The principal efficient cause of this excellent passage, is here like- wise noted, and all to commend it the more to our special observation and acceptance : " The Spirit of God spake by me, and his word was " ill my tongue.'' This stamps my text expressly with divine au- thority. The Spirit of God spake by David, he was not the author,
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but only the scribe of it. Thus the ensuing discourse is prefaced. Let us next see,
2. The matter or speech itself, wherein we shall find the maxims and general rules of government prescribed, and the felicity of such a government elegantly described. " He that ruleth over men must be "just, ruling in the fear of God.'' Princes being in God's place, must exalt the righteousness of God, in the government of men ; and when they do so, they shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, &c. What halcyon days shall that happy people see, whose lot is cast into such times and places! All this is typically spoken of David, and those pious princes who succeeded him ; but mystically and eminently points at Christ, who was to rise out of David's seed, Rom. i. 5. and to sit upon his throne, Acts ii. 30. So that in this he was raised on high to an emi- nency of glory and dignity indeed : he was so in his ordinary natural seed ; a royal race, deriving itself from him, and sitting upon his throne in a lineal succession, till the Babylonish captivity, which was about four hundred and thirty years. And after that, the Jews had governors of his line, at least rightful heirs to that crown, till the pro- mised Messiah came. But that which was the top of David's honour, the most sparkling jewel in his crown, was this, that the Lord Jesus was to descend from him, according to the flesh, in whom all the glorious characters before given should not only be exactly answered, but abundantly exceeded. And tlius you find the natural line of the Messiah is drawn down by Matthew, from David to the virgin Mary, Matth. i. And his legal line by Luke, from David to Joseph, his supposed father, Luke ii. 23.
Now, though the illustrious marks and characters of such a righ- teous, serene, and happy government, did not fully agree to his day, nor would do so in the reigns of his ordinary natural successors, his day was not without many clouds both of sin and trouble ; yet such a blessed day he foresaw and rejoiced in, when Christ, the extraordi- nary seed of David, should arise, and set uphis kingdom in the world, and with the expectation hereof, he greatly cheers and encourages himself: Although my house be not so with God, yet hath he made " with me an everlasting covenant," &c. In which words four things are eminently remarkable.
1. Here is a sad concession of domestic evils.
2. A singular relief, from God's covenant with him. 2. The glorious properties of this covenant displayed.
4. The high esteem and dear regard his house had unto it.
1. Here is David's sad and mournful concession of the evils of his house, both moral and penal. " Although my house be not so with " God," i. e. neither so holy, nor so happy as this description of a righteous and flourishing government imports ; alas ! it answers not to it : For though he was eminent for godliness himself, and had so- lemnly dedicated his house to God, Psal. xxx. as soon as it wasbuiltj
88 . THE BALM OF THE COVENANT
yea, though he piously resolved to walk in the midst of it with a per-^ feet heart, and not to suffer an immortal person within his walls ; yet ^reat miscarriages were found even in David's house and person, which God chastised him for, by a thick succession of sharp and sore afflictions, Psal. ci. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Tamar was defiled by her bro- ther Amnon, 2 Sam. xiii. 13. Amnon was barbarously murdered thereupon, by the advice of Absalom, 2 Sam. xiii. 28. Absalom un- naturally rebels against his father David, and drives him out of the royal citv, and perishes in that rebellion, 2 Sam. xa% 1. then Adoni- jaii, another darling-son, grasps at the crown settled by David upon Solomon, and perishes for that his usurpation, 1 Kings ii. 25. O >vhat a heap of mischiefs and calamities did this good man live to see within his own walls, besides the many foreign troubles that came from other hands ! How many flourishing branches did God lop off from him, and that in their sins too? So that his day was a day of clouds, even from the morning unto the evening of it : Psal. cxxxii. 1. "Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions." AVell might he sav, " his house was not so with God.*" But what then, doth he faint and despond under these manifold calamities ? Doth he refuse to be comforted, because his children are gone, and all things in- volved in trouble .'' No, but you find,
2. He relieves himself by the covenant God had made with him : *' Yet hath he made with me a covenant."*" He looks to Christ, *• There is more in the covenant than this my house before God," as the Chaldee turns it *. This little word yct^ wraps up a great and so- vereign cordial in it. Though Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah be gone, and gone with many smarting aggravations too ; " yet hath he ^' made ^vith me a covenant," yet I have this sheet-anchor left to se- cure me. God's covenant with me, in relation to Christ, this under- props and shores up my heart.
This covenant was, without controversy, a gospel-covenant. It was David's gospel : For ali his salvation and all his desire were in it; which could never be, except Christ had been in it, who is the salva- tion of all the ends of the earth, and the desire of all nations.
It is true, it was a more obscure and imperfect edition of the cotw^ nant of faith ; yet clearer than those that were made before it ; it came not up to the fulness and clearness of the discoveries made by Jeremy and Ezekiel : But yet in this covenant with David, God re- vealed more of Christ than had been ever revealed before ; for the light of Christ, like that of the morning, increased still more and more, till it came to a perfect day. It is worthy our observation, how God made a gradual discovery of Christ from Adam, down along to the New Testament times. It was revealed to Adam, that he should be the seed of the icomaii^ but not of what nation, till Abraham's time; nor of what tr'ihe^ till Jacob ; nor of what sex andjcimilfj, till David ;
* Plus est juam here donius vieu ants Dcum, Jon.
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