment ! and with what exquisite delight would it be 
welcomed, by those who for days and months and years had 
been waiting for it ! Such " a joyful noise should we make 
unto the Lord," as persons liberated from the most cruel 

a Rom. xv. 911. 



666. ] GENTILES CALLED TO GLORIFY GOD. 179 

bondage, and invested with all the blessings of an eternal 
inheritance " From all other lords that have had do 
minion over us," we should now turn to serve the Lord, even 
that adorable Saviour who has made us free ; yea, we should 
" serve him with a willing heart b ," " coming into his presence," 
and walking constantly before him, as his redeemed people. 
Our sighs and tears should all be put away ; and we should 
" sing unto the Lord a new song, as full of joy, for the mar 
vellous things which he has done c ." I mean not to say, that 
there should be no times for humiliation and contrition ; for 
such seasons will be needed, even to our dying hour. But the 
more abiding frame of our minds should be joy ; as it is said, 
" Rejoice evermore: " " Rejoice in the Lord alway ; and again 
I say, Rejoice."] 

We may next observe, 
II. The grounds of this duty stated 

[The Lord whom we serve is no other than Jehovah, the 
only true God. Yes, though in his human nature he has died 
for us, in his divine nature he is the Most High over all, " God 
blessed for ever." Prophets and Apostles bear ample testi 
mony to this d : " Know it," therefore; and let it be treasured 
up in your minds as a ground of unutterable joy - And, 
whilst you contemplate his excellency, remember especially 
your obligations to him : " It is He who hath made us, and not 
we ourselves." As creatures merely, it is unnecessary to say 
we have not made ourselves. It is in reference to our new 
creation, as the people of God, that these words must be under 
stood ; and in this sense they contain a most important truth. 
We suppose that you are become the people of God, and the 
sheep of his pasture. But who sought you out in your wan 
derings ? Who brought you home to the fold of Christ ? Who 
feeds you yet daily in green pastures ? Who protects you from 
all your enemies ? Who is the one source of all that you en 
joy ? Can it in any measure be ascribed to yourselves ? Have 
you wrought it by any power of your own ? or have you me 
rited that it should be wrought for you ? No : " He that hath 
wrought you to this self-same thing is God : and he has done 
it, not for your righteousness sake, but for the glory of his own 
great name." It is " He who has made you to differ" from 
those who are yet far off from him; and " you have nothing, 
which you have not received" as a free gift from him 6 . 

Say, then, whether you have not reason to rejoice, and to 
" serve your God with joy fulness and gladness of heart f ."] 

As we proceed in the psalm, we find, 

b 1 Chron. xxviii. 9. c Ps. xcviii. 1. 

d Isai. xlv. 21, 22. Rom. ix. 5. e 1 Cor. iv. 7. 

f Deut. xxviii. 47. 

o 



180 PSALMS, C, 15. [666. 

III. A further statement of our duty 

[Whilst we are filled with joy, our God must have the 
glory. We must wait upon him in his public ordinances, as 
well as in our private chambers ; and must " enter into his 
gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise : we 
must be thankful unto him, and from our inmost souls must 
bless his holy name." Indeed, if we duly contemplate his 
character, and the wonderful things which, of his sovereign 
goodness, he has wrought for us, we shall find our minds con 
stantly attuned to this holy exercise : methinks, our every feel 
ing will be gratitude, and our every word be praise. This is 
the return which our God looks for at our hands : " Whoso 
ofFereth me praise, glorifieth me." It is a better sacrifice than 
all the cattle upon a thousand hills g ; and in the name of Jesus, 
our great Redeemer, we should be offering it continually, to 
the latest hour of our lives 11 . The inanimate and the brute 
creation praise their God: but we should bless him 1 ."] 

We find also, 

IV. Additional grounds for the performance of it 

[The perfections of our God will afford us matter for 
praise to all eternity. His goodness who can contemplate it, 
and not be filled with the profoundest admiration and gratitude? 
It is seen, wherever we turn our eyes. But O ! how is it seen 
in the gift of his only-begotten Son for a lost and perishing 
world ! Well may we say, " Wliat manner of love is this, 
wherewith the Father hath loved us ! " Think of it, my 
Brethren : yea, dwell upon it day and night. It is not pos 
sible to have your minds too frequently or too intensely occu 
pied with this mysterious subject. 

His mercy, too how inconceivable, both in its extent and 
duration ! There is not a sinner in the universe to whom it 
will not reach, provided it be sought in God s appointed way : 
nor shall it be withdrawn from any to whom, for Christ s sake, 
it has been once imparted. Not but that God will punish sin : 
as he has said, " If his children forsake my Law, and walk not 
in my judgments ; if they break my statutes, and keep not my 
commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the 
rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving- 
kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faith 
fulness to fail : my covenant will I not break, nor alter the 
thing that is gone out of my lips : for once have I sworn by my 
holiness, that I will not lie unto David k ." 

What His mercy has vouchsafed to promise, His truth will 

g Ps. 1. 814, 23. h Heb. xiii. 15. 

1 Ps. cxlv. 10. k Ps. Ixxxix. 3035. 



667J MERCY AND JUDGMENT GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 181 

assuredly fulfil : it shall endure, in its full extent, to all gene 
rations ; nor shall " a jot or tittle of it ever fail." 

And now I ask, Is there not ground for praise and thanks 
giving ? Is it not rather a wonder that any who profess to be 
his people, can find time for any other employment?] 

SEE-, then, in this psalm, 

1. What is the proper effect of religion upon the 
soul 

[Religion is supposed to generate gloom. But see it in 
the Psalmist s own experience ; and see it in all whom he here 
addresses. Is this gloom or melancholy? Is it not the very 
reverse ? Doubtless, as far as we deviate from religion, we have 
need to weep and mourn : but, in proportion as we conform to it, 
and imbibe its spirit, it will fill us with unutterable joy. What 
is it that the glorified saints are now doing in heaven? Are 
they not beholding all the glory of their God and Saviour, and 
singing his praise for all the wondrous works which he has 
done ? This, then, is religion in perfection : and the privilege 
of God s people now is, to be assimilated to them, in mind, in 
spirit, in employment. Be aware of this, my beloved Brethren ; 
and learn, not only to estimate religion aright, but to have it 
reigning in your hearts, and exemplified in your lives.] 

2. How to attain it in perfection- 
fit is not from ruminating on your own character, so much 

as from contemplating the character of your God and Saviour, 
that you are to attain this heavenly joy. Doubtless you must 
study well your own hearts ; else you will be strangers to humi 
lity and contrition : but joy can flow only from the knowledge 
of your God, in all the perfections of his nature, and in all the 
wonders of his love. Behold then, with increasing earnestness, 
" the glory of your Lord, and you shall be changed into the same 
image, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord."] 



DCLXVII. 

MERCY AND JUDGMENT GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 

Ps. ci. 1 . J will sing of mercy and judgment : unto thee, O 
Lord, will I sing. 

THERE are many things in the Christian s expe 
rience, the precise quality of which he would find it 
difficult to determine, if they had not been recorded, 
as experienced by others, of whose piety we can have 
no doubt. To sing of mercy, and to be resigned to 
judgment, would appear to most Christians a suitable 



182 PSALMS, CI. 1. [667. 

expression of their feelings under the different dis 
pensations. But David, in a review of his past life, 
and under circumstances as they existed at the time 
when he wrote this psalm, declared both mercy and 
judgment to be equally proper grounds for praise 
and thanksgiving ; and the repetition of his determi 
nation to praise God for them shewed that he spake 
not inconsiderately, but the deliberate and determined 
purpose of his mind. 

That we may be led to adopt the same pious de 
termination, I will endeavour to set before you, 
I. The dealings of God with his people 

We should naturally expect that God would act in 
a way of mercy only to his friends, and of judgment 
only to his enemies. But towards both the one and 
the other he sees fit to dispense a mixed lot, reserving 
the unmixed portion for the eternal world. The un 
godly, whilst partakers of some judgments, certainly 
enjoy many mercies : and the godly, whilst abound 
ing in mercies, are exposed also to some judgments. 

Some they feel in common with the world at large 
[In their bodies, they are liable to pain, sickness, and death, 
even as others. In their minds, too, they may be afflicted with 
the loss of friends, with ill-treatment from enemies, with dis 
tress in their families, with embarrassment in their worldly 
circumstances. In these respects, one lot comes to all ; nor can 
we discern God s love towards them by any thing of this out 
ward nature a .] 

To some also they are subjected, that are peculiar 
to themselves 

[The ungodly are not, in general, sensible of any particular 
tokens of God s displeasure, as arising out of any variations of 
their conduct towards him : but the saints, who know what it 
is to have the light of his countenance lifted up upon them, are 
very keenly sensible of his withdrawment from them, when, by 
any secret neglects, they have provoked him to hide his face 
from them : and such frowns from their heavenly Father are 

inexpressibly painful to their soul b The temptations of 

Satan, too, to which the ungodly are, for the most part, utter 
strangers, are sometimes like fiery darts in the souls of the 
righteous. None can tell what " wrestlings" many a devout 

a Eccl. ix. 1, b Ps.lxxvii.7 9. and Ixxxviii. 14 16. 



667.] MERCY AND JUDGMENT GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 183 

soul has " with the principalities and powers of hell :" but verily, 
those, whose lot it is to sustain them, find them a source of" 
extreme pain at the time c . Holy Job d , and the Apostle Paul 6 , 
yea, and our blessed Lord himself, complained bitterly under 
these trials f ; from which the vassals of Satan are exempt, and 
to which they only who are his determined enemies are exposed. 
Nor must I omit to mention the persecutions to which many 
are called to submit for righteousness sake. Those recorded 
in the llth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews are amply 
sufficient to shew that they are not easy to be borne g , nor 
altogether to be avoided, by any who will serve their God with 
fidelity and zeal 11 . Of course, in respect of the measure of 
these trials, there will be found a great difference amongst the 
saints of God : but of some measure, all, in their season, are 
called to participate.] 

But, mixed as these dispensations are, we are 
nevertheless prepared to contemplate, 
II. The wisdom and goodness of God displayed in 
them 

Mercies may be sent to the ungodly in judgment ; 
as when " God gave the Israelites their desires, but 
sent leanness withal into their souls i ." So, in like 
manner, to his own people he often sends judgment 
in mercy. In truth, so are we constituted in our pre 
sent imperfect state, that we could not bear either 
mercies or judgments, if they came alone. Mercies, 
if unmixed, would "exalt us above measure 11 ;" and 
judgments, if unmixed, would sink us into despon 
dency. A ship needs both sails and ballast, to carry 
it forward in safety : and so the Christian needs a 
diversity of dispensations, in order to accomplish in 
him the purposes of God s grace. God sends them 
to his people, 

1. To form them to the divine image 

[The divine image consists not in any one perfection, but 
in an assemblage of every perfection that can possibly be ima 
gined. So the perfection of a Christian consists not in one grace, 
or even in one set of graces, but in a combination of all the 
graces which are suited to a redeemed soul, and calculated to 
advance the honour of our God. Now, all of these are formed 

c Eph. vi. 12, 16. d Job vi. 24. e 2 Cor. xii. 8. 

? Lukexxii. 44, 53. s Heb. xi. 36, 37. h 2 Tim. iii. 12. 
1 Ps. cvi. 15. k 2 Cor. xii. 7. twice mentioned in that one verse. 



184 PSALMS, CI. 1. [667. 

by that variety of dispensations of which we have been speaking. 
The workings of the soul under so many different circumstances 
will tend to shew a man what he really is, and consequently to 
humble him in the dust before God : whilst the dealings of God 
with him will wonderfully display the character of God himself, 
and lead forth the soul in the devoutest acknowledgments to 
him for past mercies, and in the most implicit confidence in him 
for future blessings. In a word, all the active and passive virtues 
will be generated in the soul, and be called forth into united 
and harmonious exercise ; so that by these dispensations the 
Believer will be assimilated unto " God, who is light itself, and 
in whom is no darkness at all 1 ."] 

2. To stimulate them in their way to glory 

[Mercies have a tendency to fill the soul with love to God, 
and to make it pant for the full enjoyment of God in heaven. 
Judgments also operate to the same end, by weaning the soul 
from present things, and causing it to long for that rest which 
remaineth for it in a better world. It was not peculiar to the 
Apostle Paul to " desire to depart, and to be with Christ." 
Every one who feels the vanity of earthly things, and has a 
foretaste of the world to come, will be like-minded with him. 
A weariness of life may be felt, and is often felt, by the most 
ungodly of men. That, therefore, is not the experience which 
I am speaking of : that results from a total ignorance of God s 
mercies, and a dissatisfaction with their appointed lot. The 
state of mind to which I refer, is well expressed by St. Paul, 
when he says, " We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being 
burthened : not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, 
that mortality may be swallowed up of life" 1 ." To the voice of 
Christ, saying, " Behold, I come quickly," it responds with 
joyful confidence; " Even so, come, Lord Jesus"!"] 

Whilst they answer such ends as these, we cannot 
but see,, 

III. The light in which they should invariably be 

viewed 

The saints in every age have acknowledged the 
goodness of God in them 

[David, in my text, speaks of judgment, as well as mercy, 
as the ground of his devoutest acknowledgments. And he 
elsewhere not only declares that " it is good for him to have 
been afflicted ," but traces his afflictions to the faithfulness of 
God p ; evidently intimating, that he regarded them as compre 
hended in the covenant of grace, and as promised, so far as 

1 1 John i. 5. m 2 Cor. v. 4. n R ev . xxii. 20. 

Ps. cxix. 71. P Ps. cxix. 75. 



667.] MERCY AND JUDGMENT GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 185 

they should be needful for him, by a faithful and unchanging 
God. St. Paul even " took pleasure in them" in this view q : 
and regarded them not only as light, but " as lightness itself" 
from the consideration that they were " working out for him a 
far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory r ." The same 
experience also is ascribed to all the saints : for, of every true 
Christian it is said, " We glory in tribulations also, knowing 
that tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, experience ; 
and experience, hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed 8 ."] 

And we also should be prepared to join in their 
anthems of praise 

[Our views of eternity should swallow up all inferior con 
siderations ; and that dispensation be most welcomed which most 
conduces to our eternal interests. To flesh and blood, that which 
is attended with present comfort appears best ; but it is not 
really so. A wind that is somewhat cross will urge on a ship 
more steadily, and carry it forward more rapidly, than one 
which is quite direct ; because it will fill all the sails. So a 
measure of adversity will operate more favourably on our 
Christian course, than a state of unmixed prosperity. Taken 
in connexion, the good and the evil mutually assist each other, 
and "work together for good unto all them that love God, and 
have been called by him according to his purpose V Our 
blessed Lord himself "was made perfect through sufferings:" 
and what was subservient to his benefit, cannot fail of being 
conducive to ours also : and consequently, the acknowledgments 
which we should make respecting them in the eternal world 
should now at this time constitute an essential part of our 
thanksgivings to God.] 
Who does not SEE here 

1. The value and importance of faith ? 

[Sense beholds things as they appear. Faith beholds 
them as they really are. Faith views them both in their source 
and end: it traces every thing to God, as the all-wise and 
infinitely gracious Disposer of all events. Faith comprehends 
that saying, " Is there evil in the city and the Lord hath not 
done it ? " It fully accedes, also, to that inspired declaration, 
" Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every 
son whom he receiveth." Hence, if our mercies were unmixed, 
it would be far from regarding it as a token for good : it would 
rather suggest, that we were bastards and not sons ; because 
there is no son whom a wise father chasteneth not u . Learn 
then, my Brethren, to " walk by faith and not by sight*." You 
well know how greatly Jacob erred, when he said, " All these 

q 2 Cor. xii. 10. r 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18. The Greek. 

s Rom. v. 35. * Rom. viii. 28. u Heb. xii. 68. 

* 2 Cor. v. 7. 



186 PSALMS, CI. 1. [667. 

things are against me y ." In fact, the very events which he so 
much deplored, were the means which God had ordained for the 
preservation of himself and all his family. Job too, in the midst 
of all his trials, little thought in what they would issue. But 
" you have seen the end of them 2 -" and if you will wait to see 
the Lord s end in every thing that wears a painful aspect in his 
dispensations towards you, I may venture to assure you that 
the time is coming when you shall add your testimony to that 
of old, " He hath done all things well." Your way may be 
circuitous and painful : but you will find, at the last, that " he 
has led you in the right way."] 

2. The blessedness of true Believers ? 

[Where is the man under heaven, except the Believer, 
who can adopt the language of the text, or carry it into effect? 
Ungodly men may sing when all goes well with them : but 
where is he that will sing in the midst of his afflictions, and 
make his afflictions themselves a ground of joy ? Nowhere is 
that man to be found, but in the Church of Christ; for it is to 
his believing people only that " Godgiveth songs in the night." 
On the other hand, there is not an individual in the Church of 
Christ who is not privileged to experience this joy, and who does 
not actually possess it in proportion as he has made a progress 
in the divine life. Hear the prophet of old : " Although the fig- 
tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines ; the 
labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; 
the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no 
herd in the stalls ; yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will joy in 
the God of my salvation a ." Take this for your pattern, Brethren. 
You may be brought into trials, which may seem to menace 
your very existence : but, however the storm may rage, your 
Saviour is embarked in the vessel with you; yea, and is 
also sitting at the helm. Only reflect on his conflicts, victo 
ries, and triumphs ; and you will see the way that is marked 
out for you : and as He fought and overcame, and is set down 
upon his Father s throne, so shall you also overcome, and enjoy 
the full recompence of your trials upon your Father s throne 
for ever and ever. And say, whether there will be one incident 
for which you will not bless your God in the eternal world ? 
If not, then view every thing now as proceeding from his love, 
and as leading to the full enjoyment of heaven : and sing now 
both of mercy and judgment, as you will sing, when they shall 
have come to their final termination, and all present scenes shall 
be consummated in eternal bliss. I conclude, then, with that 
direction of the Apostle which is so suited to the occasion, " In 
every thing give thanks : for this is the will of God in Christ 
Jesus concerning youV] 

y Gen. xlii. 36. z Jam.v. 11. a Hab.iii. 17, 18. b iThess.v. 18. 



668.] A WISE DEPORTMENT DELINEATED. 187 

DCLXVIII. 

A WISE DEPORTMENT DELINEATED. 

Ps. ci. 2. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O 
when wilt thou come unto me ? I will walk within my house 
with a perfect heart. 

EXTENSIVE influence is a most invaluable ta 
lent, which entails upon us an awful responsibility, 
and should therefore be improved with all possible 
care and diligence. The higher we are in the scale 
of society, the more our obligations to exert our 
selves for God are increased. But, if wisdom direct 
not our measures, our most strenuous efforts will be 
in vain. David was well convinced of this truth : 
and, having seen in his own experience a wise ad 
mixture of mercy and of judgment in the dealings 
of God towards him, he determined, in his limited 
sphere of action, to imitate the conduct of the 
Governor of the Universe, and so to temper mercy 
with justice in the whole of his administration, that 
iniquity might be suppressed, and virtue cultivated, 
not in his own palace only, but throughout all his 
dominions. We might not uriprofitably enter into 
an investigation of the principles which he laid down 
for the regulation of his conduct, and mark the spe 
cific course of action which he determined to pursue 
towards his courtiers ; but we shall wave the consi 
deration of those particulars, and notice rather the 
general principle which he adopted, and which is 
equally applicable to persons in every station of life ; 
" I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way ; I 
will walk within my house with a perfect heart." 

A noble resolution this ! We will endeavour to 
point out, 
I. The great importance of it 

The value of religion, generally, is acknowledged 
by all ; but few are aware of the vast importance of 
a wise, discreet, and prudent deportment : yet on 
that essentially depend, 

1 . The peace and comfort of our own souls 



188 PSALMS, CI. 2. [668. 

[An indiscreet conduct, even where the person s intentions 
on the whole are good, will involve him in many difficulties, and 
rob him of those supports and consolations which under other 
circumstances he might enjoy. True it is, that the wisest 
demeanour will not avail to root out prejudice, or to make 
religion lovely in the eyes of carnal men : for the children of 
darkness cannot but hate the light : and our blessed Lord him 
self, in whose conduct not the slightest fault or error could be 
found, was an object of universal hatred to the whole Jewish 
nation. But it is no less true, that imprudence in religious 
characters calls forth against them, and, in appearance, justifies, 
the malignity of many, who, if their zeal had been better regu 
lated, would never have raised their arm against it. Many 
parents, masters, magistrates, who would never have interposed 
their authority to obstruct a prudent exercise of religion, have 
been induced to exert their power in consequence of the indis 
cretion of those whom they were constrained to oppose. In 
such cases their opposition can scarcely be called persecution ; 
nor can the cross which the sufferers are called to bear, be 
called " the cross of Christ :" it is their own cross, that they 
have to bear, and their own folly, that they have to blame. 
Enthusiasts do indeed persuade themselves that they are suffer 
ing for righteousness sake : but having no satisfactory evidence 
that such is indeed the true ground of their trials, they cannot 
feel that humble acquiescence in the divine appointments, 
which, if they had acted a wiser part, would have calmed their 
spirits, and sweetened their afflictions a .] 

2. The benefit of all around us 

[Nothing can be more unreasonable than that men should 
condemn religion for the faults of those who profess it : but 
they will do so, and will take occasion from the misconduct of 
religious people to defame and decry all vital godliness b . 

It is of no consequence in their eyes, that the wise and pru 
dent condemn the things that are complained of : no ; their 
adversaries are not disposed to discriminate between the guilty 
and the innocent : they involve all in the same obloquy : and 
will bring the faults of former ages as grounds of accusation 
against those who live in the present day c . Even the errors 
that were acknowledged and lamented by the persons who in 
early life committed them, are still adduced as characterizing 
not only the persons who openly renounced them, but those 
also who have never in any degree approximated towards 
them d : and all this is done for the purpose of discrediting 

a 1 Pet. ii. 19, 20. and iv. 15, 16. b 2 Pet. ii. 2. 
c The errors of the Puritans are imputed to those who profess re 
ligion in the present day. 

d This is particularly to be noticed in reference to the early journals 



668.] A WISE DEPORTMENT DELINEATED. 189 

religion, and of justifying their own aversion to it. On the other 
hand, great good is done by those who "walk circumspectly," 
and " shine forth as lights in the world 6 ." They "put to silence 
the ignorance of foolish men f ," and " shame those who falsely 
accuse their good conversation in Christ g ." What St. Peter says 
of " wives winning by their good conversation their unbelieving 
husbands h ," we doubt not is often verified in all other relations 
of life ; those who behold the light that is set before them being 
constrained to acknowledge, that " the righteous is more excel 
lent than his neighbour i ." A certain awe is impressed on the 
minds of the ungodly by the sight of " a man of God." "Herod 
feared John," when he saw what a just and holy man he was k : 
and it is particularly said of Saul, that, " when he saw that 
David behaved himself very wisely, he feared him 1 . And if we 
will walk " holily, justly, and unblameably before men," we 
shall have a testimony in their consciences, " that God is with 
us of a truth m ," and that the principles we profess are " worthy 
of all acceptation n ."] 

3. The honour of God and his Gospel 

[The argument which St. Paul uses to enforce on servants 
the maintenance of a dutiful behaviour towards their unbeliev 
ing masters, is, " that the name of God and his doctrine be not 
blasphemed ." How terrible is the thought that our indiscre 
tions should ever produce such an effect as this ! On the other 
hand, our blessed Lord bids us to " make our light shine before 
men, that they who behold our good works may be stirred 
up to glorify our heavenly Father p . " What a stimulus is 
here ! what a motive to circumspection ! what an incentive tc 
every thing that is great and holy ! Believer, can you reflect 
one moment on the thought, that God can be glorified in you, 
and not determine, like David, to " walk wisely before him in 
a perfect way ? " If nothing but your own welfare and the 
welfare of your fellow-creatures were at stake, you would watch 
over your every action, your every disposition; but when you 
consider, that the honour of God himself is in a measure 
dependent upon you, methinks, you should be utterly pur 
posed, that, if it be possible, " God himself shall not find any 
thing amiss with you q ; and that, at all events, your conduct 

of Messrs. Whitfield and Wesley ; which, though afterwards con 
demned by the authors themselves, are to this hour made the sole 
grounds of estimating their character ; and not their character only, 
but the characters of thousands who were never guilty of any of their 
extravagances. 

* Phil. ii. 15, 16. * 1 Pet. ii. 15. e I Pet. iii. 16. 

h 1 Pet. iii. 1. * Prov. xii. 26. k Mark vi. 20. 

1 1 Sam. xviii. 15. m 1 Cor. xiv. 25. n 1 Tim. i. 15. 

1 Tim. vi. 1. P Matt. v. 16. i Ps. xvii. 3. 



190 PSALMS, CI. 2. [668. 

shall be so blameless, " that they who are of the contrary part 
may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you r ."] 

Having shewn the importance of this resolution, 
we will distinctly mark, 

II. The way in which it must be carried into effect- 
It is scarcely needful to say, that we must have 
respect to every commandment of God, without par 
tiality or reserve ; for where there is partiality there 
is hypocrisy 8 ; and where there is hypocrisy, there is 
neither " a perfect heart," nor " a perfect way," nor 
indeed one spark of true " wisdom." This then must 
be ever borne in mind, that without an unreserved 
endeavour to fulfil the whole will of God, the forming 
of such a resolution must be altogether nugatory 
and delusive. But supposing the resolution to be 
sincerely formed, then the question will arise, How 
must a person demean himself so as really to effect 
his wish ? We answer, he must conduct himself, 

1. With meekness and modesty 

[Nothing is more disgusting than forwardness in a reli 
gious character. It is offensive in any ; but most of all in one 
who professes to feel himself a poor, blind, ignorant, guilty 
creature, " less than the least of all saints," yea, rather, " the 
very chief of sinners." How unseemly is it to see such an one 
full of conceit, obtrusive, talkative, loving pre-eminence, and 
" thinking himself to be something, when he is nothing 1 !" Yet 
how many such professors are there, wherever the Gospel is 
preached ! On the other hand, how lovely is the character of 
one that is gentle, modest, unassuming, arrogating nothing to 
himself, and willing on all occasions to " take the lowest place !" 
Such a person, whilst he himself " is beautified with salvation 11 ," 
reflects an honour on the Gospel, and " adorns the doctrine of 
God our Saviour x ." Such a disposition is lovely even in the 
sight of God himself, and is esteemed by him as " an ornament 
of great price y ." It should seem that this was a distinguishing 
feature in our Lord s character, since the Apostle particularly 
beseeches us " by the meekness and gentleness of Christ 2 :" 
and the more we have of the mind of Christ in this respect, 
the more " wisely shall we walk both towards them that are 
without a " the pale of the Church, and those that are within. 
The want of this disposition renders our way far more difficult, 

r Tit. ii. 8. s Jam. iii. 17. t Gal. vi. 3. 

u Ps. cxlix. 4. x Tit. ii. 10. y 1 Pet. iii. 4. 

z 2 Cor. x. 1. a Col. iv. 5. 



668.] A WISE DEPORTMENT DELINEATED. 191 

whilst it incapacitates us for encountering the difficulties which 
it puts in our way. This then we conceive to be our first 
object, to obtain a humble and subdued spirit, which, whilst it 
offends none who differ from us, qualifies us to bear with 
patience, and to turn to good account, whatever evils the un 
reasonableness of wicked men may inflict upon us. By means 
of it we shall " out of the eater bring forth meat, and out of 
the strong bring forth sweet ;" or, in other words, we shall 
make " all things work together for our good."] 

2. With kindness and charity 

[There is really in many religious professors almost the 
same acrimony against the ungodly world, as there is in the 
ungodly world against them. But how unbecoming is this ! 
for, if there be a difference between us and others, who is it 
that has made us to differ b ? And, if we see others yet lying 
in their natural enmity against God, what does their state call 
for, but pity and compassion ? Besides, love is the very end, 
yea the sum and substance, of all religion . If we have not 
love, we may give all our goods to feed the poor, and our body 
to be burned, and yet be no better than " sounding brass, and 
tinkling cymbals 11 ." If this principle preside not in our hearts, 
we shall do nothing well 6 . This will lead us to consult the 
best interests of all around us : to study how we may most 
influence them for their good ; and to bend to circumstances, 
in order to abate their prejudice, and gain the easier access to 
their minds. It was from this principle that St. Paul " became 
all things to all men f ." If he might but " gain the more," he 
was ready to deny himself the most innocent enjoyments, and 
to comply with any requisitions, which would consist with 
fidelity to his God. How conciliatory will be the conduct of 
one who acts under this principle ! With what " meekness will 
he give to an inquirer a reason of the hope that is in him s ; 
and convey instruction to a blind and obstinate opposer 11 ! 
How cautiously will he " cut off occasion from those who seek 
occasion against him 1 !" How watchfully will he "abstain 
even from the appearance of evil k ," and prevent, if possible, 
his good from being evil spoken of 1 . In a word, where love is 
in the heart, and " the law of kindness is in the lips," the 
enemies of religion will be " put to silence, and the mouths of 
gainsayers be stopped."] 

3. With prudence and foresight 

[Solomon observes, " I Wisdom dwell with Prudence 1 "." 
But many seem to think that they have nothing to do with 

b 1 Cor. iv. 7. c 1 Tim. i. 5. d 1 Cor. xi ii. 1. 

e 1 Cor.xvi. 14. f 1 Cor. ix. 1922. s I Pet. iii. 15. 

h 2 Tim. ii. 25. * 2 Cor. xi. 12. k i xhess. v. 22. 

1 Rom. xiv. 16. m Prov. viii. 12. 



192 PSALMS, CI. 2. [668. 

prudence : they have only to follow their own notions of duty, 
and to leave all consequences to God. Hence they go forward 
in their own way, and in their own spirit; never once con 
sidering, what may be the effect of their conduct on the minds 
of others : and, though they may do some good, they do more 
injury than they can well conceive. But if we would behave 
ourselves wisely in a perfect way, we must consider the probable 
consequences of our actions", and endeavour to accomplish 
our ends by the most inoffensive means. When Paul went to 
Jerusalem, where God s design of calling the Gentiles into his 
Church, and of abrogating the Mosaic ritual, was but imper 
fectly understood, he took the precaution of conferring privately 
with the leading members of that Church in the first instance , 
in order to explain his views to them, and through them to 
remove the prejudices of the people at large. This was wise ; 
and the wisdom of it appeared in the effects which followed. 
Similar precautions should be used by us in all our commerce 
with the world at large, or with the Church in particular : we 
should " give no unnecessary offence either to the Jew, or to 
the Greek, or to the Church of God." We should consider 
w r hat every one can bear ; and should suit ourselves to his 
capacity or condition. Our blessed Lord himself set us this 
example, speaking every thing in a way of parables, according 
as his auditors were able to receive it P. St. Paul also admi 
nistered " milk or strong meat" to his converts, according as 
the measure of their proficiency required q . And we also are 
taught to act under the influence of the same principle, towards 
all whom we may have occasion to address; " not casting our 
pearls before swine," " nor pouring new wine into old bottles," 
but accommodating our instructions to the necessities and dis 
positions of all who hear us. In a word, " I would," as St. Paul 
says, " have you wise concerning that which is good, and 
simple concerning evilV] 

4. With disinterestedness and simplicity 

[There is a carnal wisdom, which operates in a way of craft 
and cunning: but this is directly opposed to " the wisdom that 
is from above," which consists in simplicity and godly sincerity. 
" It is this, and this alone, that proceeds from the grace of God, 
and under the influence of which we are to have our conversa 
tion in the world 8 ." If there be any selfish objects proposed, 
any sinister motives indulged, any artifices practised by us, we 
are far from true wisdom : true wisdom disclaims every thing 
that is disingenuous. Its eye is single, its object pure, its ope 
ration lucid, uniform, irreprehensible. It will bear the light: 
it will shine the brightest, where it is brought most to view. If 

n Eccl. viii. 5. Gal. ii. 2. P Mark iv. 33. 

4 1 Cor. iii. 2. r Rom. xvi. 19. s 2 Cor. i. 12. 



068.] A WISE DEPORTMENT DELINEATED. 193 

it make us " wise as serpents, it will keep us harmless as doves*." 
Every measure of deceit must be banished; all falsehood, either 
in word or deed, abhorred ; and truth and equity must stand 
confessed in the whole of our dealings. This is true wisdom ; 
and, " whosoever walks according to this rule, peace shall be 
upon him, and mercy, even upon all the Israel of God u ."] 

We conclude with one or two DIRECTIONS for the 
attainment and increase of this wisdom : 

1. Let a conformity to its dictates be your con 
stant aim 

[" The wisdom of the prudent is, to understand his way x ." 
If we walk at random, and without a due consideration of our 
ways, we never shall attain any true wisdom. We must be 
aware that folly is bound up in our hearts, and that we are 
constantly liable to err. We must take our rule of action from 
the unerring words of truth. We must measure our senti 
ments and actions by that rule. We must in particular set the 
Lord Jesus Christ before us, and endeavour to drink into his 
spirit, and to walk in his steps. This must be our constant 
habit. Whether our actions be more or less important, they 
must all be referred to this standard, and be regulated by this 
principle. Then we shall gradually have our minds enlightened : 
we shall see with increasing evidence our former deviations 
from the right path. We shall see, how erroneously we judged 
on many occasions ; and how unwisely we acted, whilst yet we 
thought that we were acting right. Thus our judgment will 
be matured; our consciences be preserved tender; and our ways 
be conformed to the perfect will of God. " Who then is wise 
and endued with knowledge amongst you? let him shew out of 
a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom y ."] 

2. Pray earnestly to God to inspire you with it 

[It is " the Lord alone that giveth wisdom 2 :" and to him 
David directed his supplications, in the words of our text, " O 
when wilt thou come unto me?" David felt his insufficiency 
for that great work which lay before him, and he panted after 
an increase of grace to fit him for it. Thus should we pant after 
the influences of the Holy Spirit, to " open the eyes of our 
understanding," and to " guide us into all truth." Without 
the aid of the Holy Spirit we cannot hope to fill up our several 
stations in life with true wisdom. David, as a monarch, felt 
his need of divine aid to execute the resolution he had formed. 
Solomon desired this aid beyond either riches or honour : and 
God, in answer to his prayer, " gave him a wise and under- 

t Matt. x. 16. u Gal. vi. 16. x Prov. xiv. 8. 

y Jam. iii. 13. z Prov. ii. 6. 

VOL. VI. O 



194 PSALMS, CI. 3. [669. 

standing heart," above all the children of men. As ministers 
of God s word, we need the same : for St. Paul says, in refer 
ence to the ministry, " who is sufficient for these things ?" 
The same must be said by us in every station and relation of 
life. We all have our own peculiar duties to perform ; and 
wisdom consists in executing them aright. Let this never be 
forgotten, that our chief wisdom consists in ascertaining with 
precision, and performing with punctuality, the duties of our 
own particular situation. It is not by going out of our own 
proper line, but by filling our own particular station well, that 
we shall approve ourselves truly wise. Let parents and chil 
dren, masters and servants, magistrates and subjects, bear this 
in mind : " let none lean to their own understanding a ," but all 
with one heart address to God this necessary petition, " O give 
me understanding in the way of godliness 1 *!"] 

a Prov. iii. 5. b See the text in the Prayer-book Translation. 

DCLXIX. 

INTEGRITY. 

Ps. ci. 3. / hate the work of them that turn aside : it shall 
not cleave to me. 

TO improve our influence for God, is our bounden 
duty, whatever be the station to which he has been 
pleased to call us. Magistrates, in particular, may 
render most extensive service to the community, by 
exerting their power in the promotion of virtue. 
David felt his responsibility in this respect : and, 
either on his beginning to reign in Hebron after the 
death of Saul, or on his coming to the full possession 
of the kingdom at a subsequent period, he wrote this 
psalm, declarative of his determination to discoun 
tenance evil, and encourage good, to the utmost extent 
of his power, both amongst his courtiers, and amongst 
his more immediate attendants in his household. 

Let us consider, 

I. The work which he here so determinately repro 
bates - 

The two points to which he seems to refer are, 

1. A want of integrity in morals 

[A dereliction of principle has often been indulged under the 
idea of expediency ; and the utmost subtlety of argument has 
been employed in vindication of it. But integrity, undeviating 



669.] INTEGRITY. 195 

integrity, should possess the Christian s mind. There are 
many things which will consist with what is called a sense of 
honour, which can never be admitted into the conduct of a 
real saint. The laws of honour have their origin from man: 
and as they derive their authority from man, so they have respect 
only to the judgment of man in the observance of them. These 
therefore may bend to times and circumstances. But the 
Law of God is inflexible ; and our adherence to it must be 
uniform under all circumstances. It must regulate the ends 
which we propose, the means we use in the prosecution of them, 
and the manner in which we proceed throughout the whole of 
our deportment. In every thing we must endeavour to approve 
ourselves to God, and to act as in his immediate presence. 
Any departure from the strict line of duty, in whatever cir 
cumstances we be placed, must be avoided : and our whole 
conduct towards mankind, in whatever relation to us they stand, 
must be such as we, in a change of circumstances, should think 
it right for them to observe towards us. God requires that 
"truth should be in our inward parts a ;" and every act, every 
word, every purpose and desire of our hearts, ought to be in 
strict accordance with it.] 

2. A want of constancy in religion 

[Many there are, who, having begun well, leave off to 
behave themselves wisely, and " turn aside from the holy com 
mandment delivered to themV Various are the sources of 
this declension. Sometimes it begins in a neglect of religious 
duties, or in the mere formal performance of them. Some 
times it originates in the secret indulgence of some hidden lust. 
Sometimes " the care of this world, the deceitfulness of riches," 
and the desire of other things which have no direct reference to 
religion, choke the seed that has been sown in our hearts, and 
prevent it from bringing forth any fruit unto perfection c . But 
whatever it be that turns us from God, it should be discounte 
nanced in others, and avoided in ourselves. It may have a 
specious aspect : much may be said for it to extenuate, if not 
altogether to justify, the practice of it: but if its operation be to 
turn us aside from God, and from the pursuit of heavenly things, 
it becomes an evil work, which it behoves us to renounce. 

We must, however, be careful not to impute to any line of 
duty the evils which arise from our own want of care in the 
prosecution of it There is not any thing which we may not 
make an occasion of sin. A person may say, I have intellectual 
pursuits, which occupy my mind with such intensity, that I 
cannot fix it afterwards upon heavenly things : or, I have a 
manual labour, which indisposes me for heavenly contempla 
tion. In such cases, the duty of these persons is, not to renounce 

a Ps. li. 6. b 2 Pet. ii. 21. c Matt. xiii. 22. 



196 PSALMS, CI. 3. [669. 

the labours to which, in the course of providence, they have 
been called, but to implore of God such a measure of spiritual 
strength as may enable them to combine the duties which they 
have been wont to separate : nor can we doubt, but that, if 
they be upright in heart, they shall have imparted to them grace 
sufficient for the conscientious discharge of all their duties. 
The point for them especially to attend to, is, that they guard 
against every inordinate desire : for it is from their inward 
desires, rather than their outward duties, that they are in any 
danger of being drawn from God.] 

The conduct of the Psalmist, in relation to such 
" work/ shews, 

II. The disposition which we also should manifest 
towards it 

1. We should abhor it in principle 

[There should be in us an attraction towards God, resem 
bling that of the needle to the pole. A needle may, by force, 
be turned from its proper direction : but it will never cease from 
a tremulous motion, till it has returned again to its proper rest. 
So it may be with us. We know not what deviations a sudden 
impulse of temptation may cause for a moment : but the very 
instant we perceive that we have departed, even in thought, 
from the perfect line of duty, we should give neither sleep to 
our eyes nor slumber to our eye-lids, till we have returned with 
penitential sorrow to our God. The direction given to us by 
God is, " Abhor that which is evil ; cleave to that which is 
good d ." And, whether in relation to morals or religion, this 
must be the constant habit of our minds. We must be 
" Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile 6 ." 

2. We should avoid it in practice 

[We never can be too observant of our own ways. As, at 
sea, the mariner is often drawn from his course by currents of 
which he was not aware, and only finds his deviation from his 
appointed course by the observations which he makes ; so it is 
possible for a Christian to be drawn aside by a corrupt bias, till 
he has carefully compared his ways with the unerring standard 
of the word of God. Hence the need of attending to that divine 
counsel, " Prove all things ; and hold fast that which is good f ." 
It is not without extreme care that we shall be able to " keep 
a conscience void of offence towards both God and man." We 
are passing through a polluted world ; and it is very difficult to 
" keep our garments altogether undefiled g ." But if we come 
in contact with evil, we must take care that it does "not cleave 

d Rom. xii. 9. e John i. 47. 

f J Thess. v. 21. s Rev. iii. 4. 



670.] THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. 197 

unto us." It must be the one labour of our lives to be " sincere, 
and without offence, until the day of Christ 11 ."] 

ADDRESS 

1 . Mark well the beginnings of declension 

[" Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith," says 
the Apostle: "prove your ownselvesV Let the first symp 
toms of spiritual declension be carefully noted by you, and be 
made an occasion of augmented diligence in your heavenly course. 
Many evils will you avoid by such watchfulness. Happy would 
it have been for David, if he had marked the first risings of 
desire, which the sight of Bathsheba excited in his soul. And 
happy will it be for us, if we determine, through grace, to abstain, 
not from evil only, but from the first motions of it, yea, and even 
" the very appearance of it," whether in heart or life k .] 

2. Avoid the means and occasions of it 

[Our Lord teaches us to pray, that we may " not be led 
into temptation." In truth, if we willingly subject ourselves 
to temptation, we cannot expect to be kept. We must " take 
heed to our ways," and shun the scenes of vice and folly ; and 
avoid the company, and conversation, and books, and sights, 
that would ensnare us, if we would be preserved " holy and 
unblameable and unreprovable in the world." If we " come 
out from among the ungodly, and touch not the unclean thing, 
then will God be a Father unto us, and we shall be his sons and 
daughters, saith the Lord Almighty 1 ."] 

h Phil. i. 10. i 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 

k 1 Thess. v. 22. 1 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. 

DCLXX. 

THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. 

Ps. cii. 13 15. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion : 
for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come : for thy 
servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust 
thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and 
all the kings of the earth thy glory. 

AMIDST all the personal afflictions with which a 
Child of God can be encompassed,, he will be filled 
with consolation,, if he hear glad tidings concerning 
Zion. The interests of God and the welfare of man 
kind are nearer to his heart than any of the concerns 
of time and sense. Hence Paul, when complaining 
that he " suffered trouble, as an evil-doer, even unto 
bonds," consoled himself with this, that " the word of 



1H8 PSALMS, CIT. 1315. [670. 

God was not bound a :" yea, his very bonds themselves 
were an occasion of joy to his soul, when he saw that 
they were overruled for the establishment of Be 
lievers, and the augmentation of the Church of God b . 
Thus, in the psalm before us, the writer, whether 
speaking in his own person, or personating the 
Church of God, was in a most disconsolate con 
dition ; - - but the thought of God s speedy 
interposition for his Church and people comforted 
him. He saw Jerusalem lying in ruins ; but he felt 
assured that the time was near at hand, when it 
should be rebuilt, and God s glory be manifested in it 
as in the days of old. To the Gospel Church also 
he had a further reference in his own mind : for 
though the restoration of the Jews from Babylon 
attracted some attention from the neighbouring 
states, it was far from being attended with those 
effects which are here foretold as following from 
their yet future restoration to their own land, and 
their final union with the Church of Christ d . 
In considering this event, we shall notice, 

I. The time fixed for it- 
God most assuredly has mercy in store for Zion 

[The Jews shall not always continue in their present de 
graded state : they shall be gathered from every quarter of the 
globe, and be brought back again to their own land. We must 
almost cease to assign any determinate meaning to words, if we 
explain in a figurative sense only the numberless declarations 
of God on this subject 6 - As to their restoration to the 

Divine favour, it is impossible for any one who believes the 
Scriptures to doubt of it. Though God is angry with them, 
he has not cast them off for ever. There is yet among them 
" a remnant according to the election of grace," who shall be 
again engrafted on their own olive-tree, and enjoy all the riches 
of the Gospel salvation f ] 

For the conferring of " these favours," there is a 
time fixed in the Divine counsels 

a 2 Tim. ii. 9. * Phil. i. 1218. c ver . 311. 

d That the writer looks forward to that period, will appear by com 
paring ver. 25 27. with Heb. i. 10 12. 
e Ezek. xxviii. 25, 26. and xxxvii. 1 28. 
f Rom. xi. 5, 25, 26. 



670.] THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. 199 

[" Known unto God are all things from the foundation of 
the world:" and every thing that is " done, is done according 
to his determinate counsel and fore-knowledge g ." The deli 
verance of the Jews from Egypt was foretold to Abraham four 
hundred and thirty years before it took place ; and it was 
accomplished on the self-same day that had been then fixed h . 
In like manner, their deliverance from Babylon was fixed ; nor 
were they detained one hour there beyond the seventy years 
that had been assigned for their captivity 1 . Thus is the period 
fixed for their present dispersion. It is to terminate one 
thousand two hundred and sixty years after the establishment 
of the Papal tyranny and of the Mahometan delusion. Other 
thirty years are added to that time for completing of that glo 
rious work, and forty-five more for the full introduction of the 
Millennium, when all the kingdoms of the world shall become 
the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ k . Re 
specting the exact time from whence these several periods must 
be dated, Commentators are not agreed ; nor is it our intention 
to enter into that part of the question : we only mention these 
things to shew, that " God has reserved the times and the sea 
sons in his own power," and that the time for the future resto 
ration of the Jews is as determinately fixed in the Divine 
counsels, as any other event that ever occurred.] 

We think too that we may already see, 
II. The signs of its approach- 
When our blessed Lord came to establish his king 
dom upon earth, there were many signs whereby a 
candid observer might ascertain that he was really 
come 1 . An expectation of him had prevailed both 
among Jews and Gentiles" 1 ; his forerunner, John 
the Baptist, had come to prepare his way": and his 
own miracles had evinced, that he was indeed the 
person whom he professed to be . Thus the Psalmist 
intimates that there are signs, whereby the future 
manifestations of his love and mercy to his people 
Israel shall be discerned, previous to their full ac 
complishment : " The time to favour her, yea, the 
set time, is come ; for thy servants take pleasure in 
her stones, and favour the dust thereof." We say 

f Acts ii. 23. and iv. 28. h Exod. xii. 41. 

* Jer. xxv. 12. and xxix. 10. 

k Dan. vii. 25. and xii. 7, 11, 12. with Rev. xi. 3, 15. and xii. 
6, 14. and xiii. 5. ] Matt. xvi. 3. 

m Luke ii. 25, 38. n Matt. xvii. 913. John v. 36. 



200 PSALMS, CII. 1315. [670. 

then that the approach of that blessed period is now 
evidently marked by, 

1. The concern that is now felt for the Jewish 
people 

[How many centuries have passed without any efforts 
made for their conversion to the faith of Christ ! They have 
been regarded by the Christian world as utterly unworthy of 
notice : or rather, have been treated by them with all manner 
of indignity, oppression, and cruelty. But now Christians begin 
to feel how basely they have acted towards them; and are 
combining their efforts to rend the veil from their hearts : and 
by all possible means to lead them to the knowledge of that 
Messiah, whom their fathers crucified p 

2. The expectation which the Jews have of their 
approaching deliverance 

[The Jews even of our own country, and still more upon 
the Continent, have a persuasion that their Messiah is speedily 
to appear, and to vindicate them from the oppression which 
they have so long experienced 11 . And though they do not 
at present know what kinds of blessings they are destined to 
enjoy, (for they look no further than to a temporal deliverance,) 
yet the circumstance of their " looking for redemption" as fast 
approaching, may justly be regarded as a sign of its actual 
approach.] 

3. The work that has already been effected among 
them 

[Many have been converted to the faith of Christ : and 
though, as in the first ages of Christianity, many have disho 
noured, or renounced, their holy profession, yet many have 
held fast their faith amidst the heaviest trials, and have adorned 
the Gospel by a holy conversation. We cannot, it is true, 
boast of thousands converted at once : nor were the efforts of 
John, and of the Lord Jesus Christ himself, very successful for 
a season : even after all the labours and miracles of our Lord, 
his disciples amounted only to five hundred ; the greatest part 
of those who were convinced by him for a season having gone 
back from him : but the seed sown by him grew up on the day 
of Pentecost, and brought forth fruit an hundred-fold : in like 
manner we have only fruit sufficient at present to encourage 
our continued exertions; but we hope that Pentecostal fruits 

P The attention paid to the study of prophecy in this day is re 
markable. 

<i Persons conversant with India have assured us, that both Maho 
metans and Hindoos have an expectation also that a great change is 
about to take place in the religions which they profess. 



670. ] THE RESTORATION OF THE JEWS. 201 

will yet be found, and that too at no distant period. At all 
events we have evidence enough to shew, that God is with us 
in our labours of love, and to assure us, that we shall not labour 
in vain, or run in vain. The very circumstance of so many 
heralds being stirred up to prepare their way, is a strong ground 
of hope that ere long " the valleys shall be exalted, and the 
mountains and hills be made low, and the crooked be made 
straight, and the rough places plain ; and that the glory of the 
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together 1 ."] 

Nor are we left in uncertainty about, 
III. The effects of its arrival 

To the Jews themselves the effects will be glorious 
[Such prosperity, both temporal and spiritual, will they 
enjoy, as was but faintly typified in the days of Solomon 
" The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the 
light of the sun seven-fold, as the light of seven days, in the 
day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people, and 
healeth the stroke of their wound s "- 

To the Gentiles also it will be the commencement 
of inconceivable and universal happiness 

[This is particularly marked in our text; " So the heathen 
shall fear the name of the Lord :" yes, the restoration and con 
version of the Jews will be "as life from the dead " to the 
whole Gentile world *. Their deliverances from Egypt and from 
Babylon attracted the attention of the nations which were round 
about them ; but this deliverance will fill with surprise and asto 
nishment all the nations upon earth : for the Jews are scattered 
through every country under heaven : and in every country 
there will be a simultaneous motion of the Jews towards their 
own land, and a turning to that Saviour, whom now they hate. 
This will carry conviction to the minds of all, that Jesus is the 
true Messiah, the only, and all-sufficient Saviour of the whole 
world. Then will all the great ones of the earth, the highest 
kings, no less than their meanest subjects, behold the glory of 
God in the face of our adorable Saviour ; and all, both Jews 
and Gentiles, become one fold under one Shepherd u 
However incredible this may appear, it shall assuredly be 
effected in due season ; for the Lord hath promised ; and not 
a jot or tittle of his word shall fail.] 

ADDRESS 

1. Have compassion upon Zion 

r Isai. xl, 3 5. s Isai. xxx. 26. * Rom. xi. 12, 15. 

See Isai. Ix. 18, 1014. Ps. Ixxii. 811, 1019. Zech. 
ii. 10 12. and viii. 20 23. and xiv. 9. 



202 PSALMS, CIL 1315. [670. 

[See how deplorable is the present state of God s ancient 
people : compare it with the former periods of their history 
when they were so signally honoured with the presence of their 
God in the wilderness, and at Sinai, and in the days of David 
and Solomon Shall not the contrast fill you with pity 
and compassion ? Methinks you can scarcely have the feelings 
of men, much less of Christians, if you do not weep over their 
forlorn and destitute condition. See how Nehemiah felt the 
desolations of Zion in his day x ! and is there not yet 
greater occasion for you to do so now ? See how Daniel set 
himself to implore mercy for his brethren, encouraged by the 
near approach of the time destined for their deliverance y 
- And let the prospect we have of an infinitely greater 
deliverance for them, stimulate you to similar exertions in their 
behalf. Let nothing be wanting on your part that can con 
tribute to their good. Your time, your money, your influence 
will be well employed in so glorious a cause : and be assured 
that in endeavouring to " water others, you shall be watered 
yourselves."] 

2. Seek to experience the good work in your own 
souls 

[We would not so draw your attention to the vineyard of 
others, as to divert it from your own. If it be desirable for the 
Jews to " fear the name of the Lord, and to behold his glory," 
it is surely no less desirable for you also. Brethren, this charity 
must begin at home. It will be a fearful thing to " preach to 
others, and to become cast away ourselves." Begin then, every 
one of you, to seek the favour of God to your own souls. Truly 
it is lamentable to see in what a state our Christian Zion is : 
and how many amongst us differ little from the Jews, except in 
name and profession. And in this we are far more guilty than 
they, because, whilst they are misled through the blindness that 
is come upon them, we sin against light and knowledge, and, 
Judas-like, betray the Saviour whom we profess to love. Let 
us hope, however, that the time for God to favour us is come ; 
(O that it may be come, and that our eyes may see it !) and that 
the tabernacle of David which is fallen down, shall be speedily 
reared amongst us, to the glory of God, and to the salvation 
of many souls. Muc