Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written
of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is
within my heart.--Psalm xl. 7, 8.
The psalm from which these words are selected, was written by David,
king of Israel, but never can they with justice be applied to him.
We dare not venture to imagine he acted agreeably to the will
of his God, in the matter of Uriah the Hittite; nor was the law
of his God ruling in his heart, when his pride led him to number
the children of Israel. But let us no longer dwell on the crimes
and failings of this (in one sense of the word) great man; let us
endeavour to discover some other, to whom it can, with more justice,
be applied. But, alas! if we search to earth's remotest bounds,
we cannot find, on this our globe, one to whom it may be applied
without deserving the charge of flattery. If permitted to extend
our search to the upper and brighter world, and allowed to inquire
of the inhabitants of those realms of bliss, if they had ever known
one of Adam's race, when sojourning here below, of whom it could
with truth be said, his delight was to do the will of his God, yea
that the law of his God was the constant ruling principle of his
heart;[60] struck at our want of discernment, they would exclaim
with holy indignation, was He so long an inhabitant of your world,
and do ye not know him? Have ye not read of his life, of his acts,
of his words, and ways; but above all, have ye not heard the oft
told tale of his death? Do ye now need to be reminded that the
words are a true description of the man ye call Jesus of Nazareth?
Yes, angels know him, and glory in their knowledge; with joy would
they tell us, that, with all their opportunities of observing his
conduct, they could never discover in him the least imperfection
or tendency to sin.[61] Yes, it is Jesus the son of David, and not
David the son of Jesse; who is here speaking, as other parts of the
psalm clearly prove. He alone could say, without presumption, "I
delight to do thy will, O my God: yea thy law is within my heart."
Jesus came from heaven to earth, to do the will of his Father who
sent him; even to accomplish the work of redemption, which is as
much the will and pleasure of the Father, as it is the delight of
the Son. His zeal was discoverable at twelve years of age, when
he was found in the temple, and, to the gentle reproof of Mary,
answered, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business;"
which he preferred before the refreshments of the body; yea, his
meat was to do the will of him that sent him, and to finish the
work. What devotedness marked his life! days of toil in travelling
and preaching were often succeeded by whole nights spent in prayer:
the returning sun found him again employed with the same unwearied
diligence in the work he had undertaken. We should do well to bear
in mind, that all Jesus did was voluntary. There was nothing, but
his love to God and man, which led him to engage in the work. There
was no compulsion, no obligation, it was entirely an act of his
own free will; nor did he enter on the covenant, ignorant of the
difficulties and sufferings connected with the work. He was well
acquainted with their nature, and extent; he had counted the cost
and weighed the price; and with a clear view of the immense load
of sufferings before him, did he, with cheerful promptitude, go
forth to the work. We cannot have a more striking exhibition of his
zeal, than in the reply he made to Peter; Jesus had been warning
his disciples of the circumstances of the death which awaited him;
but Peter could not bear the idea of his beloved Master's exposing
himself to so much suffering, and in the warmth of his attachment,
he exclaimed, "Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto
thee:" But Jesus said unto Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan: thou
art an offence unto me; for thou savourest not the things that be of
God, but those that be of men." Is this the language of the man,
who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, and when persecuted,
he blessed? Can this be the answer of the meek and lowly Jesus to a
beloved follower, who only spoke with an intention to prevent his
Lord from suffering? Yes, it is; but Peter was little aware of the
momentous consequences connected with that death. The advice he
gave would, if followed, have been a more dire calamity than the
world had ever known, yea, even worse than the ruin brought upon
our race, when our first parents followed the counsel of that false
reasoner Satan. Jesus, well aware of the immense benefits resulting
from his expiatory death,[62] would not allow even a beloved
disciple to use one argument against his voluntary sufferings. How
different the conduct of Jesus, when Peter denied him! there was no
reproof, no upbraidings; but all was love and pity for the weeping
servant, to whom, after his resurrection, he gave many kind tokens
of his forgiveness. We are told, when the time approached that
Jesus should be offered up, he steadfastly set his face to go up
to Jerusalem, well known as the destined place of his sorrows. We
hear him saying, "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I
straitened until it be accomplished." When Judas was about to betray
him, Jesus said, "what thou doest do quickly." His delight to do the
will of his God, was most conspicuous when the band of armed men
came to apprehend him, in the garden. He did not attempt to flee, or
endeavour to conceal himself from their pursuit. He did not shrink
from the danger even when so near; for it is said, Jesus knowing
all things that should come upon him, went forth to meet them; and
said, "whom seek ye," and when told Jesus of Nazareth, he said, "I
am _he_." There was no evasion, no reluctance, but he cheerfully and
freely delivered himself into their hands, and met with promptitude
the adversaries he had to encounter. When Peter, indignant at the
insults offered his Master, and anxious for his rescue, drew his
sword in the garden, and wounded the High Priest's servant, Jesus
mildly reproved him, adding, "the cup which my Father hath given me,
shall I not drink it?" Jesus could have commanded twelve legions of
angels to his rescue, yet he allowed himself to be bound, scourged,
and crucified as a malefactor. Not all the powers of earth and hell
combined, could have destroyed the body of Jesus, had he not given
himself up a voluntary sacrifice.[63] He had power to lay down his
life, but no man had power to take it from him. The human nature
of Jesus, when united to his divine person, became in a manner
omnipotent: unless he had freely consented, he could not have been
made the subject of their cruelty, but for that "cause came he into
this world." The active and passive obedience of Jesus has reflected
more honour upon God, than the unsinning obedience of men and angels
could have done to all eternity. The free and voluntary nature of
that obedience adds a beauty and lustre to the whole. "Then said I,
lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me." Moses
wrote of Christ: the whole of the Old Testament (if we except some
of the prophetical parts which relate to the then kingdoms of the
earth,) have a reference to the person, work, or church of Christ.
The ceremonies, institutions, and many of the characters, of the Old
Testament, are shadows, types, and figures of Jesus the Messiah.
Even the preceptive parts are not exempt. The great apostle of
the Gentiles speaking of the law, says it is a "schoolmaster, to
bring us to Christ." When from comparing our heart and conduct by
the perfect standard of God's law, we discover our short comings,
the law thus becomes a teacher, and shows us the necessity of an
interest in the salvation of Jesus. He could truly say, "I delight
to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart: How I
love thy law, it is my meditation all the day;" in fact, the law,
which is holy, just, and true, is merely a transcript of his divine
mind.
[60] Psalm xiv. 1. Eccles. vii. 20. Rom. iii. 12.
[61] John xiv. 30.
[62] John xiv. 5.
[63] John x. 18.