The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 2 — Section 349

Ver. 9.-" He will 11ot always chide." Thie psalm is full of the recital of things to be thankful for, and of expectation that we be thankful. Amongst these things, this fact declared in our text is one. A.nd- I. WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL THAT IT IS ONLY CHIDING, not something worse. God is speaking to his own children, not to the world of the ungodly. 'l'hese latter he is angry with every day, and sternly punishes, and if they repent not he will destroy them. But though God chide his children, there is not the severity, nor the lack of alleviation, nor the endlessness and hopelessness, which characterize his dealings with hardened and ungodly men. II. THAT THERE rs SUCH CHIDmG. "For what son is he whom the father chasteneth not ? " (Heh. xii 7). If God did not make sin full of smart and pain, we should be sure to go back to it again. But when the world sees that there is no partiality with God, that his own children have to suffer even as, and often far more than, others when they do wrong, this tends to beget a holy fear. Yes; blessed be God for our chiding I III. THAT EVEN THIS WILL HAVE AN END, When we repEint of our sin, when God's purpose is fulfilled, when we enter heaven. "Therefore humble yourselves," etc.-S. C. Vere. 13-18.- Wnerefore another gospel when we ha,v,. this 1 It should seem as if no gospel could be more full, precious, clear, and heart-uplifting than this. It is paralleled but not surpassed by St. John's word," God is love." Why, then, was it need.In! for Christ to come in order to reveal to us another gospel? Have we not everything here, in this utterance of the Old Testament, and in those others in the same Old Testament, which are like unto it? What more, then, could be needed? We reply- I. THE MISSION OF CHRIST WAS NEEDED m ORDER TO REVIVE AND QUIOKEN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH OF THE LOVE OF GoD. It had been, when our Lord came, so limited, petrified, and practically lost, that it was almost as if it had not been. Pharisaism and Sadduceeism had so overlaid or lessened it, that only a few elect souls knew of it or believed it. God's Fatherhood was not much more in our Lord's day than a dead letter. IL To MAKE IT BEAL TO MEN. True, our text stood there in the psalm, but the Ji[e of the Lord here on earth could alone make it stand out as a real, living truth. 'l'ben there was held up-placarded, as St. Paul says (Gal. iii. 1)-before the ey~s of all men, what the pity and love of God could do and endure for the sake of smful men. .And so, as our Lord said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all," etc. III. To ENSURE ITS BEING SPREAD ABROAD, The Jews, we well know, would never have allowed this. Their inveterate exclusiveness and scorn of all other nations would have kept it to themselves alone. It was necessary that Christ should come a1J<l comruand his disciples to "go into all the world, and preach," etc. IV. To REVEAL ITS ENLARGED &COPE AND AW. Life and immortality were brought to light by the gospel. Death, till Christ came, kept its sting, and the grave its victory, but he took both away. Such were some of the reasons wherefore God became man, and lived and suffered and died in the Person of Christ. Doubtless there are others, but amongst them all that horrible one, so sadly dear to theologians of a hygone age, is not to be found-that it was to turn the heart of God from anger to love, for God waE and eternally is Love.-S. C, I's. otn. 1-22.] 'flIE BOO[{ OF PSALMS. 889