Choice and Practical Expositions on Four Select Psalms, Sermons on Psalm 51 · Sermon 20
SERMON XX.
PSAL. 51.19.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices of Righteousness, with Burnt-offering, and whole Burnt-offering: Then shall they offer Bullocks upon thine Altar.
The beginning of this Psalm, and the end of it, carry a very good agreement and correspondency of one to the other: For it begins with Prayer and Supplication, and it ends with Praise and Thanksgiving. And indeed this end it does best become that beginning: Our Hosanna's, do best conclude in Hallelujah's; and our Petitions for Mercy, in our Returns of Thankfulness and Acknowledgment; which is that which David offers to God upon the condition of hearing his Prayer, in this Verse which I have now read unto you, Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices of Righteousness, then shall they, &c.
IN this present Verse we have two general Parts considerable: First, An Expectation of Favour: Secondly, An Ingagement to Duty. The Expectation of Favour, that we have in the first Branch, Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices, &c. The Ingagement to Duty, that we have in the second, Then shall they offer Bullocks upon thine Altar.
We begin with the first, viz. The Expectation of Favour, Then shalt thou be pleased, &c. Wherein agen we have three particulars more: First, The Service tendred, and that is the Sacrifices of Righteousness. Secondly, The Acceptation of this Service in this, Thou shalt be pleased, Thirdly, The Occasion or Ground of the Acceptance, Then.
For the first, The Service tendred, it is here exprest to be the Sacrifices of Righteousness; this is that which Christians are called upon to present to God in their approaches to him, Offer unto God the Sacrifices of Righteousness, as it is Psal. 4.5. Now this expression it may be taken two manner of ways: Either, First, By way of Specification; or, Secondly, By way of Qualification. By way of Specification, so the Sacrifices of Righteousness is as much as Righteous Sacrifices: By way of Qualification, so the Sacrifices of Righteousness are such Sacrifices as are performed after a right and due manner.
First, To speak of the former, The Sacrifices of Righteousness taken specifically; These are all such Sacrifices as are commanded by God himself, whether such as are so properly, as all those Sacrifices which were under the Law. The Legal and Levitical Dispensations, so far forth as they were of God's Injunction and Institution, they were Sacrifices of Righteousness. Or, Secondly, Such as are so improperly and metaphorically, as the Dispensations under the Gospel, these are also Sacrifices of Righteousness, and principally intended here by the Psalmist.
Now these are of several distributions, I'll but name them briefly to you: First, The Sacrifices of Contrition and Humiliation, the Sacrifice of a broken Heart, this we have had mentioned in the Seventeenth Verse of this Psalm; and it is such as God is wondrously pleased withal, when as with the Knife of Repentance and Mortification we do kill and slay our vile affections in us.
Secondly, The Sacrifice of New Obedience, in yielding up our selves to God to be at his disposing; as the Macedonians they gave themselves to the Lord, 2 Cor. 8.5. And Rom. 12.1. Present your selves a living Sacrifice to God, &c.
Thirdly, The Sacrifices of Faith, in the daily presenting and improving Christ's once offering up himself to God for us, when we do lay hold upon Christ by Faith, and make the best of his sacrificing of himself, we do present a Sacrifice of Righteousness to God.
Fourthly, The Sacrifice of Alms and charitable Contribution, Heb. 13.16. With such Sacrifices God is well-pleased; and Phil. 4.11. A Sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God: yea, it is preferred before all other. God will have Mercy and not Sacrifice, so Prov. 21.3, &c.
Lastly, The Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving, Psal. 50.14. Offer unto God Thanksgiving. Hos. 14.2. The Calves of our Lips. And Heb. 13.15. The Sacrifice of Praise, i. e. The Fruit of the Lips, giving thanks. And thus much for the Sacrifices of Righteousness, as they may be taken by way of Specification.
The second is by way of Qualification, Sacrifices of Righteousness, i. e. Sacrifices rightly performed. Thus Mal. 3.3. That they may offer to the Lord an Offering in Righteousness; this is that which God looks at principally above any thing else. It is not only the kind of the Sacrifice, but the carriage of it, to seek the Lord after a due order, 1 Chron. 15.13. As first, In Faith, which includes in it the Righteousness of the Person. The Sacrifice of unrighteous persons cannot be the Sacrifice of Righteousness, nor well-pleasing, it is an abomination to the Lord. Secondly, In fear and holy reverence, as apprehensive of the greatness of God's Majesty, Psal. 5.7. In thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple. And Heb. 12.28. With reverence and godly fear. Thirdly, In zeal, and fervency of spirit, it must be the right fire, Rom. 12.11. Fervent in spirit. And so much of the first particular observable in this first general, viz. The Service tendred, The Sacrifice of Righteousness.
The second is, The Acceptation of this Service, Thou shalt be pleased with them. Whence we note, That God takes a special delight and complacency in holy Services which are presented to him; He is well-pleased with the Sacrifices of Righteousness; this is clear from sundry examples: Thus it was with Abel, God had respect to him and to his Offering, Gen. 4.4. Thus it was with Noah, God smelt a savour of rest in his Burnt-offerings, Gen. 8.21. Thus it was with Elijah, God answered his Sacrifice by Fire, as a testimony of acceptance, 1 King. 18.38. So the Apostles, when they were joyn'd together in Prayer, the place was shaken there where they assembled, Act. 4.31. This shaking, it was a token of Gods liking and approbation of them in that service. Still upon all occasions we shall find how God has taken special delight in his Peoples Sacrifices: And that upon sundry considerations:
First, As they are the accomplishment of his own most holy Commands; God has required the Sacrifices of Righteousness, now therefore he cannot but approve of them, and be well-pleased with them, as a performance of what himself has required, as every one is well-pleased in the doing of what themselves desire should be done.
Secondly, As the fruits of his Spirit, and the effects of his own assistance: God does not only require these Sacrifices, but also enables to them, and upon that account is well-pleased with them. The Sacrifices of Righteousness they come from the God of Righteousness; and because they come from him, therefore they are acceptable to him, and he takes delight in them.
Thirdly, As they bring Glory to his Name, and advance him, and set him forth in the World, he delights in them so; Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth God, Psal. 50. ult. Though there be no real accession of any benefit to God from any thing which is done by us, who is self-sufficient in his own Nature, yet his Name is manifested and declared in the World occasionally from our weak endavours, which he is pleased in goodness to accept of.
And this now should so much the more encourage us in the service of him. It is a great matter in point of service to deal with one who is of a candid disposition, who is gracious and ready to accept of what is done by those which come to him: Thus is God to those which are his Servants, He does accept of their poor endeavours towards him: The Lord hath heard my Supplication, the Lord will accept my Prayer, in Psal. 8.9. And so Cornelius, Act. 10.4. Thy prayers and thine alms are come up in remembrance before God. And so Hezekiah, Isai. Chap. 38. Vers. 5. Thus saith the Lord, &c. I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears, &c. This (I say) is a very great Incouragements, and so has been esteemed, for which cause David blesses God for it, Psal. 66.20. Blessed be the Lord, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. For a man to present his Petitions, and to have them received, this puts life and chearfulness into any: but it has cause to do so in our Petitions to God more especially, He will accept, &c.
But further, (that we may take it in the full sense) we must take it not only emphatically, but exclusively; God will so accept of the Sacrifices of Righteousness, as that he will accept of none besides: whatever other Sacrifices besides are presented to him, they are odious and abominable with him, and he does by no means regard them, that so we may give the greater heed to that, as we shall have occasion to see more anon. And that's also the second particular, viz. The Acceptation of the Service, Thou shalt, &c.
The third is the occasion, or time for it, that we have in the word Then, Then thou shalt, &c. This refers to what went before in the precedent Verse, &c. and we may take it with this Explication: Then, when thou hast purged away my sin, which did redound to the guilt and damage of the whole Nation, whereof my self am the Head; Then shalt thou accept of Sacrifices from us, and our Services shall be well-pleasing to thee. This word Then (to give you the full emphasis of it) seems to carry a double reference with it; The one as to the point of Sacrifice, and the other as to the point of Acceptance: As to the point of Sacrifice, thus; Then, when thou hast been pleased graciously to bestow upon me a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and such a spiritual frame of soul as thou requirest, Then shall I be able to offer up the Sacrifice of Righteousness to thee, which otherwise I shall not be able to do. As to the point of Acceptance, thus; Then, when thou hast been pleased to pardon and remit my sin unto me, Thou wilt then be well-pleased with the Services which comes from me. According to either of which references fastened upon the words, there is a double Truth contained in them.
First, As to the point of Sacrifice, we learn thus much, That we can never perform holy Services, till we have gracious and holy Hearts. Then shalt thou accept the Sacrifices of Righteousness, that is, Then shalt thou have such Sacrifices of Righteousness as may be acceptable to thee, when thou hast given us that broken spirit, which is a thing so well-pleasing to thee. This is that which must be laid for a Ground, That our Heart be good before our Performances.
And the reason of it is this, Because the Heart it is the Spring and Fountain of all our Actions, and such as does give virtue to them, from whence there is a correspondency of one to the other; if the Heart be good, all is good with it. And so on the contrary, this it has influence upon all the passages betwixt out Souls and God, who accounts of us answerably thereunto.
Therefore this teaches us what chiefly and principally to look after. There are many who when they come before God, look at nothing but their outward man, and the external part of the Performance; think if they present their bodies before God, they have done as much as is required of them, that their Sacrifices are Sacrifices of Righteousness upon that account: But, alas, this will not serve the turn, there's somewhat else which is to be looked after by them, and that is their inward man, that God would sanctifie and fashion that.
And so likewise where God has wrought Grace already, (as he had here done in David) that he would upon occasion stir up this Grace in them, and sit them for such and such Performances, as David here did. David was now desirous to offer up unto God righteous Sacrifices, and how does he make way hereunto? By begging of God a contrite spirit; for so those words in the Verse before are to be understood by us, The Sacrifices of God, &c. not only as words of Asseveration, but as words of Insinuation, as signifying his own desire to have such an heart bestowed upon him: This was David's drift in that expression, and this of the occasion, as to Sacrifice.
Secondly, Take it as to Acceptance, Then shalt thou accept, &c. Namely, when thou hast pardoned my sin, &c. for this Then it runs back to all which was said in the Psalm before; and in particular amongst the rest, to these of pardoning his sin, &c. From whence there is this in it, That God never accepts of our Services till he is first well-pleased with our Persons, Then shalt thou, &c. Then, and then exclusively. This is clear from divers places of Scripture, and it holds good both as to the accepting of our persons in general in point of Justification, as also to the acceptation of our persons afterwards in point of Reconcilement. For a Child of God, though he may be accepted of God as to general favour, yet he may be under particular displeasure, as even David himself: Now this latter is an obstruction to his acceptance in his Services, and causes God to express himself against them, which is more proper to the case in hand: for this was the condition of David; His person was accepted in general before this prayer which was made by him, but he was under a Cloud in particular, and this he desires might now be removed in order to the Acceptation of his Sacrifices. So then here is the case clearly before us. As for wicked and ungodly persons, which are as yet in their natural condition, and out of Christ, their Sacrifices are so far unacceptable, as that they are wholly abominable, and that proceeding from the enmity and contrariety which is in their persons. Agen, as for the Servants of God, which are regenerated and become new Creatures, and made Members of Christ; yet being under some particular guilt, and so consequently the frowns of God, their Sacrifices are also in part unacceptable, till this Cloud be removed from them. This we may see in Job's Friends, which I would not think but that some of them at least might be godly men, and so their persons accepted for the general; but yet in their carriage towards Job, they had so displeased the Lord, as that he would not hear them in that particular, as we may see in Job 4.2.7, 8. The Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath, &c. See here, Job himself was accepted, but not his Friends, and so not their Sacrifices.
The Improvement which we may make of this Observation, comes to this: First, We see here what cause all God's Servants have both to keep in terms of favour with God all they can; as likewise where they are under any displeasure, as soon as may be to recover it agen, as for other Considerations besides, so amongst the rest in reference to this, that so their Services may be accepted of him: all the while that God and we are at a distance, our very Sacrifices they lose of that acceptance which they should have with him.
Secondly, We see here also what good cause God's Servants have to be in good terms with one another, that so they may have the benefit and advantage of one anothers prayers for them, when they cannot so acceptably pray for themselves. As in the example before-mentioned, Job's Friends, when God was angry with themselves, yet he had accepted Job for them. And so now I have done with the first general part of the Text, which is the expectation of favour, Then shalt thou be well-pleased with the Sacrifices of Righteousness.
The second is the Ingagement to Duty, in these words, Thou shalt. Wherein agen we have two particulars: First, The thing it self promised. Secondly, The time of performance. The thing promised, is the offering up of Bullocks upon God's Altar. The time of performance, that we have signified in the particle Then.
First, For the thing it self promised, it is the offering up of, &c. David signifies that if God would please to be favourable to Sion and Jerusalem, the Church and People of God, there would this effect follow upon it, and that they would be more full and abundant in their Services of him, Then they would offer Bullocks upon his Altar. There's a double freedom which seems in these words to be intimated to us; The one is a freedom of opportunity, and the other is a freedom of spirit, or inlargment of heart.
First, Here's a freedom of opportunity, They shall then offer, &c. i. e. have liberty and opportunity to offer. From whence we may note thus much, That the liberty and freeness of the Ordinances, is a special fruit of God's favour to his Church. This we gather from these words in their connexion, Be favourable to Sion, and then, &c. The one depends upon the other. This it is, and so has always been accounted, especially by those who have understood what it is. Thus David in some other places, as 2 Sam. 6.13. He rejoyced because of God's Ark, and danced before it. And Psal. 122.1. I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go up to the house of the Lord. So when after the Captivity the Temple began to be re-built, they shouted for joy, Ezra 3.10, 11. By these and the like instances we may see of what account hath been the freedom of the Ordinances.
And there's very good ground for it, because that upon this depends all our chiefest comfort and happiness: The greatest happiness that any People are capable of, is that they may have free Communion with God Himself, and this they have in the freeness of the Ordinances, which is the main business in them; as here it was not the offering of a few Calves, no, but the praising of God by them; and this was looked upon as a great priviledge.
And so accordingly should we our selves look upon it: We should bless God for those gracious opportunities which are afforded unto us; that we may have these comfortable priviledges which we now enjoy; that we are not restrained from the Publick Ordinances, nor have them kept from us, but may enjoy them with a great deal of freedom. It is a mercy which should be considered of by us, and laid to heart; especially when we shall consider how it has been in some other places, and of some of late is become vile. What sad and barbarous things have been suffered for the Profession of Religion? That God as yet preserves us from such evils, and gives us such a blessing as this is, it should very much move and affect us, both with joy and with thankfulness.
And we should further be perswaded to improve it to the best advantage that may be; and that is, by walking answerably to the mercy herein received by us. Seeing God does thus inlarge himself towards us, we should take heed of restraining our selves: we should make use of this liberty of the Ordinances, by so much the more freely partaking of them, and applying our selves to them. There are many who sometimes make another improvement of it; the more they have of these things, the more they loath them, and withdraw from them: but we should take heed of such a carriage as this is, as very unsuitable to God's dealing with us in this particular. And we should (to quicken us) consider the zeal and forwardness of former times; how glad were some of the Martyrs, our Fore-fathers, in former Ages to catch at all opportunities that might be from the scarceness and rarity of them? And what a shame is it then for our selves to be so neglectful under so great abundance afforded to us? And this for the freedom of Opportunity.
The second is the freedom of spirit, and inlargement of heart, Then shall they offer, &c. It shews the readiness which would be in God's People to bless God for any good to Sion. The Prophet David does undertake here for them, that if God will be pleased but to do good unto Sion, they should express their thankfulness in this particular, To offer Bullocks upon the Altar of the Lord. There are three things at once in this expression; First, Here's matter of Obedience; Secondly, Of Self-denial; Thirdly, Of Thankfulness.
First, It is a piece of Obedience: The offering up of Sacrifices to God, it was the doing of that which God in those times did command his People in the very beginning; this the Church was ready to do, as David intimates for her; and so is it the disposition (in the equivolence) of all the true Members of it still: Whosoever are the true Members of Sion, they make Conscience of the exercises of Religion, to be conversant in them. Christians they have their Sacrifices, which they may still present to God, and they are not neglectful of them. We have now our special Sacrifices under the Gospel, as they had their corporal under the Law, and so the Scripture expresses it self about them, Rev. 1.6. We are Kings and Priests to God, &c. And 1 Pet. 2.5. An holy Priesthood to offer up special Sacrifice. And Vers. 9. A Royal Priesthood.
Yea, which is further considerable, we have these Sacrifices with greater advantages: First, not confined to place, Neither in this Mountain, nor yet in Jerusalem, Joh. 4.21. Secondly, With less outward difficulty, whether of charge, or of bodily labour. Thirdly, Sanctified by the Sacrifice of Christ, who first offered up himself, and now offers up our Sacrifices for us.
Now there being these opportunities afforded, we should be constant in them; and that, I say, in Obedience to God's Commands, who does injoin and impose them; and not think these things to be superfluous and unnecessary matters, the Ordinances and Duties of Religion, but apply our selves with diligence to them. That's the first, It was matter of Obedience.
Secondly, It was matter of Self-denial, They shall offer up Bullocks. There was charge and expence in this Service; yea, but they would not stick at this. Here's another disposition of a good Christian, not to think much of any cost in Religion, and the Service of God, but to think it well bestowed. Grace it is no mean Principle, but is full of beauty and liberality in its expressions; as considering that at last and in conclusion, it shall be no loser at all by that which it lays out to such a purpose.
How justly does this meet with the contrary quality which is in many Christians? Oh to lay out any thing in God's Service, it is very irksom and tedious to them, and goes to their very hearts; they had as leave almost offer themselves, as offer their Bullocks; and ye may as well fetch their very hearts blood from them, as any expence for the best work that is; whereas David here mentions it as a property of God's People, to be very expressive and expensive in this particular, To offer Bullocks, &c.
And then further, which we may take in also by way of inlargement, They shall do it freely, and of their own accord; that's imimplied also in it. It is not extorted and drawn from them by force, but it comes freely of it self, They shall offer, &c. with a large hand, and with a large heart: God's People they are a willing People, as David, 1 Chron. 29.17. in their Offerings to the Building of the Temple.
Thirdly, In this expression, They shall offer, &c. we have also matter of Thank fulness, as that which is mainly and chiefly considerable. David undertakes for Sion, That if God would be gracious to it, it would not be forgetful of Him: so that we see a gracious Heart is a thank ful Heart; and the more it receives from God, the more it returns to Him again: If God builds up Sion's Walls, She will build up God's Altars, and offer up Bullocks upon them when She has done; this is here signified to us.
This proceeds from the Ingenuity which is in Grace: Ingenuity it teaches men to acknowledge there where they have received, especially where it can do no more. And this is the case with God's People; they know how unable they are to requite God in any other way, and therefore they labour to do it in this, as Psal. 119.12, 13. What shall I, &c.
Let us therefore reflect upon our selves, and examine how it is with us in this particular. God has been pleased to do great things for us, what Bullocks have we offered up to Him upon his Altar for them? that is, what returns of thankfulness have we exhibited? what calves of our lips? which is the expression often used in holy Scripture: Yea, (which is the best) what Obedience in our Lives and Conversations? we must know that it is that which God does look for, and expect from us, as here in the Text. And thus much for the Thing it self promised, They shall offer up Bullocks, &c.
The second thing is the time of performance, Then, i. e. when thou shalt build up Sion, and do good to Jerusalem. A gracious Heart makes a special improvement of Temporal Mercies, uses Peace, and Liberty, and Plenty, and such things as these, to the end, so as to serve God so much the more and better for them.
Agen, Then, &c. We may take this as carrying a Motive and Argument in it to prevail upon God for the granting of that which David desired. VVhat did David desire? It was that God would do good to Sion. How now does David perswade him that he would do so indeed and in good earnest? Namely, upon this Consideration, That Then they would offer up Bullocks, &c. From whence note thus much, That where God is likely to receive thanks, he will there be ready to bestow Mercy: This David knew and considered, and therefore uses such an Argument as this to him, to perswade him to Mercy.
And the reason of it is this, Because this makes his Mercies to be not in vain: and therefore let this serve to direct us how to obtain Mercies from God, even by taking such a course with him, &c. So much for that, The Ingagement to Duty, which is the second part of the Text; and so much also for this time.