Psalm 126:1-4

“When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.”

The great body of the Psalms was composed by David; but some were written many hundred years before his time, as the 90th Psalm was by Moses; and other Psalms many hundred years after him, as that before us, which was evidently written after the Babylonish captivity. It relates in the first instance to the delivery of Israel from their sore bondage, and their restoration to their long desolated country; but it is well applicable to that redemption which is given to the souls of men, and which was shadowed forth by that great event.

Let us consider from the passage,

I. The deliverance here celebrated.

Grievous beyond expression was Israel’s captivity. They were treated with the utmost cruelty by their Babylonian oppressors, Psalm 137:8-9; and their sufferings were greatly heightened by the derision with which their pious lamentations were regarded, Psalm 137:3-4. But in proportion to the greatness of their afflictions was their joy at the unexpected deliverance given to them. Observe,

1. The feelings excited by it.

Among the captives themselves the joy was so great, that they scarcely knew whether it was a reality or a dream. They were like Peter, when delivered from prison by an angel on the very night previous to his intended execution, “He went out and followed the angel; and knew not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision, Acts 12:9.”

All their lamentations were instantly turned to joy, “their mouth was filled with laughter, and their tongue with singing.” The sight of such an unprecedented event filled all the surrounding nations with astonishment, and constrained them to acknowledge that it was the work, not of man, but of God, “Then they said among the heathen: The Lord has done great things for them.” The Israelites themselves readily concurred in this sentiment; and, on hearing the congratulations given to them, thankfully replied, “The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad!”

2. The supplications it drew forth.

Though permission was given to them to return to their own land, and everything was provided for their sustenance along the way, and their assistance at the end of their journey—the Jews saw that there was a great and discouraging work before them; but, as nothing was impossible to Jehovah, they entreated him to perfect what he had begun, and “to turn again their captivity as the streams in the south.” In the southern or hilly country of Judea there were, as in all mountainous countries, frequent and sudden inundations; which however as rapidly subsided, soon after the rains had ceased; so that, where, but a few hours before, the country bore the aspect of universal desolation, it speedily assumed the most lovely and flourishing appearance, the valleys smiling on every side with renovated and augmented verdure. Thus the Jews desired that the ravages made in their now desolated country might be soon repaired, and that, through the influence of their almighty Guardian, their efforts might be crowned with speedy and complete success.

We forbear to dwell upon the event itself, that we may enter somewhat minutely into,

II. The more glorious deliverance that was typified by it.

The event before us is undoubtedly to be regarded as shadowing forth that infinitely greater deliverance which is wrought for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Compare Isaiah 40:3-5 with Luke 3:3-6. Or Isaiah 52:7 with Romans 10:15. And the correspondence between the two is particularly striking. Observe,

1. The deliverance itself.

As grievous as was the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, it was nothing in comparison with that sorer bondage to which we are subjected by the power of sin and the wiles of Satan! All indeed have not the same work assigned to them; but all are walking after the imagination of their own hearts, “being taken in the snare of the devil, and led captive by him at his will.”

The promised Deliverer however has arrived; has entered into the conflict with our great adversary, and utterly subdued him. Jesus, foretold by name hundreds of years before his advent in the flesh, has accomplished the work for which he was raised up; and, having now “ascended up on high and led captivity captive,” he has sent his heralds to “proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.”

This is the very first use he makes of his newly-acquired power. Nor is it an empty proclamation, without any facilities afforded for carrying his gracious purposes into effect; he gives us back for the use and honor of Jehovah, all those vessels of which we had been despoiled, and which, though originally formed for the service of God alone, have, through the influence of our great adversary, been prostituted and debased to the vilest uses; yes, all our faculties and powers are now restored by him to their proper office; and the all-sufficient aid of his Spirit is promised to us throughout all our dreary pilgrimage.

Our almighty Deliverer has gone further still, and issued his commands to all throughout his vast empire, to support us in our work, and to impart to us whatever we may stand in need of, Ezra 1:1-11. The very angels in Heaven are enjoined to attend us in all our way, to encamp round about us, to hold us up lest at any time we dash our foot against a stone, and to minister to us in all that our necessities may require.

All this too is offered to us as a free act of mercy on the part of our great Deliverer. It was one of the most extraordinary parts of the Jews’ deliverance from Babylon, that Cyrus should liberate them without any remuneration; but how does it exalt beyond all estimate the value of our redemption, that it is offered to us freely, “without money and without price!”

2. The effects produced by it.

When first a soul that has been sinking under a load of sin and guilt is made to hear the tidings of a free and full deliverance, they seem to him “as an idle tale;” he can scarcely believe it possible that such mercy should be given to him, and that one who has been all his days a willing captive should be delivered; and, when the joys of this salvation burst upon his soul, he appears to himself to be, as it were, in a dream; so far does the deliverance exceed all that he could previously have conceived.

Then his mouth, which was but lately filled with lamentations and complaints, is “filled with laughter, and his tongue with singing! Isaiah 35:10.”

Nor is the surprise confined to him alone; his friends and neighbors behold with astonishment the change that has taken place in him; they now see the whole course of his life changed. They behold . . .
the chains with which he was tied and bound, now loosed;
the sins that once had dominion over him, now mortified;
and the griefs, which they interpreted as symptoms or forerunners of derangement, now turned to joy, and “thanksgiving and the voice of melody.”

So great is the change in their eyes, that though they hate it, they are constrained to admire it, and to acknowledge the hand of God in it, “The Lord has done great things for them;” and, though they may deride it in public, they envy in their hearts the lot which they affect to despise.

As for those who experience the happy change, they thankfully adore their heavenly Benefactor, “The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad!” They take their harps that have been so long suspended on the willows, and sing the songs of Zion with inexpressible delight!

But the more they have experienced, the more they desire to possess all the fullness of the blessings prepared for them. Gladly would they, if it were possible, have all the remains of sin purged out from their hearts, and all conflicts with it forever terminated. They pant for the full attainment of the Divine image; and cry with fervor to their God, “Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south!” Still however, not discouraged by the length of their journey, or the difficulties to be surmounted, or the toils which they must undergo, before they shall attain the full object of their desires, they set out in humble dependence on their God, assured of final and complete success. They are willing to “sow in tears, confident that in due time they shall reap in joy.”

ADDRESS.

1. To those who have experienced some measure of this deliverance.

You have heard the parallel drawn between the deliverance of the Jews from Babylon, and that of which you are the happy subjects. It remains for you to carry it yet further, and to realize it in its utmost extent. Of all the multitudes who set out on their journey towards Zion, there was . . .
not one who was not sensible of the cruel bondage from which he had been delivered;
not one who did not feel his obligations to Cyrus as his great deliverer;
not one, who did not see that his provision by the way, and his supports at the close of his journey, were the fruits of that same grace that first proclaimed the deliverance!

Moreover, all of them without exception would feel a consciousness that they were not yet arrived at the place which their souls longed after; but that they were daily proceeding towards it; they felt no inclination to rest satisfied with anything they met with in the wilderness; but looked forward to the enjoyment of God’s ordinances in Jerusalem as the consummation of their bliss.

Now then let it be so with you. Never for a moment lose the remembrance of your former captivity, or of your obligations to the Lord Jesus Christ, who “by his own death has destroyed death, and him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; and has delivered those who through fear of death were all their life subject to bondage.”

Never for a moment forget that you are on a journey towards Zion, and that all your fresh springs are in that adorable Savior, who has redeemed you by his blood. Never for a moment cease to press forward in your heavenly way; but, forgetting what is behind, reach forward, like race horses, to the destined goal. Let all your hopes, and all your happiness be in Heaven.

In a word, be exactly in the state and habit of your minds, what the liberated captives were in their journey towards Zion. Then will you have attained the perfection of Christian pilgrims, and will in due time possess in all its fullness your destined inheritance!

2. To those who are yet the bond-slaves of sin and Satan.

This is the state of every man by nature. It is to little purpose to say, that we are not addicted to any gross iniquity; for “the whole world lies in wickedness,” or, “in the wicked one;” and if the Captain of our Salvation has not rescued us from the hands of “the strong man armed,” our very peace is a sufficient evidence of our bondage. If you are yet strangers to the experience above described, you are yet in bondage to the devil.

But we are authorized to declare that this adversary is cast down; that our Cyrus has prevailed over him; and that liberty is now given to every captive in Babylon to return to Zion. Behold, as a herald of our adorable Savior, I now announce to you these glad tidings. O! be not like so many of that ill-fated nation, who preferred their bondage to liberty, and their dwellings in Babylon to their inheritance in Jerusalem.

Put yourselves under the guidance of the true Zerubbabel, before whom “the mountains shall become a plain!” If you meet with difficulties, know that he has issued his proclamation to all his creatures, to afford you all necessary aid; and if, instead of aiding, they endeavor to obstruct you, he has engaged that all things shall work together for your good. Come out then from Babylon, every one of you; and let this be the one harmonious proposal of you all, “Come, let us go up to Zion, unto the Lord our God.”

Fear not but that the object, when attained, will richly recompense all the difficulties of your way. Even in this world your “joys shall be unspeakable and full of glory;” but who can conceive the joy that awaits you in the Zion above! How will your mouth then be filled with laughter, and your tongue with singing! How will you then, in concert with all the heavenly hosts, exclaim, “The Lord has done great things for us, therefore we are glad!” Be content then to “go on your way weeping, bearing precious seed, knowing assuredly that at last you shall come again with rejoicing, bearing your sheaves with you!”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 125:4-5

“Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart. But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers.”

At the commencement of this Psalm, the inspired writer speaks of the Lord’s people as secured both by the providence and grace of God. And it is further promised, in the verse before my text, that their trials shall not prevail beyond their strength, Compare verse 3 with 1 Corinthians 10:13.

But no exemption from trouble is promised to them. It is taken for granted, that “the rod of the wicked shall fall upon them, though it shall not rest upon them.” The wrath of man, like water turned upon a mill, shall come on them with no more force than shall be sufficient for accomplishing God’s gracious purposes on their souls. Nevertheless, the trouble shall be sufficient to test every man, and to prove the truth and measure of his integrity; the man who fairly meets and stands the trial, being approved, while he who sinks under it, or shuns it, shall be deemed altogether unworthy of the Divine favor. Hence the Psalmist pours out his fervent intercession in behalf of the upright, and at the same time warns every man of the danger of declension from the ways of God. The two points for our consideration are:

I. David’s encouragement to the upright.

His prayer shows what every believing soul may expect at the hands of God.

No one, without constant supplies of grace and strength, would be able to endure the trials with which he will be visited in the path of duty. A man’s uprightness may embolden him to ask for divine assistance; but it can never support him without it. The greatest and best of believers are weak, even as others, if for a moment they be left to themselves.

Hezekiah was in some respects as eminent for piety as any of the kings of Israel, 2 Kings 18:5; but, when “God left him to try him,” he fell! 2 Chronicles 32:31.

Even Abraham and Isaac showed themselves weak in the day of trial; each of them denying his wife, and Abraham repeatedly, through fear of the consequences which an acknowledgment of the truth might bring upon them.

The Psalmist therefore prays, “Do good unto them, O Lord”—supply every one of them with that measure of strength which their necessities may require; and uphold them under all the circumstances to which they may be reduced!

The prayer contains nothing which God himself has not made the subject of a direct promise.

With all his believing people God has made an everlasting covenant, that “He will not turn away from them to do them good;” yes, “that he will rejoice over them to do them good,” and assuredly interest himself in their behalf, “with his whole heart, and with his whole soul, Jeremiah 32:40-41.”

God considers his own glory as engaged for his people; and sooner shall Heaven and earth pass away, than one who is truly upright in heart be ever left by him to perish! Psalm 84:11. The good which he designs them may not be of the precise nature that they desire or expect; (as Paul had not “the thorn in his flesh” removed, but grace was given him to sustain it,) but, that which is really best shall be given unto them; and it shall be imparted to them in the time, and manner, and measure, that unerring wisdom sees to be best for them. Their extremity shall be God’s opportunity. See Isaiah 58:10-11.

With his tender concern for the upright, we see combined,

II. His warning to the unstable.

As for open apostates, no one can doubt their fate, “their last end will be worse than their beginning, 2 Peter 2:20-21.” But there are many who secretly decline from God’s holy ways, who yet think that, because they turn not back to open profaneness, they shall “escape the judgment of God.” Now,

These are the people warned.

“The man who puts his hand to the plough, is not to look back,” lest the furrows which he makes disgrace the field, Luke 9:62. In the same way, “those who turn aside unto their crooked paths” are people who, by crooked policy and undue compliances, are laboring to avert the evils which a bold and steadfast conduct would bring upon them. Such was the conduct of Peter, when, for the sake of pacifying the Judaizing teachers, he constrained the Gentiles to conform to the Mosaic ritual; and had not the reproof which Paul administered to him, in the presence of the whole Galatian Church, produced the desired change, this temporizing Apostle would have destroyed his own soul, and the souls of all his followers.

In matters of minor importance we may yield, for the sake of peace, as Paul himself did when he became a Nazarite; but in matters which will in any degree impeach our fidelity to God, “we must not give place, no, not for an hour.” To benefit others, we may yield; to screen ourselves, we must not yield. Not life itself must be held dear, when an adherence to duty calls for the sacrifice of it.

Those only who are “upright” will have peace at the last.

Those who dissemble with God, and are diverted from the paths of righteousness by that “fear of man which brings a snare,” have no real peace in this life, Isaiah 59:8; for there can be no peace where there is not “the testimony of a good conscience.” Much less can there be peace in a dying hour, and in the near prospect of giving up our account to God. But, if we suppose a man to have deceived himself so far as to have prevented any remonstrances from his own conscience, still, the very instant that he shall be summoned into the presence of his God, his delusions will be all dispelled, and he will see himself even as God sees him. Where will his peace then be? Alas! it will be fled forever; for in that day none but the true Israel will be approved by their God. All the rest, however subtle may have been their conduct, “will be led forth with the workers of iniquity,” and take their portion with the most abandoned of the human race! In fact, the portion of hypocrites is declared to be pre-eminently bitter, Matthew 24:51, because of the light they have resisted, and the dissimulation they have practiced. Let the unstable then know this, and avail themselves of the warning thus given them.

Then let every one see, and be convinced of,

1. The importance of uprightness.

None but the upright in heart can expect any “good” at the hands of God. “As for such people as turn aside unto their crooked ways,” “their own wickedness shall correct them, and their backslidings reprove them, Jeremiah 2:10.” Then alone can we be approved of our God, when our heart is right with God. For “the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath;” and will surely perish under an accumulated weight of misery.

2. The necessity of decision.

It should never admit of one moment’s doubt, whom we shall serve. Nothing must be allowed to stand in competition with God’s revealed will. Sufferings are to be only as the dust upon the balance. So, also, must gains be counted but loss by us, if we would approve ourselves to God. Let us, then, ever be ready to answer our opponents, as the Apostles did, “Whether it is right to hearken unto you more than unto God—you judge.” For we cannot but obey him regardless of the outcome, and execute his will, though every man on earth, and every wicked spirit in Hell, should combine against us. We will, God helping us, be faithful unto death; for then, and then alone, can we have any scriptural hope of obtaining eternal life.

Charles Simeon

Psalm 125:1-2

“Those who trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abides forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even forever.”

In forming our estimate of men, we are apt to look at their actions only; and even our own characters also, we try by that same standard. But it is the habit of the mind that chiefly marks the man; and by that we shall be estimated at the tribunal of our God.

Doubtless, actions are important, as indicative of principles from whence they flow; and by them, we, who can only see the external fruits, are constrained to judge of the quality of the root from whence they proceed.

But the heart-searching God looks at the root itself; and approves or disapproves of men according to the real quality and habit of their minds.

In reading the words before us, we might estimate at a low rate the character here designated, did we not analyze the terms by which that character is described. But, if we take sufficient pains to explore the import of the words, and the true nature of the grace which they delineate, we shall see that the person “who trusts in the Lord” is a very exalted character, and that the blessedness here accorded to him is precisely such as befits a holy God to confer upon him.

Let us consider:

I. The character here described.

“Trust in the Lord” does not import a mere general acknowledgment of God as the Governor of the universe. It implies incomparably more, even a deep conviction of His special providence, and of His incessant attention to that person’s every minutest concern. It implies, I say, this conviction:

1. In our views.

Let it be considered what trust is. It of necessity imports some engagement on the part of him in whom that trust is reposed. Consequently, a general notion of God’s ordering all things according to the counsel of his own will, however deep that conviction is, will not amount to the grace that is here described. The devils possess that conviction, in its utmost possible extent; but they cannot trust in God, because they have no promise given to them, nor any ground whatever to hope that he will ever interpose in their favor. The person who trusts in the Lord must see him as a Covenant-God in Christ Jesus, engaged to accomplish for his chosen people all that their necessities can require!

2. In our habits.

With such views of God, must be united a total renunciation of every other hope, and a committing of all our concerns to him, for body and for soul, for time and for eternity. There must be a going forth of the soul to him in prayer; a spreading of our needs before him; and a declared trust in his great and precious promises. Viewing him as both a God of providence and of grace, we must fully expect his attention to our every request, to order everything for our good, and to save us in Christ Jesus with an everlasting salvation.

Our expectations must be co-extensive with his engagements; and, as he has engaged to “be a God unto us,” we must expect from him all that . . .
unerring wisdom,
unbounded power,
unsearchable love,
and unchanging faithfulness,
can effect!

This is, in fact, what the Apostle elsewhere calls “a life of faith in the Son of God;” and nothing short of this will answer the character in my text. But, wherever this is, there shall also be,

II. The privileges connected with sincere trust in God.

1. There shall be Stability.

Mount Zion was a place of so much strength, that, from the days of Joshua to the time of David, the Israelites could never take it. They occupied Jerusalem; but Mount Zion was too strong for them; insomuch that the Jebusites who inhabited it laughed them to scorn, vaunting that if there were none left but blind and lame to defend the fortress, the Jews would never be able to prevail against it, 2 Samuel 5:6-8.

But far more impregnable is the fortress in which they dwell who trust in the Lord, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs to it, and is safe! Proverbs 18:10.” They may be assaulted both by men and devils; but they are assured, that “God will keep them by his own power, through faith, unto everlasting salvation, 1 Peter 1:5.” They are in the Savior’s hands; and he has pledged himself that “none shall ever pluck them out of his hands! John 10:28-29.”

In themselves they remain weak as ever, as both David and Peter have clearly shown; but in Christ they are strong; and in the Covenant which is made with them in Christ, and “which is ordered in all things and sure,” it is engaged, on the part of God, that they shall never be moved, and that “the gates of Hell shall never prevail against them! Matthew 16:18.”

2. There shall be Protection.

The hills that were round about Jerusalem protected it on every side; so that the Romans, it was confessed, would not have been able to subdue it, if the garrison themselves had not madly assisted them by their mutual contentions.

But far more effectually does the Lord protect his people, being to them “a wall of fire round about them Zechariah 2:5;” a wall which will not only ward off the assaults of their enemies, but will itself destroy their assailants. In fact, “he protects them even as the apple of his eye! Deuteronomy 32:10;” and “sooner shall the ordinances of Heaven and earth pass away, and the foundations of the world be searched out,” than anyone of them shall be left to perish, Jeremiah 31:35-37 and Isaiah 54:9-10. To assure them of this, “he has confirmed his covenant with an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, they might have strong consolation, Hebrews 6:17-18,” and live “assured that nothing shall ever separate them from his love Romans 8:34-39.”

To all of you, then, I say,

1. Get just views of your God and Savior.

Do not be satisfied with a general acknowledgment of him; but study his nature as revealed in the inspired volume, and acquaint yourselves with his dispensations as exhibited in the sacred records. See him delivering his people Israel out of Egypt, and supporting them in the wilderness, and establishing them in the land of Canaan; and then rest assured, that he is the same God, alike powerful, alike gracious, and alike faithful to all his engagements.

2. Let your expectations from him be to the utmost extent of your necessities.

There should be no limit to them, provided only they do not contradict the Lord’s will, or tend to the subversion of his glory. “However wide you open your mouth, he will fill it;” and however “large your desires be, he will fulfill them! Psalm 145:19.” Listen not, under any circumstances, to flesh and blood, like Asa, who in his sickness sought to the physicians; but even though sense should stand in direct opposition to faith, as in Abraham’s call to sacrifice his son Isaac, “be strong in faith, giving glory to your God, Romans 4:20.” Your divine Master, who has engaged himself for you, would have you to “be without worry.” His command is, “Do not worry about anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus! Philippians 4:6-7.” Only “cast your care thus on him,” and you will soon know, by sweet experience, the force of that appeal which David made to the all-seeing God, “O Lord God Almighty, blessed is the man that trusts in you! Psalm 84:12.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 124:1-8

“If the LORD had not been on our side, let Israel say–if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth.”

On what occasion this Psalm was written, we are not informed; but in the title it is ascribed to David; and no period in his history suits it better than the time of Absalom’s rebellion, when, but for God’s interposition, in defeating the counsel of Ahithophel, the banished monarch and his adherents must all have perished.

But as there is no period fixed, it will be needless to enter into a consideration of any circumstances as connected with the Psalm, since all that we should say could rest on no better foundation than conjecture.

Of course, if we apply the Psalm to the circumstances of our own nation at the present time, October 1814, we shall not be understood as intimating that there was any such reference intended by the Psalmist, but merely as accommodating the general expressions of it to our own particular case; and truly we must say, that if they had originally been penned for the occasion, they could not be more suited to it than they are.

Two things then we would lead you to consider:

I. The great deliverances which we are now met to celebrate.

During this long and bloody war, several occasions have arisen wherein we have experienced the most signal deliverance. We will call your attention to a few; we have been saved, almost by miracle, from:

1. The revolutionary principles.

In our own nation, as well as on the continent, there was a general outcry about liberty and equality! Multitudes in every rank of life united their efforts to overthrow the Constitution of this country, and to establish a democracy in the land. Even pious people in vast numbers were carried away by the delusive idea of ameliorating the condition of the lower classes of society, and lent their aid to others who aimed at nothing less than the utter subversion of the Government.

But through the energy of our king, and of those who administered his government, God in his infinite mercy preserved us; and we have lived to see the day when almost all who were so deluded have seen their error, and been led to regard the constitution of this country as the most perfect of any upon earth.

2. The mutiny of the fleet.

Time was, when the dissatisfaction so industriously cherished and diffused by traitors within our own bosom, and spread, by means of corresponding committees, over the whole land, had reached even that class of men who in all former ages had been the boast and glory of their country, the sailors in our fleet. Many of these broke forth into open mutiny, and threatened to carry out ships, which were the bulwark of the nation, to the ports of our enemies.

Such a blow as that would have destroyed us utterly; but the same kind Providence which had watched over us on so many other occasions, interposed to rescue us from the impending calamity, and to restore among our fleet that union and energy which have rendered it triumphant in every quarter of the globe.

3. The threatened invasion.

What immense preparations were made by our enemies to invade us, and what little preparation there was on our part to oppose them, cannot have escaped from our remembrance. True it is, that we were powerful by sea; and that consideration it was which kept the enemy in check; but had not their forces been called off to other encounters, there can be no doubt but that they would have attempted to invade us; and, if they had succeeded in landing only two thirds of the forces which they might have brought against us, there can be no doubt but that they would have seized and plundered the metropolis, and spread desolation and misery over the whole country. We all know what destruction they threatened us with; and, could they have once overrun our country, they would have reduced us to such a state of subjection as Israel experienced, when the Philistines suffered them not even to retain a workman in their land, who would be able to fabricate arms for their defense. Not a dock, or a naval architect, would have been left in our land.

4. The overthrow of the Russian empire.

Already had the whole of Europe been combined against us, and we were constrained to array ourselves against their united force. But the insatiable ambition of our great enemy raised up opposition at last from among his own allies, and gave us an opportunity of engaging him in a foreign land, instead of having to contend with him on our own soil. Still however we must have fallen before him, had not his insupportable despotism goaded to resistance the Russian monarch. But at one time, even that event also appeared to have prepared for us a more complete destruction. But God suffered the proud oppressor madly to protract his stay among the ruins of Moscow, until a retreat became extremely difficult.

Hence arose defeat; the severity of the climate, and the extraordinary energy of the Russian armies, soon dissipated the forces of our enemy; and enabled many who had been compelled to fight under his banners, to turn their arms against him, and to seek the recovery of their former independence.

Yet, after all, if the last great battle had not been decided in favor of the allied armies, our enemy might still have retrieved his former losses, and again forged chains for the whole civilized world.

But the time was come for God to have mercy on us; and he has had mercy beyond all that could possibly have been expected; he has trodden down the oppressor, as the mire in the streets; and has restored peace among all the contending nations, even such a peace as the world never saw before; a peace cemented by universal harmony and love.

Let us then, instead of contemplating our mercies only, proceed to consider,

II. The duty of acknowledging God in our national mercies.

In the Psalm before us, all the success is ascribed to God alone; God’s gracious agency is acknowledged to have been the sole cause of Israel’s preservation verses 1, 2; for this his name is humbly and gratefully adored, verse 6; and he is declared to be henceforth the only hope of his people, verse 8. In like manner should we acknowledge him in all the mercies which we now celebrate; for,

1. All of our mercies really proceed from God.

We are by no means disposed to withhold our tribute of praise from those who have been the instruments of our deliverance. Those who have been at the helm of our affairs have certainly laid their plans with consummate wisdom; and our forces both by sea and land have carried them into execution with extraordinary energy. But still, without the Divine blessing their united efforts, however great, would have failed. It is God alone who inspired them either with wisdom or courage; and he alone who gave success to their endeavors. We are assured that even the ploughman and the thresher derive all their skill from him, Isaiah 28:24-29; how much more then the governors of nations, and the conductors of fleets and armies!

The victories of Cyrus were, as much as any could be, the result of human energy; because God was not known either to him or to his people; but God tells us, that he, even he alone, gave him success, Isaiah 45:1-7. In like manner it is God, and he alone, who has conducted us in safety through all our troubles, and brought them at last to such a happy outcome.

That we should see and acknowledge this, is of infinite importance; because God is “a jealous God, who will not give his glory to another,” or endure that we should “burn incense to our own net.” Hear with what earnestness he cautioned the Jews against this great impiety, Deuteronomy 8:11-17; and let us learn with all possible care to avoid it; let us bear in mind that it is God alone “who makes wars to cease, and breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder, and burns the chariot in the fire, Psalm 46:9-10;” and that, as there is no evil, so neither is there good, in the city, which is not the work of his hands! Amos 3:6.

2. The acknowledging of God in all of our mercies gives us the truest enjoyment of them.

Others may indulge in carnal mirth; but their joy will expire “as the crackling of thorns under a pot;” and no solid benefit will accrue to their souls.

But if we view God in our mercies, they will lead our affections heavenward; they will tend to abase us in the dust for our own unworthiness, and to magnify in our estimation the goodness of God, who has done such great things for us.

Compare these feelings with those which the ungodly experience on such occasions; how pure, how elevating, how abiding! We may see the conduct of the ungodly strikingly exemplified by the Amalekites after they had invaded and plundered Ziklag, “they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating, and drinking, and dancing, because of the great spoil that they had taken! 1 Samuel 30:16.” On the other hand, we may behold in Israel the conduct of the godly, singing praises unto God, and glorifying him for all the wonders he had wrought for them at the Red Sea, “Who is like unto you, O Lord, among the gods? who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. See Exodus 15:1-11.” Can we doubt which of the two had the richer enjoyment of their prosperity?

Let us then imitate the pious Israelites; yes, let us contemplate, like David, every occurrence whereby God has manifested his care over us; and let us, in reference to every one of them, say, “His mercy endures forever; his mercy endures forever! Psalms 136.”

3. A view of God in these his providential mercies will encourage us to apply to him for the blessings of his grace.

As great as the dangers were from which Israel had been delivered by the interpositions of their God, they were not a whit greater than those to which we are exposed every day and hour. Truly we have a sea of difficulties ready to overwhelm us; we have a roaring lion seeking to devour us; and a subtle enemy ready to take us in his snares. And who, but God, can deliver us? Who can hope to escape from such great perils, if God himself be not on his side? Truly, “Our help is in the name of the Lord who made Heaven and earth,” and in his name alone!

Where is there one of us, who, when he considers the number and power of his spiritual enemies, has not reason to say, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not given me as a prey to their teeth?” Sure we are, that there is not a believer among us, who does not view himself as “a brand plucked out of the burning,” and marvel at the grace that has been magnified towards him in the redemption of his soul.

Now then let those who have not yet experienced this mercy, consider how gracious God has been to our guilty land, and what an amazing deliverance he has given to us; and let them say within themselves, “Will God be less gracious to my soul?” Has he not assured me, that “he will cast out none who come to him in the name of Jesus;” and that, if I make my requests known to him, he will fill me with “a peace that passes all understanding?”

O let us put this matter to a trial; let us see whether or not he is “rich in mercy unto all who call upon him.”

Beloved brethren, the time is short; there are yet but a few more months or years, perhaps but a few more days or hours, before the day of salvation will be closed. We would earnestly wish, that, at the moment of your departure hence, you should be able to look back on all the dangers you have escaped, and with triumphant exultation adopt the language of the Psalm before us.

Certainly, as many of us as shall be saved at last, will instantly, on their entrance into the eternal world, begin the song of the redeemed, and sing, “Salvation to God and to the Lamb forever and ever!” Now then seek to have the Lord on your side.

Beg him to strengthen you against all the evils of your own hearts.
Beg him to rescue you from the impending storms of a tumultuous world.
Beg him to deliver you from all the deceit and violence of your great adversary.

So shall you have peace with God in your own conscience; and in due season enter into that rest, where neither sin nor sorrow shall ever more assault you

[The author was not aware that he had written on this subject before. But as the former Skeleton consists of only a single page, and this goes over such different ground, particularly in showing how to improve national mercies, he has thought it not improper to print this also.]

Charles Simeon

[Written in October 1801, after the peace agreement between France (Napoleon) and England.]

Psalm 124:1-8

“If the LORD had not been on our side, let Israel say–if the LORD had not been on our side when men attacked us, when their anger flared against us, they would have swallowed us alive; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth.”

The Psalmist, after some great deliverance either from foreign enemies or civil insurrection, records, for the instruction and encouragement of the Church in all ages, the goodness of God towards him. The precise occasion on which it was penned, is not known. Instead therefore of dwelling on historical events, which, as applied to the Psalm, must be at best conjectural—we shall take occasion from the Psalm to set before you, in reference to the solemnities of this day,

I. Matter for devout acknowledgment.

To illustrate this, two things are to be considered:

1. Our danger, which, like that alluded to in the Psalm itself, has been imminent. The number of our enemies (like a flood, verse 4, 5.) their inveteracy against us (verse 3.) and the combination of circumstances at the time of the mutiny in the fleet, well illustrate this. Irresistible, what if God had not been so decidedly for us (mark the repetition, verses 1, 2.) in some of our naval engagements? If only half of our victories had terminated as much in favor of the enemy, how different would have been our state, especially when all Europe was combined against us! tremendously torn in pieces (verse 6.) and swallowed up (verse 3-5.).

2. Our deliverance, which, like that which is here celebrated, has been sudden. Our escape is indeed like that of a bird that gets out after having been already caught in the fowler’s net, verse 7; and effectual. Peace is established; and the snare itself (the principles which occasioned the war) is broken, verse 7.

II. Our duty arising from God’s deliverance of us.

This is comprised in two things:

1. Gratitude. The language of all our hearts should be, “Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird out of the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped! verses 6 and 7”

2. Trust. We should in all future difficulties hope and trust in God as our almighty Protector! “Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of Heaven and earth! verse 8.

APPLICATION.

However thankful we may be for our national mercies, we must not forget that there is yet more abundant cause for joy on account of our deliverance from sin and Satan, death and Hell, through the mediation and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Let the greatness of our danger, and the perfection of our deliverance, be the subject of our daily contemplations, that we may trust in Jesus with our whole hearts, and praise him with our whole souls!

Charles Simeon

Psalm 121:1-8

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in, from this time forth, and even forevermore.”

A life of faith is that which alone befits the Christian; but how much is implied in a life of faith is very little considered. The Divine government is too often supposed to extend to great things only; and the idea of referring to God all the little occurrences of every day, is thought by many to be derogatory to his supreme Majesty. But God is to be seen as much in the fall of a sparrow, as in the fall of the greatest empire; and our dependence upon him should extend to everything without exception. Should we attempt to draw a line between the events to which his attention may be supposed to be directed, and those which may be left, as the expression is, to chance, we would find ourselves utterly at a loss, and, in fact, should soon prove ourselves to be downright Atheists.

The Scriptures admit of no such distinction; they ascribe everything to God; even the events which in some respect owe their origin to Satan, in other points of view are traced up to God himself as their author 1 Chronicles 21:1 with 2 Samuel 24:1; and one very important use of the Psalms is to show us how much the habit of referring everything to God characterizes, composes, and elevates the Christian mind.

In the Psalm before us we see this truth exemplified in the experience of David; in illustrating which, we shall notice,

I. The resolution which David formed.

The first verse of the Psalm represents the Psalmist as expressing his conviction of the utter insufficiency of all earthly powers to assist him, and his determination to confide in God alone. And in this view the passage exactly accords with that declaration of the Church in the prophet Jeremiah, “Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the multitude of mountains; truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel! Jeremiah 3:23.”

But as it stands in our translation, it is a resolution of David to look unto Jehovah, who dwells on Mount Zion, or rather in the highest heavens, and to trust in him as the one only source of all good.

1. This was a wise resolution.

When our Lord said to his disciples, “Will you also go away?” Peter replied in the name of all, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” In like manner we must ask: To whom can we go for help, except to the Lord our God? No creature can afford us any effectual aid. The creation itself exists only through the continued agency of Him who first called it into existence, and in all its parts needs the same superintending care that we ourselves do. Wherever we turn our eyes for help, every creature uniformly replies, “It is not in me; neither in me.” To look therefore to Jehovah, is our truest, our only, wisdom!

2. This was a pious resolution.

A man duly sensible of his dependence on God, abhors the idea of trusting in an arm of flesh. He would not so dishonor God; he would not so invade his unalienable prerogative. He loves the very thought of being a pensioner on the Divine bounty. The habit of committing every concern to God, and of receiving every blessing from God, is truly delightful to him. Hence he says with the church of old, “Ashur shall not save us; neither will we ride upon horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands: You are our gods. For in you the fatherless finds mercy! Hosea 14:3.” This is the dictate of true piety; and, while it ensures to men a constant communication of all necessary good, it renders every blessing ten-fold more sweet, as coming to them through the special intervention of their heavenly Father.

3. This was a necessary resolution.

This state of mind is equally necessary for every man. The greatest monarch is as dependent upon God as the basest person in the universe. No man has any power to secure himself for one single moment. “He is crushed before the moth”—if God gives it a commission to destroy him. Pharaoh himself was as open to the assault of all the different plagues, and as incapable of removing any one of them, as any of his subjects were.

What peace then can any man enjoy, who has no other than a created arm to rest upon? If we would have any solid comfort in our minds, we must realize a sense of God’s superintending care, and rest in him for a supply of every blessing that we stand in need of.

Having declared his resolution, the Psalmist informs us of,

II. The encouragement given to David to persevere in his resolution.

It is worthy of observation, that after the two first verses of the Psalm, David ceases to speak, and is himself addressed by another, who overheard his resolution. And who is it that thus replies to him? It is no other than God himself; who immediately replies, in order to show to the whole universe how pleasing and acceptable to him such a resolution is. Nor are such transitions unusual in the Scriptures; but they deserve especial notice, wherever they occur.

We may see a precisely similar passage in the book of the prophet Jeremiah; where the Lord, having overheard the confessions of his repenting people, instantly takes up the subject, and for their encouragement addresses them in these gracious terms, “If you will return, O Israel, says the Lord, return unto me; and I will put your abominations out of my sight; and you shall not be moved! Jeremiah 3:25; Jeremiah 4:1.” The declarations which God here made to David, are equally applicable to all, who, like him, are resolved to live in a state of dependence upon God.

1. Let us consider David’s encouragements, in relation to temporal things.

All the different expressions which are here used, have an evident reference to what was wrought for Israel during the forty years of their sojourning in the wilderness.

The roughness of their untrodden path would often occasion “their feet to slip.”

The heat of the sun by day, and the influence of the moon, together with the noxious damps, by night, would greatly molest them in their journey.

Their danger from savage beasts or venomous reptiles would tend to keep them in continual alarm.

But God promises that no evil shall hurt those who trust in him.

He will be to them an ever-watchful helper. Men, be they ever so numerous, may be off their guard; but the Keeper of Israel never will.

He never slumbers nor sleeps.
No enemy can escape his notice.
No device be hidden from his view.

His express engagement to his people is, that “no weapon that is formed against them shall prosper, Isaiah 54:17.”

He will be to them also an ever-present helper. The idea of his being “our shade upon our right hand” is exceedingly beautiful; for none but those in hot climates can fully conceive the benefit of a shade to protect them from the intense heat of the sun, which often kills people. But the expression of being our shade upon our right hand probably alludes to the situation of the cloud which attended the Israelites through the wilderness, not only to guide them in their journey, but to shade them by day, and to give them light and warmth also by night. And, as the journey of the Israelites was chiefly in a north-east direction, the cloud which afforded them this shade would be on their right hand during the whole of the day.

But to expand on this, the import of the expression obviously is, that, wherever we are open to the assaults of an enemy, God will be ever-present to afford us his protection; and that whether we be going out or coming in, we may be assured of his continued and effectual care.

He will yet further be an all-sufficient helper. Neither sun nor moon, (which may represent the greatest of created powers,) nor indeed any other being shall hurt us; for “He will preserve us from all evil,” and that, not for a season only, but “from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

To the same effect this truth is largely declared in the book of Job, in reference to every species of calamity, that it shall not befall anyone who trusts in God, or, if it befalls him, it shall be overruled for his more abundant good! Job 5:19-23.

We must surely take the promise in this latitude; else it would be contrary to fact and experience; but understood with this limitation, it is, and ever shall be, accomplished in every child of God, Isaiah 27:3.

2. Let us consider David’s encouragements in relation to the concerns of the soul.

It is expressly asserted here, that God will “preserve our souls.” We may be assured therefore, that whatever he does for the body that perishes, shall much more be done for our immortal part. Yes, “he will keep the feet of his saints,” nor shall all the powers, whether of earth or Hell, be able to cast them down! “Never will he leave us; never, never will he ever forsake us!” Our enemies, it is true, will fight against us to the uttermost; but he will allow none of them ever to “pluck us out of his hand.”

To this extent Paul avows his confidence in God, Romans 8:35-39 with 2 Timothy 2:18; and every believer may justly assure himself, that “nothing in Heaven, earth, or Hell, shall ever separate him from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

ADDRESS.

1. To those who have no fears.

Whence does this proceed? If from confidence in the power and veracity of God, it is well; you are then entitled to cast off all fear; for those who fear Him, have nothing else to fear.

But if your lack of fear arises, as it too generally does, from an ignorance of your danger, or a confidence in yourselves, you have no reason for self-commendation; since the greater your imagined security is, the more imminent and awful is your danger!

Would you be afraid if you were surrounded by armed hosts that were seeking to destroy you? And will you not be afraid, when Satan himself, that roaring lion, is going about day and night seeking the everlasting destruction of your sou? To continue ignorant of your danger is the readiest way to ensure your everlasting ruin.

What if some alarm be occasioned by a sight of your danger? Is it not better to dread the pursuer of blood, than to fall into his hands! Will not your security when you have gained the city of refuge, compensate for the terror that drove you there?

Know then, that if you are yet strangers to a beneficial fear, you have yet to learn the true import of a scriptural and saving hope.

2. To those true believers who are too much under the influence of fear.

You should never forget what an Almighty Friend you have. How many times in this Psalm are you reminded, that the Lord, even the Almighty God, is your helper and deliverer! Were he less powerful, or less vigilant, or less worthy of belief—then you might well fear. But what ground can he have for fear, who has God himself for his refuge!

O! learn to say with David, “The Lord is my strength and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid!” I ask not from whence your dangers or your fears arise; for, if they were a thousand times greater and better founded than they are, this one answer were sufficient to remove them all, “If God is for you—then who can be effectually against you?” Only rely on God, and you are safe. See how tenderly he chides your unbelieving fears, Isaiah 40:27-31. If under any circumstances you are tempted to indulge an unbelieving fear, check yourselves instantly, as David did; and say with him, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God! Psalm 42:11.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 119:165

“Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.”

The force of principle is exceeding great, even where the principle itself is erroneous and vicious, but much more where it is founded upon the unerring Word of God. It produces in our conduct, promptitude, uniformity, decision; and, while it stimulates to action, it supports the mind in case of failure and disappointment.

Now of all principles, that of love to God and to his revealed will is the strongest. We see in the saints of every age what wonders it is able to effect. In the words before us, David informs us what peace it will bring into the soul amidst the heaviest trials, and what stability amidst the greatest difficulties. But for the more full elucidation of his Words, we will consider,

I. The character here described.

“The law of God” generally throughout the Psalms means the whole revealed will of God. It is not to be confined to the moral, or the ceremonial law; it comprehends the Gospel also; it is “the law which should go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem;” even, as Paul calls it, “the law of faith.”

To “love” this law is a strong expression, importing much more than a mere obedience to it; for we may conceive people to obey it through fear; whereas those who love it, see an excellency in it, and cordially approve of it in all its parts.

1. Genuine believers love God’s Word, as a mirror of truth.

In this view it is spoken of by an inspired Apostle, James 1:23-25; and it is justly so represented, because it reflects with perfect fidelity every feature of the human heart. It never flatters, nor does it ever distort; but the Word shows to every one who will look into it, precisely what character he bears in the sight of the heart-searching God.

An insincere person does not like it; he turns away from it; he will not come to it, because it presents to his view his own deformities.

But the true Christian loves it on this very account. He desires to know the worst of himself. He sees that it will be to no purpose for him to deceive his own soul; he is assured that God will not form his estimate according to the partial views which he himself may take; and therefore he desires to see himself just as God sees him. True it is, that he never looks into this looking-glass without finding deeper and deeper cause for humiliation; but still he loves it; yes, he loves it on this very account; even as David did, when he said, “Your Word is very pure; therefore your servant loves it.”

2. Genuine believers love God’s Word, as a revelation of saving mercy.

In this view it is particularly delightful to him. The plan of salvation which it unfolds is so grand, so wonderful, so suitable in all its parts, and so sufficient for all his necessities, that he can never sufficiently admire it! It is his meditation, and his song, all the day. The Scripture represents the Gospel as “a feast of fat things, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined;” and such indeed he finds it to his soul. In comparison with it, and of the knowledge of it, he “counts all things in the universe but dross and dung”.

3. Genuine believers love God’s Word, as a rule of life.

From the moment of his having found the way of salvation by a crucified Redeemer, the one desire of his soul has been to “live to Him who died for us and rose again.” “What will you have me to do?” has been his constant inquiry at the throne of grace; and he delights exceedingly in this Word as a sure directory under every situation and circumstance of life. From day to day he reads it with this particular view, that he may know “how to walk and to please God.”

He perceives that men are always endeavoring to lower the requisitions of this law; but he strives rather to have his attainments raised to that perfect standard. Not one of all its commandments is regarded by him as grievous. Nothing is grievous, but his own lack of conformity to them. Could he have his heart’s desire, it would be to “walk in all things as Christ walked,” and to “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God”.

II. The blessedness of those in whom the love of God’s Word is found.

This, as might well be expected, is exceeding great. We notice it in two respects:

1. The happiness of their minds.

“Peace,” in the Scripture use of the term, is not a mere absence of trouble, but an actual state of very sublime enjoyment. The person “who loves God’s law” in the way before described, has, as the very first-fruits of his faith in Christ, a sense of reconciliation with God, “being justified by faith, he has peace with God! God has said to him, both by his Word and Spirit, “Peace, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven!”

Combined with this, he has the testimony of a good conscience. Though he sees nothing in himself but what furnishes him with grounds for humiliation and self-abasement, he cannot be insensible of the change that has been wrought in him; he dares not deny the work of God in his soul. He has the witness of the Holy Spirit, and the testimony of his own spirit, concurring to assure him that “old things have passed away within him, and all things become new;” and though he cannot attain that measure of perfection that he aspires after, he is conscious that, if he could, he would be as “pure as God is pure,” and as “perfect as God is perfect.” His daily and hourly employment brings in an abundance of peace to his soul. He is engaged in doing what he believes to be the will of God; and he finds by sweet experience the truth of that saying, “The work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever! Isaiah 32:17. See also Psalm 19:11 and Proverbs 3:17.”

Nor has he less comfort in looking forward to the eternal state. He is not left to be a prey to fears and apprehensions about his future destiny. He knows in whom he has believed, and that his God and Savior is able to keep him unto that great and solemn day. He sees also, that he has in Christ a right and title to the heavenly inheritance; and that, “when the earthly house of this tabernacle shall be dissolved, he has a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Hence, instead of dreading the approach of death, he looks forward to it as the consummation of all his wishes, and the completion of all his happiness; and “desires to depart, that he may be with Christ.”

Such is the peace which it is the privilege of all who love the Gospel to enjoy, and which Christ himself has left them as a most invaluable legacy, saying, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you;” and truly it is “a peace which surpasses all understanding.”

2. The stability of their ways.

Those who have not this divine principle within them, are liable to be tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, and to be “moved from their steadfastness” by every temptation. But not so the true Christian, in whose heart the law of God is engraved. He, though still assaulted with manifold temptations, is enabled to withstand them all. At the very moment of the assault, he says, with Joseph, “How shall I do this wickedness, and sin against God?” And throughout the whole course of his life he experiences, on the whole, the truth of that promise, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it, 1 Corinthians 10:13.”

If he is tried with the most formidable persecutions, he does not, like the stony-ground hearers, presently desist from following the Lord, but takes up his cross manfully, and makes up his mind to suffer the loss even of life itself, rather than dishonor and deny his Lord. Be his trials ever so numerous, he says concerning them, “None of these things move me, neither do I count my life dear unto me.” “I am ready, not to be bound only, but also to die, for the Lord’s sake.”

Perhaps one of the greatest stumbling-blocks which lie in the way of the sincere, is the fall of many who once appeared to run well. These, in their fall, sweep away, as it were with their tail, many, very many, of the stars of Heaven, Revelation 12:4. But those who truly love God’s law are fixed as the sun in the sky! Psalm 72:5. They know that the truth and excellence of religion does not depend on those who profess it; and therefore, whatever be the conduct of others, he determines, through God’s assistance, to hold it fast even to the end. Thus does he surmount the obstacles which sin and Satan place in his way; and is finally “made more than a conqueror through Him who loved him!”

ADDRESS.

1. To those who do not possess this character.

It is indeed a great thing to love God’s Word. Do not let any imagine, that a general approbation of it is that which will either satisfy God, or bring peace into the soul. We love it not aright, if we do not love it universally, in everything that it requires, and supremely, above all that the world can give or take away.

Nor let anyone who does not thus love it, expect peace to his soul; for God has said that there is no peace unto him, Isaiah 57:20-21; nor can he have stability, seeing that he is in darkness even until now, 1 John 2:10-11. You must inquire for the good old way, and walk therein, if ever you would taste this inestimable blessing, Jeremiah 6:16.

2. To those who, while they profess to have attained this character, enjoy not the blessings connected with it.

God’s Word is true; nor shall any who trust in it be disappointed of their hope. Hear his sayings, Psalm 23:1-2. Jeremiah 31:9; and, if you do not experience the accomplishment of them in your own souls, know that the fault is in yourselves alone. As sure as ever the character is yours, so most assuredly shall the blessedness also be yours. “He will keep his saints” in peace and holiness, even to the end! Isaiah 26:3. 1 Samuel 2:9.

Charles Simeon

Psalm 119:145-148

“I cry with all my heart; answer me, O LORD, and I will obey your decrees. I cry out to you; save me and I will keep your statutes. I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises!”

In reading the Psalms of David, we are of necessity led to contemplate the constant spirituality of his mind, and the extraordinary fervor of his devotions; but we are apt to overlook, or to notice only superficially, one of the most lovely features in his character, namely, his ardent desire to fulfill the whole will of God. If we were to read the Psalm before us in this particular view, we would be surprised, that we had not been more forcibly struck with this sentiment before.

He begins the Psalm by declaring those people pre-eminently blessed, who are most distinguished by their obedience to the laws of God, verses 1, 2. In this way alone had he any hope of avoiding shame and disappointment in the last day, verse 6; and therefore he prayed with all imaginable earnestness, that he might be kept from ever deviating from the path of duty, verse 10, 19, 20, and be enabled to “run the way of God’s commandments with an enlarged heart, verse 32.”

The words which we have just read do not, on a superficial view, convey this idea very strongly to our minds; but on a closer inspection of them, we shall see, that a desire to serve and honor God was the primary object in his petitions, and that even salvation itself was chiefly sought by him on account of the sanctifying and transforming efficacy with which it would be accompanied. Bearing this in mind, we will notice,

I. The object of David’s desires.

There is no reason to suppose that David alludes to any particular distress or difficulty in these petitions; he seems rather to refer to the whole work of grace and salvation, which he wished to have forwarded in his soul; and he does not merely engage to make a practical improvement of the grace that shall be given to him, but rather expresses the satisfaction he felt in looking forward to its effects.

Had he merely prayed to God for the salvation of his soul, we would not have disapproved his petitions; because it is proper and necessary for every man to seek above all things the salvation of his soul. But the having such respect to a holy life, and the desiring of salvation itself chiefly in reference to that, is a higher style of piety; as we propose more distinctly under this head to show.

1. It argues a nobler disposition.

A desire after salvation does not of necessity imply any genuine love to God. A slave may wish to escape the lash of his master, and yet have no delight in his service; and we also may seek deliverance from condemnation, without any sincere feelings towards God. Simon Magus desired the intercessions of Peter and John in his behalf; but he was actuated by no better motive than a fear of the judgments denounced against him, Acts 8:24. But when a person desires to attain the Divine image, and makes the glorifying of God by a holy conduct, the main object of his pursuit, he shows a nobility of mind, and an enlargement of heart, which none but God can bestow. A man by the mere force of natural selfishness may long for pardon; but no man without supernatural grace, can pant after real holiness!

2. It shows juster views of the nature and source of true happiness.

If a man were pardoned, he could not be happy if he were not holy; for sin would ever eat as a canker, and destroy his peace. Even Heaven itself would be no Heaven to one who did not possess heavenly dispositions; for what communion could he have with the glorified saints and angels, all of whom are as holy as God is holy, and as perfect as God is perfect? The angels are represented as ever “fulfilling God’s will, and hearkening to the voice of his Word,” with an ardent desire to follow the very first intimations of the Divine pleasure. The saints also “rest not day nor night, singing” with all their powers the praises of their most adorable Redeemer.

But how would such an occupation suit those who have no preparation of heart for it? But a disposition to execute the will of God will make a person happy in every situation. If he be bereft of all outward comforts, he will “enjoy the testimony of a good conscience;” so that the person who desires holiness in the first place, proves that his judgment is well informed; and that he justly appreciates that important saying, “The work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever.”

3. It most corresponds with the ends which the Governor of the universe proposes to himself in all his dispensations.

God, in creating all things, formed them for his own glory; as it is said, “For your glory they are, and were created.” In all the works of his providence also he has designed to bind men to himself in a way of uniform and unreserved obedience. This was especially his end in all that he did for the Israelites in the wilderness; he did it, “that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws, Psalm 105:45.” In the great work of redemption he had the same blessed object in view, namely, “that we might serve him without fear, in righteousness and holiness before him all the days of our life, Luke 1:74-75.” “This people have I formed for myself, that they may show forth my praise.” Now in desiring salvation for holiness sake, and in praying for deliverance from all the bonds of sin, in order to “run with more enlarged hearts the way of God’s commands,” we forward the everlasting counsels of God, and prove ourselves, in the most important of all concerns, to be like-minded with God.

The worthiness of his object was justly marked by,

II. The ardor of David’s pursuit.

This blessed object he sought,

1. In fervent and continual prayer.

Observe his own account, “I cry, I cry, I cry.” I cry “with my heart,” with “my whole heart.” What can we conceive more expressive than such language as this? Yet we are sure he did not exaggerate, or state anything that was not strictly true. Moreover, so ardent was his mind in these holy exercises, and so great his delight in them, that he rose often while it was yet dark, in order to pour out his soul before God.

Now this shows us how the renovation and salvation of the soul should be sought by every man. It should occupy our whole mind; it should engage our whole soul. To seek it in a lukewarm and listless way, is to show that we have no just value for our souls, and no real delight in God. Examine, we beseech you, beloved brethren, how it is with you in this respect; for you may as surely know by this the state of your souls before God, as if you were to look into the very book of God’s remembrance.

You must distinguish also carefully between the exertions that are made in your own strength, and the efforts which are made in prayer to obtain help from God. It is from these that you must judge of your self-knowledge, and humility, and dependence upon God; for in proportion only as you feel your own weakness, and his readiness to aid you, will your application to him be such as David’s was.

2. In a believing dependence on God’s Word.

The Word of God meditated on, and applied to the soul by faith, is the great support and encouragement of all who desire mercy at God’s hands, “My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.”

Thus it should be with us also. O then let me ask: Is the blessed Word of God the one rule of your desires, and the one ground of your expectations? And in this view, is it your meditation day and night?

Here again you may obtain an insight into the state of your souls, and learn to estimate with precision your spiritual attainments. You may, as bible students, be extremely diligent, consuming the midnight oil, and laboring all the day, without being at all nearer to God than those who never look into the sacred records. The question is, Whether you lay hold of it as a word of promise from God to you, and whether you plead it day and night before God in prayer?

This will prove you to be Christians indeed; more especially if the promises of grace for your sanctification be as dear to you as the promises of mercy for your pardon and acceptance. This is the habit of mind which God approves, and which will assuredly issue in everlasting salvation.

APPLICATION.

1. How have your minds hitherto been exercised in relation to eternal things?

Have you thus redeemed time, even from your sleep—for the purpose of forwarding with all possible earnestness the welfare of your souls?

2. What are your views and purposes respecting them in future?

Are you procrastinating, and wasting your time in indolent habits or worthless pursuits? O! awake from your slumbers; up, and be doing; and may the Lord be with you!

Charles Simeon

Psalm 119:136

“Rivers of waters run down my eyes, because they do not keep your law!”

The generality, if exhorted to labor for the salvation of others, are ready to reply, “Am I my brother’s keeper? Genesis 4:9.” But those who have truly the fear of God in their hearts will be anxious for the welfare of their fellow-creatures. This concern has at all times distinguished the saints of God, Jeremiah 9:1; and it was eminently conspicuous in David. Repeatedly in this Psalm does he declare his feelings on this subject, verse 158 and 53; and with peculiar energy in the words before us.

We propose to show on what account we ought to weep for sinners.

I. On account of the blessings they lose.

There are many present blessings which men lose by not keeping God’s law.

There is a “peace that passes understanding,” and a “joy unspeakable,” that attends the believing in Christ, and the devoting of ourselves to his service. The having all one’s lusts in subjection, must contribute much to serenity of mind; but the enjoying of God’s favor, and the light of his countenance, is a source of the richest happiness that mortals can possess on earth! verse 165. Proverbs 3:17. Isaiah 32:17.”

But what peace is there to the wicked? Isaiah 57:20-21.
What can he know of the love of God shed abroad in his heart?
What comfort can he have in the prospect of death and judgment?

But the eternal blessings which they lose, exceed our highest conceptions.

The obedient believer has “an incorruptible, and undefiled and never-fading inheritance! 1 Peter 1:4.” There is a crown of righteousness, and a throne of glory, reserved for him in Heaven 2 Timothy 4:8; and he shall spend eternity itself in the immediate presence and fruition of God!

But can we say this respecting the impenitent and unbelieving? No! There is no admission for him into those bright abodes, “the unrighteous cannot inherit that kingdom! 1 Corinthians 6:9;” “the impure cannot enter there! Revelation 21:27.” There shall be “a difference between those who serve God, and those who serve him not, Malachi 3:18.” The wish that ungodly men feel to be found at last in the place of those whom they now despise, is a proof that they have in their own minds some apprehension of the sentence that awaits them in another world, Numbers 23:10.

And are not these things matters of just lamentation?

It is much to be regretted that men will “feed on ashes, Isaiah 44:20,” and seek to “fill their belly with the east wind, Job 15:2,” when they might “eat the bread of life,” and “delight their souls with marrow and fatness! Isaiah 55:2.” And still more must we pity him, who, when there is a rest prepared, and a supper spread in Heaven, has provoked God to swear, that he shall never enter into that rest, Hebrews 3:18, nor ever partake of that supper, Luke 14:24.

But there is yet greater reason to weep,

II. On account of the miseries they bring upon themselves.

Not to mention the misery of a guilty conscience, which in many instances is so great as to render life itself a burden.

How inexpressibly dreadful are the judgments which the wicked will endure in Hell!

However men may labor to disprove it, Hell must be the portion of all who forget God, Psalm 9:17. And who can form any adequate conception of the torments that shall be there endured? To spend an eternity in such a furnace as that which Nebuchadnezzar kindled for the destruction of the Hebrew youths, would be beyond measure dreadful; but what must it be to lie down in that lake of fire which the breath of the Almighty has kindled! Isaiah 30:33.

And can we view sinners hastening to that place of torment, and not weep over them?

Our blessed Lord wept over Jerusalem on account of the temporal calamities that should come upon it; and shall not we weep over the eternal miseries which men are bringing on themselves? Must not our hearts be harder than adamant, if they do not melt into tears at such a sight? Can we weep at the recital of a story we know to be fictitious, and not mourn over such solemn realities?

There is, however—yet greater reason to weep:

III. On account of the aggravated guilt under which they perish.

It will be more tolerable for Devils and heathen at the day of judgment, than those who perish under the light of the Gospel!

The devils may say: Had the Son of God taken our nature, and died for our redemption, we would gladly have availed ourselves of such a provision for our safety; we never would have despised one that had been sent from Heaven to redeem us.

The heathen may say, Though there was a Savior given—yet we were never privileged to hear his gospel; had his mercy been ever offered to us, we would “long ago have repented in dust and ashes! Matthew 11:21.”

But what will ungodly professing Christians say before God? Will they say that they had not a Savior? Or that his Gospel was not proclaimed to them?

No! You know there is a Savior who shed his blood to redeem sinners; who has been offered to you, times without number—a full and free salvation. Your mouths therefore must be forever shut! Matthew 22:12.

“But I say unto you: It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you! Matthew 11:22.”

What additional reason does this give for weeping over the ungodly!

Every offer of salvation greatly aggravates the guilt of those who reject it; and every increase of guilt will be followed by a proportionable increase of misery! How lamentable then is it, when that very gospel which should have been a savor of life unto life, is made, through the obstinacy of man, a savor of death unto death? 2 Corinthians 2:15-16. How truly lamentable when Christ himself becomes an occasion of greater damnation to the very people whom he died to save! Alas! that men should ever so despise their own mercies! O that “rivers of tears might run down our eyes!”

INFERENCES.

1. How little true love is there in the world!

However strong and numerous the instances of men’s carnal attachment are, there are few indeed who manifest any regard for the souls of their fellow-creatures. Instead of weeping for others, the generality would laugh at those who wept for themselves. But, if we have not this mark on our forehead, we are destined to feel the stroke of God’s avenging rod! Ezekiel 9:4-6.

2. How earnest ought ministers to be in dealing with the souls of men!

If all ought to weep for the ungodly, much more should ministers, who are sent to call them to repentance, “warn them night and day with tears! Acts 20:31.” Forgive then the earnestness; we should rather say, the lack of earnestness, of him who labors among you; and pray, that he may so “declare the whole counsel of God,” as to be pure from the blood of all men!”

3. How earnest ought men to be in seeking the salvation of their own souls!

If it is the duty of others to weep for us, how much more should we weep for ourselves! Let us then lay to heart the state of our souls, and sow in tears that we may reap in joy! Psalm 126:5.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 119:132-133

“Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name. Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me!”

To many, the Psalms are less interesting than most other parts of Scripture, as having in them a less variety of incident whereon to engraft instruction, as also a less measure of plainness in the instruction they convey. But whatever may are lacking in these respects, it is more than compensated by the piety of sentiment and ardor of devotion which pervade them all. If other parts of Scripture add more to our stock of knowledge, the Psalms produces a more elevated tone of feeling, and, if deeply studied, tends in a pre-eminent degree to bring the soul into communion with God, and to prepare it for the enjoyment of the heavenly world.

Let us but get the spirit of the Psalmist in the prayer before us, and we shall have no reason to complain that we were not amused with curious speculations, or edified with matters of deep research.

Our business on the present occasion will be quite simple, namely,

I. To explain the petitions here offered.

Two things the Psalmist here implores of God:

1. The manifestations of his mercy.

Mercy is that which every child of Adam needs. He needs it too, not merely for some particular violations of God’s law, but for every action of his life. There is iniquity even in his holiest things; his very tears need to be washed, and his repentances to be repented of. Hence he must, from the very beginning to the end of life, and in reference to every moment that he has lived, implore mercy at the hands of the heart-searching God. In this request he sets, as it were, before his eyes all the instances of mercy which God has shown to his most favored people from the foundation of the world.

We may indeed understand his words as a general kind of plea taken from the usual goodness of God to others; and then this petition will accord with that offered in another Psalm, “Remember me with the favor which you bear unto your chosen ones. O visit me with your salvation! Psalm 106:4-5.”

But there seems here a more specific reference to some particular exhibitions of God’s mercy in the days of old; multitudes of which must of necessity present themselves to his mind, whenever his attention was directed towards them.

What mercy had God shown to Adam, in promising a Savior to him, instead of inflicting on him the judgments he had so deeply merited!

What mercy to Abel also, in giving him such manifest tokens of his favor!

To Enoch also, in affording him such constant access to him, and in translating him to glory, without ever allowing him to taste the bitterness of death!

In like manner his mercy to Noah, in delivering him from the deluge which overwhelmed the whole world beside.

And to Abraham also, whom he admitted to all the familiarity of a most endeared friend.

These, and many other instances, we may suppose to have been in his mind, when he proposed them to God as patterns of the mercy which he himself desired to partake of.

This is the true way in which every child of God should pray. From all that God has done for his saints in former times, he should take encouragement, and should enlarge his expectations to the utmost extent that the sacred records authorize. God is the same gracious and almighty Being in every age; and what he has done for one he may do for another; and though he may not grant to us precisely the same interpositions as he did to others, he will, as far as our particular occasions may call for them; and we are enemies to ourselves, if we do not open our mouths wide, and ask all that our situation and circumstances can require.

2. The communications of his grace.

David desired to be delivered, not from guilt only, but from the power and dominion of sin also. This desire was without reserve; he wished not to retain “any iniquity,” however pleasant or profitable, or even justifiable it might be in the eyes of an ungodly world. In this he approved himself sincere and upright; and in this, every true Christian will resemble him.

But in order to this, he begged to be guided altogether by the oracles of truth. The Word of God is the only standard of right and wrong. If we follow any other directory, we shall err. If we adhere to Scripture, we cannot but fulfill the will of God. This is the constant declaration of God himself, verse 9; and it accords with the experience of his people in every age, verse 11. Happy would it be for us, if we would study the Scriptures with this particular view.

We are not disposed to undervalue speculative knowledge; but that which is practical is infinitely to be preferred. The Scriptures are given us as a “light to our paths” in general, and as “a lantern” in every particular case when we know not where to place “our feet.” Let us truly seek to be in everything governed by them; and then, though we be mere fools, as it were, in other things, we shall never greatly err, Psalm 19:7. Isaiah 35:8.

From this general view of the petitions, we proceed,

II. To show the instruction to be derived from the Scriptures.

Though not written with a didactic view, they convey much instruction:

1. To Christian principles.

The union of the two petitions may properly suggest to us, that a desire for pardon of sin, must invariably be joined with a desire for sanctification also. Were a desire for pardon of sin all that is required to become a Christian, then a Christian would differ but little from those who desire to escape Hell, but have no desire to follow Jesus in a holy life. Sin must be hateful to us, even as it is to God himself, who cannot look upon it without the utmost abhorrence.

Nor is the order in which they stand devoid of good and useful instruction. Mercy is to be sought in the first place. To look for sanctification first, and make that a ground whereon to hope for mercy, would subvert the whole Gospel of Christ! We mean not to say, that we should build such an observation as this on the mere circumstance of the petitions occurring in that particular order; for that circumstance would by no means justify any such conclusion; but from that circumstance we may fitly take occasion to make such an observation which is sanctioned and confirmed by every part of the inspired writings. We cannot too strongly impress it on the minds of all, that in constructing the spiritual edifice, we must ever be careful to distinguish between the foundation and the superstructure, and to assign to each its appropriate place and office.

2. To Christian practice.

Here the just improvement of the petitions is clear and obvious; they teach us to be:
humble Christians,
practical Christians,
consistent Christians.

We should be HUMBLE Christians.

The manner in which the petition for mercy is expressed conveys an idea of deep humility. It is as if he had said, “Lord, I am unworthy that you should look upon so base, so vile a creature as I am! Well might my sins provoke you to hide your face from me forever; but O! look upon me, according to the multitude of your tender mercies.”

Thus it is that we should ever seek for mercy. It is impossible for us ever to lie too low before our God. To the last hour of our lives we should preserve the spirit of the publican, who, while he sought for mercy, “dared not so much as to lift up his eyes to Heaven, but smote upon his bosom, saying: God be merciful to me a sinner!”

We should also be PRACTICAL Christians.

To think that we are saved by the mercy of God, while we continue to live in sin, is a horrible and a fatal delusion! Do not let anyone entertain such an idea for one moment. Christ’s work is finished indeed as it respects himself; but not as it respects us; there is a work to be wrought in us, as well as that which has been wrought for us; and whatever we may imagine about the secret purposes of God, this is revealed as an immutable decree, that “without holiness no man shall see the Lord”.

To crown the whole, we must be CONSISTENT Christians.

To harbor any sin, of whatever kind it is, proves us to be hypocrites. “If we regard iniquity in our hearts, God will never hear us”—that is, he never accept us. The right hand or right eye must be sacrificed, as well as those sins which may be more easily put away. O let us seek to be “Israelites indeed, in whom there is no deceit,” and to be “sincere and without offence until the day of Christ!”

Charles Simeon