Psalm 119:174
Verse 174. — I have longed for thy salvation, 0 Lord; and ihtj law is yny delight. In this verse, you have a twofold assertion, or protestation: — First, Of a vehement desire of the salvation promised,” I have longetl
for thv salvation.”
470 SEKMO^’S ON PSALM CXIX.
Secondly, A great love and complacency in the word of God, “and thy law is my delight.”
This verse may be understood either of tetnporal salvation or eternal salvation; the words may be acconnnodated to either sense. The context would seem to limit it to the former, and so an enforcing of the second request of this portion, “Deliver me according to thy word” (verse 170). Many interpreters, both Jewish and Christian, carry it for the other. Jewish: Rabbi David Kimchi expoundeth it thus, “thy salvation” scecidofuturo; 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 his help seemeth to be delayed, yet thy counsel is my consolation and perpetual delight. The words, thus understood, yield us two points: —
Doctrine I. — That God”s 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 God”s people do look to God for deliverance, and longingly expect it.
The point shall be discussed in these considerations: —
1. What longing for God’s salvation implieth?
2. The encom-agements and reasons of it.
3. What singular thing there is in this longing expectation, since it is natural to all to seek deliverance out of trouble.
1st, What it im])heth?
1. A sense of our impotency or insufficiency to save ourselves, and help ourselves out of trouble, by any ways and means that we can find out and use: “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord” (Psalm iii. 8); “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah ii. 9). Salvation and deliverance of all kinds, is God’s prerogative royal, and God’s proper work; none can save and give peace when he commandeth trouble; and, when he will save his people, none can let. It is an evidence of men’s neglecting a deity, when they would help and save themselves in all conditions, without depending or employing a god: “Hast thou an arm like God? Then will I also confess unto thee, that thme own right hand can save thee” (Job xl. 9 and 14). Alas! if we look elsewhere, how soon are we disappointed! Man is a mutable creature; his affections change, or his powder 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 ourselves 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 wieldeth it? That is one lesson God hath been teaching bis people in all ages, that “salvation belongeth unto the Lord;” they must take their
SEUMON CLXXXVII. — VKKSE CLJvXlV. ‘1/1
deliverance out ol” 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 niot.t 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 implieth a dependence upon his fatherly care and powerful providence, and a persuasion that hf will guide us unto Heaven in a way that is most convenient for us. The great cause of God’s anger against his people in the wilderness, was “because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation” (Psalm lxxviii. 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 Jacob, 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 strait, in a way most conducing to his own glory and their welfare. Now, God’s 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: “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (Hab. iii. 18); “My spirit doth rejoice in God my Saviour” (Luke i. 47). They are satisfied in his love and power: “But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation” (Psalm xiii. 5).
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 (Psalm xl. 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 rejoice 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: “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation” (Psalm xxxv. 3). God’s saying is doing: he speaketh by his providence; and this is that the saints long for, they plead with him:” I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts’’ (Psalm cxix. 94).
4. It expresseth waiting God’s leisure and submission, for the kind, time, and means of deliverance: “It is good that a man should both hoye and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam. iii. 26). They continue looking and waiting: “Blessed are all they that wait for him’’ (Isa. XXX. 18). We must wait in the midst of manifold disappointments. When means miscarry, it is in his power to rescue his people from the greatest dangers, and he hath a prerogative to save and deliver those whom reason and probability have condemned, and given over for lust: as the Israelites,” Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord’’ (Exod. xiv. 1 3). They were enclosed, the mountains on each side, the Egyptians behind, the sea before; yet what cannot the salvation of God do? There is a 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: Jacob, when he fainted, was forced to interrupt his speech, and utter this ejaculation, “I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord!” (Gen. xlix. 18.) In short, God hath ways of deliverance more than his people know of; and can save his own, when they count their case desperate: “He that is our God, is the God of salvation; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death” (Psalm lxvii. 20); the escapes from death and imminent destruction.
2ndly, The reasons and encouragements of looking and longing for God’s salvation.
1. God hath bound himself by covenant as our God; it is his covenant style, to be the God of our salvation. Psalm lxviii. 19, 20, in the one verse, he is called *■’ the God of our salvation;” in the other it is 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 infen-ed out of his title: “Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.” (Psalm iii. 8.) If God can save, and the salvation be a blessing to his people, he will save them, and deliver them. It is 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 believer’s 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 always performed, it is not for Avant of power or truth, but out of wisdom and love. God doth what is most convenient for us; it is in a wise hand: if it be good for me, I shall have it. Now, this is a mighty encouragement to look and long for God’s salvation. He shall have the stating 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: “There is no restraint to the Lord, to save by many or by few” (1 Sam. xiv. 6). The same supported Asa (2 Chron. xiv. 11). The same supported the three children: “Our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace” (Dan. iii. 17). Now, a desire is mightily quickened by this confidence; God hath promised to do what is good, and it is 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: “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations” (2 Peter ii. 9). It is 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 pro idence may be seen, the patience and faith of his people may be tried, and yet his enemies reckoned with.
(3.) He hath love enough; God doth concern himself in all our affairs:.” We trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe” (1 Tim. iv. 10). A protector and deliverer; yea, it is said he saveth man and beast (Psalm xxxvi. 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
SEIiMON CLXXXVII. VEESE CLXXIV. 473
his care assured to them: “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth tor you “’ (1 Peter v. 7). 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 ourselves. 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 God’s undertaking and sufficiency to make it good.
(1.) Not any danger from men, though of never so dreadful an appearance: “Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Cor, i, 10). 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 means to sale, and he came off safe and sound.
(2.) Not any appearance of anger from God himself: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job xiii. 15). 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 ways, 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.
3rdly, It is natural to all to seek deliverance out of troubles: “The captive exile hasteth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit” (Isa. li. 14). How, then, is it any part of grace to long for God’s salvation?
I answer, it is 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 God’s 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 dvrcpKo, live upon himself, be sufficient to his own happiness; and so they are Aexed when they are left upon God, and put upon dependence, 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 God’s salvation, and biddeth him ask a sign:” I will not ask, neither will I tempt the Lord’’ (Isa. vii. 11 — 13). I will not trust the Lord, he raeaneth, 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 God’s way. Now, Ahaz could not endure to trust God alone; he depended on the Assyrian, and not on God’s salvation: he believed nothing the Prophet spake, but counted it vain and frivolous, and w as resolved to go another way to work.
2, God’s salvation as to the means, not by our shifts; that maketh a breach upon our sincerity: “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect” (Gen. xvii. 1). 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. iii. 12): this is making more haste than good speed (Isa. xxviii. 16). It plungeth us in sin; it is the greatest hypocrisy that caa be, to pretend respect to God, and shift for ourselves; it is to break prison, to get out of trouble before Uod lettetU 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 Kings vi. 30), afterwards said,” This evil is of the Lord; what should I wait for the Lord any longer?’’ They give it over as a hopeless service.
4. That, in the height of trouble, they still go to God, and will not cast away their confidence and dependence, come what will come: “In the-way of thy judgments, O Lord,, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee”’ (Isa. xxvi. 8). They still look to him, and, though often disappointed, will seek salvation, from no other; they still cleave to God’s way: “All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant” (Psalm xliv. 17). They persevere in prayer: “Unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Lord, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me?” They will not give over, but show 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 God’s salvation in humble and earnest prayer.
1. It is no time to look elsewhere: for God will show us that vain is the help of man, by many disappointments: “I, even I, am the Lord;, and besides me there is no saviom-” (Isa. xliii. 11). He will break all confidences, till we come to this. He shall be my salvation; as Job 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 are to be expected from God only: “Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills, and from the mountains: truly in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel” (Jer. iii. 23). God will teach us this lesson ere he hath done with us. Usually, there is no serious dealing with God, till we find the vanity and inability of all other dependences: looking to the hills and mountains, strength of situation, forces, all these will fail us.
5. It is 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: “And ye shall seek me and find me,, when ye shall search for me with all your heart; to give you an expected end” (Jer. xxix. 11, 12). We do not stir up ourselves to take hold of him. “Oh! that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!” (Psalm xiv, 7.) There should be a longing; we should not content ourselves with a few dead and drowsy 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. lxiii. I); he is willing to save a distressed people: “I looked, and there was none to help, &.c.; therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto mc” (verse 5). God struck in for the deliverance and help of his people; when all human 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: “Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour” (Isa. xlv, 15). He seenicth 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 God’s hands, till he have mei’cy 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 God’s salvation; and by law is meant God’s word in the general; the promise is included in it, as well as the precept,
1st, A believer should not be comfortless in his ti’oubles: “Let not your hearts be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John xiv. I). 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-suifering with joyfulness.
2ndly, All our delight and solace must not arise from the delights of sense, but out of the word of God. It is good to see what is our solace and support in troubles; for the man is as his solace is: “In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul” (Psalm xciv. 19). How do we ease ourselves in our perplexities and griefs? is it with God’s comforts? Now, God’s comforts are Gospel comforts: the comforts we have from the word, they will make us more love the word and trust more upon God’s 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.
(I.) They are good, there is a fulness in God’s allowance, that suiteth. with all our cases: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm lxxxiv. 11). So, “GodUness is profitable unto, all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come’’ (1 Tim. iv. 8). 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:” Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart” (Psahn cxix. 111). 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: “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’’ (2 Cor. iv. 17); and, “And took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that in Heaven yc have a better and an enduring substance” (Heb. x. 34). We have a treasure and a happiness elsewhere, which cannot be infringed by the afflictions we endure in this world. We do not lose nmch 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. Bvit what confidence can we have of these temporal deliverances or mercies? Answer: Either Ave 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. viii. 28), We know he will not leave us wholly destitute (Heb. xiii. 5), nor bring upon us insupportable difficulties (1 Cor. x. 1 3); 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 niore than a purpose; for it is a purpose not as conceived in the mind of a man, but declared to another to invite hope. It is more th«n a doctrine: a doctrine giveth notice of privileges; but a promise giveth us an interest in them. It is more than a revelation or a prophecy: Scripture prophecies will be fulfilled,, because of God’s veracity; but Scripture promises, not only because of God’s 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 promissory lie is worse than an assertory lie; a promise gives us a holdfast upon God: jiromiStendo se fecit dehitorem.
2. As the promises of God, who cannot lie and deceive the creatures: “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation” (Heb. vi. 18). And therefore by acting faith on these declarations of his will we may have the accomplishment of them. None that ever depended on God’s word, were disappointed: “The word of the Lord is tried” (Psalm xviii. 30): God was never yet found worse than his word; he hath been tender of the credit of his word: “Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” (Psalm cxxxviii. 2), Heathens have acknowledged that God hath never so much showed himself in the world, as in these two things, dXiytvtiv K) tvipytniv, 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 straits, dangers, and troubles, to be contented with his word, and to delight in the promise, as if it were performed. I shall here show you how we are to carry ourselves 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. xi. 13, they were “persuaded” of these things. This is the “assurance of faith” spoken of Heb. x. 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 likely to be for a good while; neither performed, nor likely to be performed. Heb. xi. 13, they saw them afar off; and yet, being persuaded of these things, they embraced them. And, “Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it, and was glad” (John viii. 56). You hold the blessing by the root, where you have the promise (Heb. vi. 1 8).
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: it is his word you are to go by, and stand by, and according to which you must interpret all his dispensations. It is said, that Abraham believed in hope against hope (Rom i. 18). When faith dependeth upon God’s naked
Sr.RMON CLXXXVII. — VERSE CLXXIV, 477
word, then it standeth upon its own basis and proper legs. Everything is strongest in its props and pillars which God and nature hath appointed for it. He hangeth the earth upon nothing, in the midst of the air; but there is its place. So faith standeth fast uyon his word, who is able to perform what he saith.
4. This foith must conquer our fears, and cares, and troubles: “He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord” (Psalm cxii. 7). And, “In God I will praise his word; in God have I put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me” (Psalm lvi. 4). 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 glorify God in your carriage before others: “Set to his seal that God is true” (John iii. 33); 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 straits. You shall see, that God was angry with Moses and Aaron, becaise they believed not, to sanctify him in the eyes of the children of Israel (Num. xx. 12). We are not only to beUeve in God ourselves, but to sanctify 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 Thess. i. 5 — 7). Thus we should do; but how few do thus believe? Some count these vain words; and the comforts thence deduced, fanatical illusions, or fanatical impressions; nothing so ridiculous in the world’s eye, as trust and dependence on unseen comforts: “He trusted in the Lord, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him” (Psalm xxii. 1). 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, present delights please them, but present temptations altogether unsettle them (I Tim. vi. 9); cannot bear present smart, nor despise the present world (Heb. xii. 11); anything in hand is more than the greatest promise of better things to come (Rora. viii. 19): they do not deal equally with God and man. If man promise, they reckon much of that, but cannot tarry upon God’s security, count his promise little worth. They can trade with the factor beyond sea, and trust all their estate in a man’s 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. 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 troubles (Heb. xii. 4 — 6). 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 straits, necessities, and perplexities; it would calm our desires and fears. We should not desire the best things of the world, nor fear the worst.
478 SEKI.IONS ox PSALM CXIX.