Psalm 31:21-24

“Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from your sight!” Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. O love the LORD, all his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD.”

The use of biography is universally acknowledged. It leads us into the recesses of domestic life; and teaches us, either from the frailties or the excellencies of others, how to conduct ourselves in a great variety of emergencies, which we ourselves must expect to meet with in life.

But sacred biography is infinitely more interesting than that which proceeds only from uninspired pens, because the circumstances which are brought to light are more particular, more diversified, more authentic—than any records which people would choose to give of themselves, or than others would be capable of giving respecting them.

On this account the Psalms of David claim the highest possible regard. Perhaps there never was a man whose circumstances were more varied than his; and certainly there never was a man who committed to writing all the secret motions of his heart with more fidelity than he; or that labored more to improve them for the benefit of mankind.

This appears, as in many other Psalms, so especially in that before us; as will be clearly seen, while we notice:

I. David’s acknowledgment of mercies conferred upon him.

To enter fully into this, we must refer to the occasion on which the Psalm was penned. It was written, I apprehend, after his deliverance from Saul, when, from his being surrounded by Saul’s army, he had conceived it impossible for him to escape. Indeed, his deliverance was truly astonishing; and it was wrought by the special intervention of Almighty God, in answer to his prayer. At the very moment that his blood-thirsty persecutor had, to all appearance, effected his purpose, news came that the Philistines had invaded the land of Judah; and Saul was compelled to return instantly from his pursuit of David, in order to repel the invaders, 1 Samuel 23:27-28.

In reference to these circumstances, David first acknowledges the mercy in general terms, “Praise be to the LORD, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city.” And then he specifies more particularly the relief he had found in answer to prayer, when his own mind was overwhelmed with desponding fears.

In the peaceful state of the Church at this day, we are not likely to be reduced to David’s state for our religion’s sake; and, therefore, as far as the literal sense of the Psalm goes, it is not applicable to us. But, of deliverances equally “marvelous,” we may speak. Let me then ask:

1. Whether you have not, at times, been ready to despond?

We can know but little either of our guilt or corruption, if we have not “had the sentence of death in ourselves, 2 Corinthians 1:9,” and felt that we had “no sufficiency in ourselves” to save ourselves, 2 Corinthians 3:5. Have we never, then, under a sense of our extreme unworthiness and helplessness, been ready to doubt whether we could finally attain salvation, and “said, as it were, in our haste, I am cut off from before your eyes?” Go back to some particular seasons, when your great adversary has prevailed against you, and seemed as if, like a roaring lion, he would utterly destroy you; has it not, at such seasons, been difficult to lay hold on the divine promises, and to flee for refuge to the hope set before you?

2. Whether God has not at such seasons interposed for you, in answer to your prayer?

There are few that have not had reason to “bless and adore their God, for showing them his marvelous kindness in such seasons as these. The experience of the Prophet Jeremiah has been realized by God’s people in every age, “The waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off. I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear! Lamentations 3:54-57.” From you, then, the Psalmist’s acknowledgment is due; and by you it should be made to the last hour of your lives.

Full of gratitude, David pours forth,

II. His exhortations, founded on his own experience.

1. David exhorts the saints to love God.

God is worthy to be loved for his own divine excellencies; but he should be loved also for the wisdom and goodness and equity of his dispensations.

“The faithful he does and will preserve;” yes, both from men and devils will he preserve them; he will “hide them under the shadow of his wings,” and “keep them even as the apple of his eye.”

But the ungodly, whoever he may be, he will plentifully repay with judgments proportioned to his impiety.

The ungodly may indeed triumph for a time, and the godly be left to groan under the rod of the oppressor; but a day of righteous retribution is at hand, when “God will recompense tribulation to those who trouble his people; and to those who are troubled, rest. 2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.”

Shall not the assurance of this be a comfort to the saints, even under their deepest troubles? Surely it should; so that I may well urge upon them the exhortation before us, “O love the Lord, all his saints.”

2. David exhorts the saints to trust in God.

There are seasons when the saints can scarcely be said to believe and trust, while yet they do hope in God; saying, as it were, “If I perish, I will perish at his footstool, crying for mercy!” Now then, to all such people I say, “God will strengthen your heart,” yes, and strengthen your arm too, so that “the arms of your hands shall be made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, Genesis 49:24.” He will even “perfect his own strength in your weakness,” so that no enemy shall be able to prevail against you. “Be of good courage,” then, my brethren. Though you cannot fully trust in God—yet, if you can hope in him, be not afraid; for God will vindicate your cause, and “bruise all your enemies, not excepting even Satan himself, under your feet shortly! Romans 16:20.”

Exhortation.

1. Learn to see and to acknowledge the mercies of God towards you.

What loss is sustained, both of comfort to the saints, and of honor to God—by the inattention of men to the dispensations of their God! How many deliverances, both temporal and spiritual, have we all experienced; but of which, through our remissness, God has never received any tribute of praise! Know that if you will be observant of God’s gracious dealings towards you, you will never lack a theme for gratitude and praise!

2. Never be satisfied with your own happiness, but seek to advance also the happiness of others.

David never celebrates any mercy given to him, without improving it as an occasion for commending God to others, and exhorting them to unite with him in every possible expression of love and gratitude.

Thus should it be with us also. We are not, indeed, called to make known to all the secret workings of our own hearts; but we are called to edify one another, and to take every suitable occasion of honoring our God. Let us, then, do this; and do it, too, with holy zeal. Let us “abundantly utter the memory of his great goodness, that all his works may praise him, and all his saints may bless him! Psalm 145:5-10.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 31:19-20

“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you. In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.”

The salvation of the Gospel is a present salvation. The “godliness which it inspires is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life which now is, as well as that which is to come.” It is needless to say that the trials of life are great; and that men in every situation of life need the supports and consolations of religion to carry them through the difficulties which they have to encounter. But of the extent to which these supports and consolations are administered to God’s chosen people, very little idea can be formed by those who have never experienced a communication of them to their souls.

David was highly favored in this respect. He lived in a state of near and habitual fellowship with God; spreading before him all his needs, and receiving from him such supplies of grace and peace as his daily necessities required. Hence with devout rapture he expresses his admiration of Gods goodness to his believing people.

This is the subject which we propose for our present meditation; and which, in correspondence with the words of our text, we shall consider:

I. In a general view.

The terms by which the Lord’s people are characterized sufficiently distinguish them from all others, since none but they do truly “fear God,” or sincerely “put their trust in him.” They are the true Israel; in reference to whom it is said, “God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a pure heart, Psalm 73:1.”

In speaking of his goodness to them, we shall notice,

1. The goodness which is “stored up for those who fear” God.

In the time of David the great truths of the Gospel were but indistinctly known; the fuller manifestation of them being reserved for the Apostolic age; as Paul, quoting a remarkable passage from the Prophet Isaiah, says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man—the things which God has prepared for those who love him;” and then adds, “But God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit, Isaiah 64:4 with 1 Corinthians 2:9-10.”

To the Jewish Church therefore these things are only “stored up,” as it were, in types and prophecies; and though made known in the Gospel, they are still but imperfectly viewed by the Christian world; and may be considered as “stored up” for the Church at this time, no less than in former ages; for it is only by slow degrees that anyone attains to the knowledge of them; and whatever attainments anyone may have made, he sees only “as in a looking-glass darkly, and knows only in part;” there being in it a length and breadth and depth and height utterly beyond the power of any finite intelligence to explore! Ephesians 3:18-19. The “riches” that are stored up for us in Christ even in this world are altogether “unsearchable, Ephesians 3:8;” what then must those glories be which are “reserved in Heaven for us!” The more we contemplate the blessings which God has treasured up for us in the Son of his love, the more shall we exclaim with David, “Oh how great is his goodness!”

2. The goodness which God has already done for those who fear Him.

Every believer was once “dead in trespasses and sins,” even as others. But he has been quickened by the mighty energy of God’s Spirit, and been raised up to newness of life.

He is “a new creature in Christ Jesus;” all of his views, his desires, his purposes, being radically changed!

He has the heart of stone taken from him, and a heart of flesh substituted in its place.

He has been “made a partaker of the divine nature,” and “been renewed after God’s image; and that, not in knowledge only, but in righteousness also and true holiness.”

He is brought altogether into a new state, having been “translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son,” and been made “an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ.”

In a word, he is “begotten to an inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled and never-fading, reserved in Heaven for him;” and for the full possession of which he also is reserved by the power of God, through the simple exercise of faith 2 Peter 1:4.

All this God has done for those who fear him, “before the sons of men.” They are evidently “the seed which the Lord has blessed;” they are “lights in a dark world,” “epistles of Christ, known and read of all men”.

But in the latter part of our text, we are called to consider the goodness of God towards his people:

II. The goodness of God towards his people, with a particular reference to their relationship with the ungodly world.

Exceeding bitter are those pains which men inflict on each other by calumnies and reproaches!

To speak good one of another, affords no particular pleasure; but to hear and circulate some evil report affords to the carnal mind, the highest gratification; and in such employment all the corruptions of our fallen nature find ample scope for exercise and indulgence. Who can estimate the evils arising from “pride,” and “the strife of tongues?” Some little idea may be formed from the description given of the tongue by an inspired Apostle James: “Behold,” says he, “the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by Hell! James 3:5-6.” How exceedingly strong are these descriptions! Yet it is by no means an exaggerated statement of the evils proceeding from calumny in the world at large. But as representing the virulence and malignity with which men calumniate the people of God, these words come yet nearer to the truth.

In the very words preceding my text, David faintly portrays the conduct of the ungodly in relation to this matter, “Let their lying lips be silenced, for with pride and contempt they speak arrogantly against the righteous!” Psalm 31:18. In another Psalm he speaks in far stronger terms, “My soul,” says he, “is in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts—men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords! Psalm 57:4.”

The truth is, that men can inflict, and often do inflict, far deeper wounds with their tongue than they could with the most powerful weapon! With a sword they can only wound the body; but with bitter and cruel words they wound the inmost soul. Under the former we may easily support ourselves; but “a wounded spirit who can bear?”

But against these calumnies and reproaches, God provides an effectual antidote for his people.

Though more exposed than others to the venomous assaults of slander, they have a refuge which the worldling knows nothing of. They carry their trials to the Lord, and spread them before him; and from him they receive such supports and consolations as more than counterbalance the evils they sustain. “They are hidden in the secret of God’s presence.” When near to him in prayer, they are hidden as in a pavilion, or a royal tent, protected by armed hosts, and furnished with the richest viands, Psalm 27:5-6. But the full import of these terms cannot adequately be expressed. Who shall say what is implied in those words, “The secret of God’s presence?” Who shall declare what a fullness of joy is there possessed by the believing suppliant? How powerless are the fiery darts which are hurled at him by the most envenomed foes, while God himself is a wall of fire round about him, and the glory of God irradiates his soul, inspiring it with a foretaste of Heaven itself!

Some little idea of his enjoyment may be formed from the history of Hezekiah at the time of Sennacherib’s invasion. It was “a day of trouble, and of rebuke and blasphemy;” and the feelings excited in the bosom of Hezekiah were most distressing; but scarcely had he spread before the Lord the letter which the blaspheming Rabshakeh had sent him, than he was encouraged by God to return this triumphant answer, “The virgin, the daughter of Zion, has despised you, and laughed you to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you, Isaiah 37:3; Isaiah 37:14; Isaiah 37:21-22.” Thus, like one who saw “the heavens filled with horses and chariots of fire” for his protection, he overlooked the vain boasts of his enemies, and anticipated a certain triumph.

Thus, however malignant the believer’s enemies may be, he is hidden from them as in an impregnable fortress, and looks down on their fruitless efforts with pity and contempt!

ADDRESS.

1. Let us seek to attain the character of a godly man which is here drawn.

To fear God is the duty, and to trust in him the privilege, of every man! Learn then to tremble for fear of his judgments, and to rely on his mercy as revealed to you in his Gospel; for only then can you experience the blessings of his goodness, when you surrender up yourselves to him to be saved by his grace.

2. Let us enjoy the privileges conferred upon us.

For a fuller discovery of the believer’s privileges, we may consult the declarations of David in the Psalms: Psalm 91:1-4; Psalm 91:9-16; Psalm 55:21-22. Let us not rest in anything short of them. Let us get such a sense of them as shall overwhelm us with wonder, and gratitude, and praise!

Charles Simeon

Psalm 31:15

“My times are in your hand!”

To the ungodly it is a satisfaction to deny the providence of God, and to cut him off, as it were, from any connection with his creatures. But the saints find a rich consolation in the thought that God reigns. This it is which reconciles them to the evils they endure, and fortifies them against those which they have reason to fear.

David, in the Psalm before us, complains that there were many who “took counsel together against him, and devised to take away his life.” But he comforted himself in the reflection, that, however man might be his enemy, God was “his God;” and that however bitterly his enemies might be enraged against him, “his times were not in their hands, but in God’s;” and, consequently, that they could do nothing against David but by God’s permission.

From this view of the text we are led to notice:

I. Our dependence on God.

God is the Governor of the universe.

He appoints the stars their courses.

He makes the raging elements to fulfill his will, Psalm 148:8.

He imposes a restraint upon the most savage beasts, causing them to suppress or forget their instinctive ferocity, or overruling the exercise of it, for the preservation or destruction of men, as he sees occasion, (1 Kings 13:28 Daniel 6:22. Jonah 1:17. 2 Kings 2:24)

The affairs of men he more especially controls.

1. In God’s hands are the circumstances of life.

There is nothing really casual or contingent in the world. It is God who disposes of us, from our earliest infancy, to the last hour of our lives. “He determines the bounds of our habitation, Acts 17:26.”

If we are called to the possession of wealth, or deprived of it by any untoward circumstances, it is “the Lord who gives, and the Lord who takes it away, Job 1:21.”

If we enjoy health, or pine away in sickness, it is “the Lord who both wounds and heals, who kills and makes alive, 1 Samuel 2:6-7.” “There is neither good nor evil in the city, but the Lord is the doer of it, Amos 3:6.”

Even the falling of a hair from our head, as trifling as it is, only takes place by Gods appointment, Matthew 10:30.

2. In God’s hands are the seasons of death.

To every man “there is an appointed time upon earth, Job 7:1;” there are “bounds which he cannot pass, Job 14:5.” “God holds our souls in life, Psalm 66:9;” and “when he takes away our breath, we die, and return to the dust, Psalm 104:29.” Youth and health are no security against the stroke of death! The most vigorous constitutions are soon broken, when God is pleased to afflict us, Job 21:23-25; the skill of physicians, however useful when attended with his blessing, is of no avail, Mark 5:26. So numerous are the occasions of death, that no caution can possibly avoid them, “It will be as though a man fled from a lion, only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall, only to have a snake bite him! Amos 5:19.” When God “requires our souls,” we must surrender them at his call, Luke 12:20.” Our days are protracted to an advanced age, only if God is pleased to uphold us; if not, our course is finished as soon as ever it is commenced. It is “in God, and in God alone, that we live, and move, and have our being! Acts 17:28.”

But though these ideas are certainly comprehended in the text, its more immediate scope is to declare,

II. Our security in God.

We have already observed that the words of the text were introduced by David as a consolatory reflection, under the cruel treatment which he had received from friends and enemies. We are therefore taught by them to assure ourselves:

1. That none can destroy us before our divinely appointed time.

We appear to be, yes, we really are, in the midst of many and great dangers. But however we may be encompassed with enemies, they cannot prevail against us until the Lord’s appointed time for our removal has come.

David was continually exposed to the rage and jealousy of Saul, who repeatedly cast a javelin at him, and hunted him incessantly with armed bands “like a partridge upon the mountains.” Yet though he was often in the most imminent danger, 1 Samuel 23:26, and certainly would have been betrayed by the men of Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:11-12—yet God watched over him, and kept him in perfect safety.

Many sought to apprehend our Lord; but “they could not lay hands on him until his hour was come, John 7:30; John 8:20. Luke 13:33;” and even then Pilate “could have had no power against him, unless it had been given him from above John 19:11.”

Paul was in innumerable perils, “and in deaths often, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27;” once he was stoned, and even left for dead, Acts 14:19-20; but none could take away his life, until he had finished the course which God marked out for him.

Thus we also are immortal, until our work is done. We are surrounded with “chariots of fire, and horses of fire, 2 Kings 6:17;” yes, “God himself is a wall of fire round about us, Zechariah 2:5.” And sooner shall successive bands of enemies be struck dead upon the spot by fire from Heaven 2 Kings 1:10-12, than one of the Lord’s little ones shall perish! Matthew 18:14.”

2. That none shall effectually harm us without God’s permission.

As we depend on God for our happiness as well as for our existence, so are both our being and our well-being are secured by him. Satan could not touch the person or the property of Job, until he had obtained permission from God to do so, Job 1:12; Job 2:6. “Nor can any weapon that is formed against us prosper, Isaiah 54:17,” any further than our God shall see good to permit it. “His angels encamp round about us, Psalm 34:7,” and have an especial charge to “keep us in all our ways, that we do not dash our foot against a stone, Psalm 91:11-12.” “You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you! Psalm 91:5-7.”

We are not indeed at liberty to rush needlessly into danger, from an expectation that God will deliver us; (this would be to “tempt the Lord our God, Matthew 4:6-7.”) But in the path of duty we have nothing to fear. We may “tread upon the lion, the adder, or the dragon, Psalm 91:13. Acts 28:3-6;” we may drink poison itself, Mark 16:18, or allow ourselves to be committed to the flames—without experiencing the smallest injury, Daniel 3:25-27. Nothing in the whole universe can “harm us, if we are followers of that which is good, 1 Peter 3:13;” if God sees fit to keep us, we are as safe “in a den of lions” as in a house of friends.

From this subject we may LEARN:

1. To seek God without delay.

There is no period of life when we can call one day, or one hour, our own. We are altogether “in God’s hands;” and, if he withdraws his support for one moment, we will perish, as certainly as a stone gravitates to the earth. Shall we then, when so entirely dependent on our God, provoke him to cast us out of his hands? Shall we continue to despise his patience and forbearance, until he swears in his wrath that our “time shall be no longer, Revelation 10:6.” Think, how many have lost the time afforded them, and how bitterly they now bewail their folly; and beg of God, that he would “so teach you to number your days, that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom, Psalm 90:12.”

2. To serve God without fear.

We are too apt to keep back from serving God through fear of the persecutions we may endure from man. But, if our times are in God’s hands—then all our concerns must be there too; and nothing can befall us but by his appointment, “Who are you, then, that you should be afraid of a man that shall die, and forget the Lord your Maker? Isaiah 51:12-13.” Are we not told, that “the wrath of man shall praise him, Psalm 76:10.” Be bold then for God, “set your face as a flint against the world, Isaiah 49:7-9,” and trust in him for protection.

He will not indeed screen you from all trials; because it is on many accounts necessary for your growth in grace that you should feel them, 1 Peter 1:6; but he will allow none to come upon you which he will not enable you to bear, none which he will not sanctify to your eternal good! 1 Corinthians 10:13.

3. To trust God without worry.

It is foolish as well as impious to distrust God, or to murmur at any of his dispensations. In whose hands could the disposal of all events be placed so much to our advantage, as in his who possesses infinite wisdom to devise what is best, and infinite power to effect it?

Would we be made the sport of chance or fortune? Or would we have our present and everlasting concerns left wholly to our own management? If we are not fit to regulate our temporal affairs until we attain the age of manhood—then how much less can we ever be competent to take the reins of God’s government into our own hands, and to order the affairs of his kingdom?

But our times will be in God’s hands, whether we acquiesce in it or not. Let us therefore contentedly leave ourselves to his all-wise disposal, assured that “he does all things well.” “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose!” Romans 8:28

Charles Simeon

Psalm 30:6-12

When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.” You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever!”

Among all the friends of vital godliness, it is supposed that Christian experience is well understood; but it is a lamentable truth, that those in general who think themselves best acquainted with it, are exceedingly mistaken with respect to some of its most important parts. The distinctive offices of faith and unbelief, of confidence and fear—are by no means clearly defined in the minds either of ministers or people; on the contrary, they are often so confounded as to produce very serious evils; for by the misconceptions respecting them, many are instructed to shun what God approves, and to cultivate what he abhors.

For instance: A persuasion that we are God’s elect people, and that we are in no danger of perishing—is recommended by many as the root and summit of Christian faith. While a fear lest we might have deceived ourselves, or might ultimately perish—is characterized as an evil heart of unbelief. And thus, a godly jealousy over ourselves is discouraged as a sin—and an unfounded confidence respecting our state is encouraged as a virtue!

These mistakes arise partly from a blind following of human authorities, and partly from being confined by the trammels of human systems of theology. To have just views on these subjects is of great importance both for ministers and people: for ministers, that they may know how to discriminate between good and evil in their flocks; and to the people, that they may form such an estimate of themselves as God himself forms of them.

The Psalm before us will afford us an occasion for marking the distinctions which we conceive to be so eminently useful, and yet so generally needed. It is said in the title to have been written at the dedication of David’s house; but we apprehend it was rather at the second dedication of it, after it had been shamefully denied by Absalom. To this period of time, rather than to any other, we are directed by many parts of the Psalm. It should seem that about that time the prosperity of David had lulled him into a state of undue security; and that God sent him this affliction to rouse him from it. The successive frames of his mind are here clearly marked; and must successively be considered as they are here presented to our view:

I. David’s carnal security.

There being to all appearance perfect tranquility in his kingdom, David conceived that no evil could arise to disturb his repose; and it seems that a similar confidence was also indulged by him in reference to his spiritual enemies. This is, indeed, the common effect of long continued prosperity; but it is a state of mind highly displeasing to God.

We are dependent creatures; and ought at all times to feel that whatever blessings we have, whether of a temporal or spiritual nature, is but lent to us from hour to hour, according to the good pleasure of Him “in whom we live, and move, and have our being.” The very continuance of our lives should be regarded in this view so that we should never think of what we will do in the next year, or even on the morrow, without an express reference to God as the sovereign controller of all events, James 4:13-15. Job himself erred exceedingly in this respect, when he said, “I shall die in my nest! Job 29:18.”

The same sense of dependence on God must more especially be maintained in reference to our spiritual life. The very chief of the Apostles, no less than we, needed to preserve upon his mind a consciousness, that, without incessant vigilance and care, he might, “after having preached to others, himself become a cast-away.” However confident any man may be that he stands firm, it becomes him to “take heed lest he fall, 1 Corinthians 10:12.” And so far is this frame of mind from being, as religious people are apt to imagine it, an effect of legality and unbelief, it is pronounced by God himself as most pleasing to him, and beneficial to us; for “blessed is the man who fears always, Proverbs 28:14.”

It is worthy of observation, that David ostensibly acknowledged God as the author of his security, “You by your favor have made my mountain to stand firm;” but it is evident that his confidence was not really in God, so much as in his prosperous situation and circumstances, which had to all appearance a stability on which he might rely.

Just so it is with those among ourselves who have fallen into a state of carnal security; they profess to depend on God; but their lack of holy fear demonstrates, that their confidence is in something which they themselves possess, and which they consider as affording a just ground for the dismissal of vigilance and jealous apprehension.

David’s relaxation of this beneficial fear was followed by,

II. His spiritual dereliction.

To punish this carnal security, God withdrew from David in some measure the protection of his providence, and the comforts of his grace; he allowed Absalom to carry into effect his traitorous conspiracy against him; and he left David without those heavenly consolations which under former trials he had been accustomed to experience, “You hid your face from me,” says David, “and I was troubled.”

Now such rebukes must be expected by all who forget their dependence upon God. “Truly he is a God who hides himself;” and by the dispensations of his providence and grace he marks his indignation against the backslidings of his people.

We doubt not but that God’s withdrawment of many temporal blessings from us, is a punishment for our idolatrous attachment to them, and dependence upon them. It was for this that he sent a worm to destroy Jonah’s gourd; and for this he required the soul of him who thought “he had much goods laid up for many years.”

We doubt not also, but that the experience of every child of God will more or less attest the same in reference to the withdrawment of his presence from them. In proportion as any have become less vigilant, they lose those manifestations of the Divine presence which in the seasons of holy fear they were privileged to enjoy. Nor is it a mere privation of joy which they experience on such occasions; there is a perturbation of mind arising from a sense of the Divine displeasure, and a painful apprehension lest they should never be restored to the favor of their God. David’s “trouble,” as arising from this source, was of a very overwhelming nature, Psalm 77:2-4; and woe be to those who wantonly provoke God to inflict it on them. Deuteronomy 32:20.

In what way David sought deliverance from this trouble, we see by,

III. His fervent prayers.

How he pleaded with God, may be seen in our text; and in this he affords an excellent pattern for us under similar circumstances. His plea is to this effect, ‘Lord, withdraw not yourself from me forever; it is through your help alone that I can ever recover the state from which I am fallen; and without such a recovery I can never bring any glory to your name. O leave me not in the wretched state into which I am fallen!’

Now here we see the true, the only, remedy for a soul that has provoked God to depart from it. To have recourse to the doctrines of election and final perseverance under such circumstances, is the way to foster that very disease which God is seeking, by this discipline, to cure. We do not say that we are to keep the promises of God out of sight; for beyond a doubt we are to make use of them at all times and on all occasions; but then we are to make use of them, not for the fostering of an unhumbled confidence in God, but for the encouraging of our humiliation before God. We are to be constantly on our guard “not to heal our wounds slightly, or to cry, Peace, peace! when there is no peace.”

We should bear in mind that the humbling of our souls is the very end which God aims at in withdrawing his presence from us; and the more we answer this end, the better; nay, if by the suspension of his favor towards us we are brought to a more earnest crying after him, and to an utter abhorrence of ourselves in dust and ashes, we shall have as much reason to adore him for such discipline, as for the most exalted joys he ever afforded us.

This also is a point which we conceive to be of exceeding great importance for the due regulation of our own minds, and for the right counseling of those who are under the hidings of God’s face.

The excellency and efficacy of this remedy may be seen in,

IV. David’s speedy recovery.

There are many who go mourning almost all their lives. And why? Is it that God arbitrarily, and without occasion, hides his face from them? No! It is owing to this very thing which we have been speaking of, namely, their restraining prayer before God, and not using the proper means of regaining his favor. Indeed many are brought into absolute despair by the very means which they use to remove their apprehensions; they go to the consideration of God’s secret decrees, when they should be mourning over their sins, and imploring pardon for Christ’s sake. Hence they are led to argue thus: ‘If I am an elect vessel, then how could I be in such darkness and distress? But I am in this darkness, therefore God has not elected me; and there is no hope for me.’

But behold the effect of humiliation and contrition! See how speedily God returned to the soul of his servant, in answer to his fervent supplications! The prayers were scarcely offered, before David was enabled to say, “You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.” And thus would it be with all of us, if we would pursue the method which this holy man adopted. “God delights in the prosperity of his servants;” and, as a parent feels relief to his own soul when he can return in love to his offending child, so does God, when he can again lift up the light of his countenance on those from whom he has been constrained for a season to withhold it. See Jeremiah 13:27 and Psalm 81:13-16.

The father’s reception of his prodigal son is a sure and delightful specimen of the favor which all will experience, as soon as ever they are brought to the footstool of Divine grace with cries for mercy in the all-prevailing name of Jesus Christ.

The testimony of David in this very Psalm shall be confirmed in you, “His anger endures but a moment; in his favor is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning! verse 5.”

The speedy restoration of God’s favor to him immediately drew forth,

V. David’s grateful acknowledgments.

To bring David back to a state of holy peace and joy was the very end for which God so graciously renewed to him the expressions of his love; it was, says David, “to the end that my glory may sing praise to you, and not be silent.” He calls his tongue “his glory,” because that is the member by which above all he could glorify his God; and he determines instantly to employ it in his praise, “O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto you forever!” Blessed resolution! O that every one of us would instantly adopt it! O that God would inspire us with grace sufficient to carry it into execution.

It is in order to bring all to this point, that we have been so particular in the foregoing statement. It is with a view to this, that we so earnestly recommend humiliation before God under seasons of darkness, rather than an attention to abstract points which tend only to foster a delusion. Humility, and contrition, and a believing application of the blood of Christ to our souls, can never deceive us; but, on the contrary, must infallibly lead to songs of praise and thanksgiving, “if we sow in tears—then we must reap in joy.”

Only observe the process, and see how connected are all the links of the chain:

1. In a season of prosperity, we have relapsed into carnal confidence, and provoked God to leave us in a state of spiritual dereliction.

2. Alarmed and humbled by God’s frowns, we betake ourselves to fervent prayer, imploring mercy in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and through the unbounded grace of God we experience a speedy recovery.

3. Then we have our mouths filled with grateful acknowledgments to the God of our salvation.

We only add to this, that the deeper is our humiliation on account of sin committed—the more speedy and exalted will be our joys on account of deliverance given.

ADDRESS.

1. To those who are walking with God.

What shall we say! Even if you were as eminent as ever David was, we should think it right to guard you against the conceit that you were in no danger of being “moved.” In relation to all that you possess of temporal things, we would inculcate this beneficial lesson, “From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away! 1 Corinthians 7:29-31.” Every blessing we have, must be held as from God, and for God, to be disposed of according to his sovereign will and pleasure. And in reference to everything of a spiritual nature, we should recommend a constant sense of our entire dependence upon God, saying, “Hold me up, and I shall be safe.” Some will confound this with unbelief; but it differs from unbelief as much as humility from pride. In truth, it is the very root of faith; for it is only in proportion as we feel our liability to fall, that we shall look truly and constantly to Christ for strength. Be weak as newborn infants in yourselves, and God will keep beneath you his everlasting arms, and perfect “his own strength in your weakness!”

2. To those in spiritual declension.

Many in a state of spiritual declension are ready to imagine that God has arbitrarily and without any particular cause, withdrawn himself from them. But it may well be doubted whether in any case God ever dealt thus with any of his creatures.

Our blessed Lord, when he cried, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” was suffering the punishment due to those whose iniquities had been laid on him.

And Job, whose expression, “I shall die in my nest,” we have before noticed, had evidently a measure of carnal confidence which needed to be mortified and subdued. With the exception of his case we are not aware of anything that bears even the appearance of arbitrary proceeding on the part of God; the constant tenor of his acting is that which was proclaimed to Asa, “The Lord is with you, while you are with him; if you seek him—then he will be found by you; but if you forsake him—then he will forsake you, 2 Chronicles 15:2.”

Learn then to trace your sin in your punishment; and, if you cannot find the immediate cause of his withdrawment from you, then pray to him, with Job, “Show me why you contend with me.” The prayer which David offered under such circumstances, Psalm 143:1-8, will assuredly, if offered up in faith, bring down upon you the blessings of peace and joy. This God himself has promised in Isaiah 57:16-18; and you may be as fully assured of its accomplishment to your soul, as the promise and oath of God can make you, Isaiah 54:7-10 with Hebrews 6:17-18.

Charles Simeon

Psalm 30:5, 10

“His anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning!”

“Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help.”

In the title affixed to this Psalm, it is called “A Psalm, or song, at the dedication of the house of David.” If we understand this as referring to a dedication of his house on his first entrance upon it, 2 Samuel 5:11, there is nothing in the Psalm at all suitable to the occasion; but if we refer it to the period of his return to it after the death of Absalom, we shall find a suitableness in it to the circumstances in which he had been placed, 2 Samuel 20:5. He had been driven from his throne at a time when he appeared to be most firmly fixed upon it; and had been in most imminent danger of his life, from the hands of his own favorite, but rebellious son, Absalom. God, however, had mercifully interposed for his deliverance, and had restored him once more in safety to his own house. To purify his house from the pollution it had sustained from Absalom, he dedicated it afresh; and penned this Psalm, it should seem, for the occasion. But, as this is a matter of conjecture only, and not of certainty, I shall wave all further allusion to either of the occasions; and take the words of my text simply as expressing a most weighty truth, which is at all times, and under all circumstances, proper for our consideration.

Two things we shall notice from it:

I. The mercy of God.

The mercy of God will be found to be altogether of a boundless extent:

1. We shall consider the mercy of God as existing in his own bosom.

He is indeed angry both at sin itself and at those who commit it; and his anger he will surely manifest against every impenitent transgressor. “His wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men! Romans 1:18;” and it will surely “break forth against all the children of disobedience, Ephesians 5:6.” Nevertheless, the inflicting of his judgments is “a strange act,” to which he is utterly averse, Isaiah 28:21. “Mercy” is the attribute in which “he most delights! Micah 7:18;” and, when he proclaimed his name, it was that by which he most desired to be known, “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.” The whole of the Scriptures represent him in this view, and declare, with one voice, that he is “rich in mercy, Ephesians 2:4,” and that “his mercy is from everlasting to everlasting unto those who fear him, Psalm 103:17.”

2. We shall consider the mercy of God as experienced by his people.

Against the impenitent God’s anger must, of necessity, continue. But towards the penitent and believing, it is of the shortest possible duration, “His anger endures but for a moment.”

When Nathan pressed home upon the conscience of David the guilt he had contracted in the matter of Uriah, and had brought him to this acknowledgment, “I have sinned against the Lord!”—the prophet was instantly directed by God to declare, that his iniquity, notwithstanding the enormity of it, was pardoned, “The Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die! 2 Samuel 12:13.”

Had there been any bounds to his mercy, Manasseh could never have found acceptance with him. The wickedness of that monarch exceeded all that one would have supposed a human being was capable of committing; yet even he was pardoned, as soon as he humbled himself before his God, 2 Chronicles 33:12-13.

How rapidly the mercy of God flies to the healing of a contrite soul, may be seen, as in numberless other instances, so in the Psalm before us, “Hear, O Lord,” said David, “and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help;” and then he immediately adds, “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, verse 10, 11. For the further elucidation of this, see Jeremiah 3:12-14; Jeremiah 3:22; Jeremiah 4:1.”

The whole preceding context, while it declares God’s mercy, sets also before us,

II. Our duty in the contemplation of God’s mercy.

As having experienced mercy, all Christians are called to sing, and praise our God. But, as we are not all in the holy frame of David, and as the text itself suggests views somewhat different from those of joyous exultation, I shall adhere rather to the words before us, and point out our duty, not so much in the contemplation of God’s mercy enjoyed, as of God’s mercy needed and desired.

Though God so delights in the exercise of mercy—yet he requires that we seek it at his hands, Ezekiel 36:37.

1. We must seek God’s mercy supremely.

“In his favor is life;” and the enjoyment of it must be our one object of pursuit. Not only must all earthly things be as nothing in our estimation, but life itself must be of no value in comparison with it. To have our interest in his favor a matter of doubt, must be as death to our souls; and we must live only to obtain reconciliation with him. What the frame of our minds, in reference to it, should be—we may see in those words of David, “I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul! Psalm 143:6-8.”

2. We must seek God’s mercy humbly.

“Weeping may endure for a night.” We should certainly weep and mourn for our sins, as our blessed Lord has told us in his sermon on the mount, Matthew 5:4 with Luke 6:20-21. And who among us has not just ground to weep? Who is there that has not reason to smite upon his bosom with grief and shame for his past life, and, like David, to say, “I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears! Psalm 6:6.” This should be the experience of us all, “We must sow in tears, if ever we would reap in joy! Psalm 126:5.” Shall this be thought suited to the Mosaic dispensation only? It is not a whit less necessary under the Gospel dispensation, “Be afflicted, and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into heaviness; humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord; and he shall lift you up.”

3. We must seek God’s mercy confidently.

We should never doubt God’s readiness to accept us, when we return to him. Whether our night of weeping be more or less dark, or of a longer or shorter duration, we should feel assured that “a morning of joy shall come,” when “there shall be given to us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, Isaiah 61:3.” In the contemplation of God’s mercy as revealed in the Gospel, we should see, that he can be “a just God, and yet a Savior, Isaiah 45:21;” yes, that because “he is faithful and just, he will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, 1 John 1:9.”

To the exercise of his mercy He has assigned no limit; and we should assign none. We should be perfectly assured that “the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient to cleanse from all sin! 1 John 1:7;” that “God will cast out none who come to him in his Son’s name, John 6:37;” on the contrary, that “though our sins have been red like crimson,” we shall, through the Redeemer’s blood, “be made as white as snow! Isaiah 1:18.”

In this view of our subject, I would call your attention to the following obvious and beneficial reflections.

1. How deeply to be pitied, are the blind impenitent world!

They will not believe that God is angry with them, or that they have any need to dread his displeasure. If we attempt to convince them of their danger, they account us no better than gloomy enthusiasts. But, whether they will believe it or not, God’s eye is upon them for evil; and if they do not turn to him in penitence and faith, they shall before long feel the weight of his avenging arm!

Who that should see a multitude of people, like Baal’s priests, unconscious of their impending fate—and would not pity them? Yet here are millions of immortal souls soon to be summoned into the presence of their Judge, and mocking the eternal doom that speedily awaits them! Should not “rivers of tears run down our eyes for them? Psalm 119:136.” Yes, truly; as our Lord wept over Jerusalem in the view of the destruction that awaited it, and as the Apostle Paul had “great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart” on account of his unbelieving brethren, Romans 9:2, so should we mourn bitterly for those who will not mourn and be in bitterness for themselves.

2. How richly blessed, is the weeping penitent!

His carnal friends perhaps pity him for his weakness, or deride him for his folly. But the angels around the throne are of a very different mind; they, even in the presence of God himself, have an augmentation of their joy from one single spectacle like this! Luke 15:10; and God himself is not so intent on the heavenly hosts, but that he spies out such a poor object as this, and looks upon him with delight! Isaiah 66:2.

Is there, then, one weeping penitent here present? My brother! crowns and kingdoms are of no value in comparison with the blessing conferred on you! Be content to go on weeping, as long as God shall see fit to keep you in that state of discipline; but know, that “joy is sown for you;” and that, in due season, it shall spring up to an abundant harvest; for thus says the Lord, “He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him! Psalm 126:6.”

3. What praises and thanksgivings are due to God from the pardoned sinner!

Brethren! At present you can have but little conception of the incomprehensible blessings which God has conferred upon you; for you cannot see one thousandth part of your guilt, or conceive one thousandth part of the glory that awaits you!

Still less can you comprehend the wonders of redeeming love and mercy that have been given to you in the gift of God’s only dear Son for your redemption!

What indeed you already know, is abundantly sufficient to fill your souls with unutterable joy, and your lips with incessant praise.

But what will be your feelings at the instant of the departure of your soul from this earthly tabernacle, and of its admission into the presence of your God? Then you will fully see the depth of misery from which you have been redeemed, and the height of the glory to which you are exalted!

You will then behold your Redeemer face to face; and join in the eternal praises of our adorable Savior. “And they will reign for ever and ever!” Revelation 22:5

“May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is! May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully! Ephesians 3:18-19”

Surely these things should be ever on your minds; they should make you to be “looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of that blessed day.” But, suppose that your night of weeping were to continue to the very hour of your dissolution, how short would it appear, when once that morning burst upon your view! Are you not ashamed that you should ever grudge the seed for such a harvest? Will not one hour of that glory be an ample recompense for all the exertions you ever made for the attainment of it? Go on, then, with Heaven in your view, and live in the sweet anticipation of that unimaginable glory that awaits you. Methinks the very prospect of such a morning constitutes its very dawn, and will be to your souls the commencement of Heaven upon earth.

Charles Simeon

Psalm 29:10-11

“The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

This Psalm is supposed to have been written on the occasion of a thunder-storm. It represents God as uttering his voice in those terrific sounds, whereby the very mountains are made to shake, yes and “skip, as it were, like a calf or a young wild ox.” That there is a transition to the Messiah, and his offices, is clear; for he is expressly declared to be King in Zion. And this declaration stands in immediate connection with the floods and tumults by which, in appearance, he was for a season overwhelmed, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in Heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” Psalm 2:1-6.”

He is also called Jehovah; as it is written, “This is the name whereby he shall be called, “The Lord our Righteousness! Jeremiah 23:6.” And I rather think, that, in order the more strongly to mark his divine character, the name Jehovah is here so often repeated. It is repeated no less than eighteen times in these eleven verses; and it is the same person who is spoken of throughout the whole. The same person of whom the Psalmist says, in the first five verses, “Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.”

Of that same person does he say in my text, “The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever. The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.”

That my text refers to him, there can be no doubt; for he is “that Mighty One, upon whom the help of his people is laid;” and he is, “The Prince of Peace,” from whom all their peace must flow. We may therefore proceed to consider the Lord Jesus.

I. As a God of Providence.

The Lord Jesus “is the Creator of all things,” and “by Him all things are held together;” nor does anything occur which is not decreed by him. We speak of things as accidental; but there is nothing really accidental—not even “the falling of a sparrow,” or the loss of “a hair of our head.”

It is true that creatures make their own plans—and often with an express desire to oppose the will of God. But they are all unconscious agents in His hands! “Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen!”

The envy of the Jewish priests,

the treachery of Judas,

the timidity of Pilate,

the cruelty of the Roman soldiers,

were all subservient to God’s designs, and all fulfilled His inscrutable purposes! They followed the dictates of their own minds; but in all their actions, “God’s counsel stood,” and He accomplished His own sovereign and eternal will through them!

Behold our blessed Lord in every change of situation, from His arrest, to the grave—who would suppose that these were successive steps to the throne of Heaven, and the means ordained for the salvation of His people? Yet this was really the case; and by all these events a multitude of conflicting prophecies were fulfilled. He sat at the helm, and directed all the storm!

And precisely thus He does at this time also. The occurrences of every successive day seem as if they arose randomly, and pass away without any particular effect. But He who sees all things from the beginning, has ordained that a sleepless night, an opening of a book, a casting of a lot—shall all as certainly effect His ends—as any event, however great, or however manifestly connected with His designs! Esther 3:7; Esther 6:1-2

The history of Joseph, whose elevation to a throne was promoted by events which, to the eye of sense, would appear most calculated to counteract it. In the outcome, Joseph said to his treacherous brothers, “You planned evil against me; God planned it for good, to bring about the present result—the survival of many people!” Genesis 50:20

Be the storm ever so tempestuous, “He sits upon the flood;” and be our enemies ever so mighty, “he sits as King forever,” to control their efforts, and overrule them for our good.

But let us contemplate him,

II. As a God of grace.

The Lord Jesus Christ, on his ascension to Heaven, was constituted “head over all things to his Church;” and a fullness was treasured up in him, for the use of his believing people in all ages. From this fullness he is ever ready to impart unto them:

1. Strength.

Great, exceeding great, is the work which they have to perform, as are also the trials which they have to sustain. But, through him, the weakest of his people shall be able “to do all things, Philippians 4:13,” and to suffer all things, Colossians 1:11-12, as circumstances may require. Whatever their situation may be, “their strength shall be according to their day, Deuteronomy 33:25;” and, however weak they may be in themselves, “his strength shall be perfected in their weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:9.” So seasonable shall be his supplies of grace to their souls, and so sufficient for all their necessities.

2. Peace.

In a storm which threatened their destruction, the disciples were alarmed. But our blessed Lord reproved them for not having a more entire trust in him, Mark 4:37-41. Whatever confederacies of men or devils may be against us, we should dismiss all fear, and “sanctify him in our hearts,” as all-sufficient for our protection! Isaiah 8:12-14. It is said of all his people, “He will keep them in perfect peace, because they trust in him, Isaiah 26:3.” And well may they be in peace; for, being accepted by God, they may possess an assured peace with him, Romans 5:1, and, being upheld in his arms, they may laugh at all the assaults of their enemies; for, “if He is for them—then who can be against them Romans 8:31.” And this peace is a “blessing” of the highest order; for, as it is the exclusive privilege of the Lord’s redeemed people, Isaiah 57:1, so is it, both in its nature and operations, more excellent than can be adequately conceived; it truly “surpasses all understanding! Philippians 4:7.”

APPLICATION.

1. Give him, then, the glory due unto his name.

We should get into the very spirit of the Psalmist, and have our minds filled with a sense of our Savior’s power and grace; and praise him, not by words only, but by that perfect trust which he calls for at your hands; and which is necessary, in order that you may obtain the blessings he is exalted to bestow.

2. Let his voice control every emotion of your souls.

He speaks by thunders and lightnings, and he also speaks by his Word. By thunders and lightnings he displays his power, and by his Word he reveals his grace. Notice particularly how, in the Psalm before us, everything is ascribed to his voice. And I am sure that, if you will listen to the still small voice of his Word, there is not a blessing which you can possibly need, but it shall be imparted in the richest abundance to your souls.

Charles Simeon

Psalm 28:8-9

“The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.”

In the Psalms of David we observe many rapid transitions from the depth of sorrow to very exalted joy. In the Psalm before us, this is very remarkable; insomuch, that commentators are altogether at a loss to determine whether it was written under a state of deep affliction, out of which he anticipates a joyful outcome; or after a deliverance from affliction, combining with his expressions of gratitude a retrospective view of his preceding trouble. Of these two explications, I much prefer the latter; though I think even that is far from satisfactory.

I conceive that the suddenness of God’s answers to prayer, and of the changes wrought thereby upon the feelings of his people, is here marked with very peculiar force and beauty. God has said, “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear, Isaiah 65:24;” and thus it was in this case. The Psalmist began in a state of extreme dejection; but, in a moment, “his light rose in obscurity, and his darkness became as the noon-day, Isaiah 58:10.” The Psalmist elsewhere says, “You have turned my mourning into dancing, Psalm 30:11;” and thus we see it here realized, “Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplications.” Then, after returning thanks to his great Deliverer, he proclaims, to the honor of God, what he will be to all his believing people; and he implores from God the same blessings in their behalf. Let us now consider,

I. David’s testimony for God.

David himself was “God’s anointed.” But of himself he had spoken in the preceding verse, “The Lord is my strength.” Now, therefore, he speaks of God’s redeemed people, even to the end of time. These all are partakers of the Spirit of Him who was “anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, Psalm 45:7.” Even under the Jewish dispensation, his people were “a kingdom of priests, Exodus 19:6;” but under the Christian dispensation, all the saints are “a royal priesthood, 1 Peter 2:9,” and have the privilege of being “made kings and priests unto God and the Father, Revelation 1:6;” and as all kings and priests under the Law were consecrated with oil, so are these “anointed of the Lord, 2 Corinthians 1:21;” and they shall all find God to be “the strength of his people, and a fortress of salvation.” Now this is:

1. A true testimony.

Search the records of the Bible in every age, and see whether so much as one of the Lord’s anointed was not strengthened by him to do and suffer his holy will. Or say, whether many of you, my brethren, are not able to attest the same, from your own experience; and to declare, that “out of weakness you have been made strong, Hebrews 11:34,” and that God has been ever ready to “perfect his own strength in your weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:9.

2. An encouraging testimony.

There is not a man upon earth that has any strength in himself; no, “not so much as even to think a good thought! 2 Corinthians 3:5.” Yet, “through the grace of Christ strengthening us, the weakest babe in the universe is able to do all necessary things! Philippians 4:13.”

Our duties are arduous,

our enemies are mighty,

our sufferings are great.

Yet we are eventually made “more than conquerors, through Him who loved, us! Romans 8:37.” There is nothing, then, that we may not readily undertake for God, since “with Him there is everlasting strength, Isaiah 26:4;” and we are authorized to expect, under all possible circumstances, that “the grace of Christ shall be sufficient for us!”

Persuaded of this blessed truth, let us mark,

II. David’s intercession.

Let us mark,

1. The copiousness of David’s intercession.

His heart was full; and just views of God invariably produce in us a measure of the same feelings towards man. “The Lord’s anointed” are “his people and his inheritance, 1 Kings 8:51; 1 Kings 8:53;” and “if we love God, we cannot but love those who are begotten of him;” and in proportion as we feel our own obligations to God, will our hearts be enlarged in prayer for those who are dear unto him.

2. The order of David’s intercession.

He begins with imploring their “salvation” from all guilt and danger.

He then begs of God to load them with all “blessings” in their journey through this dreary wilderness world.

He entreats that they may be “fed,” and “governed,” and protected—as sheep by a careful shepherd, or as a faithful people by a wise and powerful Prince. See Ezekiel 34:23-24.

And, lastly, he desires that they may be “exalted” to happiness and glory in the eternal world.

Thus does he implore of God to confer on them all that they can ever need, “giving them grace and glory, and withholding nothing from those who can by any means conduce to their eternal welfare, Psalm 84:11.

3. The extent of David’s intercession.

He desires these things for all, without exception. There is not one so good or great, but that he needs all these things at the hands of God; nor one so base, but that he may expect of God a supply of all these things, in answer to the prayers thus offered for him.

Behold, then, brethren,

1. Your duty.

God commands that we “make our intercession for all men.” And, if we have any just knowledge of God, we shall pray for our fellow-creatures. Do not say, “I know not how to pray.” I well know that this is a common complaint; but I am perfectly assured, that the straitness of which we complain, and perhaps justly complain, arises, in a very great measure, from our ignorance of God, and of the divine life. If we spread our own wants before God, and obtained answers to our prayers, as David did—we should, like David, become intercessors for others, and find at the throne of grace a liberty of which we have at present but little conception.

2. Your privilege.

Are you to ask all these things for others; and shall you lack them yourselves? No, brethren; you may ask salvation from all the penal effects of sin; you may ask for blessings, even all that a fallen creature can by any means need; you may ask for provision and protection to the utmost extent of your necessities; yes, you may ask for all the glory and felicity of Heaven; and God will bestow it all. “Open your mouth ever so wide, and he will fill it!” Yes, “he will do exceeding abundantly for you above all that you can ask or think!”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 28:7

“The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices; and with my song will I praise him.”

The man of this world delights to speak of the things of this world. The man of God delights to speak of God. Each speaks out of the abundance of his own heart.

It is the very character of a true believer, that “he regards the works of the Lord and the operation of his hands,” and that he desires to magnify the Lord for all the benefits conferred upon him. No one can read the Psalms of David, without being penetrated with this thought.

What the particular affliction was from which David had recently been delivered when he penned this Psalm, we do not certainly know; but after blessing God for his condescension and grace in hearing and answering his supplications, he records, for the benefit of all future saints, his feelings in the review of the mercies given unto him.

I. In the Psalms we see what God is to the believer.

To all who trust in him, he is both:

a protector from all evil,

and a helper to all good.

This is a blessed truth, if considered only in theory.

What cannot he do, that “has the God of Jacob for his help?” To what duty may he not address himself with a full assurance that he shall be able to fulfill it?

Would he overcome the most inveterate lusts? “Through the influence of God’s Spirit he shall mortify the deeds of the body,” and “bring the very thoughts of his heart into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

Would he attain and exercise all the graces of the Spirit? he shall do so, yes, “he shall do all things through Christ strengthening him”.

And whom does he need to fear? Surely neither men nor devils; for, what can a man do to the believer, when that man himself is crushed before the worm? As for Satan, though he has at his command all the principalities and powers of Hell, he is a vanquished enemy, and shall before long “be bruised forever under the believer’s feet!”

But this truth is yet more blessed, when it is practically experienced by the believer in his own soul.

What a zest does the believer’s own experience give to every declaration of the Inspired Volume! When, from the communications he has actually received, he can say: God is my strength and my shield! Then it is that he is prepared to enjoy these blessed truths as he ought, and to give unto God the glory due unto his name.

And here we must exhort every believer to trust in God with his whole heart. In this case he shall never be disappointed of his hope; yes rather, the more he expects, the more he shall receive; and according to his faith it shall be done unto him. Let him only be able to say with David, “My heart trusts in him;” and he shall sooner or later have reason to add, “and I am helped;” I am protected from evils, which I could not by my own wisdom or power avoid; and I am enabled to do things, for which my own strength would have been utterly insufficient. By my own experience therefore, no less than from the divine testimony, I can say, “The Lord is my strength, and my shield.”

As from David’s assertions we learn what God is to us, so from his frame of mind we may see,

II. What the disposition of our hearts towards God should be.

Certainly these exalted privileges should be received by us:

1. With joy.

Who can have reason to rejoice in comparison with the believer? Look round and see how the world at large are captured in the snare of the devil, and led captive by him at his will.

Have you no reason to rejoice when God has interposed with a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm to deliver you? When you see the dangers with which you are surrounded, have you no reason to rejoice in having such a shield as is sufficiently large to encompass you on every side, and so strong as to be impenetrable to all the fiery darts of the devil?

When you see what lusts you have to mortify, and what duties to perform—have you not reason to rejoice in having Omnipotence for your strength? O rejoice; rejoice in the Lord always! Yes, “rejoice in him with joy unspeakable and full of glory!” However “greatly your heart rejoices,” you never need be afraid of excess; let it be but the joy of a dependent being, and it cannot be too great.

2. With thankfulness.

It is your privilege to “sing in the ways of the Lord.” In Heaven the redeemed are singing praises to their God day and night; and so should you do on earth. As for David, he would “praise God day and night;” and that too with “all that was within him;” yes, and “as long as he should live.” Not content with praising God himself, he would have the sun, moon, and stars, together with everything that had life and breath, to praise him too! Psalm 145:1-7; Psalm 148:1-14. This is a state of mind worthy of a redeemed sinner; nor should we ever rest until we have attained it.

We shall conclude this subject with two inquiries:

1. Why is it that so few possess this heavenly frame?

It must be confessed that among the professors of religion, there are but few comparatively in whom the Gospel matures to this life of faith in Christ.

Some are retarded in their growth by “the cares of this life, the deceitfulness of riches, or the lust of other things, and never bring forth fruit unto perfection.”

Others are remiss in the duties of the prayer-closet, and thereby deprive themselves of those rich communications of grace and peace, which God would otherwise bestow upon them.

And others again are always poring over the evils of their own hearts, instead of contemplating the mercies of their God, and the wonders of redeeming love.

It is not at all surprising that these different characters enjoy but little of that divine unction which is imparted to those only who live in close communion with their God. But let no man impute their lack of joy to any defect in Christianity itself; they are not straitened in their God any more than David was; it is in themselves that they are straitened; and “they receive not, because they ask not.” Let them only live near unto God in the exercise of prayer and faith, and they shall find that God is the same in every age: rich in mercy, and “abundant in goodness and truth.”

2. How may we all attain this heavenly frame?

We have advantages far beyond any that David ever enjoyed. What David saw under a veil—we behold, as it were, with open face: a God incarnate, taking upon himself the entire care of all his redeemed people, standing between them and the curse of the broken law, and engaging to keep them by his own power unto everlasting salvation. For us there is “help laid upon One that is mighty!” For us there is all fullness treasured up in Christ, so that we are privileged to say, “In the Lord I have righteousness and strength! Isaiah 45:24. Isaiah 25:4.”

Let us then improve this privilege as we ought to do; let us “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” yes, “strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.” Then may we be assured of final victory, and now, even in the midst of all our conflicts, exult as already victors, yes, as “more than conquerors through Him who loved us, and gave himself for us! Romans 8:34-39. Isaiah 26:3-4.”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 27:8

When You said, “Seek My face.”

My heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I will seek.”

Perhaps there are few things which more strongly characterize a child of God, than a spirit of prayer. The Lord’s faithful servants are particularly designated as “a people near unto him, Psalm 148:14;” while of the hypocrite it is pointedly asked, “Will he always call upon God? Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Job 27:10.” The invitations of God are common to all; but the way in which they are received constitutes the difference between the child of this world and the child of God.

The words before us, while they describe the experience of David, will lead me to show,

I. In what light the invitations of God are, for the most part, regarded.

God is incessantly calling men to seek his face.

He does this by his Word; in which he bids us to look to him, and call upon him, and turn to him, and lay hold upon him; and sends his ministers to invite and beseech us in his name.

He does it, also, by his providence; all that he does for us in a way of mercy, is to stimulate us to love him; and his chastisements are to awaken us to our duty, saying, “Hear the rod, and him who has appointed it.”

He does it, also, by his Spirit; for conscience is his voice within us, “his still small voice,” whereby he whispers to us, and moves us, and “strives with us,” and “draws us to himself.”

The whole creation, the heavenly bodies moving in their orbits, “the elements that fulfill his will,” the “birds which know their season,” and the beasts which acknowledge their Benefactor; the occurrences of every day, even the most common and casual, as the going to a well for water, John 4:7; John 4:10, or climbing up into a tree for the gratifying of curiosity, Luke 19:4-5—all subserve the same blessed end, to introduce us to the knowledge of his love, and to the enjoyment of his favor.

But God’s invitations are almost universally “made light of”.

Some treat them with contempt, “mocking his messengers, and despising his Words! 2 Chronicles 36:16.”

Others justify their refusal of them by a variety of excuses, like those in the parable, who “had bought a field, and must go and see it; and a yoke of oxen, which they must go to try; or had married a wife, and therefore could not come.” Every person has his excuse:

one is too old to change his ways;

another is too young to engage in such serious concerns;

another is too much occupied to be at liberty for such pursuits.

Others profess a willingness to obey the call, but never realize their intentions. They say, “I will go, Sir; but they never execute their Father’s will, Matthew 21:30;” they will, like Ezekiel’s auditors, approve what they hear, but will never give themselves truly and unreservedly to God, Ezekiel 33:31-32.

Let us now proceed to show, on the contrary,

II. The light in which the invitations of God ought to be regarded.

David’s example is precisely that which we should follow. There was in his bosom a chord in perfect unison with that which the finger of God had touched, and that vibrated to the touch. Thus, when God says to all the sinners of mankind, “Seek my face,” there should be in every one of us a responding chord, in perfect harmony with the divine command; and we should, every one of us, reply, “Your face, Lord, will I seek.”

1. We should seek God with a grateful sense of his condescension and grace.

How amazing is it that such a proposal should originate with God; and that Jehovah should “stand at the door of our hearts, and knock” there for admittance! If a permission only had been granted to us to seek his favor, methinks it should have been embraced with all imaginable earnestness; for sure enough, if such an imitation were sent to those who are now in Hell, it would not be treated with indifference there! But it is not a mere permission that we receive; it is a call, an invitation, an entreaty; and should we “make light of that?” No! We should turn unto our God with our whole hearts, and avail ourselves, without delay, of the opportunity that is thus afforded to us.

2. We should seek God with a ready acquiescence in his appointed way.

God tells us, that it is in Christ alone that he can accept us; and that we must come to him through Christ, pleading the merit of his blood, and relying altogether on his sin-atoning sacrifice. And shall this appear to us a hard saying? Shall this be deemed too humiliating for our proud hearts to submit to? Shall we not bless God, that he has given us a Savior who shall mediate between him and us, and, like “a Mediator, Job 9:33,” lay his hand on both, in order to our reconciliation? Surely we should not hesitate a moment to humble ourselves before him, to acknowledge our desert of his wrathful indignation, and to implore his mercy in the name of his dear Son.

3. We should seek God with a determination of heart that nothing shall ever keep us from him.

Things there are, without number, which would keep us in bondage, and detain us from our God. But we should be on our guard against them all; and determine to break through every obstacle that the world, the flesh, and the devil, can place in our way!

For, what can the world do, either by its allurements or its terrors, to counter-balance the loss of God’s favor?

As for the flesh, neither its weakness nor its corruptions should discourage us in our way to God.

Nor should the devil, with all his wiles and all his devices, be allowed to divert us from our purpose, or to retard us in our way.

We should have our hearts bent upon sincerely coming to Christ. Every object under Heaven should be subordinated to that. Other duties, doubtless, should be performed in their place; but to obtain God’s favor should be our first concern; and life itself, in comparison with that, should be of no value in our eyes.

ADDRESS.

God calls you now, my brethren, by my voice; and says to every one of you, “Seek my face.” O that you knew the day of your visitation! O that you now viewed this mercy as you will most unquestionably view it before long! For, whether you wind up in Heaven or in Hell, be assured that the divine favor will appear to you no light concern.

I would that now the Psalmist’s determination were adopted by every one of you. Tell me, I beg you, whether the resolution be not wise; tell me whether it is not necessary. Tell me whether, if you continue to decline God’s invitation until the door of Heaven is finally closed against you—that you will not curse your folly with an anguish that will exceed your utmost conceptions, and bewail to all eternity the conduct you now pursue.

I say, then, to every one of you, “Seek after God; seek him instantly, without delay; seek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near;” for the time is quickly coming when your day of grace shall be closed, and “God will swear in his wrath that you shall never enter into his rest!”

On the other hand, assure yourselves, that, “if you seek him, he will be found by you,” and you shall live forever with God in glory!

Let every one of you, therefore, now go home, and put the matter to a trial. See whether God will not be gracious unto you; see whether he will not answer your prayers, and fulfill your desires, and “do exceeding abundantly for you above all that you can ask or think. I speak with confidence; for, from the beginning of the world to this hour. “He never said to any, Seek my face in vain!”

Charles Simeon

Psalm 27:4

“One thing I have desired of the Lord, and 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 inquire in his temple.”

Most of the saints recorded in the Holy Scriptures were eminent for some particular grace:

in Abraham, faith was chiefly conspicuous;

in Job, patience;

in Moses, meekness;

in Elijah, faithfulness and fearlessness.

In respect of devotion, David seems to have surpassed all others.

Of none have we such ample and minute accounts, in relation to this matter, as we have of him.

His public addresses to God,

his private communion with him,

the inmost recesses of his heart when in his closet or upon his bed—

are all laid open to us.

On this account the Psalms are pre-eminently useful to all who wish to cultivate a devout spirit, and to maintain a close walk with God. The expression before us may serve as a specimen of the whole.

In discoursing upon it: I will:

I. Set before you the example of David.

The one object of David’s desire was to enjoy the ordinances of his God.

David was not of the tribe to which the priesthood exclusively belonged; yet would he gladly have possessed the privilege of the priests, in having his stated residence as near as possible to the tabernacle of his God. But though this could not be, he determined, by the constancy of his attendance there, to make it, as it were, his residence and habitation. This indeed was “the one object of his desire;” and in comparison with it there was nothing in the world that he wished for. To this he made everything subservient; even the affairs of state were not allowed so to occupy his mind as to divert his attention from the service of the sanctuary. This one object he sought, and “determined to seek it” “to the last hour of his life.” He “sought it of the Lord” too, entreating him so to order and overrule everything, that he might not be forced away from Jerusalem, or, while there, be kept away from the ordinances of his God.

If at any time he was, by the efforts of his enemies, prevented from waiting upon God, he mourned over it, and “panted after the return of those blessed seasons, even as the hunted deer pants after the water-brooks! Psalm 42:1-2.” On some occasions, his enemies, knowing how painful to him his absence from the tabernacle was, exulted over him, and said, “Where is now your God?” And so distressing to him were these impious taunts, that “tears were his food night and day on account of them, Psalm 42:3,” and they were even “as a sword in his bones, Psalm 42:10.”

At those seasons he envied the swallows, that were able to build their nests in the courts of God’s house; he envied them, I say, their proximity to the altar of his God, Psalm 84:1-4. Every day that was spent at a distance from that, seemed, as it were, to be lost to his life; so entirely was his soul wrapped up in the enjoyment of divine ordinances, and in cultivating communion with his God.

David’s desire was founded on the benefit he had derived from them.

There “he beheld the beauty of the Lord;” and there “he inquired of the Lord,” spreading before him, from day to day, his every want, his every wish. He looked through the various sacrifices that were offered there from day to day—and beheld in them the perfections of his God.

In the death of all the victims, he saw the desert of sin, and the justice of God—which had denounced death as the punishment of sin.

In the acceptance of those sacrifices he saw the goodness and mercy of God, who had appointed such offerings as means of leading the people to that Great Sacrifice, which would in due time be offered for the sins of men.

In the sprinklings and ablutions that were practiced, he beheld the holiness of God, who would accept no sinner who would not be purged from his iniquities, and be made holy after the divine image.

In the whole of the services altogether he saw “mercy and truth met together, and righteousness and peace kissing each other! Psalm 85:10.”

Here he felt encouragement to pour out his soul before God, and to ask whatever his returning necessities might require. This, to him whose trials were so great and manifold, was an unspeakable privilege. The extreme arduousness of his affairs also rendered it most desirable to him to spread all his difficulties before the Lord, and to ask counsel of him for his direction. It was true that in private he could carry his affairs to the Lord, and implore help from him; but, as the public ordinances were of God’s special appointment, and as the high-priest was the established medium of access to him, and of communications from him—he delighted more particularly to wait upon God there; so that while he received blessings in a more abundant measure from God, he might glorify God in the sight of all Israel.

Admiring, as I do, this bright example,

II. I will commend David example to your imitation.

We have far greater reason to love the ordinances of God than ever David had.

If the beauty of the Lord was visible in the Jewish worship, how much more so must it be in the ordinances of the Gospel! David beheld the perfections of his God only under types and shadows; but we behold them reflected as in a looking-glass, with transcendent brightness, and all shining with united splendor in the face of Jesus Christ! We see, not bulls and goats, but the very Son of God himself, “Jehovah’s fellow,” offered in sacrifice for the sins of men. What then must the justice be that required such a sacrifice! What the love, that gave him from the Father’s bosom to be a sacrifice! What the mercy, that spared not him, in order that we, enemies and rebels, might be spared!

So imperfectly was this mystery known under the Jewish dispensation, that all, even the most exalted prophets, were in a state of comparative darkness; but now, “the things which from the beginning of the world eye had not seen, nor ear heard, nor had it entered into the heart of man to conceive—are revealed unto us by the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 2:9-10;” so that we can truly and emphatically say, “The darkness is past, and the true light now shines, 1 John 2:8.”

John the Baptist was greater in this respect than all the prophets; because he personally saw and bore witness to Him, whom all the other prophets spoke of obscurely, and at the distance of many hundred years; but as great as John was, “the least and lowest in the Gospel kingdom is greater than he, Matthew 11:11.” In our ordinances, Jesus Christ is so fully revealed, that he may be said to be “evidently set forth crucified before our eyes, Galatians 3:1;” and at his holy table we “eat his flesh, and drink his blood,” as truly in a spiritual sense, as we do really and substantially eat the bread and drink the wine by which they are represented.

We see that through the virtue of this sacrifice God is so reconciled to us, as to “behold no iniquity in us, Numbers 23:21;” for, viewing us as clothed in the righteousness of his dear Son, he beholds us “without spot or blemish! Ephesians 5:27.” Moreover as by faith we see the Lord Jesus carrying his own blood within the veil—so we also hear him making intercession for us at the right hand of God; yes, and “out of the fullness that is treasured up in him, we receive” all the blessings that he has purchased for us!

How often are we, in the experience of these things, constrained to cry out with the prophet, “How great is his goodness! How great is his beauty! Zechariah 9:17.” And how often, in rapturous admiration of him, do we pray with the Psalmist, “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us!” In truth, it is by thus “beholding as with an unveiled face the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord! 2 Corinthians 3:18.”

Nor do we have the less advantage of David in relation to the things which we would ask from God; for we are able to inquire more explicitly and distinctly of our God than he could. He indeed might say with Moses, “Lord, show me your glory;” and God would, as in the case of Moses, “make all his goodness to pass before him, Exodus 33:18-19.” But audible sounds conveyed nothing to them, in comparison with what shall be disclosed to us by the still small voice of God’s Holy Spirit, speaking in us through the written Word. To us all the blessings of the Covenant are laid open; and, as God, when he revealed them, said, “I will be inquired of concerning these things to do them, Ezekiel 36:37.” We are at liberty to take that covenant, and spread it before the Lord, and to ask of him every distinct blessing that is contained in it. We may lay hold on every promise that we can find in the inspired volume, and plead it with God, and have it fulfilled to our souls.

Besides, we can ask in the name of Jesus Christ; which none of the prophets ever could. And with what confidence can we do that, when we reflect on the relation which exists between the Father and the Son, and the express engagement which the Father has made to answer every petition which is offered in his Son’s name, John 16:23-24; Moreover, the particular promise of the Lord Jesus to be more immediately with his people in the public ordinances, and to grant whatever any number of his congregated people shall agree to ask, Matthew 18:19-20, is a still further encouragement to us to frequent the house of God; for experience proves, that still, as formerly, “God loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob, Psalm 87:2.”

We should therefore desire the ordinances no less than David did.

We should make a point of attending on all stated occasions the ordinances of our God. We should not allow any trifling matter to detain us from them; and, if we are kept from them by any means, it should fill us with grief rather than delight; and we should determine as soon as possible to remove the obstacle that deprives us of so great a blessing.

More particularly, we should keep in mind what it is that we should go there to obtain; nor ever consider the true object of the ordinances as attained, unless we be enriched with brighter views of his beauty, and more enlarged discoveries of his excellency!

We should consider too, what our more immediate necessities require; so that we may be ready to spread them all before him, and to inquire of him respecting them. Then the more enlarged our expectations of benefit from the ordinances are, the more abundant will be God’s communications of blessings to us by them. If we “open our mouths ever so wide, he will fill them! Psalm 81:10.”

Application.

1. Love to God’s ordinances is most conducive to your present happiness.

Hear the testimony of David himself, “Blessed is the man whom you chose, and causes to approach unto you, that he may dwell in your courts; he shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, even of your holy temple, Psalm 65:4.” And with this agrees the experience of every living saint.

Hence every true believer can say, “Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house, and the place where your honor dwells, Psalm 26:8.” Or rather, the more appropriate language of his heart is, “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; to see your power and your glory, so as I have seen you in the sanctuary! Psalm 63:1-2.”

I will leave you to judge, whether a person with such desires, and such enjoyments, is not happy. And if you are persuaded that he must be so, then seek your own happiness in this way, in which you cannot possibly be disappointed; for “he never said to any: Seek my face in vain.”

2. Love to God’s ordinances is the best preparative for Heaven.

Heaven is a place of continued exercises, for which we are now to be trained. We must now obtain a taste for heavenly employments; and in that taste real piety consists. We quite mistake if we imagine that religion consists in notions or in forms; it is a taste; a taste not formed by nature or education; but wrought in us by the Spirit of God; and the acquisition of this constitutes our fitness for Heaven.

What happiness could a soul that feels the exercises of devotion irksome; and in Heaven where the singing praises to God and to the Lamb forms the one employment of all around the throne, and will to all eternity?

If this is not the pleasure which you chiefly desire in this world—then be assured that you are not prepared to unite with saints and angels in the world to come!

If this is not your state, whatever knowledge you may possess, you are yet a lost soul; for God himself has said, that “those who are after the flesh, mind (savor) the things of the flesh; and those who are after the Spirit, desire the things of the Spirit, Romans 8:5.”

I beg you then to seek your happiness in God; and never to rest until you can say, “Whom have I in Heaven but You? There is none upon earth that I desire besides You!”

Charles Simeon