The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 71

III. THE PEOPLE OIi' Goo HAVE TO BUil'FER BITTER PERSECUTION'. So the Chaldee, the Septungint, and the Vulgate seem to understand the words. The wicked turn upon God's people, who are, in consequence," fed with the bread of tcarR, and have given to them tears to drink without measure" (Ps. lxxx. 5). It is the predestined lot of the people of God; but our Saviour tells us that it ie a blessod portion. The last aml chiefest of the Beatitndcs (Matt. v.) declares, "Blessed are ye when men shall per- secute you," etc. And it is so ; for it shows, by your endurance o I persecution, that you have found out the preciousness of the love of God, and know assuredly that, for the sake of it, you may be well content to die. That is knowledge which is, here a □ tl now, life eternal. May God keep us from exemplifying; the first of these interpretations, and from forming part of that misernble crowd told of in the second! but if we ard found amongst the third, then Christ will call ns his blessed ones.-S. C. Ver. 25.-Supreme delight in God. "It is not- What have I, but- Whom~ Things, however many, rich, glorious, beautiful, cannot satisfy the soul, neither in he,weu any more than on earth." Not in things, but in persons, the personnl soul must find its portion. And not in many, but in One; to whom the soul can look, to whom at all times it can come, and to whom, as here, it can lift up its cry, "Thou art the Strength of my heart, and my Portion for ever." But- I. SUCH DELIGHT IN Goo HAS BEEN HELD TO BE IMPOSSIBLE. For example: 1. Calvin, a learned, devout, and in the main a true expositor of Scripture, but sadly wanting in those more gentle and tender instincts which are absoh1tely essential to its full and accurate understanding, has, in commenting on our text, actually said, "If we give the smallest portion of our affections to the creatures, we in so far defraud God of the honour which belongs to him." Now, that is utterly untrue and in dire contradiction to the Word which says," If we love not our brother, whom we have seen, how can we love God whom we have not seen?" 2. And there are many devout souls haunted "ith the fear that, in loving those around them with the intense affection which they know they bear towards them, they are somehow defrauding God of what is due only to him. And yet more, when they compare the love which they have for God with the love which they cherish for those dear to them on earth, the latter love seems so much warmer and deeper than the former that, when they come to a text like this,they hesitate, and confess to themselves that such words are not for them-for them they woul,I not be true. And they are sore troubled about this, and scarce know what to do. They would like to be able to say them, but they feel they cannot. Now, of course, there are many people in whom it would be hypocrisy, gross and palpable, were they to speak as does the psalmist here. They are cold, hard, worldly, and so earth-bound that they never thiuk about loving God. The utmost you can get from them is a vague confession that they "suppose they ought to." But we are thinking of really devout, godly souls, who nevertheless sorrowfully confess that the words of our text, and the many others like them, are far beyond what they can say. Such people believe, apparently, that, though our blessed Lord has commanded them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, they do not, and they doubt if any one ever has done so, or can. They do not seem to see how serious is the charge they thus bring against the Lord-that he has commanded what it is impossible to obey. Earthly parents do not deal with their children so, but they seem to think our heavenly Father does. II. BUT IT IS POSSIBLE J.l'OB us, NEVERTHELESS. 1. Here, at any rate, stands one declaration of it. 'l'he psalmist, if he did not express, as we are certain he did, his own deep and sincere feeling, must have been the victim of delusion, or else a wretched hypocrite. But who thinks that? 2. And he is not alone in such utterance. The psalms are full of them, and we have already referred to the first and great command- ment. The New Testament also speaks of" perfect love "-just that sentiment which our text tells of. 3. And there have been and are thousands of souls in which such love dwells, to whom God is their "exceeding Joy," whose supreme delight is in God. 4. And what seems to does not really contradict this. For consider the elements of our love to God. 'fhey are-complete distrust of self; confidence in God only for the supply of our souls' deepest needs, such as pardon, peace, purity, eternal life; holy reverence and awe and gratitude. But nll these are far other than what we cherish  80 THE BOOK OF PSA.LMS. [PB, LXXIIJ, 1-28,