Bible Commentaries

DISCOURSE: 744

THE BLESSEDNESS OF TRUSTING IN GOD

Psalms 146:5. Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

HOW exalted was the frame of the Psalmist’s mind at the time he penned these words! “Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being [Note: ver. 1, 2.].” Who that reads these words does not envy him, and desire to be like him? But how shall we attain this frame? How did he acquire it? He had been contemplating the character of the Most High, and the interest which he himself enjoyed in the divine favour: and he records this as his decided testimony for the benefit of all future generations: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God.”

May the same benefit result to you, my Brethren, whilst I,

I. Confirm his testimony—

Doubtless a carnal mind can see no blessedness in such contemplations as these: but one who is taught of God will fully accord with this inspired penman, from a conviction that the person here characterized may assure himself of two most important facts:—

1. However numerous or powerful his enemies be, he can never be overcome—

[Were his confidence in himself, he might soon be vanquished. Peter has shewn us how weak the most intrepid man is, when left to himself; for, after all his boasting that he was ready to die with his Lord and Master, he denied him with oaths and curses. Nor is a person at all more secure who trusts in any created power; for, however powerful a man may be, he may not be able to afford the assistance that is needed; or, if able, he may not be willing; or, if willing, he may change his mind; or, if fixed in purpose, he may be removed by death, when, of course, all his thoughts and purposes must perish [Note: ver. 3, 4.]. But the man who trusts in God has an ever-present, an ever-willing, an immutable, an all-sufficient help — — — No confederacy, whether of men or devils, can prevail against him who sanctifies the Lord God in his heart [Note: Isaiah 8:12-13.]: “There is a wall of fire round about him,” that will both afford him protection, and destroy his every assailant [Note: Zechariah 2:5. with 2 Kings 6:16-17.]. He may confidently challenge the whole universe: “If God be for me, who can be against me [Note: Romans 8:31.]?” Whether it be his body or his soul that is assaulted, he is equally secure: “No weapon that is formed against him,” whether wielded by men or devils, can ever prosper [Note: Isaiah 54:17.]: “his God will be his shield and buckler [Note: Psalms 18:2.];” and “he shall be more than conqueror, through Him that loveth him [Note: Romans 8:37.].”]

2. However enlarged his expectations be, he can never be disappointed—

[We cannot expect too little from man, or too much from God. God, in giving himself to us as our God, authorises us to expect from him all that he himself can do, so far at our necessities require it. He himself says to us, “Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it [Note: Psalms 81:10.]. We cannot open it too wide. Take all the promises in God’s blessed word: take all that he has engaged for in his everlasting covenant; take all that the Lord Jesus Christ has merited in our behalf; take all that by any possibility we may ever need, for body or for soul, for time or for eternity; take all the glory and blessedness of heaven: take the very throne and kingdom of God himself; and put all this into one petition, and it shall all be given: not an atom of it shall ever be wanting to the believing suppliant, so far as his soul shall be capable of enjoying it. The Believer should not be straitened in himself; for he is not straitened in his God. His hopes can never be too large; for God is both “able and willing to do for him all, and above all, and abundantly above all, yea, exceeding abundantly above all, that he can either ask or think [Note: Ephesians 3:20.].”]

Such being the testimony here given us; namely, that the man whose “help” is in God can never be overcome, and whose “hope” is in God can never be disappointed; let me,

II. Commend it to your special attention—

We suppose you all to wish for a participation of the Psalmist’s happiness. To all of you, then, I would say,

1. Seek to know the character of Jehovah, as here drawn—

[We have not, in general, worthy conceptions of the Deity, either as a God of Providence or as a God of Grace. We do not at all realize in our minds his universal agency, or the tender care which he takes of his believing people, insomuch that not a hair falls from the head of any of them without his special permission. But see in what light the Psalmist viewed him, when he gave concerning him the testimony which we are now considering: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God; who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that therein is; who keepeth truth for ever; who executeth judgment for the oppressed; who giveth food to the hungry; who looseth the prisoners, and openeth the eyes of the blind, and raiseth them that are bowed down, and loveth the righteous, and preserveth the strangers, and relieveth the fatherless and the widow [Note: ver. 5–9.]:” see all these diversified conditions; see the relief administered agreeably to the necessities of all; and then say, whether he be not happy who has this God for his help? If you had all the men upon earth engaged for your support, yea, and all the angels in heaven too, it were nothing in comparison of the blessings you enjoy. Only realize the thought, that every perfection of the Deity is occupied day and night in your behalf, for the express purpose of securing and consummating your eternal happiness; and you will need nothing more to render you completely happy, amidst all the diversified scenes of this vain and troublesome world.]

2. Seek to obtain an interest in him, as your God—

[Doubtless, unless he be your God, you can derive no comfort from the consideration of his perfections; for, whatever he may be to others, to you he will be only “a consuming fire [Note: Hebrews 12:29.].” But how shall he be made your God? There is but one way, and that is by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ: for “to all that believe in Christ, is given the privilege of becoming sons of God [Note: John 1:12.];” “and if sons, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ [Note: Romans 8:17.].” Look then, and see what an interest Christ himself possesses in the Father’s love: see all that the Father did for him: see him now sitting at the right hand of the Father, in inconceivable blessedness and glory. All this shall you also inherit together with him: for, “all things are yours, if ye be Christ’s [Note: 1 Corinthians 3:22-23.].” Will ye not, then, come to Christ, and cleave unto him, and live by faith upon him? Me-thinks I need not urge this upon you: your own minds are already bent upon this; and you are determined, through grace, to renounce every thing in comparison of Christ, and to make him “all your salvation and all your desire.”]

3. Make use of him for all the ends for which he has given himself to you—

[When once you can say, with David, “O God, thou art my God!” then carry to this almighty Friend your every want, your every wish. Lean not at any time to your own wisdom; and undertake nothing in your own strength. Look to your God for guidance, even in the most common affairs of life; and, in all the difficulties which you may be called to encounter, “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Remember all that he did for “Jacob, whose God he was” — — — And remember the promise he has made to you; “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness [Note: Isaiah 41:10.].” What though in yourself you be only as a worm? he says to you, “Fear not, thou worm Jacob; for thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and make the hills as chaff [Note: Isaiah 41:14-15.].” Only make him “your help, and him your hope,” and you have nothing to fear. Let nothing, on the one hand, be deemed too great to carry to him; nor, on the other hand, account any thing so small that you may engage in it without his aid. Let “Him work all your works in you [Note: Isaiah 26:12.],” and you are safe, even as if you were already before his throne: for “you are in his hands, nor shall any be ever able to pluck you thence [Note: John 10:28-29.].” To every one, then, who really and altogether relies on God, I will address that inspired congratulation: “Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thine excellency! Thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places [Note: Deuteronomy 33:29.].”]

DISCOURSE: 745

THE EXTENT OF CHRIST’S COMPASSION

Psalms 146:7-8. The Lord looseth the prisoners: the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous.

AS David was a very eminent type of Christ, so was he inspired to prophesy of Christ: and, if we look no further than to the passages quoted out of the Psalms in the New Testament, we shall find, that he wrote as fully and as minutely respecting the Messiah, as any other prophet whatever, not excepting even Isaiah himself. He described his person as God and man [Note: Psalms 8:4. with Hebrews 2:6 and Psalms 110:1. with Luke 20:42. or Psalms 45:6. with Hebrews 1:8.]. He declared the whole of his work, his first covenant engagements with the Father [Note: Psalms 40:6-7. with Hebrews 10:6-7.], his incarnation [Note: Psalms 8:5. with Hebrews 2:7.], together with his active obedience [Note: Psalms 69:9. with John 2:17.], and his unparalleled sufferings unto death [Note: Psalms 22, 69. with all the accounts in the Gospels.]. He foretold his resurrection [Note: Psalms 16:10. with Acts 2:27.], and ascension [Note: Psalms 68:18. with Ephesians 4:8.]; his session at the right hand of God [Note: Psalms 110:1. with Acts 2:35.], and his final appearance to judge the world [Note: Psalms 102:26-27. with Hebrews 1:12.]. He proclaimed also his offices, as a prophet [Note: Psalms 78:2. with Matthew 13:35.], priest [Note: Psalms 110:4. with Hebrews 7:17.], and king [Note: Psalms 2:6. with Hebrews 1:5.]. We do not indeed find the psalm that is before us expressly cited in the New Testament: but the whole of it so accords with what is elsewhere spoken respecting him [Note: Compare Isaiah 42:6-7; Isaiah 35:5. with John 9:32 and Matthew 11:3-5.], and the very words of the text are so descriptive of what Christ himself declared to be the great end of his mission [Note: Isaiah 61:1-3. with Luke 4:18; Luke 4:21, N. B. The foregoing passages are cited only for the satisfaction of the reader, and not with a view to their being incorporated with the discourse. Nevertheless they would form the substance of a profitable discourse on Acts 2:25. (“David speaketh concerning him;”) in which it might be shewn how copiously and how minutely David speaks of the Messiah.], that we can feel no hesitation in interpreting it as relating to Christ.

In this beautiful description then of our Lord’s compassion to man, we may observe,

I. Its boundless extent—

The calamities with which the human race are afflicted are very numerous; nor is there any trouble which the Lord will not either remove or sanctify, if we call upon him. But as the remedying of our spiritual maladies was the principal end of his coming, we shall direct our attention more immediately to them. In the words before us then we may notice his regards,

1. To the blind and willing slaves of sin—

[The world at large are in bondage to their lusts, and to that wicked one who leads them captive at his will; and they are shut up under a sentence of condemnation for their numberless violations of the law of God [Note: Galatians 3:23.]. Yet, so blind are they to their real state, that they cannot see, and will not believe it. Their cunning adversary has undertaken to be their guide, but has led them into the heart of the enemies’ country, and, if mercy do not interpose, into the very jaws of destruction [Note: Alluding to 2 Kings 6:18-21.]. But the Lord Jesus is not an unconcerned spectator of their misery: he is ready to weep over them as over the murderous Jerusalem: and even while they reject him, he “would gladly gather them, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” He would give them an eye-salve, whereby they should be enabled to see clearly [Note: Revelation 3:18.]: he would cause their chains to fall off, and would say to them, go forth, and shew yourselves [Note: Isaiah 49:9. with Acts 5:18-20.]: yea, so desirous is he to exercise mercy towards them, that nothing but a determined rejection of his grace can involve them in final ruin.]

2. To penitents “bowed down” under a sense of sin—

[Whatever be the afflictions under which we groan, we may carry them all to him, with an assured expectation of sympathy and succour, since he is at all times “a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress [Note: Isaiah 25:4.].” But if sin be our burthen, if a sense of guilt lie heavy on our conscience, if our indwelling corruption be to us as a putrid carcass from which we cannot get loose [Note: This is the idea alluded to Romans 7:24.], and which causes us to lothe and abhor ourselves, we need not fear but that our Lord will soon come to our help: “He will never break a bruised reed or quench the smoking flax, but will bring forth judgment unto victory.” The sighs and groans of a contrite soul will surely enter into his ears, and call forth his almighty aid. He may indeed for wise purposes suffer the pressure to be heavy and of long continuance [Note: Psalms 38:2; Psalms 38:4; Psalms 38:6; Psalms 38:8; Psalms 38:21-22; Psalms 142:6-7.], insomuch that the weeping penitent may be ready to say, “The Lord will not hear, neither will the Almighty regard me:” but at the fittest season he will interpose to revive the drooping spirit, and to “make the bones which he hath broken to rejoice:” “he will take the beggar from the dunghill to set him among the princes [Note: 1 Samuel 2:7-8.].”]

3. To “the righteous” who are delivered from the power of sin—

[They are justly deemed “righteous,” who, in the habit of their minds, and the general tenour of their lives, are devoted to God. Allowed sin, of whatever kind it were, would exclude us from this number, and mark us as children of the devil [Note: 1 John 3:8.]: but if we be really clothed with the Redeemer’s righteousness, and “walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit,” we need not fear to take to ourselves this honourable appellation [Note: Romans 8:1.]. And if this character be ours, the Lord loves us, not merely as he does sinners in general, with a love of pity, but with a love of complacency: “he joys over us with joy, he rests in his love, he joys over us with singing [Note: Zephaniah 3:17.].” There is not any blessing which our souls can want, but his love will bestow it. We say not, That he will forbear to chasten us (for that would be a mark of hatred rather than of love [Note: Hebrews 12:6-8.]) but, That he will deal with us in all things as a wise and tender parent, administering to us such things, in such a measure, at such a time, and in such a manner, as his unerring wisdom knows to be best for us.]

But we cannot rightly appreciate the Saviour’s love, unless we notice particularly,

II. Its unremitted exercise—

Long before David existed in the world, our Lord had shewn forth all his love to his people in the wilderness; nor did he ever leave that ungrateful nation without abundant tokens of his regard. In the days of his sojourning on earth his whole life was spent in doing good to the most indigent and most unworthy. Nor has he yet suspended the exercise of his grace; he still manifests his regard to his people, and effects his purposes towards them,

1. By his providence—

[Wonderful are the ways whereby he accomplishes his own eternal counsels. The histories of Joseph and his family, and of Esther and the captive Jews, give us an insight into the things which are yet daily passing in the world. Many events appear to us casual and trifling: but the truth is, that not one is casual, not one is trifling: every the minutest circumstance is ordered by the Lord, and forms a link in the chain of his unerring providence. Not a hair of our head falls but by his appointment; and it remains with us to mark his dispensations with care, and improve them with diligence. Let any whose eyes have been opened, or whose souls have been liberated from spiritual bondage, look back and see the way by which they have been brought to the enjoyment of these mercies; and they shall find such a mysterious concatenation of causes and effects as will furnish them with matter of astonishment to all eternity.]

2. By his grace—

[It is not said in the text that the Lord had done or should do those particular things ascribed to him: but he is spoken of as actually doing them; so that there is no day, no hour, wherein he is not engaged in this blessed work. He makes his word effectual at this time, no less than formerly, “to turn men from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God.” At this time also he heals the wounded spirit, and sheds abroad his love in the hearts of his faithful people. What if his word have not as much energy as in the days of the Apostles? or his Spirit be not poured out in such an abundant measure? “Has he forgotten to be gracious, or, in anger, shut up his tender mercies?” Surely there are many in these days, who can say, I was once in bondage, but now enjoy liberty; I was blind, but now see; I was bowed down under a heavy load of temptation and corruption, but my strength has been renewed like the eagle’s; I once had no idea what was meant by the sealing of the Spirit, or the witness of the Spirit, but I have now received such tokens of my Saviour’s love, as have assured my mind, that my “Beloved is mine, and I am his.” Let it be known then that Christ is still communicating his blessings to his church, and that it is both our duty and our privilege to enjoy them.]

Infer—

1. How great is the folly and wickedness of those who neglect Christ!

[If our maladies were of a bodily nature, and relief were offered us, should we not be deemed insane if we despised it? And, if our benefactor had put himself to great expense and trouble to procure us that relief, would our contempt of him be thought a light offence? The application of this to our state is obvious. But let the energetic language of the text be marked: wherefore does the Psalmist no less than four times repeat the name of Christ? Is it not the more effectually to call our attention to him? and does not this in a very pointed manner reprove the sin of neglecting him? If then we would not greatly multiply our own sorrows, and rush on blindly to everlasting destruction, let us seek to experience his proffered mercies, and to become the objects of his unalterable love.]

2. How little reason is there for any one to entertain desponding fears!

[The state of those who are immured in dungeons under a sentence of condemnation, or are deprived of the faculty of vision, may be justly considered as desperate in the extreme, and as representing in very gloomy colours the condition of men’s souls. But there is nothing impossible with God: our adorable Saviour is both able and willing to effect deliverance: and, if, like the woman in the Gospel, we have been bowed down under a spirit of infirmity for eighteen, or eighty, years [Note: Luke 13:11-12.], one word of his can instantly release us. And, if once we be interested in his righteousness, and renewed in the spirit of our minds, there is not any thing which we may not expect from him: if once he love us, he will love us to the end [Note: John 13:1.]. Let none then say, There is no hope: but let us entertain worthy thoughts of our almighty Deliverer: for, however much our expectations of mercy may be raised, we can never be disappointed, if we put our trust in him.]