Exposition of Psalm 25, Commentary 2 · Verse 12
Verſe 12. Reſtore to me the ioy of thy ſaluation, and ſtabliſh me with thy free Spirit.
IN this 12 verſe Dauid craueth another neceſſary gift and effect flowing from the remiſſion of his ſinnes, to wit, the ioy of his conſcience. For the kingdome of God ſtandeth not in externall things, …m. 14.17as meate and drinke, but in righteouſnes, peace, and ioy in the holy Ghoſt, ſaith the Apoſtle. For being made righteous by Chriſt, and peace made with God, there ariſeth a wonderfull tranquillitie in our conſciences, from which finally …riſeth a ioy vnſpeakable. For all the ioyes of the earth could not make vsus ioyfull, vn…eſſe God were at one with him: neither can all the troubles that can fall vponupon our outward man diſcourage vsus, if we find the ioy of God in our hearts.
Nothing ſpoileth vsus of this ioy and pleaſure that we hauehave in God, but onelyonly ſin.Pleaſure in ſin taketh away our ioy in God. For once del…ghting in ſin, we can hauehave no pleaſure in Gods ſeruice; for theſe two can neuer ſtand together. Therefore we muſt loath ſinne, that we may reioyce in God.
Next,Chriſtians hauehave ioy and ſorrow intermingled. 2. Cor. 12.7 ye ſee the eſtate of a Chriſtian is not alwayes one; ioy and ſorrow is intermingled: he hath a Summer of ioyes, and a Winter of griefes. Saint Paul had the meſſenger of Satan to buffet him, that he ſhould not be exalted aboue meaſure with his great reuelations. After a Chriſtian hath mourned, he will reioyce. He who neuer ſorrowed for ſinne, will neuer reioyce for grace. He that neuer mourned for the affliction, neuer reioyceth for the conſolation of Ioſeph. Mourne with them that mourne, and reioyce with them that reioyce, ſaith the Spirit.
The ſubſtance and ground of this ioy, is the ſaluation of God; ſo God is the matter of it: and this ſaluation is purchaſed by God onelyonly.Pſal. 3.8. Saluation is the Lords. Whereby he letteth vsus ſee, that the firſt grace will not do the turne to vsus (of initiation,) but we hauehave need of the ſecond grace of confirmation, which is the accompanying and perſeuering grace.
Stabliſh me. This ſtabliſhing is to make vsus ſure: whereby he would aduertiſe vsus of our inſtabilitie and vnſureneſſe, if we were not yet ſupported. Samſon was ſtrong in grace; but being left to himſelfe, he fell. Peter bragged preſumptuouſly in his owne ſtrength,Mat. 26.33 Though all the world would forſake thee, yet I will not; yet being left to himſelfe he fell, according as Chriſt had prophecied, Before the cocke crow twiſe, thou ſhalt denie me thriſe.
Let vsus now take heed vntounto our ſelu…s, the time is come to trie all Chriſtians what is in them, and I feare our weakneſſe will appeare to the world to our ſhame and the diſhonour of our profeſſion. And I neuer ſaw any, who preſumed aboue others of their owne ſtrength,Nota. but they hauehave proued the weakeſt ſouldiers, who by Thraſonicall confidence in their wiſedome, holineſſe, conſtancie, and other of their vertues, bragged aboue their neighbours, yea contemned them, but in the end they proue cowards, preſuming in pride and falling with ſhame.
This is one of the moſt certaine markes of Gods Spirit, that as he is free in himſelfe, ſo he giueth libertie and freedome to all his children whom he poſſeſſeth.Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie. For where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is libertie. They are not bound with the chaines of ſin, they are not bound with mens traditions, but they freely ſerue God, as the children of the houſe are free. The Romans were free men; as citizens brag of their freemen, and there is great difference between them and other free men, that they may vſe their trades of merchandize without controlement; ſo is a Chriſtian, of all men, the moſt free. Our Sauiour ſaid to Peter, Who ſhould pay tribute, children or ſtrangers?
But I pray you,Mat. 17.25 Obiect. Solut. is a Chriſtian who braggeth of the Spirit, free to do what he pleaſeth? God forbid; he is onelyonly free to do Gods commandements, and to ſtand in the libertie which God hath giuen him. He is bound to keep the cōmandements of God, to be free from the traditions and vanities of men. So a man needeth not to brag of the Spirit, that he may ſay and do what he pleaſeth, and alwaies pretend the Spirit and the libertie purchaſed by Chriſts blood to eueryevery one of his follies; no, but that libertie hath her owne bounds and circumſcriptions; for the Spirit giueth vsus no more libertie, but that which is bound by his word.
No true ioy but in the ſaluatiō of Chriſt.The word jaſha importeth either Sauiour or ſaluation, as Ier. 3.18. To declare that there is no true ioy but in the ſaluation by Chriſt. This ioy Marie had in God her Sauiour, Luk. 1.47. and Iohn in his mothers wombe leaped for ioy, Luk. 1.44. Zach. 5.9. Iſa. 60.5. Reioyce daughter Sion. This ioy maketh vsus reioyce in tribulation, by the comforter who eateth vp all our ſorrowes and perplexities, as fire eateth vp the ruſt of iron. Other ioyes be but toyes. Quicquid non eſt in Domino, non tam intus recreat, quam foras: What ioy is not in the Lord, refreſheth not ſo much within as without. This is the wine which Salomon commandeth to be giuen to the grieued in heart.Pro. 11.6. And ſurely this ioy is a foretaſte of that future ioy which we ſhall hauehave in heauen, where there ſhall be no interchange of ioy with ſorow, but a perpetuall ioy, wherein the creature ſhall reioyce in the Creator, and daily find new cauſes of pleaſure.Pſal. 16.12 At thy right hand is pleaſure for euermore.
But where he deſireth a reſtauration of this ioy, it is certaine that he once felt and taſted of the ſweetneſſe of Gods fauour and the life to come;Thoſe who abuſe the fauour of God, ſhall feele the want therof and this ſenſe failing him for a while, he deſireth that it may be repaired and reſtored to him. And God iuſtly dealeth this way with men. For when they abuſe the time of his gracious viſitation, he letteth them feele themſelues what they are without him. Therefore he is glad to ſeeke now with the prodigall ſonne, a reſtitution of the thing loſed.
Stabliſh me. He craueth now the gift of confirmation; as though he would ſay: Albeit thou wouldſt beſtow all the former benefits, of remiſſion of my ſin, of ſanctification, and ioy proceeding therefrom, yet I am likely to loſe them, vnleſſe it would pleaſe thee to confirme and ſtrengthen me to the end. Therefore he craueth to be ſtabliſhed by the Spirit; and he addeth an epithete to that Spirit, calling it his free Spirit.
Our Lord was reproched for his frequencle with ſinners; they called him a drunkard▪ becauſe he dranke with them;Luk. 2.16. and a glutton, becauſe he eated with them. Who would reproue a Phyſitian which frequenteth with patients; and who would reproue a Preacher who haunteth and conuerſeth with penitents,Simil. not to peruert, but conuert them.
Thy free Spirit. He letteth vsus ſee, that this ſtabilitie commeth by no other meanes but by the Spirit of God; as oftentimes he doth make mention in this Pſalme. The title which he giueth to the Spirit, is a free Spirit. The Spirit is free in himſelfe, neither can he be limited: ſo thoſe who hauehave him cannot be bounded by any humane deuice or preſumption.The Spirit is free in himſelfe. The winde bloweth whither it pleaſeth; and ſhall not the Spirit hauehave libertie to blow whither he pleaſeth. N… man ſeeth the wind, yet it bloweth and ouerthroweth great houſes and trees: and ye… they will binde the word of God. This … ſpeake not, that I would wiſh any to pretend the Spirit, and alledge for whatſoeue… thing they ſay a warrant of the Spirit: thu… keeping that libertie to be a pretence an… ſauegard of their imaginations; as the Ana…baptiſts ſay; but there is no warrant fo… ſuch riot; for the Spirit ſeeketh nothin… …ut by the word.
Chriſtian libertie is to ſerue God.Neither can this Chriſtian libertie be a …retence for Atheiſts, who vnderunder couert of Chriſtian libertie doe what they pleaſe, …pend their time in all maner of riot. Our …ibertie is to ſerue God, not ſinne, from the …ondage whereof we are made free.