grace and the heaven of nature. God’s way of grace is sublime and broad,
and full of his glory; in all its displays it is to be admired and
studied with diligence; both its lights and its shades are instructive;
it has been proclaimed, in a measure, to every people, and in due time
shall be yet more completely published to the ends of the earth. Jesus,
like a sun, dwells in the midst of revelation, tabernacling among men in
all his brightness; rejoicing, as the Bridegroom of his church, to
reveal himself to men; and, like a champion, to win unto himself renown.
_He_ makes a circuit of mercy, blessing the remotest corners of the
earth; and there are no seeking souls, however degraded and depraved,
who shall be denied the comfortable warmth and benediction of his
love—even death shall feel the power of his presence, and resign the
bodies of the saints, and this fallen earth shall be restored to its
pristine glory.
7 The law of the LORD _is_ perfect, converting the soul: the
testimony of the Lord _is_ sure, making wise the simple.
8 The statutes of the LORD _are_ right, rejoicing the heart: the
commandment of the LORD _is_ pure, enlightening the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD _is_ clean, enduring for ever: the judgments
of the LORD _are_ true _and_ righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired _are they_ than gold, yea, than much fine
gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: _and_ in keeping of them
_there is_ great reward.
In the three following verses we have a brief but instructive hexapla
containing six descriptive titles of the word, six characteristic
qualities mentioned, and six divine effects declared. Names, nature, and
effect are well set forth.
7. “_The law of the Lord is perfect_;” by which he means not merely the
law of Moses but the doctrine of God, the whole run and rule of sacred
Writ. The doctrine revealed by God he declares to be perfect, and yet
David had but a very small part of the Scriptures, and if a fragment,
and that the darkest and most historical portion, be perfect, what must
the entire volume be? How more than perfect is the book which contains
the clearest possible display of divine love, and gives us an open
vision of redeeming grace. The gospel is a complete scheme or law of
gracious salvation, presenting to the needy sinner everything that his
terrible necessities can possibly demand. There are no redundancies and
no omissions in the Word of God, and in the plan of grace; why then do
men try to paint this lily and gild this refined gold? The gospel is
perfect in all its parts, and perfect as a whole: it is a crime to add
to it, treason to alter it, and felony to take from it.
“_Converting the soul._”—Making the man to be returned or restored to
the place from which sin had cast him. The practical effect of the Word
of God is to turn the man to himself, to his God, and to holiness; and
the turn or conversion is not outward alone, “_the soul_” is moved and
renewed. The great means of the conversion of sinners is the Word of
God, and the more closely we keep to it in our ministry the more likely
are we to be successful. It is God’s Word rather than man’s comment on
God’s Word which is made mighty with souls. When the law drives and the
gospel draws, the action is different but the end is one, for by God’s
Spirit the soul is made to yield, and cries, “Turn me, and I shall be
turned.” Try men’s depraved nature with philosophy and reasoning, and it
laughs your efforts to scorn, but the Word of God soon works a
transformation.
“_The testimony of the Lord is sure._” God bears his testimony against
sin, and on behalf of righteousness; he testifies of our fall and of our
restoration; this testimony is plain, decided, and infallible, and is to
be accepted as sure. God’s witness in his Word is so sure that we may
draw solid comfort from it both for time and eternity, and so sure that
no attacks made upon it, however fierce or subtle, can ever weaken its
force. What a blessing that in a world of uncertainties we have
something sure to rest upon! We hasten from the quicksands of human
speculations to the _terra firma_ of Divine Revelation.
“_Making wise the simple._” Humble, candid, teachable minds receive the
word, and are made wise unto salvation. Things hidden from the wise and
prudent are revealed unto babes. The persuadable grow wise, but the
cavillers continue fools. As a law or plan the Word of God converts, and
then as a testimony it instructs; it is not enough for us to be
converts, we must continue to be disciples; and if we have felt the
power of truth, we must go on to prove its certainty by experience. The
perfection of the gospel converts, but its sureness edifies; if we would
be edified it becomes us not to stagger at the promise through unbelief,
for a doubted gospel cannot make us wise, but truth of which we are
assured will be our establishment.
8. “_The statutes of the Lord are right._” His precepts and decrees are
founded in righteousness, and are such as are right or fitted to the
right reason of man. As a physician gives the right medicine, and a
counsellor the right advice, so does the Book of God. “_Rejoicing the
heart._” Mark the progress; he who was converted was next made wise and
is now made happy; that truth which makes the heart right then gives joy
to the right heart. Free grace brings heart-joy. Earthborn mirth dwells
on the lip, and flushes the bodily powers; but heavenly delights satisfy
the inner nature, and fill the mental faculties to the brim. There is no
cordial of comfort like that which is poured from the bottle of
Scripture.
“Retire and read thy Bible to be gay.”
“_The commandment of the Lord is pure._” No mixture of error defiles it,
no stain of sin pollutes it; it is the unadulterated milk, the undiluted
wine. “_Enlightening the eyes_,” purging away by its own purity the
earthly grossness which mars the intellectual discernment: whether the
eye be dim with sorrow or with sin, the Scripture is a skilful oculist,
and makes the eye clear and bright. Look at the sun and it puts out your
eyes, look at the more than sunlight of Revelation and it enlightens
them; the purity of snow causes snow-blindness to the Alpine traveller,
but the purity of God’s truth has the contrary effect, and cures the
natural blindness of the soul. It is well again to observe the
gradation; the convert became a disciple and next a rejoicing soul, he
now obtains a discerning eye, and as a spiritual man discerneth all
things, though he himself is discerned of no man.
9. “_The fear of the Lord is clean._” The doctrine of truth is here
described by its spiritual effect, viz., inward piety, or the fear of
the Lord; this is clean in itself, and cleanses out the love of sin,
sanctifying the heart in which it reigns. Mr. Godly-fear is never
satisfied till every street, lane, and alley, yea, and every house and
every corner of the town of Mansoul is clean rid of the Diabolonians who
lurk therein. “_Enduring for ever._” Filth brings decay, but cleanness
is the great foe of corruption. The grace of God in the heart being a
pure principle is also an abiding and incorruptible principle, which may
be crushed for a time, but cannot be utterly destroyed. Both in the Word
and in the heart, when the Lord writes, he says with Pilate, “What I
have written, I have written;” he will make no erasures himself, much
less suffer others to do so. The revealed will of God is never changed;
even Jesus came not to destroy but to fulfil, and even the ceremonial
law was only changed as to its shadow, the substance intended by it is
eternal. When the governments of nations are shaken with revolution, and
ancient constitutions are being repealed, it is comforting to know that
the throne of God is unshaken, and his law unaltered.
“_The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether_;”—jointly
and severally the words of the Lord are true; that which is good in
detail is excellent in the mass; no exception may be taken to a single
clause separately, or to the book as a whole. God’s judgments, all of
them together, or each of them apart, are manifestly just, and need no
laborious excuses to justify them. The judicial decisions of Jehovah, as
revealed in the law, or illustrated in the history of his providence,
are truth itself, and commend themselves to every truthful mind; not
only is their power invincible, but their justice is unimpeachable.
10. “_More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold._”
Bible truth is enriching to the soul in the highest degree; the metaphor
is one which gathers force as it is brought out;—gold—fine gold—much
fine gold; it is good, better, best, and therefore it is not only to be
desired with a miser’s avidity, but with more than that. As spiritual
treasure is more noble than mere material wealth, so should it be
desired and sought after with greater eagerness. Men speak of solid
gold, but what is so solid as solid truth? For love of gold pleasure is
forsworn, ease renounced, and life endangered; shall we not be ready to
do as much for love of truth? “_Sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb._” Trapp says, “Old people are all for profit, the young for
pleasure; here’s gold for the one, yea, the finest gold in great
quantity; here’s honey for the other, yea, live honey dropping from the
comb.” The pleasures arising from a right understanding of the divine
testimonies are of the most delightful order; earthly enjoyments are
utterly contemptible, if compared with them. The sweetest joys, yea, the
sweetest of the sweetest falls to his portion who has God’s truth to be
his heritage.
11. “_Moreover by them is thy servant warned._” We are warned by the
Word both of our duty, our danger, and our remedy. On the sea of life
there would be many more wrecks, if it were not for the divine
storm-signals which give to the watchful a timely warning. The Bible
should be our Mentor, our Monitor, our Memento Mori, our Remembrancer,
and the Keeper of our Conscience. Alas, that so few men will take the
warning so graciously given; none but servants of God will do so, for
they alone regard their Master’s will. Servants of God not only find his
service delightful in itself, but they receive good recompense; “_In
keeping of them there is great reward._” There is a wage, and a great
one; though we earn no wages of debt, we win great wages of grace.
Saints may be losers for a time, but they shall be glorious gainers in
the long run, and even now a quiet conscience is in itself no slender
reward for obedience. He who wears the herb called heart’s-ease in his
bosom is truly blessed. However, the main reward is yet to come, and the
word here used hints as much, for it signifies _the heel_, as if the
reward would come to us at the end of life when the work was done;—not
while the labour was in the hand, but when it was gone and we could see
the heel of it. Oh, the glory yet to be revealed! It is enough to make a
man faint for joy at the prospect of it. Our light affliction, which is
but for a moment, is not worthy to be compared with the glory which
shall be revealed in us. Then shall we know the value of the Scriptures
when we swim in that sea of unutterable delight to which their streams
will bear us, if we commit ourselves to them.
12 Who can understand _his_ errors? cleanse thou me from secret
_faults_.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous _sins_; let them not
have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be
innocent from the great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
12. “_Who can understand his errors?_” A question which is its own
answer. It rather requires a note of exclamation than of interrogation.
By the law is the knowledge of sin, and in the presence of divine truth,
the Psalmist marvels at the number and heinousness of his sins. He best
knows himself who best knows the Word, but even such an one will be in a
maze of wonder as to what he does not know, rather than on the mount of
congratulation as to what he does know. We have heard of a comedy of
errors, but to a good man this is more like a tragedy. Many books have a
few lines of errata at the end, but our errata might well be as large as
the volume if we could but have sense enough to see them. Augustine
wrote in his older days a series of Retractations; ours might make a
library if we had enough grace to be convinced of our mistakes and to
confess them. “_Cleanse thou me from secret faults._” Thou canst mark in
me faults entirely hidden from myself. It were hopeless to expect to see
all my spots; therefore, O Lord, wash away in the atoning blood even
those sins which my conscience has been unable to detect. Secret sins,
like private conspirators, must be hunted out, or they may do deadly
mischief; it is well to be much in prayer concerning them. In the
Lateran Council of the Church of Rome, a decree was passed that every
true believer must confess his sins, all of them, once in a year to the
priest, and they affixed to it this declaration, that there is no hope
of pardon but in complying with that decree. What can equal the
absurdity of such a decree as that? Do they suppose that they can tell
their sins as easily as they can count their fingers? Why, if we could
receive pardon for all our sins by telling every sin we have committed
in one hour, there is not one of us who would be able to enter heaven,
since, besides the sins that are known to us and that we may be able to
confess, there are a vast mass of sins, which are as truly sins as those
which we lament, but which are secret, and come not beneath our eyes. If
we had eyes like those of God, we should think very differently of
ourselves. The transgressions which we see and confess are but like the
farmer’s small samples which he brings to market, when he has left his
granary full at home. We have but a very few sins which we can observe
and detect, compared with those which are hidden from ourselves and
unseen by our fellow-creatures.
13. “_Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not
have dominion over me._”—This earnest and humble prayer teaches us that
saints may fall into the worst of sins unless restrained by grace, and
that therefore they must watch and pray lest they enter into temptation.
There is a natural proneness to sin in the best of men, and they must be
held back as a horse is held back by the bit or they will run into it.
Presumptuous sins are peculiarly dangerous. All sins are great sins, but
yet some sins are greater than others. Every sin has in it the very
venom of rebellion, and is full of the essential marrow of traitorous
rejection of God; but there be some sins which have in them a greater
development of the essential mischief of rebellion, and which wear upon
their faces more of the brazen pride which defies the Most High. It is
wrong to suppose that because all sins will condemn us, that therefore
one sin is not greater than another. The fact is, that while all
transgression is a greatly grievous and sinful thing, yet there are some
transgressions which have a deeper shade of blackness, and a more double
scarlet-dyed hue of criminality than others. The presumptuous sins of
our text are the chief and worst of all sins; they rank head and
foremost in the list of iniquities. It is remarkable that though an
atonement was provided under the Jewish law for every kind of sin, there
was this one exception: “But the soul that sinneth presumptuously shall
have no atonement; it shall be cut off from the midst of my people.” And
now under the Christian dispensation, although in the sacrifice of our
blessed Lord there is a great and precious atonement for presumptuous
sins, whereby sinners who have erred in this manner are made clean, yet
without doubt, presumptuous sinners, dying without pardon, must expect
to receive a double portion of the wrath of God, and a more terrible
portion of eternal punishment in the pit that is digged for the wicked.
For this reason is David so anxious that he may never come under the
reigning power of these giant evils. “_Then shall I be upright, and I
shall be innocent from the great transgression._” He shudders at the
thought of the unpardonable sin. Secret sin is a stepping-stone to
presumptuous sin, and that is the vestibule of “the sin which is unto
death.” He who is not wilful in his sin, will be in a fair way to be
innocent so far as poor sinful man can be; but he who tempts the devil
to tempt him is in a path which will lead him from bad to worse, and
from the worse to the worst.
14. “_Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer._” A sweet
prayer, and so spiritual that it is almost as commonly used in Christian
worship as the apostolic benediction. _Words of the mouth_ are mockery
if the heart does not _meditate_; the shell is nothing without the
kernel; but both together are useless unless _accepted_; and even if
accepted by man, it is all vanity if not acceptable in _the sight of
God_. We must in prayer view Jehovah as our _strength_ enabling, and our
_Redeemer_ saving, or we shall not pray aright, and it is well to feel
our personal interest so as to use the word _my_, or our prayers will be
hindered. Our near Kinsman’s name, our Goel or Redeemer, makes a blessed
ending to the Psalm; it began with the heavens, but it ends with him
whose glory fills heaven and earth. Blessed Kinsman, give us now to
meditate acceptably upon thy most sweet love and tenderness.
EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.
_Whole Psalm._—The magnificent scenery to which the poem alludes is
derived entirely from a contemplation of nature, in a state of pastoral
seclusion; and a contemplation indulged in, at noontide or in the
morning, when the sun was travelling over the horizon, and eclipsing all
the other heavenly bodies by his glory. On which account it forms a
perfect contrast with the eighth Psalm, evidently composed in the
evening, and should be read in connection with it, as it was probably
written nearly at the same time: and as both are songs of praise derived
from natural phenomena, and therefore peculiarly appropriate to rural or
pastoral life.—_John Mason Good._
_Whole Psalm._—The world resembleth a divinity-school, saith Plutarch,
and Christ, as the Scripture telleth, is our doctor, instructing us by
his works, and by his words. For as Aristotle had two sorts of writings,
one called _exoterical_, for his common auditors, another acroamatical,
for his private scholars and familiar acquaintance: so God hath two
sorts of books, as David intimates in this Psalm; namely, the book of
his creatures, as a common-place book for all men in the world: “_The
heavens declare the glory of God_,” verses 1-6; the book of his
Scriptures as a statute-book for his domestical auditory, the church:
“_The law of the Lord is an undefiled law_,” verses 7, 8. The great book
of the creatures in folio, may be termed aptly _the shepherd’s
kalendar_, and the _ploughman’s alphabet_, in which even the most
ignorant may run (as the prophet speaks) and read. It is a letter
patent, or open epistle for all, as David, in our text, _Their sound is
gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world;
there is neither speech nor language but have heard of their preaching._
For albeit, heaven, and the sun in heaven, and the light in the sun are
mute, yet _their voices_ are well understood, catechising plainly the
first elements of religion, as, namely, that there is a God, and that
this God is but one God, and that this one God excelleth all other
things infinitely both in might and majesty. _Universus mundus_ (as one
pithily) _nihil aliud est quàm Deus explicatus_: the whole world is
nothing else but God expressed. So St. Paul, Rom. i. 20: God’s
_invisible things_, as his eternal power and Godhead, “are clearly seen”
by the creation of the world, “being understood by the things that are
made.” The heavens declare this, and the firmament showeth this, and the
day telleth this, and the night certifieth this, the sound of the
thunder proclaimeth, as it were, this in all lands, and the words of the
whistling wind unto the ends of the world. More principally _the sun,
which as a bridegroom cometh out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a
giant to run his course_. The body thereof (as mathematicians have
confidently delivered) is one hundred and sixty-six times bigger than
the whole earth, and yet it is every day carried by the finger of God so
great a journey, so long a course, that if it were to be taken on the
land, it should run every several hour of the day two hundred and
twenty-five German miles. It is true that God is incapable to sense, yet
he makes himself, as it were, visible in his works; as the divine poet
(Du Bartas) sweetly:—
“Therein our fingers feel, our nostrils smell,
Our palates taste his virtues that excel,
He shows him to our eyes, talks to our ears,
In the ordered motions of the spangled spheres.”
So “_the heavens declare_,” that is, they make men declare the glory of
God, by their admirable structure, motions, and influence. Now, the
preaching of _the heavens_ is wonderful in three respects. 1. As
preaching all the night and all the day without intermission: verse 2.
_One day telleth another, and one night certifieth another._ 2. As
preaching in every kind of language: verse 3, _There is neither speech,
nor language, but their voices are heard among them_. 3. As preaching in
every part of the world, and in every parish of every part, and in every
place of every parish: verse 4, _Their sound is gone into all lands, and
their words unto the ends of the world_. They be diligent pastors, as
preaching at all times; and learned pastors, as preaching in all
tongues; and catholic pastors, as preaching in all towns. Let us not
then in this University (where the voices of so many great doctors are
heard), be like to truants in other schools, who gaze so much upon the
babies[8], and gilded cover, and painted margent of their book, that
they neglect the text and lesson itself. This is _God’s primer_, as it
were, for all sorts of people; but he hath another book proper only for
his domestical auditory the church: “He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his
statutes and his judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any
nation, neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.” Psa. cxlvii.
19, 20. Heathen men read in his primer, but Christian men are well
acquainted with his Bible. The primer is a good book, but it is
imperfect; for after a man hath learned it he must learn more; but “_the
law of the Lord_,” that is, the body of the Holy Scriptures, is a most
absolute canon of all doctrines appertaining either to faith or good
manners; it is a _perfect law, converting the soul, giving wisdom to the
simple, sure, pure, righteous, and rejoicing the heart_, etc.—_John
Boys._
_Whole Psalm._ Saint Chrysostom conjectures that the main intention of
the greatest part of this Psalm consists in the discovery of divine
providence, which manifests itself in the motions and courses of the
heavenly bodies, concerning, which the Psalmist speaketh much, from
verse 1 to verse 7. Saint Austin upon the place, is of a quite different
opinion, who conjectures that Christ is the whole subject of this Psalm;
whose person is compared to the sun for excellency and beauty, and the
course of whose doctrine was dispersed round about the world by his
apostles, to which Saint Paul alludes (Rom. x. 18); “Have they not
heard? Yes, verily, their sound went into all the earth,” etc., and the
efficacy of whose gospel is like the heat of the sun, which pierceth
into the very heart of the earth, so that into the secrets of the soul.
I confess this allegorical exposition is not altogether impertinent,
neither is that literal exposition of Saint Chrysostom to be blamed, for
it hath its weight. But to omit all variety of conjectures, this Psalm
contains in it: