Sermons on Psalm 119, Sermons · Sermon 187
SERM. CLXXXVII.
PSALM CXIX. VER. 174.
I hauehave longed for thy Salvation, O Lord, and thy law is my delight.
IN this Verse you have a twofold Assertion, or Protestation.
First, Of a Vehement desire of the Salvation promised, I have longed for thy Salvation.
Secondly, A great Love and Complacency in the Word of God, and thy law is my delight.
This Verse may be understood either of Temporal Salvation, or Eternal Salvation; the Words may be accommodated to either sense. The context would seem to limit it to the former, and so an enforcing of the second request of this portion, Verse 170. Deliver me according to thy word. Many Interpreters both Iewish and Christian carry it for the other. Iewish, Rabbi David Kimchi expoundeth it thus, [thy Salvation] soeculo futuro; and the last Clause, [thy law,] quia medium est ad salutem; Christian, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Calvin; and because these senses are not contrary, but subordinate, I shall insist upon both.
1. Let me handle the words as they may be understood of Temporal Salvation, and so the sense will be, I have long expected thy deliverance, and yet do desire, and wait for it: the Preterperfect Tense, as Vatabilus noteth, includeth also the present; for a long time I have expected thy deliverance, and do expect help from thee: and the other Clause [thy law is my delight] though this help seemeth to be delayed, yet thy counsel is my Consolation, and perpetual Delight. The Words thus understood, yeild us two Points.
Doctrine. I. That Gods people do look to God for deliverance and longingly expect the accomplishment of it.
Doctrine. II. We should delight in the Promise before the Salvation cometh.
For the first Point.
That Gods people do look to God for deliverance, and longingly expect it.
The Point shall be discussed in these Considerations;
I. What Longing for Gods Salvation implyeth?
II. The Encouragements and Reasons of it.
III. What singular thing there is in this longing Expectation, since 'tis natural to all to seek Deliverance out of Trouble.
I. What it Implyeth?
1. A sense of our Impotency or Insufficiency to save our selves, and help our selves out of Trouble, by any ways and means that we can find out and use: Psal. 3. 8. Salvation belongeth to the Lord. Ionah 2. 9. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation and Deliverance of all kinds, is Gods Prerogative Royal, and Gods proper work, none can save and give peace when he commandeth Trouble; and when he will save his People, none can let: 'Tis an evidence of mens neglecting a Deity, when they would help and save themselves in all Conditions, without depending or imploying a God; Iob 40. 9, & 14. Hast thou an arm like God? then I will confess unto thee, that thine own right hand can save thee. Alass! if we look else-where, how soon are we disappointed! Man is a mutable Creature, his Affections change, or his power may be blasted; an Arm of flesh is soon dried up; besides the distraction and uncertainty that we have while we depend upon man, and look to man, we involve our selves in greater miseries, and meet with a shameful disappointment at last. Sometimes man will not if he can; sometimes cannot if he would: If he will and can, yet he shall not help us without God; for what can the Instrument do without the Principal Agent? the sword without the man that weildeth it? That is one Lesson God hath been teaching his People in all Ages, that Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; they must take their Deliverance out of his hands. He sits at the upper end of Causes, and saveth his People when he will, and how he will, and by what means he will: and till he take their cause in hand, how sadly do the most hopeful attempts and expectations miscarry? for to give Salvation, is a Divine Property, given to no Creature, and must not be usurped by them, looking to man is the readiest way to miscarry.
2. It implyeth a dependance upon his fatherly Care, and powerful Providence, and a perswasion that he will guide us unto Heaven in a way that is most convenient for us. The great Cause of Gods Anger against his People in the Wilderness, was because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his Salvation: Psal. 78. 22. He had undertaken to bring them into Canaan, but they mistrusted his Conduct, either that he had not power enough, or enough Fatherly Love and Care to do it: and therefore his Wrath was kindled against Iacob, and his Anger was hot against Israel; and so do they greatly dishonour and provoke God by their distrust, who do not believe that God will bring them out of every streight, in a way most conducing to his own Glory, and their welfare. Now Gods Children are so satisfied in his Conduct, that in their worst Condition they can cheerfully depend upon God, and look and long for salvation from him: Hab. 3. 18. I will joy in the Lord, I will rejoyce in the God of my Salvation. Luk. 1. 47. My spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour. They are satisfied in his Love, and Power; Psal. 13. 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy, my heart shall rejoyce in thy Salvation.
3, Holy Desires vented in Prayer; there we express and act our Longings: Words are but the Body of Prayer, but Desires are the Life, and Soul of it. The Children of God are described once and again, to be such as love his Salvation; Psal. 40. 16. Now there are but two Acts of Love, Desire and Delight; the one concerneth the Object as future, the other as present, either to Faith, or to Sense: they rejoyce in it as present to Faith in the Promise, as well as when they enjoy it: But the Desire we are now upon, this is vented in Prayer, there they express their Vehement Longings for his Salvation: Psal. 35. 3. Say unto my Soul, I am thy Salvation. Gods saying, is doing: He speaketh by his Providence, and this is that the Saints long for, they plead with him. Psal. 119. 94. I am thine, save me, for I have sought thy precepts.
4. It expresseth waiting Gods Leisure and submission, for the kind, time, and means of Deliverance; Lam. 3. 26. 'Tis good to hope and quietly wait for the Salvation of God. They continue looking and waiting, Isa. 30. 18. Blessed are all they that wait for him. We must wait in the middest of manifold disappointments; when Means miscarry, 'tis in his power to rescue his People from the greatest dangers; and hath a Prerogative to save and deliver those whom Reason and Probability have condemned, and given over for lost: As the Israelites, Exod. 14. 13. Stand still, and see the Salvation of God. They were enclosed, the Mountains on each side, the Egyptians behind, the Sea before, yet what cannot the Salvation of God do? There is an holy obstinacy in Faith, trusting him in all dangers. Nay, when God himself appeareth as an Enemy, cutting off our Hope, and hewing and hacking at us, yet we must wait upon him: all strokes come from the hand of God, and no wound given by himself is above his own cure: Iacob when he fainted, was forced to interrupt his speech, and utter this Ejaculation, Gen. 49. 18. I have waited for thy Salvation, O God! In short, God hath ways of deliverance more than his People know of; and can save his own, when they count their case desperate: Psal. 68. 20. He that is our God, is the God of Salvation, and the issues from death belong unto him; The escapes from Death and imminent destruction.
II. The Reasons and Incouragements of looking and longing for Gods Salvation.
1. God hath bound himself by Covenant as our God; 'tis his Covenant Stile, to be the God of our Salvation; Psal. 68. 19, 20. in the one Verse he is called, the God of our Salvation; in the other, 'tis said, he that is our God, is the God of Salvation: If he be the God of salvation, he will be the God of our salvation: for whatever God is in himself, that in the Covenant he will be to his People; you shall see the blessing of his People is inferred out of his Title, Psal. 3. 8. Salvation belongeth to the Lord, thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah. If God can save, and the salvation be a blessing to his People, he will save them, and deliver them: 'tis true this Title doth mainly concern our Eternal Salvation, but the conduct of his Providence by the way is aimed at in the Covenant, as well as our entrance into Heaven at the end of the Journey. Promises relating to Temporal things, are put into the Believers Charter; but the dispensing thereof is left in the hands of their Wise and Tender Father: Now Temporal Deliverance being a part of our Charter, if it be not alwayes performed, 'tis not for want of Power, or Truth, but out of Wisdom and Love: God doth what is most convenient for us, 'tis in a Wise Hand; if it be good for me, I shall have it. Now this is a mighty incouragement to look and long for Gods salvation? he shall have the stateing of it, for Time, Means, and Kind of Deliverance, but we must look for it.
2. We must look to God for Deliverance, because he is every way able, and fitted and furnished to make good his Covenant-undertaking. He hath Power enough, Wisdom enough, and Love enough.
(1.) Power enough; 1 Sam. 14. 6. There is no restraint in the Lord, to save by many, or by few. The same supported Asa, 2 Chron. 14. 11. The same supported the three Children, Dan. 3. 17. Our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us out of the fiery furnace. Now a Desire is mightily quickned by this Confidence; God hath promised to do what is good, and 'tis in the power of his hands to do this for us.
(2.) He hath Wisdom enough, to bring it about in such a way, as may be most for his Glory; 2 Pet. 2. 9. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of Temptation. 'Tis an Art he is versed in, how to distinguish between his People, and their Enemies: to bring it about so as may be most for his Glory: What is the usual work of Providence, but to give salvation according to his Covenant, in such a way as the beauty of his providence may be seen, the patience and Faith of his People may be tryed, and yet his Enemies reckoned with.
(3.) He hath Love enough; God doth concern himself in all our Affairs: 1 Tim. 4. 10. We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe. A protector and deliverer; yea, 'tis said he saveth Man and Beast, Psal. 36. 6. The object of his providence is very large; all Creatures have their Being and Preservation from him, much more Man, much more his Children; they are allowed to believe a special providence, and the more they depend upon him, the more is his care assured to them: 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your care upon the Lord, for he careth for you. The Lord is free from all passions of Care and Sorrow, but we shall find no less proof of his keeping off danger, or delivering us from danger, than if we were solicitous for our selves, surely our Father is not unmindful of us.
3. Because there is no difficulty that can fall out to check this Confidence, which is built upon Gods undertaking, and sufficiency to make it good.
1. Not any danger from men, though of never so dreadful an appearance; 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who hath delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver, in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. The danger was Trouble in Asia, a great danger pressed above measure, and above strength; great Trouble was at Ephesus, where the people in an Uproar, were ready to tear him in pieces: so that he received the sentence of Death in himself, yet God found a way and meanes to save, and he came off safe and sound.
2. Not any appearance of Anger from God himself; Iob 13. 15. Though he slay me, yet I will put my trust in him. Sometimes Trouble may represent God as the party dealing with us; yet Faith can take him for a Friend, when he seemeth to deal like an Enemy: and we must resolve to adhere to God, and his wayes, and trust his power, with submission to his good will and pleasure, and believe that he hath more respect and care over us, than is seen in the present dispensation.
III. 'Tis natural to all to seek deliverance out of Troubles: Isa. 51. 14. The captive exile hasteth that he may be delivered, and that he should not die in the pit: How then is it any part of Grace to Long for Gods Salvation?
I Answer; 'Tis proper to the Godly to love no Deliverance, but what God sendeth by his own Means, in his own Time, and to wait for it in Gods way.
1. There is somewhat of Grace in it, that they look for Salvation from God alone, as the Author, and are resolved to take it out of his hands, whencesoever it cometh. Man naturally would be foreign, live upon himself, be sufficient to his own happiness; and so they are vexed when they are left upon God, and put upon dependance, and submission and waiting upon him: for they think it little worth to wait upon God as long as any other shift will serve the turn: As Ahaz when troubled with the fear of Rezin and Pekah, and the Prophet assureth him of Gods Salvation, and biddeth him ask a sign; Isa. 7. 11, 12, 13. I will not tempt the Lord. I will not trust the Lord, he meaneth, though he useth that pretence; his expectation was fixed on the friendship of his Confederates: if he had asked a sign of God, he must wait for the issue in Gods way; now Ahaz could not indure to trust God alone; he depended on the Assyrian… and not on Gods Salvation: he believed nothing the Prophet spake, but counted it vain and frivolous, and was resolved to go another way to work.
2. Gods salvation as to the means, not by our shifts that maketh a breach upon our sincerity; Gen. 17. 1. I am God almighty, walk before me, and be thou upright. A man that doth not trust God, cannot be long true to him: you go off from God to the Creature, by distrust and unbelief; Heb. 3. 12. this is making more hast than good speed. Isa. 28. 16. it plungeth us in sin; 'tis the greatest Hypocrisie that can be, to pretend respect to God, and shift for our selves, 'tis to break prison, to get out of Trouble before God letteth us out.
3. In his own Time, thy Salvation, they resolve to wait till he sendeth it; carnal men, when other means and expectations fail, will seek to God; they are beaten to him: but if their expectation in waiting upon God be delayed, they wax weary and faint: as that King put on Sackcloth for a while, 2 King. 6. 30. afterwards said, This evil is from the Lord, why should I wait on the Lord any longer. They give it over as an hopeless service.
4. That in the height of Trouble they still go to God, and will not cast away their confidence and dependance, come what will come. Isa. 26. 8. In the way of thy Iudgements we have waited for thee; our desires are to thee, and to the remembrance of thy name. They still look to him, and though often disappointed, will seek Salvation from no other; they still cleave to Gods way, Psal. 44. 17. All this is come upon us, yet have we not forsaken thee, nor dealt falsely in thy Covenant. They persevere in prayer, Psal. 88. 13, 14. Unto thee have I cryed in the morning, my prayer shall prevent thee. Lord! Why castest thou me off? why hidest thou thy face from me? They will not give over but shew their vehement Longings after God; whereas wicked and carnal men, when great Troubles continue, are driven to despair and give over all hope.
Use. In times of Trouble let us look to God, and continue looking all the time that God will exercise our Faith and Patience, and express our Longings and Desires of Gods salvation in humble and earnest prayer.
1. 'Tis no time to look else-where; for God will shew us that vain is the help of man, by many disappointments: Isa. 48. 11. I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me, there is no Saviour. He will break all Confidences, till we come to this, he shall be my salvation. As Iob resolved when God brake him with his Tempests, and pursued him with his Waves, and was ready to slay him as he thought. In all extremities this should be our fixed ground of Faith, that Salvation and Deliverance is to be expected from God only. Ier. 3. 23. Truly in vain is Salvation hoped for from the hills, and the Mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the Salvation of Israel. God will teach us this Lesson e're he hath done with us. Usually there is no serious dealing with God, till we find the vanity, and inability of all other dependancies: looking to the Hills and Mountains, strength of situation, Forces, all these will fail us.
2. 'Tis no time to dally with God and his service any longer; for when Troubles come close and near, the spirit of Prayer should be revived; and what was cursorily sought at other times, should now be sought with some Vehemency, and Longings in Prayer. Ier. 29. 13, 14. When they shall seek me with their whole heart, they shall find me, and I will give them an expected end. We do not stir up our selves to take hold of him. Psal. 14. 7. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come cut of Zion! There should be a Longing, we should not content our selves with a few dead and drowsie Prayers.
3. Salvation may be Comfortably expected from God; for as necessity enforceth these Longings, so Hope quickeneth them: Now it may be expected, for he is mighty to save, Isa. 63. 1. he is willing to save a distressed People. Ver. 5. I looked, and there was none to help, therefore mine own arm brought Salvation to me: God strook in for the deliverance, and help of his People, when all humane help failed, he did the work alone himself. Once more, when he meaneth to save, he covereth himself with Frowns and Anger, as if he meant to destroy; Isa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self, O God, the saviour. He seemeth to hide and stand aloof from his People in their Afflictions, and carrieth himself so closely and covertly in the passages of his Providence, that his People know not what he meaneth to do, what is our work then but to keep Longing and Waiting and Looking to Gods hands, till he have mercy upon us.
Doctrine. II. That we should delight in the Promise, before the Salvation cometh.
So doth David say here, thy law is my delight; that is, whilst he was Longing for Gods Salvation, and by Law is meant Gods Word in the General; the Promise is included in it, as well as the precept.
1. A Believer should not be comfortless in his Troubles; Ioh. 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. Immoderate sorrow for temporal Evils, will not become one that hath an interest in God and Christ; whatever falls out in the World, God is the same still, and the Covenant is the same; and our better part, and our happiness is above the reach of Trouble, there is a Long-suffering with Joyfulness; Col. 1. 4.
2. All our delight and solace must not arise from the delights of Sense, but out of the Word of God; 'Tis good to see what is our solace and support in Troubles, for the man is as his solace is. Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. How do we ease our selves in our perplexities and griefes? is it with Gods Comforts? Now Gods Comforts are Gospel Comforts; the Comforts we have from the Word they will make us more love the Word and trust more upon Gods Word, and the more confidently expect the performance of it.
3. The Promises should support us upon a twofold account; partly, because they are good; and partly, because they are sure.
(1.) They are good, there is a fulness in Gods Allowance, that suiteth with all our Cases: Psal. 84. 11. For the Lord God is a Sun, and a Shield, he will give grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from them that live uprightly. So 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness hath the promises of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. Heaven and Earth are laid at the feet of it. A Man cannot desire a greater Cordial, than necessary provisions for this, and the future Life; Psal. 119. 111. Thy testimonies I have taken for an her…ge for ever, they are the rejoicing of my heart. The promises of the World to come should swallow up all our present grief, for there is more in heaven than can be taken from us in the Creature; 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory. And Heb. 10. 34. And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods: knowing in your selves, that in heaven ye have a better and a more induring substance: We have a Treasure and an happiness elsewhere, which cannot be infringed by the Afflictions we endure in this World; we do not loose much, if we get Eternal Salvation in the issue; and so we get to Heaven, no matter how dark soever our passage be: then for the Promises of this Life, they suit with all our Troubles, Wants, Dangers, Breaches, and Distresses. But what confidence can we have of these Temporal Deliverances or Mercies? Answ. Either we shall have the Mercies themselves, or God will order Providences so, as it may be good for us to want them: and have something better given in lieu of them. Rom. 8. 28. We know he will not leave us wholly destitute, Heb. 13. 5. nor bring upon us insupportable difficulties, 1 Cor. 10. 13. and this should be enough for us, to maintain us in Life and Comfort.
(2.) They are sure as well as good.
1. As Promises; a Promise is more than a purpose, for 'tis a purpose not as conceived in the mind of a man, but declared to another to invite hope: 'tis more than a Doctrine, a Doctrine giveth notice of Priviledges, but a Promise giveth us an Interest in them. 'Tis more than a Revelation or Prophesie, Scripture prophecies will be fulfilled, because of Gods Veracity: but Scripture promises not only because of Gods Veracity, but also his fidelity and justice: there is a kind of Righteousness in making good promises, because we give another a Right and Claim to the things promised, by the promises we make to him, A promisory Lye is worse than an a…ertory Lye; a promise gives us an holdfast upon God, promittendo se fecit debitorem.
2. As the Promises of God, who cannot Lye and deceive the Creatures; Heb. 6. 18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to Lye, we might have strong Consolation. And therefore by acting Faith on these declarations of his Will, we may have the Accomplishment of them; none that euer depended on Gods Word, were disappointed; Psal. 18. 30. The word of the Lord is a tryed Word: God was never yet found worse than his Word, he hath been tender of the Credit of his Word. Psal. 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy Name. Heathens have acknowledged that God hath never so much shewed himself in the World, as in these two things foreign, in doing good, and keeping Promise. Above all that is named and famed of God, this is most Conspicuous.
Use, Is to Exhort us all in our Streights, Dangers and Troubles, to be contented with his Word, and to delight in the promise, as if it were performed. I shall here shew you how we are to carry our selves towards the promises.
1. You must rest confident of the Truth of what God hath promised, and be assured that in time the performance will come to pass, as if you saw it with your Eyes; Heb. 11. 13. They were perswaded of these things. This is the Assurance of Faith spoken of, Heb. 10. 22. I know I shall find this to be a Truth; Men are Conscionable and faithful in keeping their Word, much more God, who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
2. You are to delight in the promise, though the performance be not yet, nor like to be for a good while; neither performed, nor likely to be performed. Heb. 11. 13. They saw them afar off, and yet being perswaded of these things, they embraced them. And Ioh. 8. 56. Abraham saw my day, and was glad. You hold the Blessing by the root, where you have the promise; Heb. 6. 18.
3, You are to take the naked promise for a ground of your hope, however it seem to be contradicted in the course of his providence; 'tis his Word you are to go by, and stand by, and according to which you must interpret all his Dispensations. 'Tis said, Rom. 4. 18. That Abraham believed in hope, against hope. When Faith dependeth upon God naked Word, then it standeth upon its own Basis, and proper Legs; every thing is strongest in its props and pillars which God and nature hath appointed for it. He hangeth the Earth upon nothing, in the midest of the Air, but there is its place. So Faith standeth fast upon his Word, who is able to perform what he saith.
4. This Faith must conquer our Fears, and Cares, and Troubles; Psal. 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. And Psal. 56. 3, 4. In God I will praise his word, in God have I put my trust, I will not fear what man can do unto me. The force of Faith is seen in calming our passions, and sinful Fears; or else it is but a Notion, and our Reverence and Respect to God will be weakened by it.
5. When Faith hath done its work in the quieting of our own hearts, you must glorifie God in your Carriage before others; Ioh. 3. 33. Put to his Seal that God is true: that is, when we confirm others in the faith and belief of the promises, by our joyfulness in all Conditions, Patience and Contentedness under the Cross, Diligence in Holiness, Hope and Comfort in great streights, You shall see, Numb. 20. 12. that God was angry with Moses and Aaron, because they believed not, to sanctifie him, in the eyes of the Children of Israel. We are not only to believe in God our selves, but to sanctifie him in the eyes of others, As the Thessalonians by receiving the Word in much Affliction, much Assurance, and Joy in the Holy Ghost, were Examples to all that believed in Achaia; 1 Thes. 1. 5, 6, 7. Thus we should do, but how few do thus believe? Some count these vain words; and the Comforts thence deduced, Fanatical illusions, or Fantastical impressions; nothing so ridiculous in the Worlds Eye, as Trust and dependance on unseen Comforts. Psal. 22. 8. He trusted on the Lord, that he should deliver him, let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. Ungodly Wits make the life of Faith a sport, or matter of Laughter; Some have more modesty, but as little Faith; they are all for the present World, 2 Tim. 4. 9. present delights please them, but present Temptations altogether unsettle them; Heb. 12. 11. cannot bear present smart, nor despise the present World; Rom. 8. 19. any thing in hand is more than the greatest promise of better things to come: they do not deal equally with God and man; if man promise they reckon much of that; but cannot tarry upon Gods security: count his promise little worth, they can trade with a Factor beyond Sea, and trust all their estate in a mans hand whom they have never seen, and yet the Word of the infallible God is of little respect with them. The best build too weakly upon the promise, as appeareth by the prevalency of our Cares, and Fears; Heb. 12. 4, 5, 6. If you did take God at his Word, you would not be so soon Mated with every difficulty, there would be more resolution in Trials, more hardiness against ttoubles. A man may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me. If we had Faith to believe it, it would more effectually quiet our hearts and minds in all our streights, necessities, and perplexities, it would calm our desires and fears: we would not desire the best things of the World, nor fear the worst.