nor even in his believing that God rewards him in providence because of his
honesty, for such is often a most evident matter of fact; but it would be
self-righteousness indeed if we transferred such thoughts from the region of
providential government into the spiritual kingdom, for there grace reigns
not only supreme but sole in the distribution of divine favours. It is not
at all an opposition to the doctrine of salvation by grace, and no sort of
evidence of a Pharisaic spirit, when a gracious man, having been slandered,
stoutly maintains his integrity, and vigorously defends his character. A
godly man has a clear conscience, and knows himself to be upright; is he to
deny his own consciousness, and to despise the work of the Holy Ghost, by
hypocritically making himself out to be worse than he is? A godly man
prizes his integrity very highly, or else he would not be a godly man at
all; is he to be called proud because he will not readily lose the jewel of
a reputable character? A godly man can see that in divine providence
uprightness and truth are in the long run sure to bring their own reward;
may he not, when he sees that reward bestowed in his own case, praise the
Lord for it? Yea rather, must he not show forth the faithfulness and
goodness of his God? Read the cluster of expressions in this and the
following verses as the song of a good conscience, after having safely
outridden a storm of obloquy, persecution, and abuse, and there will be no
fear of our upbraiding the writer as one who sets too high a price upon his
own moral character.
Verse 21. Here the assertion of purity is repeated, both in a positive and
a negative form. There is "I have" and "I have not," both of which must
be blended in a truly sanctified life; constraining and restraining grace
must each take its share. The words of this verse refer to the saint as a
traveler carefully keeping to "the ways of the Lord," and "not
wickedly," that is, designedly, wilfully, persistently, defiantly forsaking
the ordained pathway in which God favours the pilgrim with his presence.
Observe how it is implied in the expression, "and have not wickedly
departed from my God," that David lived habitually in communion with God,
and knew him to be his own God, whom he might speak of as "my God." God
never departs from his people, let them take heed of departing from him.
Verse 22. "For all his judgments were before me." The word, the
character, and the actions of God should be evermore before our eyes; we
should learn, consider, and reverence them. Men forget what they do not
wish to remember, but the excellent attributes of the Most High are objects
of the believer's affectionate and delighted admiration. We should keep the
image of God so constantly before us that we become in our measure conformed
unto it. This inner love to the right must be the main spring of Christian
integrity in our public walk. The fountain must be filled with love to
holiness, and then the streams which issue from it will be pure and
gracious. "I did not put away his statutes from me." To put away the
Scriptures from the mind's study is the certain way to prevent their
influencing the outward conversation. Backsliders begin with dusty Bibles,
and go on to filthy garments.
Verse 23. "I was also upright before him." Sincerity is here claimed;
sincerity, such as would be accounted genuine before the bar of God.
Whatever evil men might think of him, David felt that he had the good
opinion of his God. Moreover, freedom from his one great besetting sin he
ventures also to plead, "I kept myself from mine iniquity." It is a very
gracious sign when the most violent parts of our nature have been well
guarded. If the weakest link in the chain is not broken, the stronger links
will be safe enough. David's impetuous temper might have led him to slay
Saul when he had him within his power, but grace enabled him to keep his
hands clean of the blood of his enemy; but what a wonder it was, and how
well worthy of such a grateful record as these verses afford! It will be a
sweet cordial to us one of these days to remember our self-denials, and to
bless God that we were able to exhibit them.
Verse 24. God first gives us holiness, and then rewards us for it. We are
his workmanship; vessels made unto honour; and when made, the honour is not
withheld from the vessel; though, in fact, it all belongs to the Potter upon
whose wheel the vessel was fashioned. The prize is awarded to the flower at
the show, but the gardener reared it; the child wins the prize from the
schoolmaster, but the real honour of his schooling lies with the master,
although instead of receiving he gives the reward.
Verse 25. The dealings of the Lord in his own case, cause the grateful
singer to remember the usual rule of God's moral government; he is just in
his dealings with the sons of men, and metes out to each man according to
his measure. "With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an
upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright." Every man shall have his meat
weighed in his own scales, his corn meted in his own bushel, and his land
measured with his own rod. No rule can be more fair, to ungodly men more
terrible, or to the generous man more honourable. How would men throw away
their light weights, and break their short yards, if they could but believe
that they themselves are sure to be in the end the losers by their knavish
tricks! Note that even the merciful need mercy; no amount of generosity to
the poor, or forgiveness to enemies, can set us beyond the need of mercy.
Lord, have mercy upon me, a sinner.
Verse 26. "With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward
thou wilt shew thyself froward." The sinner's frowardness is sinful and
rebellious, and the only sense in which the term can be applied to the Most
Holy God is that of judicial opposition and sternness, in which the Judge of
all the earth will act at cross-purposes with the offender, and let him see
that all things are not to be made subservient to wicked whims and wilful
fancies. Calvin very forcibly says, "This brutish and monstrous stupidity
in men compels God to invent new modes of expression, and as it were to
clothe himself with a different character." There is a similar sentence in
Leviticus 26:21-24, where God says, "and if ye walk contrary unto (or
perversely with) me, then I will also walk contrary unto (or perversely, or
roughly, or at random with) you." As if he had said that their obstinacy
and stubbornness would make him on his part forget his accustomed
forbearance and gentleness, and cast himself recklessly or at random against
them. We see then what the stubborn at length gain by their obduracy; it is
this, that God hardens himself still more to break them in pieces, and if
they are of stone, he causes them to feel that he has the hardness of iron."
The Jewish tradition was that the manna tasted according to each man's
mouth; certainly God shows himself to each individual according to his
character.
Verse 27. "For thou wilt save the afflicted people." This is a
comforting assurance for the poor in spirit whose spiritual griefs admit of
no sufficient solace from any other than a divine hand. They cannot save
themselves nor can others do it, but God will save them. "But will bring
down high looks." Those who look down on others with scorn shall be looked
down upon with contempt ere long. The Lord abhors a proud look. What a
reason for repentance and humiliation! How much better to be humble than to
provoke God to humble us in his wrath! A considerable number of clauses
occur in this passage in the future tense; how forcibly are we thus brought
to remember that our present joy or sorrow is not to have so much weight
with us as the great and eternal future!
Verse 28. "For thou wilt light my candle." Even the children of the day
sometimes need candle-light. In the darkest hour light will arise; a candle
shall be lit, it will be comfort such as we may fittingly use without
dishonesty—it will be our own candle; yet God himself will find the holy
fire with which the candle shall burn; our evidences are our own, but their
comfortable light is from above. Candles which are lit by God the devil
cannot blow out. All candles are not shining, and so there are some graces
which yield no present comfort; but it is well to have candles which may by
and by be lit, and it is well to possess graces which may yet afford us
cheering evidences. The metaphor of the whole verse is founded upon the
dolorous nature of darkness and the delightfulness of light; "truly the
light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun;"
and even so the presence of the Lord removes all the gloom of sorrow, and
enables the believer to rejoice with exceeding great joy. The lighting of
the lamp is a cheerful moment in the winter's evening, but the lifting up of
the light of God's countenance is happier far. It is said that the poor in
Egypt will stint themselves of bread to buy oil for the lamp, so that they
may not sit in darkness; we could well afford to part with all earthly
comforts if the light of God's love could but constantly gladden our souls.
Verses 29-45. Some repetitions are not vain repetitions. Second
thoughts upon God's mercy should be and often are the best. Like wines on
the lees our gratitude grows stronger and sweeter as we meditate upon divine
goodness. The verses which we have now to consider are the ripe fruit of a
thankful spirit; they are apples of gold as to matter, and they are placed
in baskets of silver as to their language. They describe the believer's
victorious career and his enemies' confusion.
Verse 29. "For by thee have I run through a troop; and by my God have I
leaped over a wall." Whether we meet the foe in the open field or leap
upon them while they lurk behind the battlements of a city, we shall by
God's grace defeat them in either case; if they hem us in with living
legions, or environ us with stone walls, we shall with equal certainty
obtain our liberty. Such feats we have already performed, hewing our way at
a run through hosts of difficulties, and scaling impossibilities at a leap.
God's warriors may expect to have a taste of every form of fighting, and
must by the power of faith determine to quit themselves like men; but it
behoves them to be very careful to lay all their laurels at Jehovah's feet,
each one of them saying, "by my God" have I wrought this valiant deed.
Our spolia optima, the trophies of our conflicts, we hereby dedicate to
the God of Battles, and ascribe to him all glory and strength.
Verse 30. "As for God, his way is perfect." Far past all fault and error
are God's dealings with his people; all his actions are resplendent with
justice, truth, tenderness, mercy, and holiness. Every way of God is
complete in itself, and all his ways put together are matchless in harmony
and goodness. Is it not very consolatory to believe that he who has begun
to bless us will perfect his work, for all his ways are "perfect." Nor
must the divine "word" be without its song of praise. "The word of the
Lord is tried," like silver refined in the furnace. The doctrines are
glorious, the precepts are pure, the promises are faithful, and the whole
revelation is superlatively full of grace and truth. David had tried it,
thousands have tried it, we have tried it, and it has never failed. It was
meet that when way and word had been extolled, the Lord himself should be
magnified; hence it is added, "He is a buckler to all those that trust in
him." No armour of proof or shield of brass so well secures the warrior as
the covenant God of Israel protects his warring people. He himself is the
buckler of trustful ones; what a thought is this! What peace may every
trusting soul enjoy!
Verse 31. Having mentioned his God, the psalmist's heart burns, and his
words sparkle; he challenges heaven and earth to find another being worthy
of adoration or trust in comparison with Jehovah. His God, as Matthew Henry
says, is a None-such. The idols of the heathen he scorns to mention,
snuffing them all out as mere nothings when Deity is spoken of. "Who is
God save the Lord?" Who else creates, sustains, foresees, and overrules?
Who but he is perfect in every attribute, and glorious in every act? To
whom but Jehovah should creatures bow? Who else can claim their service and
their love? "Who is a rock save our God?" Where can lasting hopes be
fixed? Where can the soul find rest? Where is stability to be found?
Where is strength to be discovered? Surely in the Lord Jehovah alone can we
find rest and refuge.
Verse 32. Surveying all the armour in which he fought and conquered, the
joyful victor praises the Lord for every part of the panoply. The girdle of