Psalm 65:9-13

“You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the desert overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing!”

On what occasion this Psalm was written is not certainly known; but it is probable that the inspired penman wrote it on the removal of the famine which God sent to punish the cruelty of Saul and of his bloody house towards the Gibeonites, whom he was bound by covenant to protect. This famine lasted three years; but at last, David having inquired of the Lord on what account this heavy judgment had been sent, and how the removal of it might be obtained—he was informed, that it was sent as a punishment of Saul’s treachery, in which the people, no doubt, had too willingly concurred; and that he must execute on Saul’s posterity such a judgment as the Gibeonites themselves should award to them.

The Gibeonites demanded that seven of Saul’s sons should be put to death. Seven of his sons were accordingly delivered into their hands, and were hanged up by them, as an atonement for their father’s sin, 2 Samuel 21:1-9. The Gibeonites being now satisfied with this act of retributive justice, the favor of God was restored to the land, and the whole nation was gladdened with the return of plenty.

Under this great calamity, David and all the pious of the land had humbled themselves before God; and in this Psalm they acknowledge God as the merciful Answerer of prayer to his penitent people, while he was the just Punisher of sin to those who continued impenitent. “He had lately answered them by terrible things in righteousness” for their transgressions; and now he had mercifully “heard their prayer,” and “purged away their transgressions.”

The words before us give a lively and beautiful description of the change wrought upon the earth through the rich showers with which God, in his mercy, had watered it.

Of course our attention therefore must, in the first place, be fixed on those blessings of providence with which we also are favored. Yet, as throughout all the inspired writings there will be found a reference to spiritual blessings, under those terms which at first sight appear to have only a literal import—it will be proper to notice, also, what we conceive to be spiritually contained in this passage. Agreeably to this view, we shall consider the text:

I. As literally fulfilled in the blessings of God’s Providence.

God is, in reality, “the giver of every good and perfect gift”.

Because God, in the first creation of the world, assigned to everything its proper place and office, we are apt to overlook his agency in the things of daily occurrence, and to ascribe them to what are called the laws of nature. But the hand of God is as necessary to uphold the universe, as ever it was to create it at first.

The heavenly bodies, it is true, have had their motions given them from the beginning; and have, for the most part, continued to obey the laws of their creation. But they have occasionally had those laws suspended; as when the sun stood still upon Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon, for the space of a whole day. From hence it appears, that God’s laws move in subserviency to the will of their Creator, and execute his righteous purposes of vengeance or of love, according to his command.

The same may be said respecting the elements of this terrestrial globe. Fire and water have their properties; according to which, for the most part, they act; but at God’s command the waters stood like a wall, to form a passage and a rampart for his chosen people; and the fire lost its power even to singe the clothes of his faithful servants, who were cast into it for their fidelity to him.

In like manner, the earth produces fruits of different kinds; and the rains at certain seasons descend to call forth into activity its vegetative powers. But the agency both of the heavens and the earth depends altogether upon God, who, when he sees fit, “makes the heavens as brass,” and the earth as iron.

In a climate like ours, where the rains are frequent and occasional, God’s agency is but little seen; but in countries where the rains are periodical, the lack of them is so severely felt, that the goodness of God in sending them is more sensibly perceived, and more readily acknowledged. But in one place as well as in another, the influences both of Heaven and earth are alike dependent upon God, and must be referred to Him as their true, and only, and continual source.

God’s bounty and goodness should be gratefully acknowledged by us at this time.

Extremely beautiful is the description here given of the progress of vegetation, in consequence of a seasonable supply of rain. To attempt an illustration of these words would weaken their force, and reduce their sublimity. But, if a poetic taste alone can qualify us to appreciate their beauty, and to enter into them with a befitting zest—a spiritual taste also is necessary, to lead us to a due improvement of them, and to enable us to realize their full import. However, whether gifted with a poetic imagination or not—let me entreat all to survey the face of the earth, and to see the change that has been wrought on everything around him. Methinks, without any poetic imagination, he may see the smiles of universal nature, and hear the songs and shoutings of a grateful world. May our hearts respond to the voice of nature, and ascend up in praises and thanksgivings to our bounteous God.

But let us further view the text,

II. As emblematically describing the yet richer blessings of his grace.

Besides the primary sense of Scripture, there is frequently a secondary and subordinate meaning which ought not to be overlooked. In relation to this matter, the New Testament affords us the fullest information, in that it cites many passages in which we would have had no conception of anything beyond the literal meaning, if a further sense had not been unfolded to us by Him whose wisdom cannot err, and whose authority cannot be questioned.

The whole 104th Psalm, in appearance, relates to the works of creation and providence; but towards the close of it we are led, though but cursorily and obscurely, to the contemplation of God’s spiritual government; in which view, the Psalm is appointed by our Church to be read on the day whereon the out-pouring of the Spirit is more especially commemorated.

The Psalm before us may with equal propriety be viewed in the same light; and the rather, because the images used in our text are frequently applied to that very subject, to represent the influence of God’s Spirit on the soul, “His doctrine dropping as the rain, and distilling as the dew; as the light rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass, Deuteronomy 32:2.”

1. Let us notice, then, the influence of the Gospel upon the world at large.

Truly, the whole world is one great wilderness; some few spots only giving any just evidence of cultivation. It is not above one-sixth part of mankind that has even so much as heard of the name of Jesus; and where his Gospel is not preached, sin reigns without control. Even religion itself is nothing but a blind and bloody superstition, involving its votaries in everything that is cruel and detestable.

But see where the Gospel has gained an ascendant; look at Britain, for instance, and compare its state at this time with its state previous to the introduction of Christianity; once it was a dreary desert—but now it blossoms as the rose, and is as the garden of Eden. True it is that the name of Christianity effects but little; it civilizes, indeed, and raises the standard of morals—but it produces nothing corresponding with the description before us.

But when “the Word comes, not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance,” then a great and mighty change is effected, “the Spirit being poured out from on high, the wilderness becomes a fruitful field; and the fruitful field is so abundant, that it is even counted for a forest, Isaiah 32:15.” Could we but inspect the various settlements where zealous ministers have established churches among the savages of different climates, and see the difference between them and their yet uninstructed countrymen—we would have a far juster notion of the power of the Gospel than we can acquire in the midst of civilized society, where little remains to be added to the external deportment, and where the change effected by the Gospel is chiefly of a spiritual and internal nature. But the whole subject will be more fully open to us, if we view the Gospel as operating thus:

2. Let us notice the influence of the Gospel upon the souls of individual believers.

What were any of us in our unconverted state, but, like a barren heath, bringing forth briars and thorns, without any of those fruits of righteousness in which God delights? As for humiliation before God, and a simple life of faith in the Lord Jesus, and a delight in spiritual exercises, and an entire devotedness of the soul to God—we were as much strangers to it all as the heathen themselves! But when the word of the Gospel came with power to our souls, it wrought a change upon our whole man, and made us altogether new creatures, “Old things passed away; and, behold, all things became new!” The obdurate surface of our hearts was softened; and the unproductive soil put forth a vital energy; by means of which all the fruits of the Spirit sprang up in rich abundance, and gave a hopeful prospect of a luxuriant harvest.

Would we see this realized in a way that cannot be misunderstood, let us look at the converts on the day of Pentecost. It is not possible to conceive people more destitute of all good, or more filled with every hateful quality, than were the crucifiers and murderers of the Lord of Glory! Yet in a short time they were so changed, so that they remain to this day the most exalted patterns of piety to the whole world.

Thus it is at this day, also, among ourselves. The work, indeed, is not so sudden, nor so general; but, where the grace of the Gospel is received in truth, it operates precisely in the same way, “instead of the brier, there grows up the fir-tree; and instead of the thorn, there grows up the myrtle-tree; and even the tenderest plants rise in stately magnificence into “trees of righteousness, whereby the Lord is glorified.”

APPLICATION.

1. Let me now call you to adore your God for the blessings you have already received.

I would not that you should overlook the blessings of Providence. Even in this country we have often known the sad effects of scarcity; and we may well, therefore, bless our God for the prospects of abundance. To every one of you I would say, with David, “Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp. He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call! Psalm 147:7-9.”

And will you not much more adore him for the blessings of his grace? Surely, if you do not, the very stones will cry out against you! Yet rest not in mere acknowledgments, however grateful they may be; but seek to abound in fruits of righteousness; which, while they are the necessary evidences of his work upon your souls, are the only effectual means of bringing honor to his name.

2. Let me now call you to look to God continually for fresh and more abundant communications of his grace.

The fertilizing showers which we have received will be of little avail, if they are not renewed from time to time. Just so, all the grace that any of us have received, will be ineffectual for any permanent good, if we are not favored with fresh “supplies of the Holy Spirit” from day to day. The grace which has been imparted to our souls this day, will no more suffice for our spiritual needs tomorrow, than will the light which has been communicated to our bodies. We must receive out of Christ’s fullness from day to day, as the branch of the vine receives from its stem and root. Let your daily prayer, then, be like that of David, “O God, you are my God; early will I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where there is no water! Psalm 63:1.”

In reading the word, and in the public ordinances, look up for the blessing of God upon your soul; and plead with him that gracious promise, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams! Isaiah 44:3-4.”

Yes, Beloved, look unto God with increasing earnestness and confidence; and he will pour out upon you “showers of blessings.”

“I will be like the dew to Israel; he will blossom like a lily. Like a cedar of Lebanon he will send down his roots; his young shoots will grow. His splendor will be like an olive tree, his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon. Men will dwell again in his shade. He will flourish like the grain. He will blossom like a vine, and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon, Hosea 14:4-7.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 65:4

“Blessed are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, even of your holy temple!”

The connection between genuine piety and happiness, though not seen by the generality of men, is certain. It may not presently appear; but it will approve itself, at last, to all who will wait for the outcome of passing events. To the ungodly man it seems a drudgery to wait upon God; but to every humble and believing suppliant it will be found a source of unbounded bliss; so at least the Psalmist affirms in the words before us; from which we shall take occasion to notice,

I. The habit of God’s chosen people.

It is the delight of every true Christian to draw near unto his God.

He feels, like the Psalmist, that “iniquity has prevailed against him” to a very fearful extent; but he sees that an all-sufficient atonement has been offered for him; and that, through the blood of Christ once shed on Calvary, “every transgression that he has ever committed may be purged away! verse 3.” Hence he approaches God with all humility as a sinner, and with all earnestness, as one that desires mercy at his hands.

Nor is it on some particular occasions only that his people draw near to him. They resemble the priests of old, whose rooms were in the temple, round about the sanctuary; and who therefore “dwelt in his courts;” for, in the habit of their minds at least, “they dwell in God” by meditation and prayer; and “God dwells in them” by the abiding influence of his Spirit and grace.

To this every true Christian is brought by the mighty working of the power of God.

It is not by any natural power that the saints draw near unto God. Of themselves, they would flee from God, even as our first parents did in Paradise. It is “God himself who draws them, John 6:44,” and who from all eternity “chose them” to this high honor. They are unto the Lord “a holy priesthood, 1 Peter 2:9;” and what God said to Eli may, in a spiritual sense, be applied to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your father’s house when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your father’s house all the offerings made with fire by the Israelites, 1 Samuel 2:27-28.” In like manner has God chosen from eternity, and “set apart for himself” in time, all those who by “a spirit of grace and of supplication” approach unto him! Psalm 4:3. Zechariah 12:10. Hence it is, and hence alone, that they are “a people near unto him, Psalm 148:14.”

It is not without reason that David declares,

II. The blessedness resulting from their drawing near to God.

The terms in which he states this, convey the idea most richly to our minds.

The priests, while serving at the altar, “partook of the altar,” and “lived of the altar.” See the particular account, as stated by Moses. “Then the LORD said to Aaron: “I myself have put you in charge of the offerings presented to me; all the holy offerings the Israelites give me I give to you and your sons as your portion and regular share. You are to have the part of the most holy offerings that is kept from the fire. From all the gifts they bring me as most holy offerings, whether grain or sin or guilt offerings, that part belongs to you and your sons. Eat it as something most holy; every male shall eat it. You must regard it as holy. This also is yours: whatever is set aside from the gifts of all the wave offerings of the Israelites. I give this to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it. I give you all the finest olive oil and all the finest new wine and grain they give the LORD as the firstfruits of their harvest. All the land’s firstfruits that they bring to the LORD will be yours. Everyone in your household who is ceremonially clean may eat it. Everything in Israel that is devoted to the LORD is yours! Numbers 18:8-14.” Let this be noticed; and it will be seen that the priests of old were richly provided for, and well sustained by the bounty of God’s house.

And here we see indeed the blessedness of waiting upon God.

God’s people, now, are “priests unto their God! Revelation 1:6.” And this is the sustenance which, in a spiritual sense, is provided for them. Mark the wonderful correspondence between the Prophet Jeremiah, when describing the times of the Gospel, and Moses, in the fore-cited passage, declaring the ordinances of the Law,

“They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will rejoice in the bounty of the LORD—the grain, the new wine and the oil, the young of the flocks and herds. They will be like a well-watered garden, and they will sorrow no more. I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty,” declares the LORD, Jeremiah 31:12; Jeremiah 31:14.”

Who does not see in this the accomplishment of my text? In communion with God, the souls of men are filled as with marrow and fatness, while their mouth praises him with joyful lips!

“How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights! Psalm 36:7-8.”

In truth, no tongue can declare, no imagination can conceive—the full extent of those benefits which men obtain by waiting upon God:
“the riches that they obtain are unsearchable;”
their “peace surpasses all understanding;” and
their “joy is unspeakable and full of glory.”

See, then, I beg you, brethren,

1. How different is the outcome of men’s various pursuits!

Is the worldling ever thus replenished to satiety? Never! He grasps a shadow; and “in the midst of his plenty, distress will overtake him; the full force of misery will come upon him! Job 20:22.”

But the true Christian finds in his God all that his soul can desire; and “drinking of the water that Christ gives him, he never thirsts again” for anything that this vain world can afford! John 4:14.

2. What a preparation for Heaven is the Christian’s employment upon earth!

It is the delight of the Christian to draw near to God, and to offer to him the sacrifices of prayer and praise. And what, I beg you, are they doing in Heaven? The only difference is, that here they pour forth their prayers under the influence of hope; but in Heaven, their one sacrifice is praise, called forth without ceasing, under a sense of complete, uninterrupted fruition.

Let, then, every soul among you adopt the habit of holy David, “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to seek him in his temple, Psalm 27:4.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 65:3

“Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, you shall purge them away!”

From reading the experience of the saints, as recorded in the Holy Scriptures, we derive not only comfort and encouragement, but the most refined instruction that can be conveyed to the mind of man. As in light there is a combination of widely different rays, and it is that combination, together with their simultaneous action, which gives to light its peculiar sweetness. Just so, it is a combination of widely different views and feelings that gives to the Christian his divinely-tempered experience in the things of God.

In the passage before us, we behold the man after God’s own heart bewailing his sinfulness—yet not discouraged; and sweetly comforted in his soul, without any abatement of his contrition. It is this mixture of feeling which so greatly elevates the Christian character. His graces, by means of it, shine with a subdued luster; and being thus tempered, they are “pleasing to the eyes both of God and man, Ecclesiastes 11:7.” Let us notice,

I. David’s distress.

What are we to understand by this expression, “Iniquities prevail against me?”

It cannot be meant that he indulged in sin of any kind; for “one who is born of God does not practice sin; nor indeed can he practice sin (willingly and habitually), because he is born of God.” “Whoever practices sin in this way, is of the devil! 1 John 3:8-9.”

Indeed the very terms here used suppose a conflict. David hated and resisted sin in the daily habit of his mind; but he had within him a principle of evil as well as of good, “the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, so that he could not do the things that he would, Galatians 5:17.” He was in the same predicament with the Apostle Paul; who, though he delighted in the Law of God after the inward man, “found a law in his members warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which was in his members.” And under a painful sense of his infirmities he cried, “O what a wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of death,” which I am constrained thus to drag along with me, as a putrid carcass, even to my dying hour! Romans 7:22-24.

Alluding to a punishment which some tyrants have inflicted on the objects of their displeasure. We understand, therefore, David as saying precisely what Paul also says, “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing, Romans 7:18-19.”

And who is there among us that has not reason to adopt this language in reference to his own soul?

If we look at the workings of actual corruption, we shall all find occasion to confess, “Iniquities prevail against me.” All, it is true, are not guilty of gross sin; but who is free from indwelling corruption? “Who can say, I have made my heart clean? Proverbs 20:9.” There is an abundance both of “spiritual and fleshly filthiness” in every man, 2 Corinthians 7:1; the most eminent saint on earth is renewed but in part, 1 Corinthians 13:9-10. It is in Heaven alone that absolute perfection exists. He can know but little of himself who does not see occasion to mourn over his many evil thoughts, and many corrupt propensities!

Let us take a view of the workings of our hearts in relation to pride, envy, malice, and revenge.

Let us call to mind the motions of anger, fretfulness, and impatience, of which our consciences must convict us.

Let us trace the influence of uncharitableness towards those who stand in competition with us, or have made themselves in any way liable to our displeasure.

We may soon discover how far any of us are from being perfect, and what need we all have to cry, “Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you! Psalm 143:2.”

But let us look at our short-comings and defects, and then we shall find no difficulty in adopting the words of David in our text. The true way to discover our real state before God, is to take his holy Law as the standard whereby to try our habits and attainments. How far are any of us from loving God with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength; and our neighbor as ourselves! Only let us notice the frame of our souls through the day, yes even in the exercises of devotion, and we shall have no need for anyone to tell us how far we are still alienated from God, and how little we have attained of habitual communion with him.

Though we may, on the whole, be kind towards our neighbor, let us only be brought by any circumstances into actual collision with him, and we shall reveal to others at least, if not discern in ourselves, how very far short of the divine standard our love to him is, and how unlike we are to Christ, who “laid down his life for his enemies.”

Let us go on to examine the state of our souls in reference to our blessed Lord and Savior, who died for us. What admiring and adoring thoughts of him should we entertain from day to day, from hour to hour! What floods of tears should run down our cheeks from a sense of love and gratitude to him for all the wonders of his love; and what an influence should they produce on the whole of our life and conduct.

I need go no further to confirm the truth which I am inculcating, namely, that “iniquities do indeed prevail against us” to a fearful extent; and that all of us have need to “walk softly before God” in the remembrance of them, Isaiah 38:15.

But, if we partake of David’s sorrows, we may also be partakers of,

II. David’s consolation.

As the Apostle, after his lamentation, found comfort in Christ, so David also found consolation in God through Christ.

1. We may derive comfort from the free grace and mercy of God.

It is evident that he regards God as a gracious and merciful Being, who would “not be extreme to mark what was done amiss, Psalm 130:3; but would in judgment remember mercy. And this ground of hope is open to us all; for mercy is the darling attribute of God, if I may so speak, the attribute “in which he delights, Micah 7:18;” while judgment is that strange work to which he is utterly averse, Isaiah 28:21.

See the description which Jehovah gives of his own character, “I am the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, patient, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin! Exodus 34:6-7.” See also his marvelous displays of this attribute towards men; to what an extent it could reach, 2 Chronicles 33:19, and with what rapidity it could fly to the discharge of its delightful office, 2 Samuel 12:13. Hear the language in which God “reasons” with sinners; (O, blessed reasoning! I pray God it may convince us all, and not leave so much as a shadow of doubt upon our minds!) “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool! Isaiah 1:18.” Yes, brethren, however discouraging your inward conflicts may be, you may well “encourage yourselves in the Lord your God! 1 Samuel 30:6.”

2. We may derive comfort from the sufficiency of the means ordained by God.

God had appointed sacrifices as an atonement for sin; and, though “they could never take away sin,” or “make a man perfect as pertaining to the conscience, Hebrews 9:9; Hebrews 9:14; Hebrews 10:4; Hebrews 10:14,” they directed the offerers to that one great sacrifice which was in due time to be offered on the cross, and which was a sufficient “atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, 1 John 2:2.” And, in the view of that sacrifice, David, with all his enormous guilt upon him, could say, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean! Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow! Psalm 51:7.”

Who then among us shall despair of mercy, if only we seek it in the Savior’s name? Indeed it is not mercy only, but justice also, that shall plead for us, if we approach our God in the name of Christ; for we are told that “if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness! 1 John 1:9.”
—
Here, then, let the drooping sinner take courage; and to his complaints, that “iniquities prevail against him,” add the consolatory truth, “As for my transgressions, O Lord, you shall purge them away!” You have “opened a fountain for sin and for impurity, Zechariah 13:1;” and I believe that it shall be sufficient even for me; and that “the blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, shall cleanse me from all sin! 1 John 1:7.”

To all of you, then, I would say,

1. Acquaint yourselves with your own ways, that you may be truly humbled.

There can be no humility without self-knowledge; nor must anyone be satisfied with an examination of his outward conduct; (that, like Paul’s in his unconverted state, may be “blameless, Philippians 3:6.”). We must search our hearts, if we would know ourselves aright; yes, and “beg of God also to search and test us,” if we would attain that kind of self-knowledge which alone will be sufficient to humble our proud spirits, Psalm 139:23-24.

Mark, then, I beg you:
your thoughts,
your desires,
your motives,
your principles, and
the entire habit of your minds before God.

Mark all your tempers under the various circumstances that arise from day to day; and compare yourselves with the requirements of the Law, and with that great exemplar, the Lord Jesus Christ! Do this, and you will find no temptation to pride yourselves on your attainments, or to exalt yourselves above your less favored brethren. You will find your place, where the Apostle found his, among the chief of sinners, and will vie with him in magnifying and adoring the grace of God!

2. “Acquaint yourselves with God, that you may be at peace”.

This was the advice which Eliphaz gave to Job, Job 22:21, and which I would give to every one of you. It is self-knowledge which alone can humble us; but it is the knowledge of God alone that can afford us any comfort. Indeed, the more we know of our indwelling corruptions, the more shall we despair, if we do not proportionably grow in the knowledge of God and of his Son Jesus Christ. But if we bear in mind what we have already stated respecting the character of God, and the sufficiency of that sacrifice which Christ has offered for us—we shall attain that precise frame of mind, that just admixture:
of hope and fear,
of joy and sorrow,
of confidence and abasement,
which constitutes the perfection of Christian experience, and leads to the highest possible attainments in the divine life.

Go then, every one of you, my brethren, to God in Christ Jesus. Carry nothing with you but your sins! Do not think of purging them away by anything that you yourselves can do; but cast yourselves upon the mercy of God in Christ Jesus; and expect from him the mercy which you need for the pardon of your sins, and the grace which you need for the maintenance of your future conflicts. Only go with Paul, crying, “O what a wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?” and you shall be enabled to add with him, “I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:25.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 63:1-8

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me!”

It is justly said of God, that “he gives songs in the night;” and never was there a more striking evidence of it than in the psalm before us. David is supposed to have written it when he was in the wilderness of Ziph, fleeing from Saul who was seeking to destroy him 1 Samuel 23:15. But we can scarcely conceive that he would call himself “the king,” as he does in the 11th verse, in the life-time of Saul; for though he believed that God would ultimately raise him to the throne, it would have been treason against his legitimate prince to arrogate to himself the title of “king;” nor can we conceive that under his perilous circumstances he would have given Saul so just a ground of accusation against him.

For these reasons we are inclined to think it was written at the time that he fled into the wilderness from Absalom, when he, and the people that were with him, were in the greatest distress for every necessity of life, 2 Samuel 17:28-29. But what are the contents of this Psalm? Nothing but joy and triumph; the things of time and sense were as nothing in his eyes; but God was “all in all.”

From that portion of the Psalm which we have read, we shall take occasion to show you:

the desires of a renewed soul,

the purposes of a renewed soul, and

the expectations of a renewed soul.

I. The desires of a renewed soul.

As soon as the soul has obtained a saving interest in Christ, and reconciliation with God through him, it is privileged to claim God as its own special portion; it is entitled to say of Christ, “My Beloved is mine, and I am his;” “He has loved me, and given himself for me!” And to the Father himself also, as now reconciled to him, he can say, “O God, you are my God!” It is no wonder then, that from henceforth God becomes the one object of his desire.

The soul now finds no satisfaction in earthly things.

The whole world appears to it as “a land where there is no water.” The whole creation seems to be but “a broken cistern,” which, while it promises refreshment to the weary and heavy-laden, is never able to impart it.

If it is objected, that, though David, under his peculiar trials, found the world so barren of all good—but we may find it a source of comfort to us; we answer, That there is nothing in this world that is suited to satisfy the desires of an immortal soul; and that, the more we have of this world, the more fully shall we be convinced, that it is altogether an empty bubble, a cheat, a lie; and that “vanity and vexation of spirit” is written by the finger of God himself upon all that it contains. The carnal mind cannot believe this; but the renewed soul needs no argument to convince it of this truth.

The soul’s desire therefore is after God alone.

“Early will I seek you,” is the language of every one who is born of God. In the secret chamber his first waking thoughts will be,

Where is God my Maker?

Where is Jesus my Redeemer?

Where is the blessed Spirit my Sanctifier and my Comforter?

In the public ordinances also especially will his soul desire communion with its God. It has beheld somewhat of God’s power and glory in the manifestations of his love, and in the communications of his grace; and it bears those seasons in remembrance, and longs to have them renewed from time to time. The bare ordinances will not satisfy the believer, if God is not in them. It is not to perform a duty that he comes up to the sanctuary, but to meet his God, and enjoy sweet converse with him; and if he does not meet God there, he is like a man who, with much ardent expectation, has gone to a distant city to meet his friend, and has been disappointed of his hope; or rather he is like those of whom the prophet Jeremiah speaks, who in a season of extreme drought “came to the pits and found no water; and returning with their vessels empty, were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads, Jeremiah 14:3.”

They know by sad experience that “there is no water” elsewhere; and if they do not find access to “God, the living fountain,” their very “flesh” sympathizes with their “souls,” and faints by reason of the painful disappointment. This is beautifully described in another Psalm, Psalm 42:1-3; and it is realized in the experience of every believer, in proportion to the integrity of his soul before God, and to the measure of grace with which he is endued.

In perfect correspondence with the desires of a renewed soul, are,

II. The purposes of a renewed soul.

The believer determines to praise and glorify his God.

The language of his heart is, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed! I will sing and give praise.” He knows what God has said, “Whoever offers me praise, glorifies me;” and he determines to offer unto God the tribute that is so justly due. Nor will he do this in a cold and formal manner; no; as a man of warm feelings expresses with his body the emotions of his soul—so will he, together with his heart, lift up his hands also in the name of his God. Nor will he pour forth these effusions only on some particular occasions, or during any one particular season; he will do it continually; he will do it to the last hour of his life. He considers “praise as lovely for the upright;” and he wishes it to be the constant language of his lips.

To this determination he is led by the consideration of the loving-kindness of his God.

O how wonderful does that love appear to him, which gave no less a person than God’s co-equal co-eternal Son to die for him! which gave him too the knowledge of that Savior, together with all spiritual and eternal blessings in him—while thousands and millions of the human race are dying in ignorance and perishing in their sins! This loving-kindness so free, so rich, so full, appears to him “better than even life itself;” and all that he can do to testify his gratitude seems nothing, yes “less than nothing,” in comparison with it. The language of his heart is, “If I should hold my peace, the very stones would cry out against me.” O that I had powers equal to the occasion! How would I praise him! how would I glorify him! Truly I would praise him on earth, even as they do in Heaven.

In these purposes the believing soul is yet further confirmed by,

III. The expectations of a renewed soul.

The service of God is not without its reward even in this life; and hence the believer, while engaged in his favorite employment,

1. The believer expects the richest consolation.

The carnal mind can see no pleasure in this holy exercise; but the spiritual mind is refreshed by it, more than the most luxurious epicure ever was by the richest dainties. His very meditations are unspeakably sweet; yes, while contemplating his God upon his bed, and during the silent watches of the night, “his soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness;” it has a foretaste even of Heaven itself; From its own experience of this heavenly joy, the soul expects this glorious harvest, when it has sown in tears, and labored to glorify its God in songs of praise.

2. The believer expects the most assured safety.

Thus engaged, the soul looks down upon all its enemies with disdain; it feels itself in an impregnable fortress; it is conscious that it owes all its past preservation to the help of its Almighty Friend; and it rejoices in the thought that under the shadow of the Redeemer’s wings it must still be safe; and that “none shall ever pluck it out of the Father’s hands.” The state of Hezekiah, when surrounded by a vast army that was bent on his destruction, exactly shows what is the state of a believing soul in the midst of all its enemies, “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you, and laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.” Such was the language of Zion to all the Assyrian hosts; and such is the blessed anticipation of victory which every believer is privileged to enjoy! Romans 8:33-39.

Improvement.

1. How greatly do the generality of religious professors live below their privileges!

It was not peculiar to David thus to delight in God; it is common to all the saints. Can it be thought that we, who live under so much better a dispensation than he, and have so much brighter discoveries of God’s power and glory than ever he had—should yet not be privileged to delight in God as he did? Were this the case, we would be losers by that religion which the Son of God came down from Heaven to establish. But it is not so; we may partake of all spiritual blessing in as rich abundance as he, or any other of the saints of old, did.

We have reason to be ashamed that:

our desires after God are so faint,

our purposes respecting him so weak, and

our expectations from him so contracted.

Let us, each for himself, look at our experience from day to day, and compare it with his; and let us not rest until we have attained somewhat of that delight in God which so eminently distinguished that blessed man.

2. What encouragement have all to seek after God!

It was not only after David had so grievously transgressed, but at the very moment that God was chastening him for his transgressions, that he was thus favored of his God. Absalom’s incest with David’s wives was foretold by Nathan, as a part of David’s punishment for his sin in taking to him the wife of his friend Uriah.

Can we then with propriety say, This mercy is not for me? it is not possible for such a sinner as I, ever to be thus highly favored? Know that there is no limit, either to the sovereign exercise of God’s grace, or to its influence on the souls of men. His grace often most abounds, where sin has most abounded; and the vilest of us all may yet become the richest monument of God’s love and mercy, if only, like David, he will humble himself for his iniquities, and sprinkle on his conscience the blood of our great sacrifice.

O beloved! know, if you come to God by Christ, you shall never be cast out; and if you commit yourself in faith entirely to Christ, you shall rejoice in him with joy unspeakable, and receive in due time the great end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls!

Charles Simeon

Psalm 61:1-3

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you—I call when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe!”

In whatever situation we are, we shall find both consolation in the promises, and direction in the examples, that are recorded for our use in the Sacred Writings. But in seasons of affliction principally, will the holy Oracles be found precious, because they exhibit to us God’s dearest children in similar circumstances, and point out to us the means which they, in their troubles, found effectual for their relief.

In recommending the example of David, we shall,

I. Mention some seasons wherein our hearts are apt to be overwhelmed.

This poor world is a valley of tears to all; but to some more especially:

1. From temporal calamities.

Bodily pains, loss of friends, failures, will weigh down the spirits even of the best, 2 Samuel 18:33.” And though, at times, religion will enable them to triumph in the midst of all their tribulations—yet its more common operation is:
to moderate their grief,
to produce resignation in their souls, and
to sanctify the affliction to their spiritual advancement.

2. From spiritual troubles.

The first convictions of penitents are often accompanied with the deepest anguish; insomuch that, if God did not support them by a hope of his mercy—then they might, like Judas, destroy themselves in utter despair. Their subsequent views also of their indwelling corruptions are frequently attended with such dejection, as quite to enervate the body and overwhelm the soul! Isaiah 35:3-4. Romans 7:24. If to these are added the hidings of God’s face, the soul may have a foretaste even of Hell itself in the miseries that it endures! Psalm 77:2-9.

3. From the near prospect of death.

To a true believer enjoying the divine presence, death has no terrors, Philippians 1:21; Philippians 1:23; it is a welcome messenger, that cannot come too soon. But to one in spiritual darkness and desertion, death is inexpressibly dreadful; and the whole world would appear but a small price to pay for the respite of a few days.

The ungodly often die as insensible of eternal realities as the beasts! But the godly, who know the terrors of the Lord, cannot pass through that dreary valley without extreme horror, unless they have an inward witness of their acceptance with God, Psalm 55:4-5.

The example in the text may serve as a model, while we endeavor to,

II. Show how we should conduct ourselves in those seasons when our hearts are apt to be overwhelmed.

1. To speak generally, we should betake ourselves to prayer.

God is the only source of true strength and consolation. If we apply to the creature in our distress, we shall invariably find him but a broken reed! Hosea 5:14. Isaiah 31:3. On the contrary, the pressure that is on our minds will, for the most part, increase; or, if the trouble is removed, the removal will prove a heavier judgment than its continuance.

But if we apply with humility to the throne of grace, the desired effect will almost instantly appear, Isaiah 65:24. There is no trouble from which prayer has not extricated believers!

Prayer prolonged the life of Hezekiah, 2 Kings 20:1-6.
Prayer brought Jonah from the bottom of the sea, Jonah 2:1-7.
Prayer restored to peace the tempest-tossed soul of David, Psalm 116:3-8.

For us also, if it is fervent, prayer shall effectually prevail, James 5:16.
There is no disquietude which prayer shall not pacify.
There is no sorrow which prayer shall not turn into songs of joy! Psalm 50:15.

Wherever we are therefore, even “at the very ends of the earth,” and however circumstanced—we should make our requests known unto God, in order to the attainment of solid peace, Philippians 4:6-7.

2. More particularly, we should beg of God to lead us to the Savior.

David, though a king, had no sufficiency in himself; he was forced to look to one higher than himself, even to Jesus, the Rock of his salvation! Psalm 89:19. But how should he come to Jesus, unless the Father should draw him? John 6:44. Hence he prayed so fervently, that God would “lead” him to that Rock.

There then must we also go; for there alone can we find stability.

Does guilt appall us? Nothing but the blood of Jesus can compose our minds! Acts 16:29-31.

Do temptations harass us? Nothing but his grace can enable us to withstand them! 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Do accumulated troubles threaten to overwhelm us? We can both do and suffer all things, if he strengthens us—yes, we shall be more than conquerors through him who loved us! Romans 8:37. Like a shipwrecked mariner standing on a rock, we may defy the waves that roar beneath our feet. Such was the experience of David himself Psalm 40:1-3,” and such shall be ours also, if the storms that threaten us drive us for security to that place of safety.

Let us then, in every affliction, look to Jesus as our help; and, with a deep impression of our inability to go to him aright, let us cry unto God, “Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I!”

ADDRESS.

1. Those who experience no overwhelming troubles.

However serene the sky at present is, no man knows how soon a storm may arise. But supposing our voyage through life is ever so favorable, it must come to an end; and what shall we do in the hour of death without a saving interest in Christ? Above all, what must become of us, if we are not fixed upon that Rock at the day of judgment?

Let us then improve our tranquil hours in securing a saving foundation on Christ Jesus; that, however suddenly calamities may come, or death may summon us into the presence of our God, we may be found standing immovably on the Rock of ages! Then, like Noah, shall we rejoice in God’s favor, when thoughtless myriads shall be overwhelmed in the deluge of his wrath!

2. Those who are bowed down under trouble.

You are but too apt to carry your distresses to men, instead of spreading them before God. What wonder then, that you find no deliverance? Has not David told you, that this was his very experience; and that nothing but the use of this remedy afforded him relief? Psalm 32:3-5.

Chide then, and resist, your backwardness to prayer. Lay the blame, not on God, who is willing to impart help, but on yourselves, who are unwilling to implore it. Your troubles are sent on purpose to drive you to the Savior, whom, in a time of prosperity, you are too prone to neglect! If they produce that effect, you shall soon number your trials among your richest blessings!

Charles Simeon

Psalm 60:4

“But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah”

[N.B. Banners were used as rallying points for troops in preparation for battle and for leading them into action.]

This Psalm, in the title of it, is called “Michtam,” a golden Psalm; and it well deserves the name. It was written by David after he had come to the full possession of the kingdom, which, during the reign of Saul, 1 Samuel 31:7, and during the seven years’ division of the tribes under Ishbosheth, 2 Samuel 5:4-5, had been reduced to a very low condition, “God had showed his people hard things, and made them to drink the wine of astonishment.”

But the union of all Israel under David, and the victories they had already gained over their powerful and oppressive adversaries the Philistines, were tokens of God’s returning favor to them, and a pledge to them that all his promised blessings should in due season be poured out upon them.

It would seem as if the more pious part of the people had been discouraged by the long continuance of this adversity; and had begun almost to despair of ever seeing their hopes realized, respecting the extension and stability of their national power. But David tells them, that, in his advancement to the kingdom, and in their recent successes, “God had given them a banner,” and had unfurled it, as it were, before their eyes, as a signal of his presence in the midst of them, and as a pledge of victory over all their enemies.

What God did for the Jews as a pledge of temporal advancement, he has done for his redeemed people in all ages, to assure them of success in their spiritual warfare.

To illustrate this, I will show,

I. What banners God has given us.

The Church has a warfare to maintain; and, if, human prowess alone were considered, it is a warfare which would afford not the smallest prospect of success.

1. God has given to us a banner in the elevation of his Son.

David was an eminent type of Christ, and especially in the advancement of his kingdom; for Christ was appointed “to sit upon the throne of David forever and ever.” Was David’s elevation then a banner? Then so also is that of Christ, who is now seated at the right hand of God, above all the principalities and powers whether of earth or Hell. Believer, survey your Lord. Remember him in the manger, in the garden, on the cross, and in the grave. From a view of him in those scenes, you would be ready to say, There is no hope. But behold him risen, ascended, glorified, and in full possession of his kingdom; and then say, What a change awaits you after your present conflicts! Ephesians 1:19-20. His triumphs are a pledge of yours, “because he lives, you shall live also;” and “as he has overcome and has sat down with his Father upon his throne,” so shall you, in your victories and in your triumphs, resemble him! Luke 22:29-30. Revelation 3:21.

2. God has given to us a banner in the records of his Word.

Behold, what “a cloud of witnesses” present themselves to your view! Read the catalogue of worthies, as recorded by God himself. Are your trials heavier than theirs? Hebrews 11:33-38. Or is the power that was sufficient for them withheld from you? Will not faith bring Omnipotence to your support, even as it did for them? They are set before you expressly for your encouragement, that you, seeing how they have succeeded, may be stirred up “to run your race with patience, looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of your faith,” even as he was of their faith! Hebrews 12:1-2.

Are you weak? so were they.

Are your enemies numerous and mighty? So were theirs.

Did they prevail through the grace of Christ? That same “grace shall be sufficient for you;” for He is the same gracious and Almighty Friend as ever! Time has made no change in him, “his hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor is his ear heavy, that he cannot hear, Isaiah 59:1;” as “he was mighty in them, so will he also be in you;” and “his strength shall be perfected in your weakness,” even as it was in theirs! 2 Corinthians 12:9.

3. God has given to us a banner in the experience of his saints.

You have found a divine change in your views, desires, pursuits. Tell me: Where has this change come from? Must you not say, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose, 2 Corinthians 5:5.” If you will look within, you will find that you have rather resisted this divine change than helped it forward. “Your carnal mind has been enmity against God;” and it would have been so still, if God, by the light of his Word, and the influences of his Spirit, had not subdued it to himself. If, then, the heart of stone has been taken away, and a heart of flesh been given to you—then that is itself “a banner” erected in your heart, a token of God’s presence, a pledge of his power, and a pledge of yet richer mercies in reserve! For, “if it have pleased him to make you of the number of his people, he will not forsake you, 1 Samuel 12:22;” and you may “be confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work within you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ! Philippians 1:6.”

Let us consider,

II. The end for which these divine banners are displayed unto us.

As the banner given to Israel in the time of David was to confirm their faith in his promises, and to assure them of God’s faithfulness—so are the banners which God has given to us bestowed,

1. To confirm our confidence in him.

We ought to “know in whom we have believed,” and to feel assured that he is both “able and willing to keep that which we have committed to him, 2 Timothy 1:12.” We should never forget who it is that is engaged for us. We should never forget that in God we have:
a wisdom that cannot be circumvented,
a power that cannot be withstood,
a faithfulness that is altogether inviolate and incapable of change.

What, then, have we to fear? The serpent, no doubt, is subtle, and the devices of Satan are very deep; but can he elude the eye of our heavenly Protector, or by any means defeat His purpose? Our enemies too, both within and without, are mighty; but what have we to fear, who have a Protector that is Almighty? “If God is for us—then who can be against us, Romans 8:31.” Let our enemies be ever so numerous, we may safely affirm that “those who are with us, are more than those who are with them, 2 Kings 6:16-17;” and if we have no more than a lamp and a trumpet against an armed host—then we shall in Jehovah’s name prevail against them all! Judges 7:15-22. A stone out of the brook shall suffice us to destroy our mightiest adversary; yes, his own sword shall serve us for the instrument whereby to complete our triumph! 1 Samuel 17:49-51.

2. To assure us of victory over all our enemies.

Among men, a banner is only a signal to enlist them for the combat; but with God it is a pledge of victory. See how David regarded it, “In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: “Flee like a bird to your mountain. For look, the wicked bend their bows; they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows at the upright in heart. When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne! Psalm 11:1-4;” and, while he is there, you need not attempt to alarm me; I know my security, and defy the efforts of all my enemies.

It was this consideration that enabled Paul also to hurl defiance at his enemies, and to assure himself of victory, as much as if it had been already gained, Romans 8:33-39; And we also, in dependence on our God, may dismiss every fear, and anticipate, as already ours, the glory and felicity that await us! 2 Corinthians 5:1-4. 2 Timothy 4:8.

APPLICATION.

What now can I say more but this:

1. Fear God.

“But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow! Selah”

You will observe, that this is the description of the people to whom his banner was given; and for them is the same privilege reserved in every age. Do not let any undervalue the fear of God; for, in truth, it is that which as assuredly interests us in the divine favor as love itself. Of course, it is a filial fear of which we speak; and he who possesses that, may divest himself of every other fear, “Who are you, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, or of the son of man, that shall be as grass, and forget the Lord your Maker! Isaiah 51:12-13.” Beloved brethren, “sanctify the Lord Almighty himself in your hearts, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread! Isaiah 8:12-13.”

2. Trust in God.

Excellent was that resolution of the Psalmist, “In the name of our God, we will set up our banners, Psalm 20:5.” It is not possible for our confidence to be too strong, provided only it is humble. There are, I confess, two different kinds of confidence, which yet I consider as dangerous in the extreme:

One of them is founded upon mere head-knowledge of divine truth, without any mixture of holy fear.

The other arises from some dream or vision, or enthusiastic conceit, about spiritual impressions coming to their mind in a peculiar way.

Against both of these I would guard you with all my might. The only confidence that is pleasing to God is that which is softened with fear, and tempered with contrition. Let this be in exercise to the utmost possible extent, and then you may adopt the language of this Psalm:

“Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered, Psalm 60:5.”

“Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies! Psalm 60:11-12.”

Only trust in God; and then, in every place where you go, you may behold an altar with this inscription, “Jehovah-Nissi, The Lord is my banner! Exodus 17:15.” Yes, the very graces which you exercise, shall be in you a pledge that God will fulfill and perfect in you the good work he has begun!

Charles Simeon

Psalm 55:6

“O that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest!”

Trouble is the portion of all, without exception; of the rich, as well as of the poor; of the godly, as well as of the ungodly, “man is born to it, as the sparks fly upward.” The godly indeed have, in some respects, a larger measure of it than others; for, from within, they have grounds of trouble which are unknown to others; and, from without, they are beset on every side with enemies, who hate them purely for their righteousness’ sake. Among all the saints of whom we read in Scripture, David seems to have been peculiarly distinguished as “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” In the early part of his life, his persecutions from Saul kept him in continual jeopardy of his life; and during all his latter years, his own children furnished him with occasions of sorrow, which at times sunk him into the deepest distress, and rendered him weary even of life. The Psalm before us was written on one of these occasions; we suppose at the time of Absalom’s rebellion. And so greatly was he oppressed in spirit, that he would gladly have fled to the ends of the earth, with the loss of all his honors and dignities, if he could but have obtained rest from his accumulated and overwhelming afflictions; he said, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.”

This being by no means an uncommon sentiment, I will show,

I. What are the occasions which usually give rise to this wish.

The wish itself necessarily presupposes a state of trouble; and it may arise in the bosom,

1. From temporal troubles.

Afflictions do not lose their nature when they visit the godly. Piety may soften their pungency; but it does not divest them of their proper qualities, “they are not joyous to any, but grievous;” as God has condescended to declare. How grievous David’s trial was, may be seen in all the preceding context, “Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not yourself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me! I mourn in my distress and make a noise; my heart is sore pained within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfullness and trembling are come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.” Nor do we wonder at this language, when we consider that his own son had driven him from his throne; that many of his subjects were in rebellion against him; and that there was about to be a conflict between two portions of them, the one headed by himself, and the other led on by his son; and that, whichever might be victorious, it must be the blood of his subjects only that must flow. Well might he wish to withdraw from such a distressing scene, and well might he express himself in those mournful terms, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. I would hasten my escape from the stormy wind and tempest.” And though such scenes are rare, it is by no means uncommon to find in families troubles of such an overwhelming nature, as to make life itself a burden to those who are afflicted by them. Husbands and wives, parents and children, who ought to be sources of the sublimest happiness to each other, are frequently occasions to each other of the deepest woe; a woe that embitters their whole lives, and makes them pant for death as a relief. And where there is no particular evil committed either by the head or members, there will often arise, from the dispensations of Providence, such afflictions as prove an insupportable burden to the mind. In Job, for instance, we see, from his accumulated trials, the same effect produced as from the afflictions of David. He wished that in his early infancy he had been consigned to the grave, “where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest.” “Why,” says he, “is light given to him who is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul; who long for death, but it comes not; and dig for it more than for hidden treasures? There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; and the servant is free from his master Job 3:17-21.” In truth, almost all the suicides of which we hear originate in worldly sorrow, either personal or domestic; nor is it always found that piety itself is sufficient to counterbalance the effects of temporal calamity; so as to elevate the spirits which have been broken by it, and restore the constitution that has been destroyed.

2. From spiritual troubles.

Of these, none can judge, but those who have endured them. In reference to these it may well be said, “The spirit of man may sustain his infirmities; but a wounded spirit who can bear Proverbs 18:14.” Truly, when a man is bowed down under a sense of sin, and trembling under apprehensions of God’s wrath, he may well be dejected, and wish for anything which may pacify his fears and terminate his sorrows. Great as Job’s other troubles were, this was heavier than them all. Hear his complaint under it, “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 words are swallowed up. For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinks up my spirit; the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me. O that I might have my request! that God would grant me the thing that I long for, even that it would please God to destroy me Job 6:2-4; Job 6:8-9, Terrible, beyond measure, are the hidings of God’s face under such circumstances; so at least David felt them to be, “You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps; your wrath lies hard upon me, and you have afflicted me with all your waves. Lord, why cast you off my soul? why hide you your face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up; while I suffer your terrors, I am distracted Psalm 88:7-8; Psalm 88:14-15.” So it is with some at this time; they go mourning all the day long; and by their anticipations of God’s wrath, feel almost the commencement of it in their souls. The Savior himself deprecated this bitter cup, and complained of the hidings of God’s face in his extremity; well, therefore, may frail men. who are crushed before the moth, implore “the staying of God’s rough wind in the day of his east wind. Isaiah 27:8.”

Seeing, then, that the wish of David is common in the world, let us inquire,

II. How far the godly are at liberty to indulge it.

Certainly we are at liberty to wish for death; for Paul “desired to depart, and to be with Christ,” which he deemed far better than the happiest state on earth; and we all are encouraged to be “looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of the day of Christ.” But the wish then becomes evil, when it is attended with impatience, or has respect to a mere deliverance from present troubles. This distinction is clearly marked by Paul, in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, “We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality may be swallowed up of life 2 Corinthians 5:4.” It was not so much to get rid of the storms and tempests to which he was exposed in this present life, as to obtain the glory and felicity of the eternal world. And this was a highly commendable state of mind. But when we long merely to be released from the troubles of life, and the conflicts which we are here called to sustain, we do not well; for we should be content,

1. That God should glorify himself in his own way.

God sends trials to his people, in order that he may afford them such effectual support as shall advance his glory in the world. The trial of gold by fire is precious, because it purifies without consuming the gold; but “the trial of our faith is infinitely more precious,” because it purifies the souls of men; and it will, therefore, “be to the praise and honor and glory of our God, in the great day of his appearing 1 Peter 1:7.” On the part of those who occasion trials to his people he is dishonored, “but in the steadfastness of his people he is glorified 1 Peter 4:14.” Even in the sufferings of our blessed Lord this end was obtained; and therefore, though he deprecated sufferings as he was entitled to do, he submitted to bear his cross for the sake of reflecting glory on his heavenly Father, “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify your name John 12:27-28.” Thus, if only in the event God may be glorified in us, we should be willing to bear any sufferings, or sustain any conflicts, which God, in his wisdom, may see fit to lay upon us.

2. That he should complete his work in his own way.

He calls all his people to bear their cross, in imitation, of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Now “the Lord Jesus, though he was a Son, vet learned obedience by the things which he suffered;” and “he was made perfect through sufferings;” and in the same war does God still teach and perfect us. He makes tribulation the way to glory; purging us from our corruptions by means of it Isaiah 27:9. Hebrews 12:10, and causing it to “work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Corinthians 4:17.” Does it befit us, then, to be impatient under our troubles; or to wish for the removal of them, before they have accomplished the end for which they were sent? Surely we should be infinitely more anxious to have them sanctified, than to get them removed; and, however sorely they may press upon us, we should say, “Not my will, but your be done.” Be the furnace never so hot, we should welcome it, if only at last we may come out of it “vessels of honor, fit for the Master’s use.”

ADDRESS.

1. Those who have hitherto been exempt from heavy trials.

Doubtless, as far as the mere exemption from trouble goes, you have reason to be thankful; but yet. if for lack of it you are yet in a careless or lukewarm state, you have no great reason to congratulate yourselves; It would have been better that every bone in your body were broken, or that you should have the sword of the Almighty inflicting the deepest wounds in your souls, than that you should be left to go on wickedly in the way of your hearts, I do not say that you should pray for trials; for trials will do you no good, if they be not sanctified to your souls by the Spirit of God. But this I say, Let no rest satisfy you, except that which is to be found in the favor of a reconciled God, and in the hope of his glory.

2. Those who are sinking under the weight of them.

Perhaps some may be here, who, like David, are bowed down under the weight of domestic troubles, or under a dread of God’s heavy displeasure. And, if this be the case, let me tell you where you may find rest unto your souls, You need not the wings of a dove to fly away; you have your refuge close at hand, even Jesus, who says, “Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” If you will but run to Him, you shall find him “an hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land Isaiah 32:2.” Yes, in truth, “He is a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall Isaiah 25:4.” Go to him then; take refuge in him; cast yourselves upon him; and let him give you rest, in his own time and way. Then will he walk with you in the furnace, as he did with the Hebrew youths; and in due season add you to the happy number of “those who have come out of great tribulation, and washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb Revelation 7:14.” Then will your rest be glorious indeed; for “then you will hunger no more, nor thirst any more; neither shall the sun rest on you, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed you, and shall lead you unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes Revelation 7:16-17.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 51:16-17

“You do not desire sacrifice; else would I give it; you do not delight in burnt-offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise!”

“How shall I come before the Lord?” is the first inquiry that will be made by an awakened sinner. No sooner were the murderers of our Lord “pierced to the heart” with a conviction of their guilt, than they cried out, (the whole assembly of them together), “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

In answer to this, man proposes many costly offerings; and for the obtaining of peace with God, he would present unto Him anything that he should require, Micah 6:6-7. Had God required sacrifices to be offered for David’s sins, he would gladly have offered them, however numerous or costly they had been, “You do not desire sacrifice; else would I give it to you.” But there is only one thing required, and that universally, of all people under Heaven; and what that is, we are informed in the words before us, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise!”

Here are two points to be inquired into:

I. What is that sacrifice which God approves.

The term “sacrifice” is metaphorically applied to many things:

to praise and thanksgivings, Hebrews 13:15;

to alms-deeds, or charity, Hebrews 13:16;

to a surrender of the soul to God, Romans 12:1.

But in our text it does not so much refer to any offerings whereby a pardoned sinner may honor God, as to that disposition of mind whereby an unpardoned sinner may facilitate his acceptance with God.

As to any external services, David informs us that these would not answer the desired end; for though many offerings under the law were appointed and approved by God as typical of the great sacrifice—yet were they in themselves of no value, Psalm 50:8-14, especially when compared with obedience, 1 Samuel 15:22. Hosea 6:6; and, when substituted for obedience, they were hateful and abominable in the sight of God, Isaiah 1:11-15; Isaiah 66:3 and Amos 5:21-23.

For such sins as David’s willful adultery and murder, there was actually no sacrifice appointed; no penalty less than death could be awarded to the person that was found guilty either of adultery or murder, Numbers 35:31 Deuteronomy 22:22. But there is a sacrifice which will forward the acceptance even of such an atrocious sinner as David; it is called in our text, “A broken and contrite heart.” To ascertain what is meant by this, let us consider,

1. The term: “A broken and contrite heart.”

We all have some idea of what is meant by “a broken heart,” when applied to worldly sorrow. It signifies a person overwhelmed with sorrow to such a degree, that he is always bowed down under its weight, and incapable of receiving consolation from anything but the actual removal of his burdens. Thus far it may serve to illustrate the meaning of our text, and to show what is meant by a heart broken with a sense of sin.

But in other respects there is an exceeding great difference between the two; for a heart broken with worldly troubles, argues:

an ignorance of our own demerit,

a lack of resignation to God,

a lack of trust in him,

and a low esteem of those benefits which sanctified affliction is calculated to produce.

In these respects therefore, it forms a contrast, rather than a resemblance, to true contrition.

Let us then drop the term, and consider the thing.

2. The thing itself: “A broken and contrite heart.”

“A broken and a contrite heart” consists in:

a deep sense of our sinfulness, guilt, and misery;

a self-loathing and abhorrence on account of the peculiar aggravations of our sin, as committed against such a gracious God and a merciful Redeemer;

a readiness to justify God in all His dealings with us, whatever they may be;

and such an insatiable desire after saving mercy, as swallows up every other sensation, whether of joy or sorrow.

View all these things distinctly and separately; compare them with the workings of David’s mind as set forth in this Psalm verses 3, 4, 7-9; view them as illustrated by other portions of Holy Writ, 2 Chronicles 34:27. Job 40:4; Job 42:6 with Zechariah 12:10. Luke 15:18-19. 2 Chronicles 33:12-13, or all together. 2 Corinthians 7:11. or as exemplified in other of David’s Psalms, Psalm 38:4-10; Psalm 40:12.

Perhaps it will be best to confine the illustrations to Psalms 51 and 38 for fear of swelling this part of the subject too much; and the more they are considered, the more will they reveal to us the precise nature of that sacrifice which is described in the text.

Let us now proceed to inquire,

II. Why God honors a broken and contrite heart with his peculiar favor.

That God does signally honor it, is certain.

When it is said that “a broken and contrite heart God will not despise,” more is meant than is expressed. It means that God will honor it with tokens of his peculiar approbation. Whoever he is that offers to him this sacrifice—God will notice him, even though he were the lowest and vilest of mankind. Not all the angels in Heaven should so occupy his attention as to prevent him from searching out that person, and keeping his eye continually fixed upon him for good! Isaiah 66:2.

Moreover, God will comfort him; he will not merely view him from Heaven, but will come down and dwell in his heart on purpose to comfort and revive him, Isaiah 57:15;

Nor is this all; for God will surely and eternally save him, Psalm 34:18. Job 33:27-28; and the more abased the man is in his own eyes—the higher will God exalt him on a throne of glory, Luke 18:14.

And the reasons of his so honoring it are plain.

A broken and a contrite heart is the work of his own Spirit on the soul of man. No created power can effect it; we may break and bruise the body, but we can never produce in anyone a broken and contrite spirit. This is God’s prerogative, Job 40:11. Ezekiel 11:19; and whoever has obtained this blessing must say, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose, 2 Corinthians 5:5.”

A broken and a contrite heart is the precise disposition that befits us. If the holy angels that never sinned veil their faces and their feet in the presence of their God, what prostration of mind must become such guilty creatures as we are! Surely we must “put our hands on our mouth, and our mouth in the dust, crying, Unclean! Unclean! Lamentations 3:29 with Leviticus 13:45.” Yes rather, we should “gird ourselves with sackcloth, and wallow in ashes, and make mourning as for an only son, even most bitter lamentation, Jeremiah 6:26 with James 4:9-10.”

Further, A broken and a contrite heart disposes us to acquiesce cordially in Gods’ appointed method of salvation. Until we are thoroughly broken-hearted with a sense of sin, we never estimate aright the unspeakable blessings of Redemption. “We may profess a regard for the Gospel; but we do not really “glory in the cross of Christ;” Christ does not truly become “all our salvation and all our desire.”

But to the truly contrite, O how precious is the name of Jesus, that adorable name, the foundation of all our hopes, the source of all our joys!

Lastly, A broken and a contrite heart invariably stimulates us to a cheerful unreserved obedience. No commandment is hard to a person, when once his heart is truly broken and contrite! Let us see that we were dead in sin, and that Christ died for us; and a sense of “his love will constrain us to live to him,” and to “glorify him with our body and our spirit, which are his.”

Say now, whether here is not reason sufficient for the distinguished favors which God grants to the contrite soul? We know that there is nothing meritorious in contrition; but there is in it a suitableness for the reception of the divine mercies, and for the reflecting back upon God the honor which he confers upon it.

This subject may well be improved,

1. For the conviction of the impenitent.

Worldly sorrow has more or less been the portion of us all; but how few have “sorrowed after a godly sort!” The generality have never laid to heart their sins at all; and they who have felt some compunction, have for the most part been satisfied with a little transient sorrow, and something of an outward reformation of life. But let this be remembered, that when it is said, “God will not despise the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart,” it is manifestly implied, that he will despise everything short of that.

Do not then deceive yourselves with an expectation that God will accept your feigned or partial humiliation; your penitence must be deep, and your change radical; your sorrow for sin must far exceed any worldly sorrow, and must bring you incessantly to the foot of the cross, as your only refuge and your only hope! Nor will any repentance short of this be “a repentance unto salvation, but only a repentance eternally to be repented of! 2 Corinthians 7:10.”

2. For consolation to the penitent.

When once you become truly penitent, men will begin to despise you; they will look upon you as a poor weak enthusiast, and will “cast out your name as evil.” But your comfort is, that God will not despise you. If the Psalmist had merely affirmed this, it would have been a rich ground of consolation; but he makes it a matter of appeal to God, “A broken and contrite spirit, O God, you will not despise.” What a glorious truth! When you are so vile and contemptible in your own eyes that you blush and are confounded before God, and “dare not even lift up your eyes unto Heaven,” God looks upon you with pleasure and delight, and acknowledges you as his dearly beloved child! Jeremiah 31:18-20.

Do you want evidence of this? See for whom God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, Isaiah 61:1-3; and read the account given of the very first sermon that Jesus ever preached, Luke 4:17-21; and hear to whom in particular he addressed his invitations in Matthew 11:28. Consider these, I say, and then reject the consolation if you can.

3. For instruction to the more advanced Christian.

Is a broken and contrite heart the sacrifice with which you must come to God? Know that it is that which you must continue also to offer him to the last hour of your lives. You are not to lose the remembrance of your shame and sorrow, but to “loath yourselves after God is pacified towards you,” Ezekiel 16:63, and because that God is pacified towards you.

The more abundant is his mercy towards you—the more should you abhor yourself for having ever sinned against so gracious a God!

You cannot but have seen in others, and probably felt within yourselves, a disposition to depart from this ground, and to indulge a spirit of self-sufficiency and pride. I entreat you to examine yourselves with respect to this. It is a common evil, and is very apt to lurk in us unperceived.

But if we see it not ourselves, we shall without fail reveal it to others; or, if they should not discover it, God will behold it, and that too with utter abhorrence! Proverbs 16:5 and 1 Peter 5:5. Watch over yourselves therefore, and pray that you may grow continually in lowliness of mind, in tenderness of conscience, in meekness of temper, and in purity of heart. The more you resemble little children—the higher will you be in the kingdom of God! Matthew 18:4

Charles Simeon

Psalm 51:14

“Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God—the God of my salvation! And my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness!”

This Psalm is full of encouragement to a real penitent; but in particular the petition before us, “Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God!”

Consider the atrocious crime committed—”Blood-guiltiness!” Murder—the most atrocious murder that ever was committed.

Consider by whom it had been committed—”Deliver me!” The man after God’s own heart, who had experienced from God more signal interpositions than almost any other man that ever breathed.

Consider the long and inconceivable obduracy which he had indulged since the commission of it, even to the very hour when his guilt was charged upon him by the Prophet of the Lord.

Could such a sin as this be forgiven? Could such an offender dare to ask forgiveness, or entertain the remotest hope of obtaining it? Surely, if David could approach his God under such circumstances as these, with the smallest hope of acceptance, then may we see in this passage,

I. The privilege of a contrite soul.

There is not a sinner in the universe who may not go to God, as “a God of salvation!”

Were there only a hope that mercy might be a constituent of the divine character, and an attribute which might by some possibility be displayed—it would be a sufficient encouragement to the vilest sinner upon earth to call upon his God. But the title here assigned to the Most High, opens to us a most wonderful view of his character.
He is “a God of salvation;”
as having devised a way of salvation for a ruined world;
as having given us his only dear Son to effect salvation;
as having accepted the sacrifice of his Son in our behalf;
and, as applying that salvation to those whom “he has chosen in Christ Jesus before the world began.”

He is “a God of salvation,” as making the redemption of the world his great concern. Yes, as altogether occupied in it; so as, if I may so speak, to be swallowed up in it, and to be “a God of it.” We read of him as “a God of patience and consolation,” yes, “a God of all grace;” but the title given in my text meets most fully the necessities of sinful mankind, and opens a door of hope to every sinner under Heaven.

Nor is there a sin which, if truly repented of, shall not be forgiven.

We read, indeed, of the sin against the Holy Spirit, as excepted from the tremendous catalogue of pardonable sins. But it is not excepted because of its enormity, as though it were too great to be forgiven; but only because that sin implies a willful and deliberate rejection of the only means of salvation. It destroys, not because it exceeds the efficacy of the Redeemer’s blood, but because it tramples on that blood which alone can expiate even the smallest sin. A man who determinately rejects all food, needs not to do anything else to ensure his own destruction; he rejects the necessary means of life, and therefore must inevitably perish.

But we may say without exception, that “the blood of Jesus Christ both can and will cleanse from all sin,” if only we sprinkle it upon our conscience, and trust in it for salvation. It is worthy of observation that the Psalmist expresses no doubt as to the possibility of his acceptance with God. He does not say, “If such guilt can be forgiven—then deliver me;” but simply, “Deliver me.” Nay, in a preceding part of this Psalm he says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow! verse 7.” Whatever guilt, therefore, may lie upon the conscience of the vilest sinner under Heaven, let him go to God, and cry with humble confidence, “Deliver me, O God of my salvation!”

From this example of David, we may further learn,

II. The duty of all who have obtained mercy from the Lord.

“And my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness!”

The world is ready to complain, “Why do you not keep your religion to yourself?” But no pardoned sinner ought to do so; he is bound to render thanks for the mercies given unto him.

1. He owes it to God.

Surely God is to be honored, as a God of providence and a God of grace. Are we distinguished above the brute creation? We should bless God for the faculties bestowed upon us. Are we elevated above any of our fellows by the communication of spiritual blessings to our souls? We are bound to praise God for such “an unspeakable gift.” If we forbore to speak His praises, methinks “the very stones would cry out against us!”

2. He owes it to the world.

How is the world to be instructed in the knowledge of God, if those to whom that knowledge is imparted are silent respecting him? We owe a debt to them. “What our eyes have seen, our ears have heard, and our hands have handled of the Word of Life”—we are bound to declare to them. We are not at liberty to put our light under a bushel; but must “make it to shine before men, that they also may glorify our Father who is in Heaven.” “When we are converted,” we are bound in every possible way to “strengthen our brethren.”

3. He owes it to himself.

Suppose a man to “have been forgiven much, will he not love much?” And will not love vent itself in the praise of the object beloved? Especially if a man has been made a partaker of God’s righteousness; will he not sing aloud of that righteousness? No doubt he will; and, if the angelic hosts would account it a painful sacrifice if silence were imposed upon them, and they were forbidden to show forth the praises of their God—so would it be with the believing soul, in proportion to the measure of grace that had been conferred upon him.

To all, then, I say,

1. Be particular in your applications to God for saving mercy.

Do not rest in mere general confessions or general petitions; but search out the hidden iniquities of your hearts, and spread them distinctly before God in prayer. We have not all committed the sins of David—but are we not all sinners? And if we would search the records of our conscience, might we not find some evils which call for more than ordinary humiliation? Or, if in acts we have been free from any remarkable transgression, have we not felt such motions of sin within us, as might, if God had given us up to temptation, have issued in the foulest transgressions? We need only recollect what our Lord tells us, that an impure and angry thought is heart adultery and murder; and we shall see little reason to cast a stone at others, and abundant reason for humiliation before God. I say, then, search out, every one of you—your besetting sins; and implore of God the forgiveness of them.

2. Have respect to God under his proper character.

View God not merely as your Creator, your Governor, and your Judge—but as your Covenant God and Savior. See how David addresses him, “O God—God of my salvation!” Thus it will be well for every sinner to do. See your own saving interest in him; see what provision he has made for you; what invitations he has given to you; what promises he has held forth to you. This will encourage penitence; this will strike the rock for penitential sorrows to flow out.

In a word, view God as he is in Christ Jesus—a God reconciling the world unto himself; and you will never indulge despair, nor ever doubt but He will show mercy to all who call upon him in spirit and in truth.

3. Determine, through grace, to improve for God the blessings you receive.

It was a suitable determination of David, that, if his requests should be granted, then “his tongue would sing aloud of God’s righteousness.” A similar resolution befits us. Are we savingly interested in a salvation which displays “the righteousness of God,” and makes every perfection of his to concur in the promotion of our welfare? Let us not be silent; let us not be ashamed to confess him before men; though the whole world should endeavor to silence us, let us not regard them for one instant; but let us say with David, “I will praise you with music on the harp, because you are faithful to your promises, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me! Psalm 71:22-24.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 51:7

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow!”

Every part of God’s Word is profitable for our instruction in righteousness; but in the Psalms, true religion is exemplified, and, as it were, embodied.

The workings of genuine repentance are admirably delineated in the Psalm before us. David traces his iniquities to their proper source, his original corruption. He acknowledges the necessity of a thorough renovation of soul; and, in legal terms, but of evangelical import, he implores forgiveness.

The expressions in the text teach us,

I. The nature of sin.

The generality of the world imagine sin to be a light and trivial thing.

Some indeed have learned to dread sin as destructive of their eternal happiness.

Very few have any idea of sin as defiling and debasing the soul.

It is in this view, however, that we are now called to consider it.

Sin has defiled every member of our body, and every faculty of our soul. Hence Paul speaks of it as “filthiness both of the flesh and spirit 2 Corinthians 7:1.”

What uncircumcised ears, Acts 7:51,
what venomous tongues, James 3:6,
what adulterous eyes, 2 Peter 2:14,
have the greater part of mankind! See Romans 3:10-19.

How are all their members used as instruments of unrighteousness! Romans 6:13. What pride, and envy, what wrath, and malice, are harbored in the bosom! How gladly would we cast off all allegiance to God, and be a god unto ourselves, Psalm 12:4.

Thus, in fleshly lusts, we degrade ourselves almost to a level with the beasts! 2 Peter 2:22; and, in spiritual filthiness, we too much resemble the fallen angels, John 8:44. How different is this state from that in which we were first created! Genesis 1:27. Yet the change is effected solely by the agency of sin! Romans 5:12.

In this view, more especially, is sin represented in the text.

The Psalmist evidently refers to the state of a leper, or a leprous house. No disorder was more loathsome than leprosy, Leviticus 13:8. A person infected with it was driven from the society of his dearest relatives, and was necessitated to proclaim his impurity to all who approached him, Leviticus 13:44-46. Nor could his disorder ever be cured by the art of man. If he were ever healed, it was by God alone, without the intervention of human means. Hence David, knowing the filthiness and incurableness of sin, cries unto God.

Similar representations also abound in every part of the sacred writings.

Our natural depravity is declared in expressions of the like import, Job 15:14-16.

Our acquired corruptions are said to render us loathsome objects, Proverbs 13:5.

The very remains of sin in the holiest of men are also described in similar terms, Romans 7:24. The allusion seems to be to a dead body, which was sometimes fastened to criminals, until they died in consequence of the stench arising from it. In such a light did Paul view the remains of sin which he felt within him; yes, the most eminent saints, in bewailing their sinfulness, have used the very same figure as David in the text, Isaiah 6:5. Happy would it be for us, if we had these views of sin; we should soon put away our proud, self-exalting thoughts, and should adopt the confessions of holy Job, Job 9:20-21; Job 9:30-31.

But, vile as sin is, it may be both forgiven and subdued!

II. The means of deliverance from sin.

It has been already observed, that David alludes to the case of a leper. This is manifest from the terms wherein he implores deliverance. Under Jewish figures he sets forth the only means of salvation.

Certain means were prescribed by God for the purification of a leper, Leviticus 14:2-7. When God had healed him, “the priest was to take two clean birds, with cedar-wood, scarlet, and hyssop.” Having killed one of the birds, the priest was to “dip the hyssop and the live bird in the blood of the bird that had been slain;” he was then to “sprinkle the leper seven times, and to let loose the living bird.” This ordinance typified the death of Christ, with his resurrection, and subsequent ascension into Heaven with his own blood, Hebrews 9:12.

A similar ordinance is explained by the Apostle in this very manner, Hebrews 9:13-14, and the same effect is plainly ascribed to the things here typified, Romans 4:25.” It is therefore in reference to Christ that David says, “Purge me with hyssop.”

In the purification of a leprous house, water was used with the blood, Leviticus 14:48-53. This further typified the renewing influences of the Spirit of Christ, and David seems to allude to it, when he adds, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow!”

Nor is this by any means a forced or fanciful distinction. An inspired writer lays peculiar stress upon it, 1 John 5:6, and every enlightened person sees as much need of Christ’s Spirit to wash him from the defilement of sin, as of his blood to purge him from the guilt of sin.

The efficacy ascribed to these means is not at all exaggerated. There is no sin whatever which the blood of Christ cannot cleanse. We cannot conceive more enormous transgressions than those of David—yet even he could say with confidence, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean!” Purified in this way, his soul would become “whiter than snow.” This blessed truth is attested by the beloved Apostle, 1 John 1:7, and it is urged by God himself as an inducement to repentance, Isaiah 1:18. Our renewal indeed by the Holy Spirit is not perfect in this life, but it shall be continually progressive towards perfection, 2 Corinthians 4:16, and, when the leprous tabernacle shall be taken down, it shall be reared anew in consummate purity and beauty! 2 Corinthians 5:1. Philippians 3:21.

INFERENCES.

1. How mistaken are those who seek salvation by any righteousness of their own!

We can no more eradicate sin from our souls, than a leprosy from our bodies. No man ever more deeply bewailed his sin, or more thoroughly turned from it than David Psalm 6:6; Psalm 38:4-6—yet he did not say, “Purge me with my tears, my repentances, or my duties—but purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;” he would make mention of no righteousness but that of Christ Psalm 71:15-16; nor would Paul himself trust for a moment in any other, Philippians 3:9.

Shall we then boast as if we were more penitent than David, more zealous than Paul? Let us rather humble ourselves in the language of Job, Job 9:15 and 40:4, and determine to glory in nothing but the cross of Christ! Galatians 6:14.

2. What encouragement is here afforded to mourning penitents!

If David did not despair of mercy—then who else can have cause to do so? If the blood of Christ could so purge him—then why may it not cleanse us also? If it had such efficacy a thousand years before it was shed, surely it will not be less efficacious now that it has been poured forth.

But it is not the mere shedding of Christ’s blood that will profit us. We must, by faith, apply it to our own souls. Let us then go to the blood of sprinkling which speaks such good things to us, Hebrews 12:24; let us cry with earnest and repeated entreaties, “Purge me! Wash me!” thus shall our polluted souls be whiter than snow itself, and before long we shall join, in that general chorus, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6.

Charles Simeon