The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 102

coming age as its Ruler and its Hea,d,. 1 3. He behe'ld also the Holy One going down into the tomb. To Sheol; not hell, but Hades, the invisible realm of the departed. 4. He beheld the lloly One ?-ising again. As the Lord and Conqueror of death; as the Head of the redeemed, he beheld him leaving the grave, and going forward and upward n.s their Forerunner. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus carries along with it that of all his followers. 5. It was on this sublime Messianic hope that the psalmist built his own. And, indeed, it was on this that such as Abraham fix:ed their gaze, with leaping gladness and thankful joy. "That which is true of the members is true, in its highest sense, of the Head, and is only true:of tho members because they are joined to the Head" (Pcrowne); 1 Thess. v. 10. Ill. IN COMBINING THE SONG OF THE SAINT AND THE VISION OF THE BEER, WE HAVE :li!OST ELEVATED AND ELEVATING TEACHING FOR OURSELVES. 1. Here is the great secret of life made known to and by the holy prophets. As one expositor remarks, the antithesis in the psalm is not between life here and life there, but between a life in God and a life apart from him. 2. That Goo. should have disclosed this great secret by his Spirit can bring no difficulty whatever to those who understand communion with God. 3. The grand redemption of God's grace is realized in a fellowship of holy souls in blest and everlasting relation to God as their Portion, their endless Heritage of infinite purity and delight. 4. This fellowship of life centres round him 'Whom no death can retain in its hold, even round him who is the Resurrection and· the Life. Believers are one in God because one in Christ. 5. His triumph over the tomb is the pledge of theirs. He has gone ahead as their Forerunner, and has in their name taken his place in the Father's house, preparing theirs likewise. 6. Hence the entire blessing of God's great salvation is summed up in the words, "Thou wilt show me the path of life." In which phrase, as Austin 2 finely says, " we have a guide, • Thou;' a traveller, 'me;' a way, 'the path;' the end, 'life.'" Happy are they who choose this Guide, who follow this way, who inherit such a life I How the troubles and perils of this life seem to dwindle away when we can realize that such a God and such a home are ours I and not ours only, bnt also of all those who have said to Jehovah, "Thou art my Lord" 1-C. Vers. 1-11.-Life-long convictions. Happy the man who holds to his faith in God through all changes and chances of this mortal life I Religion to him is a reality. He speaks of what he knows. He commends what he has proved to be good. He can rejoice in the assurance that God, who has been with him hitherto, will keep him safely to the end, and that the portion which satisfied his soul in this life will satisfy his soul eternally. We may take the psalm as expressing certain life-long convictions. I. THAT GoD IB TO BE TRUSTED As THE SUPREME GooD. Man is prone to seek happiness apart from God. This proves both his littleness and his greatness: his littleness in turning from God; his greatness, as nothing earthly can satisfy him, and his soul is restless till it finds rest in God. "Thou art my Lord" is the true response to God's declaration "I am the Lord thy God" (Exod. xx. 2; Ps. lxxiii. 25). II. THAT THE B~TB A.BE TO DE REGARDED AS EARTH'S TRUE NOnLES. When God has his right place, man gets his right place also. He ~s valued, not for his ~eal_th, but for his worth· not for his circumstances, but for his character; not for his high standing among ~en, but for his near relation in love and ·holiness to God. If we love God, we shall love what God loves. If we delight in God, we shall delight in what God deligbteth in. As a poet of our own has taught us- " 'Tis only noble to be good. Kind hearts aro more than coronets, And simple faith than Norman blood." Ill, THAT WICKEDNESS, WHATEVER IT Pl!OMISES, MUST IN THE END BRmG WRETOHED- NEBS, The wicked may he many ; they may seem to prosper; they may appear as if they were to prevail, and have their own way in everything, '!'he.re will be at times Rtrona temptations to join them-to live as they live, to eat, dnnk, and be merry, nut the heart that l,as known God recoils with horror from such a thought. What 1 See Hengstenberg's 'Christology,' ii. 140, et seq. 1 A-D. 1637, quoted by C. H. Spurgeon.. in loo. PS, XVI, 1-11,] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 103 ---- - - - - ---------------------------- can come of forsaking God, but misery? This is the witness of history, observation, and experience. Ancl we should be thankful that it is so. It is II proof of God's love, as well as of God's righteousness. That "the way of transgressors is hard" puts for many II warning in their path, and sounds for many II merciful call in their ears, "Turn ye: why will ye die?" (Ezek. xxxiii. 11; Isa. Iv. 1-7; Job xxxiii. 27-30). IV. THAT THE DESTINY OF THE GOOD IS DIVINELY ORDERED, Life is not fixed by chance, or by blind fate, or by man's own designing and devising. It is of God's ordering (Prov. xix. 21). As it is with the stare above, so it is with souls beneath. They stand as God ordains (Pss. cxix. 91; cxlvii. 3, 4). As it was with Canaan, which was divided among the tribes by lot (Numb. xxvi. 55; Josh. xiii. 6), so it is with the inheritance of God's believing people; it is settled by the hand of God. In many things-as to our birth, and kinsfolk, and associations, and so on-we have no choice. Ilut trusting in God, we cheerfully accept the place which he has appointed for us. And when we are free to choose, we seek counsel of God, and gladly and gratefully rest in his will (Heh. xiii. 5). What the King of Babylon did according to his lights when at the parting of the ways (Ezek. xxi. 21), we do, in a higher way (Acts ix. 6). V. THAT GODLINESS HAS THE PR0MISF: BOTH OF THIS LIFE AND OJ' THAT WRICII IS TO COME. 1. This life. (Vers. 6-8.) 2. Guidance. (Ver. 7.) 3. Protection. (Ver. 8.) 4. The life to come. (Ver. 11.) This truth, dimly revealed of old, shines out brightly and beautifully in the gospel.-W. F. Ver.11.-The future state. In this prayer it is implied that there is one "path," which is truly " the path of life "-the path by which we can reach the highest ideal of our being, and be blessed for ever; and further, that God, and God alone, is able to show us this path. It may be said that the prayer has been answered ill the fullest sense by Christ Jesus. We may use the words with reference to Christ's teaching as to II future state. Christ has shown us- I. THE 0ERTAINTY OF A FUTURE STATE. Reason may speculate, imagination may form pictures, the instincts of the heart may prompt the hope that there is a future state of being; but it is only through Holy Scripture that we attain to full conviction. What was dimly revealed to Old Testament saints has been now "made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. i. 10). II. THE IMPORTANOE OF CHARACTER AS DETERMINING MAN'S PLACE m A FUTURE STATE. Our Lord always teaches that holy character is indispensable to blessedness. True life is from God, and tends to God (John v. 26; Col. iii, 3). "The path of life" must be entered upon here, or we can never reach from earth to heaven. Faith and action determine character, and character settles destiny. "If ye believe not that I nm he, ye shall die in your sins" (John viii. 24). IIf, 'l'IIE INTIMATE 0ONNE0TION BETWEEN THE LIFE THAT NOW IS AND THAT WHICII JS TO COME, There is continuity. Death transfers, but it does not transform. Life is the seed-time for eternity. Our present actions, good or bad, determine our future fate (Gal. vi. 7, 8; Rom. ii. 6-10). IV. TIIAT EVERYTHING TENDS TO A GREAT ORISIS, WHEN JUDGMENT SHALL DE OIVEl< UPON ALL MEN. Our Lord teaches us that judgment is nlready begun. Whatover we do has its effect. Every deed of self-denial and justice nnd love brings its blessing, aud every deed of evil its curse. But there is to be a final judgment, and our Lord shows us that the acts of that great day will be based on lnw; that God will render unto every man according to his works. It is very striking also that our Lord should put such emphasis upon acts of love e.nd charity (Matt. xxv. 31--46). v. THAT HE HIMSELF WILL HOLD THE SUPREME PLA0E AS JunoE AND KING IN TIIE wonLo TO COME. If the future state is a reality, this has been made certain by Christ (John ii. 25). If character will determine our place in eternity, it is through Christ that we are to attain to the meetness of character required (Col. i. 12). If the awards of the judgment are final, it is because Obrist is Judge, and there can be no appeal against his d.ecisions. If the future state is, for the good, to be II state of highest nnd divinest "life," it is because they have been made partakers of the lifo of Christ, nnd shall dwell for ever with him in the light and love ofGod.-W. F.