The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 3 — Section 113

through the written or spoken Word, but it may be also independently of either. It is that Word which, if not heard, no preaching or teaching of man is of any avail. 'l'hie is the \Vord we need to hear. VIII. " WAY." The road, the course, the path, along which God himself walks, and that in which he would have us walk. And that the Word of God is. It is the way of holiness, the King's highway, and blessed are they that walk therein.-S. C. Vers. 1-8.-Whole-hearted service of God. I. T11E DESCRIPTION GIVEN OF BUCH AS BENDER IT. 1. They are undefiled in the way. They are not merely in the way, but keep themselves undefiled. How difficult this 1 2. They walk in the Law of the Lord. It is the habit of their lives, and its pleasure. 3. 1'hey keep his testimonies. Keep them in their memory, their affection, and their conduct. 4. They seek him with the whole heart. This sadly rare. The mass of Christians are of a divided heart; but whole-hearted service, how rare this is 1 5. They do no iniquity. It is possible not to sin, and to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man. ll. THEY ARE DECLARED TO BE "BLESSED." And that they are so let all experience tell. Certainly half-hearted service can lay no claim to such blessedness. Such have just enough religion to spoil them for the world, but not near enough to give them the blessedness here spoken of. Theirs is a miserable round of sinning and repenting, falling down and rising up again, a life under the perpetual rebuke of conscience and the sense of God's displeasure. But the life told of here in this psalm is lived in the sunshine of the love of God, and in the possession of that loving-kindness which is better than life. III. SocH SERVICE IS THE ONLY ONE THAT ANSWERS TO GoD'B COMMAND. (Ver. 4.) It is that which he bas specially enjoined. Anything less would be dishonouring to him and disastrous to us, whilst this glorifies him, and is for us most blossed. IV. Tll.E BELIEVER KNOWS THIS AND LONGS FOR IT. (Ver. 5.) The vision of the true life bas been shown him, and he desires it with a great desire. He would be holy as God is holy. And he has good reasons ; for: 1. This only will give him confidence before men, and, what is more important, before GoJ. If he has it not, he must "be ashamed." 2. It will enable him to offer worthy praise-praise with uprightness of heart (ver. 7). Insincerity, half-heartedness, vitiates and destroys all praise such as God can accept. He turns from it. V. THEREFORE IN DEEP HUMILITY HE C0NBECBATEB HIMSELF TO Goo. 1. " 1 will keep thy statutes." It is a sacred vow. He knew that only in the path of obedience could he hope to realize what he so longed for. 2. But he says this in deep humility. "Oh forsake me not utterly!" He knows that God might justly do this, but he trembles lest he should.-S. C. Ver. 5.-Longing after holiness. I. THE PRAYER 01' OUR TEXT BIBEB UP FROM JLU<Y HEARTS. 1. From even the careless and the worldling. They, not seldom, have to eat of the fruit of their own ways, and it is nauseous to their taste. They often realize how wrona they are, and then there rises up from their hearts such prayer as I this. Only, alas theHe desires fade away so soon, 2. From the beginner in the Divine life-the oewly regenerate. Thie is the holy, healthy appetite of such a soul. Not alone desire for being saved from hell or admitted to heaven, b1!t to be made like_ God, and 50, well-pleasing to him. 3. The backslider. No more miserable soul can live on the earth than the backslider, Again and again is he made conscious of his wretched folly in leaving the ways of God, and he mourns and yearns f~r the be_tter way. It is God who will not lightly let them go: it is hie ea.II; let such listen to. 1t and obey, and that at once. Then this good desire may be as the slender thread which dral'.l's u~ the cord to the prisoner in the dungeon, and that the trusty rope whereby escape 1s gamed. So this desire 1 if well used may draw to you other gifts of God's grace, and they yet more and so bleseed deliv'erance shall be yours. 4. The earnest believer. For he sees defects in hi~self where others do not, and is conscious of failure where others only praise his goodness. But he has an ideal, a vision of God, after which he is for evor pantio'.':, and hence this prayer, "Oh that my ways wc~e direc~ed," etc. I II. THE REASON OF 1·ms. 1. It is the way in winch Ohnst walked. Every pi.Lee where he has been ii_i.o.vcstcd with a charm and delight to those who love him. PS, CXIX, 1-176,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 125