them that hope in his mercy.”_ This is a very encouraging character.
They who cannot claim the higher distinctions of religion, may surely
know that they “fear God, and hope in his mercy.” Some may wonder at the
combination; and suppose that the qualities are incompatible with each
other. But the first Christians “walked in the fear of the Lord, and in
the comforts of the Holy Ghost.” They may think that the fear will
injure the hope, or the hope the fear. But these are even mutually
helpful; and they are, not only never so beautiful, but never so
influential as when they are blended. The fear promotes hope by the
evidence it affords; and by keeping us from loose and careless walking,
which must always affect our peace and pleasure. And hope no less
befriends this fear. For never is God seen so glorious, so worthy of all
our devotedness to him as when we hope in his mercy; and even the more
assured we are of his regard, the more we shall enquire, Lord, what wilt
thou have me to do? The more we shall tremble at the thought of
offending and grieving him, the more we shall continue upon our knees,
praying, “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, _my_ Strength and _my_ Redeemer.” It is
called “a lively hope:” and Christians know, by experience, that upon
all their principles and duties it has the same influence as Spring has
upon the fields and the gardens.—_William Jay._
_Verse 18.—“Who hope in his mercy.”_ When thou canst not get assurance,
make as much improvement of the grounds upon which thou mayst build
_hopes_ of salvation. The probable grounds thou hast, thou wouldst not
part with for all the world. If thy heart is not full of joy through
sense of God’s love, yet thine eyes are full of tears, and thy soul full
of sorrow, through the sense of thy sin: wouldst thou change thy
condition with any hypocrite whatsoever, with the richest man that hath
no grace? I would not have thee rest satisfied with a probability, but
yet bless God for a probability of salvation. Is it nothing that one
that hath deserved hell most certainly, should have a probability that
he should escape it? Would not this be a little ease to the torments of
the damned, if they had but a strong probability that they should be
saved? but _no hope_ makes it heavy. When thou art sick, thou enquirest
of the physician. Sir, what do you think of me? Shall I live, or shall I
die? If he reply it is not certain, but there is _good hopes_, it is
probable you will live and do well; this is some support unto thee in
thy sickness.—_Thomas Doolittel, M.A. (1630-1707), in “Morning
Exercises.”_
_Verse 18._—The weakest believer, the least of saints, hath ground to
hope. The gospel is so ordered, the covenant so methodised, God hath
made such ample provision, that every one may “have good hope through
grace” (1 Thess. ii. 16); and all that bear this character are allowed,
encouraged, nay, commanded to hope: their hoping is as mighty a pleasure
to God, as it is a comfort to themselves.—_Samuel Doolittle’s “Righteous
Man’s Hope in Death,” 1693._
_Verses 18, 19._—During the siege of Rochelle, which was endured with
unexampled bravery for nearly fifteen months, the inhabitants were
reduced by famine to the misery of being obliged to have recourse to the
flesh of horses, asses, mules, dogs, cats, rats, and mice; and a single
peck of corn is said to have been sold for a sum equivalent to about
twenty-five pounds sterling of our money in the present day. There were
numerous examples of great and liberal generosity among the inhabitants.
Some dispensed their charity so secretly that their names were never
discovered. Among the rest, the following example is narrated:—“The
Sieur de la Goute, an honorary king’s advocate, had a sister, the widow
of a merchant named Prosni, who, being a very religious and benevolent
woman, at the time when the famine became more severe than it had before
been, freely assisted the poor with her present surplus. Her
sister-in-law, the wife of her brother, De la Goute, being differently
inclined, reproved her for her conduct, asking her in anger, ‘What she
would do when her all should be expended?’ Her reply was, ‘My sister,
_the Lord will provide for me_.’ The siege was continued, and the famine
increased its fearful ravages; and poor widow Prosni, who had four
children, found herself in a great strait—all her store of provisions
being exhausted. She applied to her sister for relief, who, in the stead
of comforting, reproached her for her improvidence; tauntingly adding
that, as she had done mighty well to be so reduced under all her great
faith and fine words, that ‘_the Lord would provide for her_,’ so in
good time he might provide for her.
“Wounded to the heart by these words, poor widow Prosni returned to her
house in sad distress; resolving, nevertheless, to meet death patiently.
On reaching her home, her children met her with gladdened hearts and
joyous faces, and told her that a man, to them an entire stranger, had
knocked at the door, it being late; and, on its being opened, he threw
in a sack of about two bushels of wheat; and then, without saying a
word, suddenly departed.
“The widow Prosni, scarcely able to believe her own eyes, with an
overflowing, grateful heart towards her gracious benefactor, immediately
ran to her sister-in-law as quickly as her famished condition would
allow; and, upon seeing her, exclaimed aloud, ‘_My sister, the Lord_
HATH _provided for me_;’ and, saying no more, returned home again.
“By means of this unexpected relief, conveyed to her so opportunely, she
was enabled to support herself and family until the end of the siege,
and she never knew to whom she was instrumentally indebted for this
timely and merciful assistance.”—_The Biblical Treasury, Vol. IX._
_Verse 20.—“Our soul waiteth for the Lord.”_ There is an emphasis on the
word _soul_ which should be attended to; for although this is a common
mode of speech among the Hebrews, yet it expresses earnest affections;
as if believers should say, We sincerely rely upon God with our whole
heart, accounting him our shield and help.—_John Calvin._
_Verse 20.—“Our soul.”_ Not our souls, but “_our soul_,” as if they all
had only one. And what is the language of God by the prophet? “I will
give them one heart and one way.” And thus the two disciples going to
Emmaus exclaimed, upon their discovery and surprise, “Did not our heart
burn within us?” And thus in the beginning of the gospel it was said,
“The multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one
soul.” We have seen several drops of water on the table, by being
brought to touch, running into one. If Christians were better acquainted
with each other, they would easily unite.—_William Jay._
_Verse 20.—“He is our help.”_ Antigonus, king of Syria, being ready to
give battle near the Isle of Andreos, sent out a squadron to watch the
motions of his enemies, and to descry their strength: return was made
that they had more ships, and better manned than he was. “How?” says
Antigonus, “that cannot be; _quam multis meipsum opponis_ (for how many
dost thou reckon me?)” intimating that the dignity of a general weighed
down many others, especially when poised with valour and experience. And
where is valour, where is experience to be found, if not in God? He is
the Lord of Hosts; with him alone is strength and power to deliver
Israel out of all her troubles. He may do it, he can do it, he will do
it; he is wise in heart and mighty in strength; besides him there is no
Saviour, no deliverer; he is a shield to the righteous, strength to the
weak, a refuge to the oppressed. He is _instar omnium_ (all in all), and
who is like unto him in all the world?—_John Spencer._
_Verse 20._—There is an excellent story of a young man, that was at sea
in a mighty raging tempest; and when all the passengers were at their
wits’ end for fear, he only was merry; and when he was asked the reason
of his mirth, he answered, “That the pilot of the ship was his father,
and he knew his father would have a care of him.” The great and wise
God, who is our Father, hath from all eternity decreed what shall be the
issue of all wars, what the event of all troubles; he is our pilot, he
sits at the stern; and though the ship of the church or state be in a
sinking condition, yet be of good comfort, our Pilot will have a care of
us. There is nothing done in the lower house of Parliament on earth, but
what is first decreed in the higher house in heaven. All the lesser
wheels are ordered and overruled by the upper. Are not five sparrows,
saith Christ, sold for a farthing? One sparrow is not worth half a
farthing. And there’s no man shall have half a farthing’s worth of harm
more than God hath decreed from all eternity.—_Edmund Calamy._
_Verse 22.—“According as we hope in thee;”_ not according to any merits
of theirs, but according to the measure of grace, of the grace of hope
which God had bestowed on them, and encouraged them to exercise on him,
in expectation of finding grace and mercy with him.—_John Gill._
HINTS TO PREACHERS.
_Whole Psalm._—This Psalm is _eucharistic_: the contents are:—I. _An
exhortation to praise God_ (1, 2, 3). II. The _arguments_ to enforce the
duty (4-19). III. The _confidence_ of God’s people in his name, their
happiness, and petition. (20-22).—_Adam Clarke._
_Verse 1._—Rejoicing—the soul of praise; the Lord—a well-spring of joy.
Character—indispensable to true enjoyment.
_Verse 1 (last clause)._—_Praise comely._ _What?_ Vocal, meditative,
habitual praise. _Why?_ It is comely as wings to an angel, we mount with
it; as flowers to a tree, it is our fruit; as a robe to a priest, it is
our office; as long hair to a woman, it is our beauty; as a crown to a
king, it is our highest honour. _When?_ Evermore, but chiefly amid
blasphemy, persecution, sickness, poverty, death. _Whom?_ Not from the
ungodly, hypocritical, or thoughtless. To be without praise is to miss
our comeliest adornment.
_Verse 2._—Instrumental music. Is it lawful? Is it expedient? If so, its
uses, limits, and laws. A sermon to improve congregational music.
_Verse 3 (first clause)._—The duty of maintaining the freshness of our
devotions.
Freshness, skill, and heartiness, to be combined in our congregational
psalmody.
_Verse 4._—God’s word and works, their rightness, and agreement, and our
view of both.
_Verse 4 (first clause)._—The word doctrinal, preceptive, historical,
prophetic, promissory, and experimental, always right, _i.e._, free from
error or evil.
_Verse 4 (second clause)._—God’s work of creation, providence, and
grace, always in conformity with truth. His hatred of everything like a
sham.
_Verses 4, 5._—A fourfold argument for praise, from the _truth_, the
_faithfulness_, the _justice_, and _goodness_ of God: I. “_For the word
of the Lord is right._” II. “_All his works are done in truth._” III.
“_He loveth righteousness and judgment._” IV. “_The earth is full of his
goodness._”—_Adam Clarke._
_Verse 5._—Justice and goodness equally conspicuous in the divine
action.
_Verse 5 (last clause)._—A matchless theme for an observant eye and an
eloquent tongue.
_Verse 6._—The power of the Word and the Spirit in the old and new
creations.
_Verse 7._—God’s control of destructive and re-constructive agencies.
_Verse 7._—The storehouses of the Great Husbandman.
_Verse 8._—Reasons for universal worship, obstacles to it, future
prospects of it, our duty in relation to it.
_Verse 8 (last clause)._—Awe—the soul of worship.
_Verse 9._—_The irresistible word of Jehovah_ in creation, in calling
his people, in their comfort and deliverance, in their entrance to
glory.
_Verse 10._—Educated and philosophical heathen within the reach of
missions.
_Verses 10, 11._—The opposing counsels.
_Verse 11._—The eternity, immutability, efficiency, and wisdom of the
divine decrees. God’s purposes, “the thoughts of his heart,” hence their
wisdom, and yet more their love.
_Verse 12._—Two elections made by a blessed people and a gracious God,
and their happy result.
The happiness of the church of God.
God’s delight in his people, and their delight in him.
_Verse 13._—Omniscience and its lessons.
_Verses 13, 14, 15._—The doctrine of providence.
_Verse 15._—God’s acquaintance with men’s hearts, and his estimate of
their actions.
The similarity of human nature.
_Verse 16, 17, 18._—The fallacy of human trust, and the security of
faith in God.
_Verse 18._—Hoping in the mercy of God—false and true forms
distinguished.
_Verses 18._—I. The eyes of God’s _knowledge_ are upon them. II. The
eyes of his _affection_ are upon them. III. The eyes of his _providence_
are upon them.—_William Jay._
_Verse 19._—Life in famine, natural and spiritual, specially a famine of
inward hope and legal satisfaction.
_Verse 20._—“_Waiting for the Lord_” includes: I. _Conviction_—a
persuasion that the Lord is the supreme good. II. _Desire_—it is
expressed by hungering and thirsting after righteousness, etc. III.
_Hope._ IV. _Patience._—God is never slack concerning his
promise.—_William Jay._
_Verse 20 (first clause)._—The believer’s hourly position.
_Verse 21._—Joy, the outflow of faith.
_Verse 22._—A prayer for believers only.
_Verse 22._—Measure for measure, or mercy proportioned to faith.
PSALM XXXIV.
TITLE.—A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech;
who drove him away, and he departed. _Of this transaction, which
reflects no credit upon David’s memory, we have a brief account in_ 1
Samuel xxi. _Although the gratitude of the Psalmist prompted him
thankfully to record the goodness of the Lord in vouchsafing an
undeserved deliverance, yet he weaves none of the incidents of the
escape into the narrative, but dwells only on the grand fact of his
being heard in the hour of peril. We may learn from his example not to
parade our sins before others, as certain vainglorious professors are
wont to do who seem as proud of their sins as old Greenwich pensioners
of their battles and their wounds. David played the fool with singular
dexterity, but he was not so real a fool as to sing of his own exploits
of folly. In the original, the title does not teach us that the Psalmist
composed this poem at the time of his escape from Achish, the king or
Abimelech of Gath, but that it is intended to commemorate that event,
and was suggested by it. It is well to mark our mercies with well carved
memorials. God deserves our best handiwork. David in view of the special
peril from which he was rescued, was at great pains with this Psalm, and
wrote it with considerable regularity, in almost exact accordance with
the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is the second alphabetical
Psalm, the twenty-fifth being the first_.
DIVISION.—_The Psalm is split into two great divisions at the close of
verse 10, when the Psalmist having expressed his praise to God turns in
direct address to men. The first ten verses are_ A HYMN, _and the last
twelve_ A SERMON. _For further assistance to the reader we may subdivide
thus: In verses 1 to 3, David vows to bless the Lord, and invites the
praise of others; from 4 to 7 he relates his experience, and in 8, 9,
10, exhorts the godly to constancy of faith. In verses 11-14, he gives
direct exhortation, and follows it up by didactic teaching from verses
15 to the close._
EXPOSITION.
I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise _shall_ continually
_be_ in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear
_thereof_, and be glad.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
1. “_I will bless the Lord at all times._”—He is resolved and fixed, “_I
will_;” he is personally and for himself determined, let others do as
they may; he is intelligent in head and inflamed in heart—he knows to
whom the praise is due, and what is due, and for what and when. To
Jehovah, and not to second causes our gratitude is to be rendered. The
Lord hath by right a monopoly in his creatures’ praise. Even when a
mercy may remind us of our sin with regard to it, as in this case
David’s deliverance from the Philistine monarch was sure to do, we are
not to rob God of his meed of honour because our conscience justly
awards a censure to our share in the transaction. Though the hook was
rusty, yet God sent the fish, and we thank him for it. “_At all times_,”
in every situation, under every circumstance, before, in and after
trials, in bright days of glee, and dark nights of fear. He would never
have done praising, because never satisfied that he had done enough;
always feeling that he fell short of the Lord’s deservings. Happy is he
whose fingers are wedded to his harp. He who praises God for mercies
shall never want a mercy for which to praise. To bless the Lord is never
unseasonable. “_His praise shall continually be in my mouth_,” not in my
heart merely, but in my mouth too. Our thankfulness is not to be a dumb
thing; it should be one of the daughters of music. Our tongue is our
glory, and it ought to reveal the glory of God. What a blessed mouthful
is God’s praise! How sweet, how purifying, how perfuming! If men’s
mouths were always thus filled, there would be no repining against God,
or slander of neighbours. If we continually rolled this dainty morsel
under our tongue, the bitterness of daily affliction would be swallowed
up in joy. God deserves blessing with the heart, and extolling with the
mouth—good thoughts in the closet, and good words in the world.
2. “_My soul shall make her boast in the Lord._” Boasting is a very
natural propensity, and if it were used as in this case, the more it
were indulged the better. The exultation of this verse is no mere tongue
bragging, “_the soul_” is in it, the boasting is meant and felt before
it is expressed. What scope there is for holy boasting in Jehovah! His
person, attributes, covenant, promises, works, and a thousand things
besides, are all incomparable, unparalleled, matchless; we may cry them
up as we please, but we shall never be convicted of vain and empty
speech in so doing. Truly he who writes these words of comment has
nothing of his own to boast of, but much to lament over, and yet none
shall stop him of his boast in God so long as he lives. “_The humble
shall hear thereof, and be glad._” They are usually grieved to hear
boastings; they turn aside from vauntings and lofty speeches, but
boasting in the Lord is quite another matter; by this the most lowly are
consoled and encouraged. The confident expressions of tried believers
are a rich solace to their brethren of less experience. We ought to talk
of the Lord’s goodness on purpose that others may be confirmed in their
trust in a faithful God.
3. “_O magnify the Lord with me._” Is this request addressed to the
humble? If so it is most fitting. Who can make God great but those who
feel themselves to be little? He bids them help him to make the Lord’s
fame greater among the sons of men. Jehovah is infinite, and therefore
cannot really be made greater, but his name grows in manifested glory as
he is made known to his creatures, and thus he is said to be magnified.
It is well when the soul feels its own inability adequately to glorify
the Lord, and therefore stirs up others to the gracious work; this is
good both for the man himself and for his companions. No praise can
excel that which lays us prostrate under a sense of our own nothingness,
while divine grace like some topless Alp rises before our eyes, and
sinks us lower and lower in holy awe. “_Let us exalt his name
together._” Social, congregated worship is the outgrowth of one of the
natural instincts of the new life. In heaven it is enjoyed to the full,
and earth is likest heaven where it abounds.
4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my
fears.
5 They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not
ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard _him_, and saved him out
of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him,
and delivereth them.
4. “_I sought the Lord, and he heard me._” It must have been in a very
confused manner that David prayed, and there must have been much of
self-sufficiency in his prayer, or he would not have resorted to methods
of such dubious morality as pretending to be mad and behaving as a
lunatic; yet his poor limping prayer had an acceptance and brought him
succour: the more reason for them celebrating the abounding mercy of the
Lord. We may seek God even when we have sinned. If sin could blockade
the mercy-seat it would be all over with us, but the mercy is that there
are gifts even for the rebellious, and an advocate for men who sin.
“_And delivered me from all my fears._” God makes a perfect work of it.
He clears away both our fears and their causes, all of them without
exception. Glory be to his name, prayer sweeps the field, slays all the
enemies and even buries their bones. Note the egoism of this verse and
of those preceding it; we need not blush to speak of ourselves when in
so doing we honestly aim at glorifying God, and not at exalting
ourselves. Some are foolishly squeamish upon this point, but they should
remember that when modesty robs God it is most immodest.
5. “_They looked unto him, and were lightened._” The Psalmist avows that
his case was not at all peculiar, it was matched in the lives of all the
faithful; they too, each one of them on looking to their Lord were
brightened up, their faces began to shine, their spirits were uplifted.
What a means of blessing one look at the Lord may be! There is life,
light, liberty, love, everything in fact, in a look at the crucified
One. Never did a sore heart look in vain to the good Physician; never a
dying soul turned its darkening eye to the brazen serpent to find its
virtue gone. “_And their faces were not ashamed._” Their faces were
covered with joy but not with blushes. He who trusts in God has no need
to be ashamed of his confidence, time and eternity will both justify his
reliance.
6. “_This poor man cried._” Here he returns to his own case. He was poor
indeed, and so utterly friendless that his life was in great jeopardy;
but he cried in his heart to the protector of his people and found
relief. His prayer was a cry, for brevity and bitterness, for
earnestness and simplicity, for artlessness and grief; it was a poor
man’s cry, but it was none the less powerful with heaven, for “_the Lord
heard him_,” and to be heard of God is to be delivered; and so it is
added the Lord “_saved him out of all his troubles_.” At once and
altogether David was clean rid of all his woes. The Lord sweeps our
griefs away as men destroy a hive of hornets, or as the winds clear away
the mists. Prayer can clear us of troubles as easily as the Lord made a
riddance of the frogs and flies of Egypt when Moses entreated him. This
verse is the Psalmist’s own personal testimony: he being dead yet
speaketh. Let the afflicted reader take heart and be of good courage.
7. “_The angel of the Lord._” The covenant angel, the Lord Jesus, at the
head of all the bands of heaven, surrounds with his army the dwellings
of the saints. Like hosts entrenched so are the ministering spirits
encamped around the Lord’s chosen, to serve and succour, to defend and
console them. “_Encampeth round about them that fear him._” On every
side the watch is kept by warriors of sleepless eyes, and the Captain of
the host is one whose prowess none can resist. “_And delivereth them._”
We little know how many providential deliverances we owe to those unseen
hands which are charged to bear us up lest we dash our foot against a
stone.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed _is_ the man _that_
trusteth in him.
9 O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for _there_ is no want to them
that fear him.
10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek
the LORD shall not want any good _thing_.