Psalm 119:166
Vkrse 166. — Lord, I hare hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.
The man of God had said, verse 165, “Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them;” now he particularly applieth to himself what he had generally spoken before. It is sweet when we can thus comfortably apply promises, and make out our own title and interest. This is David’s work in this and the following verses. Here he maketh profession of two things, his hope and obedience; which, indeed, are the two great things that belong to a Christian; graces much praised, and little practised: Quarum mtdta sunt elogia, pauca exempla. They are fitly coupled together in his plea; “I have hoped,” I have “done;” for our confidence in God“s mercy is no greater than our fidelity in his precepts; and they are both professed before God, who searcheth the heart and trieth the reins. “Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation, and done thy commandments.”
Doctrine. — Sound hope of salvation is, and must be, joined with a care of keeping God’s commandments.
First, I shall speak of the several branches of this profession apart.
Secondly, Then of their conjunction.
First, separately; and there, —
1st, Of the profession of his hope: “Lord, I have hoped for thy salvation.”
1, The object and thing hoped for is salvation. Salvation is temporal, or eternal; of the body, or of the soul. Rabbi David Kimchi understandeth it of the latter’; but it seemeth rather to imply help and deliverance out of dangers and distresses. Indeed, neither can be well excluded: not eternal salvation, for, without that, temporal deliverance is but a reprieve for a time, not a total exemption from evil; not temporal salvation, because, before we come to look for our full and final deliverance, God will try us by the way, and train us up in the expectation of other things. As men learn to swim in the rivers and shallow waters that afterwards tliej- may swim in the ocean and deep waters; so, by expecting lesser things, we learn to wait for greater: both must be hoped for, but with a difference; eternal salvation absolutely, but temporal with submission to God’s will. We have not temporal things always in specif, in kind; but sometimes in value; for these things may be recompensed and made up another way, but no recompence can be given us for eternal life. The Apostle speaketh with submission as to his temporal case, but is peremptory as to his eternal state: “Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from eveiy evil work, and will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. iv. 17, 18). Again, though we are not to neglect the meanest promise, yet our hearts should run more upon the things of another world. A Christian honoureth God by his faith about temporal things, when he will not cast away his hope in the deepest calamities; but much more when the concernments of the world to come are of the greatest force with him, and his heart is wholly taken up about them: “Looking for that blessed hope” (Titus ii. 13); there is the character of a Christian. Peace and freedom from trouble in the world is not the main thing that we should look after; but perfect conformity to God, and full fruition of him. God is the chief good; and the fruition of him as promised, is the utmost happiness of the creature. A true Christian hath a greater indifierency to the things of this life; all his business is to get an assurance of a better: he can look through the troubles of the world, and see sunshine behind the back of the storm: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalm xlii. 11). But chiefly his hope is laid up for him in Heaven (Col. i. 5); his portion is laid up for him, and kept safe for his use, in a sure place: here he knoweth he must be exercised with temptations and crosses. In short, temporal things are desired for the sake of spiritual and eternal; but eternal for themselves, A ti-aveller desireth a horse, not so much for himself, as for the conveniency of his journey; so he expecteth temporal things as helps in his way and passage to Heaven. Well then, salvation is the object of this hope, temporal salvation in order to eternal; that we may have opportunities to glorify God here, and may not faint and be overwhelmed with incident crosses. This sentence is borrowed from good old Jacob: “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord” (Gen. xlix. 18). It is notable, Jacob speaketh this when prophetically blessing his children; and, when he cometh to Dan, the good old man seemed to be carried beside his purpose, breaking out this of a sudden, but in spirit foreseeing the miseries and calamities which his posterity should fall into for their idolatry; for Dan was the first tribe that made defection,
therefore he opposeth his hopes to his fears. We are told in the general, “It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam. iii. 26); that is, for deliverance out of troubles. It will be of great use to
US in our troubles, to look to the issue of them. The Lord doth not wholly cast otf his people, when he seemeth to break down the hedge and fence of his providence, and leave them in their enemies’ hands; he hath salvation for a hoping people. But mark, it is thy salvation; it is good to come out of trouble upon God’s terms, in God’s way, and in God’s time; others break prison: “My soul waiteth upon God, from him cometh my salvation” (Psalm lxii. 1). Expect it from God, and him alone.
2. The act of grace, “I have hoped.” Hope, in the general, is the expectation of some future good; as it is a grace, it is some good thing promised by God: “I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope” (Psalm cxxx. 5); “lam judged for the hope of the promise,” saith Paul (Acts xxvi. 6); so that hope is the expectation of good things promised. Faith and hope do both work upon the promise; but yet they are distinct graces. They differ in their object. The object of faith is larger; the whole word of God is the object of faith. We believe things past, present, and to come; but hope for things to come only. Among things to come, we believe both promises and threatenings; but the object of hope is only things desirable. We believe the torments of Hell, but do not hope for them. In the promises, faith believeth the promise, and hope looketh for the thing promised: faith looketh to the authority of the promisor, and hope to the goodness of the thing promised: faith begets hope, and then hope strengthens faith: faith holdeth the candle to the soul, whereby we see things invisible, and to come; and hope maketh this light comfortable and ravishing to us. We have comfort in believing, because hopes of enjoying. To believe eternal life, if we had not hopes to attain it, were a comfortless thing. Faith is before hope, and leadeth us to the object; and hope followeth as faith leadeth. Faith assents to, and applieth the yromise; and hope waiteth for the accom« plishment. There are several sorts of hope: —
(1.) There is a vain and groundless hope, the dream of a waking man. As if a beggar should hope for the succession of a crown; so there are some that dream of peace and safety, and “sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child” (1 Thess. v. 3). This is an irrational thing.
(2.) There is rational and probable hope, but yet not so firm and certain: it is likely it will be so, but we have no absolute certainty: “He that ploweth, should plow in hope; and he that thresheth in hope, should be partaker of his hope” (1 Cor. ix. 10). This is necessary for the carrying on of all human actions, that a man should have probable hope of success; for, without it, there is no labour or rational attempt.
(3.) There is a firm and certain hope, when we have assurance of the things hoped for: so, in the commerce between us and God, he giveth us assurance in his promises by his word and oath, that our consolation may be the more strong, when we fly for refuge to the hope that is set before us (Heb. vi. 17, 18). There is a blessed and glorious estate reserved to be enjoyed in the heavens, this is set before us; propounded as a prize in the view of the world. Now, when we take hold of this, gain a right and title to it, God would have our consolation the more strong, by the assurance he hath given us in the covenant made with us in Christ. Well then. Christian hope is not a conjecture, or probability, but an assurance. Many times all kind of probability is contrary to God’s assurance. Abra-SERMON CLXXXI. VKllSE ChXXJ. 41 7
ham believed in hope against hope (Rom. iv, 18): Credidit in ape gratia?, contra spem naturce. God’s assurance pi-evailed above natural difficulties; there rational and human hope, and Divine hope, are opposed.
(4.) This assurance admits of degrees; for it may be full or not full: “And we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Heb. vi. 11). The full assurance is that which removeth all doubts and fears; and this it may do at some time, and not at another: it may be interrupted, or continue to the end. Now, we nuist give all diligence that it may do so. By slothfulness and negligence, it will be lost: presumption and carnal hope cost a man nothing to keep it, it groweth upon us we know not how; but this certain hope is not kept lively and upon the wing without great zeal and diligence in the spiritual life. Oh! but it concerneth us much so to do. This hope is necessaiy for us, —
(i.) To quicken and enliven our duties. Hope of reward is one of the bands of a man, the weight that inclineth us to all actions; much more doth this great reward which the Christian faith propounds: “And now I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come; for which hope’s sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews” (Acts xxvi. 6, 7); and, “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience, void of offence toward God and toward men” (Acts xxiv. 15, 16). I run not as one that is uncertain, (1 Cor. ix. 26), not by guess, but sure grounds: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. iii. 14). It is great and sure, here is excellency and certainty; a man that hopeth for anything, will be engaged in the thorough pursuit of it.
(ii.) It sharpeneth our affections after heavenly things; when we look for them, we shall also long for them: “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption; to wit, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. viii. 23). Hoye stirreth up serious thoughts of Heaven and blessedness to come, and hearty groans after it; and so sets both mind and heart a work. It sets the mind a work; a man cannot hope for a thing, but he will be thinking of it; as the Scripture speaketh of the labourer, that he lifts up his soul to the hii-e which he expects; thoughts will be sent as spies into the land of promise, to bring us tidings thence. And it sets the heart a longing and groaning, that we were at home: “For the earnest expectation of the creature,” cnroKapaoKia Kriaewg, stretcheth out the head (Rom. viii. 19), to see if it can spy it a-coming; as, when Sisera’s mother expected him, she looked through the lattice. There will be strong desires, as well as serious thoughts; not glances and hasty wishes, such as worldly persons may have in their serious moods and sober fits; these vanish and leave the heart never the better; but earnest longings, such as settle into a heavenly frame. That taste which they have already, maketh them groan for what is behind.
(iii.) It sets the heart at rest, and allayeth our disquiets, and fears, and cares, and sorrows, that so we may go on cheerfully in God’s service. It is the pleasure of God that the heirs of promise should for a while shine as lights in a corrupt world, and be exercised with all kinds of temptation,
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418 SERilOXS ON V6XJ.il CXIX.
that his power may be manifested in their weakness. Now, that we may ride out the storm, he gave us hope; not only veniam sperandi, leave to hope for his mercy; but virtutem sjoerandi, the grace of hope, strength so to do; and what is the use of it, but to calm the heart under all distempers? therefore it is compared to a helmet and an anchor. To a helmet: “For a helmet the lolyQ of salvation” (1 Thes. v. 8). A helmet is to cover the head; this maketh a believer hold up head in all his straits and troubles. The policy of the Devil is to weaken or darken the hopes of eternal life; and then he knoweth he shall the sooner overcome us: therefore the life of a Christian should be to keep on his helmet, to keep his hopes of Heaven lively and fresh; and then he will not be dejected. Again, it is compared to an anchor: “Which hope we have, as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil” (Heb. vi. 19). As the anchor holdeth the ship in a tempest, so doth hope keep the mind in a constant temper in the midst of the stormy gusts of temptatation, that we dash not against the rock, that would break our confidence and profession: it strengthens and quiets the floating heart of man. Things will end well at last, how blustering and stormy socler the weather be at the present. The floods of temptation, and the tribulations of this present life, are permitted to invade us, but that God hath given us an anchor, that they shall not drive us from the haven of eternal happiness. Whatever our cross be, immoderate grief for the death of near and dear relations: “SoiTow not even as others which have no hope” ( I Thes. iv. 13). Cur enim doleas si periisse non credis? Cur impatienter ferres siibductum, quern iterum credis reversurw7i esse? profesto est quam piitas mortem; saith Tertullian, De Patienfid. If for loss of goods and estate: “And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance” (Heb. x. 34). If a poor man that had all his wealth about him, should fall into the hands of thieves and robbers, and be rifled by them, he must needs cry and take on pitifully; for, alas! he is altogether undone, and hath nothing left him wherewithal to succour himself and his family. But a rich man, that hath store of money at home, and sure locked up in his chest, will never complain and be much disquieted, when he hath twenty or forty shillings taken from him. For worldlings to rage and take on, when they must lose their estates, it is no marvel: those whose portion is in this life, and know no better. Alas! for, when these things are gone, they have nothing left, and are quite undone! But those that are heirs according to the hope of eternal life, they know they have a better and a more enduring substance; they consider what they are born to, what they shall enjoy when they come home to God; therefore their hearts are calmed and quieted. So if it be the oppression of wicked men, and hard sufferings and persecutions for the Gospel; “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen, are temporal; but the things which are not seen, are eternal” (2 Cor. iv. 17, 18). He that hopeth for nothing from God, will soon fall ofi’from him, and yield to fainting discouragements, their hearts are turned off and perverted; but, when we hope, we do with patience submit to the cross. What troubles will not they undergo, that expect undoubtedly their speedy ending in everlasting and endless bliss and happiness,^ If God hideth his face, that raiseth a storm:”
Why art thou cast down, O my soul, &c.: hope in God” (Psalm xliii. 5); casting anchor upon the rock, as the crying child fulls asleep with the teat in his mouth. Or when God delayeth the performance of what is promised: ‘’ Hope deferred maketh the heart sick” (Prov. xiii. 12). Expectation is a ledious thing, as smoke to the eyes and vinegar to the teeth, an ordinary messenger sent on a trifling errand. Now, “If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Rom. viii. 25); “And patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thes. i. 3). Is a title nothing before possession? It is not a matter of debt. Or is it the feav of approaching death, which is the king of terx’ors.^ “The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in his death” (Prov. xiv. 32). The wicked, being arrested by death, is hurried away into Hell; but the righteous dismisseth his soul into his Redeemer’s hands. Never more cheerful, than when our confidence in God’s mercy is most put to trial.
2ndly, Here is the profession of his obedience, “I have done thy commandments.”
Here is,
1. The object, “thy coramandmeuts.”
2. The act of duty, “done.”
1. The object, “thy commandments,” y?<m tua; therefore kept them, because they are thine; things thou hast given in chai-ge: men were ready to persuade, or threatened him out of his duty.
2. The act of duty, “done thy commandments.” The act of duty, to do, noteth the substance of the act, or omission; the doing things commanded, by eschewing things forbidden.
3. The manner of doing: out of knowledge of God’s command, and conscience of obeying it, to his glory and our salvation. Now, saith David, I have done it; implying, I have not only care and conscience, but strength and ability, in some measure to do thy will.
But is not this plea a proud word for a creature to say, I have done thy commandments? Who can thus say, and aver it to the face of God .^
Answer. — There is a twofold keeping or doing of the commandments; kgal and evangelical.
1. Legal. When we do them so exactly, as is answerable to the rigour of the law, and as the rule of strict justice doth require; which exactness is, when our obedience is universal in every point; when everything commanded by God is done by us, without failing in one point: “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them” (Gal. iii. 10).
(1.) In all things; and that, —
(2.) Continually, in respect of time; from the first minute of our birth till our dissolution: one failing in thought at any time casteth off our plea.
(3.) Full and complete in respect of the degrees and measure of obedience, with the utmost intention and affection of the heart, which the Scripture expresseth by all the heart and all the soul. In this sense, never man was able to keep the law, save only the flrst Adam in innocency, and the second Adam Jesus Christ; and therefore, according to this rigour, there is no hope for us; one sin once committed, would undo us for ever, as it did the apostate angels.
2. Evangelical, according to the kintiKcta and moderation of the Gospel; that is, when we do the commandments according to those tei-ms of rrrar-e
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120 SEllMONS Oy PSALM tXlX.
which God offereth to us in Christ; that doth, as to obedience, mitigate the rigour of the law in two things: —
(1.) It granteth a pardon of course, to some kinds of sins.
(2.) Accepteth of reypentance, after any the most heinous sin committed.
(1.) It granteth a pardon of course to some kinds of sins, as sins of infirmity; either of ignorance, which if we had known we should not have committed; or sins of sudden surreption, which escape without our observing them; or sins of violent temptation, which, by sudden assault, sway against the right rule, before we have time to weigh both it and ourselves, or in cool blood to think what we are a-doing. Such as do not arise out of any evil purpose of the mind, but out of human frailty, and from which we shall never be free as long as we live in this body of corruption (Rom. vii. 34). Paul groaneth under these relics; when what we have done is not out of deliberate consent, giving way to the growth and reign of sin: “‘For sin shall not have dominion over you” (Rom. vi. 14); Non dixit, non sit, sed non regnet; inest jieccatum cum peiyefras, regnat cum consenseris, saith Austin. When we give obedience to it, freely, willingly yield up ourselves to be servants of it, then sin reigns: therefore he doth not say, let not sin be in you, or tempt j’ou, or please you; but let it not reign in you. It is a misery to be tempted, a snare to be delighted, and a forfeiture or renouncing the grace of the covenant, to give up ourselves to the full sway of it.
2. The Gospel doth herein moderate the rigour of the law, because it leaveth a sinner a way and means of recovery; namely, by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ; and upon repentance giveth him a pardon (Matt. ix. 13). Remission or forgiveness is a privilege of the new covenant; the law knoweth no such matter: “But, if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die: all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him” (Ezek. xviii. 21, 22). Well then, this is to be understood in the Gospel sense; it is the plea of a man justified freely by God’s grace, and one that is sincere and upright for the main: one that had received grace to be faithful, though not without his infirmities, and did not make a practice to live in any known sin against conscience.
Secondly, We now come to show the connexion between these two.
1. None can and do rightly hope for salvation, but they that keep the commandments.
2. None do and can keep the commandments, but they that hope for salvation.
1st, None can and do rightly hope for salvation, but they that keep the commandments. That will appear to you, —
1. Partly, because God hath, by a wise ordination, conjoined means and end, and offered the promises with a qnalification: “To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life” (Rom. ii. 7). God hath not simply promised blessedness; but the promise requireth a qualification, and a performance of duty, in the person to whom the promise is made; and therefore, before we can have a certainty of hope, we must not only look upon the assurance on God’s part, but make out our qualification. So,” Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sit-SERMON ci.xxxi. — lj;ksi; c],xvi. 421
teth in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the hwv of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm i. 1, 2). So, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart” (Psalm cxix. 1, 2); and many such places, which intimate that blessedness iDclongeth to such as are of a holy heart, and entirely give up themselves to a holy course; that doing the commandments uprightly, and in a Gospel sense, is a necessary condition to qualify those persons which shall be saved. And therefore they that live in any sin against conscience, may take notice how fearful their estate is for the present, and how needful it is to begin a good course, before they can have any hope toward God.
2. And partly, because true hope is operative, and hath an influence this way. There are two parts in sanctification, mortification and vivification; and true hope hath an influence on both. iSIortiflcation: “And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John iii. 3); that, when we see God, we shall be like him. He that hopeth for such a pure and sinless estate, either to see God, will he appear before him in his filthy rags? Joseph washed himself when he was to come before Pharaoh: so when to appear before God, what! with this wanton, vain, unclean heart? We are to be like him; is this to be like Christ, where there is such a disproportion between head and members? And if this hope be fixed in our hearts, it will set us a-purifying more and more. So for vivification, it urgeth and encourageth to obedience: “For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly righteously, and godly, in this present world”’ (Titus, ii. 11, 12). Look backward or forward, it urgeth the heart to obedience. Why backward to the duties of holiness? shall we be lazy in his work, when we expect such a g-reat reward?
3. Because there is no such thing to damp hope, and weaken our confidence, as sin. We cannot trust him whom we have offended freely, and without restraint; and therefore, while we please the flesh, we break our confidence. Sin will breed shame and fear; and it is impossible to hope in God, unless we serve him in love, and seek to please him. If we feel it not presently, we shall feel it: sin, that now weakeneth the faith which we have in the commandments, will in time weaken the faith that we have in the promises. Every part of God’s revealed will cometh to be tried one time or another. Our confidence in God’s mercy is not earnestly and directly assaulted till the hour of death, or the time of extraordinary trial. When the evil day cometh, then the consciousness of our own sin, whereunto we have been indulgent, will be of like force to withdraw our assent from God’s mercies, as the delight and pleasure we took was to cause us to trangress his commandments: “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law” (1 Cor. XV. 56).
4. Because our hope is increased by our diligence in the holy life. This fostereth and augments it: “iVnd we desire that every one of you do show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end” (Heb. vi. 1 1). It must needs be so; for, since there is a qualification, the more clear our qualification, the more full is our assurance of hope; and so far as a man neglects his duty, and abateth in his qualification, so far doth his assurance abate. To look on one side of the covenant, is a groundless presumption.
2ndly, None do or can keep the commandments, but they that hope far salvation. This is plain from the order of the words in the text; first, I hoped for thy salvation, therefore have done the commandments; implying, that thereby he kept the commandments. Without this, none can have a heart or a hand to do anything for God. Peccator (saith Bernard) nihil expectat indiqiic 2)eccafor est quod bonis preseniihus. Noyi nindo delectus, scd etiam contentus; nihil in fi/ti/rum exjjectat. He that looketh for nothing from God, can never be diligent in his service, nor faithful and true to him. Hope, it is our strength:” And I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord’’ (Lam. iii. 1 8): we first begin, continue, and go on with God, upon the hope he offereth to us.
Use L — It reproveth those that hope well, but take no care to do anything for God. Every one will say they must hope in God, but none looketh after this lively and operative hope: their hope is barren and unfruitful. Who are they that can make application of the promises? (2 Tim. iv. 8 )
Use H. — Is to persuade us to the coupling of these two. When this conjunction is founded, then are we in a right frame. If we would keep the commandments, we must hope for the salvation of God; if we would hope for the salvation of God, we must keep the commandments. This is most acceptable to the Lord; “The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy” (Psalm cxlvii. 11). Such as believe, and fear to offend him, they have acceptable communion with him. It is for your comfort (Acts ix. 31), it is for the honour of religion on the one side, to avoid the carnal confidence of Papists; on the other, the cold profession of Protestants; if you hope for temporal deliverance. They that make no conscience of obeying God, cannot hope for deliverance from him; for his salvation must be expected in the way of his precepts: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land” (Psalm xxxvii. 3). So, “Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it” (verse 34). Then we may commend ourselves and all our affairs to God’s care and trust: it becometh them that look for salvation, and to be helped out of their troubles, to be more earnest than others in keeping his law. If you would enjoy the comfortable assurance that you shall be saved at length, live so as you may never mar your confidence: “Be sober, and hope to the end” (1 Peter i. 13). Live answerably to your hope: (1 Thes. ii. 12). On the other side, hope: study promises: “The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Rom. xv. 13); he is not only the object, but the author of it