[3.] The inducing consideration, my God ; he is the comfort and refuge of my soul, more than all men are to me. Friends are dear, but God should be dearer. None is ours so much as he is ; he is my God, therefore it is liim that I will please ; my God's commands I will conform myself to.
All the business is to show on what grounds David bids the evil- doers depart from him.
1. It is either because of his confidence in God ; as ver. 114, ' Thou art my hiding-place and my shield,' therefore depart. He did not fear their disturbance or persecution, because God would protect him, so as he should peaceably and cheerfully attend his service. This form of speech is so used, Ps. vi. 8, ' Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping ; ' that is. Now I reckon not of your assaults and molestations ; my God will carry me through his work. Or —
2. It is a renouncing of their aid and assistance offered upon ill terms ; and so the meaning would be, that he would not stand by their interest, or cry up a confederacy with them, and admit of any other ways of safety but what were fully consistent with his duty to God. Depart from me, as repelling their temptations and carnal counsel. Christ saith to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, when he came with carnal counsel ; so David saith, Depart from me ; you labour in vain to draw me to commit wickedness with you : I must keep in with my God, not with you: do his commandments, not follow your fancies. Or —
3. It is a renouncing of all society with them, lest he should be corrupted by their evil examples or their carnal suggestions and entice- ments. He seems to speak this as fearing a snare and hindrance by their company and intimacy. This is the consideration that I prefer. The points may be two : —
1. That they which would have God for their God must keep his commandments.
2. They that would keep his commandments must avoid the company of the wicked.
Doct. 1. They that would have God for their God must keep his commandments.
This point I shall soon despatch, for it often comes in this psalm.
1. A covenant relation inferreth a covenant duty. You know the tenor of the covenant runs thus, •' I will be your God, and ye shall be my people/ Jer. xxxi. 33; Ezek. xi. 20; Zech. xiii. 9; and other places.
VeR. 115.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 179
Where observe this : the stipulation is mutual ; there is something which God offers, and somethings Avhicli God requires. A covenant is not made up all of promises ; there is a stipulation of obedience, as well as a promise of happiness ; and both must concur : a keeping the commandments must be, as well as taking hold of the privileges of the covenant : Ps. ciii. 18, 'To such as keep his covenant, that remember his commandments to do them.' Both must concur.
But let us observe distinctly what God offers and what God requires.
[1.] What God offers: He offers himself to be our God; that is, to be a God to bless, and a God to govern and rule ; and so the offer of God infers not only dependence upon him as he will be a God to bless, but subjection to him as he will be a God to rule and govern. Those that would have God's blessing must be under his dominion, for the notion of our God implies a sovereign as well as a benefactor ; he doth not leave us to our liberty to live as we list, for then he is not God nor supreme. Therefore it is but equal and reasonable he should rule and govern, and we obey.
[2.] But what he requires ; that maketh it the more plain. You shall be my people ; that noteth separation from all others, and a dedication to God's use, and a walking according to the tenor of that dedication : Deut. xxix. 9, 10, ' This day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God ; therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and keep his commandments, to love him, obey him, fear him, trust in him.' Well, then, as God offers himself to be a God to rule and govern us according to his will, so we, in giving up ourselves to be his people, resign ourselves up to his government.
2. In point of gratitude as well as covenant obligation. If God, the other contracting party, were our equal, as he is our superior, yet the kindness we receive from our God should move us to do him all the service we can. His kindness and grace in the covenant should make us fearful to offend: ' They shall fear the Lord and his goodness,' Hosea iii. 5 ; and careful to please God : ' To walk worthy of God unto all well-pleasing,' Col. iii. 10. And therefore love is said to keep the com- mandments : love, which is enkindled by a sense of God's love to us in the covenant of grace, will put us upon obeying and careful pleasing of God.