X ver. 25—27. y ver. 21—23.
EXCELLENCY OF GOd's WORD.
Ps. xix. 7^ — 9. The law of f lie Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple : the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart : the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes : the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever : the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
GOD has not left himself without witness even amongst the most mienlightened heathens. His works testify of him : the heavens and the earth de- clare his eternal power and godhead. They speak silently indeed % but intelligibly, to every child of
a ver. 3. The words printed in Italics are not in the original.
man ; so that idolaters of every name are absolutely without excuse^. Wherever the light and genial influence of the sun extend, there is God proclaimed as an infinitely wise and gracious Being. But we have a richer source of instruction opened to us : we have a revelation, which, whilst it proclaims the existence and attributes of Jehovah, makes known to us his will, and points out the path in which we may approach him with a certainty of acceptance : and so extensively was that published by ovir Lord and his Apostles, that it might be said, even in that age, " Their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the worlds" It is of this written word that David speaks in the psalm before us : in which are set forth,
I. Its parts and properties —
The various terms here used to designate the word of God, may be considered as directing our attention to all the different parts of that word ; each of which has, annexed to it, an appropriate epithet of commendation —
["The laiv of the Lord" is in the marginal translation called, " The doctrine of the Lord;" and it may be understood as including under one general term all that is afterwards more particularly specified : and it is so " perfect," that nothing can be taken from it, or added to it, but at the peril of our souls'^
" The testimony of the Lord" is " the Gospel of the
grace of God®," even " the witness which God has testified of his Son^." It is " the record that God has given of his Son, namely, that in him is eternal life ; and that he who hath the Son, hath life : and he who hath not tlie Son of God, hath not lifes." Now this is " sure," so sure, that it may be relied upon with the most implicit confidence: "it is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners^." — " The statutes of the Lord" are those ordi- nances, which God appointed under the ceremonial law to shadow forth all the glorious mysteries of the Gospel, and which were "right for the time then present; though, since the introduction of the clearer light of the Gospel, they are abro- gated as burthensome and unnecessary. Not but that there are
^ Rom. i. 19, 20. <= Compare ver. 4. with Rom. x. 18.
^ Rev. xxii. 18, 19. e Acts xx. 24. f 1 John v. 9.
s 1 John v. 11, 12. •' 1 Tim. i. 15.
520.] EXCELLENCY OF GOD's WORD. 107
some still in force, such as the Sabbath, and the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. And these may well be called "right : " for who can doubt the propriety of a certain portion of our time being dedicated to the especial service of Him to whom we owe our very existence? or who can question the suitableness of those easy and instructive rites, whereby we are dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ at first, and afterwards commemorate from time to time the wonders of his d}dng love? " The covi- mandment of the Lord" is the moral law, in which we are taught, in what way we are to serve and please our God. And this is " pure," and " holy':" it is given to regulate, not our words and actions only, but the inmost thoughts and desires of our hearts. It is indeed " exceeding broad ^," extending to every motive and principle of the mind, yea, to every inclina- tion^ affection, appetite of the soul, and requiring the whole to be in a state of constant and entire conformity to the wiU of God. " The /ear of the Lord" we consider as another name for the Holy Scriptures, only putting, as is frequently done, the effect for the caused The word of God, as inculcating and exciting the fear of the Lord, is " clean ;" its one object is, to cleanse and purify the souls of men. Hence our Lord says, " Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you™." Moreover, the word, in this view of it, " endure th for ever," since its operation is uniform to the end of the world; and the pm'ifying effects produced by it, will continue through all eternity. " The judgments of the Lord " are his warnings and threatenings ; which though questioned by men as false, or condemned by them as unjust, are yet " true and righteous altogether." We are very incompetent judges of the demerit of sin, or of the conduct which God, as the moral Governor of the universe, has thought proper to pursue : but we are assured, that, when he shall inflict on the impenitent the judgments he has denounced against them, all his intelligent creatures will exclaim, " True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty!" " just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints ! "]