2. The
'Luke vii, 47. ^ Ps. ciii. 11.
2. The inviolability of his truth — [God had promised to David, that in due time he should sit upon the throne of Israel : and the many signal deliverances which he had received, all tended to confirm in his mind an expectation of the promised blessing. And it is remarkable, that Saul himself was struck with those particular occurrences precisely in that view : " Now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand^." Hence "the truth" and faithful- ness of God appeared to him as no less worthy of admiration than his love and mercy.
And will not every one who has ever laid hold upon the pro- mises of the Gospel, and found them verified in his own expe- rience, fix his mind upon this attribute of the Deity with grateful adoration ? Will he not even find in his own soul a more im- pressive evidence of the truth of God, than in the whole universe besides ? The very circumstance of his having been preserved by the power of God amidst so many snares and temptations, whilst so many, who once appeared in a more hopeful state than he, have made shipwreck of their faith, will fill his soul with rapture, and constrain him to say, " The Lord my God changeth not ; and therefore it is that I am not consumed ^" Others may prove by arguments the truth of God, at the same time that they have no admiring or adoring thoughts of it ; but lie will regard himself as a living witness of this glorious perfection ; and will both think and speak of it as one who is even lost with wonder in the contemplation of it.]
Such were the grounds of David's love to God. We next proceed to notice,
II. His expression of it — Full of ardour,
1. He determines to praise and glorify God to the uttermost —
[The determination of his soul he thus declares : '^ My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed ; I will sing and give praise." Here is the result of deep conviction. He knew his obligations to God : and, whether others would concur with him or not, his purpose was unalterable : if no other creature in the universe would praise God, he would. He felt it to be his bounden duty : nor should all the sneers of an ungodly world divert him from the performance of it.
But, feeling that his sluggish heart did not obey the call as he could wish, he chides his soul : " Awake up, my glory," my
tongue,
^ 1 Sam. xxiv. 20. •■ Mai. iii. 6.
874.] David's love to god. 205
tongue, by which alone I can ascribe to God the honour due unto his name : " awake, psaltery and harp," witli which I am accus- tomed to celebrate his praise : " I myself," with all my faculties and all my powers, " will awake early/' and reproach, as it were, the tardiness of the morning dawn.
Nor would he be content with praising God amidst his own family circle ; he would praise him among the whole Jewish "people," yes, and amidst " all the nations" of the world; that so the whole universe, both Jews and Gentiles, might learn to love and honour the God of his salvation.
Now here we see the way in which all our souls should be engaged. Under a deep sense of the goodness of our God, we should feel such a determination of heart as nothing can shake : we should be saying with Joshua, " Though all Israel should depart from God, I and my house will serve the Lord s." From time to time we should stir up ourselves to this holy exercise, and labour to bring our minds to a frame suited to the occasion. Nor should we be satisfied with approving ourselves to God in secret : we should honour him in the face of the whole world, and endeavour to prevail with all to unite with us in a duty so urgent, so reasonable, so delightful.]