1. David's assertion of his integrity, / have kept thy precepts.
2. The gain of this course indefinitely proposed, this I had.
3. The Knk between both in the causal particle, because. David doth not here tell you what he had, but this and that : this hope, this comfort, this quickening, this deliverance ; all this I had ; that is, whatever is good and comfortable. The feminhie pronoun Ze^A is put neutrally, the Hebrew wanting the neuter gender.
The points are two : —
First, He that continueth faithful in a course of obedience will find at length that it will turn to a good account.
Secondly, That it is of great use to observe what good cometli to us by keeping close to God's ways.
For the first point, he that continueth faithful in a course of obed- ience will find at length that it will turn to a good account. Here three things are to be explained : —
1. What it is to keep God's precepts.
2. What is the good that accrueth to us thereby.
3. The connection between both these, or the reasons and grounds upon which we may expect this good.
1. Let us inquire what it is to keep God's precepts. The phrase is often used in scripture, implying a diligent observance of it, and obed- ience thereunto. The term heep relateth to a charge or trust committed to us. Look, as on our part we charge Christ with our souls — 2 Tim. i. 12, ' I know that he is able to keep that I have committed to him' — so Christ chargeth us with his word, that we may be chary and tender of it. We charge him with oup souls, that he may sanctify and save them in his own day ; so he chargeth us with his precepts, that we may lay them up in our hearts, and observe them in our practice. As we would have Christ to be faithful to his trust, so should we be in ours, and that even to a tittle : James ii. 10, ' Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in point, he is guilty of all.' Now, there is a twofold keeping of God's precepts — legal and evangelical.
[1.] The legal keeping, that is when w^e keep and perform the com- mandments so exactly as is answerable to the rigour of the law. What is that ? The law requires perfect and absolute obedience, without the least failing in any one point : Gal. iii. 10, ' Cursed is he that con- tinueth not in all things that is written in the book of the law to do them.' The least offence, according to that covenant, layeth us open to the curse ; as for one sin once committed the angels were turned out of heaven, and Adam out of paradise. In this sense there is no hope for us.
[2.] There is an evangelical keeping God's precepts, and that is filial and sincere obedience ; and so they are said to keep God's pre- cepts,— not they who have no sin in them, but they who _ study to be free from sin, and desire to please God in all things. David had many failings, and some of them of a high nature ; yet he saith, I have kept thy precepts. His purpose and endeavour was to please God in all
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things. The apostles had many failings ; they were weak in faith, passionate, full of revenge, calling for fire from heaven ; a great many failings we may find upon record against them ; yet Christ returnetb this general acknowledgment : John xvii. 6, ' They have kept thy word.' God accepteth of our endeavours ; when our defects are repented of, he pardoneth them : James v. 11, ' You have heard of the patience of Job ;' and we have heard of his impatience too, his cursing the day of his birth, and his bold expostulation with God ; but God putteth his finger upon the scar, and mentions that which is commend- able. This sincere obedience is known by our endeavours after perfec- tion, and our repentance for defects. For let me tell you here, that perfect obedience is required under the gospel : the rule is as strict as ever it was, but the covenant is not so strict. The rule is as strict as ever it was ; we are still bound to perpetual, personal, and perfect obedience, otherwise our defects were no sins : ' For where there is no law, there is no transgression,' Eom. iv. 15. But the covenant is not so strict. This perfect obedience is not so indispensably required under the sanction and penalty of the old covenant ; for the gospel, though it alloweth or approveth of no sin, yet it granteth a pardon of course to some sins as they are retracted by a general repentance. As sins of infirmity, such as are sins of ignorance, which had we known we would not have committed ; and sins of incogitancy and sudden surreption, which may escape without observation of them ; and sins of violent temptation, which by reason of some sudden assault sway our passions against the right rule ; such sins as do not arise out of an evil purpose of the mind, but out of human frailty ; they are consistent with an interest in this covenant, which alloweth a means of recovery by repentance, which the law doth not. The law for one offence once committed doth condemn a man without leaving him any way or means of recovery ; but the gospel saith, ' I came to call sinners to repentance,' Mat. ix. 13. It accepteth repentance, and doth not cast men off for sins of infirmity. Where there is a general purpose to please God, and a hearty sorrow when we offend him, this is the sincerity which the gospel accepteth of. In the law, complete in- nocence is required ; in the gospel, repentance is allowed : and so he is said to keep God's statutes that doth not voluntarily and impeni- tently go on in a course of known sin.