Psalm 36:10

“O continue your loving-kindness unto those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright in heart!”

David, in all his troubles, “encouraged himself in the Lord his God.” He was in great trouble at the time he wrote this Psalm; but whether from the persecutions of Saul, or the rebellion of Absalom, is not certain. But his views of God were exceeding grand, “Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light! Psalm 36:5-9.”

To this God David commits his cause; and, in behalf of himself and all his persecuted associates, prays, “O continue your loving-kindness unto those who know you, and your righteousness unto the upright in heart!”

The same petition will every faithful minister urge in behalf of himself and his people, under a full assurance that “all their fresh springs are in God! Psalm 87:7;” and if ever they are saved at all, that God himself must “work all their works in them, Isaiah 26:12.” In this view, I will endeavor to show you,

I. What need, we all have of the blessing here implored.

The term “righteousness,” in the Old Testament, is of very extensive meaning. In my text it imports “goodness,” and, as joined with “loving-kindness,” must be understood to mean, a continuance of God’s tender and watchful care even to the end.

Of God’s tender and watchful care, all people, whatever their attainments are, stand in need.

Of the unbelieving and ungodly I am not at present called to speak; but rather of “those who know God, and are upright before him.” Now all of these, without any exception, “offend God in many things,” and, “if God were extreme to mark what is done amiss, must perish.” From gross and willful transgressions they may be free; but “who can say, His heart is clean?” How many sins are committed there, which no eye but God’s beholds!

But, waving sins of commission, how greatly do we offend in a way of omission! See how “exceeding broad are the demands of God’s Law.” Our duties to God, our neighbor, and ourselves—who can be said perfectly to know them all; and much less to do them.

But, waving these also, let us mark only our sins of defect.

We do really love God; but do we love him “with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength?”

We love our neighbor, too; but do we love him with the same intenseness, and constancy, and activity “as ourselves?”

We believe in Christ also; but is our habit of dependence on him, and communion with him, like that of “a branch united to the vine?”

We devote ourselves to his service; but are all our faculties and powers, both of mind and body, put forth into action, as if we were running a race, or fighting for our lives?

Let us look at our very best services, whether in public or in private. Our prayers, for instance:

Are our confessions accompanied with that brokenness of heart which we ought to feel?

Are our petitions urged with that importunity which God requires?

Are our thanksgivings presented with that ardent gratitude which God’s mercies, and especially the great blessings of redemption, call for at our hands?

I must say, that the grossest iniquities of the ungodly do not, in my apprehension, more strongly mark our alienation from God, than do the very prayers and praises of the godly; so exceeding cold are they, and unsuited to our state as redeemed sinners!

We need, therefore, the continuance of God’s tender mercies to us yet daily, as much as ever we did in our carnal and unregenerate state!

And what would we do, if God should withdraw his tender and watchful care from us?

What would our “knowledge of God” avail us, or even our own “integrity?” Satan prevailed over our first parents, even in Paradise; how, then, could we withstand his power, if God should deliver us up into his hands?

In point of knowledge and integrity, David was as eminent as any of the Scripture saints; yet you all know what happened when once he was left to the workings of his own heart.

Hezekiah was perhaps not inferior to him; yet, when “God left him, to try him, that he might see all that was in his heart,” Hezekiah also fell, and brought upon himself and his posterity the sorest judgments! 2 Chronicles 32:31.

Who then among us could hope to stand, if God should withhold his loving-kindness from us, or suspend for a moment the communications of his grace?

We need, then, all of us to entreat of God to “continue his loving-kindness to us!” You all know how a rope, or line, or thread, is formed, by adding fresh materials continually, until it shall have attained its destined length. In reference to this, the prophet represents the ungodly as “drawing out iniquity as cords of vanity, and sin as a cart-rope, Isaiah 5:18,” that is, by constant additions even to their dying hour. And precisely thus we need, that God who has begun a good work in us, should carry it on even to the end, by drawing out, and imparting to us, such communications of his grace as our necessities require, until we have attained that measure which in his eternal counsels he has ordained, and we be fully “fit for our Master’s use.”

Seeing, then, that we all need this blessing, let me show you,

II. On what grounds all “who know God, and are upright before him,” are authorized to expect God’s tender and watchful care.

The petition in my text was offered under a full assurance that it would be granted; for David had scarcely uttered it before he saw, by faith, the answer given, “There,” says he, “are the workers of iniquity fallen; they are cast down, and shall not be able to stand.” And we also may expect that it shall be answered to all who offer it in faith.

1. We may expect God’s continued care, since it is assured to us by the promises of God.

Numberless are the promises which God has made to us respecting the continuance of his love towards all whom, according to his sovereign will, he has chosen to be the objects of it.

David, in another Psalm, says, “The Lord will not cast off his People, neither will he forsake his inheritance, Psalm 94:14.” And again, “From everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts! Psalm 103:17-18.”

In fact, the whole Scripture testifies that God will perfect that which concerns his people, Psalm 138:8; and that, having loved them, he will love them to the end! John 13:1. Taking, therefore, these promises, we may spread them before the Lord, in full assurance that they shall be fulfilled; and in the language of David we may say to God, “O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief! Psalm 143:1.”

2. We may expect God’s continued care, since it is assured to us by the intercession of Christ.

The apostle John has said, “If any man sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins! 1 John 2:1-2.” Yes, were it not that the Lord Jesus Christ lives to intercede for us in Heaven, it could not be but that God’s displeasure must break forth against us on ten thousand occasions! But he prevails for us, as Aaron prevailed for Israel of old, through his unwearied intercessions. To this Peter was indebted, when he denied his Lord with oaths and curses. Had not our blessed Lord interceded for him, that his faith might not fail—then he, in all probability, would have perished as Judas did, Luke 22:31-32. In this view, a greater stress is laid on the intercession of Christ than even on his death, “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died; yes, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right-hand of God, who also makes intercession for us! Romans 8:34.” We are encouraged to believe that “Christ is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for us! Hebrews 7:25.” Put then your cause into the Savior’s hands; and beg of him to pray to the Father for you,” and you cannot but succeed, “for the Father hears Jesus always!”

3. We may expect God’s continued care, since it is assured to us by the honor of God himself.

God from all eternity entered into covenant with his dear Son in our behalf, engaging, that “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand! Isaiah 53:10.” This covenant our blessed Lord has fulfilled on his part, having taken our nature, and “borne our sins in his own body on the tree.” And while yet he was upon earth, he made this a ground of his petitions, and a ground also of his expectations, in behalf of his people, “I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one! John 17:9-15.” Then he adds, what insures to us the completion of his desires, “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world! John 17:24.”

Now I ask, Is not here abundant ground to expect God’s continued care of his people? May we not from hence “be confident, that He who has begun a good work in us will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ? Philippians 1:6.” Yes, surely; and therefore when David, under the influence of unbelief, had entertained a fear, “Will the Lord cast off forever? will he be favorable no more? Is his mercy clean gone forever? does his promise fail for evermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? has he in anger shut up his tender mercies?” he corrected himself, and with conscious shame exclaimed, “This is my infirmity! Psalm 77:7-9.” We may be sure that God’s covenant shall stand. In the 89th Psalm it is declared, again, and again, and again, in terms the most express that can be imagined! Psalm 89:28-37; and therefore we may be assured that for his own name and honor sake “he will keep his people by his own power through faith unto salvation, 1 Peter 1:5;” as it was said by Samuel, “The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased him to make you his people! 1 Samuel 12:22.”

“He is a God that changes not; and therefore we neither are, nor shall be, consumed! Malachi 3:6.” We shall be living witnesses for him to all eternity, that “his gifts and calling are without repentance, Romans 11:29.”

APPLICATION.

1. Seek to answer to the character here described.

If you “know not God,” you can have no claim upon him; nor, “unless you are upright in heart,” have you any reason to hope that he will ever look upon you with satisfaction. You must “have your hearts right with God,” if ever you would be approved of God. Seek, then, to know God as reconciled to you in Christ Jesus; and beg of him so to “put truth in your inward parts,” that he may acknowledge and commend you as “Israelites indeed, in whom is no deceit.”

2. Implore the blessings from God which you so greatly need.

You need God’s blessings, all of you, and will need them to your dying hour! It is from God that you have received all that you possess. Never would you have known him, if he had not opened the eyes of your understanding, and revealed himself to you, Compare Galatians 4:9 with Philippians 3:12. And never would your heart have been upright before him, if he, of his own sovereign grace, had not “given you a new heart, and renewed a right spirit within you.” It is to Him, then, you must look to carry on the work within you. “No hands but His who laid the foundation of his spiritual temple within you, can ever finish it! Zechariah 4:9.” “He alone who has been the author of your faith, can ever complete it, Hebrews 12:2.”

3. While you seek these blessings for yourselves, implore it them earnestly for others also.

So did David, under all his trials; and so should you. It is our privilege and our duty to intercede for one another; parents for their children, and children for their parents; ministers for their people, and people for their ministers. And, O! what happiness should we enjoy in our respective families, and in the Church of God, if we were all partakers of these blessings! It is said in the very words before my text, “With you is the fountain of life; and in Your light shall we see light;” and no doubt, in proportion as the blessings of salvation flow down into our souls—we shall be blessed in ourselves, and blessings to all around us!

Charles Simeon