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