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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. Much as we desire your aid for the Jewish 
nation, our first desire is, that you yourselves may be saved. 
In this we are sanctioned by the apostle Paul, who, whilst he 
pitied the Gentile world, desired to be accursed from Christ if 
it might but be instrumental to the saving of his brethren the 
Jews. To you then, Brethren, we say, first give your own selves 
to the Lord, and afterwards to us, by the will of God z ] 

x Neh. ii. 2, 3. y Dan. ix. 2, 3. z 2 Cor. viii. 5. 



071.] ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF CHRIST. 203 

DCLXXI. 

THE ETERNITY AND IMMUTABILITY OF CHRIST. 

Ps. cii. 2528. Of old hast tliou laid the foundation of the 
earth ; and the heavens are the ivork of thy hands : they 
shall perish, but thou shalt endure ; yea, all of them shall 
wax old like a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change 
them, and they shall be changed : but thou art the same, and 
thy years shall have no end. The children of thy servants 
shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee. 

AMONGST all the Psalms, there is none more 
full of mourning and lamentation than this : but whe 
ther the Psalmist speaks in his own person, or in the 
person of the Church which was in the most desolate 
condition, is not certain. But though written at the 
return of the Jews from the Babylonish Captivity, 
and referring primarily to the restoration of the 
Jewish Church and polity, it evidently has respect 
to the Messiah and the establishment of his Church 
on the face of the whole earth : since it is said, that 
" the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and 
all the kings of the earth his glory a ." Indeed the 
words of our text are expressly applied to Christ in 
the Epistle to the Hebrews, and are adduced to 
shew the infinite superiority of Christ above all the 
hosts of heaven b . With this infallible guide to direct 
us, we proceed to point out, 

I. The perfections of Christ 

The description here given of our Lord Jesus Christ 
proves beyond all doubt his proper Deity. Observe, 

1. His eternity 

[He it was who made the universe : the highest angels 
derived their existence from his all-creating hand c . " All things 
were created, not only by him, but for hhn d :" which could not 
be, if he himself were a creature. Suppose him ever so high 
above all other creatures, if he himself was a creature, he could 
not have created all things, seeing he himself must have been 
created by another. But he was the eternal God : " he was 
with God, and was God : and without him was not any thing 
made tliatwas made e ." Yes, that adorable Saviour, who at the 

a ver. 15. b Heb. i. 1012. c Col. i. 16. 

d Col. i. 17. e John i. 13. 



204 PSALMS, CIL 2528. [67 L 

appointed season assumed our flesh at Bethlehem, was the eter 
nal God; " his goings forth were of old, from everlasting f ."] 

2. His immutability 

[The material creation is formed only as a theatre for the 
display of the Creator s glory: and, when it shall have answered 
its destined end, it will be destroyed by fire g : the Creator will 
dissolve it with as much ease as a man " folds up a garment" 
for which he has no farther use. But the Lord Jesus Christ will 
exist for ever. As he is the eternal, so is he the immutable 
Jehovah: " He is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever 11 ."] 

Not to dwell on a point which requires neither 
confirmation nor discussion : we proceed to mark 
more distinctly, 

II. The aspect of those perfections on the welfare of 

the Church- 
In the verse before the text, the Psalmist may be 
speaking personally of himself, just as Hezekiah did 
when apprehensive of speedy dissolution 1 : but in 
the close of the psalm he indisputably speaks of the 
Church, and, represents as depending upon Christ, 

1. The stability of the Church at large 

[The seed here mentioned are the Church of God, the com 
pany of the faithful in every age k . It might be supposed that 
these, surrounded as they are by enemies on every side, must 
be utterly destroyed : and, in fact, the Church has at times 
been reduced so low, as scarcely to have, except in name, any 
existence upon earth. But our Lord has founded it upon a 
rock ; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Other 
things, however stable in appearance, shall vanish away : but 
this shall stand for ever and ever 1 . The different individuals 
are successively removed by death: but children shall be born 
to God through the instrumentality of his Gospel, and the 
Church " continue" to the end of time.] 

2. The final salvation of every true Believer- 
fit is a miracle, considering what difficulties the Believer 

has to encounter, and how unable he is of himself to do even 
the least thing that is good, that any one should finally attain 
the promised inheritance. But Jesus lives, and therefore all who 
trust in him shall live also. In his word he is as immutable as 

f Mic. v. 2. The same truth is generally supposed to be declared 
in Prov. viii. 22 31. 

g 2 Pet. iii. 10, 12. h Heb. xiii. 8. * Isai. xxxviii. 10 14. 
k Ps. Ixix. 36. ! Isai. li. 6. 



672. J DUTY OF PRAISING GOD FOR HIS MERCIES. 205 

in his essence : and " of that word not one jot or tittle shall ever 
fail." " Never will he leave them; never, never will he forsake 
them." " He is able to keep them from falling;" and, " Of 
those whom the Father has given him will he lose none."] 

IMPROVEMENT 

Is there amongst you any tempted soul ? 

[Methinks some may be in the state of the Psalmist, 
" eating ashes like bread, and mingling their drink with tears" 
- But let not any one be so bowed down with afflictions, 
as to say, " There is no hope." Whilst your Redeemer lives, 
you have a sure refuge : and, whatever trials you may have to 
sustain, " his grace shall be sufficient for you" ] 

To those who are maintaining their steadfastness 
in the Gospel 

[We would say, Remember to whom you are indebted for 
your stability: " He that hath wrought you to this self-same 
thing is God." O think, what had been your state times without 
number, if your Almighty Saviour had not interposed to rescue 
you from the jaws of that roaring lion that seeketh to devour 
you and let all your confidence be in him alone ] 

DCLXXII. 

DUTY OF PRAISING GOD FOR HIS MERCIES. 

Ps. ciii. 1 5. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is 
within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, 
and forget not all his benefits: wJio for give th all thine ini 
quities; who healeth all thy diseases: who redeemeth thy life 
from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving-kindness 
and tender mercies : who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, 
so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle s. 

IT is a favourite opinion of some divines, that we 
are bound to love God for his own perfections, with 
out having any respect to the benefits which we 
receive from him. But this appears to us to be an 
unscriptural refinement. That God deserves all pos 
sible love from his creatures on account of his own 
perfections, can admit of no doubt : and we can easily 
conceive, that persons may be so occupied with an 
admiration of his perfections, as not to have in their 
minds any distinct reference to the benefits they have 
received from him : but that any creature can place 
himself in the situation of a being who has no obli- 



206 PSALMS, GUI. 15. [672. 

gallons to God for past mercies, and no expectation 
of future blessings from him, we very much doubt : 
nor are we aware that God any where requires us so 
to divest ourselves of all the feelings of humanity, 
for the sake of engaging more entirely in the con 
templation of his perfections. Nor indeed can we 
consent to the idea, that gratitude is so low a virtue a . 
On the contrary, it seems to be the principle that 
animates all the hosts of the redeemed in heaven ; 
who are incessantly occupied in singing praises to 
Him who loved them, and washed them from their 
sins in his own blood. By this also all the most 
eminent saints on earth have been distinguished. In 
proof of this, we need go no further than to the 
psalm before us, wherein the man after God s own 
heart adores and magnifies his Benefactor, for some 
particular mercies recently vouchsafed unto him. To 
instil this principle into your minds, and to lead you 
to a measure of that devotion with which the sweet 
singer of Israel was inspired, we shall, 
I. State the grounds we have to praise God- 
To enumerate all the benefits we have received 
from God, would be impossible. We must content 
ourselves with adverting to them in the peculiar view 
in which they are set before us in the text. We 
would call you then to consider, 

1. The freeness and undeservedness of them 

[It is this which gives a zest to every blessing we enjoy : 
in this view, the very food we eat, and the air we breathe, 
demand our most grateful acknowledgments. The Psalmist 
begins with speaking of himself as a guilty and corrupt creature, 
who, unless pardoned and renewed by the grace of God, must 
have been an everlasting monument of his righteous displeasure. 
The same thought also should be uppermost in our minds. We 
should contrast our state with that of the fallen angels, who 
never had a Saviour vouchsafed unto them ; and with that of 
the unbelieving world, who, in consequence of rejecting the 
Saviour, have perished in their sins. What claim had we, any 
more than the fallen angels ? and, if we had been dealt with 
according to our deserts, where would have been the difference 
between us and those who are gone beyond the reach of mercy ? 

a Dent, xxviii. 47. 



672.] DUTY OF PRAISING GOD FOR HIS MERCIES. 207 

Let us but contemplate this, and the smallest mercy we enjoy 
will appear exceeding great ; yea, any thing short of hell will 
be esteemed a mercy b .] 

2. The richness and variety 

[The psalm primarily relates to David s recovery from some 
heavy disorder : and the terms wherein he expresses his grati 
tude are precisely such as are used by other persons on similar 
occasions . On this account, in our review of God s mercies, 
it will be proper first to notice the blessings of his providence. 
How often have we been visited with some bodily disorder, 
which, for aught we know, has been sent as a preventive or 
punishment of sin! (We certainly have reason to think, that 
at this time, as well as in former ages, God punishes the sins of 
his people in this world, that they may not be condemned in 
the world to come d .) And how often have we been raised from 
a state of weakness and danger, to renewed life and vigour! 
At all events, we have been beset \vith dangers, and yet not 
permitted to fall a sacrifice to them ; and been encompassed with 
wants, which have been liberally supplied. Can we view all 
these mercies with indifference ? do they not demand from us 
a tribute of praise ? 

But the expressions in the text lead us to contemplate also 
the blessings of God s grace. And can we adopt the words in 
this view ? O how great and wonderful are they, if we appre 
ciate them aright ! To be forgiven one sin is a mercy of incon 
ceivable magnitude ; but to be forgiven all, all that we have 
ever committed, this is a mercy which neither the tongues of 
men nor of angels can ever adequately declare. Think too of the 
corruptions which with most inveterate malignity infect our 
souls : to have these healed ! to have them all healed : We 
no longer wonder at the ardour of the Psalmist s devotion ; we 
wonder only at our own stupidity. Contemplate moreover the 
efforts which Satan, that roaring lion, is ever making to destroy 
us ; consider his wiles, his deceits, his fiery darts : what a stu 
pendous mercy is it that we have not been given up as a prey 
unto his teeth ! Look around at the mercies of all kinds with 
which we are encircled : and mark the provision of ordinances, 
and promises, yea, of the body and blood of God s only dear 
Son, with which our souls are nourished and renewed ; so that 
our drooping spirits, like the eagle when renewed in its plumage, 
are enabled to soar to the highest heavens with confidence and 
joy. Can we find in these things no grounds of praise? Must 
not our hearts be harder than adamant itself, if they do not 
melt at the contemplation of such mercies as these ?] 

b See how this consideration enhanced the favours which God 
vouchsafed to David, Ps. viii. 1. and St. Paul, Eph. iii. 8. 

c Isai. xxxviii. 17. d Compare 1 Cor. xi. 30, 32. with Jam. v. 15 



208 PSALMS, CIIL 15. [672. 

3. The constancy and continuance 

[See how triumphantly the Psalmist dwells on this 6 ; and 
let us compare our experience with his. Has not God made 
us also the objects of his providential care, by day and by 
night, from the earliest period of our existence to this present 
moment ? Has he not also renewed to us every day and hour 
the blessings of his grace, " watering us as his garden," and 
" encompassing us with his favour as with a shield ? " Surely 
we may say that " goodness and mercy have followed us all our 
days ; " there has not been one single moment when our Divine 
keeper has ever slumbered or slept ; he has kept us, " even as 
the apple of his eye;" "lest any should hurt us, he has kept 
us day and night." 

Say now, what are the feelings which such mercies should 
generate in our souls ; and what are the returns which we ought 
to make to our heavenly Benefactor?] 

Not doubting but that all of you must acknowledge 
your obligation to praise God, we will, as God shall 
enable us, 

II. Stir you up to the performance of this duty- 
It is the office of your minister to stir up your pure 
minds " by way of remembrance," yea, " to put you 
in remembrance of these things, though ye know 
them, and be established in the present truth." We 
therefore call upon you to praise God, 

1. Individually 

[This is not the duty of ministers only, but of all, what 
ever be their age, situation, or condition in life : every one is 
unspeakably indebted to God ; and therefore every one should 
say for himself, " Bless the Lord, O my soul ! " 

If any object, that they have never yet been made partakers 
of the blessings of Divine grace, we answer, That you have not 
on this account the less reason to bless God ; for the very 
" long-suffering of God should be accounted by you as salva 
tion ; " and if you compare your state (as yet on mercy s ground) 
with that of those who have been cut off in their sins, you will 
see that all the thanks which you can possibly render unto God, 
are infinitely less than what he deserves at your hands. 

Moreover, if you have received no signal deliverances from 
sickness or danger, you have the more reason to adore your 
God, who has preserved you so long in the uninterrupted enjoy 
ment of health and peace.] 

2. Fervently 

e Forgiveth, healed, redeeme//?, crowne//?, satisfied. 



673.] THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 209 

[Praise is not a service of the lip and knee, but of the 
warmest affections of the soul. The " soul, and all that is 
within you" should be exercised in this blessed work. As you 
are to " love God with all your heart, and mind, and soul, and 
strength," so also you are to bless him with all your faculties 
and powers. You must not however mistake vociferation, and 
talkativeness, and bodily fervour, for devotion; your expres 
sions of gratitude, even when most elevated and joyous, must 
resemble those which are used among the heavenly hosts ; who 
" veil their faces and their feet," or " cast their crowns at the 
feet" of their adorable Redeemer. Not to bless him in this 
manner, is constructively and really to "forget the benefits" 
you have received from him: yea, an utter forgetfulness of them 
were less criminal than such an ungrateful remembrance.] 
3. Incessantly 

[" Bless, bless, bless the Lord ! " says the Psalmist to his 
soul ; shewing thereby that he would have that to be the con 
tinual exercise of his mind. Thus should we also labour to 
have our minds in a constant readiness for this glorious work. 
We need not indeed be always engaged in the act of praise ; 
for we have many other acts in which a great part of our time 
must be occupied : but the frame of our minds should always 
be disposed for this duty, so as to be ready for it whensoever 
occasion may call for the performance of it. That we shall feel 
backwardness to it at times, must be expected : the Psalmist 
intimates as much, by so repeatedly urging his reluctant soul 
to this duty. But let us follow his example, and urge our souls, 
however reluctant, to this blessed work. Let us say with him, 
" Bless the Lord, O my soul; bless him, bless his holy name!" 
or like Deborah, " Awake, awake, Deborah ; awake, awake ; 
utter a song ! " 

Thus to bless God is our privilege on earth : thus to bless 
him is an antepast of heaven.] 



DCLXXIII. 

THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 

Ps. ciii. 8 13. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to 
anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide ; 
neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt 
with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our 
iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great 
is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east 
is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions 
from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord 
pitieth them that fear him. 
VOL. vi. p 



210 PSALMS, CIII. 813. [673. 

WE cannot form a juster conception of the Deity 
than from the history of the Israelites. In the mix 
ture of mercy and judgment which is there recorded, 
we see every one of his perfections displayed in most 
lively characters 1 . His dealings with us indeed are 
less discernible : but, the more they are scrutinized, 
the more will they appear to be regulated according 
to the counsels of unerring wisdom and unbounded 
goodness. The words before us will naturally lead 
us to a contemplation of this subject : and we shall 
have abundant evidence of their truth, while we con 
sider his goodness, 

I. Generally, as it is in himself 

The " mercy and grace" of our God are chiefly 
discovered by, 

1 . His patience in bearing with us 

[Had God been such an one as ourselves, he would long 
since have broke forth in anger against the whole world, and 
consumed them in his heavy displeasure. But, notwithstanding 
the multitude of their provocations, he has been long-suffering 
towards thein b , and has waited to be gracious unto them c . 
He has borne with many vessels of wrath, that have been daily 
fitting themselves for destruction d : and has kept mercy for 
thousands 6 , who have been continually occupied in casting it 
away. The description which Nehemiah gives of the divine 
patience as manifested in his day f , is no less realized towards 
the whole world at this very hour.] 

2. His mercy in pardoning us 

[God, in infinite compassion, laid our iniquities upon his 
only dear Son g , and exacted of him our debt h , in order that 
he might exercise mercy towards us consistently with the 
demands of truth and justice 1 . And, having provided such a 
remedy, he delights in extending its benefits even to the vilest 
of the human race k . Thousands that are now glorified in heaven, 
and thousands too that are yet compassed with infirmities on 
earth, can attest, that with him is plenteous redemption 1 , and 
that he is rich in mercy unto all that call upon him.] 

a ver. 7. h 2 Pet. iii. 9. c Isai. xxx. 18. 

d Rom. ix. 22. e Exod. xxxiv. G, 7. f Neh. ix. 16 21. 

& Isai. liii. 6. h Isai. liii. 7. Lowth s Translation. 

1 Rom.iii.25, 26. k Mic. vii. 18. J Ps. cxxx. 7, 8. 
m Rom. x. 12, 13. 



673.] THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 211 

Not to dwell on general views of his goodness, let 
us consider it, 
II. Particularly as it manifests itself towards us 

It is here more minutely delineated : 

1. In reference to his patience 

[God will " chide" his people for their sins; nor would he 
act worthy of himself, if he did not manifest his displeasure 
against the violations of his holy law". But we must all confess 
that he punishes neither soon nor long nor according to our 
deserts. Not soon ; for then he would be " always chiding," 
seeing that we give continual occasion for his displeasure to 
arise. But he is not extreme to mark what is done amiss , 
well knowing that if he should contend with us for every fault, 
we could not answer him one of a thousand p . Nor will he visit 
us long : if he hide his face, it is but for a little moment q , and 
if he wound us, it is, for the most part, but a very short time 
before he binds us up again and heals us r . He will not be 
always wroth, lest our spirits should faint, and fail by reason of 
his displeasure 8 . Nor does he at any time " deal with us 
according to our iniquities" Where must every one of us have 
been if he had entered into judgment with us according to the 
strict tenour of his law * ? Whatever trials we may have been 
called to endure, they have been infinitely less than our 
iniquities have deserved u .] 

2. In reference to his mercy 

[This has been boundless in its extent. Who can measure 
the vast expanse of heaven x ? Yet such is the mercy of our 
God, having heights that cannot be explored, and depths that 
cannot be fathomed 7 . It reaches, not only to all persons, but 
to the utmost extent of their necessities or desires. It is also 
tender in its exercise. Can any thing on earth afford us a 
stronger image of tenderness, than a parent striving to soothe 
the anguish of his agonizing infant ? Yet such is the anxiety 
which God himself feels to heal our wounded spirits, and 
comfort us under all our conflicts 2 . It is, moreover, lasting 
in its effects. Let a straight line be drawn from east to west ; 
and the further it is drawn, the further shall the ends be 
removed from each other. Thus it is with respect to our sins 
which he has pardoned : they are put away from us to the 
remotest distance, never to meet upon our souls again, never 
to be remembered against us to all eternity a .] 

n Heb. xii. 6, 7. Ps. cxxx. 3. P Job ix. 3. 

i Isai. liv. 7, 8. r Hos. vi. 1,2. fe Isai. Ivii. 16. 

i Compare Gal. iii. 10. with Ps. cxliii. 2. u Job xi. 6. 
x Jer. xxxi. 37. > Eph. iii. IS, 19. 

z Hos. xi. 8. Jer. xxxi. 20. a ver. 17. Mic. vii. 19. 

p 2 



212 PSALMS, CIII. 1518. [674. 

INFER 

1. How base is it to sin against such a God! 
[Sin, of whatever kind, is really directed against him b . 

And shall it appear a light matter to us to offend such a God? 
See this argument urged by Ezra c ; and let every temptation 
be repelled with this indignant expression, How shall I do this 
great wickedness, and sin against God d ?] 

2. How ought we to fear and love our God ! 

[It is twice observed in the text, that God s mercy is dis 
played " to them that fear him:" and it is manifested on pur 
pose that he may be feared e . Let us therefore not despise the 
riches of his goodness f , but improve them for the confirming 
of our fear g , and the quickening of our love h .] 

b Ps. li. 4. c Ezra ix. 13, 14. Heb. viii. 12. 

d Gen. xxxix. 9. e Ps. cxxx. 4. f Rom. ii. 4. 

s Hos. iii. 5. h Ps. cxvi. 12. and cxlv. 8, 9, 21. 

DCLXXIV. 

PERPETUITY OF GOD S MERCY. 

Ps. ciii. 15 18. As for man, his days are as grass,- as a flower 
of the field, so he flourisheth: for the wind passeth over it, 
and it is gone ; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 
But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting 
upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children s 
children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that 
remember his commandments to do them. 

THE consideration of the shortness and uncer 
tainty of human life is at all times seasonable, and 
more especially on such an occasion as this; when 
&c. a - If indeed we had no hope beyond the 

grave, such a subject would be most gloomy and 
appalling : but when connected, as in the passage 
before us, with the unbounded mercy of our God, it 
is full of consolation to all who are looking forward 
to the eternal world. But we must have a good hope 
that we shall be partakers of God s mercy, or else not 
even the glorious description which is here given of 
it will divest death of its sting, or reconcile us to the 
thought of approaching dissolution. Let us then 
from these words consider, 

a The occasion may be stated as for a Funeral, or on New Year s 
Day. 



674.] PERPETUITY OF GOD S MERCY. 213 

I. The character of God s people- 
In general terms they are represented as " fearing 

God." This of itself would be sufficient to distinguish 
them from all other people, more especially as it 
marks " the spirit of their minds." A humble sense 
of his presence, a dread of doing any thing contrary 
to his will, and a filial desire to please him,, universally 
distinguish his children : but still they are more clearly 
discerned by the characters assigned to them in our 
text : 

1. They " keep God s covenant" 

[This is the covenant which was made with Abraham 15 ; 
and of which Christ is the surety: he has undertaken to ac 
complish every thing for his believing people ; to expiate their 
sins by his blood, and to renew their souls by his grace 
" It is ordered in all things and sure c " -This the Be 

liever sees to be exactly suited to his necessities, in that it pro 
vides every thing for him, and only requires that he receive 
thankfully what is thus offered to him freely. This therefore 
he embraces : " He lays hold on it" as all his hope: and he 
relies upon it with his whole heart ] 

2. They " do his commandments "- 

[They are not negligent of good works, though they do not 
rely upon them for their justification before God : " they love 
God s law," which is written in their hearts : and they treasure 
up in their minds his precepts, no less than his promises. To do 
the will of God, to do it universally without exception, and con 
stantly without intermission, is the one desire of their hearts. 
They would gladly, if it were possible, " stand perfect and com 
plete in all the will of God," being " holy, as God is holy," and 
" perfect, even as their Father which is in heaven is perfect."] 

Such are the objects of God s love : but how shall 
we express, 

II. The extent of his mercy towards them 

The mercy of God is the great subject of this 
psalm. In the foregoing verses it is set forth in a 
way of comparison; (equalling the boundless extent of 
heaven;) but in the words before us it is declared 
in a way of contrast with the transitoriness of man s 
existence upon earth. 

Man s existence here is only as the flower of the 
field- 

b Gal. iii. 16, 17. c 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. 



PSALMS, CIII. 1518. [674. 

[It was " but yesterday" that we grew up ; and to-morrow 
" our place will no more be found." If suffered to continue for 
a while, we are only ripening for the scythe ; but a burning 
sun, or blasting wind, may cut short our existence in an hour d . 
And when once the flower of the grass is withered, all remem 
brance of it is gone : and so it is with us : we look gay and 
nourish for a little moment : and then pass away, and give 
place to other generations.] 

But " the mercy of God towards his people is 
from everlasting to everlasting "- 

[As to its origin, it existed from all eternity. It is not ex 
cited in the bosom of our God by any thing that he sees in man : 
neither the misery of our fallen state, nor any goodness which we 
may be supposed to manifest, move him to exercise a disposition 
that was not antecedently conceived in his own mind. Both 
his determination to exercise mercy, and the objects towards 
whom it should be exercised, were from all eternity fixed in his 
own bosom 6 . His people are chosen by him, not because they 
are holy, or ivill be holy, but that they " may be holy, and with 
out blame before him in love f ." " He loved them with an ever 
lasting love, and therefore with loving-kindness hath he drawn 
them*." 

In its duration also it is everlasting. " If he have begun a 
good work in them, we may be confident that he will carry it 
on h ." As, on the one hand, he will not depart from them, so, 
on the other hand, " he will put his fear in their hearts, that 
they may not depart from him 1 ." If at any time they trans 
gress against him, he will chastise them with the rod, till he has 
brought them back to himself: but " his loving-kindness will he 
not utterly take from them k :" for "his gifts and callings are 
without repentance 1 ." In every age will he prove faithful to 
his promises, even " to all posterities for evermore." 

This doctrine is thought by many to encourage a presump 
tuous confidence, and a consequent neglect of holiness. But, 
if we only bear in mind the statement before given of the cha 
racter of God s people, and our unequivocal declaration, that 
no person who does not answer to that character can have any 
scriptural hope of mercy, we shall see, that there is no occasion 
for jealousy on that head. The holiness of man is secured by 
the irreversible decree of Heaven, That the end shall be com 
bined with the means ; and that every one whom God has or 
dained unto life, shall be " made meet for the inheritance of the 
saints in light." We need not be afraid to give unto God all 

d Jam. i. 10, 11. e Eph. iii. 11. 2 Tim. i. 9. 

f Eph. i. 46. s Jer. xxxi. 3. h Phil. i. G. 

1 Jer. xxxii. 40. k Ps. Ixxxix. 30 36. ] Rom. xi. 29. 



675 J THE DUTY OF PRAISING GOD. 215 

the glory of our salvation, and to ascribe all to the operation 
of his sovereign grace, since, whatever may he said of God s 
decrees, it is an infallible truth, that " without holiness no man 
shall see the Lord."] 

Let us LEARN from hence, 

1. In what light we should view our present state 
of existence 

[We should learn from nature, and from every thing we see 
around us. Let all, and the young especially, look, not at the 
grass merely, but at the flower of the grass, and learn from that, 

how transient their life is m And let none, like the fool 

in the Gospel, promise themselves years, when, for ought they 
know, this very night their souls may be required of them.] 

2. In what way we should improve it 

[What have we to do, but to attain the character of God s 
people, and to secure the mercy which he will exercise towards 

them ? In comparison of this, all earthly pursuits are 

vanity; since, transient as our life is, we may yet find the ob 
jects of our fondest regard still more transient"."] 

m Isai. xl. 6 8. This would be proper to insist on, if it were the 
funeral of a young person. 

n If this were a Funeral Sermon for an eminently pious person, his 
views and conduct might with propriety be stated here. 

DCLXXV. 

THE DUTY OF PRAISING GOD. 

Ps. civ. 33, 34. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live : I 
will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My 
meditation of him shall be sweet : I will be glad in the Lord. 

IT is well that we have in the Holy Scriptures a 
record of the experience of former saints : for, on the 
one hand, we should be inclined to rest in low attain 
ments, if we did not know to what heights others had 
attained ; and, on the other hand, we should be con 
demned for aiming at such exalted frames as were 
possessed by them, if we had not the sanction of 
their high authority. However, whether the world 
be pleased or displeased, this, God helping me, shall 
be my resolution ; and I recommend it to every one 
of you as your own : " I will sing unto the Lord as 
long as I live ; I will praise my God while I have 
my being!" 



216 PSALMS, CIV. 33, 34. [675. 

From the words before us, we may learn, 
I. What was the frame of David s mind 

1. It was a frame most becoming 

[Such was the frame of man when he came out of his 
Creator s hands : and such to this hour would it have continued, 
if he had not sinned. " Praise is comely for the upright a ;" 
and " it becometh well the just to be thankful." Such a state, 
as far as their nature will admit of it, befits every creature that 
God has formed. All the hosts of heaven, and all the inha 
bitants of the earth, every creature in the universe, rational 
and irrational, animate and inanimate, are distinctly called upon 
by the Psalmist, to present unto God, according to their capa 
city, their tribute of praise b And, if such a state becomes 
them as creatures, that are merely formed by God s hand, and 
supported by his care, what should be our state, as redeemed 
by the blood of his only-begotten Son ? Well may it be said, 
" Let them give thanks, whom the Lord hath redeemed."] 

2. It was a most delightful frame 

[We cannot conceive of David but as exquisitely happy, 
when he penned these memorable words. Indeed he tells us 
elsewhere, how rich a source of happiness he found it to his soul: 
" My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness ; and my 
mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips c ." It is, in truth, the 
felicity of heaven itself, where " they rest not day nor night, 
singing salvation to God and the Lamb for ever and ever."] 

3. It was a frame which it is our bounden duty also 
to attain 

[The commands of God to this effect are clear and positive : 
" Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice d ." 
" Rejoice evermore 6 ." Provision was made for the exercise of 
this grace under the Jewish dispensation : feasts were appointed 
expressly for it ; and every member of each family was to rejoice 
before the Lord, the old and the young, the master and the 
servant, and even the stranger that happened to be sojourning 
among them f . And ought not we, who live under the more 
liberal dispensation of the Gospel, to rejoice? Methinks there 
should be no end of our joy: the resolution of David in the 
text should be ours ; and we should be carrying it into effect 
all the day long. Nor should untoward circumstances of any 
kind rob us of our joy ; but we should say, with the Church 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 

a Ps. cxlvii. 1. b Ps. cxlviii. 1 13. Cite it at full length. 
c Ps. Ixiii. 5. d phil. i v . 4. e 1 Thess. v. 16. 

f Deut. xvi. 13 15. 



675.] THE DUTY OF PRAISING GOD. 217 

fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off from the 
fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls ; yet will I rejoice 
in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation g ."] 

Nor need we despair of resembling David ; since 
he points out, in our text, 

II. The way in which it may be attained 
As he attained it, so should we, 

1. By meditation 

[His " meditations on God were sweet," though in the 
psalm before us, they related only to the creation and provi 
dence of God. But the minuteness with which he describes all 
these things clearly shews what delight he found in surveying 
every particular which might illustrate his subject. What 
delight, then, should we feel in contemplating all the wonders 
of redemption ! Of these there is no end. In meditating on 
these, we should soon be constrained to say, " How precious 
are thy thoughts to me, O God ! how great is the sum of them ! 
If I should count them, they are more in number than the 
sand: when I awake, I am still with theeV Let us, then, 
address ourselves to this holy employment. Let us say, with 
David, " I will remember the works of the Lord ; surely I will 
remember thy wonders of old. I will meditate also of all thy 
work, and talk of thy doings 1 ."] 

2. By resolving to rest in nothing short of it 
[We do well to say, I will fear the Lord ; and well to say, 

I will serve him. But these are far below our duty. We 
should aspire after higher attainments than these : we should 
say, with David, " I will be glad in the Lord:" I will never 
be satisfied, till I have such views of his excellency, and such 
a sense of his love, that I can rejoice in him, yea, till I can re 
joice in him all the day. Men attain not this, because they do 
not aim at it. They are contented with lower acquirements ; 
and hence they know but little of delight in God. O beloved 
Brethren! I would have " your hearts to be lifted up in the 
ways of the Lord." Why should any of you be strangers to 
this holy frame ? Why should you not " sing in the ways of the 
Lord," as others have done before you ? I know, indeed, that 
you cannot of yourselves create these heavenly joys : but I know 
what God has said; " They shall praise the Lord that seek 
him :" and if you set yourselves in earnest to enjoy him, you 
shall receive from him " the Spirit of adoption," whereby you 
shall be able to call him Father ; and have " the witness of the 
Spirit," whereby you shall know that you are his children. 

g Hab. iii. 17, 18. h Ps, cxxxix. 17, 18. } Ps. Ixxvii. 11, 12. 



218 PSALMS, CVI. 4, 5. [676. 

Thus walking in the light of his countenance here, you shall 
have an earnest and a foretaste of your heavenly bliss.] 

APPLICATION 

[I beseech you, Brethren, live not so far below your pri 
vileges as Christians in general are wont to live. How much 
happier might you be, if you lived near to God in the con 
templation of his excellencies, and in the delightful exercise of 
prayer and praise ! This should be the very bent of your mind 
from day to day, and it should continue to be so to the latest hour 
of your life. True, indeed, this cannot be expected, unless you 
embrace him and cleave unto him as your God. First learn to 
say to him, " O God, thou art my God ! " and then you will find 
no difficulty in adding, " Early will I seek thee k ." Then will 
praise be, as it were, the natural language of your heart, and 
the constant employment of your lives 1 . Then in death, also, 
will your soul be joyful in your God : and " an abundant 
entrance will be ministered unto you into the realms of bliss," 
where, to all eternity, you shall know no other feeling than that 
of joy, no other language than that of praise.] 

k Ps. Ixiii. 1. i Ps. cxlv. 1, 2. and cxlvi. 1, 2. 



DCLXXVI. 

THE CHRISTIAN S DESIRE. 

Ps. cvi. 4, 5. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour that thou 
bearest unto thy people : O visit me with thy salvation ; that 
I may see the good of thy chosen; that I may rejoice in the 
gladness of thy nation; that I may glory with thine in 
heritance ! 

THE Psalms, though in many parts historical, doc 
trinal, and preceptive, may yet be considered as dif 
fering materially from the rest of the inspired volume, 
inasmuch as, while other books of Scripture inculcate 
religion, these exemplify its operations on the heart. 

The words before us express the fervent desires of 
David s heart ; and give occasion for observing, that, 
I. The lot of God s people is truly desirable- 
God " bears a peculiar favour" towards them 

[He esteems them as " his chosen," " his people," " his 
inheritance a ;" and shews the same tender regard towards them 
as he did towards Israel of old ; guiding, protecting, and even 
bearing them as on eagles wings b . Hence that congratulation 

a 1 Pet. ii. 9. i> Deut. xxxii. 9 13. Isai. Ixiii. 9. 



676. ] THE CHRISTIAN S DESIRE. 219 

given them by Moses, a congratulation applicable to them in 
every age and place .] 

He gives them to enjoy the truest " good"- 

[The enemies of God often possess the greatest share of 
this world s goods d : but his own people have that which is 
really good 6 , and which shall endure when all sublunary things 
are come to an end f . He " visits them with salvation," which 
comprehends every solid good, whether for soul or body, whe 
ther for time or eternity.] 

He fills them with "gladness" and holy "glorying" 
[They are not indeed always joyful, because they have 
much, both within and without, which may well occasionally 
produce sorrow g : but they have seasons of joy, and sometimes 
are enabled to rejoice with joy unspeakable 11 . Even in the 
midst of tribulations they can often glory 1 , and shew to all 
around them, that they have supports and consolations which 
the world can neither give nor take away k . But what glad 
ness and glorying will they have, when all grounds of sorrow 
shall be finally removed l !] 

Surely such a state is the most excellent on earth : 
and therefore, 

II. To desire a participation of it, is a laudable am 
bition 

The fervent petitions in the text were, doubtless, 
acceptable to God 

[Every man naturally desires his own happiness : nor is 
this species of self-love ever wrong, except when it leads us to 
seek the end by improper means. When " salvation" is the 
object of our wishes, we cannot covet it too earnestly : God 
himself has taught us to pray for it, and to urge our petitions 
with an importunity that will take no denial. And the 
answers which he gave to David n and others in the days of old, 
sufficiently evince, that he is a prayer-hearing God , and that 
" he delighteth in the prayer of the upright?."] 

Nor can we please God more than by pleading with 
him after David s example 

[There is nothing so great, but we may freely ask it at 
the hands of God. Nor is there any thing so peculiar to the 

c Deut. xxxiii. 29. d Ps. xvii. 14. and Ixxiii. 7. 

e Isai. Iv. 2. f Prov. viii. 18. e I Pet. i. 6. 

h 1 Pet. i. 8. * Rom. v. 3. k Ps. xciv. 19. 

I Isai. xxxv. 10. and Ix. 19, 20. 

m Luke xviii. 1. Ps. Ixxxi. 10. Isai. xlv. 11. 

II Ps. xxxiv. 6. and cxxxviii. 3. Ps. Ixv. 2. 
v Prov. xv. 8. 



220 PSALMS, CVI. 1012. [677. 

saints, but we may ask it as sinners, and be certain of obtaining 
it, provided we ask in humility and faith. Salvation especially, 
with all its attendant joys and blessings, he is ready to give 
unto all that call upon him. Let us then beg of him to impart 
it to us. And let us particularly bear in mind, that we must 
first be " visited with his salvation," before we can " see the 
good of his chosen, and glory with his inheritance." It is 
through the knowledge of Him, as our Saviour and Redeemer, 
that we are to be made partakers of all other blessings. In vain 
do we hope to have fellowship with his people in their felicity, 
unless we first have fellowship with him in his salvation q .] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who are grasping after this world 

[All persons are apt to think that this world can make them 
happy : but David and Solomon, who enjoyed all that the world 
could give them, found all to be vanity and vexation of spirit. 
Let not us then follow the beaten track, but rather aspire after 
a good that never cloys, an inheritance that never fades 1 .] 

2. To those who are sincerely, though faintly, pur 
suing the path assigned them 

[We need not fear a disappointment on account of any 
uiYworthiness in ourselves. Let us beg of God to " remember 
us," and he will remember us. Let us seek " his favour" in 
Christ Jesus, and he will be ever ready to grant it. Only let 
us prosecute this end steadily, and without wavering : so shall 
we attain the object of our desires, and glory with God s in 
heritance" for ever and ever.] 

<i 1 John i. 3. r 1 Pet. i. 4. 

DCLXXVII. 

THE EFFECTS WHICH NATIONAL MERCIES SHOULD PRODUCE 

ON US. 

Ps. cvi. 10 12. He saved them from the hand of him that 
hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. 
And the waters covered their enemies : there was not one of 
them left. Then believed they his words; they sang his praises. 

GRATITUDE for mercies received is a duty uni 
versally approved. Every one sees the propriety of 
acknowledging personal obligations ; nor is it less 
incumbent on us to be thankful for blessings conferred 
on us in our national capacity. The words before us 
record the conduct of the Israelites when a signal 
deliverance had been vouchsafed to them : may we 



677.] EFFECTS PRODUCED BY NATIONAL MERCIES. 221 

be as devoutly, and more abidingly impressed, while 
we consider, 

I. The mercy vouchsafed unto them 
They had been in a state of extreme danger and 
distress 

[After their departure from Egypt they encamped by the 
Red Sea ; there they were hemmed in by impassable moun 
tains and morasses. Pharaoh, greatly incensed, followed them 
with all his hosts, nor doubted but that he should speedily 
destroy them all. They, to all appearance, had no means either 
of escape or self-defence, and in this situation expected nothing 
but instant ruin.] 

But God vouchsafed them a most astonishing deli 
verance 

[He prevented the nearer approach of Pharaoh by inter 
posing a thick cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians. 
He made a path across the sea, the waters standing as a wall 
on either side : he led his people through it as on dry land. 
Giving up Pharoah to judicial blindness and obduracy, he 
suffered him, at the head of his army, to follow the hosts of 
Israel ; but, when the Israelites were passed over, he let loose 
the waves upon their pursuers : thus in an instant were the 
Egyptian armies overwhelmed, and Israel saw their enemies 
dead upon the sea-shore. How wonderful was this interposition 
of the Deity, and how great the obligation conferred by it !] 

Nor were they at the time insensible of the kind 
ness manifested to them : 
II. The effects produced by it 

They had shewed themselves an ungrateful and 
unbelieving people- 
But now, for a season, they were greatly changed: 

1. They believed God s word 

[They had had reason enough before to believe the pro 
mises made to them : Moses had confirmed his word by many 
stupendous miracles ; but they no sooner came into difficulty 
than they renewed their murmurs. Now, however, they were 
forced to confess the power and faithfulness of God, nor did 
they suppose that they should ever yield to unbelief again.] 

2. They sang his praise 

[The salvation afforded them was inexpressibly great, and 
the hand of God in it was too visible to be overlooked : how 
ever therefore they might pity the individuals who perished, 
they could not but rejoice in their own safety, nor could they 



PSALMS, CVL 2123. [678. 

refrain from praising him who had wrought their deliverance ; 
the most obdurate could not but feel; the most insensible 
could not but admire. Happy would it have been for them if 
they had always continued in this mind ; but though, through 
frailty, they soon relinquished this heavenly temper, the effect, 
while it lasted, was good and suitable.] 

IMPROVEMENT 

1. Let us endeavour to get our minds duly im 
pressed with the temporal deliverances vouchsafed to 
us as a nation 

[We must be blind indeed if we see not the hand of God 
in the repeated victories which we have lately gained : though 
they have not been either so miraculous or so complete as that 
recorded in the text, they demand our most grateful acknow 
ledgments. Had they been as numerous and decisive in favour 
of our enemies as they have been on our part, we should before 
this time have seen this land the theatre of war. Let us then 
praise and adore our God for his interposition on our behalf; 
nor let us soon forget the wonders he has wrought for us ; let 
us rather turn to him in an humble dependence on his mercy ; 
Let us plead the promises he has made to all penitent and 
believing people ; and let us, in faith and penitence, expect the 
accomplishment of his word.] 

2. Let us take occasion also to bless him for the 
spiritual deliverance wrought for us as individuals 

[Our danger from the broken law was far greater than 
from human foes : there was no possible method of escape, if 
God had not interposed for us ; but he has opened a way for 
us through the death of his own Son, and utterly vanquished 
all the enemies of our salvation. Let every heart and every 
tongue unite in his praise ; nor let the remembrance of his 
mercy be ever effaced from our minds, but let his word, whereby 
he encourages sinners, be our hope ; then shall every fresh vic 
tory be a pledge of future triumphs, and the final destruction 
of our enemies be the subject of eternal praise.] 

DCLXXVIII. 

THE EVIL AND DANGER OF INGRATITUDE. 

Ps. cvi. 21 23. They format God their Saviour, which had done 
great things in Egypt ; wondrous ivorks in the land of Ham, 
and terrible things by the Red Sea. Therefore he said that 
he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before 
him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should 
destroy them. 



678.] THE EVIL AND DANGER OF INGRATITUDE. 223 

THERE is scarcely any sin more strongly repro 
bated in the Scripture than ingratitude. In the 
catalogue which the Apostle gives us of the crimes 
committed by the heathen world, unthankfulness to 
God is particularly specified as one of the most 
heinous and inexcusable 21 . And the judgments de 
nounced against one of the most eminent saints for a 
single instance of it, indisputably prove, how hateful 
it must be in the sight of God b . In improving the 
instance recorded in the text, we shall, 

I. Consider the history referred to 

[The history to which our text alludes is so well known, 
as not to need many words either to record or explain it. 
There were mercies vouchsafed to the Israelites in Egypt, such 
as never had been experienced before from the foundation of 

the world But they presently forgat their almighty 

Deliverer, and worshipped a golden calf in his stead. This 
justly excited the indignation of God, and determined him to 
destroy them. But Moses, having already fasted forty days and 
nights, fell down before God, and, during forty more days and 
nights, neither ate nor drank, but interceded on behalf of this 
rebellious people. God in answer to his intercession averted the 
stroke, and forbore to punish them according to their deserts .] 

II. Apply it to existing circumstances 

[We need not recall to your minds what great things God 
has lately done for us also in Egypt d . Except in the history 
of the Jewish nation, there is scarcely any victory recorded in 
the annals of the world that was more glorious or complete 
than that vouchsafed to us. Yet how have we requited the 
Lord? At first, like the Jews, we were willing to give God 
the glory, and to sing his praise : but has not the impression 
worn off? and have we not shamefully " forgotten our Bene 
factor ? " Well might God s anger wax hot against us, 

to consume us for such ingratitude - Nor can we ascribe 
it to any thing but the intercessions of God s people that his 
wrath has not burst forth against us, as against Korah and his 
company, to destroy us utterly.] 

III. Deduce from it some suitable observations 
OBSERVE, 

1. The duty of secret intercession 
[We are commanded to pray for all men, and especially 

a Rom. i. 21. b 2 Chron. xxxii. 25. c Exod. xxxii. 8 14. 
d This was the first fast-day after Lord Nelson s victory near the 
Nile, 1800. 



224 PSALMS, CVI. 2123. [678. 

for kings and all that are in authority. Yea, even in Babylon, 
were the Jews taught to pray for the peace and prosperity of 
their very oppressors: how much more then should we inter 
cede for our native country, where we enjoy every liberty that 
we can desire ! Let it not be said, that our governors do not 
deserve our prayers; for the injunction to pray for kings was 
delivered in the reign of Nero, than whom a more wicked 
prince could not exist. Let us then make a conscience of this 
duty ; for if we know not to intercede for others, we have no 
reason to think that we have ever yet seen aright the value of 
our own souls.] 

2. The benefit of public fasts 

[The honour God has put upon public fasts is well known 
to all; and his answers to united supplications have been 
as signal as the hand of God could make them. The victory 
given to Jehoshaphat e , the respite to Nine veh f , and the deli 
verance to Peter the very day before his intended destruction g , 
sufficiently evince, that God will hear the united prayers of his 
people. Indeed, if one man, Moses, so prevailed for the saving 
of a whole nation, what deliverance should not nations receive, 
if they would all unite in prayer ! If a few individuals alone 
mourn for the land, they shall have at least some tokens of 
peculiar favour to themselves, though they should not succeed 
in averting God s anger from the nation at large h . But if there 
be not some to stand in the breach, it cannot fail but that we 
must be overwhelmed 1 .] 

3. The guilt and danger of neglecting Christ 
[Great as were the mercies vouchsafed to the Jews in 

Egypt, they are not to be compared with the redemption which 
we have experienced through Christ : as our bondage was infi 
nitely more grievous, so the means used to effect our deliver 
ance, infinitely enhance the value of the deliverance itself; we 
are bought with blood, and that blood was the blood of our 
incarnate God -What destruction then must not we 

expect if we should forget "God our Saviour k ? " Nor 

is it the intercession of others that shall ever prevail to avert it 
from us ; we must pray, every one of us for himself : not but 
that mutual intercession may in this respect be productive of 
great benefits. Let us then " bear his great goodness in re 
membrance," and let it be our song in time, as it shall be 
through all eternity.] 

e 2 Chron. xx. 12, 15. f Jonah iii. 10. s Acts xii. 58. 

* Ezek. ix. 4, 6. Zeph. iii. 18. 

1 Ezek. xxii. 31, 32. Amos. vi. 1, 6. k Heb. ii. 3. 



679.] THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS COMMENDED. 225 

DCLXXIX. 

THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS COMMENDED. 

Ps. cvi. 30. Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment ; 
and so the plague was stayed*. 

TO enter profitably into this subject, it will be 
necessary that I state, in few words, the history to 
which my text refers. 

Balaam had been invited by Balak, King of Moab, 
to come and curse Israel, whose approach he dreaded, 
and whom he hoped by these means to subdue. 
Balaam, " coveting the wages of unrighteousness/ 
thought to enrich himself by executing the wishes of 
the king of Moab ; but was overruled by God to 
bless the very people whom he was hired to curse. 
Accordingly he was dismissed without the expected 
reward. But, with a view of obtaining the promised 
recompence, he struck out another way in which 
Balak might ultimately gain his end. He knew, that, if 
Israel could be ensnared to cast off their allegiance to 
God, they might lose his protection, and thus fall an 
easy prey to their enemies. He advised therefore, 
that Balak should facilitate an intercourse between 
the Moabitish women and Israel ; and thus draw the 
people of Israel into an illicit connexion with them. 
And this once established, the Israelites would, in all 
probability, be led to attend the Moabitish women to 
their sacred feasts ; and thus, by conforming to their 
habits, they would, in a short time, be seduced to a 
participation with them in their idolatrous rites. 

In this advice Balaam had but too well succeeded ; 
and almost the whole of Israel were thus drawn into 
the sins of fornication and idolatry : to punish which, 
Jehovah had inflicted on them a plague, whereby 
no less than three and twenty thousand Israelites 
were slain. To avert the anger of the Most High, 
Moses issued an order, that the judges of Israel 
should " slay all those who had joined themselves to 
Baal-Peor, the god of Moab, and hang them up 

a Numb. xxv. 13. "He was zealous for his God, and made an 
atonement for the children of Israel," would be a good text for this 
sermon. 

VOL. VI. Q 



PSALMS, CVI. 30. [679. 

before the Lord against the sun." In this way one 
thousand more were slain. Yet behold, whilst ven 
geance was thus executing upon the offenders,, a 
prince of one of the tribes brought a Midianitish 
princess, in the very sight of Moses and of the whole 
congregation, to his tent, defying, as it were, the 
indignation both of God and man, and setting at 
nought all regard even to common decency : and it 
was on this occasion that Phinehas, the grandson of 
Aaron the high-priest, rose up from his place, and 
followed them to their tent, and with his javelin 
pierced both of them through their bodies in the very 
act of sin : and thus, making, as it were, an atone 
ment to the Divine justice, he prevailed with the 
Deity to stop the plague. 

Now this act of his being very highly commended 
in the Scriptures, and being replete with instruction 
proper to this occasion b , I shall point out, 

I. The importance of zeal in a general view. 

II. The excellence of it as displayed in the history 
before us. 

I. Zeal in itself may be either good or bad according 
to the object to which it is directed. Hence the 
Apostle limits his commendation of it by this parti 
cular consideration ; " It is good to be zealously 
affected always in a good thing." If exercised in a 
bad cause, it only precipitates a person to the com 
mission of greater evil : but, when put forth in the 
prosecution of a good object, it facilitates the attain 
ment of the end proposed. Without zeal, nothing that 
is at all difficult can be accomplished. From what 
ever our indifference arise, it can never succeed in any 
arduous undertaking. If we be indolent in study, we 
can never make any great proficiency either in art or 
science. There may be, it is true, a brightness of 
genius which shall enable a person to shine amongst 
his fellows without much labour : but he will be 

b An Assize Sermon, at Cambridge, March 12, 1831, just after 
riotous combinations against agricultural machinery, together with 
most destructive incendiarism, which had prevailed in many parts of 
the country, were put down by a special commission at Winchester. 



679. J THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS COMMENDED. 227 

altogether superficial in his knowledge, and will soon 
betray his want of diligence by the slenderness of his 
attainments. The same will be found true in every 
department of life. It is " the diligent hand alone 
that maketh rich." It is not always found indeed 
that labour, however great, is crowned with success: 
but where eminence in any arduous pursuit is attained, 
we may be sure that great zeal has been exercised in 
the prosecution of it. Who ever enlightened the 
world with discoveries in philosophy, without having 
first devoted much time to study, and laboured hard 
for the furnishing and enriching of his own mind ? 
Even success in attainments of a lower order is not 
gained without much previous exertion in that par 
ticular line in which the effort is made. In the 
Grecian games, for instance, a long course of self- 
denying labour was necessary to enable any man to 
rise above his competitors, and to secure the distinc 
tion at which he aimed. So in every thing, if a man 
would either benefit others, or distinguish himself, he 
must put forth zeal in the prosecution of the end 
which he has in view. Had Phinehas not felt more 
deeply than others the dishonour done to God, and 
stirred himself more resolutely to avenge his cause, 
he had neither turned away God s wrath from Israel, 
nor obtained for himself the commendation given 
him. It was his zeal for God that put him forth 
beyond all others, and that has rendered him an 
example to mankind to the remotest ages of the world. 

This zeal of his forms the chief subject of our 
present discourse, and therefore we shall point out, 

II. The excellence of it as displayed in the history 
before us. 

To view his conduct aright, we must consider him 
as performing a magisterial act of piety towards man, 
and a ministerial act of piety towards God; in both 
which points of view it is highly commended to us 
by God himself. 

See it as a magisterial act of justice towards man. 

Magistrates are appointed by Almighty God as his 
vicegerents in the government of the world. They 



PSALMS, CVI. 30. [679. 

are set over their fellow-creatures for the preservation 
of order, to give protection to the peaceable, and 
to punish those who, by any evil deeds, would inter 
rupt the welfare of the community. They are to 
exercise authority for him ; being his ministers for 
good to the people over whom they are placed ; nor 
are they to bear the sword in vain, but to be " re 
vengers in his name to execute wrath upon him that 
doeth evil c ." 

Now it is obvious that when iniquity abounds, and 
is sanctioned and upheld, not only by the multitude, 
but by persons of distinction and pow r er, it is no easy 
matter for a magistrate to discharge his duty aright. 
On the one hand, he is afraid of appearing singular, 
and of having his interposition ascribed to unworthy 
motives ; and, on the other hand, he is apprehensive 
that he shall fail in his efforts to withstand the evils 
which he deplores. He sees others, perhaps, as 
willing as himself to lament the reigning corruption, 
but not willing to incur the odium of standing forth 
as reformers, and of exerting their power for the 
correction of it. He knows how much more ready 
all will be to blame his zeal, than to commend it : 
and therefore he is disposed rather to wait till he can 
find others to co-operate with him, than by extra 
ordinary and unaided efforts to put to shame those 
who draw back from their duty, and are destitute of 
that zeal which he feels it incumbent on him to 
employ. 

This was the state of Phinehas. He was but a 
young man, and therefore might be condemned as 
officious, and unbecomingly obtrusive. The offenders 
too were persons of the highest rank in the nations 
to which they belonged : and the elder rulers, who, 
together with him, were witnesses of this horrible 
impiety, were all either intimidated or stupified; so 
that not one of them felt disposed to avenge the 
cause of Israel and of God on these flagrant trans 
gressors. But he would not wait for others. He 
would discharge his duty at all events ; and whatever 

c Rom. xiii. 1 4. 



679.] THE ZEAL OF PHINEIIAS COMMENDED. 

others might either say or do, he would approve 
himself to God as an active magistrate, and a con 
scientious servant of the Most High. That he 
did not go forth as one who was not authorized to 
execute the laws, is evident from the commendation 
given to him both by God and man : and therefore 
he stands as a pattern for all magistrates to discharge 
their official duties manfully, without favour and 
without fear. 

What a blessing such magistrates are to any land, 
may be seen in the benefits which, by that one act, 
Phinehas obtained for the whole nation of Israel. 
On his executing of judgment, the plague was stayed. 
Four and twenty thousand, in the whole, had perished 
in one day; and, had he delayed to discharge his 
duty in this matter till his brethren in office should 
join him, no one can tell how many thousands more 
would have fallen a sacrifice to the wrath of God. 
But by this act of his he " made atonement for the 
children of Israel," and " averted God s wrath from 
them." He arrested also the progress of iniquity; 
and obtained for himself the highest honours, even 
"the covenant of an everlasting priesthood:" and 
" this act of his was counted to him for righteousness 
unto all generations for evermore d ." 

We are not to suppose that this act formed his 
justifying righteousness before God; for not all the 
obedience of the best of men could ever avail for 
that : but it proved to all future generations that he 
was a righteous man, and that no consideration under 
heaven could deter him from a faithful discharge of 
his duties, whether to God or man. 

Now such a blessing are conscientious magistrates 
in every age and in every land : and they who boldly 
maintain the authority of the laws, however they 
may be traduced and calumniated for a season, are, 
indeed, the most honourable members of society, 
and, sooner or later, will receive the approbation of 
every considerate man. The obligations we owe to 
such are, at this moment, seen and felt through the 

d ver. 31. 



230 PSALMS, CVI. 30. [679. 

land, in the suppression of outrage, and in the dimi 
nution of the terrors diffused through the whole 
country by reckless and desperate incendiaries. And 
I cannot but hope that the firmness manifested both 
by the civil and legal powers IN OUR SISTER ISLE% 
will be attended with a similar blessing from the Most 
High. It is right, it is necessary, that law should rule: 
an.d, if it cannot be upheld, but by the exercise of 
severity towards those who would trample it under 
their feet, it is right that those who set it at nought 
should be made victims of their own folly and wicked 
ness. I say again, the law must rule ; and neither 
the many nor the great are to set it aside. And if in 
the suppression of evil somewhat of laxity prevailed 
amongst us for a season, that time is past, and shall 
not readily, I hope, return again. The whole people 
of the land, though but too easily wrought upon by 
factious demagogues, are yet in their cooler moments 
united firmly in this one sentiment, that, if not even 
the King himself can rule but according to law, neither 
factious demagogues, nor an excited populace, are to 
be suffered to rule contrary to law. This is acknow 
ledged now through all the grades of society; and, I 
trust, will ever be maintained amongst us by those 
whose office it is, whether as magistrates or jurors, to 
administer justice, and to uphold and execute the laws. 

But I observed that this action of Phinehas may 
also be considered as a ministerial act of piety to 
wards God. 

In this light it is placed by God himself: " Phinehas 
the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath 
turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, 
while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I 
consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy. 
Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant 
of peace : and he shall have it, and his seed after him, 
even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, be 
cause he was zealous for his God, and made an atone- 



e The agitator O Connell checked by Lord Anglesea and Mr. 
Stanley, and made to plead guilty. Jan. 1831. 



679.] THE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS COMMENDED. 231 

ment for the children of Israeli" He was the 
presumptive heir to the high-priesthood: and with 
his own hand he here offered an atonement to his 
offended God, for whose honour he was deeply in 
terested, and whose wrath he laboured to avert. In 
this so far as his zeal for God s honour was concerned, 
he is a pattern for ministers in all future ages. As 
to the act itself, that was peculiar to the situation and 
circumstances in which he stood : nor is any man 
now authorized to follow his example. Not the first 
man on earth is at liberty to take the law into his 
own hand, and to execute its sentence in the sum 
mary way that he did. Every thing now must be 
transacted through a legal process, and by officers 
specially appointed to that end. But the same zeal 
as animated the soul of Phinehas, should glow in the 
bosom of every minister of Christ. The aboundings 
of iniquity should occasion " great heaviness and 
continual sorrow of heart" in all who serve in 
God s sanctuary; yea, " rivers of tears should run 
down their eyes night and day" because of the dis 
honour which is done to God by a thoughtless and 
rebellious world. 

But to exercise a becoming zeal for God is no easy 
matter ; and any person standing forth, as Phinehas, 
to stem the torrent of wickedness which flows around 
him, will be exposed to much obloquy as a bold 
fanatical enthusiast. In every age such ministers 
have "been for signs and for wonders" in the Church 
of God. At the time of the deluge we hear of but 
one person, Noah, who dared to enter his protest 
against the impiety of the world around him. In 
Elijah s time, though there were seven thousand who 
were not addicted to the reigning sin, there was but 
one who openly declaimed against it. And so it is 
now. There are doubtless many thousands of persons 
in the land, both of ministers and people, who with 
stand in secret the corruptions of the world ; but yet 
any man, who, like Phinehas, should stand up with 
becoming zeal to arrest the progress of iniquity, 

Numb. xxv. 1113. 



32 PSALMS, CVI. 30. [679. 

would be accounted " a troubler of our Israel," and 
be condemned for his needless, his insufferable, pre- 
ciseness. But whence is this ? It is owing to the 
lukewarmness of the generality, and not to any undue 
energy in those who serve the Lord. Of all people 
under heaven, a minister of Christ is most bound to 
exert himself in the cause of his Divine Master. 
Ministers are intended to be " lights in a dark world ; " 
yea, they are " the salt of the earth," which, by its 
influence, is destined to keep the whole world from 
corruption. Nor ought any consideration either of 
hope or of fear to sway them in the least. They 
should be unmoved by seductions of any kind, and 
should be ready to lay down their own lives for the 
honour of God, and the welfare of their fellow- 
creatures. Yes, this is the sacrifice which they 
should be ready to make : for so says the holy Apostle : 
" If I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of 
your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all: do ye also 
joy and rejoice with me g ." Here the Apostle con 
siders his converts as an offering to God : and, as 
libations were poured forth upon the offerings, he 
accounted his heart s blood as a proper libation to be 
poured forth for them; and the shedding of it an 
occasion for most unqualified joy. 

For the averting of God s wrath, it is true, we can 
offer no atonement. But we can speak of an atone 
ment which has been offered, even that once offered 
by our blessed Lord upon the cross ; and that is a 
sufficient " propitiation for the sins of the whole 
world." But how shall I speak of that ? If we 
admire the zeal of Phinehas, who offered to God an 
atonement by the sacrifice of the offenders, what shall 
I say of our great High-Priest, who has made an 
atonement by the sacrifice of himself, the just for the 
unjust, that he might bring us to God ? Here was 
zeal indeed, and " a love that passeth knowledge." 
But by this it is that God is pacified towards us. 
There is, alas ! a moral plague prevailing throughout 
our whole camp, and slaying its tens of thousands in 
s Phil. ii. 17, 18. 



679.1 TIIE ZEAL OF PHINEHAS COMMENDED. 

a day. Bat by means of this atonement we are em 
powered both to arrest its progress, and to take away 
its guilt. 

And need I say, that such ministers are a blessing 
in the land ? Truly they are a blessing, and shall be 
accounted so as long as the world shall stand. What 
if, like Phinehas,they overstep the bounds observed by 
their more lukewarm fellows ? They shall, like him, be 
honoured both by God and man ; whilst the memory 
of less faithful ministers shall pass away into oblivion, 
like a morning cloud. Their zeal shall be counted to 
them for righteousness to the latest ages : not for 
their justifying righteousness, as I have before ob 
served; for in Christ alone can that righteousness 
be found, and from him it must be received by faith 
alone : but, as an evidence of their piety, it shall be 
counted to them, and be a ground of praise and 
thanksgiving to God amongst all who shall be called 
to imitate their bright example. 

What then do I look for on this occasion ? I call 
for zeal, even for the zeal of Phinehas, in all the 
magistrates, and in all the ministers, of our land. 
In Phinehas these offices were united ; as in some 
instances they are amongst ourselves ; though I think, 
for the most part, unhappily and unwisely. A 
minister, instead of affecting a double occupation, 
should rather say, with our blessed Lord, " Who 
made me a ruler and a judge over you?" And sure 
I am, that, if a minister will give himself entirely to 
his own proper work, he will find enough to occupy 
all his time and all his thoughts. The offices of the 
magistracy and the ministry are perfectly distinct. 
Magistrates have to uphold and enforce the laws of 
man ; ministers have to propagate the glorious gospel 
of the blessed God. The office of the magistrate 
has respect to the temporal welfare of mankind ; the 
office of a minister is to promote, in every possible 
way, their spiritual and eternal interests. Still, how 
ever, there should be in both a cordial and energetic 
co-operation for the honour of God, and for the good 
of man. A minister often needs the support of 



234 PSALMS, CVL 30. [679. 

magisterial authority, and should find it promptly 
exerted for him when occasion requires. On the 
other hand, the magistrate, whose office is rather for 
the suppression of evil than the inculcation of good, 
needs the aid of ministers, for the effecting of an 
entire change in the sentiments and habits of the 
community. Let each, therefore, be found in the 
faithful discharge of their respective duties ; so may 
we hope that God s wrath shall be averted from our 
guilty land, and that his covenant blessings shall be 
poured forth upon us through eternal ages. 

I cannot close my subject without briefly observing, 
that we all have within the camp of our own hearts 
many corruptions, which have provoked the displea 
sure of the Most High, and which need to be sought 
out, and prosecuted, and slain. O that there were in 
all of us a holy zeal in reference to them, and that 
we would sacrifice them to God with an unsparing 
hand ! It is said of " all that truly belong to Christ, 
that they have crucified the flesh with the affections 
and lusts." Can we appeal to God that this is our 
character ? Do our lives bear witness to us, that 
whilst the great mass of the community care for 
nothing beyond the pleasures, the riches, the honours, 
of the world, and those who should stand forth as 
champions for God, are lukewarm and timid in his 
sacred cause, we dare to be singular, and firm and 
zealous in the discharge of our respective duties, and, 
above all, in the devotion of our souls to God ? 
Truly we should all, if I may so express myself, 
begin at home. God has at this moment a contro 
versy with the whole nation. And, though magis 
trates and ministers may do much to correct the 
abuses which prevail in external matters, that will be 
of little avail to pacify our offended God. God looks 
at the heart. That must be humbled for our past 
iniquities, and purged from the allowed indulgence of 
any sin. Yea, that must be consecrated to God, with 
all its faculties and all its powers : it must first be 
cleansed in the blood of Christ, and then be sancti 
fied by his Spirit. Then shall the chastising hand of 



680.] PRAISE TO GOD FOR HIS MERCIES. 235 

God be removed from us, in our individual capacity 
at least, if not collectively as a nation : and, at all 
events, his eternal judgments shall be averted from 
us, and all the blessings of his covenant be our ever 
lasting portion. This is the plague which, after all, 
we are most interested in removing, even " the plague 
of our own hearts ;" and this once removed by faith 
in the Lord Jesus, and by the influences of his Spirit, 
we shall have the righteousness of Christ imputed to 
us, and stand accepted of our God for ever and ever. 

DCLXXX. 

PRAISE TO GOD FOR HIS MERCIES. 

Ps. cvi. 48. Messed be the Lord God of Israel from everlast 
ing to everlasting ! and let all the people say, Amen. Praise 
ye the Lord ! 

WE find in the world almost an universal preju 
dice against religion, as a source of melancholy. 
And more especially if the wickedness of man be 
portrayed in very deep colours, it is supposed that 
we shall drive all our hearers to despair. But where 
shall we find the sins of Israel more awfully depicted, 
than in the psalm before us ? Yet, how is it closed ? 
with weepings and with wailings ? No : but with as 
devout an ascription of praise as is to be found in all 
the inspired volume. The truth is, that nothing 
so elevates the soul as a contrasted view of God s 
mercies and our own vileness : and no man will 
build so high a superstructure of praise, as he who 
digs deepest into the corruptions of his own heart, 
and lays his foundation broadest on God s sovereign 
grace in Christ Jesus. Behold, then, I pray you, 
I. The ebullition of heart here manifested ! 

What is it that the Psalmist has been contem 
plating ? 

[He give us, in the psalm, an epitome of the conduct of all 
Israel, from the time of their coming out of Egypt to the time 
of David 3 . He mentions their provoking of God at the Red 
Sea, their lusting after sensual gratifications, their mutinying 

a See 1 Chron. xvi. 35, 36. 



236 PSALMS, CVI. 48. [680. 

against his vicegerents, their worshipping of the molten calf, 
their contempt of the Promised Land, their joining with the 
Moabites and Midianites in the worship of Baal-peor, their 
quarrelling with Moses at Kadesh ; and, finally, their incor 
porating themselves with the Canaanites, and imitating their 
idolatrous and cruel customs. 

But together with all this, he shews how graciously God had 
dealt with them : for though he had inflicted many and sore 
judgments upon them, he had not yet finally forsaken them ; 
but, for his own name sake, and for the sake of the covenant 
which he had made with them, he still continued to them his 
tender mercies.] 

And was not all this a ground for praise and 
thanksgiving ? 

[Methinks it was not possible for any one who duly con 
sidered the subjects here brought before him, to feel otherwise 
than as the Psalmist himself felt on the occasion. For, had 
God taken them in this manner from the midst of another 
nation, and multiplied his mercies to them to such an extent, 
and for so many hundreds of years, in the midst of all their 
rebellions ; and shall they not " bless him ?" Had he so shewn 
himself both " the God of Israel" and " a God to Israel;" and 
shall they not adore him? Shall they not desire that all should 
be alike impressed with a sense of these mercies, and that God 
should be alike glorified in all and by all ? Methinks, when it 
was said, " Let all the people say, Amen," there was not one 
dissentient or silent voice in the midst of them. Indeed, we 
are expressly told that " they did all say, Amen; and praised 
the Lord b ." And, if there had been one who refused to unite 
in this tribute of praise, he might well have been separated 
from the congregation, as a curse to the Church, and as un 
worthy to be numbered amongst the Lord s people.] 

From hence, then, we may clearly see, 
II. The corresponding feeling which it should gene 
rate in us 

We have experienced an infinitely greater redemp 
tion than they 

[Theirs was from temporal bondage, which, at all events, 
must have been ere long terminated by death : ours is from the 
chains of sin and Satan, death and hell - Theirs was by 
power only : ours is by price as well as power, even by the 
inestimable price of our Redeemer s blood c - ] 

And, notwithstanding this, we have been as rebel 
lious as ever they were 

b See the preceding reference. c 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. 



680.] PRAISE TO GOD FOR HIS MERCIES. 237 

[Were our sins noted in a book, as theirs are, we should be 
found to have been as perverse and obstinate as they. In truth, 
their history is a mirror, wherein the countenance of the whole 
Christian world shines as clearly as the sun at noon-day. They 
are the very prototype, to which we are perfectly conformed ; 
yes, and with incomparably greater guilt than they, inasmuch as 
our obligations to God are infinitely greater than theirs ] 

Yet is God more merciful to us than ever he was 
to them 

[True, he has at times visited us with judgments : but he 
has never cast us off, or " shut up his loving-kindness in dis 
pleasure." On the contrary, he still follows us with offers of 
mercy through his beloved Son, and importunes us to accept of 
reconciliation with him through the blood that was shed for 
us upon the cross ] 

What, then, should be our sense of gratitude to 
wards him ! 

[If the Israelites were called to bless him as " the God of 
Israel," how much more should we bless him as " the God and 
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," and our God and Father in 
him ! If they were called to bless him in a review of his con 
duct towards them, how much more may we, in reference to 
his conduct towards us ! If every one of the people was to 
utter his " Amen " at the giving of thanks to God, what shall 
be said of us, if there be one amongst us who shall shew 
reluctance to unite in this holy exercise? Methinks " the very 
stones would cry out against him." To every one of you, then, 
I say with confidence, bear your part with us : and when we 
say, " Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to 
everlasting," let every one of you, without exception, " say, 
Amen, Amen, Amen!" yes, with one heart and one voice, I 
say to all, without exception, " Praise ye the Lord."] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who are not yet liberated from their 
bondage 

[Such there were in the days of Saul and of David, who 
were in captivity among the heathen. And how would it be 
possible for them to unite with their brethren in Jerusalem in 
these songs of praise ? " How could they sing the Lord s song 
in a strange land?" Hence they pray, " Save us, O Lord our 
God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks 
unto thy name, and to triumph in thy praise d !" The same 
prayer I recommend to you. I know you cannot rise to this 
devout and holy frame whilst you are under bondage to guilt 

d ver. 47. 



238 PSALMS, CVII. 13. [681. 

and fear and evil habits : it is impossible you should. But, if 
once you obtain reconciliation with God, and, " by a spirit of 
adoption, are enabled to call him Father," then will your mouth 
be opened to sing his praise ; and you will desire that every 
child of man should join with you in that blest employment.] 

2. Those who have been brought into " the liberty 
of the children of God"- 

[To you this song of praise is nothing more than the 
prevailing expression of your feelings before God. To bless 
and magnify your God, is the joy of your soul : and you are 
ready to obey the call, when God s ministers invite you to unite 
in that holy exercise. Behold, then, I now say, " Blessed be 
the Lord God of Israel ! and let every one of you say, Amen." 
Say it, then ; say it cordially ; say it devoutly. We are told, 
that when the Christians of the primitive Churches said Amen, 
so general and so earnest was the utterance given to that 
word, that the sound was like thunder. I will not pretend to 
say what their circumstances might call for ; nor will I sit in 
judgment upon those of whom I know so little. But at this 
day, I confess, I should prefer a more quiet expression of our 
feelings and our desires. I am not fond of vociferation in 
prayer ; nor do I like a noisy piety. I prefer what is intimated 
in that delicate expression of the Psalmist : " Praise is silent 
before thee, O Lord e ." But let God hear " your breathing 
and your cry f :" and doubt not but that He will accept it at 
your hands ; and, by the efforts which you make to praise him 
now, will he prepare you to join in everlasting " Hallelujahs" 
in the realms above.] 

e Ps. Ixv. 1. The Hebrew, as mentioned in the margin. 
f Lam. iii. 56. 



DCLXXXI. 

PRAISE TO GOD FOR REDEMPTION. 

Ps. cvii. 1 3. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; 
for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the 
Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the 
enemy ; and gathered them out of the lands, from the east, 
and from the west, from the north, and from the south. 

THE intent of this psalm appears to be, not merely 
to display the providence of God as interposing in all 
the concerns of men, but especially the goodness of 
God in vouchsafing to hear the prayers of men, and 
to grant them deliverance in answer to their suppli- 



681.} PRAISE TO GOD FOR REDEMPTION. 239 

cations. This is illustrated under a variety of in 
teresting images. His interpositions are described 
in behalf of travellers lost, but conducted home in 
safety ; of prisoners rescued from merited captivity ; 
of persons sick and dying, restored to health ; of 
mariners preserved, and brought to their desired 
haven. But we must not confine our attention to 
temporal deliverances only ; for it is manifest in the 
very commencement of the psalm that respect is had 
to the goodness and mercy of God in their most 
extended operations, and especially in the great work 
of redemption : for it is " from the east and from the 
west, from the north and from the south," that he 
has already gathered his redeemed people % and that 
he will yet gather them into the kingdom of his Mes 
siah b , even " Shiloh, unto whom shall the gathering of 
the people be c ." In considering the different images, 
we might notice both the temporal and spiritual 
deliverances which they severally refer to : but at 
present we shall wave all reference to them, and 
notice only the great work of redemption, as set 
forth in the words before us ; wherein we see, 
I. The duty of all to give thanks to God- 
Consider, 

1. The grounds of it 

[Wherever we turn our eyes, we cannot but see that " the 
Lord is good."" Survey the heavenly bodies, and contemplate 
the benefits derived from them : view the earth with its in 
numerable productions for the good of man : examine your 
corporeal frame, and think how every part performs its office 
for the benefit of the whole : above all, reflect on the powers 
and faculties of our immortal souls, and mark how by them we 
are elevated above all the rest of the creation, and fitted for an 
infinitely higher state of existence in the presence of our God: 
and then say whether we have not reason to proclaim the 
goodness of our God 

But the " mercy" of our God is yet, if possible, a more 
stupendous object of admiration ; because goodness manifested 
itself to us in innocence ; whereas mercy is exercised towards 
us under an inconceivable load of guilt. Think how it was 
displayed to man at first, in promising him a Saviour : think 

a Matt. viii. 11. b Isai. xliii. 5, 6. andlvi. 8. c Gen. xlix. 10. 



210 PSALMS, CV1I. 13. [681. 

how it wrought in due time, in sending that Saviour into the 
world, even the eternal Son of God, and in laying all our ini 
quities on him. Think how it has shewn itself to every individual 
amongst us, in bearing with all our iniquities, and in following 
us with offers of a free and full salvation. Think how it has 
lasted towards the children of men, and how it shall last towards 
all who embrace its gracious offers. Surely if .our minds were 
affected as they ought to be with this wonderful subject, we 
should never cease to praise and adore our God 

2. The duty itself 

[" O give thanks unto the Lord" for these things, all of 
you, old and young, rich and poor, one with another ! If there 
be one amongst us that has not participated in these benefits, 
we will be content that he shall be silent : but the very circum 
stance that we are still on mercy s ground is abundant evidence 
that we have reason to join in one universal song of praise and 
thanksgiving. Think of the fallen angels, who never had a 
Saviour provided for them : think of the millions of the human 
race who never heard of the Saviour that has been provided 
for them, or that, having heard of him, have been left to perish 
in a neglect of his salvation : think of these things, and then, 
if you can, deny your obligations to the goodness and mercy 
of your God ] 

But let us more especially consider, 
II. The peculiar obligations of the redeemed to doso 

" Let the redeemed of the Lord say so :" yes, if 
ye " whom he has delivered out of the hand of the 
enemy, and gathered to himself," are silent, " the 
very stones will cry out against you." Think, 

1. From whence you have been gathered 

[The remotest ends of the earth are not so far from each 
other, as ye were from God and in this state ye were 
led captive by the devil at his will ] 

2. By what means ye were redeemed 

[It was by the precious blood of God s only dear Son d 
- It was also by the effectual working of his power : for 
he, as a good Shepherd, sought you out, and apprehended you, 
and brought you home on his shoulders rejoicing 6 ] 

3. To what ye are brought 

[As the Lord s redeemed people, ye are brought into a 
state of peace with God : ye have the privilege of constant 
communion with him: ye may expect at his hands every 

d Eph. ii. 13. e Ezek. xxxiv. 12. Luke xv. ,3. 



681.] PRAISE TO GOD FOR REDEMPTION. 24*1 

blessing which your souls can desire : and ye shall finally possess 
all the glory and felicity of heaven. 

Think now what, in the view of these things, should be the 
state of your minds. If those who have never yet experienced 
one of these benefits, have yet abundant reason to celebrate 
the goodness and mercy of their God, have not ye much more ? 
O " let the redeemed of the Lord say so :" let them sing his 
praises day and night : let them adore him with their whole 
hearts ] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who are yet insensible of God s goodness 

[Alas ! how great a portion of every assembly are com 
prehended under this description ! Well, know ye then 
that we require no other proof of your perishing condition. 
Tell us not from what sins ye are free : we will grant all that 
ye are pleased to say : but we declare you to be blind, ignorant, 
base, ungrateful creatures : ye have no hearts to adore your 
God ; and therefore if ye die in your present state, ye can never 
enter into the kingdom of heaven, where the one employment 
of the blest inhabitants is to sing the praises of redeeming love. 
If ever ye be truly converted unto God, this new song will be put 
into your mouths, and be sung by you day and night f ] 

2. Those who love the blessed work 

[Some there are, and may God increase their number an 
hundredfold! who delight to bless and praise their God 
Go on then, dearly Beloved, and abound more and more. 
Though your songs are as yet but faint, they are truly pleasing 
in the ears of your reconciled God and Father. This song in 
particular is grateful to him. Mark what notice he took of it 

when sung by Solomon s So will he come down and fill 

your souls with his glory Mark also what honour he put 

upon it when sung by Jehoshaphat h So will he defeat all 

the confederacies, whether of earth or hell, that may be formed 

against you Sing on then with increasing gratitude, 

even to the end ; and soon shall the golden harp be put into 
your hands, and you shall join with that heavenly choir in that 
more perfect song in which they all unite, even in singing, 
" Salvation to God and to the Lamb for ever and ever."] 

f Ps. xl. 13. with Jer. xxxiii. 11. s 2 Chron. v. 13. 

h 2 Chron. xx. 21. 22. 



VOL. vi. R 



242 PSALMS, CVII. 8, 9. [682. 

DCLXXXII. 

THE DUTY AND GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 

Ps. cvii. 8, 9. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his 
goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of 
men ! for he satisfieth the longing soul, andjilleth the hungry 
soul with goodness. 

AMONG the various graces which characterize the 
true Christian, that of gratitude to God is very con 
spicuous. Others indeed will confess their obligations 
to the Supreme Being ; but none are duly sensible 
of them, till they have been renewed by the Holy 
Spirit. When once we have " tasted that the Lord is 
gracious," and been impressed with a sense of re 
deeming love, we shall view the goodness of God in 
all his dispensations ; and, not only glorify him our 
selves, but earnestly desire that all should render him 
the honour due unto his name. This disposition was 
eminently displayed in David, when he penned the 
Psalm before us. No less than four times does he 
repeat the fervent wish, that men would praise the 
Lord : and at each time does he suggest the most 
ample grounds for the performance of that duty. 

From his words we shall take occasion to consider, 
I. The duty here recommended 

Wherever a superior being is acknowledged, there 
a tribute of prayer and praise is considered as due to 
him. The light of revelation confirms this general 
sentiment ; and expressly inculcates thanksgiving to 
God as an universal duty. The manner in which the 
Psalmist urges us to praise our heavenly Benefactor, 
deserves peculiar attention : it speaks more forcibly 
than the strongest injunction could have done ; and 
intimates that praise is, 

1. An indispensable duty 

[Praise is the external expression, whereby a soul, filled 
with admiration and gratitude, gives vent to its feelings towards 
its heavenly Benefactor. It is an exercise of which the glori 
fied saints and angels are never weary a ; and in which we enjoy 
a foretaste of heaven itself b - Words can scarcely convey 

a Rev. iv. 8, 9. b 1 Pet. i. 8. yapa 



682.] THE DUTY AND GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 243 

a more sublime idea of this employment, than those by which 
David describes its effects upon the soul c - - In this view 

he strongly recommends it to us, and we may also recommend 
it to each other, as "good, pleasant, and comely A " It is a 
duty which we owe to God. There is not any precept in the 
Bible more plain than those which relate to this subject e 
There is not any duty, the neglect of which is represented in a 
more heinous light f On the other hand, there is not 
any religious act of which more honourable mention is made 
than this g Nor any to which, if accompanied by a suit 
able deportment, more exalted privileges are annexed 11 
Hence it is, that thirteen times in the space of six short verses, 
David renews his exhortations to every living creature to praise 
the Lord 1 .] 

2. A much neglected duty 

[Whatever blessings men enjoy, they rest in the gift, and 
forget the Giver. In fact, we scarcely know the value of our 
blessings till we are bereaved of them. The generality of men, 
instead of acknowledging with gratitude God s kindness towards 
them, and requiting him according to the benefits he has 
vouchsafed to them, take occasion from his mercies to sin the 
more against him Not even the godly themselves abound 
in this holy employment as we might expect. Many, alas ! 
live at so great a distance from God, that they can scarcely 
ever rise above a petition for mercy, or, at most, a sense of 
thankfulness that he has not utterly cast them off. They can 
not soar to a contemplation of the divine perfections, or of the 
excellency of Christ, or of the blessedness of those mansions 
that are prepared for them. They have so much of the world 
in their hearts, and so little faith, that they cannot realize 
their principles, or glorify God in any measure as they ought. 
Instead of cultivating the devout spirit of David k , they rest 
satisfied in a lukewarm state, saying, " It is high ; I cannot 
attain unto it 1 ." Yes ; though there are some who delight 
themselves in God ; yet, in reference to the greater part even of 
real Christians we must say with sorrow and regret, " O that 
men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and according to 
his excellent greatness 111 !"] 

To stir up ourselves to a due performance of this 
duty, let us consider, 
II. The grounds proposed for the performance of it 

c Ps. Ixiii. 5. d Ps. cxlvii. 1. e 1 Thess. v. 18. Eph. v. 20, 
f It is the strongest mark of an ungodly sta e, Rom. i. 21 ; and 
a certain ground of eternal condemnation, Deut. xxviii. 45, 47. 
g It glorifies God, Ps. 1. 23. h Ps. 1. 23. * Ps. cl. 

k Ps. Ixiii. 3, 4. and cxix. 164. 1 Ps. cxxxix. 6. Ps. cl. 2. 



214 PSALMS, CVII. 8, 9. [682. 

There is nothing that may not in some view or 
other be made a ground of praise and thanksgiving. 
In the text we are led to notice, 

1. Those which are general 

[The goodness of God, as manifested in the wonderful dis 
pensations of his providence, is that which first offers itself to 
our consideration. How bountifully does he supply the return 
ing wants of his creatures even while they are continuing in 
rebellion against him ! How marvellously has he preserved us 
in life from our earliest infancy to this day ; and kept in tune, 
as it were, in the midst of continual shocks and dangers, an 
instrument of ten thousand strings ! With what kindness has 
he restrained the evil dispositions of men, which, if suffered to 
rage without control, would produce a very hell upon earth"! 
As for the godly, they would soon be extirpated from the face 
of the earth, if the sons of Belial were permitted to execute all 
that is in their hearts. And who amongst us would not have 
perpetrated many more evils than he has, if God had not im 
posed an invisible restraint upon him, and diverted him from 
his purpose ? 

But on this occasion p we must particularly call to mind the 
wonders God has wrought for us, in preserving us from domestic 
tumults and foreign invasions; and in making us victorious, when 
our allies have been all subdued, or have even combined against 
us with the common enemy for our destruction. In a more espe 
cial manner should we admire the goodness of God in so suddenly 
disposing the hearts of our enemies to peace, and in bringing 
the calamities both of war and scarcity to a happy termination. 

The riches of his grace are also deserving of the deepest 
attention. Surely it is not possible to overlook the wonderful 
work of redemption which God has wrought for sinful man. 
What shall I say of the gift of his only-begotten Son to die for 

us ? What of the gift of his Holy Spirit to instruct 

and sanctify us ? What of all the promises of grace 

and mercy and peace to the believing soul ? And what 

of that eternal inheritance he has prepared for us in heaven ? 
Truly he dealt not so with the fallen angels: but to " the 
children of men" he has communicated richer blessings than 
words can declare, or that any finite imagination can conceive. 

n In proof of this we need only look back to the slaughters and 
massacres, the rapes and ravages, and all the other horrors of the 
French Revolution. 

See the instances of Abimelech, Gen. xx. 6 ; of Laban, Gen. 
xx.xi.-24; of David, 1 Sam. xxv. 3234. 

P The peace in October, 1801. In lieu of this, any particular mer 
cies, which the season suggests, may be specified. 



682.] TIIE DUTY AND GROUNDS OF PRAISE. 245 

And should we not praise him for these ? If we are silent on 
subjects like these, verily our mouths will be shut in the day 
that our ingratitude shall be punished by our indignant God.] 

2. Those which are more particularly specified as 
vouchsafed to " the longing and hungry soul"- 

[Under the image of a weary traveller rescued from the 
deepest distress, and brought beyond all expectation to the 
rest he had desired, the Psalmist represents a soul hungering 
and thirsting after righteousness, and raised from a state of 
despondency to the full enjoyment of its God. Thousands 
there are who are reduced to great perplexity in the pursuit of 
heaven. They feel their guilty and perishing condition ; but 
how to extricate themselves from the wilderness of this world, 
and to find their way to the city of habitation, they know not. 
Having tried in vain those self-righteous methods of escape 
which their own reason has suggested, they cry at last to God, 
and implore his guidance. He, ever ready to hear the prayer 
of the poor destitute, " reveals his dear Son in their hearts : " 
he shews them that in Christ is their hope, in Christ is their 
refuge, in Christ is their security. Being thus led to Christ, their 
" longing souls are satisfied, their hungry souls are filled with 
goodness " - Who can conceive what satisfaction a soul 

feels, when Christ is thus revealed to it as " the way, the truth, 
and the life ? " And I wish you particularly to notice how God 
marks with approbation not our attainments only, but our very 
desires. " Longing and hunger" are the very lowest operations 
and effects of grace in the soul: yet does God delight in them, 
and magnify his mercy towards those in whom even these 
slight beginnings of what is good are seen. 

And is not this a ground of praise ? If any who have ex 
perienced such mercies " should hold their peace," methinks 
Sodom and Gomorrha will rise up in judgment against them. 
The more we contemplate redeeming love, the more will a sacred 
ardour glow within our bosoms to bless and praise the Lord q .] 

ADDRESS 

1 . Those who never praise God at all 

[What enemies are such persons both to their present and 
future happiness! How much richer enjoyment would they 
now have of all God s mercies, if they could discern his hand 
in them, and taste his love ! And how much happier would they 
be in the eternal world ! for, can it be supposed that God will 
bestow heaven indiscriminately on the evil and unthankful to 
gether with the good and thankful ? Can it be thought that a 
man who was more insensible of favours than an ox or an ass r , 
shall instantly on his dismission from the body begin to adore 

<i ver. 43. r Isai. i. 3. 



246 PSALMS, CVII. 43. [683. 

his God, and to join in those celestial anthems for which he had 
not the smallest taste ? No : we must begin on earth the work 
we are to carry on in heaven : nor can we hope to participate 
the felicity of the saints, if we have not first cultivated their 
disposition, and found delight in their employment.] 

2. Those who desire and endeavour to praise him 
[While some find their hearts enlarged in praising God, 
we trust there are many who say, O that I could praise the 
Lord for his goodness! But whence is it that, with a desire to 
enjoy God, so many spend their days in sighing and mourning 
instead of in joy and rejoicing? Perhaps they pore over their 
own corruptions without contemplating the divine attributes : 
they look at themselves more than at Christ : they consider 
their own wants ; but overlook the Lord s promises : they anti 
cipate future difficulties, without adverting to past deliverances : 
in short, they cannot praise God as they would wish, because 
they are forgetful of those benefits which are the occasions and 
grounds of praise. Let all such persons then be aware of their 
error. Let them begin this day the important, the delightful, 
the long-neglected work. Let them unite in praising God for 
his mercies, whether public or personal, whether temporal or 
eternal. 

To all would we say, in the energetic language of the 
Psalmist, " O sing praises unto the Lord, sing praises; sing 
praises unto the Lord, sing praises ; sing ye praises with under 
standing 8 ." " Let young men and maidens, old men and 
children, praise the name of the Lord ; for his name alone is 
excellent, his glory is above the earth and heavens 1 ."] 

8 Ps. xlvii. 6, 7. * Ps. cxlviii. 12, 13. 

DCLXXXIII. 

GOD S LOVE SEEN IN ALL HIS DISPENSATIONS. 

Ps. cvii. 43. Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even 
they shall understand the loving -kindness of the Lord. 

TO know God, and Jesus Christ whom he has 
sent, is the highest privilege and perfection of man. 
This attainment, infinitely beyond all others, consti 
tutes true wisdom. But to acquire this knowledge, 
it is necessary that we study well, not the book of 
Revelation only, but the records also of God s pro 
vidential dealings with mankind. The Word and 
works of God mutually reflect light on each other ; 
and the more extensive and accurate our observation 
is of those things which occur from day to day, the 



683.] GOD S LOVE SEEN IN ALL HIS DISPENSATIONS. 247 

more just will be our apprehension of God s nature 
and perfections. True indeed it is, that, as far as 
theory is concerned, we may learn every thing from 
the Scripture alone : for in the world and in the 
Church we can find only a repetition of those things 
which are recorded in the Sacred Volume : but a 
practical sense of God s love is greatly furthered by 
the constant exhibition of it which may be seen in 
his dealings with us ; so that we may well say with 
the Psalmist, " Whoso is wise and will observe these 
things, even they shall understand the loving-kind 
ness of the Lord." 

We propose to shew, 
I. What those things are which are here presented 

to our notice- 
To enter fully into them, we should distinctly con 
sider the different representations which are here 
given of God s merciful interposition in behalf of 
bewildered travellers, incarcerated prisoners, dying 
invalids, and mariners reduced to the lowest ebb of 
despondency. But instead of minutely prosecuting 
those different inquiries a , we will draw your atten 
tion to the two principal points which pervade the 
whole ; namely, 

1. The timely succour which he affords to the 
distressed 

[The instances mentioned in the psalm are only a few out 
of the numberless interpositions which God vouchsafes to men 
in distress : but whatever be the trouble from which we are 
delivered, it is of infinite importance that we see the hand of 
God both in the trouble itself and in the deliverance from it. 
There is neither good nor evil in a city, but it must be traced 
to God as its author. Whether men or devils be the agents, 
it matters not ; they can do nothing without a special licence 
from God himself: and hence, when men had plundered Job 
of all his possessions, and Satan had destroyed all his children, 
he equally ascribed the different events to God ; " The Lord 
gave, and the Lord hajth taken away." Thus must we do : we 

a If this subject were used as a Thanksgiving after a Storm, or 
after a Recovery from Sickness, the particular circumstances should 
here be noticed, with an especial reference to that part of the psalm 
that is proper to the occasion, 



248 PSALMS, CVII. 43. [683. 

must ascribe nothing to chance, and nothing to the creature, 
except as an instrument in the hands of God. If the folly or 
malignity of man injure us, or the wisdom or benevolence of 
man repair the injury, we must look through the second causes, 
and fix our eyes on God, as the first great Cause of all. If we 
see not God in the dispensations, of course we shall learn 
nothing of God from them : but if we behold his agency in 
them, then will our eyes be opened to see his wisdom and 
goodness also.] 

2. His condescending attention to their prayers- 
fin all the instances specified in this psalm, God s inter 
positions are mentioned as answers to prayer : " They cried 
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of 
their distresses." Many, alas! of the prayers which are offered 
in seasons of difficulty and distress have respect to nothing more 
than the particular occasion, and are accompanied with no real 
desire after God : yet even these prayers God often condescends 
to hear, just as he did the prayers in which Ahab deprecated 
the judgments denounced against him. But when the prayers 
proceed from a penitent and contrite heart, and are offered up 
in the prevailing name of Jesus Christ, God will hear them at 
all times and under all circumstances. We do not say that the 
precise thing which may be asked shall certainly be granted ; 
because God may see that, on the whole, that would not prove 
a blessing to the person who asks it : but no prayer that is 
offered up in faith shall go forth in vain: it shall surely be 
answered, if not in the way expected or desired, at least in a 
way that shall ultimately prove most conducive to the good of 
him that offers it.] 

These things being matters of daily occurrence, we 
shall proceed to mark, 

II. The benefit arising from an attentive consideration 
of them 

From these we shall be led to notice, not merely 
the agency of God in all the concerns of man, but 
especially, and above all, his "loving-kindness" also. 
This will be seen, 

1. In the darkest dispensations of his providence 

[God s dearest children are not more exempt from trials 
than others : on the contrary, they are often most subjected to 
them. But in this the loving-kindness of God is especially 
manifest : for by their trials he leads them to more fervent 
prayer ; that prayer brings to them more signal interpositions ; 
and those interpositions fill them with joy, far overbalancing all 
the troubles they have endured. Let any child of God look 



683. 3 GOD S LOVE SEEN IN ALL HIS DISPENSATIONS. 249 

back to his former life, and say, whether the events which once 
he regarded as the heaviest calamities, have not been overruled 
for his greatest good ? Yes : it is not David only, but every 
child of God, that must say, " It is good for me that I have 
been afflicted." We may indeed, like Jacob, say for a time, "All 
these things are against me :" but when we have seen " the end " 
and issue of the dispensation, we shall confess that " the Lord 
has been pitiful to us, and of tender mercy b ." If we view an 
insulated and individual occurrence, we may be perplexed 
respecting it ; but if we view it in connexion with all that has 
preceded and followed it, we shall be able to set our seal to 
the truth of that promise, "All things shall work together for 
good to them that love God." Whatever then be the affliction 
under which we are suffering, let us never for a moment lose 
sight of that truth, " Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, 
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."] 

2. In the most painful operations of his grace 

[The different circumstances adduced for the illustration 
of God s providence may not unfitly be regarded as images to 
shadow forth also the operations of his grace. Truly in them 
we may see the wants and miseries, the helplessness and terrors, 
of an awakened soul. Who that knows any thing of his own 
state has not seen himself a wanderer from the ways of God, 
and perishing for lack of knowledge ? Who has not groaned, 
and bitterly too, under the chains of sin by which he has been 
tied and bound ? Who has not felt his inability to help him 
self, as much as if he had been dying of an incurable disorder? 
And who has not seen himself sinking, as it were, into the 
bottomless abyss, and been almost " at his wit s end," because 
he saw not how his soul could be saved ? We do not mean 
to intimate, that all converted persons have felt these things 
in an equal degree : but all have felt them sufficiently to see 
the suitableness of these images to their own experience. 
What then shall we say ? Does God, in suffering them to be 
so exercised, mark his displeasure against them ? No : it is 
love, and love alone, that he manifests. Multitudes of others 
he leaves to follow their own evil ways without fear, and with 
out remorse : but those whom he loves he awakens from their 
security : he sends his Holy Spirit to convince them of sin ; he 
stirs them up to fervent prayer ; and then, in answer to their 
prayers, he speaks peace to their souls. " Those troubles were 
not at the time joyous, but grievous ; nevertheless, afterwards 
they yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them that 
are exercised thereby."] 
ADVICE 

1. View the hand of God in every thing 

b Jam. v. 11. 



250 PSALMS, CX. 17. [684. 

[Things may be called great or small by comparison ; but, 
in fact, there is nothing small, when considered in relation to 
the possible events which may spring from it. The opening of 
the book precisely in the place where the services of Mordecai 
to Ahasuerus were recorded, was as much a work of God as 
any other that is contained in the Sacred Volume c : and the 
circumstances connected with it were of incalculable importance 
to the whole Jewish nation. Let nothing then be accounted 
small : but receive every thing as from God, and endeavour to 
improve every thing for him : and then shall every thing enrich 
you with wisdom, and inflame your souls with gratitude and love.] 

2. Take occasion from every thing to spread your 
wants before him in prayer 

[The great, the universal remedy, to which we should have 
recourse, is Prayer. Prayer will turn every thing to gold. 
Whether our trials be of a temporal or spiritual nature, they 
cannot fail of proving blessings if only they drive us to a throne 
of grace. The direction of God himself is, that " in every thing 
we should make our requests known to him:" and, on our 
doing so, we are assured, that " the peace of God which passeth 
all understanding shall keep our hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesus d ." " If we call upon him in the time of trouble, 
he will hear us," and turn all our complaints into praise and 
thanksgiving.] 

3. Give him the glory of all the deliverances you 
receive 

[On all the different occasions mentioned in the psalm, it 
is said, " O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his 
goodness!" This is the tribute which all of us are called 
to pay ; and the very end which God proposes to himself, both 
in our trials and deliverances, is, to make us sensible of his 
goodness, and to draw forth from us the tribute of a grateful 
heart. " Whoso offereth him praise, glorifieth him." See to it 
then that your daily mercies call forth suitable returns of love 
and gratitude : and thus will you be preparing gradually for 
that blessed day, when all the mysterious designs of God, which 
now you could not penetrate, shall be unravelled, and all your 
sorrows terminate in endless joy.] 

c Esth. vi. 13. d Phil. iv. 6, 7. 



DCLXXXIV. 

THE PERSON AND OFFICES OF CHRIST. 

Ps. cx. 1 7. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my 
right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The 
Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion : rule 



684.] THE PERSON AND OFFICES OF CHRIST. 251 

thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be 
willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness 
from the womb of the morning : thou hast the dew of thy 
youth. The Lord hath stvorn, and will not repent, Thou 
art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. The 
Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day 
of his wrath. He shall judge among the heathen : he shall 
fill the places with the dead bodies ; he shall wound the heads 
over many countries. He shall drink of the brook in the 
way : therefore shall he lift up the head. 

IN some of the Psalms, David speaks of himself 
only ; in others, of himself and of the Messiah too ; 
but in this, of the Messiah exclusively : not a word 
is applicable to any one else. The Jews have taken 
great pains to explain it away : but their attempts 
are, and ever must be, in vain. 

In the first verse, David relates the Father s ad 
dress to his Son, when " the council of peace was 
held between them :" and the whole of the remainder 
is addressed by the Psalmist to the Messiah himself. 
It altogether elucidates in a very striking manner 
the character of Christ. 

In it are set forth, 
I. His person- 
It is of great importance that we have just views 
of the Divinity of Christ 

[On that depends the sufficiency of the atonement which 
he has offered for the sins of men. If he be only a creature, 
how can we be assured that the shedding of his blood has any 
more virtue and efficacy than the blood of bulls and goats ? 
What proportion is there between the transitory sufferings of 
one creature, and the accumulated sins of all the children of 
men ? How can we conceive that there should be such a value 
in the blood of any created being, as to purchase for a ruined 
world a deliverance from everlasting misery, and a possession 
of everlasting happiness and glory ? But if our Redeemer be 
God as well as man, then we see at once, that, inasmuch as he 
is an infinitely glorious Being, there is an infinite merit in his 
obedience unto death, sufficient to justify the demands of law 
and justice for the sins of all mankind. On any other suppo 
sition than that Christ is God, there would be no force at all in 
that question of the Apostle, " He that spared not his own Son, 
but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also 



252 PSALMS, CX. 17. [684. 

freely give us all things a ?" What argument would it be to say, 
" He that gave us a creature, how shall he not also give us 
HIMSELF, and all the glory of heaven ? " But if Christ be God, 
equal with the Father, then is the argument clear, obvious, and 
unanswerable.] 

In the psalm before us the divinity of Christ is 
plainly asserted 

[Our blessed Lord himself appeals to it, in order to con 
found and silence his malignant adversaries. Both Pharisees 
and Sadducees had endeavoured to ensnare him by difficult and 
perplexing questions : and, when he had answered, he put this 
question to them; " What think ye of Christ? Whose son is 
he ? " and when they said, " The Son of David," he asked them, 
" How then doth David in Spirit call him LORD, saying, The 
Lord said unto my LORD, &c.? If David then call him LORD, 
how is he his son?" And then we are told, " No man was able 
to answer him a wordV Had they been willing to acknow 
ledge Christ as their Messiah, they needed not to have been at 
any loss for an answer ; for they knew him to be a son of David ; 
and he had repeatedly declared himself to be God, insomuch that 
they had again and again taken up stones to stone him for blas 
phemy. But this passage proved beyond all doubt that the 
Messiah was to be " the root, as well as the offspring of David;" 
the LORD of David, as well as David s son. 

And here it is worthy of notice, that we see in this appeal 
what was the interpretation which the Jews of that day put upon 
the psalm before us. They all understood it as relating to the 
Messiah : and all the attempts of modern Jews to put any other 
construction upon it are futile in the extreme. 

But by comparing the parallel passage in St. Mark, we see 
what the Jews of that day thought of the doctrine of the Tri 
nity . Our Lord speaks of the Holy Ghost as inspiring David, 
(which none but Jehovah could do,) to declare what Jehovah 
the Father had said to Jehovah the Son. If the doctrine of the 
Trinity had not been received among them, would they have 
been silent, and not known what to answer him ? And would 
they from this time have been deterred by it from asking him 
any more questions? 

Be it known then, that Christ is very God, and very man: he 
is that " Word, who was in the beginning with God, and was 
God d ;" " God manifest in the flesh 6 ." He is, as the prophet 
calls him, " the Mighty God f ," or, as St. Paul calls him, " the 
Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ g ," " God over all 
blessed for everV] 

a Rom. viii. 32. b Matt. xxii. 4146. c Mark xii. 3537. 
d John. i. 1, 14. e i Tim. iii. 16. f Isai. ix. 6. 

s Tit. ii. 13. h Rom. ix. 5. 



684.] THE PERSON AND OFFICES OF CHRIST. 

The Psalmist now addressing himself to the Mes 
siah, proclaims to him the success that should attend 
him in the execution of, 
II. His offices 

The second and third verses may undoubtedly be 
applied to his regal office, because they speak of his 
" ruling in the midst of his enemies :" but, if we con 
sider how his victories are gained, namely, by his 
word and Spirit, and that it is by the illumination of 
men s minds that he subdues their hearts, we shall 
see that this part of the psalm may properly be 
understood as relating to his prophetic character. 
Accordingly we behold him here represented as, 

1. A Prophet 

[The word is " the rod of his strength," by which he works 
all the wonders of his grace. In itself it is as weak and ineffi 
cient as the rod of Moses, whereby he wrought all his miracles 
in Egypt ; but, as applied by the Spirit of God to the souls of 
men, it is " quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 
sword," and " is mighty to the pulling down of all the strong 
holds" of sin and Satan : "it is the power of God unto salvation 
to all them that believe 1 ." It " came forth from Zion, even the 
word of the Lord from Jerusalem k ," when it was published by 
the holy Apostles ; who delivered it, as they were commanded, 
to Jerusalem first, and then to other parts of the world. And 
there is this remarkable difference between the victories gained 
by it, and those gained by any carnal weapon : by the latter, 
men are brought to a reluctant submission ; by the former, 
they are " made willing," truly and cordially willing, to take 
Christ s yoke upon them. Whenever the Lord s time, the 
" day of his power," is come, they, like the rams of Nebaioth, 
present themselves as voluntary sacrifices at God s altar, and 
give up themselves unreservedly to the Lord 1 . 

Nor is deliverance from death and hell the only object of 
their pursuit : they feel, that they can be happy only in the 
way of holiness; and therefore "in the beauties of holiness" 
they come unto him : their dispositions and habits are all 
changed : they abstain from sin, because they hate it ; and 
obey the law, because they love it : and, could they obtain the 
desire of their hearts, they would be " holy as God is holy," 
and " perfect, even as their Father in heaven is perfect." 

1 Rom. i. 16. k i sa i. ij. 3. 

1 Compare that beautiful passage Isai. Ix. 4 8. with Rom. xii. 1. 
and 2 Cor. viii. 5. 



254 PSALMS, CX. 17. \J584. 

The numbers that shall thus be converted to the Lord exceed 
all calculation or conception. As the drops of " dew" issuing 
from " the womb of the morning," so will be the progeny that 
shall be born to him, innumerable : there may be but " an 
handful of corn cast on the top of the mountains ; but yet shall 
the fruit be as the woods of Lebanon, and as the piles of grass 
upon the earth m ." Thus powerfully did his word and Spirit 
operate in the early "youth" of the Church; and thus shall 
they operate to the very end of time : and it is worthy of par 
ticular observation, that the very first verse of this psalm, with 
the explanation given of it by the Apostle, was that which 
pierced the hearts of our Lord s murderers, and subdued three 
thousand of them at once to the obedience of faith". 

David now proceeds to speak of Christ as,] 

2. A Priest- 

[As Christ was to offer a sacrifice for the sins of his people, 
he must of necessity be a priest. But from the Levitical priest 
hood, which was confined to the tribe of Levi, he was of neces 
sity excluded, because he was of the tribe of Judah. There 
was however a priesthood of another order, the order of Mel- 
chizedec ; and to that he was solemnly consecrated with an 
oath. What that priesthood was, we should never have known, 
if it had not been explained to us in the Epistle to the Hebrews. 
In the Mosaic history, Melchizedec is briefly mentioned, with 
out any account of his predecessors or successors in his office : 
and this was particularly overruled by God, in order that he 
might be a type of Christ, whose priesthood was from ever 
lasting (in the divine counsels,) and everlastingly to continue in 
himself alone. Now at the time that the Levitical priesthood 
was in all its glory, David foretold, that it should be super 
seded, (and the whole Mosaic economy with it,) by a priesthood 
of a higher order ; a priesthood, which Abraham himself, and 
all his posterity in him, acknowledged, and which, on account 
of the solemnity of its appointment, and the perpetuity of its 
duration, was of a far higher order p . 

Is it inquired, What sacrifice he had to offer ? we answer, 
His own body, which " through the eternal Spirit he offered 
without spot to God." And, having offered that sacrifice once 
for all, he now intercedes for us within the veil ; and will come 
again at the end of the world to bless his redeemed people, 
and to make them partakers of everlasting blessedness. 

But it is foretold yet further, that he was also to be,] 

3. A 



m Ps. Ixxii. 16. n Acts ii. 3437. 

Gen. xiv. 18 20. P Read Heb. vii. 1 28. 

<i Some, to reconcile ver. 5. with ver. 1. suppose that in ver. 5. 
David ceases to address the Messiah, and directs his speech to the 



G84.J THE PERSON AND OFFICES OF CHRIST. 255 

[Melchizedec, though a priest, was a king also, and one 
that was most eminently fitted to typify the Saviour, being 
"king of righteousness and peace r ." Thus was Christ not 
a priest only, but "a priest upon his throne 8 ." Being now 
exalted to the right hand of God, he " sitteth there, till all 
his enemies become his footstool." " To him every knee shall 
bow, and every tongue shall swear " allegiance : or, if any con 
tinue to withstand his overtures of mercy, he will smite them 
to the ground ; yea, though they be the greatest monarchs upon 
earth : " He will strike through kings in the day of his wrath." 
There is " a day of wrath," as well as a day of mercy ; and 
terrible indeed will be " the wrath of the Lamb." As a mighty 
conqueror desolates the countries which he overruns, and fills 
them with the bodies of the slain, so will Jesus in that awful 
day. If he rule not men by their free consent, as their Lord, 
he will judge them as rebels, and "wound the heads of all " to 
the remotest corners of the earth : he will say, " Bring hither 
those that were mine enemies, who would not that I should 
reign over them, and slay them before me." 

Previous to his own victories, he was himself, according to 
human estimate, to be overcome. But his humiliation was to 
pave the way for his exaltation : "by death he was to overcome 
him that had the power of death, and to deliver from death " 
his ransomed people. This was the way pointed out in the 
very first proclamation of mercy to fallen man : " The Seed of 
the woman was to bruise the serpent s head ; but the serpent 
was first to bruise his heelV Accordingly he did " drink of the 
brook in the way :" he suffered infinitely more than words can 
express, or the mind of man can conceive; and then "he lifted 
up the head," and was " exalted far above all principalities and 
powers," whether of heaven or hell; and he " shall surely reign 
till all his enemies be put under his feet."] 

We cannot IMPROVE this subject better than by asking, 
1. What think ye of Christ ? 

[This is the very question which our Lord himself asked 
in reference to this psalm. Yet it is not a mere theoretical 
opinion that we ask for, but the practical persuasion of your 
hearts. Do you view him with reverence and love as your 
incarnate God ? - - Do you look to him as your Prophet, 
to teach and guide you into all truth ? Do you look to 

him as your great High Priest, trusting in his all-atoning sacri 
fice, and imploring an interest in his prevailing intercession ? 

Father. But this introduces needless perplexity into the subject. If 
we understand " The Lord at thy right hand," as meaning, The Lord 
who is thy strength and thy support, (which is certainly its most ob 
vious meaning,) the whole speech is uninterrupted and clear. 
r Heb. vii. 2. s Zech. vi. 13. t Gen. iii. 15. 



25f> PSALMS, CXI. 2. [685. 

Do you farther look to him as your King, desiring 
him to bring, not your actions only, but " your every thought, 
into captivity " to his sacred will ? - - This is the test 

whereby you are to try the state of your souls before God ; 
for according to your experience of these things will be your 
sentence in the day of judgment - ] 

2. What measure have ye of resemblance to him ? 
[God has ordained that all his people should "be con 
formed to the image of his Son u ," in sufferings, in holiness, and 
in glory. Like him, they must " drink of the brook in the 
way, and afterwards lift up the head." " The Captain of our 
Salvation was made perfect through sufferings ;" and "all the 
sons who shall be brought to glory " must be made perfect in 
the same way x : " through much tribulation they must enter 
into the kingdom of heaven." The " mortifying of our mem 
bers upon earth," with " the cutting off a right hand, and 
plucking out a right eye," are strong and significant expres 
sions, shewing clearly, that a life of godliness requires much 
painful labour and self-denial. Besides, there is much perse 
cution also to be endured from an ungodly world; for " all that 
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Nor 
are the conflicts that are to be sustained with all the powers of 
darkness of small consideration in the Christian s warfare. Let 
me ask then, Are ye following Christ in this way ? Are ye 
" crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts ? " Are ye 
" following him boldly without the camp, bearing his reproach ?" 
Are ye " fighting manfully the good fight of faith," and "wrest 
ling, not only with flesh and blood, but with all the princi 
palities and powers of hell? " Be assured that " the kingdom 
of heaven cannot be taken without violence : the violent must 
take it by force." The work and offices of Christ will be of no 
avail in our behalf, if we do not " take up our cross daily and 
follow him." Awake then, all of you, to the duties that are 
assigned you ; and be content to suffer with him, that ye may 
be also glorified together."] 

u Rom. viii. 29. x Heb. ii. 10. 



DCLXXXV. 

THE GREAT WORK OF REDEMPTION. 

Ps. cxi. 2. The works of the Lord are great , sought out of all 
them that have pleasure therein. 

THIS psalm is one of those appointed by our 
Church for Easter Day : for which it is sufficiently 
appropriate, in that it celebrates that redemption of 



685.] THE GREAT WORK OF REDEMPTION. 257 

God s people from Egypt, which was typical of the 
redemption wrought out for us by Christ upon the 
cross, and perfected by his resurrection from the 
dead. The structure of it is very peculiar. Every 
sentence begins with the different letters of the He 
brew alphabet in their order ; the eight first verses 
consisting each of two sentences, and the two last 
of three sentences. This artificial mode of writing 
it seems to have been with a view to its being more 
easily remembered. The first word of it, " Halle 
lujah," was, in fact, no part of the psalm itself, but 
only the title of it ; and it shews us with what dis 
position of mind the subject should be contemplated, 
and with what feelings it was recorded. O that our 
souls might rise to the occasion, whilst we consider, 
I. The greatness of God s works ! 

Great indeed they were, even the deliverances 
accomplished for Israel in Egypt. Who can read of 
all the plagues with which that land was visited ; or 
of the destruction of Pharaoh and all his host in the 
Red Sea ; or of the wonders wrought for Israel in 
the wilderness ; or of their final establishment in the 
land of Canaan ; and not exclaim, " Great and mar 
vellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty ! " But, 
however much we may be disposed, in imitation of 
David in this psalm, to admire the perfections of God 
as illustrated in that stupendous work, we are called 
to the consideration of infinitely greater works, of 
which the deliverance from Egypt was but a type 
and shadow. Yes : in the redemption of the world 
we do indeed behold the perfections of our God shining 
forth, as it were, in meridian splendour. That was a 
work beyond all parallel and all conception great, 

1. In wisdom and power 

[When Moses saw what God had wrought for the people 
of Israel at the Red Sea, he sang, " Who is like unto thee, O 
Lord, among the gods? Who is like unto thee, glorious in 
holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders a ?" But St. Paul 
speaks of our blessed Lord as concentrating in himself all that 
is great and glorious, and as being, as it were in the abstract, 

a Exod. xv. 11. 
vc L. vi. s 



258 PSALMS, CXI. 2. [685. 

" The wisdom of God, and the power of God b ." O what un 
searchable depths of wisdom were contained in that mystery, 
the substitution of God s only dear Son in the place of sinners; 
whereby the sins of the whole world are expiated, and the 
kingdom of heaven opened to millions, who, without such a 
Saviour, must have inherited the blackness of darkness for 
ever ! Nor was the power that effected our redemption 
less manifest, in forming the human nature of our Lord in the 
womb of a pure Virgin, free from all the taint of our original 
corruption ; and enabling that body, so wonderfully formed, to 
bear the curse due to our iniquities, and to work out a right 
eousness adequate to the wants, and sufficient for the necessi 
ties, of a ruined world. View the triumphs of Jesus in the 
wilderness, and in the garden, and on the cross ; in all of which 
" he spoiled the principalities and powers of hell : " view them 
also in his resurrection, and ascension, and in the operations of 
the Holy Spirit, whom he sent from heaven to complete the 
wonders of his grace : view these things, and say, whether " his 
work be not indeed honourable and glorious ," the very summit 
of wisdom, and the perfection of power.] 

2. Ill goodness and mercy 

[So conspicuous were these perfections in the deliverance 
of Israel from Egypt, that David could behold, as it were, 
nothing else. In a psalm where he specifies a great variety of 
particulars relating to it, he repeats no less than twenty-six 
times in as many verses, " His mercy endureth for ever d ." 
But what shall we say of his goodness and mercy to us in 
Christ Jesus ? Eternity will be too short to enumerate the 
instances wherein these perfections are displayed, and to make 
such acknowledgments as this exhibition of them calls for at 
our hands. The manna from heaven, and the water from the 
rock, were but faint images of what we receive in and from the 
Lord Jesus Christ. O what supplies of grace, what rich com 
munications of his blessed Spirit, does he impart to us from 
day to day ! - And what forbearance does he exercise 
towards us ! - Well indeed may we say with David, that 

" goodness and mercy have followed us all our days."] 

3. In righteousness and truth- 
fin the whole dispensation, whether towards the Lord 

Jesus Christ himself, as our representative, or towards us whom 
he has redeemed, there has not been one single act which was 
not an act of justice, and an accomplishment of some pre 
existing declaration. Were our iniquities laid on the Lord 
Jesus, and punished in him ? Was he, after having expiated 
those sins, exalted to glory, and seated on the right hand of the 

b 1 Cor. i. 24. c ver. 3. d Ps. cxxxvi. 



685.] THE GREAT WORK OF REDEMPTION. 59 

Majesty on high ? All, as David speaks, " was verity and 
judgment 6 ." In like manner, if we are pardoned, and raised 
to a participation of his glory, " mercy and truth meet toge 
ther, and righteousness and peace kiss each other f ." Every 
threatening denounced against sin has been executed in the 
person of Christ ; and every thing promised to Christ, or to us, 
is fulfilled, when for Christ s sake we are restored to God s 
favour, and made heirs of his inheritance ] 

Agreeable to this character of God s works is, 
II. The respect paid to them by every true Christian. 

The Christian is fitly represented as one " who has 
pleasure in these works "- 

[The generality of mankind have, alas ! no pleasure in 
these works, but rather put away the remembrance of them 
with abhorrence - But not so the Christian: he regards 

them with far different sensations. He indeed is not insensible 
to pleasures of other kinds, provided they be such as may be 
enjoyed with a good conscience towards God. He may, as a 
scholar and philosopher, feel delight in intellectual pursuits; 
and he may, as a member of society, find pleasure in the inter 
course of friendship, or the enjoyment of domestic comforts. 
But, though he lose not his taste for such pleasures, his delight 
in them is altogether subordinated to higher and more spiritual 
enjoyments. Whatever he once accounted gain, is now esteemed 
by him comparatively as dross and dung ff - The wonders 

of redeeming love are on earth, as they will be in heaven, his 
constant solace, and his song.] 

By him they " are sought out" with care and dili 
gence 

[With a view to a more enlarged knowledge of these works, 
he reads the Holy Scriptures, searching into them as for hid 

treasures He attends carefully on the ministry of the 

word, that he may both obtain a further insight into the Gospel, 
and have a richer experience of it in his soul By con 
stant meditation also, and by fervent prayer, he dives deeper 
and deeper into the great mysteries of godliness ; musing, as it 
were, day and night, and crying mightily to God, " Open thou 
mine eyes, that 1 may behold wondrous things out of thy law! " 
Never does he imagine that he has yet attained. The more 
enlarged his views become, the more he sees, that he knows 
nothing yet as he ought to know : and he looks forward with 
proportionable earnestness to the eternal world, where the veil 
shall be taken from before his eyes, and he " will see as he is 
seen," and " know even as he is known."] 

e ver. 7. f Ps. Ixxxv. 10. * Phil. iii. 7, 8. 



260 PSALMS, CXI. 10. [686. 

ADDRESS 

1. Seek yet more and more this most desirable of 
all knowledge 

[See with what persevering diligence the philosopher pro 
secutes the attainment of science And will not ye, for 

the acquiring of knowledge wherein eternal life consists, and 
" which the angels themselves desire to look into?" ] 

2. Endeavour more and more to make a suitable 
improvement of it 

[" Hallelujah" stands as the introduction to the contem 
plations of David. Let all your contemplations lead to, and 
terminate in, a similar acclamation. Such will be the result 
of all the knowledge which we shall possess in heaven 
and such should be our improvement of all that we attain on 
earth 

DCLXXXVI. 

THE FEAR OF THE LORD. 

Ps. cxi. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom : 
a good understanding have all they that do his command 
ments : His praise endureth for ever. 

OF all attainments that are made by man, wisdom 
is confessedly the highest : and well does it deserve 
the highest place in our esteem, because it elevates 
and ennobles him in whom it is found. This is true 
even of human wisdom : how much more, then, of 
that which is divine ! But where shall divine wisdom 
be found ? or who can ever estimate it aright, when 
found ? These are questions propounded by holy 
Job ; and they deserve our most attentive considera 
tion. " Where," says he, " shall wisdom be found ? 
and where is the place of understanding ? Man 
knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in 
the land of the living. The depth saith, It is not in 
me : and the sea saith, It is not in me. It cannot be 
gotten for gold, neither shall silver be weighed for 
the price thereof. It cannot be valued with the gold 
of Ophir, with the precious onyx and the sapphire. 
The gold and the crystal cannot equal it : and the 
exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold. 
No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls : for 



686.] THE FEAR OF THE LORD. 261 

the price of wisdom is above rubies. The topaz of 
Ethiopia shall not equal it ; neither shall it be valued 
with pure gold a ." Having stated all this, he again 
asks the question, " Whence then cometh wisdom ? 
and where is the place of understanding ?" He then 
answers, that it is hid from the eyes of all living : 
that God alone understandeth it : and that he hath 
declared where and what it is : " Unto man he said, 
Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom ; and to 
depart from evil is understanding*." Now, rich and 
determinate as this passage is, it does not equal the 
declaration of David, who says, " The fear of the 
Lord is the beginning of wisdom : a good understand 
ing have all they that do his commandments : his 
praise endureth for ever." Here he not only iden 
tifies the fear of the Lord with wisdom, but carries on 
the comparison from the beginning to the end, from 
the first formation of them in the soul to their final 
completion in glory. 

To enter fully into his meaning, we shall consider 
the fear of the Lord, 
I. As existing in the soul 

" Man is born like a wild ass s colt," and is as 
destitute of true wisdom as he. " The fear of the 
Lord is the very beginning of wisdom ;" and then 
only does wisdom exist in the soul, when the fear of 
the Lord is implanted in it. But, 

What do we understand by the fear of the Lord ? 

[This needs not to be stated at any length, because a very 
few words will suffice to explain it. The fear of the Lord is 
here put for true religion ; even for such religion as manifests 
itself by a deep humiliation before God, a simple affiance in the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and an unreserved obedience to his will. 
This is well understood amongst you, and therefore needs not 
to be insisted on. You all know that it does not consist in a 
mere assent to Christianity as true, or a profession of it as the 
only true system : you are fully aware that there is compre 
hended in it a real surrender of ourselves to God as his redeemed 
people.] 

This, when existing in the soul, is true wisdom 

[There is no true wisdom where this fear is not ; for 
a Job xxviii. 1219. * Job xxviii. 20, 21, 24, 27, 28. 



PSALMS, CXI. 10. [686. 

without this fear, a man views nothing aright, and does nothing 
aright. Earthly things have in his eyes an importance which 
does not properly belong to them and heavenly things 
are in no respect appreciated according to their real worth 

But when " God has put his fear into our hearts," 

our misconceptions are removed, and our mistakes rectified. 
Sin is no longer that light and venial evil which we before 
supposed it to be ; nor is salvation judged to be of so small 
consequence, that we can any longer neglect it. The salva 
tion of the soul becomes from that moment the one thing 
needful; and all the concerns of time are swallowed up in 

those of eternity This may be accounted folly : yea, 

it is so accounted by an ignorant and ungodly world : but God 
declares it to be wisdom ; and such it will prove itself to be in 
the issue ] 

But trace it, 
II. As operating in the life 

In all its bearings, and in all its operations, the 
fear of the Lord approves itself to be true wisdom. 
Mark it as operating, 

1 . In the different ages and relations of life 

[Of whatever age a person be, whether young or old, the 
fear of the Lord will dictate to him such a deportment as befits 
him. And in every relation of life it will exalt his character. 
Husband or wife, parent or child, master or servant, magistrate 
or subject, all will know their place ; all will fulfil their duties ; 
all will execute their respective offices with care. In nothing 
will the operation of this principle more clearly appear, than in 
stimulating every one to discharge with diligence and propriety 
the duties of his own peculiar calling 

2. In the different circumstances in which it may 
be placed 

[Are we in prosperity ? this will keep us humble, and 
watchful against the temptations to which prosperity will ex 
pose us. Are we in adversity of any kind ? this will support 
us from fainting and murmuring, on the one hand ; and from a 
contemptuous apathy on the other. It will cause us to acknow 
ledge a divine agency in every thing that occurs : and to make 
such an improvement of it, as that God may be glorified in all. 
Of course, I must not be understood to say that the fear of the 
Lord will enlarge a man s intellectual powers, any more than it will 
increase his bodily stature ; at least, not to such a degree as to 
divest a man of his natural weakness. A man who is of slender 
capacity will continue so ; and he will be liable to misappre 
hensions as arising out of that circumstance. A person of a 
weak mind will betray that weakness in any thing that may 



686.] THE FEAR OF THE LORD. 263 

engage his attention : and, if it betray itself in his religious 
deportment, it will be very unjust to ascribe that to religion 
which proceeds only from his own imbecility, and would equally 
shew itself in any other occupation or pursuit. But this I will 
say, that this divine principle will go far to direct him, where his 
judgment, not so regulated, would err : and that, consequently, 
he will on the whole excel in wisdom those whose capacity and 
attainments are in other respects on a level with his own. I 
will further say, that, in proportion as he advances in true piety, 
his profiting in wisdom also will appear unto all.] 

Let us view this principle yet further, 
III. As completed in a better world 

The applause which ungodly men gain from their 
blind companions is of very short continuance. But 
that which piety secures will endure for ever. 

The man who fears the Lord is not without ap 
plause in this world 

[What if he be derided by some ? it is only by those who 
know not what true wisdom is : and who, if they acted in refe 
rence to earthly things as they do in relation to their heavenly 
concerns, would themselves be regarded by all mankind as fools 
and idiots. By every man whose good opinion is worth having, 

the godly man is loved and honoured yea, and God 

himself also honours him with the richest manifestations of his 
presence and love 

And how is he honoured in the eternal world ! 

[Thither the angels of God bear him on their wings, exult 
ing in the office assigned to them of ministering unto him. 
And no sooner is he arrived at the portals of heaven, than he 
is welcomed by God himself, who, in the presence of all the 
heavenly host, addresses him, " Well done, good and faithful 
servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Behold the crown 
prepared for him! the throne also made ready for his reception ! 
Behold the kingdom awarded to him as his inheritance, of which 
he takes possession as an " heir of God, and joint-heir with 
Christ ! " Yes, truly, this is his praise ; and will be so when they 
who here despised him shall " awake to shame and everlasting- 
contempt." " This praise, too, endureth for ever." Whilst 
his once contemptuous enemies are " weeping and wailing and 
gnashing their teeth" in hell, he will be in the full enjoyment of 
glory and honour and immortality, in the bosom of his God.] 
ADDRESS 

1. Those who despise religion 

[Whence is it that ye despise it? Your contempt of it is 
altogether founded on your own ignorance and wickedness. 



264 PSALMS, CXI. 10. [686 

" Satan has blinded your eyes," and hardened your hearts, and 
is " leading you captive at his will." And how long, think you, 
will you retain your present opinions ? If God Almighty ever 
have mercy on your soul, your eyes will be opened to see your 
folly and impiety : but, if this mercy never be vouchsafed to you, 
not a minute will intervene between your departure hence and 
a total change of your views. You will then be perfectly like- 
minded with those whom you now despise : but who can express 
the regret which you will then feel at the review of your con 
duct? But then your regrets will be in vain : your day of grace 
will have for ever passed away ; and you will for ever reap the 
bitter fruits of your wickedness 

2. Those who are afraid of confessing Christ by 
reason of the contempt which they shall thereby 
encounter 

[It was not thus that your Saviour dealt with you. He 
knew to what shame and ignominy he should be exposed for 
you; and yet, " for the joy of saving your souls, he endured 
the cross and despised the shame, and is now set down at the 
right hand of the throne of God." The same blessed issue is 
reserved for you also, if you approve yourselves faithful unto 
him: " If you deny him, he will deny you:" but, if you sub 
mit willingly to u suffer with him, you shall also be glorified 
together ." Regard not, then, the scoffs of an ungodly world; 
but " rejoice rather that you are counted worthy to endure 
them." But, after all, what is it that you are afraid of? an 
unkind look ? an opprobrious name ? or the finger of scorn ? 
Truly you have but little pretence to wisdom, if by such things 
as these you can be deterred from confessing Him who lived 
and died for you.] 

3. Those who by reason of indiscretion " give oc 
casion to the adversary to speak reproachfully "- 

[It is greatly to be lamented that all who profess godliness 
do not act so wisely as they ought. There are many who, by 
the extravagance of their notions, or the absurdity of their 
deportment, cause religion itself to be reproached, and " the 
way of truth to be evil spoken of." But I must declare to all 
such professors, that they incur a fearful responsibility before 
God; and that for every one who falls over the stumbling-blocks 
which are thus laid in his way, they must give account in the 
day of judgment. See to it then, Brethren, that ye " walk in 
wisdom towards those that are without;" and that instead of 
giving occasion of offence by any unwise conduct on your part, 
ye " put to silence the ignorance of foolish men by your well 
doing." Never forget that wisdom is identified with religion. It 

c Rom. viii. 17. and 2 Tim. ii. 12. 



687.] GREATNESS AND CONDESCENSION OF GOD. 2G5 

admits of nothing that is foolish or extravagant in any respect. 
Prudence, sobriety, soundness of judgment, and true discretion, 
are inseparable from it : and if we would adorn our profession, 
or be accepted of our God, we must " walk wisely before him 
in a perfect way d ."] 

a Ps. ci. 2. 



DCLXXXVII. 

GREATNESS AND CONDESCENSION OF GOD. 

Ps. cxiii. 5 8. Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwell- 
eth on high, who humbleth himself to behold the things that 
are in heaven and in the earth ! He raiseth up the poor out of 
the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill ; that he 
may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people. 

VERILY, God is to be praised : " from the rising 
of the sun unto the going down of the same, his 
name" should be glorious : " He is above all bless 
ing and praise." Whether we consider what he is 
in himself, or what he is to us, we cannot but ex 
claim, "Who is like unto the Lord ?" If men be not 
filled with admiring and adoring thoughts of him, it 
is because they know him not, neither contemplate 
him : but we can scarcely fail of being in some mea 
sure suitably impressed with his excellency, if we 
consider those perfections of his which are set before 
us in our text : 
I. His greatness 

[But how shall we convey any idea of this? If we speak of 
created things, however great, we can give some kind of state 
ment, which, though very inadequate, will convey a slight notion 
at least of the subject. However great the disparity between a 
monarch and a worm, or between the globe and a grain of sand, 
there is something whereon we may ground a comparison be 
tween them, and something to which we may affix tolerably 
definite ideas. But between the Creator and the creature there 
is no point of contact. If we attempt to declare his immensity, 
and say, that in all the boundless regions of space God is every 
where, and as entirely present in every different spot as if he 
were no where in the universe besides, what are we the nearer to 
any just apprehension of him ? Our intellect is not capable of 
conceiving of him aright. Were a peasant told respecting the 
motions and distances and mutual dependence of the heavenly 
bodies, how much of it would he understand? It would be far 



2(>6 PSALMS, CX1II. 58. [687. 

above his comprehension : he could not embrace any part of 
the system. So, if we presume to speak of the greatness and 
incomprehensibility of Jehovah, we only " darken counsel by 
words without knowledge:" " it is a knowledge too wonderful 
for us ; we cannot attain unto it." The sentiments of Zophar 
on this subject are well worthy of our attention : " Canst thou 
by searching find out God ? canst thou find out the Almighty 
to perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? 
deeper than hell ; what canst thou know? The measure thereof 
is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea a ." And 
Elihu, another of Job s friends, exactly to the same purpose 
says, " Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out b ." 
Sometimes indeed God is pleased to give us some little glimpse 
of his majesty; light enough, if we may so speak, to make our 
darkness visible. Thus by the Prophet Isaiah he asks, " Who 
hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted 
out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the 
earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and 
the hills in a balance ? Behold, the nations are as a drop of a 
bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance ; lie 
taketh up the isles as a very little thing. All nations before him 
are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing, 
and vanity." He then adds, " To whom then will ye liken 
God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him c ?" The 
Psalmist also, with exquisite beauty, thus sets forth the glory of 
his majesty: " O Lord my God, thou art very great: thou art 
clothed with honour and majesty: who coverest thyself with 
light as with a garment ; who stretchest out the heavens like a 
curtain ; who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters ; 
who maketh the clouds his chariot; who walketh upon the wings 
of the wind ; who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers 
a flame of fire d ." But, after all, what idea does this description 
give us of Him, who " filleth all things," " whom the heaven of 
heavens cannot contain?" We are altogether at a loss on so 
mysterious a subject; which therefore we close with that decla 
ration of the Psalmist, " His greatness is unsearchable 6 ."] 

But though we can add nothing to what is said in 
the words before our text, " The Lord is high above 
all nations, and his glory above the heavens/ yet we 
see in this what will serve to illustrate the depth of, 
II. His condescension 

[" He humbleth himself to behold the things that are in 
heaven:" yes, if he deign to cast an eye upon the highest 
angels and archangels, it is an act of infinite condescension : 

a Job xi. 7 9. b Job xxxvii. 23. c Isai. xl. 12, 15, 17, 18. 
d Ps. civ. 14. e Ps. cxlv. 3. 



687.] GREATNESS AND CONDESCENSION OF GOD. 2G7 

for, intelligent as they are in comparison of us, " he charge th 
them with folly;" and pure as heaven itself is in comparison of 
earth, it is " not clean in his sight f ." But he will stoop even 
to look down on earth, yea and on the meanest and vilest of 
its inhabitants, provided they do but humble themselves before 
him. The poor and needy, even in their lowest state, ever have 
been, and ever shall be, objects of his peculiar regard. Men 
may be low in station, in character, and in spirit; but he will 
notice them notwithstanding. The description given us of 
Lazarus, represents a condition more deplorable than usually 
falls to the lot of man yet was he set forth as an object 
of the tenderest compassion to Almighty God. The dying thief 
may well be adduced as amongst the most degraded of the 
human race yet did the Saviour honour him with an 
express and audible assurance, that he should that very day be 
with him in Paradise. " To the man that is poor and of a con 
trite spirit " God has promised in a more especial manner to 
" look, in order to revive and comfort his drooping spirit." 
Only let a person lie in the dust before God, and sit, like Job, 
upon the dunghill, from a consciousness of his own extreme 
unworthiness, and God will fly instantly to his relief: " he will 
raise the poor out of the dust, and lift up the needy out of the 
dunghill : " nor is there any dignity, however high, to which he 
will not exalt him : " he will set him among the princes, even 
with the princes of his people:" yes, he will cause him to " sit 
down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of 
heaven," and to reign with them in glory for ever and ever. 

Perhaps the primary import of our text may be found in the 
elevation of such men as Saul and David from the lowest 
offices to the throne of Israel : but in the psalm, as well as in 
the Song of Hannah, from whence it is taken *, we must 
undoubtedly look for a higher meaning, even the elevation of 
an immortal soul from the lowest state of sin and misery to all 
the glory and felicity of heaven. Would we have a just con 
ception of the change which by the tender mercy of our God 
shall be wrought on the poor mid contrite, we may behold our 
blessed Lord raised from the grave, to which with unparalleled 
ignominy he had been committed, and exalted to the right 
hand of God, above all the principalities and powers both of 
earth and heaven. Thus will the poor and contrite soul be 
raised from guilt to peace, from sin to holiness, from the very 
gates of hell even to the throne of God.] 

Does our God so condescend to you ? then let me 

CALL ON YOU, 

1. To adore him 

f Job iv. 18. and xv. 15. e 1 Sam. ii. 8. 



268 PSALMS, CXIII. 58. [687. 

[Frequently does this expression occur in the Holy Scrip 
tures, " O Lord, who is like unto thee ?" And continually 
should the thought be in our minds. It is impossible to know 
any thing of the condescension and grace of God, and not be 
lost in wonder and in praise. We say not that livelier emotions 
of joy are wrong; but they are always to be suspected, if they 
be not blended with a considerable measure of self-lothing and 
self-abhorrence. Profound adoration seems to be the proper 
posture of a redeemed soul. O ye poor, whose station is so 
low that the greater part of your fellow-creatures would scarcely 
deign to notice you, think what love God has shewn towards 
you, if he has made you rich in faith and heirs of his kingdom 1 
And ye whose character has been so degraded as to 
have almost resembled that of the Corinthians, think what reason 
you have to adore your God, if it can be said of you, as of them, 
" But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified 
in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God 1 ." 
Above all, ye drooping and desponding souls, who once were 
ready to say, " There is no hope," what thanks can ye give for 
those rich assurances and consolations which now form a very 
foretaste of heaven in your souls ? And in all these changes, 
consider chiefly the means which have been used to effect them. 
It is not by a mere act of mercy that God has wrought these 
things for you, but by taking on himself your miseries, that ye 
may be partakers of his glory. To view the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ aright, you must bear in mind, that " though he 
was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through 
his poverty might be rich k ." Yes: " He was made sin for you, 
that you might be made the righteousness of God in him 1 ." 
O bless him, praise him, magnify him, and adore him, arid let 
all that is within you bless his holy name.] 

2. To trust in him 

[The greatest discouragements of the saints arise from a 
view of their own unworthiness. But God, if I may so speak, 
loves to see you in the dust and on the dunghill. The lower 
you are abased before him, the more he delights to exalt you. 
He even derives to himself a glory from the very depths to 
which he condescends for you. Add not then to all your other 
sins, that most hateful one of limiting his mercy. If your " sins 
have ever so much abounded, his grace will much more abound," 
if only ye seek it in Christ Jesus, your Mediator and Redeemer. 
If you attempt to measure God s love and mercy by any created 
standard, you must of necessity dishonour him exceedingly : for 
there is nothing finite that will admit of a comparison with him 
who is infinite. As for his mercy, he most of all is grieved to 

h Jam. ii. 5. ! 1 Cor. vi. 911. 

k 2 Cor. viii. 9. ] 2 Cor. v. 21. 



688. J TRUST IN GOD RECOMMENDED. 269 

have that disparaged, because it is the attribute in which he 
chiefly delights. Whatever then be your sins, or sorrows, or 
wants, or fears, cast them all on him, and know that you shall 
never be disappointed : for " as his majesty is, so also is his 
mercy."] 

3. To glorify him 

[We have no fear, but that if once you are led to trust in 
him aright, your most anxious inquiry will be, " What shall I 
render unto the Lord for all the benefits he hath done unto 
me ?" Methinks you will of yourselves be panting after oppor 
tunities to testify to him your love and gratitude" 1 . You will 
see, that to surrender up yourselves wholly to him is your 
" reasonable service"." Knowing that " you are not your own, 
but are bought with a price, you will long to glorify God with 
your body and your spirit, which are his ." We call you then 
to this blessed duty, to " live no more unto yourselves, but 
unto Him who died for you and rose again." He has made 
you most blessed among men ; for " who is like unto thee, O 
Israel, O people saved by the Lord p ?" O let it be seen then, 
that he has made you also the most holy of all the people upon 
earth. He has set you among the princes now, that you may 
have fellowship with all the holy Prophets and Apostles of old : 
and by walking in their steps, you will soon arrive at those 
blissful mansions, where you shall share with them in their 
inheritance, and be yourselves " kings and priests unto God 
and our Father for ever and ever."] 

m Jer. x. 6, 7. " Rom. xii. 1. 

1 Cor. vi. 20. P Deut. xxxiii. 29. 



DCLXXXVIII. 

TRUST IN GOD RECOMMENDED. 

Ps. cxv. 9 13. Israel, trust thou in the Lord: he is their 
help and their shield. house of Aaron, trust in the Lord : 
he is their help and their shield. Ye that fear the Lord, 
trust in the Lord : he is their help and their shield. The 
Lord hath been mindful of us : he will bless us : he will 
bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron. 
He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great. 

GREAT as is the stupidity of fallen man, one would 
not have imagined that it should ever enter into his 
mind to worship the works of his own hands. To 
come before those which cannot see ; and address 
ourselves to those that cannot answer ; and offer sa 
crifices to those who can smell no sweet savour from 



270 PSALMS, CXV. 913. [688. 

them ; and to rely on those which have no operative 
or locomotive powers ; all this seems to be a degree 
of infatuation beyond what one would conceive a 
creature possessed of reason should labour under. 
But so it is. There are millions of such persons, 
who are, in fact, as senseless as the objects they wor 
ship. But there is one who is able either to save or 
to destroy, even Jehovah, " who dwelleth in the hea 
vens, and doth whatsoever pleaseth him a ." And to 
-him I will now call your most devout attention, in 
the words of my text : " O Israel," &c. &c. 

In these words we behold, 
I. Our duty 

This is specified again and again : " Trust in the 
Lord." Now this is, 

1. A comprehensive duty 

[Our necessities are numberless : our trust in Him, there 
fore, for the supply of them must extend to our every want, 
temporal, spiritual, eternal. 

We must trust in his word; which, as it is in reality the 
only proper ground of confidence, must also be the measure of 
it. We have no authority to trust in God for any thing which 
he has not promised : and we are bound to trust in him for 
every thing that he has promised. To do the former is pre 
sumption : to decline the latter is unbelief. 

We must trust, also, in his Providence: for every thing is 
ordered by him, even to " the falling of a sparrow upon the 
ground : " and we are incapable of ordering any thing for our 
selves ; " it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps V 

We must trust also in his grace : for " we cannot do any 
good thing without him c ." It is from him that we must ob 
tain " power either to do, or even to will," what is acceptable in 
his sight d : and in every stage of our existence must we depend 
on him for " more grace 6 ," and receive from him " the grace 
that shall be sufficient for us f ." 

Thus must we look up to him as the source of all good 8 , 
whether for the body or the soul, for time or for eternity.] 

2. An universal duty 

[Every person, in every condition, is equally dependent on 

God, and must equally look to him for a supply of his necessities. 

"O Israel, trust thou in the Lord!" Though thou hast 

been admitted into covenant with God, and art numbered by 

a ver. 3 8. b Jer. x. 23. c John xv. 5. d Phil. ii. 13. 
e Jam, iv. 6. f 2 Cor. xii. 9. e Jam. i. 17. 



688.] TRUST IN GOD RECOMMENDED. 271 

him amongst his peculiar people, thou hast not on that account 
any more sufficiency in thyself than others. Thou art still, 
and wilt be to thy dying hour, as helpless as a little child, and 
must be borne by him as an infant in its mother s arms. 

" O House of Aaron, trust thou in the Lord !" Thou, who 
art exercising the office of the priesthood, hast peculiar need of 
help from above, in order to discharge it to the satisfaction of 
thy God. Thy difficulties are great ; thy duties arduous : and 
thou hast no more strength in thyself than other men. Even 
the Apostle Paul exclaimed, " Who is sufficient for these 
things 11 ? " Thou hast to give an account of the souls of others, 
as well as of thine own : and methinks, a double portion of 
help from above is necessary for thee, in order that thou mayest 
prevail at last to " save thyself and them that hear thee." 

" Ye also that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord !" As there 
were proselytes amongst the Jews who were not considered on 
the high footing of native Israelites, so are there many at this 
time who are not publicly known and recognised as God s 
peculiar people, who yet do truly "fear him:" and shall these 
be overlooked? No: ye are privileged to trust in the Lord, 
as much as others; and may expect from him ah! needful 
blessings, as much as others : for " God is no respecter of 
persons ; but, in every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh 
righteousness shall be accepted of him 1 ."] 

Such being the duty enjoined on all, let us consider, 
II. Our encouragement to perform it 
This is twofold, arising, 

1. From what God has already done for us 

[" He has been mindful of us," of all of us, without ex 
ception. To whom of those who ever trusted in him, has he 
not been both " a help and a shield?" Whom has he not 
protected from innumerable dangers, and assisted in times of 
difficulty ? Can any one doubt but that he would have 
long since perished from the assaults of sin and Satan, if God 
had not been with him, to preserve and uphold him? - 

But it is not in time only that God has been mindful of us: 
from all eternity has his eye been fixed upon us, and his infi 
nite wisdom been occupied in our behalf. Long before we 
were in existence, or the foundations of the earth were laid, 
did he make provision for our happiness. He foresaw that we 
should fall : and he entered into covenant with his own Son to 
redeem us. He engaged also his Holy Spirit, to execute within 
us all the purposes of his love 

h 2 Cor. ii, 10. * Acts x. 34, 35. 



272 PSALMS, CXV. 913. [688. 

Say, Is not this a sufficient ground for trusting in him ? 
What greater encouragement can we have ? ] 

2. From what he is engaged to do for us 

[" He will bless us." We need not fear it : for it is a 
work in which he greatly delights. 

" He will bless the House of Israel." They are " his pecu 
liar people," " his household," " his sons and daughters k :" 
Will he forget them ? " They are graven upon the palms of 
his hands:" and sooner may "a mother forget her sucking 
child, than he forget" to minister to them whatsoever they may 
stand in need of 1 . His word is pledged to them : and " sooner 
shall heaven and earth pass away, than one jot or tittle of his 
word shall fail m ." 

" He will bless the House of Aaron" too, and give to them 
such communications of grace and peace as the world have no 
conception of, " clothing them with salvation, and making them 
to shout aloud for joy n ." The priest, when offering incense, 
may give us some idea of what the Lord imparts to his faithful 
servants, whilst occupied in his service. His incense no other 
person was privileged to smell unto, nor he himself on any 
other occasion than that: but then, whilst honouring God with 
it, he was richly regaled with its odours. Such is the privi 
lege of all God s faithful servants, in the midst of their labo 
rious duties. Their face often shines with radiance from God 
upon the holy mount ; though, by reason of the veil they wear, 
it is not discerned in their intercourse with the world. 

tf He will indeed bless all who fear the Lord, both small and 
great." They may be overlooked by men ; but they are known 
to God ; and his eye is over them for good. It matters not 
whether they be great or small. The great are not so great, 
but that they need his blessing : nor are the small so insigni 
ficant, that they shall be deemed unworthy of his notice. If 
they be as beggars on a dunghill, even there will he visit them ; 
and from thence will he take them, "to set them among the 
princes, and to make them inherit a throne of glory ." 

To all of them, without exception, will he give occasion for 
that devout acknowledgment, " Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual 
blessings in heavenly places in Christ ! "] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who are ignorant of God 

[This is the state of all who are not living in the habitual 
performance of the duty here enjoined : for, " if they knew God s 
name, they would put their trust in him p ." Let me then ask of 

k 2 Cor. vi. 18. ] Isai. xlix. 15, 16. m Isai. liv. 9, 10. 

n Ps. cxxxii. 16. 1 Sam. ii. 8. P Ps. ix. 10. 



689.] THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 273 

you, Who will be your help, and your shield? Who in this 
world ? and Who, when you shall be standing at the judgment- 
seat of Christ, and the sword of vengeance is lifted up for your 

destruction ? O seek to know God, especially as he is 

revealed to us in Christ Jesus ! And tremble now for 

fear of his judgments; and flee for refuge to the hope that is 
set before you. So shall you even yet escape his wrath, and 
receive at his hands all the blessings of salvation.] 

2. Those who are putting their trust in him 

[Whom amongst you all has he ever disappointed of his 
hope ? Are you not all witnesses for him, that he is faithful 
to his word, and that " of all the good things that he has pro 
mised you, not so much as one has ever failed^?" He has 
been ever "mindful of you, and blessed you:" be ye, then, 
" mindful" of him, and "bless" him. Bear in remembrance 
your obligations to him : and go to him " in every time of need, 
both for mercy to pardon, and for grace to help r ." And bless 
him from your inmost souls, as David, specifying your respective 
characters, exhorts you : " Let Israel now say, that his mercy 
endureth for ever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his 
mercy endureth for ever. Let them now, that fear the Lord, 
say, that his mercy endureth for ever 8 ." Let this song be begun 
by you on earth, and you shall sing it to all eternity in heaven.] 

<i Josh, xxiii. 14. r Heb. iv. 16. s Ps. cxviii. 2 4. 



DCLXXXIX. 

THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 

Ps. cxvi. 1 7. / love the Lord, because he hath heard my 
voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his 
ear unto me, therefore ivill I call upon him as long as I live. 
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat 
hold upon me : I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I 
upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver 
my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous ; yea, our 
God is merciful! The Lord preserveth the simple: I was 
brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O 
my soul ; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. 

THE abruptness of this psalm shews, that it was 
the fruit of much previous meditation : the writer of 
it had been " musing in his heart, till at last the fire 
kindled, and he spake with his tongue." It begins, 
" I love :" and, though our translators had not sup 
plied the deficiency, there would have remained no 
doubt on the mind of the reader, who it was that 

VOL. VI. T 



274 PSALMS, CXVI. 17. [689. 

was the object of the Psalmist s regard. The fact is, 
that nothing so endears the Deity to the souls of men 
as answers to prayer ; nor does any thing so encou 
rage sinners to address him with unwearied impor 
tunity. The two first verses of the psalm are a kind 
of summary of the whole ; setting forth in few words 
what he afterwards expatiates upon more at length : 
but though we shall, on this account, pass them over 
in our discussion, we shall not be unmindful of the 
resolution contained in them, but shall conclude our 
subject with commending it to your most serious 
attention. 

The points which now call for our notice are, 
I. The troubles he had endured 

[We know not for certain what these were ; but we are 
sure, that the psalm was written after the ark had been brought 
up to Mount Zion, and the worship of God had been perma 
nently settled at Jerusalem a : and therefore we apprehend, that 
is was written on occasion of David s deliverance from some 
overwhelming distress both of body and mind, resembling that 
specified in the sixth psalm b . The terms used in our text 
might indeed be interpreted of death only ; because the word 
" hell " often means nothing more than the grave : but we rather 
think that terrors of conscience, on account of his sin committed 
in the matter of Uriah, had given a ten-fold poignancy to the 
fear of death, and that his experience was similar to that de 
scribed in the 2oth Psalm, where he says, "The troubles of my 
heart are enlarged ; O bring thou me out of my distresses ! Look 
upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins c !" 
But whatever was the precise occasion of David s sorrows, it 
is manifest, that, sooner or later, we must all be brought into 
a situation wherein his language will be exactly suitable to us. 
" The sorrows of death" will shortly "encompass us," and 
" the pains of hell," if we have not previously obtained a sense 
of reconciliation with God, will " get hold upon us ; " and, in 
the contemplation of an approaching eternity, "we shall find 
trouble and sorrow," such as in our present state of carelessness 
and security we have no conception of. O that we could but 
bring our hearers to realize that awful hour, when we shall look 
back upon our mis-spent hours with unavailing regret,*and look 
forward to our great account with fear and trembling, wishing, 
if it were possible, that we might have a fresh term of probation 
allowed us, or that the hills and mountains might cover us from 

a ver. 18, 19. b Ps. vi. 2, 3. c Ps. xxv. 17, 18. 



689.] THANKSGIVING FOR DELIVERANCE. 275 

the face of our offended God ! Let all, even though, like David, 
they be monarchs upon their thrones, know, that the time must 
shortly arrive, when the things of time and sense will appear 
in all their real insignificance ; and nothing will be deemed of 
any importance but the eternal welfare of the soul.] 

Whatever his troubles had been, we have no doubt 
respecting, 

II. The means he had used for his relief from them 
David had had recourse to prayer ; " Then called 

I on the name of the Lord ; O Lord, I beseech thee, 
deliver my soul ! " 

This is the proper remedy for all our troubles 

[" Is any afflicted ? let him pray;" says an inspired apostle. 
And God himself says, "Call upon me in the time of trouble; 
and I will hear thee ; and thou shalt glorify me." Indeed, where 
else can we go with any hope of relief? If it be the death of 
the body that we dread, man can do nothing for us, any farther 
than it shall please God to employ him as an instrument for 
our good. If it be the death of the soul which we fear, who 
but God can help us ? Who can interpose between a sinner 
and his Judge ? If we betake ourselves to a throne of grace, 
and " pray unto our God with strong crying and tears," we shall 
find that He " is able to save us from death:" but created 
powers are physicians of no value ] 

We must however, in our prayers, resemble David 
[Behold what humility and fervour were manifested in this 
petition ; " O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul ! " Prayer 
does not consist in fluent or eloquent expressions, but in ardent 
desires of the soul : and it may as well be uttered in sighs and 
groans, as in the most energetic words that language can afford. 
" God knoweth the mind of the Spirit," by whose inspiration all 
acceptable supplications are suggested. Never was there a 
petition more pleasing to God than that of the publican, " God 
be merciful to me a sinner ! " nor did any prove more effectual 
for immediate relief than that recorded in our text. Truly this 
is a comfortable consideration to the broken-hearted penitent : 
the greatness of his sorrows perhaps prevents the enlargement 
of his heart in prayer : but God estimates his prayers, not by 
their fluency, but by their sincerity ; and that which is offered 
in indistinct and unutterable groans, is as intelligible and as 
acceptable to him, as if every request were offered in the most 
measured terms. Prayer thus offered, shall never go forth in vain.] 

This appears from, 

III. The success of those means 



276 PSALMS, CXVI. 17. [689. 

Most encouraging is the testimony which the Psalm 
ist bears to the condescension and goodness of God 
[Not a word intervenes between his petition for mercy and 
his acknowledgment of mercy received: " Gracious is the Lord, 
and righteous ; yea, our God is merciful." Here the Psalmist 
marks the union of justice and mercy in the dispensations of 
God s grace towards him : and that union is invariable, when 
ever we plead before him that great sacrifice which was made 
for the sins of the whole world, and which has fully satisfied 
the justice of our God. Moreover, he represents this mercy 
as the common lot of all, who in simplicity and godly sincerity 
implore it at God s hands ; " The Lord preserveth the simple," 
and will never suffer one of them to perish. But then he brings 
it back again to his own experience, and acknowledges with 
1-eartfelt gratitude that God had received his prayer, and made 
him a most distinguished monument of his mercy.] 

Such is the testimony which every contrite and 
believing suppliant shall be able to bear 

[Yes ; justice is on the Believer s side, as well as mercy. 
Whoever comes to God in the name of Christ, may plead, that 
all his debts have been discharged by his great Surety, and 
that all the glory of heaven has been purchased for him by his 
Redeemer s blood. Through this infinitely meritorious atone 
ment God is reconciled to man, and " the righteousness of 
Jehovah, no less than his mercy, is declared in the remission of 
sins d :" so that, " if we humbly confess our sins, God will be 
faithful and just in forgiving our sins, and in cleansing us from 
all unrighteousness 6 ." Let " the simple "-hearted penitent re 
joice in this assurance ; and let everyone labour from his own 
experience to say, " I was brought low, and he helped me."~\ 

In the close of our text we see, 
IV. The improvement which he made of his whole 

experience- 
He determined henceforth to make God " the 
rest" of his soul 

[Truly there is no rest for the soul in any other. We may 
renew our attempts to seek it in this lower world, but we shall 
find none, except in the ark of God. Indeed the great use of 
troubles is to bring us to a conviction of this truth : and, what 
ever we may have suffered from " the sorrows of death," or 
<s the pains of hell," we may bless and adore our God for the 
dispensation, if it dispose us at last to seek all our happiness 
in him ] 

(I Rom. iii. 25, 26. e 1 John i. 9. 



690.] GRATEFUL RECOLLECTIONS. 277 

To the same " Rest" must we also continually 
" return" 

[As the needle of a compass which has sustained some 
violent concussion will continue its tremulous motion till it 
returns to the pole again, so must our souls do, if at any time 
through the violence of temptation they be diverted for a season 
from their God. Not a moment s rest should we even wish to 
have, till we find it in him alone. In all his perfections w r e 
have " chambers into which we may enter," and in which 
we may enjoy security from every impending danger. His 
omniscience will prevent surprise : his omnipotence will defeat 
our most potent adversaries: his love will comfort us under 
our most painful circumstances : and his faithfulness will 
preserve us even to the end. Let our troubles then drive us 
to him, and our experience of past mercies determine us to 
" cleave unto him with full purpose of heart."] 

ADDRESS 

[We now revert to the resolution announced by the 
Psalmist at the very beginning of the psalm : " Because the 
Lord hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon 
him as long as I live." This shews how justly he appreciated 
the Divine goodness ; that he regarded it as an inexhaustible 
fountain, from whence the whole creation may incessantly 
" draw water with joy." The very command which God him 
self has given us, attests the same, and proves, that it is no 
less our privilege than our duty to " pray without ceasing," to 
" pray, and not faint." O Brethren, let every answer to prayer 
bring you back again more speedily to the throne of grace ; and 
every communication of blessings to your souls make you more 
importunate for further blessings, till " your cup runneth over," 
and you are " filled with all the fulness of God."] 

DCXC. 

GRATEFUL RECOLLECTIONS. 

Ps. cxvi. 8, 9. Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine 

eyes from tears, and my feet from falling : I will walk 

before the Lord in the land of the living. 

IT is justly said by David, in another psalm, 

" The works of the Lord are great, sought out of 

all them that have pleasure therein a :" and great 

indeed they will appear, to all who endeavour to 

trace them even in the narrow sphere of their own 

experience. David, it is true, had a greater variety 

a Ps. cxi. 2. 



278 PSALMS, CXVI. 8, 9. [690. 

of extraordinary incidents to enumerate, and of mer 
cies to be thankful for, than almost any other person 
whatever ; but still there is no such difference be 
tween his experience and that of other men, but that 
his complaints may be poured out by them, and his 
thanksgivings be adopted by them. In the psalm be 
fore us he seems to have been delivered from some 
heavy afflictions ; and to have been raised from the 
depths of sorrow to an extraordinary elevation of 
peace and joy. He had been encompassed with the 
sorrows of death, and the pains of hell had got hold 
upon him ; but God, in answer to his prayers, had 
graciously delivered him from all his troubles. 

In the words which we have just read, we see, 
I. His review of past mercies- 
God, it seems, had delivered, 
1. His " soul from death "- 

[In its primary sense, we apprehend, these words refer to 
the death of the body. Saul had sought to the utmost of his 
power to destroy him : but God had on many occasions signally 
interposed for his protection, and had preserved him to the pre 
sent hour. And have not we also reason to adore our God for 
the interpositions of his providence in our behalf? Though we 
have not been in similar circumstances with David, we have been 
exposed to many dangers, both seen and unseen ; and have 
therefore just occasion to adopt before God the same expressions 
of reverential gratitude. 

But we must doubtless include under these terms a deliverance 
from eternal death alsoV David was assured that God had 
" forgiven all his sins c ," not excepting those committed in the 
matter of Uriah d : well therefore might he magnify the grace 
which had been exercised towards him. And have not we also 
reason to magnify our God for having rescued our souls from 
perdition ? True ; many of us, it is to be feared, are yet in an 
unpardoned state : nevertheless, even they have cause to bless 
God that they have not long since been consigned over to ever 
lasting and irremediable misery. Millions of the human race 
have been cut off in their sins, though they had not, it may be, 
attained one half of the measure of iniquity that lies upon our 
souls : and yet they have been taken, and we left. O let us 
admire and adore this inscrutable mystery, and let us give unto 
God the glory due unto his name ! 

b Compare Ps. Ixxxvi. 13. and Isai. xxxviii. 17. c Ps. ciii. 3. 

d 2 Sam. xii. 13. 



690.] GRATEFUL RECOLLECTIONS. 279 

But it may be that our souls are in a pardoned state ; and 
that God has " taken a live coal from off the altar, and applied 
it to our lips, saying, Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin 
is purged 6 ." If so, what acknowledgments should we make? 
Verily there can be no circumstances whatever in which such 
persons should not bless God from their very inmost souls f .] 

2. His eyes from tears 

[David often found occasion to weep, either on his own 
account or on account of others g . Indeed his whole life was 
tempestuous and full of trouble. What the particular affliction 
was from which he had now been delivered, we do not exactly 
know. If it was sickness and death, his tears must have pro 
ceeded, as Hezekiah s did, from an apprehension of the dis 
traction and misery that were likely to ensue to the whole state 
by his removal from it at that time h . But whatever it was, 
his mind was now at ease in relation to it. 

And are we at this time free from any great affliction? 
Surely we have reason to be thankful for it : for, how number 
less are the sources of grief from whence our whole souls may 
speedily be overwhelmed ! In our own persons we are exposed 
to diseases and accidents every moment. In our relative con 
nexions too, how many occasions of sorrow are ever ready to 
arise ! the misconduct of one, the unkindness of another, the 
misfortunes of a third, the death of one that was to us as our 
own souls, alas ! alas ! it is a vale of tears that we are passing 
through, moaning or bemoaned every hour. Our very pleasures 
not unfrequently become occasions of the bitterest pains. If 
then we have been kept for any time in a good measure of 
peaceful serenity, we may well account it a rich blessing, for 
which we are bound to adore and magnify our God. It is not 
from the dust that either our trials or our comforts spring : and, if 
God have dealt to us an abundance of earthly comfort, whilst so 
many thousands of our fellow-creatures are racked with pain, 
or bowed down with sorrows, we ought to acknowledge him as 
the author and giver of these distinguished privileges.] 

3. His feet from falling 

[On more than one occasion, David s " feet had well nigh 
slipped." When urged to kill Saul, and when hastening to 
avenge himself on Nabal, he was on the brink of a dangerous 
precipice, from whence however it pleased God to deliver him. 

e Isai. vi. 6, 7. 

f 1 Pet. i. 3, 4. N. B. This is the very commencement of an 
Epistle written to " Strangers who were scattered all the world over 
by cruel persecutions." 

s Ps. xlii. 3. 2 Sam. xiii. 36. and xv. 30. and xviii. 33. 

h Isai. xxxviii. 9 14. 



280 PSALMS, CXVI. 8, 9. [690. 

And what a miracle of mercy is it, if our feet are kept ! Con 
sider with what innumerable snares and temptations we are 
beset on every side, and what corruptions reign in our own 
hearts, ready to precipitate us into any evil : consider the 
deceitfulness of sin too, what pleasing and even innocent forms 
it will assume : consider also the malice and subtlety of our 
great adversary, who is going about continually as a roaring 
lion seeking to devour us : consider more particularly how many 
persons of eminence in the religious world have fallen ; a David, 
a Solomon, a Peter ; O have not we reason to adore our God, 
if our feet have been kept from falling ; more especially when 
we reflect, how near we have been to many grievous falls, when 
nothing but God s infinite mercy has held us up ! 

Let us look back then on these mercies vouchsafed unto us, 
and, from the review, let us follow David in,] 

II. His determination arising from it 

By "the land of the living" we understand this 
present world 1 , where alone there is any opportunity 
of making suitable returns to God. " The living, the 
living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day," says 
Hezekiah k . As long as he should live, David deter 
mined, with God s help, to walk before God, 

1. In a constant attendance on his ordinances 
[This is particularly intended in the words of our text : 

twice is the idea expressly stated in the following verses l . And 
where should a person go to make his acknowledgments to God, 
but to His house, where the free-will offerings and thank-offer 
ings of old were wont to be brought ? A grateful heart will pant 
after these public opportunities of glorifying God, even " as 
the hart panteth after the water-brooks 111 ;" and to be deprived 
of access to them will be a source of pain and grief". David 
envied the very swallows their liberty of access to the house of 
God, when he was kept at a distance from it . Let us shew 
our gratitude in the same way. And let not our attendance on 
his courts, after a recovery from sickness, be a mere prelude to 
our return to all the gaieties and follies of the world ; but let 
our delight be in the worship of our God on earth, as an earnest 
and foretaste of our enjoyment of him in a better world.] 

2. Under an abiding sense of his presence 

[To " set the Lord always before us " is the sure way to 
honour him. Whether we think of him or not, "he is always 
about our bed and about our paths, and spieth out all our 

1 Ps. xxvii. 13. Isai. liiu 8. k Isai. xxxviii. 19. 

1 ver. 12, 14, 17, 18, 19. ra Ps. xlii. 1, 2. 

n Ps. xlii. 3, 4. o Ps. Ixxxiv. 1 4. 



690.] GRATEFUL RECOLLECTIONS. 281 

ways." Wherever we are, therefore, there should be that 
inscription, which Hagar saw, " Thou God seest me." O how 
circumspect would our conduct then be ! How continually 
would that question recur to our minds, " What will my God 
approve ? " That this is the frame of mind which every child 
of God will cultivate, is beautifully represented by St. Paul 
in his address to servants : he tells them how the servant 
of God does act towards his heavenly Master, and proposes it 
as a pattern for them towards their earthly masters p 
Let us " not be mere eye-servants, as men-pleasers," but exert 
ourselves at all times to please our God, as servants do under 
the immediate eye of their master.] 

3. In a cheerful obedience to his commands 

[This is to walk before God in deed and in truth q : and to 
produce this, is the very end of all God s mercies towards us. 
Surely, if we are in any measure sensible of our obligations 
to God, we shall not account any of " his commandments 
grievous." We shall not wish so much as one of them to 
be relaxed, but shall attend to all of them without partiality 
and without hypocrisy. Happy would it be for us if more 
of this gratitude were found amongst us. Happy would 
it be if the love which God has shewn to us in Christ Jesus 
constrained us to live altogether unto God ; so that we could 
make the same appeal to him that Hezekiah did, "Remember 
now, O Lord, I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in 
truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is 
good in thy sight r ." This is the surest test of our integrity, and 
the most acceptable expression of our gratitude to God.] 

In our REFLECTIONS on this subject, we cannot but 

view in it abundant matter, 
1. For our humiliation 

[How many mercies have we received, yet never stood 
amazed at the goodness of our God ! Were it only this, that 
our souls are not consigned over to everlasting death, we should 
have cause to bless our God day and night. Only reflect a 
moment, how dreadful it would have been to be cut off in our 
sins, and to be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where 
there is nothing but weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of 
teeth ! And yet who amongst us has not richly deserved it ? 
who has not been in constant danger of it from day to day ? 
Our sins have been more in number than the hairs of our head; 
yet not a thousandth part so great as they would have been, 
if we had been left to carry into act all the evil dispositions of 
our hearts. Truly if we have not run into the same enormities 
as others, it is God, and God alone, who has made the difference 

P Eph. vi. 5 8. <i 1 Kings ii. 3, 4. r Isai. xxxviii. 3. 



282 PSALMS, CXVI. 1214. [691. 

between us. What shall we say then to the insensibility 
which we have manifested under all these stupendous mercies? 
Are we not ashamed ? Have we not reason to be ashamed, yea, 
and to abase ourselves before God in dust and ashes ? O let 
us remember that ingratitude is a sin of the most crimson dye s : 
and that, if we will not notice as we ought the operations of 
God s hands, his loving-kindness will ere long be shut up in 
everlasting displeasure*.] 

2. For our encouragement 

[To the evil and to the unthankful have all these mercies 
been vouchsafed : What then shall not be done for us, if we 
will seek after God in sincerity and truth ? Surely these present 
blessings shall be only as the drop before the shower ; they 
shall be a prelude to that blessedness, " where there shall be 
no more death nor sorrow, nor sin, but where all tears shall be 
wiped away from our eyes for ever u ." God offers himself to 
every one of us, as a Covenant God : he says to each of us, 
as he did to Abraham of old, " I am God Almighty : walk 
before me, and be thou perfect x ." In Christ Jesus he is 
already reconciled to us ; and he only requires that we come 
to him through Christ, embracing his proffered mercies, and 
yielding up ourselves to him as those that are alive from the 
dead. O that he may so draw us, that we may run after him ; 
and so subdue us to the obedience of faith, that we may become 
a peculiar people, zealous of good works ! 

8 Rom. i. 21. t Ps. xxviii. 5. u Rev. xxi. 4. x Gen. xvii. 1. 

DCXCI. 

HOW TO REQUITE THE LORD FOR HIS MERCIES. 

Ps. cxvi. 12 14. What shall I render unto the Lord for all 
his benefits toward me ! I will take the cup of salvation, 
and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows 
unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. 

THE influence of faith on our eternal salvation is 
obvious to all who have any just views of the Gospel : 
but its operation on the mind in this present life, and 
its efficacy to produce peace and holiness, are by no 
means generally understood. In this view however 
the psalm before us is peculiarly instructive. David, 
when his faith failed him, overlooked all the mercies 
that he had received at the Lord s hands, and rashly 
concluded, that all which had been declared to him 
respecting the purpose of God to establish him on the 



691.] HOW TO REQUITE THE LORD FOR HIS MERCIES. 283 

throne of Israel, was false : " I said in my haste, all 
men are liars." But, when his faith was strengthened, 
he no longer gave way to such querulous expressions 
and desponding fears : on the contrary, he then was 
full of peace and joy ; and with the liveliest emo 
tions of love and gratitude, exclaimed, " What shall 
I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards 
me ?" That we may be brought to this happy state 
of mind, and may be led to abound in praise and 
thanksgiving, let us contemplate, 
I. The benefits which our God has conferred upon us 
On such an inexhaustible subject as this, we can do 
no more than suggest a few leading thoughts, which 
may be more largely prosecuted in our secret retirement. 
To contemplate them in all their fulness will be the 
blissful employment of eternity. Let us notice those, 

1 . Of creation 

[How distinguished is our condition above all other crea 
tures upon the face of the earth ! In bodily powers, it is true, 
we are exceeded by many ; who have not only far greater 
strength and agility than we, but their senses also, of sight, and 
hearing, and taste, and smelling, and of feeling also, far more 
exquisite than ours. But the endowment of reason elevates 
us far above them all, and puts them all, in some degree at 
least, in subjection under our feet. In them indeed is instinct, 
and that too in such perfection as almost to border on the pro 
vince of reason ; but in us is a capacity to comprehend things 
of spiritual and eternal import, and an ability to know, to love, 
to enjoy, to glorify our God. Say whether these be not mer 
cies which call for the devoutest gratitude at our hands ? 

Nor is it a small matter that we have been brought into the 
world at such a time, when the light of God s truth is so clearly 
seen, and in such a place as Britain, where it shines forth, as 
it were, in meridian splendour. We might have been born of 
Mahometan or Heathen parents ; or even in our own country 
have been so situated, as to hear but little of Christ and his 
salvation. Surely we should not overlook these great benefits, 
nor forget what a mercy it is to live in this present day, when 
there exists such an ardent zeal for the propagation of the 
Gospel, and such unprecedented efforts are made for its diffusion 
throughout the world.] 

2. Of Providence 

[Innumerable are the deliverances which we have all re 
ceived from dangers seen and unseen. Millions have been 



284 PSALMS, CXVI. 1214. [691. 

taken out of the world before they had attained our age ; and 
it is to God s gracious care alone we owe it, that we have yet 
" space given us for repentance," and time aiforded us for 
securing the things belonging to our peace. And how different 
might be our condition from what it is ! We might be so des 
titute of every comfort, and so oppressed with pain and anguish, 
that our very existence, instead of being a blessing, might be a 
burthen and a curse. We all, it is true, have trials of some 
kind or other; but we all have our consolations also ; and those 
who have most afflictions, have in themselves an evidence, how 
greatly we are all indebted to our God for that measure of 
consolation which is given to -mitigate our sorrows, and how 
infinitely short of our deserts is any trouble which is allotted 
us in this world.] 

3. Of Redemption 

[But how shall we speak of this ? Who can " comprehend 
the height and depth of God s love" displayed in it ? That God 
should so pity us as to give his only-begotten Son to die for us! 
that he should lay our iniquities on him, as our Surety, and 
thus make a way for the display of all his own glorious perfec 
tions in the salvation of man! What shall we say to this? It 
is " a love that passe th knowledge." Every part of it is de 
scribed as far exceeding all finite comprehension. The " riches" 
of grace contained in it, are "unsearchable:" the "peace" 
flowing from it, " passeth understanding:" the "joy "imparted 
by it, is " unspeakable and full of glory." The whole mystery 
of redemption, as contrived, as executed, as applied, and as 
experienced in the souls of men, is so great, that we cannot 
contemplate it a moment, without exclaiming, "O the depth 
of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How 
unsearchable are his j udgments, and his ways past finding out a ! "] 

Having thus briefly touched upon the mercies of 
our God, let us proceed to mark, 

II. The sense we should have of them 

It is not any slight acknowledgment that becomes 
us : we should contemplate them, 

1. With overwhelming gratitude 

[This is implied in the Psalmist s expression, " What shall 
I render unto the Lord?" It is not a calm inquiry, but the 
language of a heart oppressed, as it were, with a load of obli- 

fation. A man who can speak calmly on such a subject, nay, 
had almost said, a man who can speak at all upon it, feels it 

a Rom. xi. 33. 



691. J HOW TO REQUITE THE LORD FOR HIS MERCIES. 285 

not as he ought ; it is too big for utterance : as, in a mind 
overwhelmed with conscious unworthiness, " the Spirit of God 
maketh intercession with groans which cannot be uttered," so 
methinks, if we had a just apprehension of the benefits con 
ferred upon us, our sense of them would be expressed rather in 
a way of silent adoration, than of verbal acknowledgment. We 
do not mean by this, that men should not sing praises to their 
God, and tell of all his wondrous works ; for it is our bounden 
duty to celebrate them to the utmost of our power b : 
but, in our present state of darkness and ignorance, it is rarely 
given to men so fully to behold all the wonders of God s love, 
as to have their organs of vision blinded by the overwhelming 
splendour of the light : we " see at present only in part : " we 
" behold things only, as in a mirror, darkly:" as " Moses put 
a veil upon his face" to hide from the admiring Israelites that 
glory which they were " unable steadfastly to behold," so God 
has, in mercy, veiled even his goodness from us, because we are 
incapable of supporting the ineffable effulgence of his glory. 
Of what we do see, we must say, with Job, " Lo, these are 
parts of his ways ; but how little a portion is heard of him! but 
the thunder of his power " (we may add too, the riches of his 
goodness) " who can understand ?"] 

2. With practical self-devotion 

[However overwhelmed our minds may be, there must be 
in us a determination of heart to render to the Lord all the 
service of which he has made us capable. Our gratitude to him 
must be, " not in word and in tongue, but in deed and in 
truth." His love must have a constraining influence on our 
souls : it must " constrain us no longer to live unto ourselves, 
but unto Him who died for us, and rose again d ." Every 
blessing we enjoy must lead us to Him, who of his great mercy 
and bounty has bestowed it on us : and the consideration of 
redeeming love especially must animate us to a total surrender 
of ourselves, in body, soul, and spirit, to the service of our God e . 
As, under the Law, the slaughtered victims were wholly burnt 
by fire upon the altar, so, under the Gospel, must we offer our 
selves up wholly to the Lord " as living sacrifices." This is nothing 
more than our reasonable service f : "We are not our own; 
we are bought with a price : and therefore we should glorify 
God in our body and in our spirit, which are his g ."] 

But let us somewhat more distinctly consider, 
III. The way in which we should requite them 
The example of the pious Jews is very instructive 

b Isai. xii. 1416. c Job xxvi. 14. d 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. 
e 1 Thess. v. 23. f Rom. xii. 1. si Cor. vi. 20. 



286 PSALMS, CXVI. 1214. [691. 

[The Jews were encouraged under their troubles to betake 
themselves to God, and to make vows unto the Most High : and 
these vows they were required strictly to perform. On paying 
their vows to their heavenly Benefactor, they presented certain 
sacrifices, of which they and their families were permitted to 
partake, in remembrance of God s mercies towards them, and 
as an expression of their gratitude to him h . On these occasions, 
it was common for the master of the family to close the feast by 
taking a cup of wine, and drinking of it, first himself, and after 
wards all his family in succession ; and then to close the whole 
with a hymn. To this custom it should seem that David refers 
in other psalms 1 , as well as in the passage before us : and our 
blessed Lord adopted it as a suitable method of commemorating 
the wonders of his dying love k . He took a cup, and blessed it, 
and gave it to his disciples, that they, and all his followers, to 
the very end of time, might drink it in remembrance of his 
blood shed for the remission of their sins 1 .] 

After this example we should pay our vows, and 
" receive the cup of salvation/ or, as that used by 
the Jews was called, " the cup of deliverances "- 

[Is it asked, What sacrifice are we to offer ? I answer, 
The sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving m . " The calves of our 
lips " are far more acceptable to God than all the burnt-offerings 
that ever were offered". And surely the sacramental cup, of 
which every Believer should frequently partake, may at once 
remind us of all the mercies we have ever received, and be taken 
by us as a memorial of God s unbounded love to us, and of our 
unfeigned surrender of ourselves to him. In these expressions 
of our love and gratitude we should have all the powers of our 
souls called forth: " all that is within us should bless the name 
of our God:" and the entire devotion of ourselves to his service 
should bear witness to our sincerity before him. Never are we 
to be restrained by fear or shame : no; we must pay our vows 
" in the presence of all his people." If we are ashamed of Christ, 
what can we expect, but that he will be ashamed of us ? But, 
" if we confess him before men, then will he also confess us in 
the presence of his Father and his holy angels." Here then is 
the service which we are to render unto God in return for all 
his benefits : we are to confess him, to magnify him, to adore 
him, to give up ourselves to him as his redeemed people, to live 
altogether by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, receiving all out 
of his fulness, and improving all for the honour of his name. 

h Lev. vii. 12. Deut. xii. 6, 7, 17, 18. 

1 Ps. Ixvi. 1316. andcvii. 22. * Matt. xxvi. 27. 

1 1 Cor. xi. 25. m Heb. xiii. 15. 

n Ps. 1. 13, 14. with Hos. xiv. 2. 



691.] HOW TO REQUITE THE LORD FOR HIS MERCIES. 287 

So entirely should we be the Lord s, that " whether we eat, or 
drink, or whatever we do, we should do all to his glory ."] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who have never yet instituted this inquiry 

[Alas ! how many have never made any other use of God s 
mercies, but to render them means of self-destruction, and 
instruments of dishonouring their God ! Has he given them 
abundance ? they have employed it in riot and excess. Has 
he vouchsafed to them health and strength ? they have turned 
these blessings into an occasion of more unbridled licentious 
ness. Has he bestowed intellectual powers upon them ? they 
have perverted these to justify their evil ways, and to dispute 
the authority of God. The very Gospel itself they have abused 
as sanctioning their presumptuous hopes, and as affording reason 
for dissipating all fear of God s displeasure. Ah, Brethren! 
what will be the end of these things? " Do ye thus requite 
the Lord, O foolish people, and unwise ? " How will ye answer 
it at the last day? When your Judge shall put the question, 
" What could I have done more for my vineyard than I did ? 
what excuse will ye offer for bringing forth only wild grapes p ? " 
Do but think of these things, ere it be too late. But if ye will 
not lay these things to heart, then know assuredly, that, if ye will 
not render unto the Lord according to his works of mercy, he 
will render unto you according to your aggravated iniquities.] 

2. Those who profess to feel their obligations to 
their God 

[Examine, I beseech you, the returns which you have 
made : do they not " fill you with shame and confusion of 
face ? " Are ye not perfectly astonished at your own ingrati 
tude ? O ! see what need there is to walk humbly before God. 
But yet, do not despond. Your " God is able to make all 
grace abound towards you :" and, if you call upon him, " he 
will give you more grace," even grace sufficient for you, so that 
you shall be able to " render to him, in some measure at least, 
according to the benefits he has conferred upon you." You 
see how he wrought in David, and in his holy Apostles : and 
is his arm shortened, that it cannot reach to you ? Arise, and 
bless your God ; walk joyfully before him ; " let your hearts 
be lifted up in his ways : " come, and take the cup of salvation ; 
and, as one great family, hand it round, each, as it were, to the 
other, that all of you may be encouraged, and all be comforted, 
and all be strengthened. " Now" even now, take the blessed 
cup into your hands ; and drink of it " in the presence of all 

1 Cor. x. 31. P Isai. v. 1 4. 



288 PSALMS, CXVI. 15. . [692. 

his people;" yea, drink, and live for ever. And inquire with 
yourselves, inquire of each other, yea, inquire of God himself, 
what you can do for him ; and let your capacity for his service 
be the only measure of your exertion.] 

DCXCII. 

THE DEATH OF SAINTS PRECIOUS. 

Ps. cxvi. 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of 

his saints. 

THE meaning of these words will be best marked 
from the occasion on which we suppose them to have 
been uttered. The psalm appears to have been writ 
ten after Absalom s rebellion. Most imminent were 
the dangers from which David had been delivered. 
For this mercy he renders thanks : and acknowledges, 
to the praise of his heavenly Protector, that, whilst 
his own son had sought his life, and instigated mul 
titudes to seek his destruction, God had interposed 
for his deliverance, and had inflicted merited judg 
ments on his enemies. So precious had God accounted 
his death, that he would make those to pay dearly 
who had laboured to effect it : or, as it is said in 
another psalm, " God had redeemed his soul from 
deceit and violence, and precious had his blood been 
in his sight a ." 

From the words which I have read, I shall take 
occasion to shew, 

I. In what light God regards the death of the saints 
We are not to understand that the death of his 
saints is pleasing to God, but rather, that he places a 
high value on them, and that he will suffer none to 
accomplish their death with impunity. So precious 
is their death, that, 

1. He watches over them to prevent it 

[Incessant is his care over his Church ; as he has said, 
" I the Lord do keep it : I will water it every moment : lest 
any hurt it, I will keep it night and dayV He assures us that 
" no weapon that is formed against his people shall prosper ." 
So that, as has been often said, " God s servants are immortal, 

a Ps. Ixxii. 14. b Isai. xxvii. 4. c Isai. liv. 17. 



692.] THE DEATH OF SAINTS PRECIOUS. 289 

till their work is done." Not that they are at liberty to tempt 
the Lord by rushing needlessly into danger : but, if called by 
God to perform any duty, they have nothing to fear. David s 
deliverances were numberless, as were those also of the Apostle 
Paul. Our Lord himself, too, was encompassed for years by 
those who sought his life : but none could prevail against him, 
till " his hour was come." Weak as his people are, even " as 
lambs in the midst of wolves," none can effect their ruin, " none 
can ever pluck them out of his hands." " There is an appointed 
time" for every one of them; and, as they must wait, so must 
their enemies also wait, till that time is come.] 

2. He will come forth to avenge it 

[God does suffer his people to be assaulted, and to be put 
to death : but he will call their enemies to a severe account for 
all that they do against the meanest of his saints. Tt is said, 
" He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye d ." We 
well know the force of this figure, if but a mote get into our 
eye : and we may therefore understand from thence how God 
feels when any of his people are assaulted. He has told us, that 
" it were better for any man that a millstone were hanged round 
his neck, and that he were cast into the depths of the sea, than 
that he should offend one of God s little ones." We see, in the 
history of David, how Ahithophel suffered for his treachery, 
and Absalom for his rebellion : and sooner or later shall every 
man who, either in a way of direct assault or of silent contempt, 
offends the people of the Lord, surely " give account thereof in 
the day of judgment 6 ."] 

3. He will never suffer it, till he has accomplished 
his good work within them 

[To every one of his people has God assigned his proper 
work : to some, as to the dying thief, little more is given than 
an opportunity of confessing Christ : to others, as to Paul and 
John, are long and arduous labours allotted : but the times of 
all are in God s hands ; and he will enable every one of them, 
to say, " Father, I have glorified thee on earth ; I have finished 
the work which thou gavest me to do f ." To his blood 
thirsty enemies our Saviour said, " I must walk to-day and to 
morrow ; and the third day I shall be perfected :" and even to 
the most potent amongst them we may say, " Thou couldst have 
no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above." 
Men may think they have accomplished their purposes ; as when 
Peter was kept in prison till the very night preceding his in 
tended execution ; or as when Paul had been stoned, and left for 
dead. But " there is no counsel or might against the Lord." 
He will make " the wrath of man to praise him ; and the 

d Zech. ii. 8. e 1 Pet. iv. 4, 5. f John xvii. 4, 

VOL. VI. U 



290 PSALMS, CXVI. 15. [692. 

remainder of it," which would counteract his purposes, " he 
will restrain."] 

Such being God s estimate of his people s death, 
we may see, 
II. In what light we also should regard it 

However we may congratulate souls on their re 
moval to a better world, we cannot but regard their 
death, 

1. As an event to be deplored 

[The world little think how much they are indebted to 
the saints. It is for their sakes that the world itself is kept in 
existence. If their number were complete, and their graces 
arrived at the measure ordained for them, we have reason to 
think that an end would be put to the present state of things, 
as we know there will be at the day of judgment. The useful 
ness of some who are in very conspicuous stations is seen and 
acknowledged : but it is not easy to conceive how much good 
may be done by the meanest saint, through the prayers which 
he offers up from time to time. The prayer of Moses repeat 
edly saved the whole Jewish nation, when for their iniquities 
God had determined to sweep them all away. And Abraham 
prevailed, to the full extent of his petitions, in behalf of Sodom 
and all the cities of the plain. And who can tell what blessings 
the prayers of God s people have brought on our guilty land, or 
what blessings may be obtained through the most humble indi 
vidual amongst them ? As a public loss, therefore, I think the 
removal of any saint may be deplored. As it respects him per 
sonally, we may indeed, from a variety of circumstances, be 
led to rejoice in it ; because he rests from his labours, and may 
therefore be accounted blessed : but as far as the work of God 
on earth and the benefit of mankind are concerned, his death 
may be regarded as a ground of general regret.] 

2. As a dispensation to be carefully improved 
[In the death of a saint, God himself calls upon us to 

inquire, whether we, if we had been taken, should have been 
found ready. He bids us to " work whilst it is day, since the 
night is coming when no man can work." He leads us to con 
sider the blessedness of dying in the Lord ; and bids us to " be 
followers of those who, through faith and patience, now inherit 
the promises g " ] 

ADDRESS 

1 . Those who make light of death 

Here the particular experience of a departed saint may be stated 
as instructive, and his dying advice be specified. 



693.] THE GENTILES CALLED TO PRAISE GOD. 291 

[It is surprising how little effect the death of any saint 
produces on the minds of survivors ; and how speedily any 
impression wears away. The conversation of mourners assem 
bled to attend a funeral gives us a melancholy picture of the 
human mind, and of the extreme indifference with which the 
concerns of eternity are regarded by us. But, Brethren, will 
death appear so light a matter when we shall have entered into 
the eternal world ? or is there one of us who will not wish 
that he had laboured far more to prepare for his great account ? 
I pray you, trifle not with your souls ; but know assuredly, 
that one soul is of more value than the whole world.] 

2. Those who estimate death according to its real 
importance 

[You well know the true value of life. Its great use is, 
to prepare for death. Let every hour be pressed into the ser 
vice of your God. Let every thing be valued according to its 
bearing on eternity. Above all, let the Saviour be dear to you. 
It is He who has taken away the sting of death, and authorised 
you to number it amongst your richest treasures. Through his 
atoning blood you may look forward to death and judgment 
with far other eyes than they can be viewed by the ungodly 
world. You may regard death as the commencement of life, 
and the very gate of heaven. Only take care, therefore, that 
in your experience it be " Christ to live," and then you shall 
assuredly and that it will " be gain to die."] 

DCXCIII. 

THE GENTILES CALLED TO PRAISE GOD. 

Ps. cxvii. praise the Lord, all ye nations : praise him, all 
ye people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and 
the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Praise ye the Lord. 

THIS is the shortest of all the Psalms : but it is 
by no means the least interesting : the energy with 
which it is expressed abundantly marks the impor 
tance of the truths contained in it, and the feelings 
with which it should be read by us. The same 
sentiments are doubtless contained in many other 
psalms : but to a mind that is rightly disposed, they 
are ever new : they need no embellishment to adorn 
them, no eloquence to set them forth : if any man can 
hear or reflect upon them without emotion, the fault 
is in himself alone. Let us consider the psalm, 

I. In a general view 

u 2 



PSALMS, CXVIL [693. 

Here is a call to the whole world to praise and 
adore their God. Those perfections which they are 
more especially called to celebrate, are, 

1. The greatness of his mercy 

[Reflect on his sparing mercy. Consider the state of the 
whole world, which has so cast off their allegiance to God, that 
" he is not in all their thoughts"- Consider the incon 
ceivable mass of iniquity that has been accumulating now nearly 
six thousand years and yet we are spared ! Once indeed 
God destroyed the world ; but only once. On some few occa 
sions God has marked his indignation against sin ; but on very 
few : an Achan, an Uzzah, an Ananias, have been set up as 
witnesses for God, that he hateth iniquity : but these only serve 
the more strikingly to illustrate the astonishing forbearance of 
our God Let every one of us look back upon his own 
personal transgressions, and then say, whether he himself is not 
an astonishing monument of God s forbearance. 

But if we so admire the sparing mercy of our God, what shall 
we say of his redeeming mercy? What words can we ever find 
sufficient to express the wonders of God s love, in substituting 
his own Son, his co-equal, co-eternal Son, in our place, and 
laying the iniquities of a ruined world on HIM ? Here we are 
altogether lost in wonder. The idea of redemption is so vast, 
that we cannot grasp it. We assent to it ; we believe it ; we 
trust in it : but it so far exceeds all our comprehension, that it 
appears rather like " a cunningly-devised fable," than a reality. 
We see a little of the suitableness and sufficiency of this salva 
tion; but it is only " as in a glass darkly;" it is only enigmati 
cally a that we view it at all ; spelling it out, as it were, from a 
few scattered hints, and guessing at what we cannot comprehend. 
The freeness with which it is offered also, no less surpasses 
knowledge. By the way in which God himself follows us with 
offers, and entreaties, it should seem almost as if his happiness, 
rather than ours, depended on our acceptance of it. The con 
tinuance of these offers, made as they are from year to year to 
people who only pour contempt upon them, and trample on 
that adorable Saviour who shed his blood for them, O ! what 
an emphasis does this give to that expression in our text, 
" His merciful kindness is great towards us!" 

Should not the whole universe adore our God for THIS ?] 

2. The inviolability of his truth 

[Were his truth considered in reference to his threaten- 
ings, it would be an awful subject indeed: but we are called to 
notice it at present only in connexion with his promises. All 
the mercy which God was pleased to vouchsafe to man, he has 

a See 1 Cor. xiii. 12. the Greek. 



693.] THE GENTILES CALLED TO PRAISE GOD. 293 

made over to us by an everlasting covenant, which was con 
firmed with an oath, and ratified with the blood of his only dear 
Son. There is not any thing which fallen man can want, for 
body or for soul, for time or for eternity, which has not been 
made the subject of a distinct promise. And who ever heard 
of one single promise failing him who trusted in it? Who ever 
heard of one sinner rejected, who came to God in the way 
prescribed ? To the Jewish nation many specific promises were 
made : Did any one of them fail ? Did not Joshua, after the 
final settlement of the Jews in Canaan, bear testimony for God 
in this respect, in the presence of the whole assembled nation, 
and appeal to them for the truth of his assertions b ? And have 
not all of you, who have ever rested in, and pleaded, God s 
gracious promises, been constrained to bear a similar testimony 
in his behalf? 

Let the whole world then adore and magnify the Lord on 
this ground ; and never be weary of acknowledging, that " his 
mercy endureth for ever ."] 

Let us now proceed to consider the psalm, 
II. With a more immediate reference to the Gentile 
world 

The psalm is in reality a prophecy ; and so impor 
tant a prophecy, that St. Paul expressly quotes one 
part of it d , and gives, as it were, an explanation of 
the remainder 6 . 

It declares the calling of the Gentiles- 
fin this sense it has been interpreted, even by some of the 
Jews themselves : and we are sure that this is its true import, 
because an inspired Apostle has put this construction upon it. 
And are not we ourselves evidences of its truth? Are not we 
Gentiles ? and has not God s mercy reached unto us ? Are not 
his promises also fulfilled to us ? The promise to Abraham was, 
that " in him, and in his seed, should all the nations of the earth 
be blessed :" and this promise was made to him whilst he was 
yet uncircumcised, in order that the interest which we uncir- 
cumcised Gentiles had in it might be more fully manifest f . 
Behold then, ive are living witnesses both of God s mercy and 
truth ! His promises are fulfilled to us, yea, and are yet daily 
fulfilling before our eyes. The blessings of salvation are poured 
down upon us in rich abundance. The Church is daily enlarging 
on every side of us. Both at home and abroad is the Gospel 

b Josh, xxiii. 14. 

c See Ps. cxxxvi. where it is repeated twenty-six times in as 
many verses. d Rom. xv. 11. 

e Rom. xv. 8, 9. where God s truth and mercy are both specified, 
as illustrated and confirmed by Christ. f Rom. iv. 11. 



294, PSALMS, CXVII. [693. 

running and glorified, to an extent that has never been seen 
since the Apostolic age. And the time for its universal diffusion 
through the whole earth is manifestly drawing nigh. "We have 
seen enough with our eyes to assure us, that the fuller accom 
plishment of God s promises may be expected in due season : 
and that, at the appointed hour, " all the kingdoms of the 
world shall become the kingdom of our God, and of his Christ."] 

In this view, all the Gentile world are called upon 
to bless and praise their God 

[Ye, who are here assembled, arise and praise your God. 
Consider what mercy has been shewn to you : consider what 
truth has been displayed towards you. Arise, I say ; yea, 
again and again would I repeat it, Arise and praise your God ! 
And, ye remotest nations of the earth, O that our voice could 
reach to you ! O that ye knew your obligations to your God, 
and the blessings that are in reserve for you ! The Saviour was 
called, " The Desire of all nations :" and such indeed he ought 
to be. Well ! if ye know him not, and consequently rejoice 
not in him, we will rejoice for you : for he is coming to you : 
the messengers of the Lord of Hosts are going forth into every 
quarter of the globe ; and the word that reveals him to you 
is translating, in purpose and intention at least, into all the 
languages of the earth ; and we anticipate with joy the time, 
when all the heathen shall serve him, and " all flesh shall see 
the salvation of God."] 

ADDRESS 

1. Are there any amongst you who have no dis 
position to praise the Lord ? 

[Alas ! there are too many, who have no delight in this 
blessed work, and have never spent one hour in it in all their 
lives ! Ah ! wretched and ingrate ! What think ye of your 
selves ? Are ye not blind, when ye cannot see the perfections 
of your God ? Are ye not base, when ye can receive such 
mercies at God s hands, and never acknowledge them? Are 
ye not brutish, yea, worse than brutish? for " the ox and ass 
know their owner ; but ye know not," nor acknowledge, your 
Creator, your Benefactor, your Redeemer. See how far you 
are from a truly Christian state ! Tell me not of your moral 
qualities ; ye are base ungrateful creatures : and, if a fellow- 
creature were to treat you as you treat your God, you would 
abhor him utterly. O repent, and embrace the mercy that is 
yet offered you ! or else you will find that He, who is true to 
his promises, will be true to his threatenings also.] 

2. Are there amongst you some who desire to 
praise the Lord ? 

[We believe it ; we rejoice in it : we pray to God to 



694.] CONFIDENCE FROM CHRIST^ EXALTATION. 295 

increase their number a hundredfold. But do ye not find that 
your thanks and praises are infinitely short of what the occa 
sion for them demands ? Yes, methinks there is nothing so 
humiliating to a Christian as the services which he attempts to 
render to his God. However, still go on to serve him as ye 
can, when ye cannot serve him as ye tvould. And, to quicken 
your zeal, contemplate much and deeply the greatness of God s 
mercy to you, and the inviolability of his truth. God has de 
signed that such contemplations should be a rich source of 
comfort to yourselves, as they will be also of love and gratitude 
to him. And, whilst your own souls are filled with these divine 
affections, endeavour to diffuse the sacred flame, that all around 
you, and, if possible, all the nations of the world, may be 
stirred up to render unto God the praises due unto his name.] 

DCXCIV. 

THE EXALTATION OF CHRIST A GROUND OF CONFIDENCE. 

Ps. cxviii. 27, 28. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light : 

bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. 

Thou art my God, and I will praise thee ; thou art my God, 

I will exalt thee. 

HOWEVER plainly this psalm refers to David, 
we are sure that a greater than David is here. The 
words as applied to David, convey an exceedingly 
grand and important meaning. He had met with 
many obstacles in his advancement to the throne of 
Israel. Oftentimes had his life been sought by Saul : 
and since the death of Saul there were many formid 
able conspiracies against him. No sooner was he 
made king over Israel, than the Philistines sought, 
and that repeatedly, to destroy him a ; and it was only 
through the special intervention of God himself that 
he was able to prevail against them. It appears that 
many other of the surrounding nations also conspired 
against him b ; but through the same Almighty power 
Jie was enabled to subdue them. At last, after more 
than seven years opposition from all the tribes of 
Israel , he was firmly fixed upon the throne, and 
" the stone which had been so long rejected of the 
builders, was made the head of the corner d ." This 

a 2 Sam. v. 17, 18, 22. 

b ver. 10 12. Four times does he repeat, and, in the last, with a 
very expressive simile, " They compassed me about." 
c 2 Sam. v. 4, 5. d ver. 22. 



296 PSALMS, CXVIII. 27,28. [694. 

event reflected great " light "upon all God s purposes 
respecting him. Darkness had hung over him for a 
long period ; but it was now dispelled ; and he saw 
clearly these two important truths, That God s coun 
sel, by whomsoever opposed, shall stand; and, that they 
who trust in the Lord, however tried they may be, shall 
never be confounded. 

But,, as we said, a greater than David is here. It 
was generally acknowledged amongst the Jews them 
selves that David was a type of the Messiah, and that 
this psalm had an especial reference to Him who was 
in due time to sit upon the throne of David. Hence 
the acclamations which were used by the people on 
the occasion of David s installation, were used by the 
Jews in reference to Christ 6 : and he vindicated their 
conduct in this particular f : and afterwards appealed 
to this very psalm in confirmation of his predictions 
respecting his rejection by them, and his subsequent 
elevation to the throne of David g . In like manner, 
after the death and resurrection of Christ, St. Peter, 
" when he was filled with the Holy Ghost/ expressly 
applied to Christ this very passage, and affirmed in 
the presence of all the Rulers and Elders of Israel 
that it was accomplished in the exaltation of that 
Jesus whom they had crucified 11 . 

Now in this event, the exaltation of Christ to the 
throne of glory, God has indeed " shewed us light :" 
and it will be a profitable subject for our meditation 
at this time, if we consider, 
I. The light which God has shewn us 

Previous to the resurrection of Christ, all was dark 
ness : the disciples themselves doubted whether they 
had not been deceived in their expectations respecting 
him. But from that event, and his consequent as 
cension to the right hand of God, we learn infallibly, 

1. The efficacy of his atonement 

[Had he not risen, we might have conceived of him as a 
great Prophet indeed, but as nothing more than a prophet, who, 
like multitudes who had preceded him, sealed his doctrines with 

e Matt. xxi. 9. f Matt. xxi. 16. 

g Matt. xxi. 42. h Acts iv. 8, 11. 



694.] CONFIDENCE FROM CHRIST S EXALTATION. 297 

his own blood. But he had spoken of his death as a ransom to 
be paid for the souls of men : and how could we have known 
that that ransom was accepted, if his resurrection, which he 
himself taught his disciples to look forward to as the proof and 
evidence of his acceptance, had not been effected? But when 
we see that he did rise from the dead, and did ascend to heaven 
in the presence of his disciples, and did send down the Holy 
Spirit according to his word to bear testimony concerning him, 
there is no room left for doubt : we are perfectly sure that his 
offering was accepted of the Father, and that by his obedience 
unto death he has wrought out eternal redemption for us *.] 

2. The sufficiency of his grace 

[Even when our blessed Lord was on earth, the whole 
creation, animate and inanimate, terrestrial and infernal, were 
obedient to his will : how much more therefore, now that he is 
exalted to the right hand of the Majesty on high, and has all 
fulness treasured up in him for the benefit of his people, must 
he be able to " do all things which we call upon him for ! " If 
he says, as he did to St. Paul, " My grace is sufficient for thee," 
we may safely adopt St. Paul s language, and say, " I can do 
all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." If all enemies 
are put under his feet, they shall assuredly be put under ours also : 
even " Satan himself shall be bruised under our feet shortly."] 

3. The excellency of his salvation 

[Behold what has taken place with respect to him ! He is 
exalted to the throne of God, and possessed of all the glory 
which he had with the Father before the worlds were made. The 
same glory is reserved for us also k , and a participation of that 
very throne which his Father has given to him l . Believer, 
contemplate all the glory and felicity of your exalted Head ; and 
then see what is prepared for all his members: "your body shall 
be like unto his glorious body ;" your soul shall be transformed 
into his perfect image ; and all the glory which his Father has 
given him, shall be your inalienable and everlasting inheritance" 1 .] 

What a glorious light is this! Let it lead us to 
contemplate, 
II. The returns which it calls for at our hands 

Surely such discoveries as are here made to us 
should call forth our devoutest affections : they 
should lead us, 

1. To surrender up ourselves entirely to God 

i Rom. i. 4. and viii. 34. k Luke xxii. 29. 

1 Rev. iii. 21. m John xvii. 22. 1 Pet. i. 4. 



298 PSALMS, CXVIII. 27, 28. [694. 

[The sacrifices which David and Solomon offered unto God 
were almost without number n : but the sacrifice of a broken and 
contrite spirit, or of a devout and grateful heart, outweighs them 
all . Whether the sacrifices were ever " bound to the horns of 
the altar," we are not informed : but sure enough our hearts 
need to be bound ; for they are ever ready to " start aside as a 
broken bow," and " to backslide from God as a backsliding 
heifer : " and we should labour incessantly to say with David, 
" O God, my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed ; I will sing and 
give praise." The example of Abraham may assist us in this 
particular. The offering of his son was a dark dispensation : 
but, when God arrested the arm of Abraham, and forbad him 
to inflict the fatal wound, a light beamed in upon his soul ; he 
saw a risen Saviour presented to him under the image of his 
restored son : and instantly "he took the ram which was caught 
in the thicket, and offered him up for a burnt-offering in the 
stead of his son p ." Let the sight of a risen Saviour operate in 
like manner upon us ; let us take the offering which all of us 
have at hand, and which we know will be pleasing to the Lord, 
even " the offering of a free heart," and let us present it a 
living sacrifice to God, as our reasonable and most delightful 
service q .] 

2. To rejoice and glory in God as our portion for 
ever 

[Like Paul, we may say of Christ, " He has loved me, and 
given himself for me." Indeed, without this appropriation of 
God and his blessings to our own souls, we can never attain to a 
joyful and thankful spirit: but it is the privilege of every believer 
to say of Christ, " He is my friend, He is my beloved." God 
approves of this language, by whomsoever used, provided only 
it be used in sincerity and truth ; " Thou art my God, and I 
will praise thee ; thou art my God, I will exalt thee." If under 
the Old Testament, believers could say, " My beloved is mine, 
and I am his," much more may we regard him as "the strength 
of our heart, and our portion for ever."] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who are yet in darkness 

[Long was the night with which David was enclosed, in 
somuch that he sometimes feared he should " one day perish by 
the hands of Saul :" yet at last the day dawned upon him, and 
" God shewed him light." Dark also were the dispensations to 
wards our blessed Lord, till in his resurrection and ascension the 

n 1 Chron. xxix. 21. 1 Kings viii. 62, 63. 

Ps. 1. 13, 14. and li. 16, 17. P Gen. xxii. 13. 

1 Rom. xii. 1. with Heb. xiii. 15. 



695.] PRACTICAL RELIGION ENFORCED. 299 

true light was made to shine. Let not any of us then indulge 
desponding fears : let us know assuredly, that " the counsel of 
God shall stand," and that " they who trust in him shall never 
be confounded." Indeed even " in our darkness the Lord will 
be a light unto us ;" and soon "our light shall rise in obscurity, 
and our darkness be as the noon-day." 

2. To those who have been " brought out of dark 
ness into God s marvellous light "- 

[Happy, happy ye, who behold a risen Saviour, and see 
the fulness which ye have in him ! Ye may be sweetly assured, 
that, as he is able, so also he is engaged, to " save your souls to 
the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for 
you." But let this light have its proper influence upon your 
minds. " Walk as children of the light" and of the day: yea, 
" walk in the light, as he is in the light." If you do indeed 
" behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ," " it is 
God the Lord who hath shewn it to you;"" and " ye, as his 
peculiar people, are called to shew forth his praises 1 "." Do this 
then in the way before prescribed : give up yourselves wholly 
unto him ; and take him as your only, your everlasting, portion.] 

r 1 Pet. ii. 9. 

DCXCV. 

PRACTICAL RELIGION ENFORCED. 

Ps. cxix. 4 6. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts 
diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy sta 
tutes ! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect 
unto all thy commandments. 

IT is impossible to read the psalm before us and 
not see that true religion is altogether of a practical 
nature. Doubtless, in the first instance, the Inspired 
Volume reveals to us a way of reconciliation with our 
offended God, through the blood and righteousness 
of the Lord Jesus Christ : but its ultimate object is, 
to bring our hearts into a conformity to the mind and 
will of God. In the words before us we see all that 
is most interesting to the child of God : 
I. His indispensable duties- 
God commands us, not only to return to him in a 
way of penitence, but to walk before him in a way of 
holy obedience. 

This he requires throughout the Holy Scriptures 



300 PSALMS, CXIX. 46. [695. 

[He requires it by Moses a , and the prophets b ; by Christ 
also c , and his holy Apostles d . Indeed, to bring us to holiness 
of heart and life was the very end for which he gave his only- 
begotten Son 6 , and for which Christ himself died f . And every 
command is enforced with an authority which it is at our peril 
to disregard g .] 

He requires, too, that in this duty we exert our 
selves with " diligence "- 

[This is again and again insisted on h , both in relation to 
the keeping of the heart 1 , and to the whole of our deportment 
through life k . We are particularly called to " set our heart" 
to this work 1 , that we may understand it in all its parts, and 
perform it in its utmost extent. In a word, " This is the will 
of God, even our sanctification m ."] 

How the true saint stands affected towards his 
duties, may here be seen in, 
II. His impassioned desire 

The perfection of a Christian is seen far more in 
his desires than in his actual attainments. 

He feels and mourns over his manifold defects- 
fit might be supposed, that the more holy any man were, 
the more self-complacent he would be : but the very reverse of 
this is the truth : for, the more holy any man is, the clearer 
and more enlarged are his views of God s holy law, and, con 
sequently, the deeper his sense of his short-comings and defects". 
Hence he complains with St. Paul, " O wretched man that I 
am! who shall deliver me ?"] 

He desires the gift of God s Holy Spirit, to remedy 
these defects 

[He knows, by sad experience how liable he is to be 
deceived, even whilst he is endeavouring to do the will of God. 
" His heart is deceitful P," and easily betrayed into error, by its 
prejudices, its passions, its interests. And sin itself also is 
deceitful, putting on, in ten thousand instances, the garb of 
holiness, and the semblance of duty q . And Satan is a subtle 
adversary, that has at command ten thousand wiles and devices, 
whereby to ensnare him r . What, then, shall the Christian do? 
He can look only to God, for the gift of his Holy Spirit to 
guide him aright and to direct his steps 8 . Hence, from his 

a Deut. v. 29. b Jer. vii. 22, 23. c Matt, xxviii. 20. 

d 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. e 1 John iii. 8. f Tit. ii. 4. 

g Jam. ii. 1012. h Deut. xi. 13,18,22. * Prov. iv. 23. 

k 2Pet.i. 10. andiii. 14. J Deut, xxxii. 46. m 1 Thess. iv. 3. 

n Rom. vii. 9. Rom. vii. 24. P Jer. xvii. 9. 

q Heb. iii. 13. r 2 Cor. xi. 3. s Prov. iii. 6. 



695.] PRACTICAL RELIGION ENFORCED. 301 

inmost soul, he prays, " Hold thou me up, O Lord*!" yea, 
" Direct my heart into the love of God, and into the patient 
waiting for Christ s future advent u !"] 

But, in the midst of all his troubles,, we may behold, 
III. His assured encouragement 

Were he left to himself, he well knows he must 
perish. But " his hope is in the Lord his God." 

That which is required of him, is, to be upright 
before God 

[God " requireth truth in the inward parts x ." However 
defective we be in our attainments, there must be no insincerity 
in our desires. We must " account all God s commandments 
concerning all things to be right, and must hate every false 
way y ." In our regard to them, there must be " no partiality, 
no hypocrisy 2 :" the smallest commandment must not be con 
sidered as light a , nor the greatest be deemed "grievousV 
" Lord, what wilt thou have me to do c ?" must be his daily 
prayer; and to fulfil every command of God, the constant 
habit of his mind.] 

With this one acquisition, he has nothing to fear 

[" God will uphold the upright man d ." Satan may tempt 
him ; his own in-dwelling corruptions may assault him ; and 
he may at times be so harassed, as to be almost at his wit s 
end 6 ;" but " God will keep him, by his own power, through 
faith, unto everlasting salvation f ." The weaker the Christian 
feels himself, the more " will God perfect his own strength in 
his weakness g ;" nor shall "the hope that has been formed in 
him ever make him ashamed 11 :" no : " he shall be saved in the 
Lord with an everlasting salvation ; and shall not be ashamed 
or confounded, world without end 1 ."] 

Be ye then, Brethren, CHRISTIANS INDEED 

[Get just views of your duty, both towards God and man 

And be like-minded with God in relation to it, desir 
ing nothing but to be, and do, all that God himself requires 

And know where all your help and hope is; not in 
yourselves, but in the Lord your God, who alone can " guide 
you by his counsel, so as ultimately to bring you to his glory k " 

And " may the God of peace, who brought again from 

t Ps. xvii. 5. u 2 Thess. iii. 5. x Ps. li. 6. 

y ver. 128. z Jam. iii. 17. a Matt. v. 19. 

b 1 John v. 3. c Acts ix. 6. d Ps. xxxvii. 17. 

e Ps. Ixxvii. 7 9. f 1 Pet. i. 5. g 2 Cor. xii. 9. 

h Rom. v. 5. * Isai. xlv. 17. k Ps. Ixxiii. 24. 



302 PSALMS, CXIX. 9. [696. 

the dead our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good work, 
to do his will ; working in you that which is well-pleasing in 
his sight, through Jesus Christ ! to whom be glory for ever and 
ever. Amen 1 ."] 

1 Heb. xiii. 20, 21. 



DCXCVI. 

GOD S WORD THE MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION. 

Ps. cxix. 9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way ? 
By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 

THERE is much despondency in the human mind, 
especially in reference to the great work of sanctifi- 
cation. There are many who wish to become holy ; 
but they know not how : they would mortify sin ; 
but they cannot : they would serve God in newness 
of life ; but to attempt it, appears to them a hopeless 
task. The people of the world, if exhorted to give 
themselves up to God, do not hesitate to affirm that, 
in the existing state of things, it is impossible : and 
many who have begun to do this in their own strength, 
and found its insufficiency for so great a work, have 
given up in despair, and returned to their former 
state of carelessness and indifference. But, whilst we 
acknowledge the impossibility of serving God aright 
by any strength of our own, we must deny that it is 
altogether impracticable to fulfil his will. On the 
contrary, if any man ask, " Wherewithal shall a young 
man cleanse his way ?" we are prepared to answer, 
that it may be done, " by taking heed thereto, ac 
cording to God s word." 

We have here, 
I. A difficulty proposed 

" How shall a young man cleanse his way ?" 

If this question were asked in reference only to 
outward defilements, it would not be without its diffi 
culties 

[Consider to what temptations a young man is exposed. 

Those which arise from within, are exceeding great 

And they are continually strengthened by those occurring from 
without. Every thing he sees around him has a tendency to 



696.] GOD S WORD THE MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION. 303" 

foster and to gratify some bad passion ; whilst the examples on 
every side countenance and encourage the indulgence of it. 
To render evil the less formidable, every one agrees to strip it 
of its proper names, and to affix to it some gentle appellation 
that shall conceal its odiousness, and cast a veil over its defor 
mity. Nay, as if it were not sufficient to cloke its malignity, 
many become its panders and its advocates, and endeavour to 
laugh out of the world all that squeamishness that betrays a 
fear of evil, and an aversion to the commission of it. Is it any 
wonder if young men, so circumstanced, fall into sin ? or is it 
easy for them to keep their garments clean in such an ensnaring 
and polluting world as this ? - ] 

But if the question be asked in reference to the 
sanctity which God requires, the difficulty will appear 
great indeed- 
fit is not a Pharisaic righteousness, a cleansing of the 
outside of the cup and platter, that God requires, but real 
holiness, both of heart and life. We must seek to be " cleansed 
from secret faults," as well as from those which are more 
open ; and never account our end fully accomplished, till we 
are " pure as the Lord Jesus Christ is pure," and " perfect as 
our Father which is in heaven is perfect." But how shall a 
young man so cleanse his way? How shall he " mortify the 
whole body of sin," keeping in subjection so many unruly 
appetites, correcting so many unhallowed dispositions, and 
putting forth into constant exercise so many heavenly graces 
as are comprehended in real piety? Indeed, we may ask, 
How shall young persons of either sex so walk before God ? 
In respect of outward decorum, females, from the restraints 
of education, have a great advantage : perhaps, in reference to 
vital godliness also, they may be considered as more favoured 
than the other sex, because they have more opportunity for 
serious reflection. But real piety is uncongenial with our 
fallen nature ; and to attain it is no easy task to any, of either 
sex, or of whatever age or quality or condition. The very 
names by which the divine life is described in Scripture suffi 
ciently shew that it is neither attained nor exercised without 
great difficulty. A " race," a " wrestling for the mastery," a 
" warring of a good warfare," all require much exertion ; and 
not for a moment only, but till the victory is accomplished. 
It must be confessed, therefore, that a young man s course is 
very difficult ; that " strait is the gate, and narrow is the 
way," in which he has to walk ; and that if ever he gain " the 
kingdom of heaven, he must take it by violence."] 

Happy is it for us, however, that we have, on 
divine authority, 



304 PSALMS, CXIX. 9. [696. 

II. The difficulty solved- 

To the question asked, " How shall he cleanse his 
way?" the answer is given, even " by taking heed 
thereto according to thy word." The Holy Scriptures 
afford, to every human being, 

1. A sure directory 

[There may doubtless be particular cases, even to our 
dying hour, in which it may be difficult to discover the precise 
line of duty. But, for the most part, the way of righteousness 
is clearly defined ; and it is our own blindness only that makes 
it appear intricate or doubtful. There is no corruption of the 
heart which is not there condemned, nor any holy affection 
which is not there delineated. There every thing is described 
in its proper colours : piety is exalted as the perfection of our 
nature ; and sin is declared to be " an abomination in the 
sight of God." The example of our blessed Lord also is there 
portrayed with the utmost exactness ; so that, whatever doubt 
might obscure a precept, the true light is reflected on it, and a 
perfect standard is exhibited before us. It cannot be through 
ignorance, therefore, that any shall err, if only they will make 
use of the light afforded them in God s blessed word.] 

2. Sufficient encouragement 

[There is not a precept in the whole inspired volume 
which is not made also the subject of a promise. God has 
engaged to " give us a new heart, and to renew within us a 
right spirit, and to cleanse us from our filthiness and from all 
our idols :" so that, however inveterate any lust may be, here 
is provision against it; and however arduous any duty be, 
here is sufficient strength promised for the performance of it. 
How effectual the word is, when duly improved, may be seen 
in the general description given of it by the Psalmist: " The 
law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul : the testimony 
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of 
the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart : the commandment of 
the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the 
Lord is clean, enduring for ever : the judgments of the Lord 
are true and righteous altogether. Moreover, by them is thy 
servant warned; and in keeping of them there is great reward a ." 
Here, whether in respect of direction or efficacy, its sufficiency 
for our necessities is fully declared. But yet more satisfactory 
is the declaration of St. Peter, when he affirms, that by " the 
exceeding great and precious promises of Scripture we may be 
made partakers of the divine nature, and be enabled to escape 
the corruption that is in the world through lustV By the 

a Ps. xix. 711. b 2 Pet. i. 4. 



696.] GOD S WORD THE MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION. 305 

word, therefore, we may cleanse our way ; not externally only, 
but really, truly, spiritually, and to the full extent of our 
necessities : so that the difficulty in our text is completely 
solved; and to the inquiry there made, we are prepared to 
answer, " Having these promises, dearly Beloved, let us cleanse 
ourselves from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit, perfecting 
holiness in the fear of God ."] 

ADDRESS 

1. Let the Scriptures of Truth be studied by you 
[Do not form your standard by the opinions of men, or 

labour to cleanse your way by superstitious observances that 
have been devised by man ; but look to the word of God as the 
proper rule of your conduct, and seek for holiness in the way 
that is there prescribed. Be careless in your way, and your 
ruin will ensue d But let the word of Christ dwell in 
you richly " in all wisdom ;" and you shall find it the power of 
God to the salvation of your souls.] 

2. Devote to piety your early youth 

[" Remember your Creator in the days of your youth," 
says Solomon. YOU must not stay till you are advanced in life 
before you " cleanse your way," but engage in that work while 
yet you are " young." In the appointment of the sacrifices 
which were offered under the Law, the lambs were to be but a 
year old : and in the first-fruits presented unto God for a meat 
offering, special care was to be taken that " green ears" should 
be offered, " beaten out indeed of full ears," but still green, 
and needing to be " dried with fire" before they could be ground 
to flour 6 . Does not this shew what use is to be made of our 
early youth ? Methinks, it speaks powerfully: and I pray God 
that this day the greenest ears amongst you may be conse 
crated to the Lord, and receive from him some blessed tokens 
of his favourable acceptance. Let the youngest, who are as 
new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word ; and they 
shall grow there by f :" and let the "young men have the 
word of God abiding in them; and they shall overcome the 
wicked oneC ] 

3. Live in the daily habit of self-examination 

[Inward and unperceived uncleanness will come upon you, 
if you be not always on your guard. A mariner may be drawn 
from his course by currents, as well as driven by winds : and 
therefore from day to day, he consults his compass and his 
chart, to see whether there have been any deviation from his 
destined path. The same precautions must be used by you. 

c 2 Cor. vii. 1. < l Eccl. xi. 9. e Lev. ii. 1416. 
f 1 Pet. ii. 2. s 1 John ii. 14. 

VOL. VI. X 



306 PSALMS, CXIX. 18. [697. 

You must not only " examine yourselves, whether ye be in the 
faith," but what progress you are making in the faith. Do this, 
beloved, daily, and with all diligence ; so shall ye " be blame 
less and harmless, the sons of God, in the midst of a crooked 
and perverse nation, shining among them as lights in the world, 
and holding forth in your walk and conversation the word of 
life h :" and be assured, that in so ordering your conversation 
aright, " you shall at last behold the salvation of God."] 
h Phil. ii. 15, 16. 

DCXCVII. 

HOW TO ATTAIN DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. 

Ps. cxix. 18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous 
things out of thy law ! 

THE necessity of Divine teaching, in order to a 
spiritual acquaintance with the truth of God,, is by 
many denied ; and all expectation of the Holy Spirit s 
influence for that end is derided as enthusiasm. But, 
however the profane ungodly world may scoff at the 
idea,, it is " by the Spirit of God alone that we can 
know the things which are freely given to us of 
God a :" and the wisest of men, as much as the most 
ignorant, has reason to adopt the petition in our 
text, " Open thou mine eyes, that 1 may behold 
wondrous things out of thy law ! " 

From these words we shall take occasion to shew, 
I. What wondrous things are contained in God s law 

If we understand the law here spoken of, as im 
porting the Law of Moses, it certainly is full of won 
ders : the moral law, being a perfect transcript of 
the mind of God ; and the ceremonial law, being a 
shadow of all those good things which are revealed 
to us in the Gospel. But we apprehend that David 
is speaking rather of the Gospel, even of that " law 
which is come forth from Zion, and that word which 
has proceeded from Jerusalem." No one of the pro 
phets, scarcely excepting even Isaiah himself, had 
clearer or richer views of Christ than David ; and 
as he speaks of Christ in almost all his psalms, we 
may justly suppose, that in this place he refers to the 
wonders that are contained in the Gospel of Christ. 

a 1 Cor. ii. 12. 



697.] HOW T0 ATTAIN DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. 307 

Consider the Gospel generally 

[In it is revealed salvation, salvation purchased by the 
blood and righteousness of God s only-begotten Son. What a 
mystery is this! The God of heaven and earth assuming our 
nature, that in that nature he may expiate the guilt of a 
ruined world ! We are accustomed to hear of this, and there 
fore listen to it without emotion : but what should we think of it, 
if it now reached our ears for the first time ? Truly " great is 
this mystery of godliness ! " We, through unbelief and indif 
ference, think little of it : but " the angels," though infinitely 
less interested in it than we, " desire day and night to look 
into it," and to comprehend, if it were possible, the heights 
and depths of love that are contained in it b .] 

Consider it more particularly 

[Mark well the character of this salvation; itsfreeness, its 
fulness, its suitableness ! It is as free as the light we see, or 
the air we breathe. It has come to us unsolicited, unsought : 
and it is given to us " without money and without price ." The 
whole world are invited to come to Christ as to an overflowing 
fountain, and to " take of the water of life freely d ." So full 
is it, that it neither wants, nor is capable of, any addition. 
Nothing is left to be supplied by man : he gives nothing, but 
receives all. " All is treasured up for us in Christ 6 ," " who of 
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctifi- 
cation, and complete redemption f ." If only we are content to 
receive out of his fulness, we shall never lack any thing that is 
necessary either for our present or eternal happiness g . And 
this is exactly such a salvation as is suitable to fallen man. If 
we were required to add any thing to what Christ has done and 
suffered for us, in order to render it sufficient for our salvation, 
what could we add? What have we of our own, but sin? The 
more any one knows of himself, the more he would despair, if 
any thing were required of him, as a price whereby to purchase 
an interest in Christ. Doubtless we must repent, and believe, 
and obey the Gospel, before we can be saved : but repentance, 
faith, and obedience, though necessary as means to an end, 
merit nothing at the hands of God ; nor have we of ourselves 
any sufficiency for those things: even those graces are wrought 
in us by the Spirit of God, who " gives us both to will and to 
do of his own good pleasure." Salvation, from first to last, is 
altogether of grace; and therefore it is equally suitable to all; 
to the thief when dying on the cross, as to Nicodemus, or 
Nathanael, whose whole life and conduct had been so exem 
plary, and who lived to adorn the doctrine they professed. 

b 1 Pet, i. 12. c Isai. Iv. 1. d Rev. xxii. 17. 

e Col. i. 19. f 1 Cor. i. 30. e John i. 16. Gal. ii. 20. 



308 PSALMS, CXIX. 18. [697. 

Contemplate these things, and say whether they contain not 
" wonders" that surpass the comprehension, both of men and 
angels ? ] 

From the text however we may learn, 
II. How we are to attain the knowledge of them 

Doubtless we must " search the Scriptures," and 
that with all diligence 11 . But, if we search them in 
dependence on our own wisdom, we shall never suc 
ceed. We must look up to God for the teachings of 
his good Spirit, even as David did, and pray, " Open 
thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things 
out of thy law." 

This is the way prescribed by God 

[God regards all men as blind 1 , and incapable of compre 
hending spiritual things, till he himself has opened their eyes, 
and given them a spiritual discernment k - - Hence he 

counsels all to come to the Lord Jesus Christ " for eye-salve, 
that they may see 1 ;" and to look to him as the only Author of 
true wisdom" 1 . He represents it as the Holy Spirit s office to 
take of the things that are Christ s, and to shew them unto 
us n ;" and to bring home to the minds of men a clear percep 
tion of those various truths which are most of all interesting to 
their souls. He considers all men as equally under the neces 
sity of submitting to the teachings of his Spirit . The efforts of 
those who lean to their own understanding, he derides p , and will 
communicate to " babes the things which he conceals from the 
wise and prudent q ." True it is, that God uses both the written 
and preached word as the means of conveying instruction : but 
the due reception of that instruction he ascribes to the opera 
tion of his own almighty power r . Even the disciples whom 
Jesus himself had instructed for three or four years, were not 
able rightly to apprehend his word, till " he opened their under 
standings to understand the Scriptures 8 :" and, when Peter 
confessed his Lord to be the Christ, he was expressly told, that 
" flesh and blood had not revealed it" to him, but God him 
self*. Be it known then to all, that every child of man, whether 
learned or unlearned, must " hear and learn of the Father," 
who is " the Father of lights, and from whom cometh every 
good and perfect gift 11 ."] 

This is the way pursued by the saints in all ages 

h John v. 39. * Rev. iii. 17. k 1 Cor.ii. 14. Eph.iv. 18. 

1 Rev. iii. 18. Jam. i. 5. Johnxvi. 8, 11, 13, 14. 

John vi. 45. P 1 Cor. i. 19, 20. q Matt. xi. 25. 

r ICor. iii. 5 7. s Luke xxiv. 45. l Matt. xvi. 17. 

u Jam. i. 17. 



697. J HOW T0 ATTAIN DIVINE KNOWLEDGE. 309 

[Who more instructed than David? yet he was not 
ashamed to seek from God a spiritual illumination. The 
saints at Ephesus were inferior to no Church whatever, in a 
comprehension of divine truth: yet did St. Paul pray for them, 
that they might yet further " be enlightened by the Spirit of 
wisdom and revelation, through whose gracious influences alone 
they could grow either in knowledge or in grace x . If we look 
to those of later times, we find this truth acknowledged by all, 
excepting those infidels who " deny the Lord that bought 
them." The Reformers of our Church have most unequivocally 
sanctioned the use of these means, and encouraged us to look up 
to God for " the inspiration of his Spirit," " that we may both 
perceive and know what things we ought to do, and also have 
grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same y ." Let us not be 
contented with any efforts of our own, or any instructions from 
man ; but let us " cry after knowledge, and lift up our voice 
for understanding, knowing that it is the Lord alone who giveth 
wisdom, and that out of his mouth cometh knowledge and 
understanding 2 ."] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who are studying the Holy Scriptures 
[It is surprising what pains many take to acquire a critical 

knowledge of the Bible, whilst yet they remain contentedly 
ignorant of those deep things which none but God can teach. 
But let me entreat you to seek above all things to behold the 
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, even that glory which 
He only who commanded light to shine out of darkness can 
make known unto you a ] 

2. To those who, though incapable of entering 
critically into the letter of the Scriptures, have yet, 
through grace, a knowledge of the spiritual truths 
contained in them 

[Blessed be God, there are some amongst us, of whom, 
though unskilled in human knowledge, it may be said, " To 
you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven." 
"They were once blind; but now they see:" "They were 
once darkness ; but are now light in the Lord." Be thankful 
to him who has so highly favoured and distinguished you b ; and 
endeavour to walk worthy of him who has vouchsafed unto you 
this invaluable blessing . If ye be " light in the Lord, then 
walk as children of the light" and of the day d .] 

*Eph. i. 17, 18. 

y See Collects for First Sunday after Epiphany ; and for Whitsunday. 
z Prov. ii. 16. a 2 Cor. iv. 6. b 1 Cor. i. 27, 28. 

c 1 Pet. ii. 9. <l Eph. v. 8. 



310 PSALMS, CXIX. 20. [698. 

DCXCVIII. 

DAVID S DESIRE AFTER GOD s WORD. 

Ps. cxix. 20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath 
unto thy judgments at all times. 

IN general, there is no other connexion between 
the different verses of this psalm, than the accidental 
one of their beginning with the same letter of the 
Hebrew alphabet : yet possibly the collocation of 
them may occasionally have been determined by their 
bearing upon some particular point. The whole 
psalm is an eulogy upon the word of God, and a 
declaration of the love which David bare towards it. 
And, whilst we apprehend that every distinct sen 
tence was put down as it occurred to the Psalmist s 
mind, without any particular dependence on its con 
text, we suppose that, in the arrangement of some 
parts, there may have been a design in placing some 
observations so as to confirm or enforce others which 
had preceded them. In the 18th verse, David had 
said, " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold won 
drous things out of thy Law :" and in the two follow 
ing verses, as they stand, he may be considered as 
enforcing that petition ; first, by the consideration of 
the shortness of his continuance here ; and, then, by 
the exceeding greatness of his wish to obtain the de 
sired blessing : " I am a stranger in the earth : hide 
not thy commandments from me. My soul breaketh 
for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all 
times." Now, this expression being so exceeding 
strong, I will take occasion from it to point out, 

I. The intensity of his desire after the word of God- 
Often does he say that he has " longed" for God s 
word a ; but here he says, " My soul breaketh for the 
longing that it hath." To enter into the force of this 
expression, let us compare his desire after God s 
word with the desire felt by others in cases of ex 
treme emergency. 

a ver. 40, 131, 174. 



698.] DAVID S DESIRE AFTER GOD S WORD. 311 

Let us compare it with the desire of, 

1. A hunted deer 

[Let us conceive of a deer that has for many hours been 
fleeing from its pursuers, till its strength is altogether ex 
hausted, and it is ready to faint with fatigue. Let us suppose 
that its fears are raised to the uttermost, by the rapid advance 
of its enemies, ready to seize and tear it in pieces. How in 
tense must be its thirst ! How gladly would it pause a few 
moments at a water-brook, to revive its parched frame, and to 
renovate its strength for further flight ! Of this we may form 
some conception : and it may serve in a measure to convey to 
us an idea of David s thirst after the judgments of his God. 
" O God," says he, " thou art my God ; early will I seek thee: 
my soul thirsteth for thee ; my flesh longeth for thee in a dry 
and thirsty land, where no water is V " My soul longeth, 
yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord : my heart and my 
flesh cry out for the living God c ." "As the hart panteth after 
the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My 
soul thirsteth for God, for the living God. When shall I come 
and appear before God ? My tears have been my meat day and 
night ; while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God d " ?] 

2. An endangered mariner 

[Mariners for the most part are men of great intrepidity : 
but when ready to be overwhelmed in the tempestuous ocean, 
they sink like other men. " When God commandeth, and 
raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves of the sea, 
the mariners mount up to the heaven; they go down again to the 
depths ; their soul is melted because of the trouble. They reel 
to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their 
wit s end e ." Such is the description given of them by God 
himself. But let us take an instance upon record. When 
Paul was " sailing by Crete, there arose a tempestuous wind, 
called Euroclydon ; " and the ship becoming unmanageable, 
" they let her drive;" and " fearing they should fall into the 
quicksands, they strake sail, and so were driven." " Being 
exceedingly tossed with the tempest, they lightened the ship, 
casting out with their own hands the very tackling" which they 
had stowed up for the management of the ship. In this perilous 
condition they continued a whole fortnight, not having taken 
during all that time so much as one regular meal. St. Paul, 
in the immediate prospect of having the ship dashed to pieces, 
and no hope remaining to any of them of safety unless on broken 
pieces of the ship, said to them, c This is the fourteenth day 
that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken 
nothing : wherefore I pray you to take some meat ; for this is 

b Ps.lxiii. 1. c Ps.lxxxiv.2. d Ps.xlii. 1 3. e Ps.cvii.25 27. 



312 PSALMS, CXIX. 20. [698. 

for your health;" he administered to them some bread, and 
then " cast into the sea the very wheat" with which the ship 
was provisioned ; and soon " the ship ran aground, and was 
broken in pieces by the violence of the waves f ." How must 
all this crew have longed for safety ! How must their " soul 
have broken for the longing which they had" to escape from 
their peril ! Yet not even this exceeded the desire which David 
had for the word of God.] 

3. A deserted soul 

[This will come nearer to the point. The feelings of a 
hunted deer or an endangered mariner are merely natural : 
but those of a deserted soul are spiritual, and therefore more 
suited to illustrate those which David speaks of in our text. 
See the state of a deserted soul in Job : " O that my grief 
were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances 
together ! for now it would be heavier than the sand of the 
sea ; therefore my w r ords are swallowed up. For 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 meC Or take the case recorded in the 88th Psalm: 
" 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. Mine eye mourneth by reason of 
affliction. Lord, I have called daily upon thee ; I have 
stretched out my hands unto thee. Lord, why casteth thou 
off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am 
afflicted, and ready to die from my youth up : while I suffer 
thy terrors, I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me ; 
thy terrors have cut me off h ." Here we see what is meant by 
the soul breaking for the longing that it hath after God. And 
there is in this psalm another verse, which, to one who has ever 
felt what it is to have an overwhelming desire after God, will 
convey the true import of my text: " I opened my mouth and 
panted : for I longed for thy commandments 1 ." 

Nor was this a sudden emotion on some extraordinary occa 
sion : no ; it was the constant habit of David s mind : it was 
what he felt " at all times ." " My soul breaketh for the long 
ing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times ^ 

I am aware that this may appear extravagant. 
But we must remember that this expression was not 

f Acts xxvii. 14 41. & Job vi. 2 4. 

h Ps. Ixxxviii. 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16. 

1 ver. 131. This is sadly weakened by Commentators, who inter 
pret it as referring to a person running or oppressed with heat. The 
sigh of one overwhelmed with a desire after God, expresses the very 
thing. 



698.] DAVID S DESIRE AFTER GOD s WORD. 313 

a poetic fiction, but an argument solemnly addressed 
to the heart-searching God. And that it was not 
stronger than the occasion called for, will appear 
whilst I shew you, 

II. The reason of his so longing for God s blessed 
word 

The reasons that might be assigned are number 
less. But I will confine myself to three. He so 
longed for God s word, because, 

1. In it he found God himself 

[In the works of creation somewhat of God may be dis 
cerned ; but it is in his word alone that all his perfections are 
displayed, and all his eternal counsels are made known. In 
this respect, " God has magnified his word above all his name," 
and al the means whereby he has made himself known to 
men k . There he met Jehovah, as Adam met him, amidst the 
trees of the garden in Paradise. There " he walked with God, 
and conversed with him as a friend." There he had such 
" fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ," 
and such " communion with the Holy Ghost," as he could never 
find in any other field, nor ever attain but by meditation on 
the word of God. Can we, then, wonder that he so longed for 
that word, and that his very soul brake for the longing that he 
had for it ? The wonder rather is, that there should be a per 
son upon earth who could have access to that sacred volume, 
and not so value it 

2. From it he obtained all that his necessities re 
quired 

[Did he desire the forgiveness of all his sins ? There he 
found " a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness," a 
fountain capable of washing him from all the guilt he had 
contracted in the matter of Bathsheba and Uriah. In reference 
to those very transactions, and to the efficacy of the atoning 
blood of Christ, he cries, " Purge me with hyssop, and I shall 
be clean ; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow 1 ." Did 
he need direction in difficulty, support in trouble, and strength 
for an unreserved obedience ? There he found it all, and from 
thence derived it in the very hour of need, to the full extent of 
his necessities. Such were the refreshments which he found 
there, that corn and wine and oil, and all the delicacies of the 
universe, could but faintly shadow forth : and thence he derived 
such treasures as were absolutely unsearchable. Can we won 
der, then, that the word of God was, in his estimation, sweeter 

k Ps. cxxxviii. 2. 1 Ps. li. 7. 



314 PSALMS, CXIX. 20. [698. 

than honey and the honey-comb, and infinitely more precious 
than the finest gold m ?] 

3. By it he gained a foretaste of heaven itself 

[The word was to him as Jacob s ladder, by which he held 
intercourse with heaven itself. By it he ascended to Mount 
Pisgah, and surveyed the Promised Land in all its length and 
breadth. In it he beheld his Saviour, as it were, transfigured 
before his eyes, yea, and seated on his throne of glory, sur 
rounded by myriads of saints and angels ; yea, and beheld the 
very throne reserved for himself, and the crown of glory prepared 
for him, and the golden harp already tuned for him to bear his 
part amongst the heavenly choir. 

I forbear to speak more on this subject ; because, if what I 
have already spoken do not justify the language of my text, 
nothing that I can add can be of any weight. Only let any 
person read this psalm, in which no less than one hundred and 
seventy-six times the excellency of the sacred volume is set 
forth in every variety of expression that David could invent ; 
and he will see, that the language of my text was no other 
than what every child of man should both feel and utter.] 

But from all this, who does not SEE 

1 . That religion is not a mere form, but a reality ? 

[Religion, if it be genuine, occupies, not the head, but 
the heart and soul, every faculty of which it controls and 
regulates. Religion is in the soul, what the soul is in the 
body - O that we all felt it so! But indeed, Brethren, 
so it is ; and so it must be, if ever we would enjoy the benefits 
it is intended to convey 

2. That we all have very abundant occasion for 
shame in a review both of our past and present state ? 

[We are not, like the unhappy papists, debarred from 
God s blessed word. The very least and meanest amongst us 
has free access to it, and may read it for himself; yea, and 
derive still greater advantage from it than ever David himself 
reaped ; by reason of the rich additions which have been made 
to it since his day, and the fuller discovery it gives us of God s 
mind and will. Yet how many of us read it not at all, or only 
in a formal cursory manner, without any such feeling as that 
which is expressed in my text ! My dear Brethren, we suffer 
loss, exceeding great loss, by our negligence in this respect. 
Did we but read the word, and meditate on it day and night, 
and pray over it, and converse with God by it, what might we 
not obtain, and what might we not enjoy ? Well I leave it, 
with " commending you to God and to the word of his grace, 

m Ps. xix. 10. 



699.] CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 315 

which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance 
among all them which are sanctified"." Certain I am that "it 
is profitable for all that your souls can desire ;" and that if you 
improve it aright, it shall render you perfect, thoroughly fur 
nished unto all good works ," and shall " make you wise unto 
salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus p ."] 

n Acts xx. 32. 2 Tim. iii. 17. P 2 Tim. iii. 15. 

DCXCIX. 

CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 

Ps. cxix. 30 32. I have chosen the way of truth : thy judg 
ments have I laid before me. I have stuck unto thy testi 
monies : O Lord, put me not to shame ! I will run the way 
of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. 

EVERY thing which has an aspect of egotism is 
for the most part to be avoided ; or, at all events, it 
should be entered upon with extreme care, and be 
relinquished as soon as the occasion for it has ceased. 
Yet, whilst this rule is proper for private Christians, 
we have reason to be thankful that the Inspired 
Writers were under no necessity of submitting to it ; 
but that, on the contrary, they were constrained, by 
the powerful motions of the Holy Spirit, to record 
the secret workings of their hearts, and to develop 
the principles by which they were actuated in the 
divine life. What a treasure has in this view been 
committed to us in the Psalms of David ! In him we 
see what is the experience of God s saints in every 
age. In the very words which we have just read we 
may behold a Christian s mind : 

I. His retrospective testimony 

We may take the words as declaring, 
1. His deliberate choice 

[Whatever was his state in former life, he is now become 
a new creature : his former sins and errors he has utterly re 
nounced ; and has determinately embraced the truth of God, 
even that truth which God has revealed in the Gospel of his 
Son. He knows that, as a sinner, he is justly obnoxious to 
God s heavy displeasure ; and that there is no hope for him, 
but in that Saviour who died for him upon the cross 
Hence, with the fullest conviction of his mind and the most 



316 PSALMS, CXIX. 3032. [699. 

deliberate purpose of his soul, has he " fled for refuge to Christ, 
and laid hold on him as his only hope."] 

2. The means by which he seeks to effect his end 
[The written word of God is regarded by him as the only 

ground of his faith, and the only rule of his practice. The 
promises contained in it he treasures up in his mind, for the 
encouragement of his soul ; and the precepts, as a sure direc 
tory. The Sacred Volume is to him what the chart and compass 
are to the mariner : nor will he ever pass a day without con 
sulting it, to ascertain the state of his soul, and the course that 
he shall pursue.] 

3. The exertions made by him in the prosecution 
of his purpose 

[No sooner did he turn to God in earnest, than he found 
allurements, on the one hand, to draw him from the Lord ; and 
menaces, on the other hand, to drive him from his God. But 
his conscience bears him witness, that " he has stuck unto God s 
testimonies," and " cleaved unto the Lord with full purpose of 
heart." True, the conflict yet continues, yea, and requires the 
utmost exertions of his soul : but still he is steadfast and im- 
moveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord : assured 
that, at last, his labour shall not be in vain in the Lord."] 

Conformable with his past experience is also, 
II. His prospective determination- 
He feels, indeed, that God alone can uphold him 

[This is strongly expressed in that prayer, " O Lord, put 
me not to shame ! " In vain would be all his own efforts, if he 
were not aided from on high. Soon would he fall, and make 
shipwreck of his faith, and " be put utterly to shame," if God 
should withdraw from him for one single moment. He feels 
himself like an infant in its mother s arms, and cries to God 
continually, " Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." He 
laments that in his own heart he is narrow and contracted, and 
incapable of either devising or executing such plans as may 
advance his spiritual welfare in the way that he could wish. 
He seems to himself like a ship that is becalmed ; and which, 
for want of winds to carry him forward, is in danger of being- 
diverted from his path by currents which he is unable to with 
stand. Hence he prays to God for such communications of 
his Holy Spirit as shall fill his sails, and bear him onward to 
his destined port. And,] 

In dependence on God, he determines to redouble 
his exertions till he has attained the great object of 
his desires 



()99.1 CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE. 317 

[He is not contented to " walk" in the ways of God : no; 
he would " run ;" he would " run, and not be weary; he would 
march onward, and not faint." He considers himself as engaged 
in a race : and he sees his course clearly marked in the com 
mandments of his God. Hence he determines, that " when 
God shall enlarge his heart, he will run with all his might, and 
never stop till the prize shall be accorded to him. Whatever 
advance he may have made, " he forgets what is behind, and 
reaches forward to that which is before, and presses on for the 
prize of his high calling" with increased zeal. He determines 
that nothing shall abate his ardour, or for a moment divert him 
from his path. Thus he runs the race that is set before him ; 
and determines, through grace, " so to run it, that he may 
obtain the prize."] 
Let me now ADD a few words, 

1. Of congratulation, to those who can adopt this 
language 

[I do hope that some amongst you are like-minded with 
David in these particulars ; and that, if you have not attained 
his eminence in the divine life, you are yet truly and habitually 
following his steps. Shall I not, then, say to you, as Moses 
did to Israel of old, " Happy art thou, O Israel ! who is like 
unto thee, O people saved by the Lord a ?" Truly, in compa 
rison of you, the greatest, wisest, noblest of mankind are in a 
poor and low condition. In you the end of your creation has 
been answered ; yea, and the end of your redemption too. 
In you God delights ; yea, he regards you as his peculiar 
treasure. On you the very angels before the throne account 
it an honour to wait, as your ministering servants : and for you 
are prepared crowns and kingdoms that shall never fade away. 
Was Mary commended by our Lord for having chosen the good 
part ? and was she assured that it should never be taken away 
from her? The same commendation is yours, and the same 
assurance is yours also. I do, then, from my soul congratulate 
you, however pitiable in other respects your condition may be ; 
and, in the name of my Divine Master, I say for your en 
couragement, " Be not weary in well-doing ; for in due season 
you shall reap, if you faint not."] 

2. Of reproof, to those who are yet strangers to 
this heavenly experience 

[What have you been doing all your days, that you have 
never yet made this choice ? Are the ways of the world equal 
in any respect to the way of truth ? Are they as reasonable 
in themselves? Are they as conducive to the best interests of 
man ? or will they prove so happy in their issue ? Compare 

a Deut. xxxiii. 29. 



318 PSALMS, CXIX. 34. [700. 

the things which tempt you from the testimonies of the Lord, 
with the loss which they will occasion, and the evils which they 
will entail upon you. You may now, perhaps, justify the pre 
ference which you give to sin : but say whether you will not 
one day be ashamed of it ? Say whether, in that hour when 
you shall be bidden to depart from your Saviour s presence, 
and to take your portion for ever in a lake of fire, you will not 
be ashamed of the choice which you have now so unwisely made, 
and of the hopes which you now so presumptuously cherish? 
Peradventure you now laugh at the idea of an enlargement 
of heart, and deride the course to which it leads : but will you 
do so in that day? Will you not rather lament that you 
followed the course of this world, instead of prosecuting the 
ways which lead to heaven? I would say then to you, " Seek 
now the Lord whilst he may be found, and call upon him whilst 
he is near." There is no repentance in the grave, nor any 
reversing of the sentence that shall soon be passed upon you. 
Begin, then, the course which David ran, and prosecute it with 
the ardour that filled his soul. So shall you possess with him 
the joy that is set before you, and inherit to all eternity the 
rest that remaineth for the people of God.] 

DCC. 

WISDOM OF TRUE PIETY. 

Ps. cxix. 34. Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy 
law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart. 

A SPIRITUAL discernment essentially differs 
from the mere exercise of our intellectual powers. 
A man may have the richest stores of human know 
ledge, and the most discriminating faculty in various 
branches of science, and yet be under the dominion, 
the allowed dominion, of his own lusts and passions. 
But spiritual knowledge is always accompanied with 
gracious dispositions : and for the sake of its prac 
tical effects alone is it to be desired. This appears 
from what St. Paul says respecting the intercessions 
which he continually offered before God in the behalf 
of his Colossian converts : " We do not cease/ says 
he, "to pray for you, and to desire that ye may be 
filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and 
spiritual understanding ; that ye may walk worthy of 
the Lord unto all pleasing*" In a foregoing part of 
a Col. i. 9, 10. 



700.] WISDOM OF TRUE PIETY. 319 

this psalm it might seem, as if knowledge alone had 
been the end for which David desired a spiritual illu 
mination : " Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold 
wondrous things out of thy law." But we see in our 
text, that he had far other ends in view : he longed 
for knowledge, only that he might have his soul the 
more enlarged by it to run the way of God s com 
mandments : " Give me understanding, and I shall keep 
thy law ; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart." 

From these words we will take occasion to shew, 
I. How true wisdom will operate 

The provisional engagement which David entered 
into was no other than what must necessarily result 
from an answer to his petition. If God give to any 
of us a spiritual understanding, we shall immediately 
begin, 

1. To keep his law 

[Whatever God has revealed will be a law unto us. Has 
he bidden us repent ? We shall humble ourselves before him 
in dust and ashes - Has he enjoined us to believe in his 

dear Son? We shall receive him into our hearts, and embrace 
him as all our salvation and all our desire - Has he com 

manded us to obey his precepts ? We shall endeavour to search 
out his will, and to conform ourselves to it in all things 
Whatever temptations may assault us, we shall not suffer them 
to turn us aside from the path of duty. Whatever opposition 
we may have to encounter, we shall hold on our way, deter 
mined to keep God s law, yea, to " keep it to the end h ." This 
alone is true wisdom ; yea, this is the first beginning of wis 
dom in the soul d .] 

2. To observe it with our whole hearts 

[There are two things which a spiritual understanding will 
most assuredly teach us, namely, the beauty and excellency of 
God s law, and the folly of rendering to it a merely partial 
obedience. 

To an unenlightened mind many of God s commands appear 
absurd : and men are ready to say of them, " This is a hard 
saying; who can hear it?" But, in the view of one who is 
taught of God, "there is no commandment grievous:" the 
scope of every thing which God has spoken, is, to produce the 
present and eternal happiness of his creatures : the language of 
every injunction is, Be holy, be happy To attempt to 
lower any command to the standard of man s opinion, or of our 

b ver. 112. c Job xxviii. 28. d Ps. cxi. 10. 



320 PSALMS, CXTX. 34. [700. 

own wishes, is seen to be the most horrible infatuation : for, if 
we can deceive man, we cannot deceive God : " TO HIM all 
things are naked and open." As he knows the extent of his 
own commands, so he knows the precise measure of obedience 
which we pay to them: " He weighs," not our actions only, 
but " our spirits" also. 

Hence a partial obedience is the same kind of folly as if a 
man should request permission to take a poisoned cup, because 
it was sweet ; or as if he should shut his eyes, and say, that no 
man can see him. Convinced of this, he begs of God to " put 
truth in his inward parts," and desires to be " an Israelite 
indeed, in whom is no guile."] 

As from a root which is acknowledged to be good 
we may anticipate a corresponding produce, so from 
fruit that is excellent we may infer with certainty 
the goodness of the root. In proof of this we will 
proceed to shew, 

II. Wherein its operation will approve itself to every 

reflecting mind 

The observing of God s law with our whole hearts 
necessarily evinces the existence of true wisdom in 
the soul ; because, 

1. It is consonant with right reason 

[What is disobedience, but a preferring of the creature to 
God, the body to the soul, and time to eternity ? And will 
any one say that this is reasonable, or that it has even a shadow 
of reason in it? Reason requires the very reverse of this : and 
the yielding up of our soul and body to God, as a living sacri 
fice, is expressly called " a reasonable service 6 ." If we consider 
ourselves only as the work of God s hands, this kind of service 
is reasonable : but, if we consider ourselves as redeemed by the 
blood of God s only dear Son, it is infinitely more reasonable : 
for, " having been bought with a price, we are not our own, but 
are bound to glorify God with our bodies and our spirits, which 
are God s."] 

2. It is conducive to our best interests 

[We will concede, for argument sake, all that the slaves 
of pleasure can say in its behalf; yea, we will concede ten times 
more than its most infatuated votary ever ventured to assert : 
but, having done this, we will ask, What good will it all do you 
in a dying hour, and at the bar of judgment? "Godliness," 
we are told, " is profitable unto all things, having the promise 
of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." But of 
ungodliness no such thing can be asserted. Granting, that the 
e Rom. xii. 1. 



WISDOM OF TRUE PIETY. 



700.] 

ungodliness may be of the least offensive kind : yea, that it shall 
be so specious, as to assume the appearance, and to gain from 
many the applause, of piety ; still we ask, ^hat will it avail in 
the day that God shall judge the world? But it is not true, 
that the pleasures of sin are so great or so satisfactory. On the 
contrary, there is no comparison between the peace that flows 
from piety, and the gratifications that result from any criminal 
indulgence. " The work of righteousness is peace ;" but " the 
way of transgressors is hard." And, as to the eternal world, 
there can be no doubt Inasmuch then as piety is most 
consonant with right reason, and most conducive to our best 
interests, it approves itself, beyond a possibility of doubt, the 
genuine offspring of true wisdom.] 

ADDRESS 

1. Those who live in the allowed violation of any 
one commandment 

[The world may count you wise : yea, " if you are doing 
well unto yourselves, (that is, are advancing your own temporal 
interests,) all men will speak well of you f ." But what does God 
say of you ? " They have forsaken the word of the Lord ; and 
what wisdom is in them g ?" Ah ! what indeed? To the rich 
man, whose heart was elated with his temporal prospects, God 
said, " Thou fool : " and no better character will he assign to 
you. Think only with what an eye the heart-searching God 
beholds you ; or what the angels think of your conduct ; or 
what you yourselves will think of it in a little time ; and you 
will be at no loss to form a right estimate of it. If you would 
be truly wise in God s estimation, your obedience to him must 
be uniform and unreserved 11 .] 

2. Those who profess to be endued with true 
wisdom 

[If " God have given us an understanding," then we must 
evidence it by the purity of our hearts and lives. But many 
there are, who can talk very fluently and speciously about reli 
gion, who yet are very far from being wise in the sight of God. 
Hear the judgment of God himself on this subject: " Who is 
a wise man, and endued with knowledge among you? let him 
shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of 
wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts 
(and these are no uncommon inmates with the professors of 
religion), glory not, and lie not against the truth." (Let proud, 
conceited, and contentious professors hear this ; They are 
" liars against the truth.") This wisdom descendeth not from 
above ; but is earthly, sensual, devilish. " But the wisdom 
that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to 

f Ps. xlix. 18. Jer. viii. 9. h Matt. vii. 24 27. Dent. iv. 6. 
VOL. VI. Y 



PSALMS, CXTX. 37. [701. 

be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, 
and without hypocrisy 1 ." Here is the test of true wisdom ; 
here is the evidence of a sound understanding. The man that 
is destitute of these gracious tempers, is in darkness even until 
now : but the man who from love to Christ is enabled to live in 
the habitual exercise of them, has surely an understanding 
heart, and is made wise unto salvation.] 

1 Jam. iii. 1317. 

DCCI. 

THE VANITIES OF THIS WORLD AN OBSTACLE TO SPIRITUAL 
PROGRESS. 

Ps. cxix. 37. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity ; 
and quicken thou me in thy way. 

THE depths of the human heart are never more 
plainly disclosed, than when a man comes into the 
presence of his Maker. Then he opens all his wants, 
and supplicates relief for all his necessities. The 
godly man at a throne of grace knows no dissimu 
lation, no concealment, no false humility. What he 
speaks, (if he be in a right state) he feels. Let us 
then draw nigh, and listen to the breathings of holy 
David. He felt the ensnaring influence of worldly 
things, and the lamentable tendency of fallen man to 
relax his efforts in the service of his God : hence he 
poured out his soul in this humble supplication ; 
" Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity ; and 
quicken thou me in thy way." 

That we may all be stirred up to implore similar 
blessings at the hands of God, we propose to shew, 
I. The fascinating power of earthly vanities 

By the word "vanity," we understand all those 
things which are apt to engross the affections of car 
nal men. The Apostle classes them all under " the 
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of 
life :" and they all justly deserve the name assigned 
them in the text, because they are sure to disappoint 
the desires and expectations of all, who look to them 
for any solid or permanent satisfaction. 

These things altogether captivate and enslave the 
minds of the generality 



701.] HINDRANCE OF WORLDLY VANITIES. 323 

[The natural man seeks nothing above them. His mind is 
not occupied with any thing above them. He " is in the flesh; " 
he " walks according to the flesh," " fulfilling the desires of 
the flesh and of the mind." His " affections are altogether set 
upon things below, and not on things above." His thoughts, 
his conversation, his labours from day to day, all arise from, 
and terminate in, the things of time and sense: and from 
these things alone spring all his hopes and fears, his joys and 
sorrows ] 

These things also have great power over those 
who profess godliness 

[So our Lord has told us in the parable of the Sower. 
The thorny-ground hearers have made, in appearance at least, 
a great proficiency in religion. They have far surpassed the 
stony-ground hearers, who yet have heard the word with joy, 
and given many cheering and hopeful promises of a future 
harvest. They have been long established, and brought forth 
much which both the} and others have deemed estimable fruit : 
but yet, " through the cares of this world, and the deceitful- 
ness of riches, and the lust of other things, the seed that has 
grown up in them is choked, and they bring forth no fruit to 
perfection." 

Even persons truly and deeply pious are in great danger 
from them; else why did our blessed Lord caution even his own 
immediate disciples in those memorable words, " Take heed to 
yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with 
surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that 
day come upon you unawares a ." There is yet an earthly and 
sensual spirit dwelling in the best of us, and working power 
fully to counteract the better dictates of our new man b : and he 
knows little of his own heart, who does not see and bewail his 
own proneness to look back again after the flesh-pots of Egypt.] 

But whilst we point out thus the danger of earthly 
vanities, we would point out also,, 
II. The way to escape their baneful influence 

We should set a guard upon all our senses 

[The senses are inlets to all manner of evil. Alas! alas! 
how often has the mind been contaminated by what it has 
either seen or heard ! If it were no more than what we have 
read in books, or heard in conversation, that was calculated to 
encourage a worldly spirit, we should all feel abundant reason 
to lament, that we have not been sufficiently on our guard 
against the admission of bad impressions on the mind. But 
the vilest lusts have found an entrance into the heart by these 

a Luke xxi. 34. *> Gal. v. 17. 



324 PSALMS, CXiX. 37. [701. 

avenues. Some have found to their cost, that one sinful idea, 
which they have either seen in a book or picture, or heard in 
conversation, has abode with them through life, when they have 
greatly desired to forget it ; whilst hundreds of sermons which 
they would have been glad to have remembered, have passed 
from their minds like the early cloud. Behold David, the man 
after God s own heart; what reason had he to curse the day 
that he ever looked upon Bathsheba ! - What reason too 
had Solomon s fool to lament that ever he listened to the voice 
of the enchanting adulteress ! It is not without reason that 
Solomon advises us not to look upon the wine when sparkling 
in the glass d . We must resist the very first entrance of sin 
into the soul ; for it will operate like fire on a house of wood. 
Alas! " how great a matter does a little fire kindle 6 !" Its 
progress is very rapid : and who shall stop the conflagration, 
when once it is begun ? " When lust hath conceived, it bringeth 
forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death f ." 
We exhort all then, like Solomon, to make a covenant with 
their eyes, and with their ears also, yea, and with the very 
imaginations of their heart; that neither their corporealnor intel 
lectual eyes become ministers of sin, or traitors to their souls.] 

We should cry earnestly to God for his effectual 
grace 

[God does and will preserve his people from evil, if they 
cry unto him. We should therefore call upon him both for his 
preventing and his quickening grace : we should pray, as David, 
" Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken 
thou me in thy way." 

There are many ways in which God will turn away our eyes 
" from beholding vanity." He will, if we are really seeking it 
at his hands, keep temptation from us. And how much we are 
all indebted to him for this, we shall never know, till we come 
to the bar of judgment, and have all his mercies unfolded to our 
view. Thousands of our fellow-creatures, who were once as 
respectable in every point of view as ourselves, have in an hour 
of temptation so fallen, as to destroy all their own honour and 
happiness through life. And why have not we done the 
same ? Are we sure that we, if subjected to the same tempta 
tions as they, should not have done the same ? Oh ! if we 
are wise, we shall cry day and night, " Lead us not into 
temptation." But there are many other ways in which God 
can, and does, impart the same blessing. Perhaps he lays some 
affliction upon our loins, and visits us with some personal or 
domestic calamity. We are apt on such occasions to complain of 
the affliction ; whereas, if we saw from what evils, the visitation 

c Prov. vii. 623. d Prov. xxiii. 31, 32. 

e Jam. iii. 5. f Jam. i. 15. 



701.] HINDRANCE OF WORLDLY VANITIES. 325 

was sent to deliver us, we should be adoring God for it as 
the richest of all mercies. Let our distress be either in body 
or mind, who will not bless God for it, if it be the means of 
weakening the influence of worldly objects on his soul, and of 
keeping his eyes from beholding vanity ? 

But, in addition to this, we should cry to him also for his 
quickening grace. However active we may be in the pursuit of 
earthly things, we all are too sluggish in our heavenly course. 
Nine times in this psalm does David cry, " Quicken me!" and 
ninety times nine do we need to renew the petition every day 
of our lives. Beg of God then to shew you more and more 
clearly the excellency of " his way" (even of that salvation 
which Christ has wrought out for us ), and the blessed 
ness of the end to which it leads. This will quicken us more 
than any thing else. Let us see the excellency of a life of 
faith ; and that will make us despise the things of sense. Let 
us also get Pisgah views of the land of Canaan ; and we shall 
value nothing that can be offered us in this dreary wilderness. 
Look at Christ as the way, and Christ as the end ; and you will 
soon " cast away the besetting sins that impede you," and 
" run with alacrity the race that is set before you g ."] 
ADDRESS 

1. Young people 

[Greatly do you need to offer the petition in our text. 
O! bear in mind what is the true character of earthly things: 
they are "vanity" altogether -Bear in mind your 

danger from them : they will ensnare, and, if the snare be not 
broken, destroy, your souls - Bear in mind your need of 
divine grace to counteract their influence. It is God only that 
can preserve you : and, if not preserved by him, you will fall 
and perish 

2. Those who make a profession of godliness 
[Think not that you are above temptation. Satan tempted 

even our blessed Lord himself, by " shewing him all the king 
doms of the world, and the glory of them." And you will he 
tempt in like manner. Nor imagine that you may not fall : 
for Demas was as eminent as any of you, and yet fell at last, 
through love of this present world h . In every Church the sad 
effect of worldly and carnal lusts is seen. You yourselves see 
it in others. O, beware lest it be seen in you also. It is your 
duty, and your happiness, to "be crucified unto the world, 
and to have the world crucified unto you 1 ." You may use this 
world, if God have given it to you ; but you must " so use it, 
as not to abuse it; k " and so flee from all occasions of evil, that 
you may be "found of God at last without spot, and blameless 1 ."] 

Heb. xii. 1,2. h 2 Tim. iv. 10. with Col. iv. 14. and Phil. 24. 
1 Gal. vi. 14. k 1 Cor. vii. 2931. J 2 Pet. iii. 14. 



326 PSALMS, CXIX. 45. [702. 

DCCII. 

TRUE LIBERTY. 

Ps. cxix. 45. / will walk at liberty ; for I seek thy precepts. 

JUSTLY as civil liberty is appreciated amongst 
us, there are but few who have just conceptions of 
that liberty which has respect to morality and reli 
gion. Every one knows that unrestrained liberty is 
licentiousness : but every one does not know, that a 
perfect obedience to God s Holy Word is the most 
perfect liberty that man can enjoy. This, however, 
is plainly intimated in the passage before us ; from 
whence I shall take occasion to shew, 
I. That the ungodly are strangers to true liberty 

They will boast of liberty, and " promise it to all 
who will conform to their ways ; but they are alto 
gether in a state of bondage a :" 

1. To the world 

[The tastes of men differ, according to their age and to 
the sphere in which they move : but all of every age and every 
rank are subject to the laws of custom, which they dare not to 
infringe. Even the religion of men must be conformed to this 
standard ; and God s commandments must be reduced to the 
scale which men have established for the regulation of their 
own lives. If one be told what God requires, he immediately 
bethinks himself, l What will this person say, or that person 
do, if I comply with requisitions so foreign to the habits of 
those around me ? Will they not deride my singularity, and 
set themselves to oppose my insufferable preciseness? To 
justify their conduct, men put the Scriptures altogether aside, 
as an antiquated volume, the dictates of which are superseded 
by the wiser and more practicable maxims of fashion and 
" philosophy, falsely so called." Yes : of all unconverted men 
it is declared, that they " walk according to the course of this 
world b ," and " gaze strangely at any who presume to choose 
for themselves a holier path ."] 

2. To the flesh- 

[There are different degrees in which men yield to the 
impulse of their corrupt appetites : but every man has " a law 
in his members warring against the law of his mind, and 
bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his 

a 2 Pet. ii. 19. b Eph. ii. 2. c 1 Pet. iv. 4. 



702.] TRUE LIBERTY. 327 

members d ." In fact, there is not any one so ignorant, but 
that even his unenlightened reason prescribes to him a better 
path than he pursues. Let us look around, and see what are 
the dispositions and habits of all around us. Are not all 
" fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind 6 ," without 
affecting any thing higher than the gratification of their own 
corrupt appetites ? We are told, that " they who are after 
the flesh, do mind the things of the flesh f :" and we know, 
from infallible authority, that to whomsoever we yield ourselves 
servants to obey, his servants we are to whom we obey g ." 
In truth, even to our dying hour will our conflicts with this 
tyrannical master continue ; for even St. Paul himself com 
plained, " O wretched man that I am ! Who shall deliver me 
from the body of this death 11 ?"] 

3. To the Devil 

[Well is Satan called " the god of this world : for he 
worketh in all the children of disobedience 1 ." Ever since he 
prevailed over our first parents in Paradise, he has subjected 
the whole race of man to his dominion, " taking them in his 
snares, and leading them captive at his willV That men deny 
the agency, and even the existence of this great adversary, is 
only a proof to what an extent they are " blinded by him 1 ," 
and how effectually he has lulled them to sleep in his very 
arms" 1 . Doubtless it is very humiliating to think of ourselves 
as his vassals : but this is the true state of every unconverted 
man ; and even the saints themselves are not delivered from 
his influence, but through the mighty power of Jehovah him 
self, given in answer to fervent and believing prayer".] 

But the Psalmist s mention of liberty leads us more 
particularly to shew, 
II. What sweet enjoyments they have of it who love 

and serve their God- 
David accounted the service of his God to be per 
fect freedom. And so, indeed, it is : for the man 
whom "the truth of the Gospel has made free ," 
and who "looks to God s precepts " as his only rule 
of conduct, he, I say, walks, 

1. According to the dictates of his own judgment 

[He has an insight into the mind and will of God, and 
clearly discerns that there is not, in all the Holy Scriptures, 

d Rom. vii. 23. e Eph. ii. 3. f Rom. viii. 5. 

s Rom. vi. 16. h Rom. vii. 24. * Eph. ii. 2. 

k 2 Tim. ii. 26. 2 Cor. iv. 4. m Luke xi. 21. 

n Eph. vi. 12 18. Jam. iv. 7. Rom. xvi. 20. John viii. 32. 



328 PSALMS, CXIX. 45. [702. 

a command which does not conduce to the happiness of all 
who obey it. His own mind and conscience go along with the 
word of God, and set their seal to the truth and excellency of 
every thing contained in it. " Not one commandment appears 
to him to be grievous P:" the whole law of God is esteemed 
by him as " holy, and just, and good q ." To " love God with 
all his heart and soul and strength, and his neighbour as him 
self," does not appear to him any hardship imposed upon him, 
but the perfection of his nature and completion of his felicity : 
so that he would on no account have one atom of this law can 
celled, or mitigated in the least degree. His own judgment 
tells him that it is no less his privilege, than it is his duty, to 
be " holy, as God is holy ;" and " perfect, as his Father who 
is in heaven is perfect."] 

2. Agreeably to the inclination of his own will 

[He is neither drawn nor driven against his own will. 
He is, indeed, " made willing in the day of God s power 1 ;" but 
" he is drawn with the cords of a man, and with the bands of 
love 8 ." He does not, indeed, all that he w r ould ; yea, in too 
many respects he does what he would not t :" but this very 
thing shews that it is rather strength than inclination that he 
wants u . Could he have but the desire of his heart, he would 
leave no sin unmortified, no duty unfulfilled. He is in the 
situation of one who is running a race, or " fighting a fight :" 
had he but his will accomplished, his every antagonist would 
be vanquished in a moment, and " death itself, his last enemy, 
be swallowed up in victory."] 

3. In an unbiassed exercise of his own affections 

[He has a real delight in God. He does not observe the 
duties of prayer and praise through the fear of hell, but from 
a real pleasure which he feels in drawing nigh to God, whom 
it is his privilege to call by the endearing name of Father, and 
in communion with whom he would gladly walk all the day 
long. Conceive of Adam before his fall ; and there you have 
an image of those who, through the tender mercy of God, are 
restored. True, they still have " the flesh lusting against the 
Spirit, as well as the Spirit lusting against the flesh ; so that 
they neither do, nor can do, all that they would x :" but their 
taste is the very same with that of angels ; and the felicity of 
angels is begun in them : for their life, so far as they have really 
attained, is both a preparation for heaven, and a foretaste also 
of heaven, in their souls.] 

P 1 John v. 3. i Rom. vii. 12. andPs. cxix. 128. 

r Ps. ex. 3. s Hos. xi. 4. * Rom. vii. 15. 

u Rom. vii. 1C 20. x Gal. v.17. 



703.] COMFORT UNDER PERSECUTION. 329 

Let me then, in CONCLUSION, commend this liberty 
to your acceptance 

[Think not, my Brethren, that the Gospel is a mere sys 
tem of restraints : no, it is a "perfect law of liberty 7 :" and 
" all who are made free by Christ, are become free indeed 2 ." 
O that religion were but understood in this view ! No captive 
would more delight to shake off his chains, than sinners would 
to emancipate themselves from the sore bondage in which they 
are held. Know then, Brethren, that I am authorised, in the 
name of Jesus Christ, to " preach deliverance to the captives, 
and the opening of the prison to them that are bruised a ." The 
jubilee trumpet now sounds in your ears, and proclaims to you 
a restoration to all that you have ever lost and forfeited. Did 
not the poor slave, think you, when called to resume his liberty 
and his inheritance, account the trumpet a joyful sound? Let 
the Gospel, then, be such a sound to you : and, instead of re 
garding God s service as a hard bondage, adopt the language of 
the Psalmist : " I will walk at liberty ; for I seek thy precepts." 
" Take upon you the yoke of Christ, and I pledge myself that 
you shall find it light and easy ; and you shall obtain everlast 
ing rest unto your souls V] 

y James i. 25. z John viii. 36. a Luke iv. 18, 19. 

b Matt. xi. 28, 29. 

DCCIII. 

COMFORT UNDER PERSECUTION. 

Ps. cxix. 51, 52. The proud have had me greatly in derision ; 
yet have I not declined from thy Law. I remembered thy 
judgments of old, O Lord ; and have comforted myself. 

THERE is not, throughout the whole Scriptures, 
any woe so little feared, so little thought of, so little 
credited, as that which was denounced by our blessed 
Lord, " Woe unto you, when all men shall speak 
well of you a ! " But, in truth, there is no denunciation 
more certain to be executed than that : for there is 
nothing that can more infallibly prove us to be the 
enemies of God, than the approbation and love of an 
ungodly world. If it be asked, Whence this should 
be ? I answer, that " the things which are highly 
esteemed amongst men are an abomination in the 
sight of God ; and that the things which are pleasing 
to God are no less an abomination in the sight of 
a Luke vi. 2C. 



330 PSALMS, CXIX. 51, 52. [703. 

men : and consequently, that, whichever of the two 
we serve, we must of necessity lose the favour of the 
other. This is what our blessed Lord has told us : 
" Ye cannot serve God and mammon ; " ye cannot ad 
here to either without despising and renouncing the 
other b . And the truth of this has been exemplified 
in all the saints, from the time of Abel to the present 
moment. What David speaks respecting his own 
experience of it, will lead me to consider, 
I. The trials he endured 

He was held greatly in derision by his ungodly 
subjects 

[If any one could have escaped contempt, we should have 
supposed that David would be the happy man. His rank in 
society, as the king of Israel ; his extraordinary prowess in 
arms ; the services he had rendered to his country ; and the 
marvellous sublimity of his piety, must, we should have thought, 
have rendered him an object of universal love and admiration. 
But, amongst his proud and envious subjects, this last quality 
neutralized, as it were, all his merits, and reduced him to an 
object of hatred and contempt. The highest people in his 
kingdom delighted to speak against him c ; whilst the lowest 
readily joined in their opprobrious treatment of him d . The fat 
bulls of Bashan on the one hand, and the dogs on the other, 
compassed him about 6 , and treated him with every species of 
indignity. Even his own wife, who should have been ready 
to stem the torrent of abuse that was cast upon him, herself 
joined in it with peculiar malignity f ; and the very best actions 
of his life were made the chief subjects of their profane raillery g . 
And let not this be thought a light affliction. Truly it is pain 
ful to flesh and blood to bear such contemptuous treatment: 
so, at least, the Apostle represents it in the Epistle to the 
Hebrews 11 ; and so David himself found it to be : " Have mercy 
upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us ! " says he : " for we are 
exceedingly filled with contempt : our soul is exceedingly filled 
with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the con 
tempt of the proud 1 / ] 

And can we hope to escape a similar trial ? 

[Look at the saints from the beginning, and find one that 
ever escaped it ? How contemptuously did the scoffers of the 
antediluvian world ridicule the conduct of Noah, all the time 

b Matt. vi. 24. c ver. 23. d Ps. Ixix. 12. 

e Ps. xxii. 12, 16. f 2 Sam. vi. 20. 

s 2 Sam. vi. 16. and Ps. Ixix. 1012. h Heb. x. 32, 33. 
1 Ps. cxxiii. 3, 4. 



703.] COMFORT UNDER PERSECUTION. 331 

that he was preparing the ark k ! What an object of derision, 
too, was Isaac, on account of his confidence in God 1 ! Behold 
Lot also in Sodom m , and Elisha" and Jeremiah in Israel: or 
rather, look at our blessed Lord himself, and all his holy 
Apostles ; what was there too contemptuous for the ungodly 

to say either of him p or them q ? How, then, can any 

one hope to escape in the present day? Is " the carnal mind 
less at enmity with God" now, than in former ages? That 
the laws of the land protect the godly to a certain degree, is 
true ; but from the shafts of calumny and contempt, no laws, 
whether divine or human, can protect us : and this species of 
persecution, at least, shall every one experience, who will come 
out from the world, and boldly declare himself to be on the side 
of Christ r . " If they called the Master of the house Beelzebub, 
much more will they those of his household 8 ."] 

For our direction, then, let us contemplate, 
II. The graces he exercised 

Whilst he bore his trials with patience, he suffered 
none of them to divert him from the path of duty 

[David s mind was too firmly fixed on God to be moved 
by the scoffs and raillery of a profane world. What he did, he 
did from principle. He regarded God s Law as a rule from 
which no trial whatever should induce him to depart. Not only 
would he not turn back from the path of duty ; he would not 
turn aside from it, no, not for a moment. The more contemp 
tuously he was treated by men, the more diligently he sought 
communion with his God, in the study of his blessed word 4 , 
and in the exercise of fervent prayer u . Hence, when he and 
his people were treated with the utmost possible scorn and 
derision, he could appeal to God in the following triumphant 
language : " All this is come upon us ; yet have we not for 
gotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant : our 
heart is not turned back ; neither have our steps declined from 
thy ways*."] 

And such, also, is the firmness which we should 
manifest 

[It should be with us " a small matter to be judged of 
man s judgment y ." We should have but one object, and that 
is, to approve ourselves to God ; and, having " the testimony 
of our consciences that we have pleased him," we should not 

k 2 Pet. iii. 36. Gen. xxi. 6. with Gal. iv. 29. 

m 2 Pet. ii. 7, 8. n 2 Kings ii. 23. Jer. xx. 7. 

P Matt.xxvii.39 44. 1 1 Cor. iv. 13. r John xv. 19. 

s Matt. x. 25. t ver . 23, 24. u Ps. Ixix. 13. 

x Ps. xliv. 1318. with Ixix. 20. y 1 Cor. iv. 3. 



332 PSALMS, CXIX. 51, 52. [703. 

lay to heart the displeasure of others, however contemptuously 
or virulently it may be displayed. Onward we should go in 
our destined path, not turning either to the right hand or to 
the left. If the whole world should deride us, we should not 
be induced either to do any thing which will offend our God, 
or to forbear any thing which will honour him. That they 
" hate our light," and are offended at it, is no reason at all why 
we should " put it under a bushel:" whoever they may be, 
whether friends or foes, our reply to them should be, " I will 
yet be more vile than thus 2 ."] 

Nor will this be very difficult, when once we have 
tasted of, 
III. The consolations he enjoyed 

In the recollection of " God s judgments of old, he 
comforted himself "- 

[The term "judgments" has in the Scriptures a great 
variety of meanings. In the psalm before us it seems to im 
port the declarations and decisions of Jehovah. Now God, in 
his word, has abundantly declared that such treatment is to 
be expected, and that it is, to those who suffer it, a token for 
good: " The just upright man is laughed to scorn. He that is 
ready to slip \vith his feet, is as a lamp despised in the thought 
of him that is at ease 3 ." A lamp burning bright in a dark place 
is an object of high regard ; but when it is so burnt down that 
the flame is quivering on the wick, and almost extinct, it is 
regarded rather as an object of disgust. And such is the light 
in which even the best of worldly men are viewed, when once 
God is pleased to convert them to himself: they are no longer 
welcomed as friends to exhilarate and enliven their companions, 
but are lothed rather, as the bane of social happiness. In God s 
estimation, however, they are proportionably exalted ; and are 
taught to consider " the reproach of Christ as greater riches than 
all the treasures of Egypt h ." In the view of these things, the 
Psalmist " comforted himself ;" saying, " Let thy tender mercies 
come unto me, that I may live : for thy Law is my delight. 
Let the proud be ashamed ; for they dealt perversely with me 
without a cause : but I will meditate in thy precepts c ."] 

The same sources of comfort are ever open unto 
us also 

[Our blessed Lord speaks of this treatment as the certain 
portion of all his people: "Ye shall be hated of all men, for 
my name s sake d ." And does he represent this as a matter 
for grief and sorrow ? Far from it : he tells us rather to 

z 2 Sam. vi. 22. a Job xii. 4, 5. b Heb. xi. 20. 

c ver. 77, 78. d Matt. x. 22. 



704.1 SPEEDY CONVERSION RECOMMENDED. 333 

" rejoice and leap for joy, because great will be our reward in 
heaven 6 ." Besides, in these afflictions we are made "partakers 
of Christ s sufferings ; " and by means of them " the Spirit of 
glory and of God is made more visibly and more abundantly 
to rest upon us : " and though, " on the part of our enemies, 
God is evil spoken of and dishonoured, on our part he is glori 
fied f :" and, to crown the whole, we are assured, that, " if we 
suffer thus with Christ, we shall also in due time be glorified 
together g ." And are not these declarations abundantly suffi 
cient to comfort us, under all that we can be called to suffer for 
Christ s sake ? No doubt they are : and, therefore, if we parti 
cipate with David in his trials and his graces, we shall, both in 
this life and the next, be partakers also of his consolations.] 

LEARN, then, from this subject, 

1. What expectations to form 

[You must not dream of honour from man ; but be con 
tented with the honour that cometh of God h -You 
must expect to go through " honour and dishonour, through 
evil report as well as good report 1 ."] 

2. What conduct to pursue 

[Be not cast down when these trials come upon you ; but 
submit to them, as sent of God for your good ; and " rejoice 
that you are counted worthy to endure them for the Lord s 
sake k " ] 

3. What recompence to look for 

[Be not anxious about the approbation of men, if only 
you may but approve yourselves to God. In a little time you 
will stand at his judgment-seat ; and then you shall receive a 
testimony from him, and " your righteousness shall appear as 
the noon-day." If " the Lord Jesus do but confess you before 
his Father and his holy angels," it will be no grief to you that 
you have suffered for confessing him 1 . A crown of righteousness 
and glory will be an ample recompence for all the hatred and 
contempt that an ungodly world could pour upon you.] 

e Matt. v. 1012. f 1 Pet. iv. 13, 14. e Rom. viii. 17. 

h John v. 44. * 2 Cor. vi. 8. k Acts v. 41. 

i Matt. x. 32. 



DCCIV. 

SERIOUS AND SPEEDY CONVERSION TO GOD RECOMMENDED. 

Ps. cxix. 59, 60. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet 
unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep 
thy commandments. 



334 PSALMS, CXIX. 59, 60. [704. 

AT what period of David s life these words were 
written, we are not informed : if in his early youth, 
they relate to his first conversion to God ; but if in 
his middle or more advanced life, they declare the 
daily habit of his soul. Under any circumstances they 
are very instructive. To young people they shew, that 
it is never too early to begin a life of entire devoted- 
ness to God. To those engaged in business of any 
kind, they manifest, that, whilst in the world, they 
should not be of the world, but in the midst of all 
their cares they should preserve their minds spiritual 
and heavenly. To the great and noble, yea, to 
princes and kings, they hold forth a solemn admoni 
tion to imitate the Jewish monarch, and to be as 
eminent in piety, as they are elevated above others 
in state and dignity. This all may learn from them, 
that if ever we would find acceptance with God in the 
great day, we must turn to him, 
I. With care and diligence 

Inconsideration is the source of almost all the evil 
that exists 

[Men will not give themselves the trouble to look back 
upon their past conduct. They take for granted that all has 
been right, or at least not materially wrong ; and that they 
have done nothing that calls for any particular humiliation 
before God. Of this the prophet Jeremiah complains a ; as 
does our Lord also of the Jews in his day b . Nor will men take 
much pains to ascertain the path of duty in reference to what is 
future : they love rather to act from the impulse of the moment ; 
nor have they any apprehensions that they shall offend God by 
any thing that they may do. " They do what is right in their 
own eyes," without inquiring whether it be right in God s sight, 
or not; or whether HE remembers it, or not c .] 

But we should compare our actions carefully with 
the word of God 

[The sacred volume is the only adequate standard of truth 
and virtue. If we satisfy ourselves with the opinions of men 
and the customs of the world, we shall be sure to err. We 
should take " God s testimonies," and try our ways by them. 
In particular, we should notice what God has testified to us in 
his gospel ; and see whether in our spirit and conduct we are 

a Jer. viii. 6. b John iii. 19, 20. c Hos. vii. 2. 



704.] SPEEDY CONVERSION RECOMMENDED. 335 

such as he requires us to be. In this lies the vast difference 
between the standard of the world and that of God : the world 
regards nothing but our outward conduct, and that chiefly in 
reference to the welfare of society ; whereas God has respect 
to all our dispositions towards him and his Christ, and to all 
our motives and principles of action towards men. We should 
take the scripture then as our touchstone ; and see how far the 
whole habit of our minds accords with what is required of us 
there, and what we see exemplified in the primitive saints 
- Yea, we should set Christ himself before us, and try 
ourselves by the standard of his perfection ] 

And, having ascertained what God s word requires, 
we should rectify our lives according to it 

[We must " turn," not our thoughts only, but " our feet" 
also, unto his testimonies. Having found out our past errors, 
we should humble ourselves for them, and determine, through 
grace, to run into them no more : and having discovered " the 
good old way," we should strive, through grace, to " walk in 
it." As for obstacles of any kind, we should not regard them. 
We should have it settled in our minds, that " the high-way of 
holiness " is the only road that will lead to heaven ; and we 
should resolve, that, however narrow and unfrequented it may 
be, we will walk in it, even though earth and hell should con 
spire to obstruct our progress d This is the advice given 
us by the voice of inspiration e : and to follow it is the duty, 
the interest, the happiness, of every human being f .] 

In this however there should be no delay : we 
should all address ourselves to this work, 

II. With promptitude and decision- 
Next to utter thoughtlessness is the evil of pro 
crastination 

[There are none so blind as not to know that they have 
some occasion for repentance, or so hardened as to have formed 
a determined resolution that they will never repent. All have 
a faint purpose in their minds, that at some future period they 
will repent : but then they put it off at present, in expectation 
of some " more convenient season." The young think that they 
have time enough before them, and that any great attention to 
religion is unsuited to their age. The busy are so engaged in 
their several concerns, that they think they may well be excused 
attending to religion, till a time of greater leisure. Every one 
finds some excuse for himself, and puts off the evil day, in hopes 
that some period will arrive when he shall be better disposed to 
the great work of turning unto God ] 

d Matt. vii. 13, 14. e Lam.iii.40. f Eccl.xii. 13. Luke x. 42. 



336 PSALMS, CXIX. 59, 60. [704. 

But it is folly and madness to defer this important 
work 

\_It must be done; or else we inevitably and eternally 

perish No man can call an hour his own. " We know 

not what a day, an hour, a moment, may bring forth :" whilst 
we are looking for days and years to come, God may say, " Thou 
fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." The diffi 
culty of the work increases daily. The force of habit is exceed 
ing great : and the longer we fulfil the desires of the flesh and 
of the mind, the more difficult it will be to mortify and subdue 
them We are in danger also of provoking God to with 
draw from us all the assistances of his Spirit. We may " grieve 
the Holy Spirit," yea, may " quench" also his sacred motions. 
God has said, " My Spirit shall not alway strive with man :" 
and if once he say respecting us, " Let them alone," our doom 
is sealed as surely as if we were already gone beyond redemp 
tion. And how awful is the state of those who are taken unpre 
pared! What "weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth" 
will they experience, cursing their own folly, and vainly wishing 
it were possible for them to have another opportunity afforded 
them for working out their salvation * ! 

Say then whether any man should defer one hour this neces 
sary work ! surely we should " make haste, and not delay, to 
keep God s commandments 11 ."] 

That in this great work you may not miscarry, we 

would subjoin some useful ADVICE 
Cry mightily to God - , and seek of him, 

1. Impartiality in judging 

[Self-love always prompts us to form a favourable estimate 
of our own conduct. If we search at all, we search rather for 
excuses than for sins ; for grounds of self-approbation, rather 
than of self-reproach. But what folly is this ! God will form 
his estimate aright, whether we do or not ; and by his own 
estimate he will judge us in the last day. Professors of religion, 
no less than others, are warped by self-love ; and thousands 
there are whose spirit and conduct are directly at variance with 
the Gospel, whilst yet they boast of themselves as lights in a 
dark world O search your hearts, as the Jews searched 
their houses for leaven, or as you would search a room for jewels 
which you had lost. You would not hastily shut your eyes, and 
say, There is no jewel here ; but you would be examining every 
corner, to find as many as possibly you could ; not content to 
leave so much as one undiscovered. If such impartiality were 
once exercised by us in detecting our sins, we should not be 
far from the kingdom of God.] 

e Eccl. ix. 10. h SeeHeb. iii. 714. 



705.] THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 337 

2. Fidelity in acting 

[Were a traveller, after long and laborious search, to find 
the true way to the place whither he was journeying, he would 
retrace his steps, and proceed in the path which led to the place 
of his destination. It might be less pleasant than his former 
path ; but still he would walk in it. Say not then that a life 
of entire devotedness to God is difficult, or that the ways of 
Christ and his Apostles would make you singular, or require 
sacrifices on your part. Be it so : but still you must go forward : 
you must " not confer with flesh and blood :" you must give 
yourselves up, in body, soul, and spirit, to the Lord. You must 
strive to " walk altogether as Christ walked," and to " stand 
perfect and complete in all the will of God."] 

3. Firmness in persevering- 
fit is comparatively easy to begin well : the difficulty lies in 

persevering. The fear of death, or some strong impression 
on our minds, will operate for a time ; but, if there be not a 
root of grace in us, we shall soon turn back to our evil ways. 
And, if we do that, we make our state really worse than it was 
before we thought of our ways at all 1 . O " be not weary in 
well doing." Make up your mind to encounter difficulties, and 
to endure hardships : and know that the end will richly repay 
for all the difficulties of the way.] 

1 2 Pet. ii. 21. 

DCCV. 

THE GOODNESS OF GOD. 

Ps. cxix. 68. Thou art good, and doest good: teach me thy 

statutes. 

THE perfections of God, if considered only in a 
speculative view, must excite our admiration ; but, if 
contemplated in reference to our state and conduct, 
they will be to us a source of unspeakable comfort, 
and a spring of incessant activity. What emotions a 
knowledge of the Divine goodness will produce in the 
soul, we see in the words before us ; in discoursing 
upon which we shall notice, 

I. The goodness of God- 
In conformity with the text, we shall call your 
attention to, 

1. His essential goodness 
VOL. vi. z 



338 PSALMS, CXIX. 68. [705. 

[This is not an indiscriminate regard to all, whether they 
be good or evil ; for such a regard would not consist with jus 
tice, or holiness, or truth: but it is a general benevolence 
towards the whole creation, operating incessantly for the good 
of the whole. The manner in which it discovers itself is as 
various as the states of men : but, however diversified its ope 
rations may be, it is the same principle in God. It is the sum 
of all his perfections : towards the undeserving it is grace ; and 
to the ill-deserving, mercy : to the indigent it is bounty ; to the 
distressed, pity and compassion : towards the impenitent it is 
forbearance ; and to the obstinate and incorrigible it is justice. 
This is the view which God himself gives us of his goodness a ; 
and, in this view, it resides in him necessarily, in him only, and 
in him continually.] 

2. His communicative goodness 

[This he manifests to the world at large. When first he 
created the world, he formed every thing " very good." And 
if we look around us, we shall be constrained to say, " The earth 
is full of his goodness." 

Towards man in particular, his goodness is more abundantly 
displayed. Towards the ungodly he has shewn it, by giving 
his only dear Son to die for them, and his good Spirit to in 
struct them : yea, he has set apart an order of men also to 
entreat them in his name to accept the proffered salvation. 
Towards the godly he has abounded yet still more in the ex 
ceeding riches of his grace : for, in addition to all that he has 
done for the ungodly, he has made his word effectual for their 
conversion ; and he watches over them with paternal care, sup 
plying all their wants, and protecting them in all their dangers ; 
and, to complete the whole, he will crown them finally with 
his glory b .] 

Such a view of God as this cannot but lead us to 
adopt, 
II. The petition grounded upon it 

The petition itself is such as all ought to offer for 
themselves 

[By " the statutes" of God we understand both the truths 
he has revealed, and the precepts he has enjoined. Of these 
we are by nature ignorant ; nor can we by mere human exer 
tions ever acquire a right understanding of them c . We must 
be taught of God : our eyes must be opened by his Spirit : 

a Moses prays for a sight of God s glory ; God promises to shew 
him his goodness ; and then represents it as consisting in an united 
exercise of all Iris perfections. Exod. xxxiii. 18, 19. and xxxiv. 6.7. 

b Ps. ciii. 15. c 1 Cor. ii. 14. 



706 J THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. 339 

then only shall we keep his statutes, when God himself shall 
" write them on the fleshy tables of our hearts."] 

But the petition has peculiar force as grounded on a 
discovery of God s goodness ; for, in that, as in 
a glass, we SEE, 

1. Our duties 

[The law of God primarily declares our duty towards him : 
but none ever attain a just knowledge of that duty from the 
law alone : they cannot see the necessity of loving God with 
all their hearts, till they have some idea of the obligations they 
lie under to him for the stupendous work of redemption. But 
let the love of God in Christ Jesus be once clearly revealed to 
the soul, and the excellency of the law will instantly appear ; 
and obedience to it will be considered as perfect freedom.] 

2. Our defects 

[We are naturally averse to acknowledge our vileness and 
wickedness. But a sight of the Divine goodness softens the 
mind, and renders it ingenuous. Hence the more we are ac 
quainted with God, the more we know of ourselves ; and the 
more we have experienced of his love, the more we f( abhor 
ourselves for our ingratitude to him, and our want of conformity 
to his image d ."] 

3. Our encouragements 

[Wherever we look, we have no encouragement but in 
God. Indeed, if only we be acquainted with his goodness, we 
want no other encouragement : for, what will not He do, who 
is so good in himself? and what will He refuse us, who has 
done so much for us already 6 ? Such considerations as these 
are sufficient to counterbalance every difficulty that the world, 
or the flesh, or the devil can place in our way. Having this 
God for our God, we can want nothing for time or for eternity.] 

d Job xlii. 5, 6. Ezek. xvi. 63. e Rom. viii. 32. 

DCCVI. 

THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. 

Ps. cxix. 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that 
I might learn thy statutes. 

DAVID had " been afflicted from his youth up " 

and we think it highly probable that to that 

very circumstance he was indebted, under God, for 
those extraordinary attainments in devotion and holi 
ness, which have rendered him a pattern for the 



340 PSALMS, CXIX. 71. [706. 

saints in all future ages. By means of his trials he 
was constrained to take refuge in his God : and by 
constant communion with God, he obtained a deep 
insight into his revealed will, and a rich experience 
of his superabounding grace. This seems at least to 
have been his own view of the case, long after his 
afflictions had ceased : for to his familiarity with 
affliction he ascribes his enlarged acquaintance with 
the statutes of his God : " It is good for me that I 
have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes." 

In confirmation of his testimony, we shall shew, 
I. The benefit of affliction, as leading to knowledge 

Affliction, in itself considered, is an evil : but, if 
viewed in connexion with the benefits resulting from 
it, it may justly be esteemed " a good." Thousands 
there are who have reason to bless God for it, as in 
strumental to the bringing of them to the knowledge 
of a Saviour, whom, without such trials, they would 
have continued to neglect. Indeed it is eminently 
and extensively useful in this view : 

1. It opens our ears to instruction 

[People who are at ease, however eager they may be after 
human knowledge, have no desire after that which is spiritual 
and divine. If it be tendered to them, they reject it: if it be 
pressed upon them, they cast it behind their backs with indig 
nation and scorn. To one who would instruct them in arts or 
sciences, they would feel thankful : but to one who would lead 
them to the knowledge of the true God, they make no return, 
but that of contempt and hatred a . 

But when heavy affliction is come upon them, they are 
softened : they will listen to advice ; they will even be thankful 
for it : they will read the Scriptures, or some other religious 
book : and will pay considerable attention to those subjects 
which hitherto have provoked only their derision. 

With this view, and for the production of this very effect, 
God frequently vouchsafes to send it b : and those who are 
brought by it to this measure of thoughtfulness about their 
souls, have reason rather to be thankful for it as a benefit, 
than to complain of it as a judgment.] 

2. It makes us sensible of our need of better things 
than this world can give 

a John iii. 19. Matt vii. 26. b Job xxxvi. 810. 



706. ~] THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. 341 

[In the midst of carnal enjoyments a man wishes for 
nothing more : but when trials of various kinds oppress his 
mind, his taste for earthly gratifications is weakened : their in 
sufficiency to remove, or even to alleviate, trouble is felt ; and 
they no longer afford him that kind of satisfaction which they 
once did. Amusements, and company, have lost their relish : 
his mind is indisposed for them: they are become to him 
insipid, undesirable, irksome, odious. Something more sub 
stantial is now wanted : something on which his soul may rest, 
as conducive to its present and eternal welfare. This was the 
effect produced upon the Prodigal. Whilst he could revel in 
luxury and pleasure, he cared for nothing ; but when his money 
was expended, and he was a prey to want, and could find no 
help, no pity, from man, then he began to reflect on the abun 
dance that there was in his Father s house, and to desire a 
participation of it, though in the lowest and most menial office 
there. And had he not reason to be thankful for the trials 
which produced so blessed an effect ? In like manner then we 
also should acknowledge as a blessing every trial that is sent 
us for the accomplishment of so good an end.] 

3. It drives us to God in prayer 

[Those who never called upon God in the time of their 
prosperity, are often stirred up to seek him in a season of ad 
versity. " In their affliction," says God, " they will seek me 
early :" and to the same effect the Prophet testifies, " Lord, 
in trouble have they visited thee ; they poured forth a prayer 
when thy chastening was upon them d ." In the 107th Psalm 
this effect of troubles is marked in every instance : " Then cried 
they unto the Lord in their trouble 6 :" and in every instance 
this was the prelude to their deliverance. Who then that ex 
periences this effect from his trials has not reason to be 
thankful for them ? Let it only be said of us, " Behold, he 
prayeth ;" and we shall have no cause for complaint, though 
we should have been struck blind, like Saul, and had our 
blindness continued to the latest hour of our lives f .] 

4. It brings us to a saving knowledge of the Lord 
Jesus 

[Of itself, affliction cannot effect this ; but when accom 
panied by Divine grace, it often does. Indeed where a willing 
ness to receive instruction, and a desire after spiritual blessings 
are excited in the soul, and issue in fervent prayer to God, 
there we may reasonably hope that all spiritual blessings will 
flow into the soul. God will not suffer any to seek his face in 
vain. Even though, like Manasseh, we may have brought down 

c Hos. v. 15, d Isai. xxvi. 16. e vcr. 6, 13, 19, 28. 
f Acts ix. 3, 4, 8. 



PSALMS, CXIX. 71. [706. 

God s wrath upon us by the most heinous iniquities, yet if we 
humble ourselves under his chastisements, and implore mercy 
at his hands, we shall, like him, be heard, and be made stupen 
dous monuments of his power and grace s . Did he ever regret 
the sufferings by which he was thus brought to enjoy peace with 
God? Neither shall we, whatever trials may be made subser 
vient to this blessed end.] 

But will the end really compensate for the means 
used to effect it ? Yes : and to prove that it will, we 
shall proceed to shew, 

II. The blessedness of knowledge, though gained by 

affliction- 
Such knowledge as we are speaking of, the know 
ledge of God in Christ Jesus, is indeed inestimable. 
Let us view it, 

1. As compared with the price paid for it- 
fit is said by Solomon, " Buy the truth, and sell it not." 
Now as we have before spoken of affliction as the means of 
bringing us to the knowledge of the truth, we may, in popular 
language, call it, The price paid for knowledge. Whatever 
then the affliction be, we do not hesitate to say that it is richly 
recompensed by the fruit which it produces. 

Suppose the affliction to be of a temporal nature: we have 
been bereaved of our dearest friends and relatives ; we have 
suffered the loss of all our property, and been reduced to very 
embarrassed circumstances ; our health also has been destroyed, 
so that we are sinking under an accumulation of woes. Suppose 
our case as distressing as that of Job himself: still, if it have 
been sanctified to our eternal good, we can call it by no other 
name than, A blessing in disguise. * Did Job, when brought to 
a deeper view of his own depravity, and to a richer discovery 
of the Divine perfections, regret the sufferings which had been 
overruled for that end ? Did he not rather abhor himself for 
having judged too hastily respecting the designs of God ; and 
cordially approve of those dispensations, which in his haste he 
had been ready to condemn ? Thus shall we also do, when 
once we have " seen the end of the Lord h ." We may in our 
haste exclaim, " All these things are against me :" but at last 
we shall testify of all God s most afflictive dispensations, as 
Joseph did, that " God meant them for good 1 ." 

But suppose the trials to be of a spiritual nature. These 
are yet far more afflictive : "A wounded spirit who can bear ? " 
How grievously David was oppressed by them, we are informed 

g 2 Chron. xxxiii. 11 13 h Jam. v. 11. Gen. 1. 20. 



706.] THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTION. 343 

in many of his psalms k But yet his testimony in our 

text was the real dictate of his heart. And we may ask of 
others, Were the wounds which brought you to the heavenly 
Physician too severe ? Do you not number them amongst your 
richest mercies? Has not every loss been more than com 
pensated in the acquisition of salvation ; and every pang more 
than recompensed in the peace and joy to which, through the 
knowledge of Christ, you have attained ? It was a matter of 
just computation with the Apostle, that " the sufferings of this 
present life (whatever they may be) are not worthy to be com 
pared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."] 

2. As estimated according to its own intrinsic 
worth 

[But who can ever rightly appreciate its worth? St. Paul 
" counted all things to be but dross and dung in comparison 
of it 1 ." We must be able to estimate all the miseries of hell, 
and all the glories of heaven, before we can form any estimate 
of its value ; and, if we could ascertain the full importance of 
those, we should still be as far as ever from having a complete 
conception of the worth of spiritual knowledge ; unless we could 
estimate also all the glory that will accrue to the ever blessed 
Trinity from the contrivance and execution of this stupendous 
plan, and the application of this salvation to a ruined world.] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those that are at ease 

[How faint, for the most part, are your desires after 
spiritual knowledge ! Whether you hear, or read, or pray, 
what formality pervades it all ! But, if God have indeed 
designs of love towards you, you will be taught by the rod, 
what you will not learn without: " He will cause you to pass 
under the rod, in order that he may bring you into the bond 
of the covenant." And if lesser trials will not accomplish the 
purposes of his grace, he will visit you with heavier : " from 
chastening you with rods he will scourge you with scorpions." 
Yet think not that a season of affliction is in itself favourable 
for the pursuit of spiritual knowledge : it is far otherwise : 
pains of body, and distress of mind, have a tendency to impede, 
rather than assist, the exercises of the mind. Ask those who 
are in deep affliction, Whether they find it easy to collect their 
thoughts, and fix them with energy on the concerns of their 
souls ; and they will bear one uniform testimony, that health 
is the time to seek the Lord. Be persuaded then, now whilst 
you are at ease, to study " God s statutes," and especially those 
which declare to us the way of salvation ordained for sinful 

k See Ps. xxxviii. 1 8. and Ixxvii. 3 9. and Ixxxviii. 6, 7. 
and cii. 110. 1 Phil. iii. 8. 



PSALMS, CXIX. 76. [707. 

man. Know that there is no other knowledge of any import 
ance whatever in comparison of this; and that, if even the 
most grievous sufferings should be welcomed as accessary to 
the attainment of it, much more must it deserve all the time 
and attention that can be bestowed upon it. You never need 
fear that you will hereafter have occasion to complain, that its 
fruits did not repay you for the cultivation of it.] 

2. To those that are under any great affliction 

[The rod under which you suffer, has a voice, to which you 
should listen with all possible attention" 1 . It is sent to you in 
love and inercy. God designs to teach you, by means of it, 
many things which you would not so well learn without it. It 
may be that you are already instructed in the Gospel of Christ ; 
but yet there is much of which you are ignorant ; and many 
things which you do know, need to be known by you in a very 
different manner. Even our blessed Lord himself, " though 
he was a Son, learned obedience by the things which he suf 
fered," yea, and " was made perfect through sufferings." Be 
content to have God s work carried on and perfected in you 
in the same way : and be more anxious to obtain the benefit 
which your affliction is sent to impart, than to get rid of the 
affliction itself. If your tribulation work in you patience and 
experience and hope, learn to glory in it, and to number it 
amongst your richest blessings. And do not wait till the 
affliction is removed, to acknowledge God s goodness to you in 
sending it ; but now, whilst you are under the affliction, get it 
so improved and sanctified to the good of your soul, that you 
may be able to say, " It is good for me, O Lord, that I am 
afflicted; for by means of it I do learn thy statutes:" I see, 
" it is in very faithfulness that thou afflictest me ; " and, if only 
thou " make me a partaker of thy holiness, send me what thou 
wilt, and when thou wilt : be the cup never so bitter to my 
taste, I will say, " Not my will, but thine be done."] 

m Mic. vi. 9. 



DCCVII. 

THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF GOD. 

Ps. cxix. 76. Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for 
my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. 

THE peculiar construction of this psalm forbids 
us to look for much connexion between its several 
parts. It is composed of short detached sentences, 
committed to writing at different times as they oc 
curred to the mind of the Royal penman, and after- 



707 J THE LOVING-KINDNESS OF GOD. 

wards reduced to a certain kind of order; eight of 
them beginning with the same letter through all the 
successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. If however 
we take the words of our text as connected with the 
preceding verse, we must understand it as a prayer 
that a sense of God s loving-kindness might be given 
him to comfort him under his afflictions. This sense 
we shall not exclude ; though we shall not entirely 
limit it to this : for, if we take the words by themselves, 
they contain some peculiarly important hints, which 
we are desirous to impress upon your minds. 

In elucidating them, we propose to shew, 
I. What the Scriptures speak respecting the loving- 
kindness of God 

They are full of this glorious subject: they declare, 

1. That it is the one source of all the benefits we 
enjoy 

[Survey the lustre and use of the heavenly bodies, the rich 
fecundity of the earth, the structure of the human body, or the 
faculties of the soul ; Whence do they proceed ? Who is their 
author; and by what motive was he actuated in bestowing them 
upon us ? Can they be traced to any other source than the 
kindness of our God? Behold the gift, the stupendous gift of 
God s only dear Son, and of salvation by him! Can this be 
traced to any other source* 

2. That it is our chief support under all trials 

[We will grant something to philosophy ; and acknowledge 
that it can fortify the mind in some degree : but it is not to be 
compared with religion in point of efficacy. That may silence 
murmurs, and produce a reluctant submission; but this will turn 
trials into an occasion of joy and glorying b .] 

3. That a comfortable sense of it is the privilege of 
all the Lord s people 

[God promises " his Holy Spirit unto all them that ask 
him." That Spirit shall be in them " a spirit of adoption," a 
witness, an earnest, a seal, a Comforter. From the days of 
Abel to the present hour, God has delighted to rejoice the souls 
of his servants by the testimonies of his love.] 

But, if the loving-kindness of God be thus mani 
fested to his people, it may be asked, 

a See John iii. 16. Tit. iii. 4, 5. Eph. ii. 7. 
b Rom. v. 1 3. Acts v. 41. and xvi. 25. 



346 PSALMS, CXIX. 76. [707. 

II. Why David prayed that it might be for his comfort ? 
He did so, 

1. Because, without a sense of it, his trials would 
have been insupportable 

[David was exposed to many and severe trials : and, if he 
had not been favoured with peculiar supports, he would have 
sunk under them. This he often mentions c : and St. Paul also 
acknowledges his obligation to God for similar supports 3 . 
When such manifestations were withdrawn, even Jesus himself 
almost fainted e : but when they were vouchsafed, the weakest 
females were made triumphant over all the malice of their 
persecutors f .] 

2. Because, though all are partakers of it, all do 
not find it to their comfort 

[How many have the blessings of health and wealth, who 
taste nothing of God s loving-kindness in them, but make them 
the occasions of more flagrant opposition to his will ! How 
many have been restored to health, who by their subsequent 
misconduct have turned that mercy into a real curse ! Above 
all, how many have made Christ himself a stumbling-block 
instead of a Saviour, and " the gospel a savour of death," when 
it might have been to them " a savour of life ! " Thus would 
all men do, if they were left to themselves : even Hezekiah s 
miraculous recovery, and St. Paul s visit to the third heavens, 
would have issued only in their deeper condemnation, if God 
had not given grace to the one, and " a thorn in the flesh" to 
the other, to counteract the propensities of their fallen nature. 
Well then might David make this a matter of prayer to God, 
when none but God could impart to him this benefit.] 

3. Because, if it be not to our comfort, it will be, 
in a most awful manner, to our discomfort 

[It is no light matter to abuse the merciful kindness of 
God. The day is coming, when every mercy we have received, 
must be accounted for ; and when " it will be more tolerable 
for Sodom and Gomorrha than for those " who have slighted a 
preached gospel. Every mercy therefore should be received 
with a holy fear and jealousy, lest it should prove only an 
occasion of more aggravated guilt, and heavier condemnation.] 
APPLICATION 

[Let us more frequently reflect on the loving-kindness of 
God g Let us meditate on it especially in seasons of trouble 11 
And let us endeavour to requite it by devoting ourselves unre 
servedly to his service * ] 

c 1 Sam. xxx. 6. and Ps. cxvi. 3 5. d 2 Cor. i. 3 5. 

e Matt, xxvii. 46. f Heb. xi. 35. s Ps. xxvi. 3. and Ixiii. 3. 
h Ps. cxliii. 78. * Ps. cxvi. 12. and Isai. Ixiii. 7. 



708.] DAVID S BOASTING EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED. 347 

DCCVIII. 

DAVID S BOASTING EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED. 

Ps. cxix. 97 100. how love I thy Law! It is my medita 
tion all the day. Thou, through thy commandments, hast 
made me wiser than mine enemies : for they are ever with me. 
I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy 
testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the 
ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 

NOTHING is more hateful than boasting. To 
boast of our superiority to others, as the Pharisees 
did, saying, " I thank thee, O Lord, that I am not as 
other men," is to betray an entire want of Christian 
humility, and an utter ignorance of our own state. 
But of all boasting, that which arises from a conceit 
of our own wisdom is perhaps the most odious and 
the most contemptible. " Be not wise in your own 
conceit 3 ," is a caution repeatedly given us in the Holy 
Scriptures ; and an inattention to it will assuredly 
expose us to God s heavy displeasure b . Yet there 
are occasions whereon we may, in appearance, trans 
gress this duty, and yet be blameless. St. Paul was 
on some occasions necessitated to assert his claim to 
public authority, and his right to dictate to the Church 
of God: and though he apologised for his conduct in 
this respect, and called himself " a fool " for giving 
way to it, he yet felt it his duty, on the whole, to 
maintain the truth against those who opposed it, and 
to demand from others that deference which his 
Apostolic character authorised him to expect . In 
the passage before us, I must confess, David had no 
such call to exalt himself above others. But he wrote 
for the benefit of the Church of God in all ages : and 
therefore, whilst conveying general truths, " he trans 
ferred them to himself," in order that he might speak 
to better effect d . His object was to shew, that every 
one who took the word of God for his guide would be 
so elevated by it above the most exalted of merely 
human characters, that he might justly arrogate to 
himself a wisdom superior to them all ; since an 

a Prov. iii. 7. Rom. xii. 16. b Isai. v. 21. 

c 2 Cor. x. 711. andxi. 16 18. and xii. 11. d See 1 Cor. iv. 6. 



348 PSALMS, CXIX. 97100. [708. 

unconverted character, whoever he might be, had no 
higher wisdom than that which was human ; whilst 
the man who was taught by the word and Spirit of 
God, possessed a wisdom that was truly divine. In 
this view, then, I propose to vindicate the language of 
my text ; and to shew, that David, in obeying the word 
of God, was " wiser than his enemies" with all their 
subtlety; and " wiser than his teachers," notwith 
standing all their learning; and (f wiser than the 
ancients" in despite of all their experience. Of every 
one who is obedient to God s word this may be said : 

I. In that he answers more fully the ends for which 

the Holy Scripture was given 

[For what was the Scripture given, but to be a light to 
our feet and a lantern to our paths? -This being the 

case, what shall we say of the man who, neglects to study the 
Inspired Volume ? What should we say of a mariner, who, 
in navigating a sea that was full of rocks and quicksands, should 
neglect to consult his chart and his compass, or should proceed 
in his voyage with the same kind of confidence, in opposition 
to their dictates, as he would if he were following the course 
which they prescribed ? Let him in other respects be ever so 
wise, no one would hesitate to commend the circumspect sailor 
as wiser than he. Then in this view, may the divinely-instructed 
follower of Christ account himself wiser than others, whether 
friends or enemies, if, when they enjoy the advantage of this 
infallible guide, they refuse to consult its dictates, or to follow 
its directions. If no one would hesitate to pronounce this 
judgment in a case where only the bodily life was concerned, 
much less would any one doubt where the interest at stake is 
nothing less than that of the immortal soul 

II. In that he manifests a more becoming regard to 

the wonders revealed in it 

[Let any one contemplate the wonders of redemption 
and say, whether he can be wise who neglects to 
search into them, and to improve them for the good of his soul? 
But the man who receives " the testimony of Christ," and labours 
to have it " confirmed in his own soul," is wise ; and, when 
comparing himself with those who despise the Gospel, whatever 
superiority they may possess in other respects, may, without 
any undue arrogance, account himself wiser than they. " The 
very angels in heaven are desiring to look into these unsearch 
able mysteries ;" and, " if we disregard them, what wisdom can 
be in us 6 ?"] 

e Jer. viii. 9. 



708.1 DAVID S BOASTING EXPLAINED AND VINDICATED. 349 

III. In that he consults supremely those interests, 
which the Scriptures declare to be alone worthy 
of his attention 

[What can the whole world offer to a man, that is worthy 
to be put in competition with his soul ? The concerns of the 
soul are declared by our blessed Lord to be " the one thing 
needful." Let the most learned man upon the face of the earth 
neglect these concerns, and the most unlettered man make them 
the great objects of his undivided attention ; shall we hesitate 
to say which of the two is the wiser man? He who is wise 
for time only, is a fool : but he who is wise for eternity, is 
truly wise. " The fear of the Lord is the very beginning of 
wisdom ;" and he who possesses it not, has not ever yet passed 
the threshold of Wisdom s porch : but " a good understanding 
have all they who cultivate the fear of the Lord; and the praise 
of their conduct shall endure for ever."] 

Let me, in CONCLUSION, give you, 

1. A word of caution 

[Take not occasion, from these words of David, to think 
lightly of self-complacency and self-applause. David was no 
boaster : on the contrary, no one was ever lower in his own 
estimation than he : and you will find humility the most pro 
minent feature of all the Scripture saints. " Less than the 
least of all saints" was the character which Paul assumed ; and, 
" if he gloried at any time, it was of his infirmities alone," that 
his Lord and Saviour might be the more glorified in him f : so 
likewise I would recommend to you to " take the lowest place," 
and, instead of exalting yourselves above others, to "prefer 
others in honour before yourselves, "and "to esteem others better 
than yourselves g :" " for not he that commendeth himself shall 
be approved, but he whom the Lord commendeth V] 

2. A word of advice 

["Love the word of God." Verily, it is deserving of all 
your love and you should " esteem it more than your 
necessary food." Next, " meditate upon it all the day." Many 
read the Scriptures without profit, because they do not rumi 
nate upon them, and digest them in their souls. Let some 
short portion of God s word be selected for your meditation 
every day ; and you cannot fail to profit by it, especially if your 
meditations be turned into prayer. Lastly, take it as the only 
rule of your life. This is essential to the Christian character. 
A speculative knowledge, however extensive and accurate, will 
avail you nothing : it is the practical and experimental know 
ledge alone that can benefit the soul. The very use of the 

f 2 Cor. xii. 9. s Rom. xii. 10. Phil. ii. 3. h 2 Cor. x. 18. 



350 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [709. 

Scriptures is, to " perfect the man of God, and thoroughly to 
furnish him unto all good works." This it is which will make 
you truly wise, or, rather, that will prove you to be so : for then 
will the Scripture " have had its perfect work," and you will be 
" wise unto salvation through faith that is in Christ Jesus."] 



DCCIX. 

THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 

Ps. cxix. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things 
to be right ; and I hate every false way. 

RELIGION is the same in every age. The doc 
trines of it, though they have been more fully and 
clearly revealed under the Christian dispensation, 
have never varied in substance ; nor has the prac 
tice of it ever changed, except in the observance 
of rites and ceremonies. To love God with all our 
heart and mind and soul and strength, and our 
neighbour as ourselves, was the essence of true reli 
gion in the days of Abraham and of Moses ; and so 
it is at this day. Doubtless there can be no true reli 
gion where the Gospel is set at nought and despised : 
but the Gospel may be highly approved as a system, 
whilst the heart is far from being right with God. It 
is not by their profession of any principles that we 
are to judge of men s states, but by the practical 
effects of those principles on their hearts and lives. 
Our blessed Lord has established this as the only 
true criterion, the only adequate test ; " By their 
fruits ye shall know them." 

Now the genuine fruit of piety is as clearly exhi 
bited in the words before us, as in any part of the 
Inspired Volume : and the passage is peculiarly wor 
thy of notice, because in the writer of it were combined 
the fullest conviction of the understanding, together 
with the strongest affections of the heart : in his judg 
ment, " he esteemed God s precepts to be right ;" and 
in his heart, "he hated" every thing that was op 
posed to them. 

May God of his infinite mercy inspire us with the 
same heavenly sentiments, whilst we consider these 



709.] THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 351 

two things, The Christian character as here deli 
neated, and The light which it reflects upon the Gospel 
of Christ! 

I. The Christian character as here delineated 

In the text is drawn a broad line of distinction 
between the child of God,, and every other person 
under heaven. 

Christians are either nominal or real. Each class 
has gradations, from the highest to the lowest ; but 
between the two classes there is an immense gulph, 
that separates them as far as the east is from the 
west. To ascertain to which of the two we belong, 
is of infinite importance ; but self-love blinds our 
eyes, and renders the discovery of it extremely diffi 
cult. This Scripture however holds up, as it were, a 
mirror before us ; and, if we will look steadfastly 
into it, we may discern with great precision what 
manner of persons we are. 

The difference between the two classes is this : 
the nominal Christian, however eminent he may in 
appearance be, is partial in his regard for God s pre 
cepts 3 : but the true Christian approves and loves 
them all without exception b . 

The nominal Christian, we say, is partial in his 
regard for God s precepts. He may esteem those 
which countenance his own particular party. The Pa 
pist, for instance, and the Protestant, will severally 
glory in those passages of Holy Writ which seem to 
justify their adherence to their respective modes of 
worship, and to afford them ground for believing that 
theirs is the more Scriptural and Apostolic Church. 
The various classes of Protestants also will manifest 
an ardent zeal for the support of their respective te 
nets, and be almost ready to anathematize each other, 
as not giving sufficient weight to those particular pas 
sages, on which they severally found their respective 
differences. They not only esteem their own grounds 
of faith " to be right," but they " hate " the senti 
ments opposed to them " as erroneous and false." 

a Mai. ii. 9. b Ps. cxix. 6. 



352 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [709. 

The nominal Christian may also love those precepts 
which do not materially condemn him. The man who 
is sober, chaste, honest, just, temperate, benevolent, 
may take a real pleasure in such passages of Scripture 
as inculcate the virtues in which he supposes himself 
to have excelled ; and may feel an indignation against 
the ways, by which those precepts are grossly violated. 

He may yet further delight in such precepts as, 
according to his interpretation of them, afford him 
ground for rejecting the Gospel. No passages in all 
the word of God are more delightful to him than 
such as these : t( Be not righteous overmuch ;" and 
" What doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but 
to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly 
with thy God?" He has no fear lest he should not 
be righteous enough; nor is he very anxious to in 
quire what is implied in walking humbly with God : it 
is sufficient for him that these passages are, in his 
eyes, opposed to what he calls enthusiasm ; setting 
aside the necessity of faith in the Lord Jesus, and of 
a life of entire devotedness to his service : and his 
hatred of all passages that bear an opposite aspect, is 
in exact proportion to his zeal for these. 

But, whilst such parts of Scripture are approved 
by him, does he love all that the Inspired Volume 
contains ? Does he love those precepts which are 
most sublime and spiritual ? No ; it is no pleasure to 
him to hear of " setting his affections on things above," 
or of having " his conversation in heaven :" nor does 
it afford him any gratification to be told, that the 
measure of holiness which he must aspire after, is 
that which was exhibited in the Lord Jesus, whose 
example he is to follow in the whole of his spirit and 
temper, his conversation and conduct, "walking in 
all things as he walked." 

Nor does he particularly affect those precepts 
which require much self-denial. "To crucify the flesh 
with the affections and lusts," and to root out from 
his soul every evil, though it be dear to him " as a 
right eye," or necessary to him as " a right hand," 
and to have a compliance with these precepts as his 



709.1 THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 353 

only alternative between that and the taking his 
portion in " hell-fire," is no pleasing sound in his 
ears, notwithstanding it proceeds from the meek and 
lowly Jesus c . 

Least of all is he gratified with precepts that strike 
at his besetting sin. The proud man does not delight 
to hear the workings of pride delineated ; nor the 
covetous man the evils of covetousness depicted ; nor 
the gay and dissipated the folly of their ways exposed ; 
nor the self-righteous man the delusive nature of his 
hopes declared. No, they are all ready to deride the 
statements that condemn their ways, just as the Pha 
risees derided our Lord, when he had unveiled their 
covetous and hypocritical devices ; " The Pharisees 
were covetous (it is said), and they derided him." 
The hearts of these people rise against all such doc 
trines ; and with no little bitterness they exclaim, " In 
so saying, thou reproachest us d ." 

The true Christian, on the contrary, approves and 
loves all the commands of God ; both those which are 
evangelical, and those which are moral. 

He loves those which are evangelical. It is no grief 
to him to be told, that he must renounce all depend 
ence on his own righteousness, and rely entirely on 
the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is 
rather with the most heartfelt delight that he hears 
those gracious commands, " Look unto me, and be 
ye saved ;" " Come unto me, and I will give you 
rest ;" " Believe on me, and have everlasting life." 
" He esteems these precepts to be right ;" he feels 
them to be exactly suited to his necessities : he 
knows, and is assured, that his own righteousness is 
only as " filthy rags ;" and that in any other garment 
than the robe of Christ s righteousness, it is impos 
sible for him to stand in the presence of a holy God. 
He sees also that this mode of justification before 
God is the only one which can consist with the ho 
nour of God s justice, and with the demands of his 
law. Hence whatever opposes this way of salvation, 
" he hates ;" yea, he shudders at the very thought of 

c Mark ix. 4218. d Luke xi. 45. 



VOL. VI. A A 



354 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [709. 

claiming any thing on the ground of his own worthi 
ness, saying, " God forbid that I should glory, save in 
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." He thankfully 
traces all his mercies to the covenant made from all 
eternity between the Father and the Son ; and to 
that covenant he looks, as "ordered in all things, 
and sure ;" and from his inmost soul he says of it, 
" This is all my salvation, and all my desire." 

Moreover, as the duty of coming to Christ, so the 
duty of "living altogether by faith in Christ," the 
duty of abiding in him as branches of the living vine, 
of receiving from his fulness continual supplies of 
grace and strength, and of " growing up into him in 
all things, as our living Head;" the duty, I say, of 
making him " our wisdom, our righteousness, our 
sanctification, our redemption, * our ALL, and of glory 
ing in HIM, and in him alone; all this is heard by the 
true Christian with ineffable delight : he would that 
Christ should have all the glory : he sees it to be 
" right," that He who came down from heaven, and 
died upon the cross to save him, and ascended up on 
high, and has all fulness treasured up in him for the 
use of his Church and people, and who dwells in 
them " as their very life ;" I say, he sees it " right," 
that this adorable Saviour should "be exalted, and 
extolled, and be very high ;" yea, that he should be 
on earth, as he is in heaven, the one object of our 
adoration, and the continual theme of our praise. 
And, whilst a blind and ignorant world are ready to 
blame his zeal for the Redeemer s glory as carried to 
excess, his constant grief is, that he cannot love him 
more, and serve him better. 

Nor is the true Christian less delighted with the 
moral precepts, not one of which would he desire to 
have relaxed or moderated in the smallest degree. 
Instead of wishing them to be lowered to the stand 
ard of his attainments, or regarding them as grievous 
on account of their purity, he loves them for their 
purity 6 , and would esteem it his highest privilege to 
be conformed to them. He is well persuaded, that 

e Ps. cxix. 140. 



709.] THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 355 

they are all " holy, and just, and good :" and he 
loves them as perfective of his nature, and conducive to 
his happiness. 

He loves them, I say, as perfective of his nature. 
For what is holiness, but a conformity to the Divine 
image, as sin is to the image of the devil ? It was by 
transgression that man lost that resemblance to the 
Deity which was stamped upon him at his first crea 
tion ; and it is by the new-creating influence of the 
Spirit quickening him to a course of holy obedience, 
that this resemblance is gradually restored. Con 
scious of this, he pants after holiness, desiring to " be 
changed into his Redeemer s image from glory to 
glory by the Spirit of the Lord." 

Nor does he love them less as conducive to his hap 
piness: for sin and misery are inseparable, as holiness 
also and true happiness are. What is the language 
of every precept in the Decalogue ? It is this : Be 
holy, and be happy. Of this he is convinced ; and 
he finds, by daily experience, that " in keeping God s 
commandments there is great reward," and that 
" Wisdom s ways are indeed ways of pleasantness 
and peace." 

At the same time, " he hates every false way ;" 
every deviation from the perfect rule of righteousness 
is painful to him : he " hates it ;" and hates himself 
on account of it. As a touch, which would scarcely 
be felt in any other part of the body, will .occasion 
the severest anguish to the eye, so those thoughts or 
feelings which would be altogether unnoticed by 
other men, inflict a wound on his conscience, and 
cause him to go mournfully before the Lord of Hosts. 
Ask him on such an occasion, What it is that has 
caused him thus to mourn and weep ? Is it that his 
God has required so much ? No : but that he himself 
has attained so little. He wants to " be sanctified 
wholly to the Lord, in body, soul, and spirit ;" and, 
could he accomplish the desire of his heart, he would 
" stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." 
This is the object of his highest ambition ; and, when 
he finds, that, notwithstanding all his efforts, he still 

A A 2 



3,56 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [709. 

falls short of it, he groans inwardly, and says with 
the Apostle, " O wretched man that I am ! who shall 
deliver me from this body of sin and death ?" 

Behold, then, the Christian s character as here 
delineated. To a superficial observer he may not 
appear to differ much from others ; but to those who 
have had opportunities of discovering the real desires 
of his soul, he is a perfect contrast with the whole 
ungodly world. The very best of nominal Chris 
tians are content with low attainments, and plead for 
indulgences in those things which are agreeable to 
their corrupt nature. The more sublime and spiritual 
precepts they soften down to the standard of their 
own practice ; and rather applaud themselves for 
their excellencies, than lothe themselves for their 
defects. The true Christian, on the contrary, will 
admit of no standard but that of absolute perfection : 
and, whereinsoever he falls short of it, as he does 
in his very best services, he lothes and " abhors him 
self in dust and ashes ;" nor has he any hope of ac 
ceptance with God, but in the view of that atonement 
which was once offered for him on the cross, and of 
that blood which the Lord Jesus Christ once shed on 
Calvary to cleanse him from his sins. We mean not 
to say, that these defects are subversive of all the 
Christian s peace ; for, if that were the case, who 
could possess any peace at all ? The Christian, not 
withstanding his imperfections, has " comfort in the 
testimony of a good conscience," and in an assurance, 
that his God will " not be extreme to mark what is 
done amiss ;" but he does not on this account allow 
himself in any sin whatever. The use he makes of his 
own corruptions is, to cleave the more steadfastly 
to Christ as his only hope, and to watch and pray 
the more diligently, that he may be preserved from 
evil, and be enabled by Divine grace to endure unto 
the end. 

Now this description of the Christian s character 
leads me to shew, 

II. The light it reflects on the Gospel of Christ 



709.] THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 357 

Three things it suggests to us ; namely, 
An answer to those who misrepresent the Gospel 
A reproof to those who would abuse the Gospel and 
A direction to those who would adorn the Gospel. 

First, we may derive from hence an answer to those 
who misrepresent the Gospel. It has in all ages been a 
favourite argument against the Gospel, that it super 
sedes the necessity of good works, and opens the 
flood-gates of licentiousness. It was urged repeatedly 
against St. Paul himself; who on that account set 
himself to answer it with all imaginable care : " Shall 
we continue in sin that grace may abound?" And 
again, " Shall we sin because we are not under the 
law, but under grace ?" To both these questions 
he answers with holy indignation, "God forbid!" 
And, when his enemies went so far as to affirm., that 
he gave men a licence to sin, saying, " Let us do evil 
that good may come ;" he scorned to return any 
other answer than this, " Their damnation is just." 
And it were greatly to be wished, that those who 
now so confidently repeat these accusations against 
the followers of St. Paul, would reflect on the guilt 
they incur, and the danger to which, by such calum 
nies, they expose themselves. To this present hour 
the same objections are made to all those statements 
which resemble Paul s. If we deny to good works 
the office of justifying the soul, we are represented as 
denying the necessity of them altogether. Though 
these objections have been refuted a thousand times, 
and should be refuted ten thousand times more, the 
enemies of the Gospel will still repeat them with as 
much confidence as ever. Let them, however, look 
into our text, and see what David s principles were. 
Of all the Old Testament saints, there was not one 
who more determinately sought to be justified by 
the righteousness of Christ without any works of his 
own, than he. Hear what is said of him by St. Paul, 
in confirmation of the very sentiments which Paul 
himself maintained ; " To him that worketh not, but 
believeth in him ihatjiisttfieth the ungodly, his faith is 



358 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [709. 

counted for righteousness : EVEN AS DAVID describeth 
the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth 
righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they 
whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are 
covered ; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will 
not impute sin f ." Here we have a full exposition of 
David s views respecting the Gospel. And how did 
these views operate on his soul ? Did the idea of 
being justified by a righteousness not his own, a 
righteousness without works, a righteousness imputed 
to him, and apprehended solely by faith, did this, I 
say, make him regardless of good works ? No : look 
at the text, thou Objector, and be convinced : look 
at the text, thou Calumniator, and blush. 

Search, next, the writings of St. Paul, and see 
whether there was any difference in this respect be 
tween him and David ? Was there in theory ? No : 
for St. Paul affirms, that " the grace of God which 
bringeth salvation teaches us, that, denying ungod 
liness and worldly lusts, we should live righteously, 
soberly, and godly, in this present world." Was 
there in practice ? No : neither David nor any other 
Saint ever made higher attainments in holiness than 
St. Paul : " he was not a whit behind the very 
chiefest Apostles." 

Perhaps it will be said that the professed followers 
of St. Paul differ from him in this respect ; and that, 
whilst in speculation they adopt his doctrine, in prac 
tice they deny its sanctifying efficacy. That there are 
Antinomians in the world, we confess : there were 
in the days of Christ and his Apostles ; some who 
called Christ, "Lord! Lord! whilst yet they did no* 
the things which he commanded ;" and some, who 
"professed to know God, but in works denied him." 
And it must be expected, that, corrupt as human na 
ture is, such characters will be found in every age. 
But is such conduct the necessary result of these 
principles ? Was it so in the Apostles days ? or is it 
so at this day ? If justification by faith alone be 
necessarily productive of laxness in morals, whence 

f Rom. iv. 58. 



709.] THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 859 

comes it that a higher tone of morality is universally 
expected from those who maintain that doctrine, than 
from others ? Whence is it that the smallest evils in 
such persons are more severely marked, than the 
most licentious courses of the ungodly world ? We 
appeal to all who hear us, Whether, if a professor, 
and especially a preacher, of this doctrine were to 
demean himself in all things for one single day in the 
way that the generality of his own age and station 
live all the year round, the mouths of all who beheld 
him would not be opened against him as a hypocrite g ? 
Whence should this be, if those who maintain the 
doctrine of justification by faith alone, represented it 
as liberating men from their obligation to good works ? 
And how comes it, that the very persons who are com 
plained of for the licentious tendency of their principles, 
should at the same time be universally condemned 
for the over-righteous sanctity of their lives ? 

To all, then, who misrepresent the Gospel, we 
would give this reply : Look at David, and see what 
the effect of the Gospel had on him : look at Paul, 
and contemplate its effects on him : look at the uni 
form declarations of Scripture, and see what was the 
life of all the primitive Believers : nay, look only at 
the expectations which you yourselves have formed : 
for, if you see a professor of the Gospel act unworthy 
of his profession, you deem him inconsistent ; which 

g It having been observed to the author, that the words " age and 
station" might be mistaken for age and order, and thus be supposed 
to aim at the Clergy, he judges it right to guard against any sucli 
misconception of his meaning. The scope of his observation is this : 
A Professor, and especially a Preacher, of the doctrines here referred 
to, is expected to be more strict in his conduct than others who deny 
those doctrines. And, whether he be young or old, or of the higher 
or lower orders of society, if he were to manifest the same worldly 
spirit, to avow the same worldly sentiments, to shew the same indif 
ference to religion, and to indulge in the same latitude of conversation 
altogether, as the generality of others who are of the same age and 
rank of life do, he would be accounted most glaringly and grossly in 
consistent. Some, notwithstanding their aversion to these doctrines, 
are more guarded in their spirit and conversation ; but the generality 
are not : and therefore the author purposely limited his observations 
to " the generality*" 



360 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [709. 

is a proof, that both the obligation to holiness is 
acknowledged on his part, and the performance of it 
is expected on yours ; and consequently, that the 
Gospel is, by your mutual consent, " a doctrine ac 
cording to godliness." 

From the passage before us, we may in the next 
place, offer a reproof to those who would abuse the 
Gospel. We have already acknowledged, and with 
deep grief we confess it, that there are some persons 
professedly of Antinomian principles, who are so 
occupied with contemplating what Christ has wrought 
out for them, that they cannot bestow a thought on 
what he has engaged to work in them. To speak of 
holiness, or any point of duty, they account low, and 
legal : yea, they think that Christ has by his own 
obedience to the law superseded the necessity of ho 
liness in us ; and that the whole work of salvation is 
so finished by him, that there remains nothing to be 
done by us, nothing of repentance for sin, nothing of 
obedience to God s commands, but solely to maintain 
confidence in the provisions of God s everlasting Co 
venant, and to rejoice in God as our God and portion. 

Shocking as these sentiments are, they have been 
professed of late to a great extent ; and many have 
been deceived by them : but, to show how unscrip- 
tural they are, we need only refer to the character of 
David, as drawn in the words of our text : Does he 
discard the law as a rule of life ? Does he pour con 
tempt upon the precepts of God as unworthy of his 
notice ? No : throughout all his Psalms he speaks 
of them as objects of his supreme delight : " O how 
I love thy law ! all the day long is my study in it." 
" I love thy precepts above gold ; they are sweeter 
to me than honey and the honey-comb." To the 
same effect St. Paul also speaks : " I consent unto 
the law that it is good :" and again, " I delight in the 
law of God after the inward man ! " He does, it is 
true, speak of himself as " dead to the law ;" and of 
the law as dead with respect to him ; and from thence, 
that the marriage bonds, by which the law and we 
were formerly united, are for ever dissolved. But 



709.] THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 361 

what use does he teach us to make of this liberty ? 
Does he speak of it as freeing us from all moral 
restraints ? No ; but as a reason for our giving up 
ourselves henceforth in a marriage union to Christ as 
our second husband, that we may bring forth fruit 
unto God h . Now then, we would ask, Were David 
and Paul right ? If so, what must we think of the 
sentiments of these deluded people ? Are they more 
spiritual than David ? or have they a deeper insight 
into the Gospel than Paul ? The very circumstance 
of their discarding all the exhortations of St. Paul, 
and casting behind them all his practical instructions, 
demonstrates, that they are, for the present at least, 
" given up to a delusion, to believe a lie." Some of 
them, we trust, do not practically live according to 
these principles ; and, where this is the case, we 
hope that God, in his mercy, will sooner or later give 
them to see their errors : but, if they practically carry 
into effect their principles, they will have reason to 
curse the day that ever they were born. 

To the younger part of our audience we will beg 
permission to suggest a few hints on this important 
subject. 

You, when you go into the world, will be in danger 
of being ensnared by people of this stamp. There is 
something very imposing in the idea of glorifying the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and of making him " all in all." 
The devout mind is delighted with this thought ; and 
is easily induced to regard with jealousy any thing 
that may be supposed to interfere with it. But be 
not wise above that which is written ; and let nothing 
tempt you to imagine, that you can honour Christ 
by setting aside any of his commandments. It is by 
your love to his commandments that you are to 
approve yourselves his disciples ; and however de 
lighted you may be with the visions of Mount Tabor, 
you must never forget that you have work also to do 
in the plain 1 . We are far from wishing any one to 
be working from self-righteous principles, or in a 
legal spirit : nor would we utter a word that should 

h Rom. vii. 1 4. with Gal. ii. 19. Luke ix. 33, 37. 



362 PSALMS, CXIX. 128. [799. 

discourage the fullest confidence in God. It is our 
privilege, doubtless, to trace all our mercies up to his 
everlasting love, and to view them all as secured to 
us by covenant and by oath k : but then it is no less 
our privilege to fulfil God s will, and to resemble the 
holy angels, of whom it is said, that " they do his 
commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word." 
Beware then lest ye ever be led off from this ground. 
Rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the propitiation 
for your sins, as your all-prevailing Advocate, and as 
your living Head : but, whilst you believe in him, and 
love him, and rejoice in him, let your faith, and love, 
and joy, stimulate you to a holy and unreserved obe 
dience. If he has " set your heart at liberty," let the 
effect be to " make you run with more enlargement 
the way of his commandments." 

Lastly, we may derive from our text a direction to 
those who would adorn the Gospel. " Esteem all God s 
precepts to be right, and hate every false way." If 
God has enjoined any thing, do not ask whether the 
world approves of it ; nor, if he have forbidden any 
thing, inquire of the world, whether you shall abstain 
from it. The world are as inadequate judges of 
Christian morality, as they are of Christian prin 
ciples : both the one and the other are " foolishness 
to the natural man." Of all the sublimer precepts, 
whether evangelical or moral, they are ready to say, 
" This is a hard saying, who can hear it ?" But let 
no true Christian " consult with flesh and blood." 
Let him rather say with David, " Away from me ye 
wicked : I will keep the commandments of my God." 
Does God call you to " live no longer to yourselves, 
but unto him?" or, Does the Lord Jesus Christ bid 
you " follow him without the camp, bearing his re 
proach ;" and readily to " lay down your lives for his 
sake ?" Let " not these commandments be grievous 
in your eyes ;" but rather " rejoice if you are counted 
worthy to suffer for his sake." If at any time you be 
urged to turn aside from the path of duty, do not let 
the maxims or habits of the world bias you one 

* II eb. vi. 17, 18. 



709.] THE TRUE TEST OF RELIGION IN THE SOUL. 363 

moment : you are " not to follow a multitude to do 
evil :" if a thing be right, you should love it and 
cleave to it, though the whole world should be against 
you ; just as Noah, Daniel, and Elijah did : and, if a 
thing be evil, you must not do it, though the loss of 
all things, yea even of life itself, should await you for 
your integrity. It were better far to go into a fiery 
furnace for your steadfastness, than to save your 
selves by an undue compliance. 

Doubtless this holy walk and conversation will 
involve you in the charge of singularity ; but whose 
fault is it, if this conduct makes you singular ? Is it 
yours ? Is it not rather theirs, who will not yield 
obedience to the precepts of their God ? We mean 
not by this to justify any who would affect a needless 
singularity : far from it : it is only where the world 
are wrong, that we would recommend any to separate 
from them. But wheresoever they are wrong, there 
you must " quit yourselves like men," and shew them 
by your example a more perfect way. In important 
matters, the whole universe should not shake your 
resolution. Where duty evidently calls, you must 
be firm, and " faithful unto death." It is confessedly 
"a strait and narrow way" in which you are called 
to walk ; and, whilst walking in it, you must of ne 
cessity, like Noah, " condemn those" who are walking 
in "the broad road that leadeth to destruction 1 ;" 
and consequently, like him, you must incur the scorn 
and hatred of an ungodly world. But it is better far 
to brave the hatred of the ungodly, than to participate 
in the lot that shortly awaits them. 

To all, then, who would " adorn the doctrine of our 
Saviour," we beg leave to offer this plain and 
salutary DIRECTION 

" Let your light shine before men ;" and let it 
shine so bright, as to " put to silence the ignorance 
of foolish men," and to " make those ashamed, who 
falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ." 
Labour habitually to do this in every thing that 

i Heb. xi. 7. 



364 PSALMS, CXIX. 132, 133. [710. 

relates either to God or man. Let your enemies, if 
possible, "have no evil thing to say of you ;" nothing 
to lay hold of; nothing that shall give occasion for 
that malignant triumph, " There ! there ! so would we 
have it." Be jealous for the honour of Christ and 
his Gospel. Remember that the world, who are blind 
enough to each other s faults, will be eagle-eyed in 
discerning yours : while they will make allowances 
enough for each other, they will make no allowances 
for you : and whilst they impute each other s frailties 
to the weakness of human nature, they will impute 
yours to the principles you profess. Be careful then 
to " cut off occasion from those who seek occasion 
against you." Watch over your whole temper, and 
spirit, and conduct ; that " your conversation may 
be altogether such as becometh the Gospel of 
Christ :" and " let your light be like that of the sun, 
shining more and more unto the perfect day." In a 
word, " be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding 
in the work of the Lord ; knowing assuredly, that 
your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord." 

DCCX. 

THE CHRISTIAN S CHIEF DESIRES. 

Ps. xcix. 132, 133. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto 
me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. Order 
my steps in thy word : and let not any iniquity have domi 
nion over me. 

TO many, the Psalms are less interesting than 
most other parts of Scripture, as having in them a 
less variety of incident whereon to engraft instruction, 
as also a less measure of plainness in the instruction 
they convey. But, whatever may be wanting in 
them in these respects, it is more than compensated 
by the piety of sentiment and ardour of devotion 
which pervade them all. If other parts of Scripture 
add more to our stock of knowledge, this produces a 
more elevated tone of feeling, and, if deeply studied, 
tends in a pre-eminent degree to bring the soul into 
communion with its God, and to prepare it for the 



710.] THE CHRISTIAN S CHIEF DESIRES. 365 

enjoyment of the heavenly world. Let us but get the 
spirit of the Psalmist in the prayer before us, and 
we shall have no reason to complain that we were 
not amused with curious speculations, or edified with 
matters of deep research. 

Our business on the present occasion will be quite 
simple, namely, 
I. To explain the petitions here offered 

Two things the Psalmist here implores of God ; 

1 . The manifestations of his mercy 

[Mercy is that which every child of Adam needs : he needs 
it too, not merely for some particular violations of God s law, 
but for every action of his life : there is iniquity even in his 
holiest things : his very tears need to be washed, and his re 
pentances to be repented of. Hence he must, from the very 
beginning to the end of life, and in reference to every moment 
that he has lived, implore mercy at the hands of the heart- 
searching God 

In this request he sets, as it were, before his eyes all the 
instances of mercy which God has shewn to his most favoured 
people from the foundation of the world. We may indeed 
understand his words as a general kind of plea taken from the 
wonted goodness of God to others : and then this petition will 
accord with that offered in another psalm, " Remember me with 
the favour which thou bearest unto thy chosen ; O visit me 
with thy salvation a ! " But there seems here a more specific 
reference to some particular exhibitions of God s mercy in the 
days of old; multitudes of which must of necessity present 
themselves to his mind, whenever his attention was directed 
towards them. What mercy had God shewn to Adam, in 
promising a Saviour to him, instead of inflicting on him the 
judgments he had so deeply merited ! What mercy to Abel 
also, in giving him such manifest tokens of his favour ! To 
Enoch also, in affording him such constant access to him, and 
in translating him to glory, without ever suffering him to taste 
the bitterness of death ! In like manner his mercy to Noah, in 
delivering him from the deluge which overwhelmed the whole 
world beside ; and to Abraham also, whom he admitted to all 
the familiarity of a most endeared friend. These, and many 
other instances, we may suppose to have been in his mind, 
when he proposed them to God as patterns of the mercy which 
he himself desired to partake of. 

This is the true way in which every child of God should 
pray. From all that God has done for his saints in former 

a Ps. cvi. 4, 5. 



366 PSALMS, CXIX. 132, 133. [710. 

times he should take encouragement, and should enlarge his 
expectations to the utmost extent that the sacred records 
authorize. God is the same gracious and almighty Being in 
every age : and what he has done for one he may do for another : 
and though he may not vouchsafe to us precisely the same 
interpositions as he did to others, he will, as far as our par 
ticular occasions may call for them : and we are enemies to 
ourselves, if we do not open our mouths wide, and ask all that 
our situation and circumstances can require.] 

2. The communications of his grace 

[He desired to be delivered, not from guilt only, but from 
the power and dominion of sin also. This desire was without 
reserve: he wished not to retain "any iniquity," however 
pleasant or profitable, or even justifiable it might be in the 
eyes of an ungodly world. In this he approved himself sincere 
and upright : and in this, every true Christian will resemble 
him 

But in order to this, he begged to be guided altogether by 
the oracles of truth. The word of God is the only standard of 
right and wrong : if we follow any other directory, we shall 
err: if we adhere to that, we cannot but fulfil the will of God. 
This is the constant declaration of God himself b ; and it accords 
with the experience of his people in every age c . Happy would 
it be for us, if we would study the Scriptures with this par 
ticular view. We are not disposed to undervalue speculative 
knowledge : but that which is practical is infinitely to be pre 
ferred. The Scriptures are given us as a "light to our paths" 
in general, and as "a lantern" in every particular case when we 
know not where to place "our feet." Let us truly seek to be in 
every thing governed by them ; and then, though we be mere 
fools, as it were, in other things, we shall never greatly err d .] 

From this general view of the petitions, we proceed, 
1 1 . To shew the instruction to be derived from them 

Though not written with a didactic view, they 
convey much instruction, in reference both, 

1. To Christian principles 

[The uniono>i the two petitions may not improperly suggest 
to us, that a desire after pardon must invariably be joined with 
a desire of sanctification also. Were a desire of pardon all that 
is required to form the Christian character, a Christian would 
differ but little from those who are gone beyond redemption. 
Sin must be hateful to us, even as it is to God himself, who 
cannot look upon it without the utmost abhorrence 

Nor is the order in which they stand devoid of good and 

b ver. 9. c ver : 11. d Ps. xix. 7. Isai. xxxv. 8. 



710.] THE CHRISTIAN S CHIEF DESIRES. 367 

useful instruction. Mercy is to be sought in the first place. 
To look for sanctification first, and make that a ground whereon 
to hope for mercy, would subvert the whole Gospel of Christ. We 
mean not to say, that we should build such an observation as 
this on the mere circumstance of the petitions occurring in that 
particular order; for that circumstance would by no means 
justify any such conclusion : but from that circumstance we 
may fitly take occasion to make such an observation which is 
sanctioned and confirmed by every part of the inspired writings. 
And we cannot too strongly impress it on the minds of all, that 
in constructing the spiritual edifice, we must ever be careful to 
distinguish between the foundation and the superstructure, and 
to assign to each its appropriate place and office ] 

2. To Christian practice 

[Here the just improvement of the petitions is clear and 
obvious : they teach us to be humble Christians, practical 
Christians, consistent Christians. 

We should be humble Christians. The manner in which the 
petition for mercy is expressed conveys an idea of deep humility. 
It is as if he had said, " Lord, I am unworthy that thou shouldst 
look upon so base, so vile a creature as I am: well might my 
sins provoke thee to hide thy face from me for ever: but 
O ! look upon me, according to the multitude of thy tender 
mercies." Thus it is that we should ever seek for mercy. It is 
impossible for us ever to lie too low before our God. To the 
latest hour of our lives we should preserve the spirit of the 
publican, who, whilst he sought for mercy, " dared not so much 
as to lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, 
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner ! " 

We should also be practical Christians. To think that we 
can be interested in the mercy of God whilst we are continuing 
in sin, is a horrible, a fatal delusion. Let not any one entertain 
such an idea for one moment. Christ s work is finished indeed 
as it respects himself, but not as it respects us : there is a work 
to be wrought in us, as well as that which has been wrought 
for us : and whatever we may imagine about the secret purposes 
of God, this is revealed as an immutable decree, that " without 
holiness no man shall see the Lord" 

To crown the whole, we must be consistent Christians. To 
harbour any sin, of whatever kind it be, will prove us hypocrites. 
" If we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will never hear us," 
never accept us. The right hand or right eye must be sacri 
ficed, as well as those sins which may be more easily put away 
O let us seek to be " Israelites indeed, in whom there 
is no guile," and to be " sincere and without offence until the 
day of Christ!"] 



368 PSALMS, CXDL 136. [71 1. 

DCCXI. 

REASONS FOR WEEPING OVER SINNERS. 

Ps. cxix. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because 
they keep not thy law. 

THE generality, if exhorted to labour for the sal 
vation of others, are ready to reply, " Am I my 
brother s keeper a ?" But they who have truly the fear 
of God in their hearts will be anxious for the welfare 
of their fellow-creatures. This concern has at all 
times distinguished the saints of God b : and it was 
eminently conspicuous in David. Repeatedly in this 
psalm does he declare his feelings on this subject ; 
and with peculiar energy in the words before us. 

We propose to shew on what account we ought to 
weep for sinners 

I. On account of the blessings they lose- 
There are many present blessings which men lose 
by not keeping God s law 

[There is a " peace that passeth understanding," and a 
"joy unspeakable," that attends the believing in Christ, and 
the devoting of ourselves to his service. The having all one s 
lusts in subjection must contribute not a little to serenity of 
mind ; but the enjoying of God s favour, and the light of his 
countenance, is a source of the richest happiness that mortals 
can possess on earth d ." 

But what peace is there to the wicked 6 ? What can he know 
of the love of God shed abroad in his heart ? What comfort 
can he have in the prospect of death and judgment ?] 

But the eternal blessings which they lose, exceed 
our highest conceptions 

[The obedient believer has " an inheritance incorruptible, 
and undefiled, and never-fading f ." There is a crown of right 
eousness, and a throne of glory, reserved for him in heaven g : 
and he shall spend eternity itself in the immediate vision and 
fruition of his God. 

But can we say this respecting the impenitent and unbe 
lieving ? No : there is no admission for him into those bright 
abodes: "the unrighteous cannot inherit that kingdom 11 ;" 

a Gen. iv. 9. b Jer. ix. 1. c ver. 158. and 53. 

d ver. 165. Prov. iii. 17. Isai. xxxii. 17. e Isai. Ivii. 20, 21. 
f 1 Pet. i. 4. 2 Tim. iv. 8. }l 1 Cor. vi. 9. 



711. J REASONS FOR WEEPING OVER SINNERS. 369 

"the unclean cannot enter there 1 ." There shall be "a dif 
ference between those who serve God, and those who serve him 
not k : " and the wish that ungodly men feel to be found at last 
in the place of those whom they now despise, is a proof that 
they have in their own minds some apprehension of the sen 
tence that awaits them in another world 1 .] 

And are not these things matters of just lamentation ? 
[It is much to be regretted that men will " feed on ashes m , " 
and seek to " fill their belly with the east wind 11 ," when they 
might " eat the bread of life," and " delight their souls with 
marrow and fatness ." And still more must we pity him, who, 
when there is a rest prepared, and a supper spread for him in 
heaven, has provoked God to swear, that he shall never enter 
into that rest p , nor ever partake of that supper q .] 

But there is yet greater reason to weep, 
II. On account of the miseries they bring upon them 
selves 

Not to mention the misery of a guilty conscience, 
which in many instances is so great as to render life 
itself a burthen- 
How inexpressibly dreadful are the judgments which 
the wicked will endure in hell ! 

[However men may labour to disprove it, hell must be the 
portion of all that forget God r . And who can form any ade 
quate conception of the torments that shall be there endured? 
To spend an eternity in such a furnace as that which Nebu 
chadnezzar kindled for the destruction of the Hebrew youths, 
would be beyond measure dreadful : but what must it be to lie 
down in that lake of fire which the breath of the Almighty 
hath kindled 8 ?] 

And can we view sinners hastening to that place of 
torment, and not weep over them ? 

[Our blessed Lord wept over Jerusalem on account of the 
temporal calamities that should come upon it : and shall not 
we weep over the eternal miseries which men are bringing on 
themselves ? Must not our hearts be harder than adamant, if 
they do not melt into tears at such a sight ? Can we weep at 
the recital of a story we know to be fictitious, and not mourn 
over such awful realities ?] 

There is, however, yet greater reason to weep, 

1 Rev. xxi. 27. k Mai. iii. 18. ! Numb, xxiii. 10. 

m Isai. xliv. 20 n Job xv. 2. Isai. Iv. 2. 

P Heh. iii. 18. 1 E/uke xiv. 24. r Ps. ix. 17. 

8 Isai. xxx. 33. 

VOL. VI. B B 



370 PSALMS, CXIX. 136. [711. 

III. On account of the aggravated guilt under which 

they perish 

Devils and heathens will have more to urge on 
their own behalf, than they who perish under the 
light of the Gospel 

[The devils may say, Had the Son of God taken our na 
ture, and died for our redemption, we would gladly have availed 
ourselves of such a provision for our safety ; we never would 
have despised one that had been sent from heaven to redeem 
us. The heathens may say, Though there was a Saviour given, 
yet we were never privileged to hear his gospel : had his mercy 
been ever offered to us, we should " long ago have repented in 
dust and ashes*." But what will ungodly Christians say before 
God ? Will they say. They had not a Saviour ? or, That his 
Gospel was not proclaimed to them ? No : you know there is 
a Saviour, who bought you with his blood, and who has offered 
you, times without number, a full and free salvation. Your 
mouths therefore must be for ever shut u .] 

What additional reason does this give for weeping 
over the ungodly ! 

[Every offer of salvation greatly aggravates the guilt of 
those who reject it : and every increase of guilt will be followed 
by a proportionable increase of misery. How lamentable 
then is it, when that very gospel, which should have been a 
savour of life unto life, is made, through the obstinacy of man, 
a savour of death unto death x ! How truly lamentable when 
Christ himself becomes an occasion of greater damnation to the 
very people whom he died to save ! Alas ! that men should 
ever so despise their own mercies ! O that " rivers of tears 
might run down our eyes ! "] 

INFER 

1 . How little true love is there in the world ! 

[However strong and numerous the instances of men s car 
nal attachment be, there are few indeed who manifest any regard 
for the souls of their fellow-creatures. Instead of weeping for 
others, the generality would laugh at those who wept for them 
selves. But, if we have not this mark in our forehead, we are 
destined to feel the stroke of God s avenging rod y .] 

2. How earnest ought ministers to be in dealing 
with the souls of men ! 

[If all ought to weep for the ungodly, much more should 
ministers, who are sent to call them to repentance, " warn them 

1 Matt. xi. 21. u Matt. xxii. 12. 

* 2 Cor. ii. 15, 16. > E/.ck. ix. 46. 



712J DAVID S DESIRE TO SERVE GOD. 371 

night and day with tears 2 ." Forgive then the earnestness, we 
should rather say, the want of earnestness, of him who labours 
among you ; and pray, that he may so " declare the whole 
counsel of God," as to be pure from the blood of all men."] 

3. How earnest ought men to be in seeking the 
salvation of their own souls ! 

[If it be the duty of others to weep for us, how much 
more should we weep for ourselves ! Let us then lay to heart the 
state of our souls, and sow in tears that we may reap in joy a ."] 

z Acts xx. 31. a Ps. cxxvi. 5. 

DCCXII. 

DAVID S DESIRE TO SERVE GOD. 

Ps. cxix. 145 148. / cried with my whole heart; Hear me, 

Lord : I will keep thy statutes. I cried unto thee ; save 

me, and I shall keep thy testimonies. I prevented the dawning 

of the morning, and cried : I hoped in thy word. Mine eyes 

prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word. 

IN reading the Psalms of David, we are of neces 
sity led to contemplate the constant spirituality of his 
mind, and the extraordinary fervour of his devotions : 
but we are apt to overlook, or to notice only super 
ficially, one of the most lovely features in his cha 
racter, namely, his ardent desire to fulfil the whole 
will of God. If we were to read the psalm before us 
in this particular view, we should be surprised, that 
we had not been more forcibly struck with this 
sentiment before. He begins the psalm by declaring 
those persons pre-eminently blessed, who are most 
distinguished by their obedience to the laws of God a . 
In this way alone had he any hope of avoiding shame 
and disappointment in the last day b ; and therefore 
he prayed with all imaginable earnestness, that he 
might be kept from ever deviating from the path of 
duty c , and be enabled to " run the way of God s 
commandments with an enlarged heart d ." The words 
which we have just read do not, on a superficial view, 
convey this idea very strongly to our minds : but on 
a closer inspection of them, we shall see, that a desire 
to serve and honour God was the primary object in 

a ver. 1,2. b ver. G. c ver. 10, 19, 20. d ver. 82. 

B P, 2 



372 PSALMS, CXIX. 145148. [712. 

his petitions, and that even salvation itself was chiefly 
sought by him on account of the sanctifying and 
transforming efficacy with which it would be accom 
panied. Bearing this in mind, we will notice, 
I. The object of his desires 

There is no reason to suppose that David alludes to 
any particular distress or difficulty in these petitions : 
he seems rather to refer to the whole work of grace 
and salvation, which he wished to have forwarded in 
his soul : and he does not merely engage to make a 
practical improvement of the grace that shall be given 
him, but rather expresses the satisfaction he felt in 
looking forward to its effects. Had he merely prayed 
to God for the salvation of his soul, we should not 
have disapproved his petitions ; because it is proper 
and necessary for every man to seek above all things 
the salvation of his soul. But the having such respect 
to holiness, and the desiring of salvation itself chiefly 
in reference to that, is a higher style of piety ; as we 
propose more distinctly under this head to shew. 

1. It argues a nobler disposition 

[A desire after salvation does not of necessity imply any 
real love to God. A slave may wish to escape the lash of his 
master, and yet have no delight in his service : and we also may 
seek deliverance from condemnation, without any ingenuous 
feelings towards God. Simon Magus desired the intercessions 
of Peter and John in his behalf ; but he was actuated by no 
better motive than a fear of the judgments denounced against 
him c . But when a person desires to attain the Divine image, 
and makes the glorifying of God, by a holy conversation., the 
main object of his pursuit, he shews a nobility of mind, and an 
enlargement of heart, which none but God can bestow. A 
man by the mere force of natural selfishness may long for par 
don; but no man without supernatural grace, can pant after 
real holiness.] 

2. It shews juster views of the nature and source 
of true happiness 

[If a man were pardoned, he could not be happy, if he 
were not holy : for sin would ever eat as a canker, and destroy 
his peace Even heaven itself would be no heaven to 
one who was not possessed of heavenly dispositions : for what 

e Acts viii. 24. 



712.J DAVID S DESIRE TO SERVE GOD. 373 

communion could he have with the glorified saints and angels, 
all of whom are holy as God is holy, and perfect as God is 
perfect? The angels are represented as ever "fulfilling God s 
will, and hearkening to the voice of his word," with an ardent 
desire to follow the very first intimations of the Divine plea 
sure. The saints also " rest not day nor night, singing" with 
all their powers the praises of their most adorable Redeemer. 
But how would such an occupation suit those who have no 
preparation of heart for it ? But a disposition to execute the 
will of God will make a person happy in every situation. If 
he be bereft of all outward comforts, he will " enjoy the testi 
mony of a good conscience : " so that the person who desires 
holiness in the first place, proves that his judgment is well in 
formed ; and that he justly appreciates that important saying, 
" The work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of right 
eousness is quietness and assurance for ever."] 

3. It most corresponds with the ends which the 
Governor of the universe proposes to himself in all 
his dispensations 

[God, in creating all things, formed them for his own 
glory ; as it is said, " For thy glory they are, and were created." 
In all the works of his providence also he has designed to bind 
men to himself in a way of uniform and unreserved obedience. 
This was especially his end in all that he did for the Israelites 
in the wilderness; he did it, " that they might keep his statutes 
and observe his laws 1 ." In the great work of redemption he 
had the same blessed object in view, namely, " that we might 
serve him without fear, in righteousness and holiness before 
him all the days of our life g ." " This people have I formed for 
myself, that they may shew forth my praise." Now in desiring 
salvation for holiness sake, and in praying for deliverance from 
all the bonds of sin, in order to " run with more enlarged hearts 
the way of God s commands," we forward the everlasting coun 
sels of the Deity, and prove ourselves, in the most important 
of all concerns, like-minded with God.] 

The worthiness of his object was justly marked by, 
II. The ardour of his pursuit 
This blessed object he sought, 

1 . In fervent and continual prayer 

[Observe his own account: " I cried, I cried, I cried ;" I 
cried " with my heart," with " my whole heart." What can we 
conceive more expressive than such language as this ? Yet we 
are sure he did not exaggerate, or state any thing that was not 
strictly true. Moreover, so ardent was his mind in these holy 

f Ps. cv. 45. g Luke i. 74, 75. 



374 PSALMS, CXIX. 145148. [712. 

exercises, and so great his delight in them, that he " prevented 
the dawning of the morning," and rose often while it was yet 
dark, in order to pour out his soul before God. 

Now this shews us how the renovation and salvation of the 
soul should be sought by every child of man. It should occupy 
our whole mind ; it should engage our whole soul. To seek it 
in a lukewarm and listless way, is to shew that we have no just 
value for our souls, and no real delight in God. Examine, we 
beseech you, beloved Brethren, how it is with you in this 
respect for ye may as surely know by this the state of 
your souls before God, as if ye were to look into the very book 
of God s remembrance - You must distinguish also care 

fully between the exertions that are made in your own strength, 
and the efforts which are made in prayer to obtain help from 
God. It is from these that you must judge of your self- 
knowledge, and humility, and dependence upon God : for in 
proportion only as you feel your own weakness, and his readi 
ness to aid you, will your application to him be such as David s 
was ] 

2. In a believing dependence on God s word 

[The word of God meditated on, and applied to the soul by 
faith, is the great support and encouragement of all who desire 
mercy at God s hands : and David " prevented the night-watches " 
in order to read it, and meditate upon it, and pray over it. Thus 
it should be with us also. O then let me ask, Is the blessed 
word of God the one rule of your desires, and the one ground 
of your expectations ? and in this view is it your meditation day 

and night ? Here again you may obtain an insight into 

the state of your souls, and learn to estimate with precision your 
spiritual attainments. You may, as biblical students, be ex 
tremely diligent, consuming the midnight oil, and labouring all 
the day, without being at all nearer to God than those who never 
look into the sacred records. The question is, Whether you 
lay hold of it as a word of promise from God to you, and whether 
you plead it day and night before God in prayer ? 
This will prove you Christians indeed ; more especially if the 
promises of grace for your sanctification be as dear to you as the 
promises of mercy for your pardon and acceptance. This is 
the habit of mind which God approves, and which will assuredly 
issue in everlasting salvation ] 

APPLICATION 

1. How have your minds hitherto been exercised 
in relation to eternal things ? 

[Have you thus redeemed time, even from your sleep, for 
the purpose of forwarding with all possible earnestness the 
welfare of your souls ? 



713.] BLESSEDNESS IN LOVING GOD s LAW. 375 

2. What are your views and purposes respecting 
them in future ? 

[Are you procrastinating, and wasting your time in indolent 
habits or worthless pursuits ? O ! awake from your 
slumbers : up, and be doing : and the Lord be with you !] 

DCCXIII. 

BLESSEDNESS OF THOSE WHO LOVE GOD s LAW. 

Ps. cxix. 165. Great peace have they ivhich love thy law : and 
nothing shall offend them. 

THE force of principle is exceeding great, even 
where the principle itself is erroneous and vicious, but 
much more where it is founded upon the unerring 
word of God. It produces in our conduct, prompti 
tude, uniformity, decision : and, whilst it stimulates 
to action, it supports the mind in case of failure and 
disappointment. Now of all principles, that of love 
to God and to his revealed will is the strongest. We 
see in the saints of every age what wonders it is able 
to effect - - In the words before us, David informs 
us what peace it will bring into the soul amidst the 
heaviest trials, and what stability amidst the greatest 
difficulties. But for the more full elucidation of his 
words, we will consider, 
I. The character here described 

" The law of God" generally throughout the Psalms 
means the whole revealed will of God. It is not to 
be confined to the moral, or the ceremonial law; it 
comprehends the Gospel also : it is " the law which 
should go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord 
from Jerusalem ; " even, as St. Paul calls it, " the law 
of faith." 

To " love" this law is a strong expression, import 
ing much more than a mere obedience to it : for we 
may conceive persons to obey it through fear ; whereas 
those who love it, see an excellency in it, and cor 
dially approve of it in all its parts. They love it, 

1. As a mirror of truth- 
fin this view it is spoken of by an inspired Apostle a ; and 
it is justly so represented, because it reflects with perfect fidelity 

a Jam. i. 23 25. 



376 PSALMS, CXIX. 165. [713. 

every feature of the human heart. It never natters, never dis 
torts ; but shews, to every one who will look into it, precisely 
what character he bears in the sight of the heart-searching God. 
An insincere person does not like it ; he turns away from it : he 
will not come to it, because it presents to his view his own 
deformities. But the true Christian loves it on this very ac 
count. He desires to know the worst of himself. He sees that 
it will be to no purpose for him to deceive his own soul : he 
is assured that God will not form his estimate according to the 
partial views which he himself may take : and therefore he 
desires to see himself just as God sees him. True it is, that he 
never looks into this glass without finding deeper and deeper 
cause for humiliation but still he loves it ; yea, he loves 
it on this very account ; even as David did, when he said, 
" Thy word is very pure ; therefore thy servant loveth it."] 

2. As a revelation of mercy- 
fin this view it is particularly delightful to him. The plan 

of salvation which it unfolds is so grand, so wonderful, so suit 
able in all its parts, and so sufficient for all his necessities, that 
he can never sufficiently admire it - It is his meditation, 
and his song, all the day. The Scripture represents the Gospel 
as " a feast of fat things, of fat things full of marrow, of wines 
on the lees well refined:" and such indeed he finds it to his 
soul. In comparison of it, and of the knowledge of it, he " counts 
all things in the universe but dross and dung " ] 

3. As a rule of life 

[From the moment of his having found the way of salvation 
by a crucified Redeemer, the one desire of his soul has been 
to " live to Him who died for us and rose again." " What 
wilt thou have me to do ? " has been his constant inquiry at the 
throne of grace : and he delights exceedingly in this word as a 
sure directory under every situation and circumstance of life. 
From day to day he reads it with this particular view, that he 
may know " how to walk and to please God." He perceives 
that men are always endeavouring to lower the requisitions of 
this law : but he strives rather to have his attainments raised 
to that perfect standard. Not one of all its commandments is 
regarded by him as grievous. Nothing is grievous, but his own 
want of conformity to them. Could he have his heart s desire, 
it would be to " walk in all things as Christ walked," and to 
" stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" - ] 

In proportion as this character exists in any, is, 
II. The blessedness of those in whom it is found 

This, as might well be expected, is exceeding 
great. We notice it in two respects ; 



BLESSEDNESS IN LOVING GOD s LAW. 377 



713.] 

1. The happiness of their minds 

[" Peace," in the Scripture use of the term, is not a mere 
absence of trouble, but an actual state of very sublime enjoy 
ment. The person " who loves God s law" in the way before 
described, has, as the very first-fruits of his faith in Christ, a 
sense of reconciliation tvith God: " being justified by faith, he 
has peace with God : God has said to him, both by his word 
and Spirit, " Peace, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven 
thee." Combined with this, he has the testimony of a good 
conscience. Though he sees nothing in himself but what 
furnishes him with grounds for humiliation and self-abasement, 
he cannot be insensible of the change that has been wrought 
in him : he dares not deny the work of God in his soul. He 
has the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the testimony of his 
own spirit, concurring to assure him, that " old things have 
passed away within him, and all things become new :" and 
though he cannot attain that measure of perfection that he 
aspires after, he is conscious that, if he could, he would be 
" pure as God is pure," and " perfect as God is perfect." His 
daily and hourly employment brings in an abundance of peace 
to his soul. He is engaged in doing what he believes to be 
the will of God ; and he finds by sweet experience the truth 
of that saying, " The work of righteousness is peace, and the 
effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance for everV 
Nor has he less comfort in looking forward to the eternal state. 
He is not left to be a prey to fears and apprehensions about 
his future destiny. He knows in whom he has believed, and 
that his God and Saviour is able to keep him unto that great 
and awful day. He sees also, that he has in Christ a right and 
title to the heavenly inheritance ; and that, " when the earthly 
house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, he has a house not 
made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Hence, instead of 
dreading the approach of death, he looks forward to it as the 
consummation of all his wishes, and the completion of all his 
happiness ; and " desires to depart, that he may be with Christ." 
Such is the peace which it is the privilege of all w r ho love the 
Gospel to enjoy, and which Christ himself has left them as a 
most invaluable legacy, saying, " Peace I leave with you ; my 
peace I give unto you :" and verily it is " a peace which passeth 
all understanding."] 

2. The stability of their goings 

[Those who have not this divine principle within them, are 
liable to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, and 
to be " moved from their steadfastness" by every temptation. 
But not so the true Christian, in whose heart the law of God 

b Isai. xxxii. 17. See also Ps. xix. 11. and Prov. iii. 17. 



378 PSALMS, CXIX. 165. [713. 

is engraven. He, though still assaulted with manifold tempta 
tions, is enabled to withstand them all. At the very moment 
of the assault, he says, with Joseph, " How shall I do this 
wickedness, and sin against God ? " And throughout the whole 
course of his life he experiences, on the whole, the truth of 
that promise, " 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 c ." 
If he be tried with the most formidable persecutions, he does 
not, like the stony-ground hearers, presently desist from follow 
ing the Lord, but takes up his cross manfully, and makes up 
his mind to suffer the loss even of life itself, rather than dis 
honour and deny his Lord. Be his trials ever so numerous, he 
says concerning them, " None of these things move me, neither 
count I my life dear unto me :" " I am ready, not to be bound 
only, but also to die, for the Lord s sake." Perhaps one of the 
greatest stumbling-blocks which lie in the way of the sincere, 
is the fall of many who once appeared to run well. These, in 
their fall, sweep away, as it were with their tail, many, very 
many, of the stars of heaven d . But those who truly love God s 
law are fixed as the sun in the firmament 6 . They know that 
the truth and excellence of religion does not depend on those 
who profess it: and therefore, whatever be the conduct of 
others, he determines, through God s assistance, to hold it fast 
even to the end. Thus does he surmount the obstacles which 
sin and Satan place in his way; and is finally " made more than 
a conqueror through Him that loved him."] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who possess not this character- 
fit is indeed a great thing to love God s law. Let not any 

imagine, that a general approbation of it is that which will either 
satisfy God, or bring peace into the soul. We love it not aright, 
if we do not love it universally, in every thing that it requires, 
and supremely, above all that the world can give or take away. 
Nor let any one who does not thus love it, expect peace to his 
soul ; for God has said that there is no peace unto him f : nor 
can he have stability, seeing that he is in darkness even until 
now g . You must inquire for the good old way, and walk there 
in, if ever you would taste this inestimable blessing 11 ] 

2. To those who, whilst they profess to have 
attained this character, enjoy not the blessings con 
nected with it 

[God s word is true ; nor shall any who trust in it be 

c 1 Cor. x. 13. d Rev. xii. 4. e Ps. Ixxii. 5. 

f Isai. Ivii. 20, 21. s 1 John ii. 10, 11. h Jer. vi. 16. 



714.1 SECURITY OF THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD. 379 

disappointed of their hope. Hear his sayings i and, if you 

experience not the accomplishment of them in your own souls, 
know that the fault is in yourselves alone. As sure as ever the 
character is yours, so most assuredly shall the blessedness also 
be. " He will keep his saints " in peace and holiness, even to 
the end k .] 

1 Ps. xxiii. 1, 2. Jer. xxxi. 9. k Isai. xxvi. 3. 1 Sam. ii. 9. 



DCCXIV. 

SECURITY OF THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD. 

Ps. cxxi. 1 8. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from 
whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, 
which made heaven and earth. He ivill not suffer thy foot to 
be moved: he that keepeth thee tvillnot slumber. Behold, he 
that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The 
Lord is thy keeper : the Lord is thy shade upon thy right 
hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by 
night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil : he shall 
preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and 
thy coming in, from this time forth, and even for evermore. 

A LIFE of faith is generally acknowledged to be 
that which becomes the Christian : but how much 
is implied in a life of faith is very little considered. 
The Divine government is too often supposed to 
extend to great things only: and the idea of referring 
to God all the little occurrences of every day, is 
thought by many to be derogatory to his supreme 
Majesty. But God is to be seen as much in the fall 
of a sparrow, as in the fall of the greatest empire : 
and our dependence upon him should extend to 
every thing without exception. Should we attempt 
to draw a line between the events to which his atten 
tion may be supposed to be directed, and those which 
may be left, as the expression is, to chance, we 
should find ourselves utterly at a loss, and, in fact, 
should soon prove ourselves to be downright Atheists. 
The Scriptures admit of no such distinction : they 
ascribe every thing to God : even the events which 
in some respect owe their origin to Satan, in other 
points of view are traced up to God himself as their 
author a : and one very important use of the Psalms 

a 1 Chron. xxi. 1. with 2 Sam. xxiv. 1. 



380 PSALMS, CXXI. 18. [714. 

is, to shew us, how much the habit of referring every 
thing to God characterizes, composes, and elevates 
the Christian mind. 

In the psalm before us we see this truth exempli 
fied in the experience of David : in illustrating which, 
we shall notice, 
I. The resolution he formed 

The first verse of the psalm is somewhat differently 
rendered in the margin of our Bibles : " Shall I lift 
up mine eyes unto the hills ? Whence should my 
help come ?" This, whilst it affixes an important sense 
to the passage, gives it peculiar force and beauty. It 
represents the Psalmist as expressing his conviction 
of the utter insufficiency of all earthly powers to 
assist him, and his determination to confide in God 
alone. And in this view the passage exactly accords 
with that declaration of the Church in the prophet 
Jeremiah, " Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from 
the hills, and from the multitude of mountains : truly 
in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel V 

But as it stands in our translation, it is a reso 
lution of David to look unto Jehovah, who dwelleth 
on Mount Zion, or rather in the highest heavens, and 
to trust in him as the one only source of all good. 
Now this was, 

1. A wise resolution 

[When our Lord said to his disciples, " Will ye also go 
away ?" Peter replied in the name of all, " Lord, to whom shall 
we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life." In like manner 
we must ask, To whom can we go for help, except to the Lord 
our God ? No creature can afford us any effectual aid. The 
creation itself subsists only through the continued agency of 
Him who first called it into existence, and in all its parts needs 
the same superintending care that we ourselves do. Whither 
soever we turn our eyes for help, every creature uniformly 
replies, "It is not in me ; neither in me." To look therefore to 
Jehovah, is our truest, our only, wisdom.] 

2. A pious resolution 

[A man duly sensible of his dependence on God, abhors 
the idea of trusting in an arm of flesh. He would not so 

b Jer. iii. 23. 



714.] SECURITY OF THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD. 381 

dishonour God ; he would not so invade his unalienable prero 
gative. He loves the very thought of being a pensioner on the 
Divine bounty. The habit of committing every concern to God, 
and of receiving every blessing from God, is truly delightful to 
him. Hence he says with the church of old, "Ashur shall not 
save us ; neither will we ride upon horses ; neither will we say 
any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods : for in 
thee the fatherless findeth mercy c ." This is the dictate of true 
piety : and, whilst it ensures to men a constant communication 
of all necessary good, it renders every blessing ten-fold more 
sweet, as coming to them through the special intervention of 
their heavenly Father.] 

3. A necessary resolution 

[This state of mind is equally necessary for every child of 
man. The greatest monarch is as dependent upon God as the 
lowest person in the universe. No man has any power to secure 
himself for one single moment: "he is crushed before the 
moth," if God give it a commission to destroy him. Pharaoh 
himself was as open to the assault of all the different plagues, 
and as incapable of removing any one of them, as any of his 
subjects were. What peace then can any man enjoy, who has 
no other than a created arm to rest upon ? If we would have 
any solid comfort in our minds, we must realize a sense of 
God s superintending care, and rest in him for a supply of 
every blessing that we stand in need of.] 

Having declared his resolution, the Psalmist in 
forms us of, 

II. The encouragement given him to persevere in it- 
It is worthy of observation, that, after the two first 
verses of the psalm, David ceases to speak, and is 
himself addressed by another, who overheard his 
resolution. And who is it that thus replies to him ? 
It is no other than God himself; who immediately 
replies, in order to shew to the whole universe how 
pleasing and acceptable to him such a resolution is. 
Nor are such transitions unusual in the Scriptures : 
but they deserve especial notice, wherever they occur. 
We may see a precisely similar passage in the book 
of the prophet Jeremiah ; where the Lord, having 
overheard the confessions of his repenting people, 
instantly takes up the subject, and for their encou 
ragement addresses them in these gracious terms ; 

c Hos. xiv. 3. 



382 PSALMS, CXXI. 18. [714. 

" If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return 
unto me ; and I will put thine abominations out of 
my sight; and thou shalt not remove d ." The decla 
rations which God here made to David, are equally 
applicable to all, who, like him, are resolved to live in a 
state of dependence upon God. Let us consider them, 

1. In relation to temporal things 

[All the different expressions which are here used, have an 
evident reference to what was wrought for Israel during the forty 
years of their sojourning in the wilderness. The roughness of 
their untrodden path would often occasion " their feet to slip:" 
the heat of the sun by day, and the influence of the moon, toge 
ther with the noxious damps, by night, would greatly molest 
them in their journey : and their danger from savage beasts or 
venomous reptiles would tend to keep them in continual alarm. 
But God promises that no evil shall hurt those who trust in him. 

He will be to them an ever-watchful helper. Men, be they 
ever so numerous, may be off their guard : but the Keeper of 
Israel never will : he never slumbereth nor sleepeth : no enemy 
can escape his notice ; no device be hidden from his view : and 
his express engagement to his people is, that " no weapon that 
is formed against them shall prosper 6 ." 

He will be to them also an ever-present helper. The idea of 
his being " our shade upon our right hand" is exceeding beau 
tiful : for none but those in hot climates can fully conceive the 
benefit of a shade to protect them from the intense heat of the 
sun, which not unfrequ en tly strikes persons dead upon the spot. 
But the expression of being our shade upon our right hand pro 
bably alludes to the situation of the cloud which attended the 
Israelites through the wilderness, not only to guide them in their 
journey, but to shade them by day, and to give them light and 
warmth also by night. And, as the journey of the Israelites 
was chiefly in a north-east direction, the cloud which afforded 
them this shade would be on their right hand during the whole 
of the day. But not to lay any stress on this, the import of the 
expression obviously is, that, wherever we are open to the 
assaults of an enemy, God will be ever present to afford us his 
protection ; and that whether we be going out or coming in, we 
may be assured of his continued and effectual care. 

He will yet further be an all-sufficient helper. Neither sun 
nor moon, (which may represent the greatest of created powers,) 
nor indeed any other being shall hurt us; for " He will preserve 
us from all evil," and that, not for a season only, but " from 
this time forth, and even for evermore." To the same effect this 

d Jer, iii. 25. and iv. 1. e Isai. liv. 17. 



714.] SECURITY OF THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD. 383 

truth is largely declared in the book of Job, in reference to every 
species of calamity, that it shall not befall any one who trusts 
in God, or, if it befall him, it shall be overruled for his more 
abundant good f . We must doubtless take the promise in this 
latitude ; else it would be contrary to fact and experience : but 
understood with this limitation, it is, and ever shall be, accom 
plished in every child of God g .] 

2. In relation to the concerns of the soul- 
fit is expressly asserted here, that God will " preserve our 
souls" We may be assured therefore, that whatever he does 
for the body that perishes, shall much more be done for our im 
mortal part. Yes, " he will keep the feet of his saints," nor 
shall all the powers, whether of earth or hell, be able to cast 
them down. " Never will he leave us ; never, never forsake us." 
Our enemies, it is true, will fight against us to the uttermost : 
but he will suffer none of them ever to " pluck us out of his 
hand." To this extent St. Paul avows his confidence in God h : 
and every believer may justly assure himself, that " nothing in 
heaven, earth, or hell, shall ever separate him from the love of 
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who have no fears 

[Whence proceeds this ? If from confidence in the power 
and veracity of God, it is well : you are then entitled to cast off 
all fear ; for they who fear Him, have nothing else to fear. But 
if your want of fear arises, as it too generally does, from an ig 
norance of your danger, or a confidence in yourselves, you have 
no reason for self-congratulation : since the greater your fan 
cied security is, the more imminent and awful is your danger. 
Would you be afraid if you were surrounded by armed hosts 
that were seeking to destroy you ? and will you not be afraid, 
when Satan himself, that roaring lion, is going about day and 
night seeking the everlasting destruction of your souls ? To 
continue ignorant of your danger is the readiest way to ensure 
your everlasting ruin. What if some alarm be occasioned by 
a sight of your danger? Is it not better to dread the pursuer 
of blood, than to fall into his hands ? Wih 1 not your security 
when you have gained the city of refuge, compensate for the 
terror that drove you thither ? Know then, that if you are yet 
strangers to a salutary fear, you have yet to learn the true im 
port of a scriptural and saving hope.] 

2. To those who are too much under the influence 
of fear 

f Jobv. 19 23. s Iscai. xxvii. 3. 

h Rom. viii. 3530. with 2 Tim. ii. 18. 



384 PSALMS, CXXIV. 18. [715. 

[You should never forget what an Almighty Friend you 
have. How many times in this psalm are you reminded, that 
the LORD, even the Almighty God, is your helper and deliverer! 
Were he less powerful, or less vigilant, or less worthy of credit, 
you might well fear. But what ground can he have for fear, 
who has God himself for his refuge ? O ! learn to say with 
David, " The Lord is my strength and my salvation ; whom 
then shall I fear ? The Lord is the strength of my life ; of whom 
shall I be afraid?" I ask not from whence your dangers or 
your fears arise : for, if they were a thousand times greater and 
better founded than they are, this one answer were sufficient to 
remove them all, "If God be for you, who can be against 
you ? " Only rely on God, and you are safe. See how ten 
derly he chides your unbelieving fears l . If under any circum 
stances you are tempted to indulge an unbelieving fear, check 
yourselves instantly, as David did ; and say with him, " Why 
art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted 
within me ? Hope thou in God ; for I shall yet praise him, 
who is the health of my countenance, and my God k ."] 

1 Isai. xl. 2731. k Ps. xlii. 11. 

DCCXV. 

THANKSGIVING FOR GREAT DELIVERANCE. 

Ps. cxxiv. 1 8. If it had not been the Lord who was on our 
side, now may Israel say ; If it had not been the Lord who 
was on our side, ivhen men rose up against us : then they had 
swallowed us up quick, when their tvrath was kindled against 
us : then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone 
over our soul : then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 
Blessed be the Lord, ivho hath not given us as a prey to their 
teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the 
fowlers : the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help 
is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earths 

THE Psalmist, after some great deliverance either 
from foreign enemies or civil insurrection, records, 
for the instruction and encouragement of the Church 
in all ages, the goodness of God towards him. The 
precise occasion on which it was penned, is not 
known. Instead therefore of dwelling on historical 
events, which, as applied to the psalm, must be at 

a This Psalm is with peculiar propriety read on the fifth of No 
vember. This small sketch is inserted merely as a sketch, to shew 
in how small a space a sermon may be contained. The Discourse 
that follows it was the one used on the occasion. 



716.] GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN OUR MERCIES. 385 

best conjectural, we shall take occasion from the 
psalm to set before you, in reference to the solem 
nities of this day, 

I. Matter for devout acknowledgment 

[To illustrate this, two things are to be considered ; 

1 . Our danger ; which, like that alluded to in the psalm 
itself, has been imminent b irresistible* tremen 
dous d 

2. Our deliverance ; which, like that which is here cele 
brated, has been sudden e and effectual f ] 

II. Our duty arising from it 
[This is comprised in two things ; 

1. Gratitude. The language of all our hearts should be, 
"Blessed be the Lords" 

2. Affiance. We should in all future difficulties hope and 
trust in God as our almighty Protector 11 ] 

APPLICATION 

[However thankful we may be for our national mercies, 
we must not forget, that there is yet more abundant cause for 
joy on account of our deliverance from sin and Satan, death 
and hell, through the mediation and intercession of the Lord 
Jesus Christ - Let the greatness of our danger, and the 

perfection of our deliverance, be the subject of our daily con 
templations, that we may trust in Jesus with our whole hearts, 
and praise him with our whole souls 

b The number of our enemies (like a flood, ver. 4, 5.) their inve 
teracy against us (ver. 3.) and the combination of circumstances at 
the time of the mutiny in the fleet, well illustrate this. 

c What if God had not been so decidedly for us (mark the repeti 
tion, ver. 1, 2.) in some of our naval engagements ? If only half of 
our victories had terminated as much in favour of the enemy, how 
different would have been our state, especially when all Europe was 
combined against us ! 

d Torn in pieces (ver. 6.) and swallowed up (ver. 3 5.) 

e Review the changes in the North ; and our escape is indeed like 
that of a bird that gets out after having been already caught in the 
fowler s net, ver. 7. 

f Peace is established ; and the snare itself (the principles which 
occasioned the war) is broken, ver. 7. Written Oct. 1801. 

e ver. 6. h ver. 8. 

DCCXVI. 

GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN OUR MERCIES. 

Ps. cxxiv. 1 8. If it had not been the Lord who was on our 
side, now may Israel say ; if it had not been the Lord who 
was on our side, when men rose up against us : then they had 
VOL. vi. c c 



386 PSALMS, CXXIV. 18. [716. 

swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against 
us : then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone 
over our soul: then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 
Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their 
teeth. Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the 
fowlers : the snare is broken, and we are escaped. Our help 
is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 

ON what occasion this psalm was written, we are 
not informed : but in the title it is ascribed to David : 
and no period in his history suits it better than the 
time of Absalom s rebellion, when, but for God s in 
terposition, in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel, 
the banished monarch and his adherents must all 
have perished. 

But as there is no period fixed, it will be needless 
to enter into a consideration of any circumstances as 
connected with the psalm, since all that we should 
say could rest on no better foundation than conjecture. 
Of course, if we apply the psalm to the circumstances 
of our own nation at the present time a , we shall not 
be understood as intimating that there was any such 
reference intended by the Psalmist, but merely as 
accommodating the general expressions of it to our 
own particular case : and truly we must say, that if 
they had originally been penned for the occasion, they 
could not be more suited to it than they are. 

Two things then we would lead you to consider : 
I. The great deliverances which we are now met to 
celebrate 

During this long and bloody war, several occasions 
have arisen wherein we have experienced the most 
signal deliverance. We will call your attention to a 
few : we have been saved, almost by miracle, from, 

1. The revolutionary principles- 
fin our own nation, as well as on the continent, there was 
a general outcry about liberty and equality ; and multitudes in 
every rank of life united their efforts to overthrow the Con 
stitution of this country, and to establish a democracy in the 
land. Even pious people in vast numbers were carried away 
by the delusive idea of ameliorating the condition of the lower 

* Oct. 1814. 



716.] GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN OUR MERCIES. 387 

classes of society, and lent their aid to others who aimed at 
nothing less than the utter subversion of the Government. But 
through the energy of our king, and of those who administered 
his government, God in his infinite mercy preserved us : and we 
have lived to see the day when almost all who were so deluded 
have seen their error, and been led to regard the constitution 
of this country as the most perfect of any upon earth.] 

2. The mutiny of the fleet 

[Time was, when the dissatisfaction so industriously che 
rished and diffused by traitors within our own bosom, and 
spread, by means of corresponding committees, over the whole 
land, had reached even that class of men who in all former ages 
had been the boast and glory of their country, the sailors in 
our fleet. Many of these broke forth into open mutiny, and 
threatened to carry our ships, which were the bulwark of the 
nation, to the ports of our enemies. Such a blow as that 
would have destroyed us utterly : but the same kind Providence 
which had watched over us on so many other occasions, inter 
posed to rescue us from the impending calamity, and to restore 
amongst our fleet that union and energy which have rendered 
it triumphant in every quarter of the globe.] 

3. The threatened invasion 

[What immense preparations were made by our enemies 
to invade us, and what little preparation there was on our part 
to oppose them, cannot have escaped from our remembrance. 
True it is, that we were powerful by sea ; and that considera 
tion it was which kept the enemy in check : but had not their 
forces been called off to other encounters, there can be no doubt 
but that they would have attempted to invade us ; and, if they 
had succeeded in landing only two thirds of the forces which 
they might have brought against us, there can be no doubt but 
that they would have seized and plundered the metropolis, and 
spread desolation and misery over the whole country. We all 
know what destruction they threatened us with b ; and, could 
they have once overrun our country, they would have reduced 
us to such a state of subjection as Israel experienced, when the 
Philistines suffered them not even to retain a workman in their 
land, who should be able to fabricate arms for their defence. Not 
a dock, or a naval architect, would have been left in our land.] 

4. The overthrow of the Russian empire 
[Already had the whole of Europe been combined against 

us, and we were constrained to array ourselves against their 
united force. But the insatiable ambition of our great enemy 
raised up opposition at last from amongst his own allies, and 
gave us an opportunity of engaging him in a foreign land, 

b " Delenda est Carthago ! " was their universal cry. 
c c2 



388 PSALMS, CXXIV. 18. [716. 

instead of having to contend with him on our own soil. Still 
however we must have fallen before him, had not his insup 
portable despotism goaded to resistance the Russian monarch. 
But at one time, even that event also appeared to have prepared 
for us a more complete destruction. But God suffered the 
proud oppressor madly to protract his stay amongst the ruins of 
Moscow, till a retreat became extremely difficult. Hence arose 
defeat : the severity of the climate, and the extraordinary 
energy of the Russian armies, soon dissipated the forces of our 
enemy ; and enabled many who had been compelled to fight 
under his banners, to turn their arms against him, and to seek 
the recovery of their former independence. Yet, after all, if 
the last great battle had not been decided in favour of the allied 
armies, our enemy might still have retrieved his former losses, and 
again forged chains for the whole civilized world. But the time 
was come for God to have mercy on us; and he has had mercy 
beyond all that could possibly have been expected : he has 
trodden down the oppressor, as the mire in the streets ; and has 
restored peace amongst all the contending nations, even such a 
peace as the world never saw before ; a peace cemented by 
universal harmony and love.] 

Let us then, instead of contemplating our mercies 
only, proceed to consider, 
II. The duty of acknowledging God in them 

In the psalm before us, all the success is ascribed 
to God alone : God s gracious agency is acknowledged 
to have been the sole cause of Israel s preservation ; 
for this his name is humbly and gratefully adored d ; 
and he is declared to be henceforth the only hope of 
his people 6 . In like manner should we acknowledge 
him in all the mercies which we now celebrate: for, 

1. They do all in reality proceed from him 

[We are by no means disposed to withhold our tribute of 
praise from those who have been the instruments of our deli 
verance. Those who have been at the helm of our affairs have 
certainly laid their plans with consummate wisdom ; and our 
forces both by sea and land have carried them into execution 
with extraordinary energy. But still, without the Divine 
blessing their united efforts, however great, would have failed. 
It is God alone who inspired them either with wisdom or 
courage ; and he alone who gave success to their endeavours. 
We are assured that even the ploughman and the thresher de 
rive all their skill from him f ; how much more then the gover 
nors of nations, and the conductors of fleets and armies ! The 

c ver. 1,2. d ver. 6. e ver. 8. f Isai. xxviii. 26 29. 



716.] GOD TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED IN OUR MERCIES. 389 

victories of Cyrus were, as much as any could be, the result of 
human energy ; because God was not known either to him or 
to his people : but God tells us, that HE, even HE alone, gave 
him success g . In like manner it is HE, and HE alone, who has 
conducted us in safety through all our troubles, and brought 
them at last to such a happy issue. That we should see and 
acknowledge this, is of infinite importance ; because God is 
" a jealous God, who will not give his glory to another," or 
endure that we should " sacrifice to our own drag, and burn 
incense to our own net." Hear with what earnestness he 
cautioned the Jews against this great impiety h ; and let us 
learn with all possible care to avoid it : let us bear in mind 
that it is God alone " who maketh wars to cease, and breaketh 
the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, and burneth the 
chariot in the fire * ; " and that, as there is not evil, so neither is 
there good, in the city, which is not the work of his hands . k ] 

2. The acknowledging of him in them gives us the 
truest enjoyment of them 

[Others may indulge in carnal mirth ; but their joy will 
expire " as the crackling of thorns under a pot ;" and no solid 
benefit will accrue to their souls. But if we view God in our 
mercies, they will lead our affections heavenwards ; they will 
tend to abase us in the dust for our own unworthiness, and to 
magnify in our estimation the goodness of God, who has done 
such great things for us. Compare these feelings with those 
which the ungodly experience on such occasions ; how pure, 
how elevating, how abiding ! We may see the conduct of the 
ungodly strikingly exemplified by the Amalekites after they 
had invaded and plundered Ziklag : " they were spread abroad 
upon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing, because 
of the great spoil that they had taken V On the other hand, 
we may behold in Israel the conduct of the godly, singing 
praises unto God, and glorifying him for all the wonders he had 
wrought for them at the Red Sea ; " Who is like unto thee, 
O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, 
fearful in praises, doing wonders m ?" Can we doubt which of 
the two had the richer enjoyment of their prosperity ? Let us 
then imitate the pious Israelites : yea, let us contemplate, like 
David, every occurrence whereby God has manifested his care 
over us ; and let us, in reference to every one of them, say, 
" His mercy endure th for ever; his mercy endureth for ever 11 ."] 

3. A view of him in these his providential mercies 
will encourage us to apply to him for the blessings of 
his grace 

g Isai. xlv. 17. h Deut. viii. 1117. l Ps. xlvi. 9, 10. 

k Amos. iii. 6. * 1 Sam. xxx. 16. 

m SeeExod. xv. 1 11. " See Ps. cxxxvi. 



PSALMS, CXXIV. 18. [716. 

[Great as the dangers were from which Israel had been 
delivered by the interpositions of their God, they were not a 
whit greater than those to which we are exposed every day and 
hour. Truly we have a sea of difficulties ready to overwhelm 
us : we have a roaring lion seeking to devour us ; and a subtle 
enemy ready to take us in his snares. And who, but God, can 
deliver us ? Who can hope to escape from so great perils, if 
God himself be not on his side? Truly, " our help is in the 
name of the Lord who made heaven and earth," and in his 
name alone. Where is there one of us, who, when he considers 
the number and power of his spiritual enemies, has not reason 
to say, " Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given me as a prey 
to their teeth?" Sure we are, that there is not a believer 
amongst us, who does not view himself as " a brand plucked 
out of the burning," and marvel at the grace that has been 
magnified towards him in the redemption of his soul. 

Now then let those who have not yet experienced this mercy, 
consider how gracious God has been to our guilty land, and 
what an amazing deliverance he has vouchsafed to us : and let 
them say within themselves, " Will God be less gracious to my 
soul?" Has he not assured me, that "he willeth not the death 
of any sinner ;" that " he will cast out none who come to him 
in the name of Jesus ;" and that, if I make my requests known 
to him, he will fill me with " a peace that passeth all under 
standing ?" O let us put this matter to a trial; let us see whether 
or not he is " rich in mercy unto all that call upon him." 
Beloved Brethren, the time is short : there are yet but a few 
more months or years, perhaps but a few more days or hours, 
before the day of salvation will be closed. We would earnestly 
wish, that, at the moment of your departure hence, you should 
be able to look back on all the dangers you have escaped, and 
with triumphant exultation adopt the language of the psalm 
before us. Certainly, as many of us as shall be saved at last, 
will instantly, on their entrance into the eternal world, begin 
the song of the redeemed, and sing, " Salvation to God and to 
the Lamb for ever and ever!" Now then seek to have the Lord 
on your side : beg him to strengthen you against all the evils 
of your own hearts ; to rescue you from the impending storms of 
a tumultuous world; and to deliver you from all the deceit and 
violence of your great adversary. So shall you have peace with 
God in your own conscience ; and in due season enter into that 
rest, where neither sin nor sorrow shall ever assault you more. ] 

The author was not aware that he had written on this subject 
before. But as the former Skeleton consists of only a single page, 
and this goes over such different ground, particularly in shewing how 
to improve national mercies, he has thought it not improper to print 
this also. 



717.] TRUST IN THE LORD. 391 

DCCXVII. 

TRUST IN THE LORD. 

Ps. cxxv. 1, 2. They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount 
Zion, which cannot be removed, but abidethfor ever. As the 
mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round 
about his people, from henceforth even for ever. 

IN forming our estimate of men, we are apt to look 
at their actions only; and even our own characters, 
also, we try by that standard. But it is the habit of 
the mind that chiefly marks the man ; and by that we 
shall be estimated at the tribunal of our God. Doubt 
less actions are important, as indicative of principles 
from whence they flow ; and by them, we, who can 
only see the external fruits, are constrained to judge 
of the quality of the root from whence they proceed. 
But the heart-searching God looks at the root itself; 
and approves or disapproves of men according to the 
real quality and habit of their minds. 

In reading the words before us, we might estimate 
at a low rate the character here designated, did we 
not analyze the terms by which that character is 
described. But, if we take sufficient pains to explore 
the import of the words, and the true nature of the 
grace which they delineate, we shall see that the 
person " who trusts in the Lord" is a very exalted 
character, and that the blessedness here accorded to 
him is precisely such as becomes a holy God to confer 
upon him. 

Let us consider, 
I. The character here described 

" Trust in the Lord" does not import a mere general 
acknowledgment of God as the Governor of the uni 
verse : it implies incomparably more, even a deep con 
viction of his special providence, and of his incessant 
attention to every the minutest concern of his own 
peculiar people. It implies, I say, this conviction, 

1. In our views 

[Let it be considered what trust is. It of necessity im 
ports some engagement on the part of him in whom that trust 



392 PSALMS, CXXV. 1, 2. [717. 

is reposed. Consequently, a general notion of God s ordering 
all things according to the counsel of his own will, however 
deep that conviction be, will not amount to the grace that is 
here described. The devils possess that conviction, in its 
utmost possible extent ; but they cannot trust in God, because 
they have no promise given them, nor any ground whatever to 
hope that he will ever interpose in their favour. The person 
who trusts in the Lord must see him as a Covenant-God in 
Christ Jesus, engaged to accomplish for his chosen people all 
that their necessities can require ] 

2. In our habits 

[With such views of the Deity must be united a total 
renunciation of every other hope, and a committing of all 
our concerns to him, for body and for soul, for time and for 
eternity. There must be a going forth of the soul to him in 
prayer ; a spreading of our wants before him ; and a declared 
affiance in his great and precious promises. Viewing him as 
both a God of providence and of grace, we must fully expect 
his attention to our every request, to order every thing for 
our good, and to save us in Christ Jesus w r ith an everlasting 
salvation. Our expectations must be co-extensive with his 
engagements : and, as he has engaged to " be a God unto us," 
we must expect from him all that unerring wisdom, unbounded 
power, unsearchable love, and unchanging faithfulness, can 

effect This is, in fact, what the Apostle elsewhere 

calls " the life of faith in the Son of God;" and nothing short 
of this will answer the character in my text. But, wherever 
this is, there shall also be,] 

II. The privileges connected with it- 
There shall be, 
1. Stability- 

[Mount Zion was a place of so much strength, that, from 
the days of Joshua to the time of David, the Israelites could 
never take it. They occupied Jerusalem : but Mount Zion 
was too strong for them; insomuch that the Jebusites who 
inhabited it laughed them to scorn, vaunting, that if there 
were none left but blind and lame to defend the fortress, the 
Jews should never be able to prevail against it a . But far more 
impregnable is the fortress in which they dwell who trust in 
the Lord : " The name of the Lord is a strong tower : the 
righteous runneth to it, and is safe 1 ." They may be assaulted 
both by men and devils ; but they are assured, that " God will 
keep them by his own power, through faith, unto everlasting- 
salvation c ." They are in the Saviour s hands; and he has 
pledged himself that " none shall ever pluck them out of his 

a 2 Sam. v. 08. b Prov. xviii. 10. c 1 Pet. i. 5. 



717.] TRUST IN THE LORD. 393 

hands d ." In themselves they remain weak as ever, as both 
David and Peter have clearly shewn ; but in Christ they are 
strong : and in the Covenant which is made with them in Christ, 
and " which is ordered in all things and sure," it is engaged, 
on the part of God, that they shall never be moved, and that 
" the gates of hell shall never prevail against them 6 ."] 

2. Protection 

[The hills that were round about Jerusalem protected it 
on every side ; so that the Romans, it was confessed, would 
not have been able to subdue it, if the garrison themselves had 
not madly assisted them by their mutual contentions. But 
far more effectually does the Lord protect his people, being 
to them " a wall of fire round about them f ;" a wall which will 
not only ward off the assaults of their enemies, but will itself 
destroy their assailants. In fact, " he keeps them even as the 
apple of his eye^ :" and " sooner shall the ordinances of heaven 
and earth pass away, and the foundations of the world be 
searched out," than any one of them shall be left to perish h . To 
assure them of this, " he has confirmed his covenant with an 
oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible 
for God to lie, they might have strong consolation 1 ," an d live 
"assured that nothing shall ever separate them from his loveV] 

To all of you, then, I SAY, 

1. Get just views of your God and Saviour 

[Be not satisfied with a general acknowledgment of him ; 
but study his nature as revealed in the inspired volume, and 
acquaint yourselves with his dispensations as exhibited in the 
sacred records. See him delivering his people Israel out of 
Egypt, and supporting them in the wilderness, and establish 
ing them in the land of Canaan ; and then rest assured, that 
he is the same God, alike powerful, alike gracious, and alike 
faithful to all his engagements ] 

2. Let your expectations from him be to the utmost 
extent of your necessities 

[There should be no limit to them, provided only they do 
not contravene the Lord s will, and tend to the subversion 
of his glory. " However wide you open your mouth, he will 
fill it ;" and however " large your desires be, he will fulfil 
them 1 ." Listen not, under any circumstances, to flesh and 
blood, like Asa, who in his sickness sought to the physicians : 
but even though sense should stand in direct opposition to faith, 
as in Abraham s call to sacrifice his son Isaac, " be strong in 

d John x. 28, 29. e Matt. xvi. 18. f Zech. ii. 5. 

e Deut. xxxii. 10. h Jer.xxxi.35 37. and Isai. liv. 9, 10. 

j Heb. vi. 17, 18. * Rom. viii. 3439. * Ps. cxlv. 19. 



394 PSALMS, CXXV. 4, 5. [718. 

faith, giving glory to your God m ." Your divine Master, who 
has engaged himself for you, would have you to "be without 
carefulness." His command is, " Be careful for nothing; but 
in every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be 
made known unto God ; and the peace of God, which passeth 
all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through 
Christ Jesus"." Only " cast your care thus on him," and you 
will soon know, by sweet experience, the force of that appeal 
which David made to the all-seeing God; " O Lord God of 
Hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee !"] 

m Rom. iv. 20. n Phil. iv. 6, 7. Ps. Ixxxiv. 12. 

DCCXVIII. 

THE UPRIGHT AND APOSTATES CONTRASTED. 

Ps. cxxv. 4, 5. Do good, Lord, unto those that be good, and 
to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn 
aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth 
with the workers of iniquity : but peace shall be upon Israel. 

AT the commencement of this psalm, the inspired 
writer speaks of the Lord s people as secured both 
by the providence and grace of God. And it is fur 
ther promised, in the verse before my text, that their 
trials shall not prevail beyond their strength a . But 
no exemption from trouble is promised them. It is 
taken for granted, that " the rod of the wicked shall 
fall upon them, though it shall not rest upon them." 
The wrath of man, like water turned upon a mill, 
shall come on them with no more force than shall be 
sufficient for accomplishing God s gracious purposes 
on their souls : the rest, however menacing its power 
may be, shall be made to pass off by an opened 
sluice b . Nevertheless, the trouble shall be sufficient 
to try every man, and to prove the truth and measure 
of his integrity; the man who fairly meets and stands 
the trial, being approved, whilst he who sinks under 
it, or shuns it, shall be deemed altogether unworthy 
of the Divine favour. Hence the Psalmist pours out 
his fervent intercession in behalf of the upright, and 
at the same time warns every man of the danger of 
declension from the ways of God. The two points 
for our consideration are, 

a Compare ver. 3. with 1 Cor. x. 11-. b Ps. Ixxvi. 10. 



718.] THE UPRIGHT AND APOSTATES CONTRASTED. 395 

I. His encouragement to the upright 

His prayer shews what every believing soul may 
expect at the hands of God 

[No one, without constant supplies of grace and strength, 
would be able to endure the trials with which he will be visited 
in the path of duty. A man s uprightness may embolden him 
to ask for divine assistance ; but it can never support him 
without it. The greatest and best of men are weak, even as 
others, if for a moment they be left to themselves. Hezekiah 
was in some respects as eminent for piety as any of the kings 
of Israel : but, when " God left him to try him," he fell d . 
Even Abraham and Isaac shewed themselves weak in the 
day of trial ; each of them denying his wife, and Abraham 
repeatedly, through fear of the consequences which an ac 
knowledgment of the truth might bring upon them. The 
Psalmist therefore prays, " Do good unto them, O Lord;" 
supply every one of them with that measure of strength which 
their necessities may require ; and uphold them under all the 
circumstances to which they may be reduced ! - ] 

In fact, the prayer contains nothing which God him 
self has not made the subject of a direct promise 

[With all his believing people God has made an ever 
lasting covenant, that " He will not turn away from them to 
do them good ;" yea, " that he will rejoice over them to do 
them good," and assuredly interest himself in their behalf, 
" with his whole heart, and with his whole soul e ." God con 
siders his own glory as engaged for his people : and sooner 
shall heaven and earth pass away, than one who is truly 
upright in heart be ever left by him to perish f . The good 
he designs them may not be of the precise nature that they 
desire or expect; (as Paul had not " the thorn in his flesh" 
removed, but grace given him to sustain it :) but, that which 
is really best shall be vouchsafed unto them ; and it shall be 
imparted to them in the time, and manner, and measure, that 
unerring wisdom sees to be best for them 8 .] 

With his tender concern for the upright, we see 
combined, 
II. His warning to the unstable 

As for open apostates, no one can doubt their fate ; 
" their last end will be worse than their beginning 11 ." 
But there are many who secretly decline from God s 

c 2 Kings xviii. 5. d 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. 

e Jer. xxxii. 40, 41. f Ps. Ixxxiv. 11. 

8 Their extremity shall be God s opportunity. Seelsai.lviii. 10, 11 . 

h 2 Pet. ii. 20, 21. 



396 PSALMS, CXXV. 4, 5. [718. 

holy ways, who yet think that, because they turn not 
back to open profaneness, they shall " escape the 
judgment of God." Now, 

These are the persons warned 

[" The man who puts his hand to the plough, is not to 
look back," lest the furrows which he makes disgrace the field . 
So " those who turn aside unto their crooked paths" are 

Eersons who, by crooked policy and undue compliances, are 
ibouring to avert the evils which a bold and steadfast conduct 

would bring upon them Such was the conduct of 

Peter, when, for the sake of pacifying the Judaizing teachers, 
he constrained the Gentiles to conform to the Mosaic ritual : 
and had not the reproof which Paul administered to him, in 
the presence of the whole Galatian Church, produced the de 
sired change, this temporizing Apostle would have destroyed 
his own soul, and the souls of all his followers. In matters 
of minor importance we may yield, for the sake of peace, as 
Paul himself did when he became a Nazarite : but in matters 
which will in any degree impeach our fidelity to God, " we 
must not give place, no, not for an hour." To benefit others, 
we may yield : to screen ourselves, we must not yield. Not 
life itself must be held dear, when an adherence to duty calls 
for the sacrifice of it.] 

Those only who are " upright" will have peace at 
the last 

[Those who dissemble with God, and are diverted from 
the paths of righteousness by that " fear of man which 
bringeth a snare," have no real peace in this life k : for there 
can be no peace where there is not " the testimony of a good 
conscience." Much less can there be peace in a dying hour, 
and in the near prospect of giving up our account to God. 
But, if we suppose a man to have deceived himself so far as to 
have prevented any remonstrances from his own conscience, 
still, the very instant that he shall be summoned into the pre 
sence of his God, his delusions will be all dispelled, and he 
will see himself even as God sees him. Where will his peace 
then be ? Alas ! it will be fled for ever : for in that day none 
but the true Israel will be approved of their God. All the 
rest, how specious soever may have been their conduct, " will 
be led forth with the workers of iniquity," and take their 
portion with the most abandoned of the human race. In fact, 
the portion of hypocrites is declared to be pre-eminently bitter 1 , 
because of the light they have resisted, and the dissimulation 
they have practised. Let the unstable then know this, and 
avail themselves of the warning thus given them.] 

* Lukeix. 62. k Isai. lix. 8. J Matt. xxiv. 51. 



719.] DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE. 397 

Then let every one SEE, and be convinced of, 

1. The importance of uprightness 

[None but the upright in heart can expect any " good" 
at the hands of God. " As for such as turn aside unto their 
crooked ways," " their own wickedness shall correct them, 
and their backslidings reprove them m ." Then only can we 
be approved of our God, when our heart is right with God. 
For " the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath ;" and will surely 
perish, under an accumulated weight of misery.] 

2. The necessity of decision- 
fit should never admit of one moment s doubt, whom we 

shall serve. Nothing must be suffered to stand in competition 
with God s revealed will. Sufferings are to be only as the 
dust upon the balance. So, also, must gains be counted but 
loss by us, if we would approve ourselves to God. Let us, 
then, ever be ready to answer our opponents, as the Apostles 
did : " Whether it be right to hearken unto you more than 
unto God, judge ye:" for we cannot but obey him at all events, 
and execute his will, though every man on earth, and every 
wicked spirit in hell, should combine against us. We will, 
God helping us, be faithful unto death : for then, and then only, 
can we have any scriptural hope of obtaining eternal life.] 

m Jer. ii. 19. 

DCCXIX. 

DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE ACKNOWLEDGED. 

Ps. cxxvi. 1 4. When the Lord turned again the captivity of 
Zion, we were like them that dream. Then ivas our mouth 
filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing : then said 
they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for 
them. The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we 
are glad. Turn again our captivity, Lord, as the streams 
in the south. 

THE great body of the Psalms was composed by 
David : but some were written many hundred years 
before his time, as the 90th was by Moses ; and 
others many hundred years after him,, as that before 
us, which was evidently written after the Babylonish 
captivity. It relates in the first instance to the 
delivery of Israel from their sore bondage, and their 
restoration to their long desolated country: but 
it is well applicable to that redemption which is 



398 PSALMS, CXXVI. 14. [719. 

vouchsafed to the souls of men, and which was sha 
dowed forth by that great event. 

Let us consider from the passage, 
I. The deliverance here celebrated 

Grievous beyond expression was Israel s captivity. 
They were treated with the utmost cruelty by their 
Babylonish oppressors a : and their sufferings were 
greatly heightened by the derision with which their 
pious lamentations were regarded b . But in propor 
tion to the greatness of their afflictions was their joy 
at the unexpected deliverance vouchsafed to them. 
Observe, 

1. The feelings excited by it 

[Among the captives themselves the joy was so great, that 
they scarcely knew whether it were a reality or a dream. They 
were like Peter, when delivered from prison by an angel on 
the very night previous to his intended execution : " He went 
out and followed the angel ; and wist not that it was true 
which was done by the angel ; but thought he saw a vision ." 
All their lamentations were instantly turned to joy: "their 
mouth was filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing." 
The sight of such an unprecedented event fdled all the sur 
rounding nations with astonishment, and constrained them to 
acknowledge that it was the work, not of man, but of God : 
" Then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done 
great things for them." The Israelites themselves readily con 
curred in this sentiment ; and, on hearing the congratulations 
offered them, thankfully replied, " The LORD hath done great 
things for us, whereof we are glad."] 

2. The supplications it drew forth 

[Though permission was given them to return to their own 
land, and every thing was provided for their sustenance by the 
way, and their assistance at the end of their journey, the Jews 
saw that there was a great and discouraging work before them : 
but, as nothing was impossible to Jehovah, they entreated him 
to perfect what he had begun, and " to turn again their capti 
vity as the streams in the south." In the southern or hilly 
country of Judea there were, as in all mountainous countries, 
frequent and sudden inundations ; which however as rapidly 
subsided, soon after the rains had ceased ; so that, where, but 
a few hours before, the country bore the aspect of universal 
desolation, it speedily assumed the most lovely and nourishing 

a Ps. cxxxvii. 8, 9. b Ps. cxxxvii. 3, 4. c Acts xii. 9. 



DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE. 399 

appearance, the valleys smiling on every side with renovated and 
augmented verdure. Thus the Jews desired, that the ravages 
made in their now desolated country might be soon repaired, 
and that, through the influence of their almighty Guardian, their 
efforts might be crowned with speedy and complete success.] 

We forbear to dwell upon the event itself, that we 
may enter somewhat minutely into, 
II. The more glorious deliverance that was typified 
by it 

The event before us is undoubtedly to be regarded 
as shadowing forth that infinitely greater deliverance 
which is wrought for us by the Lord Jesus Christ d . 
And the correspondence between the two is particu 
larly striking. Observe, 

1. The deliverance itself 

[Grievous as was the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, it 
was nothing in comparison of that sorer bondage to which we 
are subjected by the power of sin and the wiles of Satan. All 
indeed have not the same work assigned them; but all are 
walking after the imagination of their own hearts, " being taken 
in the snare of the devil, and led captive by him at his will." 

The promised Deliverer however has arrived ; has entered 
into the conflict with our great adversary, and utterly subdued 
him. Jesus, foretold by name hundreds of years before his 
advent in the flesh, has accomplished the work for which he was 
raised up: and, having now " ascended up on high and led 
captivity captive," he has sent his heralds to " proclaim 
liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them 
that are bound." This is the very first use he makes of his 
newly-acquired power. Nor is it an empty proclamation, 
without any facilities afforded for carrying his gracious purposes 
into effect : he gives us back for the use and honour of Jeho 
vah all those vessels of which we had been despoiled, and which, 
though originally formed for the service of God alone, have, 
through the influence of our great adversary, been prostituted 
and debased to the vilest uses : yes, all our faculties and powers 
are now restored by him to their proper office ; and the all- 
sufficient aid of his Spirit is promised to us throughout all our 
dreary pilgrimage. Our almighty Deliverer has gone further 
still, and issued his commands to all throughout his vast empire, 
to succour us in our work, and to impart to us whatsoever we 
may stand in need of e : the very angels in heaven are enjoined 
to attend us in all our way, to encamp round about us, to hold 

d Compare Isai. xl. 3 5. with Luke iii. 3 6. or Isai. lii. 7. 
with Rom. x. 15. e Ezra i. 111. 



400 PSALMS, CXXVI. 14. [710. 

us up lest at any time we dash our foot against a stone, and to 
minister to us in all that our necessities may require. 

All this too is offered to us as a free act of mercy on the 
part of our great Deliverer. It was one of the most extraor 
dinary parts of the Jews deliverance from Babylon, that Cyrus 
should liberate them without any remuneration : but how does 
it exalt beyond all estimate the value of our redemption, that 
it is offered to us freely, " without money and without price! "] 

2. The effects produced by it 

[When first a soul that has been sinking under a load of 
sin and guilt is made to hear the tidings of a free and full deli 
verance, they seem to him " as an idle tale :" he can scarcely 
believe it possible that such mercy should be vouchsafed to him, 
and that one who has been all his days a willing captive should 
be delivered : and, when the joys of this salvation burst upon 
his soul, he appears to himself to be, as it were, in a dream ; 
so far does the deliverance exceed all that he could previously 
have conceived. Then his mouth, which was but lately filled 
with lamentations and complaints, is " filled with laughter, and 
his tongue with singing 1 ""- -Nor is the surprise confined 

to him alone : his friends and neighbours behold with astonish 
ment the change that has taken place in him : they now see 
the whole course of his life changed : they behold the chains 
with which he was tied and bound, now loosed ; the sins that 
once had dominion over him, now mortified ; and the griefs, 
which they interpreted as symptoms or forerunners of derange 
ment, now turned to joy, and " thanksgiving and the voice of 
melody." So great is the change in their eyes, that though 
they love it not, they are constrained to admire it, and to ac 
knowledge the hand of God in it ; "The Lord hath done great 
things for them : " and, though they may deride it in public, 
they envy in their hearts the lot which they affect to despise. 
As for those who experience the happy change, they thankfully 
adore their heavenly Benefactor ; " The Lord hath done great 
things for us, whereof we are glad ! " - They take their 

harps that have been so long suspended on the willows, and sing 
with inexpressible delight the songs of Zion. 

But the more they have experienced, the more they desire 
to possess all the fulness of the blessings prepared for them. 
Gladly would they, if it were possible, have all the remains of 
sin purged out from their hearts, and all conflicts with it for ever 
terminated. They pant for the full attainment of the Divine 
image ; and cry with fervour to their God, " Turn again our 
captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south !" Still however, 
not discouraged by the length of their journey, or the difficul 
ties to be surmounted, or the toils which they must undergo, 

f Isai. xxxv. 10. 



719.J DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL BONDAGE. 401 

before they shall attain the full object of their desires, they set 
out in humble dependence on their God, assured of final and 
complete success. They are willing to " sow in tears, confident 
that in due time they shall reap in joy."] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who have experienced some measure 
of this deliverance 

[You have heard the parallel drawn between the deliver 
ance of the Jews from Babylon, and that of which you are the 
happy subjects. It remains for you to carry it yet further, and 
to realize it in its utmost extent. Of all the multitudes who 
set out on their journey towards Zion, there was not one who 
was not sensible of the cruel bondage from which he had been 
delivered ; not one who did not feel his obligations to Cyrus as 
his great deliverer ; not one, who did not see that his provision 
by the way, and his succours at the close of his journey, were 
the fruits of that same grace that first proclaimed the deliver 
ance : moreover, all of them without exception would feel a 
consciousness that they were not yet arrived at the place which 
their souls longed after ; but that they were daily proceeding 
towards it : they felt no inclination to rest satisfied with any 
thing they met with in the wilderness ; but looked forward to 
the enjoyment of God s ordinances in Jerusalem as the consum 
mation of their bliss. Now then let it be so with you. Never 
for a moment lose the remembrance of your former captivity, 
or of your obligations to the Lord Jesus Christ, who " by his 
own death has destroyed death, and him that had the power of 
death, that is, the devil; and hath delivered those who through 
fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage." Never 
for a moment forget that you are on a journey towards Zion, 
and that all your fresh springs are in that adorable Saviour, who 
has redeemed you by his blood. Never for a moment cease to 
press forward in your heavenly way ; but, forgetting what is be 
hind, reach forward, like coursers, to the destined goal. Let all 
your hopes, and all your happiness be in heaven. In a word, 
be exactly in the state and habit of your minds, what the liberated 
captives were in their journey towards Zion. Then will you 
have attained the perfection of Christian pilgrims, and will in 
due time possess in all its fulness your destined inheritance.] 

2. To those who are yet the bond-slaves of sin and 
Satan 

[This is the state of every man by nature. It is to little 
purpose to say, that we are not addicted to any gross iniquity ; 
for " the whole world lieth in wickedness," or, " in the wicked 
one :" and if the Captain of our Salvation have not rescued us 
from the hands of " the strongman armed," our very peace is a 

VOL. VI. D D 



402 PSALMS, CXXVI. 5. [720. 

sufficient evidence of our bondage. If you are yet strangers to 
the experience above described, you are yet in bondage to the 
great enemy of Zion 

But we are authorized to declare that this adversary is cast 
down ; that our Cyrus has prevailed over him ; and that liberty 
is now given to every captive in Babylon to return to Zion. 
Behold, as a herald of our adorable Saviour, I now announce 
to you these glad tidings. O ! be ye not like too many of that 
ill-fated nation, who preferred their ease to toils, their bondage 
to liberty, their dwellings in Babylon to their inheritance in 
Jerusalem. 

Put yourselves under the guidance of the true Zerubbabel, 
before whom " the mountains shall become a plain." If you 
meet with difficulties, know that HE has issued his proclama 
tion to all his creatures, to aiford you all necessary aid : and if, 
instead of aiding, they endeavour to obstruct you, he has engaged 
that all things shall work together for your good. Come out 
then from Babylon, every one of you ; and let this be the one 
harmonious proposal of you all, " Come, let us go up to Zion, 
unto the Lord our God." Fear not but that the object, when 
attained, will richly recompense all the difficulties of your way. 
Even in this world your "joys shall be unspeakable and glori 
fied :" but who can conceive the joy that awaits you in the Zion 
above ? How will your mouth then be filled with laughter, 
and your tongue with singing! How will you then, in concert 
with all the heavenly hosts, exclaim, " The Lord hath done great 
things for us, whereof we are glad ! " Be content then to " go 
on your way weeping, bearing precious seed, knowing assuredly 
that at last you shall come again with rejoicing, bearing your 
sheaves with you."] 

DCCXX. 

SOWING IN TEARS. 

Ps. cxxvi. 5. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

THIS seems to be a general truth founded on the 
experience of those who returned from the Babylonish 
captivity, and the correspondent experience of all 
who return from the bondage of sin and Satan. The 
Israelites, like Peter liberated from his prison, were 
so astonished at their deliverance, that it seemed to 
them more like a dream than a reality. The very 
heathens themselves wondered at it, and ascribed it 
to the influence of Jehovah, as also the Israelites did 
with joy and gratitude, taking occasion from it to 
implore the speedy and perfect restoration of all their 



720.1 SOWING IN TEARS. 403 

tribes a . Such also are the wonder and joy occasioned 
by the conversion of a soul to God ; and such are the 
desires which instantly vent themselves in fervent 
petitions for complete deliverance. But as among 
the captive Jews,, so in the enslaved soul, a season of 
sorrow precedes the time of emancipation. Never 
theless it shall be found universally true, that they 
who sow in tears shall reap in joy. 

Let us inquire, 
I. What we are to understand by sowing in tears ? 

" The sorrow of the world worketh death ; " and 
therefore cannot be that to which the promise is 
made. To sow in tears implies, 

1. A painful recollection of past sins 

[We all are sinners from our earliest youth : and every 
sin we have ever committed, is as fresh in the remembrance of 
the Deity as if it had been committed this very hour. Nor 
should we think the less of our sins because they have been 
long passed : on the contrary, we should view them with all 
the shame and sorrow that they excited in our bosoms the very 
instant that our consciences first accused us. Like God s 
people of old, we should be bowed down greatly in the recol 
lection of them b , and earnestly entreat, with David, that God 
would not call us into judgment for them c .] 

2. A penitent concern for present infirmities 
[The very best of men has much within him to mourn 

over. It is but in part that any of us are renewed. Many are 
the corruptions that yet work within us ; and the very imper 
fection of our prayers and praises is enough to make us go 
mourning all the day long. St. Paul found so much conflict 
in his soul by reason of his indwelling corruptions that he ex 
claimed, "O wretched man that I am d !" and groaned earnestly 
for death as the season when he should be freed from all the 
imperfections of his nature, and serve, as well as enjoy, God 
with unabated ardour e . Thus should we also " go softly before 
God in the bitterness of our souls f ," and lothe ourselves before 
him in dust and ashes g .] 

a Ver. 1 4. The rain which descended in torrents on the 
southern or hilly country of Judea, often filled the vallies with rapid 
streams, which quickly passing away as soon as the rain ceased, the 
rivers were suddenly transformed into verdant fields. Thus sudden 
and perfect the Israelites desired their restoration to be. 

b Ps. xxxviii. 3 8. Jer. xxxi. 19. and iii. 25. Ezek. xvi. 63. 

c Ps. xxv. 7. d Rom. vii. 14 24. e 2 Cor. v. 4. 

f Isai. xxxviii. 15. & Job xl. 4. and xlii. 6. 
D D 2 



404 PSALMS, CXXVI. 5. [720. 

3. An overwhelming sense of God s goodness 

[Nothing is more characteristic of true piety than this. 
Every day and hour we have reason to adore the divine good 
ness. What patience does God exercise towards us under all 
our backslidings ! What readiness does he manifest to return 
to our souls the very instant we return to him, yea, often reveal 
ing himself to us, and shedding abroad his love in our hearts, 
when we had no reason to expect any thing but some heavy 
token of his displeasure ! The psalmist, impressed with such 
views of God, exclaims, " O how great is thy goodness which 
thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou hast 
wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men h !" 
But the most striking example of this frame of mind is afforded 
us by the poor woman, who, to express her love and gratitude, 
kissed the feet of her Saviour, and washed them with floods of 
tears \ Would to God that such were the state of our minds, 
and that we might ever be found, as to our souls at least, in 
that posture !] 

Omitting many other grounds of weeping, we pro 
ceed to inquire, 
II. What encouragement we have to weep? 

To those who sow their corn, there is but one 
harvest : but to those who sow in tears there are two : 

1. We shall reap in this world 

[God will not despise the broken and contrite heart k : on 
the contrary, " he will hear the voice of our weeping : " tears, 
when flowing from a contrite soul, have an eloquence which he 
cannot resist. He will speak peace to the soul : he will blot 
out its transgressions as a morning cloud l . He will cause the 
light of his countenance to shine upon it ; and will give unto 
it a spirit of adoption, whereby it shall cry with confidence, 
Abba, Father m ! And will not such a harvest recompense a 
hundred years of weeping ? Look but at the state of the Pro 
digal, and see him, after his short seed-time of weeping, wel 
comed to his father s house, and feasting with him on the fatted 
calf; was he not well repaid? had he any reason to regret his 
tears of penitence ? Thus then shall it be with us in this world, 
provided we be content to sow in tears : " Weeping may endure 
for a night, but joy shall come in the morning"."] 

2. We shall reap also in the world to come 

[All that the penitent soul enjoys in this world is but an 
earnest of what it shall hereafter possess. There is " a full 

h Ps. xxxi. 19. i Luke vii. 38. k Ps. li. 17. 

1 Luke vii. 47, 48, 50. 1 John i. 9. m Jer. xxxi. 9, 20. 

n Ps. xxx. 5. 



721 J THE SPIRITUAL HARVEST. 4-05 

reward ," " an everlasting life p ," which shall be reaped as the 
fruit of what we now sow. The tears we shed are all treasured 
up with care in the vial of our heavenly Father : every sigh, 
and every groan, shall be remembered before him ; and shall 
add to that abundant and eternal weight of glory which we shall 
then receive. And who can estimate those " sheaves which we 
shall then bring with us ?" How will all our sorrows vanish in 
an instant, and be turned into unutterable joy q ! Let us then 
look forward to that time, and " not be weary in well doing; 
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."] 

ADDRESS 

1. To those who have never known any seed-time 
like this 

[Is there not occasion enough for you to weep ? Think 
how you have neglected your God and Father ; how you have 
trampled on the blood of Christ your Saviour : and how you 
have resisted the motions of the Holy Spirit in your hearts ! 
Think too, how you have made the very consideration of God s 
mercy and forbearance an occasion of more boldness in trans 
gressing against him ! This, independent of any gross acts of 
sin, is sufficient to make your head a fountain of tears to run 
down day and night for your iniquities. " Be afflicted, then, 
and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourn 
ing, and your joy into heaviness ; humble yourselves in the 
sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up V] 

2. To those who are daily sowing in tears 

[Possibly, some may be discouraged, because they do not 
reap so soon as they expected. But, if this be the case, let 
them examine whether they do indeed " sorrow after a godly 
sort :" and, if they have the testimony of a good conscience in 
this respect, let them wait patiently, as the husbandman 8 , for 
" doubtless they shall come again with rejoicing:" joy and glad 
ness are sown for them, and shall spring up in due season *. Let 
them be contented to "go on their way " weeping, even though 
the way be ever so long ; for tears are a seed * precious " unto 
God, and they shall bring a glorious harvest at the last.] 

2 John, ver. 8. P Gal. vi. 8. <i Isai. xxx. 10. 

r Jam. iv. 9, 10. s Jam. v. 7. * Ps. xcvii. 11. 

DCCXXI. 

THE SPIRITUAL HARVEST. 

Ps. cxxvi. 5, 6. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He 
that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall 
doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves 
with him. 



406 PSALMS, CXXVI. 5, 6. [721. 

SO much of sorrow is entailed on fallen man, that 
his path through life is not improperly called, a vale 
of tears. But it is not to the ungodly only that this 
portion is allotted : the man who is regenerate still 
finds much occasion to weep ; and if he have reasons 
for joy peculiar to himself, so also has he for grief. 
The Israelites,, when restored from their captivity in 
Babylon, felt, as well they might, that the mercies 
vouchsafed to them were exceeding great. The very 
heathen that surrounded them were constrained to 
acknowledge this. But, when they came to their 
own land, and saw the desolations that were spread 
on every side, and reflected on the time and labour 
that must be employed in rebuilding their city and 
temple, on the opposition they were likely to meet with 
in their work, and on their utter incapacity to restore 
either the city or temple to their former grandeur, 
they might well weep. They were, however, encou 
raged with the divine assurance, that God would be 
with them in their labours, and prosper their endea 
vours ; and that, if they were content to " sow in 
tears, they should reap in joy;" yea, that every one 
of them who should " go forth, weeping, and bearing 
precious seed, should doubtless come again with re 
joicing, bringing his sheaves with him." 

But we must not confine ourselves to the immediate 
occasion on which these words were written. They 
refer to every one that is engaged in raising a spiritual 
temple to the Lord : and they assure to him a happy 
issue to his exertions. 

To elucidate the subject, we shall consider, 
I. The events here connected 

Between seed-time and harvest there is in the minds 
of all a necessary connexion ; and as in the natural 
world the action of sowing has always a reference to 
that of reaping, so it has also in the spiritual world. 

The seed which the Christian sows is " tears "- 

[What other can he sow, when he looks back upon the 
transgressions of his former life ? How he, from the first mo 
ment that he began to act, lived in rebellion against his God ! 



721.] THE SPIRITUAL HARVEST. 407 

In no respect has he been subject to the law of God, or regu 
lated himself according to the divine commands. From open 
and flagrant sins he may be free : but he has lived as without 
God in the world, making his own will the one rule of his 
conduct, and his own pleasure the only end of his existence 

Does not such a life as this call for deep humiliation, 

and require to be mourned over with floods of tears ? 

Nor is this contrition less called for by his sins of daily in 
cursion. Let any man compare the frame of his mind with 
that which his circumstances, and God s dealings with him, 
demand : how faint his gratitude for mercies received ! how 
superficial his sorrow for sins committed ! how cold his devo 
tions at the throne of grace ! how feeble his efforts to glorify 
his God ! Verily, in the retrospect of every succeeding day, 
he may well sit down and weep bitterly, yea, and mourn before 
God in dust and ashes. 

In truth, this is, in a measure, the habit of the Christian s 
mind ; he is bowed down under a sense of his own manifold 
infirmities ; and he walks softly before God, under a conscious 
ness of his own extreme unworthiness. If David could say, in 
reference to the sins of others, " Rivers of water run down 
mine eyes, because men keep not thy law," how much more 
may every man say it, in reference to his own sins ! In the 
days to which we are looking forward, when the remnant of 
Israel shall return to the Lord their God, it is precisely in 
this way that they will come up to Zion : " They shall come 
with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them : I will 
cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, 
wherein they shall not stumble : for I am a father to Israel, 
and Ephraim is my first-born a ."] 

From this seed, however, shall spring a harvest of 

"joy"- 

[In the natural world we expect to reap the very seed 
which we have sown : but it is not so in the spiritual world. 
If we sow tears, shall we reap tears ? No, never, never, never. 
Far different shall be the fruit arising from that seed ! even 
joy, yea, " joy unspeakable and glorified." Look at the very 
remnant of whom we have just spoken ; and see the issue of 
their humiliation: " They shall come," says the prophet, " 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 
souls 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 mourn 
ing into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice 

3 Jer. xxxi. 9. 



408 PSALMS, CXXVI. 5, 6. [721. 

from their sorrow V It must be observed, that the first-fruits 
of this harvest are enjoyed even now : for the very scope of 
the Gospel is not only to " proclaim liberty to the captives ; 
but to give unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them," I say, 
" beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of 
praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees 
of righteousness, the planting of the Lord ; and that He may 
be glorified ." But, after all, this is only a foretaste of that 
which they shall hereafter enjoy, a cluster from Eshcol, an 
earnest of their future inheritance. The time is coming when 
they shall reap the full harvest in the fruition of their God, 
in whose " presence there is fulness of joy, and at whose right 
hand there are pleasures for evermore d ."] 

The connexion between these two periods being 
marked, I proceed to shew,, 
II. The certainty and blessedness of this connexion 

And, 

1. The certainty of it- 
fin the natural world the connexion is not sure : every 
care may have been exercised in preparing the ground, and 
the best seed may have been sown in it ; and yet, through blast 
ing or mildew, or some other unforeseen calamity, the hopes of 
the husbandman may be disappointed. But in the spiritual 
world this can never occur. There may be many events which 
seem unpropitious, and threaten the total destruction of the life 
of God in the soul: but God will overrule them all for the final 
accomplishment of his own gracious purposes, agreeably to his 
own express engagement, that " All things shall work together 
for good to them that love God, to them that are the called 
according to his purpose 6 ." The untoward circumstances may 
continue for a considerable length of time ; but God engages, 
that " though their weeping may endure for a night, joy shall 
assuredly come to them in the morning f ." Extremely beautiful 
is that promise in the Prophet Hosea: " Then shall we know, 
if we follow on to know the Lord. His goings forth are pre 
pared as the morning^" The benighted traveller may be ready 
to imagine that the morning, as it were, will never arrive. But 
the sun, though as remote as possible from us, will return, and 
is actually making a progress towards us ; and has its radiance 
ready prepared to pour it forth, for the benefit of the earth, at 
the appointed hour. So, in the darkest seasons of desertion is 
God prepared, to lift up the light of his reconciled countenance 
upon us, and to refresh our souls with his enlightening and in 
vigorating beams.] 

b Jer. xxxi. 12, 13. c Isai. Ixi. 1 3. d Ps. xvi. 11. 

c Rom. viii. 28. f Ps. xxx. 5. e Hos. vi. 3. 



721.] THE SPIRITUAL HARVEST. 409 

2. The blessedness of it 

[The joy of the harvestman may be fitly used to charac 
terize the Christian s consolations here h : but it will convey no 
idea of his felicity hereafter ; for all that here he sought and 
tasted shall there be enjoyed in its utmost fulness : and if the 
feast of which the prodigal was made to partake, on returning 
to his Father s house, was so blessed, what must the banquet 
be which is prepared for us above ! Verily, in comparison of 
that, the sublimest happiness of man on earth is no more than 
as a twinkling star to the meridian sun. To attempt to speak 
of the heavenly glory, is only to " darken counsel by words 
without knowledge :" for, what conception have we of the im 
mediate vision of our God in the full effulgence of his glory ? 
or what idea can we form of that throne and that kingdom 
which we shall possess above ? Suffice it to say, that all which 
the blood of Christ could purchase, and all that the love of God 
can bestow, is the portion reserved for us in the realms of bliss.] 

BEHOLD, then, 

1. How desirable is true repentance 

[I grant that repentance, considered without relation to 
its consequences, is not a pleasing exercise of mind : nor would 
a husbandman find any pleasure in casting his seed into the 
ground, if he had no prospect of a future recompence. But 
both the husbandman and the penitent sow in hope. Each of 
them knows, that without sowing he can never reap; and each 
of them expects, that if he " sow in hope, he shall be partaker 
of his hope." Hence the employment is that which each of 
them affects. But there is this difference between the two : 
the husbandman is confined to a few weeks for the discharge of 
his duty, whereas the penitent prosecutes his labours to the very 
end of life ; seeing that there is no day or hour which does not 
give him fresh occasion for penitential sorrow. He is to go forth 
bearing " a seed-basket 1 ;" and exactly as the sower, bearing the 
seed-basket, scatters the seed as universally as he can over the 
whole field, so does the penitent, every step he takes in the field 
of life. And whereas one may sow too early and too much, the 
other knows that he never can too soon begin the blessed work ; 
and that the more profusely he sows, the more abundantly he 
shall reap: God having ordained, in reference to this as well as to 
every other duty, that " he who soweth sparingly shall reap also 
sparingly, and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bounti 
fully 11 ." To all then I say, " Be afflicted, and mourn and weep: 
let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into 
heaviness : humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, 

h Isai. ix. 3. l So it is rendered in the margin of our Bible. 
k 2 Cor. ix. 0. 



410 PSALMS, CXXVI. 5, 6. [721. 

and he shall lift you up 1 ." I say, To all, without exception, 
would I give this advice ; for it is by a conformity to it, under 
the Gospel dispensation, that every child of God shall be 
known : "In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the 
children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah 
together, going, and weeping : they shall go, and seek the Lord 
their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces 
thitherward; saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the 
Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten" 1 ."] 

2. How reconciled we should be to trials 

[To the Christian there may be many storms and tempests, 
or a long-protracted season of distress, which may threaten the 
destruction of all his prospects : but as, in relation to the wheat, 
the frost is even desirable to destroy the vermin, so are diversities 
of seasons beneficial to the spiritual seed : as St. Peter has said; 
" The trial of our faith, which is much more precious than of 
gold, which, though it stand the trial of fire, will perish at last, 
will be to praise and honour and glory at the appearing of our 
Lord Jesus Christ"." It is remarkable that our blessed Lord, 
speaking of himself as the true vine, and of his people as the 
branches, says of " every branch that beareth fruit, the hus 
bandman purge th it, that it may bring forth more fruit ." It 
might be hoped, that, since it was already fruitful, it might 
escape the wounds inflicted by the pruning-knife : but that is 
not consistent with the will of the great Husbandman, who 
consults its ultimate benefit in proportion to the prospect which 
it affords of progressive fruitfulness. So are God s dearest 
people often most severely tried ; and they whose sheaves shall 
hereafter be found most abundant, are often made to apprehend 
an entire failure of all their prospects. Consider, thou tempted 
Believer, how profitable thy trials have been to thee ; how they 
have tended to humble thy pride, to weaken thine attachment 
to earthly things, to make thee feel thy need of God s continual 
help, and to quicken thee in thy way to the heavenly Zion : and 
learn to say, " It is good for me that I have been afflicted ; and 
it is in love and faithfulness that thou hast afflicted me."] 

3. How sweet to the Christian should be the 
thoughts of death 

[Death is as the waggons that are about to carry home 
the produce of the field, or as those which were sent to bear 
the afflicted Jacob to his beloved Joseph. The sight of these 
made Jacob forget all his troubles, and become indifferent to 
all that he possessed in this world : " He regarded not his stuff , 
because all the good of the land of Egypt was his p ." So then, 

1 Jam. iv. 9, 10. m Jer. 1. 4, 5. n 1 Pet. i. 7. 

John xv. 2. P Gen. xlv. 19, 20. 



722.] GOD S MERCY AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAYER. 411 

Brethren, let it be with you. Behold the waggons sent to bear 
you home, whither you shall " go rejoicing, bearing your 
sheaves with you." Yes, the tears that you have shed have 
been treasured up by God in his vial q ; and they shall be re 
compensed into your bosom a hundred and a thousand fold. 
Hear the declaration of God himself to this effect : " Blessed 
are the dead who die in the Lord : even so saith the Spirit : 
for they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them 1 ." 
Only view death aright, and you will account it amongst your 
most valued treasures : you will even " be looking for, and 
hasting unto, the coming of the day of Christ." If it " be 
unto you Christ to live," doubt not a moment but that " to die 
will be gain 8 ." For this is the irreversible decree of God, that 
" \vhatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap: he that 
soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that 
soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting 1 ."] 

<i Ps. Ivi. 8. r Rev. xiv. 13. s Phil. i. 21. * Gal. vi. 7, 8. 

DCCXXII. 

GOD S MERCY AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAYER. 

Ps. cxxx. 1 4. Out of the depths have / cried unto tliee, O 
Lord. Lord, hear my voice : let thine ears be attentive to the 
voice of my supplications. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark 
iniquities, O Lord, ivho shall stand ? But there is forgive 
ness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 

IN seasons of affliction, it is a great comfort to see 
how others in similar circumstances, have found 
relief. It is in this view that biography is peculiarly 
interesting ; and Scripture biography more especially, 
because it is more authentic in itself, and a surer 
ground for wise and profitable observations. The 
Psalms are a rich repository of such instruction. 
David was a man of deep experience. His afflictions, 
both temporal and spiritual, were very abundant : 
and, as they are faithfully related to us, so do we 
see under them the workings of his mind. In the 
passage just read we see, 

I. The means he used for deliverance from his dis 
tresses 

His trials were greatly diversified, and very severe 
[Unless it were recorded on divine authority, we should 
scarcely conceive it possible that a man of David s character 
should be an object of such inveterate and envenomed malice 



412 PSALMS, CXXX. 14. [722. 

as he was in the eyes of Saul : and, after the returns which he 
made to Saul, we should scarcely think that human malignity 
could ever arrive at such a height, or rage with such unre 
lenting fury, as it did in that envious and jealous monarch. 
Of his troubles under persecution David speaks under the same 
metaphor as that which is used in our text : " Save me, O 
Lord! for the waters are come in unto my soul. I sink in 
deep mire, where there is no standing : I am come into deep 
waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my 
crying : my throat is dried : mine eyes fail, while I wait for my 
God. They that hate me without a cause are more than the 
hairs of my head : they that would destroy me, being mine 
enemies wrongfully, are mighty a ." 

It seems, however, that on the present occasion he refers to 
his spiritual troubles, because it is of his iniquities that he 
chiefly complains, and of forgiveness that he expresses his chief 
desire. It might be supposed that so holy a man as he should 
have no complaints of this kind to make : but the truth is, that 
the more holy any man is, the more enlarged will be his views 
of the spirituality of God s Law, and the more painful his 
sense of his short-comings and defects : and it should seem that 
David was permitted to sustain great anguish of mind on this 
account, that so he might be the better fitted to instruct and 
comfort God s tempted people to the very end of time. Hear 
his complaints under a sense of God s displeasure: " 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 b ." Sometimes he was so overwhelmed, that he thought 
himself altogether an outcast from God, and doubted whether 
he should ever find mercy at his hands : " Will the Lord cast 
off 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 ?"] 

Under all his trials he had recourse to God in 
prayer 

[" Out of the depths he cried unto the Lord." He well 
knew that none but God could support him under all his 
temporal afflictions, and that there was no other comforter 
amidst the troubles of his soul. Hence, on all occasions, he 
betook himself to God in prayer. Under trials from man he 
says, " I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: 
so shall I be saved from mine enemies d ." And under the 
frowns of Almighty God he still sought refuge in the arms 
of him whose displeasure he feared: "The sorrows of death 

a Ps. Ixix, 1 4. b Ps. Ixxxviii. 6, 7. 

c Ps. Ixxvii. 7 9. (1 Ps. xviii. 3 6. 



722. J GOD S MERCY AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAYER. 413 

compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me : I found 
trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the 
Lord ; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul e ! " Thus did 
Jeremiah also, under his extremities : " They have cut off my 
life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed 
over mine head ; then I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy 
name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my 
voice ; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry f !" Thus 
it is that we also, under all our troubles, should approach our 
God. Nor should we be discouraged because we cannot find 
enlargement in prayer : our feelings may be too deep for 
utterance ; and our desires may find vent only in sighs, and 
groans, and tears : but, if only we be sincere, God will hear 
our very " breathing and our cry."] 

From the account which David gives us of his 

prayers, we learn, 

II. The views of God, from whence he derived his 

chief encouragement- 
He dared not to plead for any thing on the footing 

of justice 

[He was sensible that he in no respect came up to the 
perfect demands of God s Law ; and that, if God should " mark 
his iniquities," it would be impossible for him to " stand ; " since 
there was not an act, or word, or thought in his whole life that 
could endure so severe a scrutiny. Such is the view which all 
holy men have of their own infirmities : they know that God 
" charges even his angels with folly g ," and that " the very 
heavens are not clean in his sight : " how much less can man 
be pure, who by nature comes from a corrupt source; and, by 
practice, drinks iniquity like water h ? Job was the most perfect 
man of his day : yet he says, " If I should say I am perfect, my 
own tongue would prove me perverse 1 ." And every living man 
must deprecate the being dealt with according to the demands of 
strict justice, saying, " Enter not into judgment with thy ser 
vant, O Lord ; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified V] 

His only hope was founded on the mercy of his 
God- 

[Mercy is an essential perfection of the Divine nature, and, 
consequently, inseparable from God. But the expression, 
" There is forgiveness with thee," intimates, that it is treasured 
up, as it were, in the Divine bosom, ready to be bestowed on 
every weeping penitent. We are told, that " it has pleased the 
Father that in Christ should all fulness dwell ;" and that " out 

8 Ps. cxvi. 3, 4. f Lam. iii. 5356. s Job iv. 18. 

h Job xv. 1416. * Job ix. 2, 3, 20. k Ps. cxliii. 2. 



414 PSALMS, CXXX. 14. [722. 

of his fulness we are all to receive," according to our respective 
necessities. This was David s encouragement. Had he not 
known this, he would have sat down in utter despair. It is a 
consciousness of this that emboldens a penitent to draw nigh 
to God, and to ask for mercy at his hands. A soul that is gone 
beyond the reach of mercy, hates God with a perfect hatred, 
and " never repents to give him glory 1 :" but the soul that hopes 
in his mercy, feels towards him a filial fear and reverence ; and 
this holy fear is ever augmented in proportion to the hope that 
is cherished in the soul. Hence, when God says respecting 
his people, " I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby 
they have sinned against me ; and I will pardon all their iniqui 
ties, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have trans 
gressed against me ;" he adds, " And it shall be to me a name 
of joy, a praise, and an honour before all the nations of the 
earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them. And 
they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness, and for all the 
prosperity, that I procure unto it m ."] 

In this view of David s experience we may SEE, 

1. Our dependence on God 

[To whom can we go in a time of trouble? Who can 
afford us even the smallest help, especially under a sense of sin, 
and under a dread of God s displeasure ? We may possess all 
that the world can give, but it will not for a moment soothe 
the agonies of a guilty conscience. Of all things under the 
sun, in this view, it must be said, " Miserable comforters are 
ye all ! " Our help is in God alone. " He is the only fountain 
of life : and in his light alone can we see light"."] 

2. Our obligations to him 

[When we see so holy a man as David brought into 
"depths" where he feels as one ready to perish, what thanks 
can we render unto God, that we are enabled to pass through 
life in peaceful tranquillity, and with a cheerful hope of eternal 
life ! None but those who have experienced the hidings of 
God s face, and the terrors of his wrath, can have any concep 
tion what it is to be reduced to such a state. Does David say, 
" Fearfulness hath taken hold upon me, and an horrible dread 
hath overwhelmed me?" Why, then, is not that the condition 
of our souls ? Who does not deserve it ? Who might not well 
be left to sustain it throughout his whole life ? If we were saved 
from perdition at last, it would be a mercy, for which we should 
have cause to bless God to all eternity. But to enjoy peace 
here, and the light of God s countenance, verily this is a blessing 
for which we can never be sufficiently thankful. 

But there is yet a richer blessing vouchsafed unto us ; and 

1 Rev. xvi. 9, 11. m Jer. xxxiii. 8, 9. n Ps. xxxvi, 9. 



723. ] WAITING UPON GOD. 415 

that is, that in all our trials, of whatever kind, we have God him 
self for our refuge. Who need to be afraid of depths, when he 
has a God to go unto, a God able and willing to deliver him ? 
Look at the heathen, who know not God ; or at those who, 
though in a Christian land, are unacquainted with the great 
mystery of redemption. They are in a pitiable condition in 
deed: but the believing penitent, though in darkness, has reason 
to rejoice ; because his " heaviness will endure but for a night, 
and joy will come to him in the morning." He may descend 
with Jonah to the very precincts of hell; but in due season he 
shall be brought forth to light and liberty and joy.] 

3. Our true wisdom 

[The resolution of David, in the words following our text, 
should be ours. Whether in trouble or at ease, let us wait on 
the Lord, and " hold us fast by God." The man who has been 
watching through the night looks with eager desire to the break 
of day, when he shall be relieved from his toil. But with far 
greater earnestness, and with sweeter assurance too, should we 
wait on God, confident that he will appear* for us in the hour 
of need, and grant us that rest which our necessities require. 
Let us then live in this habit ; and then, " though the fig-tree 
should not blossom, nor the fields yield their meat, nor any herd 
be found in the stalls, we may rejoice in the Lord, and joy in 
the God of our Salvation ."] 

Hab. hi. 17, 18. 

DCCXXIII. 

WAITING UPON GOD. 

Ps. cxxx. 5, 6. / wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, 
and in His word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the 
Lord more than they that watch for the morning ; I say, 
more than they that watch for the morning. 

MANY of God s people are at times reduced to 
great straits, either through the violence of perse 
cution or the force of temptation : and, under such 
circumstances, what refuge have they, but in God ? 
It is in vain for them to look to the creature : and it 
sometimes appears to them to no purpose to wait 
even upon God, because the desired relief is so long 
delayed. David, under delays of this kind, was some 
times discouraged : but, whatever were the depths 
into which he had fallen on the present occasion, it is 
manifest that he cast himself upon the mercy of his 



416 PSALMS, CXXX. 5, 6. [723. 

God, and determined to " hold fast by God," and to 
maintain his confidence in him even to the end. I will, 
I. Unfold to you the experience of David- 
He declares it to us in few words : " he waited 
upon God." And the comparison by which he illus 
trates the frame of his mind, will serve us as a clew, 
whereby to find the full import of his words. He 
may possibly refer to watchmen in general, who, 
during a long and tedious night, wait for the morning, 
when they shall be released from their fatigues, and 
retire to their rest. But I rather think that he refers 
to the Priests and Levites, whom he had appointed to 
watch nightly in the Tabernacle a , and who, if they were 
not filled with a spirit of devotion, by which they might 
enjoy communion with their God, would long ear 
nestly for the morning, when they might terminate 
their irksome task. But more than they did David 
long for the return of God to his soul ; waiting for him, 

1. With earnest desire 

[No temporal distress will bear any comparison with that 
which is spiritual. The troubles of an awakened or tempted 
soul are very heavy ; and the depths into which it is plunged, 
by an apprehension of God s wrath, are very terrible. No 
wonder that David " panted after the Lord, as the hart after 
the water-brooks b :" no wonder that, when God s answers to 
his prayers were delayed, he cried, " How long, O Lord ! how 
long c ?" Nor is such importunity disapproved of God : on the 
contrary, he would have us " cry day and night to him d , " 
and give him no rest, till he arise, and come to "our relief 6 .] 

2. With patient hope 

[Though earnest in prayer, he was willing to tarry the 
Lord s leisure ; and would not attempt to