The Scripture Directory for Church Officers and People, Exposition 2 · Part 2 · Section 4
Of the Godly Mans Holy Security, and Admirable quietneſſe of Spirit, as another Effect of the Light of Gods Countenance.
PSAL. 4.8.
I will both lay me down in peace, and ſleep, for thou (Lord) only makeſt me dwell in ſafety.
WE have heard of one glorious Effect of the light of Gods countenance upon David, viz. A gladneſſe ſurpaſſing all the joy that can be in the world; now in this verſe, we have a ſecond, and no leſſe noble Effect of the ſame cauſe. For as the Sunne hath many ſeverall and notable effects upon the earth; it doth not only enlighten or comfort, but makes fruitfull, and aboundeth alſo in many other effects. Thus the favour of God, where that is perceived, it is not one or two, but many glorious conſequents flow from thence. And this in the text, is an holy ſecurity, and admirable quietneſſe of ſpirit, free from all ſinfull diſtempers, let his danger be never ſo great. So that this heavenly tranquillity, is a fruit of that Faith which he had in God, at this time, though ſo greatly tempted.
Therefore in the words, you have David's godly ſecurity, a fruit of his Faith, expreſſed in two actions, as a manifeſtation of it; with the Reaſon, and the Cauſe of it.
The Actions demonſtrating his quiet ſpirit, are,
1. His lying down in peace.
2. His ſleeping.
His lying down; that denoteth, He would not be interrupted in his natural actions, and ordinary courſe of life; he would eat, and drink, and go to bed for all that.
But becauſe many go to bed, and though they put of their cloathes, yet cannot lay aſide their tormenting and vexing cares, whereby, though they ly down, yet are reſtleſſe and ſleepleſſe, toſ…ng from one ſide to another: Therefore ſecondly, he addeth, I will take my ſleep. All that danger and trouble he was in, ſhould not break his ſleep; he would take his reſt as ſweetly as over he did in the midſt of his Proſperity.
Now certainly, if you do conſider in what a temptation and danger David was in, you will ſay it's impoſſible; or rather, that Faith which makes us depend on God, in ſuch ſtreights, with the effects of it, are no leſſe admirable, then miraculous Faith. It's generally concluded on by the beſt Interpreters, that this Pſalm was made upon the ſame occaſion which the immediate one going before was; and that appeareth by the Inſcription, to be compoſed when David fled from Abſolom. So then, David ſaith, He will lye down and ſleep: Take his ſweet reſt, when he was in that flight of his, purſued by Abſolom. And if you would know, how grievous that was, conſult 2 Sam. 15. the whole Chapter, eſpecially verſe 30. there you will find, that Abſolom by fair pretences of Juſtice and Religion, had ſtolen the hearts of all the people to himſelf, againſt David his Father; whereupon he makes Warre, raiſeth a great Army. The conſpiracy was carried on with great pride and policy, inſomuch that David is forced to fly from Jeruſalem, and to runne whithe… he can for his ſafety; all the people did generally forſake him: So that he with ſome few, went up to Mount Olivet; and as he went, he wept, and covered his face, and went barefoot, and all the people went with him, and wept alſo. What a ſad ſight was this, to ſee David, ſo Religious a King, ſo potent, who had conquered ſo many Enemies, to be brought into this extreamity? Yea, his eſtate was ſo deſpicable, that one man Shimei, Chap. 16. came out and curſed him, railed on him; Come out thou bloody man, Thou man of Beliall; and threw ſtones and duſt at him. By all this, you ſee his miſery was great enough. But adde to this; That at this very time, David knew God brought this evil upon him for his Adultery, and Ʋriahs buſineſſe; the Prophet had threatned him thus. So that both God and man ſeem againſt him; he is forſaken of all, and his conſcience tels him for what this is: He can eaſily tell the ſinnes that make it thus with him. Yet for all this, ſee his admirable Faith, in the powerfull effects of it; I will lay me down and ſleep. Would you think, that David could make ſuch a Pſalm as this, and ſpeak after this manner, even when he went barefoot and weeping in that direfull manner? This is ſo incredible, that ſome have thought it could not be literally true of David, and have made myſtical applications of it to Chriſt; but upon very weak grounds.
Yet leſt you ſhould think this came from ſome ſtupidity, or fool-hardineſſe, or from Stoical Apathie (for David doth in a high manner, that which the Stoicks ſo highly commend, but could never themſelves practice) he addeth the reaſon of it; by which you may ſee, it was not carnal ſecurity, but holy confidence.
The Reaſon is taken from Gods Protection and care: He doth not thus ſecurely take his reſt, becauſe though generally forſaken, yet ſome mighty men of valour did cleave to him, and he had old Souldiers, whereas the Conſpiratours were many of them inexpert: Nor doth he think that he had outwitted them, by ſending his faithfull Friend Huſhai into Abſolom's Court, to undermine him, while he pretended to ſerve him, but all is from God; Thou alone makeſt me dwell in ſafety. It was God, and he only, that could protect and defend him.
In the expreſſion of David's ſecurity, I will both lay me down and ſleep; the Hebrew word Juchdan, hath troubled Interpreters: The Septuagint tranſlate it, foreign: Some Simul, ſome Pariter. Auſtin makes in id ipſum to be God: He would reſt in God, who only is, I am, that I am: But that is ignorance of the Hebrew. Some relate it to David's enemies; He would lye down with them, though they were millions about him, as Pſalm. 3. Others relate it to his own company, that did faithfully adhere to him in this his temptation. But they ſeem to take it moſt genuinely, that relate it to the actions; I will both lie down and ſleep: One as well as the other, to demonſtrate the fiducial frame of his ſpirit. From this Explication, Obſerve,
That Faith depending on God, in a lively and vigorous manner,The wonderfull Effects of Faith in quieting the ſoul in Afflictions. doth ſo comfort and quiet the heart, in the midſt of great ſtreights, as if there were none at all.
Certainly, David could not have ſpoken more ſecurely and quietly at that time, when all the people had made him King, h… Enemies vanquiſhed, and he ſetled in his Kingdom. Therefore to ſay this, when he was in imminent danger of all, and when he was ſo purſued, that he could not tell where he ſhould lie down, or where he ſhould ſleep; this is wonderfull. Oh, how may the very naming of this Doctrine, ſhame the beſt and choiceſt of Gods Children! For little afflictions, that are not to be named to David's, they diſquiet thee; they make thee toſſe up and down, and thou art reſtleſſe in thy ſpirit. Oh, do thou ſhame thy ſelf, and thy troubled heart for ever, by this Preſident which David hath ſet thee! And leſt you ſhould think this was but a ſuddain flaſh and lightning in David, you may find, that this fire did alwaies warm his breaſt. For look to the third Pſalm made by him, while he was in his flight, he ſaith there the ſame thing, only in the Prterperfect-tenſe: What he here ſaith he will do, you may there ſee he had done. Oh, you would think David had little occaſion to make Pſalmes, to be proclaiming his confidence in God! rather to have had his whole ſoul taken up with his military affaires; but thus Faith doth put on ſpiritual Armory upon his ſoul. And that you may not think, only David could do this, ſee the like ſecure and holy confidence in the Prophet Habbakuk, Hab. 3.17, 18.
The Doctrine xplain ed.But let us explicate the Doctrine by ſeverall Propoſitions. As
Firſt, What is meant by Faith depending and adhering to God? To know this, you muſt underſtand, that the Scripture attributes three Acts to Faith; and ſo Faith is deſcribed Synecdochically by one of them, for its whole Nature. Thus Faith is ſometimes knowledge; ſometimes it's aſſent to the Truths revealed; and ſometimes it's a fiducial and confident reſting upon God, or Chriſt: and this is indeed the moſt noble and excellent Act of Faith: Even as reaſon and underſtand are the chiefeſt acts of man, though he can alſo ſentire. Faith as it doth thus rely on Chriſt, it Juſtifieth. But not only in matter of Juſtification, doth it thus depend on God, but alſo in all outward calamities and ſtreights, it in ableth the ſoul to reſt and leane on the Lord. This is that truſting, which David doth ſo often exhort to, in the Pſalmes. For as a man cannot walk without legs, or a Bird fly without wings: ſo the ſoul of a man, being wholly unable and impotent, cannot ſubſiſt of it ſelf, but it muſt have ſomething to lean upon. It's like Ivy, that cannot grow of it ſelf. Now if the heart of man be corrupt, his truſt is wholly carnal; he beareth up his heart, and ſupports himſelf with ſome bladders or ſtilts that the world affords him. But if his heart be ſanctified, then he doth ſolely depend upon the Power and Promiſe of God. Now this truſting in God, is a ſpecial duty; and David many times uſeth this Argument, why God ſhould help him, becauſe he truſted in him. We cannot in an higher manner glorifie God, then by truſting in him: For, hereby we acknowledge God to be the Jehovah; that he alone doth all things. Inſomuch, that this is one of the chiefeſt duties required in the firſt Commandement. The grace then of Faith, hath this peculiar effect upon a man, that it lifteth up the ſoul to God, and maketh it reſt, and ſolely depend on him It's true, even in natural men, there ſeemeth to be a truſt in God; but that doth as much differ from this holy confidence, as light from darkneſſe: For, no natural man can put his truſt in God, there being as much grace required to put forth this, as any other holy duty.
Secondly, This truſting in God, hath
Its general Object. And
Its more ſpecial and adaequate Object.
The general Object, is, Any good thing that we ſtand in need of. So that whatſoever the ſoul wants, or the body wants: Whatſoever thy neceſſities are, thou art to depend on God for the ſupply. This our Saviour inſinuateth, Mat. 6. to his Diſciples, when he tels them, they ſhould not be doubtfull and diſtruſtfull, what they ſhould eat or drink, but reſt ſatisfied wholly in Gods proviſion, who is an heavenly Father. And therefore there is not any grace, hath ſuch a peculiar property to allay the tempeſts, and rebuke the ſtormes of the ſoul, as this hath. This is David's Harp, to chaſe away the evil ſpirit. Whence are all thoſe ſoul dividing and tormenting cares, but from want of truſt in God? It were not poſſible thy heart ſhould be ſo diſquieted and toſſed up and down, if thou didſt thus reſt on him: For, this truſting in God, it is a Catholocum; it's a general Remedy to all Exerciſes, to all Dejections. And hence, when the Prophet Habbakuk ſaith, The Juſt ſhall live by Faith; the great Act of Faith in that place, is dependance on God.
But then, Faith as it's truſting and relying on God, hath a more ſpecial and noble Object; and that is, Chriſt our Mediatour. In the ſenſe of all our guilt and unworthineſſe, we are to throw our ſelves on him: And this is like the looking on the Brazen Serpent, by which we are healed. It's not working, or labouring, but reſting of our ſouls on Chriſt that juſtifieth. And indeed, if we can truſt on him for our Juſtification, for our ſalvation, what a ſhame is it, we cannot depend on him for ſupply of all outward neceſſities? Doth not the Apoſtle argue with the higheſt reaſon that can be? Rom. 8. If he hath given us Chriſt, how ſhall he not with him give all things elſe? Will not this ſhame all thy diſtruſtfull and dividing thoughts, when thou ſhalt ſay, I believe in God for the ſalvation of my ſoul, yet I cannot truſt him with my Children, my health, or any other ſtreight I am in?
Thirdly, The Motives to truſt in God in the midſt of all Exerciſes, are two-fold:
Gods Promiſe. And
Gods Power.
For as our Saviour ſaid, concerning thoſe who did not believe the Scripture, They erred, becauſe they did not know the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Thus it's here; All thy dejected and repining thoughts ariſe within thee, becauſe thou art ignorant of his Truth, his power.
Firſt, There muſt be Gods Promiſe, otherwiſe it's not truſt in God, but carnal preſumption. If a man ſhould neither work, nor eat, or drink, yet ſay, He truſts in God for his life, this would be deſperate preſumption; for there is no Promiſe made to ſuch. Therefore whatſoever thy heart is born up with, be ſure thou haſt a Promiſe for it: And if there be a Promiſe, then know Heaven and Earth will ſooner fail, then that Promiſe. It's true, in the Old-Teſtament diſpenſation, there were particular Promiſes made for many mercies, ſo that they might the more boldly confide in God. As David in this very particular, he had a peculiar Promiſe that the Kingdom ſhould be eſtabliſhed to him; and therefore he was aſſured, that this Conſpiracy of Abſolom ſhould not prevail. Now although we have not ſuch peculiar Promiſes made to us, that God will remove ſuch a calamity, take away ſuch an affliction, yet we have a general Promiſe for every good thing; and that all things ſhall turn to our good. Which may make every Believer ſay, I know, either God will take this affliction away, or it will be for my good: That it is better for me to have it, then to be without it. And is not here ground of quietneſſe enough within thee? This makes the Apoſtle James give ſuch a Proviſo to all our Petitions; Let him ask in Faith, nothing doubting, (Chap. 1.) for if he doubteth, let him be aſſured, he ſhall have nothing.
Now how muſt a Chriſtian in every Prayer about temporal things, pray without doubting?
I ſhall not ſay as ſome do, That even in all temporal mercies, we are to pray with the ſame aſſurance as for ſpiritual; That temporal things are as abſolutely promiſed as ſpiritual: And therefore if any temporal mercy be not vouchſafed to us, it's wholly for want of Faith and Confidence. But I rather joyn with thoſe that ſay, He muſt not doubt of Gods Truth and Goodneſſe to help, neither muſt he doubt, whether he ſhall not have that or the equivalent: This he muſt aſſure himſelf of. And truly, if a Chriſtian would proceed thus farre, he would find a world of eaſe, and quietneſſe in his mind.
And as Gods Promiſe, ſo his Power alſo; that is a ſecond Motive for this truſt in God. For if we do not believe God is able to raiſe up the dead, to call things as are not, as if they were; If we think the temptation too great, the affliction too deſperate, then we cannot put any aſſurance in God.
Fourthly, We adde in the Doctrine, that Faith depending upon God; but that is not abſolutely conſidered: For the Devils cannot truſt …n him, neither may wicked men; yet God is able to help them, to ſave them: but relatively as a Father, as reconciled. Therefore Chriſt (Mat. 6.) makes this the ground of all the truſt his Diſciples muſt have, becauſe their heavenly Father is in Heaven. So that till we have theſe perſwaſions of God as a Father, we are but as ſo many vagabond Children, that know not where to have relief. The Child, becauſe he hath a Father, never takes care what he ſhall eat or drink, or put on, becauſe his Father will provide all theſe for him.
Fifthly, We adde, That this Faith muſt depend on God, in a lively and ſtrong manner, as David's was at this time; or Abraham's, when he conſidered not the dead Womb, or did ſo much as ſtagger within himſelf. For if thy Faith be weak; if it be fainting and languiſhing, though thou maiſt have ſupport, yet not ſuch prevalent peace within thee: Thou art in a Combate, not in a Triumph. David at another time, is like Sampſon without his ſtrength; he ſaith, All men are lyers. He thinketh God had forſaken him. So that unleſſe Faith be very vigorus, though thou maieſt be preſerved in thy afflictions, they ſhall not quite overwhelm thee, yet thou wilt not have this peaceable frame. Now the Children of God, ſhould think it not enough to rub through their troubles with agonies and Combates, but with joy and quietneſſe. Grieve becauſe thy heart is ſo much as diſquieted; ſay, Oh weak wretch that I am, that I cannot be as much at eaſe, as if I had no affliction at all!
There remain two more Propoſitions to explicate this Doctrine. And
Firſt, When we ſay, Faith doth thus quiet and compoſe the ſoul, you muſt take two Cautions to ſeaſon this.
Firſt, That Faith doth not this principally of it ſelf; for that is but a grace or habit, created and infuſed into the ſoul: And therefore as all other graces needs the continual quickning and aſiſtance of Gods Spirit, ſo likewiſe doth Faith. Hence our Saviour prayed for Peter, that his Faith might not fail: Implying, that grace of it ſelf would wither and decay, as well as any other, if God did not preſerve it. Therefore the Apoſtle Peter doth fully expreſſe the manner of Faiths Influence into this Perſervation, 1 Peter 1.5. It's the power of God, that doth principally, and efficiently keep us, only it's through Faith. We are not then to conceive, as if Faith of it ſelf had ſuch an inherent efficacy, that by it's ſole juriſdiction, it would command the ſoul, and ſay as God did at the firſt, Let there be light, and there ſhall be light. No: Faith it ſelf needs the daily quickening of Gods grace, as well as other graces. Yea, this grace would ſooner decay then others; becauſe of the hearts contrariety to it, making a man to live above the Principles of ſenſe and common reaſon. Inſomuch, that it's no wonder to ſee a man love God, be patient in afflictions; theſe though not wrought by the power of nature, yet have a conviction from the light of nature; but ſo hath not Faith.
The ſecond Caution is, That we do not think, as if we could believe it our ſelves: as if by our own humane ſtrength, we could obtain ſuch a peaceable frame of heart. No: If it could be ſo, then David at other times, and that it may be in farre leſſe extreamities, would not have been dejected, as he acknowledgeth himſelf to be. Neither would that man have prayed to Chriſt, to Help his unbelief, if he could have helped it himſelf. And the experience of the godly doth abundantly confirm this, in what agonies they are plunged; how grievouſly tormented: Oh, how deſirous to quiet their hearts! They Pray, they Meditate, they Read; and all cannot compoſe their ſouls. Now if their hearts were ſubject to their power, as the Winds and Waves are to Chriſt, they would never endure ſuch Conflict within. This argueth therefore, that it's not in mans power to put forth ſuch ſtrong vigorous Acts of Faith, no more then we can command the Heavens to give rain: It's God that muſt both plant and water, and give the encreaſe.
Laſtly, The truth of this Doctrine, doth extend even to thoſe great Afflictions and Calamities we are in, and that becauſe of our ſinnes. We can evidently ſee what ſinnes they are, that have provoked God to give ſuch a bitter ſtroke; our own hearts teſtifie unto us, and this argueth the greater work of Faith. For happily it might be granted, That in ſuch Afflictions and Temptations which befall us for Gods cauſe, and for righteouſneſſe ſake, we may be full of ſuch joy and ſincerity, as the Apoſtle ſaith, James 1. Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations. And thus the Martyrs, they could and did with David, lay themſelves down to ſleep in their dark Dungeons, and that the very night before they were to burn at the Stake.
But you will ſay, How can this joy and confidence hold in ſuch Calamities as fall upon us wholly, becauſe of our ſinnes, we behold Gods anger and our folly, hath brought this on us?
Now in ſuch troubles, If we humble our ſelves unto the Lord for our ſinnes, and bewail them, we may have ſuch Calmes of ſpirit: For this was David's caſe; The Prophet had told him afore-hand, that this ſhould fall out: Becauſe of his Adultery and Murder, his conſcience cryed aloud in the midſt of his military noiſe; yet for all that, he could thus ſet himſelf to his quiet reſt.