And uphold me with a free spirit

‘And uphold me with a free spirit/ — Yek. 12b, RACE first restores man to a right relation to

God. Thereby it also restores him to a right relation to himself: and, as a result of this, he comes also to a right attitude towards his fellow-men. When grace makes the soul partaker of the favor of God and the Spirit of God, the joy of God’s salvation is shed abroad in the heart, and then as the fruit of this prevenient blessing, heart and mouth are opened to make others acquainted with the grace of God. It is this blessing that David now entreats from the divine mercy. He feels his calling; he is aware of his weakness; in the midst of this infirmity he reckons on help from above.

David realizes his calling. Every ransomed soul must be a witness and an example of the grace of God. For the honor of God and the salvation of others, he is bound to make known what great things the Lord has done for his soul. He knows that the living witness is better than the dead letter, and that the world shall be constrained to acknowledge the work of God and adore His grace, only when believers confess with distinctness and boldness what God has done for them, and showr by word and walk that it is due to His compassion that they can set their seal to it that God is faithful. They must be in the presence of the world a convincing proof of what grace can really effect. Amongst men a candle is never lit to be hidden under a bushel; and the Eternal desires that His people, the light of the world, should let their light shine. All this David knew: he will not repudiate what God has joined together; and as cordially as he had confessed his sin and entreated redemption, does he also prepare himself for the service of thanksgiving and of love.

But he also knows his own weakness. He remembers how lightly his confidence before men might well be esteemed. He had experienced what every believer can testify to, how the world and all that is of the world, even though it should assume the form only of a slight departure from God towards sin, must shut the mouth, or, if the testimony is given, must render it ineffectual. The feeling which he expresses in another psalm, ‘I have believed, therefore have I spoken,’ was the utterance of his own experience. He knew that unless he had the Spirit of faith he could not know how to speak aright. And with the consciousness that there was still in him so much of the fear of man as well as of sluggishness

HATE MERCY UPON ME.

arid unfaithfulness, it was a matter of necessity for him, ere he passed to the promises of thanksgiving, to pour out a prayer for this gift of divine grace also: ‘Uphold me with a free spirit.’

David knew that he could reckon upon it, that the grace of God would bestow this blessing also upon him. Grace not only imparts forgiveness of sins, renewal of heart and sanctification of life, but is also prepared to put the soul in a position to praise God and confess His name in the midst of every duty to which it is summoned. This is a point that believers understand too imperfectly and reflect on too little. They feel that the forgiveness of sin is an act of mere grace on the part of God: they acknowledge perhaps that the sanctification of the life must also be wrought by grace. They do not know that the free spirit, with its power, must also just as certainly be the gift of free grace. They are persuaded that the open confession of the grace of God and the proclamation of His goodness to others is indeed the work by which out of gratitude they are bound to requite the Lord, as with the best they have to give. But they feel that they are not equal to this duty, and continue often to lie helpless in their weakness and unfaithfulness, full of self -accusation and self-reproach. They are not aware that grace not only begins the work of redemption, but also completes it; that with the same certitude as when they first prayed for forgiveness, they may also expect that God will put them in a position to fulfill their vows of thanksgivtag. It was in the confidence that this was indeed the case that David prayed: c Have mercy upon me. Uphold me with a free spirit.5

£ A free spirit ‘: the word yields very important points. £ “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,’ freedom from all servitude, from all oppression, freedom especially from the fear and doubt which more than all else weaken the soul. It is only in the life of the Spirit and the entire surrender of the heart to be filled by the Spirit of God that abiding freedom can be found. It is always only freedom before God that makes us free also in relation to man. And for this full confidence before God it is indispensable that we should resort much to Him, hold much fellowship with Him, and be conscious of maintaining an unreserved surrender to His will and service. He who has thus assured his heart before God shall never need to fear before any man. The continued unclouded consciousness of God’s friendship, nourished in hidden conscientious intercourse with Him, will make the soul free from the dominion of the fear of man, and, besides, put it in a position to testify of the praise of God.

Believer, pray for a free spirit. Grace will certainly bestow it upon you. You hinder grace in its work if you remain without this blessing. You set yourselves in contentment with the half of what the grace of God is prepared to do for you. You defraud grace of the honor due to it, if you continue satisfied without this gift. It is due to you, it is your privilege, and a portion destined for you by God, to walk with a free spirit in the face of the world and of sin, as one of God’s redeemed, and as a child of the heavenly King. Only live the life of grace; only receive the blessings of redemption as they are presented in the verses of this Psalm; let the joy of God’s salvation fill you; and in answer to prayer this free spirit also shall become your cherished possession. If you do not yet have it, let your faith stretch out towards it and expect it: be much engaged in the sincere, earnest prayer: ‘Uphold me with a free spirit’: out of the riches of the grace of God, you shall certainly obtain it.