Bible Commentaries

DISCOURSE: 746

THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD

Psalms 147:5-7. Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground. Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.

AN acquaintance with God is the one object which we should seek after; since by that alone can we ascertain the extent of our guilt and danger; or be brought to accept the salvation offered us in the Gospel. In the passage before us we have a glorious representation of him: and if we view him aright, our souls will be filled with unutterable peace and joy.

Let us consider,

I. The character of God as here declared—

He is here set before us,

1. In his essential attributes—

[He is a God of inconceivable power, and of infinite wisdom. View him in the works of creation, and see what an union of these two perfections is displayed both in heaven — — — and earth — — — Behold the same in all the works of providence, upholding every thing in its order, and accomplishing for every thing all that is necessary for its well-being — — — Behold it above all in his works of grace. Well is the Gospel called the “wisdom of God and the power of God [Note: 1 Corinthians 1:24.].” Truly when man had fallen after the example of angels, it seemed impossible but that he must also share their doom. But infinite wisdom devised a way whereby mercy might be extended to sinners in perfect consistency with the rights of justice; and the power of God has carried into effect that plan, “laying help for us upon One that was mighty,” and opening, through the sacrifice of his only-begotten Son, a way of acceptance with him for every child of man [Note: John 3:16. 1 Timothy 1:15.] — — —

Had either of these perfections existed in him without the other, his power would have been an object of terror only, and his wisdom might have been exercised for us in vain. But their united exercise renders him a fit object for our most ardent love, and unbounded affiance.]

2. In his dealings with mankind—

[“The meek” are objects of his peculiar care. But under this name we do not comprehend those who are naturally of a calm and placid disposition: but those who are humbled under a sense of sin, and abased before God as deserving his wrath and indignation [Note: Isaiah 61:1.] — — — Now such as these “he lifteth up,” speaking peace to their souls, and causing their hearts to overflow with joy [Note: Isaiah 61:3.] — — — If there were but one such person in the universe, God would search him out [Note: Isaiah 66:2.] — — — and “raise him up out of the dust to set him among princes, and to make him inherit a throne of glory [Note: 1 Samuel 2:8.]” — — —

On the other hand, “the wicked,” who hold fast their wickedness and refuse to humble themselves before him, “he will cast down to the ground,” and consign over to everlasting perdition [Note: Psalms 9:17.] — — — He will assuredly, and in all cases, carry into effect that determination which he has so often announced to us, of “abasing the proud, and exalting those who humble themselves before him [Note: Isaiah 2:11.] — — —]

Let us now proceed to mark,

II. The effect which this view of him should produce upon us—

In this view should every living soul rejoice.

1. The wicked themselves—

[What a ground of joy should it be to them, that they are not, as they well might have been, shut up in hell, but that they have still an opportunity of embracing the salvation which infinite wisdom has devised: and almighty power is ready to impart! — — — To every such person I say, Compare your state with those whose day of grace has closed, and, amidst all your sorrows for your past sins, bless and adore and magnify your God, that it is yet “the day of salvation” to you [Note: 2 Corinthians 6:2.], and that you have yet One following you with that blessed assurance, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out” — — —]

2. The meek in particular—

[Well does the Psalmist say to you, “Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.” Do but think what a Protector you have, even one who is infinitely wise to discover all that your great adversary is plotting for your destruction — — — and infinitely powerful to shield you from his fiercest assaults — — — Surely you may adopt the triumphant language of St. Paul [Note: Romans 8:35-39.], since, however weak you be, God has engaged to “perfect his own strength in your weakness” — — —

Think too what a Friend you have, who will “supply your every want out of the fulness that is in Christ Jesus,” and employ all his wisdom and all his power for the enriching and comforting of your souls — — —

Lastly, think what a Rewarder you have, who has provided for you on earth whatsoever his infinite wisdom has judged best, and his almighty power can impart to make you happy — — — whilst in heaven is reserved for you an eternity of inconceivable and unutterable bliss — — —

I say then to you especially, “tune your harps to sing the praises” of your redeeming God — — — and live in the habitual and delightful anticipation of the blessedness that awaits you in a better world — — —]

DISCOURSE: 747

GOD’S REGARD FOR THE LEAST OF HIS SAINTS

Psalms 147:11. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

IN the Psalms of David we have innumerable exhortations to praise our God. At the same time, we have innumerable grounds of praise set before us. In the psalm before us we are told how abundant he is in mercy both to the Church and to the whole creation; and that, whilst there is nothing of created excellence that merits his regard [Note: ver. 10.], “he takes pleasure” in those who manifest the very smallest symptoms of a new creation within them.

The words of my text are, in this view, worthy of peculiar attention. In them we see,

I. How low God stoops to the objects of his favour—

Had he spoken of himself as noticing angels, it would have been a wonderful mark of his condescension and grace: for “he humbleth himself when he beholds the things that are in heaven [Note: Psalms 113:6.],” and “chargeth even his angels with folly [Note: Job 4:18.].” But the persons whom he speaks of here, as objects of his favour, are of the lowest possible order of saints. In point of regard for God, they rise no higher than “fear;” and in point of confidence in God, they go not beyond a “hope in his mercy.”

What can be lower than the mere “fear” of God?

[A person destitute of this has not the smallest evidence whatever of the divine approbation. He cannot have it. A man without the fear of God is a decided enemy to God; and God is, and must be, an enemy to him. A person, the very instant he is born of God, must of necessity fear to offend him, and endeavour, by a holy conformity to his will, to please him. After having made a progress in the divine life, he will attain to higher exercises of grace: but in this the lowest state of conversion, God will regard him as an object of his favour.]

And what lower attainment can we conceive, than a mere “hope in his mercy?”

[This supposes that a man feels himself a sinner, justly obnoxious to God’s wrathful indignation. It supposes, too, that he despairs of ever being able to do any thing that shall conciliate the divine power! he sees and feels that he must entirely cast himself on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. At the same time, he sees that there is a sufficiency for him in Christ; a sufficiency in his death to atone for all sin; and a sufficiency in his righteousness, to justify all who shall be clothed in it before God. With these views, he indulges a hope that even he may obtain mercy at God’s hands; and on God’s mercy he casts himself without reserve; determining, if he perish, to perish at the foot of the cross, imploring mercy of God for Christ’s sake. Lower than this we cannot go: for if a person have not attained to this, he has not entered into the fold of Christ. He may be an outward-court worshipper; but on the threshold of God’s sanctuary he has not so much as once set his foot.]

Yet, low as their condition is, the text informs us,

II. How high he soars in his regards towards them—

Had it been said that God would look with pity and compassion upon such feeble worms, it would have displayed in him a most astonishing extent of condescension and grace. But we are told, not that he will shew favour to them, and accept them, but that “he taketh pleasure” in them. Yet how can this be conceived? What can he ever see in them, that shall afford him pleasure? However little we may be able to conceive it, he does “take pleasure” in them: he takes pleasure,

1. In looking upon them—

[He himself draws this very character, and says, “To this man will I look, even to him that is of a broken and contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word [Note: Isaiah 57:15; Isaiah 66:2.].” If it be asked, What can he find in them to engage his regards? I answer, What can a mother behold in a new-born infant to engage her affections? The child, though so weak and helpless, is hers, a partaker of her nature, and an heir of her inheritance: and therefore she feels an intensity of interest in the child, and finds in the sight of it an exquisite delight.]

2. In answering their prayers—

[A mother understands the cry of her child, and needs no further incentive to fulfil its desires. And God, too, understands the sigh, the groan, the very look of his children, and will grant to them whatsoever they can desire, provided it be really conducive to their good. “Even before they call, he will answer; and while they are yet speaking, he will hear [Note: Isaiah 65:24.]” — — — The very image which I have here used to illustrate his grace, is that which he himself has employed; saying, that he Will give them, as it were, to “suck of the breasts of his consolations, and bear them on his side, and dandle them on his knees, and comfort them in their troubles, as a mother comforteth her helpless and afflicted child [Note: Isaiah 66:10-13.].”]

3. In administering to all their wants—

[All heaven, us it were, shall be at their command [Note: Jeremiah 31:20. with Psalms 34:10.]. In the aid that he affords, God will exert himself effectually, even “with his whole heart and his whole soul [Note: Jeremiah 32:41.]:” and in the bestowment of his blessings, will rejoice over the beloved object with such a complacency and delight as God alone can feel [Note: Zephaniah 3:17.].]

Are you, then, my Brethren, partakers of this character?

[Consider who it is that “has brought you to this self-same thing [Note: 2 Corinthians 5:5.];” and endeavour to “render to him according to the benefits he has conferred on you.” Say not, ‘My attainments are so small, that they call for shame and sorrow, rather than for joy:’ for “God does not despise the day of small things [Note: Zechariah 4:10.];” neither must ye despise it. Methinks the least that I can ask of you is this: If “God takes such pleasure” in you, take ye also pleasure in him. The more you “delight yourselves in him,” the more assuredly shall you grow in every thing that is good, till you have attained “the full measure of the stature of Christ.”]

But is there one amongst you that is not of this character!

[What pleasure can God ever take in you? Can he look with complacency on a rebellious man that does not “fear him,” or on a self-righteous man that does not “hope in his mercy?” Impossible; for you counteract all the designs of his grace, and run, as it were, upon the thick bosses of his buckler, in your opposition to him. In such a state as this, what can you be but objects of his wrathful indignation, left for a season to fill up the measure of your iniquities, and to perish under an accumulated weight of misery? Let me, then, entreat you to seek the graces which are here specified. Beg of God, for Christ’s sake, to “put his fear in your hearts:” and cast yourselves upon his mercy in Christ Jesus, “hoping even against hope.” Then, notwithstanding your desert, you shall not perish, but have in yourselves an experience of that truth which God has revealed for the comfort and support of all his people, “that the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin.”]

DISCOURSE: 748

TEMPORAL MERCIES A GROUND OF PRAISE [Note: Thanksgiving Sermon for Peace, written January 18, 1816. It is not to be supposed that the same circumstances will ever occur again; and therefore the first intention of the author was to omit them altogether. But he conceives that the statement of them may serve to shew, how any other existing circumstances may be, not unprofitably, stated, when the occasion shall call for it.]

Psalms 147:12-14. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion: for he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

THE common habit of mankind is, to rest in the gift, and forget the Giver. But we should make the gifts of God a ladder, as it were, whereby to ascend to him; and take occasion from every blessing he communicates, to magnify and adore that bounty from which it proceeds. Nor should we be so engrossed with our personal mercies, as to overlook those which are national. The pious Jews thought they could never sufficiently praise their God for his mercies vouchsafed to Israel. The theme that beyond all delighted them was, to recount the wonders of love and mercy which their nation had experienced from their first coming out of Egypt even to the day wherein they lived. Who was the author of this psalm we do not know: but it seems evidently to have been written after the return of the Jews from the Babylonish Captivity, and most probably in the times of Nehemiah, who rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem, and dedicated it to God with sacrifices and songs of praise [Note: Nehemiah 12:27; Nehemiah 12:43.]. Certainly God’s interpositions for that people exceeded all that ever he did for any other nation: but next to Israel, methinks, we of this country may adopt the language at the close of this psalm, “He hath not dealt so with any nation [Note: ver. 20.].” Let us consider,

I. The grounds here stated for praise to God—

We forbear to enter on the Jewish history for the elucidation of our text: intending rather to confine ourselves to the mercies which we are at this time called to commemorate.

Behold then what the Lord hath done for us! Behold,

1. The protection he hath afforded us from without—

[Not a country in Europe, except our own, but has suffered from the ravages of war: yet we, with our vast extent of coast, assailable from every port in Europe, and with every power in Europe at one time leagued against us, have been preserved from invasion; notwithstanding we were, far beyond any other nation, the objects of envy and hatred to our most powerful foe; and notwithstanding the immense preparations that were made by him for our destruction. But God has truly “strengthened the bars of our gates,” so that they could not be forced; or rather “he himself has been a wall of fire round about us,” so that not even any serious attempt has been made to invade our land. Other nations far less accessible than ours have been made scenes of most dreadful devastation [Note: Russia, in 1812.]; but with respect to us, such a restraint has been imposed on our enemies, that they could never carry into execution their cruel projects [Note: Psalms 124:1-8.].]

2. The blessings with which he has loaded us “within”—

[He hath blessed us with increase, so that, notwithstanding the ravages of war, our population has greatly increased. With union of sentiment he hath blessed us to an extent almost unprecedented in our history. The whole nation have been fully convinced, that the war was both just and necessary, and that it was carried on, not for the gratifying of ambition, but for security and independence. With a patient endurance of all the burthens occasioned by the war, all ranks and orders amongst us have also been greatly blessed. It could never have been conceived that such contributions could have been raised without exciting the most grievous complaints: but they have been paid with liberality and cheerfulness from one end of the land even to the other. With a respect for religion also we have been blessed beyond any former period of our existence as a nation. The societies that have sprung up, in the very midst of war, for the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures throughout the world, for the conversion of both Jews and Gentiles to the faith of Christ, for the instruction of the rising generation, and for the promotion of piety in every possible way, have far exceeded all that had arisen during whole centuries before. Truly these things abundantly shew how greatly God has blessed us; insomuch that we may say, like Israel of old, “He hath not dealt so with any nation [Note: ver. 20.].”]

3. The restoration of peace in our borders—

[With only two short intervals, the war has continued five and twenty years: and now at last we are favoured with a peace, which, we hope and trust, will be of long continuance. It is not such a peace as has been often made, a peace no better than an armed truce; but one which our enemy will scarcely venture to violate, seeing that all Europe is leagued together for its preservation. To say that it is a favourable peace, is to disparage it altogether: for it infinitely surpasses all that our most sanguine or ambitious statesmen of former days ever ventured to desire. It has left us too in a state of elevation, prosperity, and power, which our country never before attained. And we have the happiness to say, it is universal, in India, no less than in America and Europe. Now is the happy time come, when we may “beat our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into pruning-hooks,” and “sit every one of us under our own vine and fig-tree, none making us afraid [Note: Micah 4:3-4.].”]

4. The abundant provision he has made for our wants—

[When an extraordinary plenty was predicted by the prophet Elisha in Samaria, the answer given him by the chief courtier was, “Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be [Note: 1 Kings 7:1-2.]?” or, in other words, “The thing is impossible.” In the same strain would any one have replied, if the existing state of things had been predicted as to be accomplished amongst us. But behold, we are, contrary to all reasonable expectation, so “filled with the finest of the wheat,” that the very cheapness of it creates a general embarrassment: and this singular phenomenon exists, that the only subject of complaint heard in the nation at this time is, that God has been too good to us, and has overwhelmed us, as it were, with his superabundant kindness and bounty. The promise made to Israel has been almost literally fulfilled to us: he has given us such abundance, that “we have scarcely room to receive it [Note: Malachi 3:10.].”]

Such being the circumstances of our country at this day, let us consider,

II. Our duty arising from them—

Every blessing which God bestows, whether on nations or individuals, calls for a suitable tribute of praise and thanksgiving. Such a tribute are we at this time called to pay: “Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.”

In order that we may discharge this debt for so many mercies,

1. Let us view the hand of God in them—

[As “war and pestilence and famine are judgments sent of God,” so peace and all other national blessings are the gifts of his gracious providence. “There is neither good nor evil in a city, but it proceeds from God.” Especially must he be viewed in all those? great mercies which have been vouchsafed to us. Israel of old had not more abundant reason for the acknowledgments made by them, than we ourselves to adopt their strains [Note: See Psalms 124:1-8.] — — — We are but too apt to be looking to second causes, and to be giving to the creature the honour that is due to God only. But let us be on our guard against this, lest we turn into a curse every blessing that has been bestowed upon us.]

2. Let us duly appreciate their value—

[It is not easy for us, who have seen so little the calamities of war, to estimate in any measure aright, either the protection we have experienced, or the peace which has terminated all our dangers. But, if we could go over a field of battle where myriads of the dead and dying are strewed upon the ground; if we could traverse whole provinces which have been desolated by fire and sword, where countless multitudes are reduced to the utmost possible distress and misery by their pitiless enemies; if we could see with what rapid strides pestilence and famine are following in the train of war; methinks we should need no exhortation to gratitude for the blessings we now enjoy.

True it is that spiritual blessings are of incalculably greater importance: and if we could say, that we had been protected from the incursions of sin and Satan—that we had been “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Jesus;”—that we had been brought to a state of peace with God and in our own consciences—and that we enjoyed in rich profusion the bread of life—we should then have more abundant cause for praise. But we must not forget that our temporal blessings, especially when compared with the troubles which we might have been at this time enduring, have a most favourable aspect on our spiritual welfare; and that the more spiritual we are, the more disposed we shall be to acknowledge God’s kindness towards us, whereinsoever it has been displayed.

We must remember, too, that, as members of the great body of the nation, we are called to bless God for our national mercies. Now national mercies are of a temporal nature: no nation, as a nation, participates spiritual bleissings, any further than the mere external enjoyment of them: individuals alone have the grace of God in their hearts: and therefore, as members of the national body, we are bound, in whatever capacity we have received God’s mercies, in that capacity, as far as possible, gratefully to requite them.]

3. Let us render unto God the tribute they demand—

[“Praise” is surely the least that we can render for such accumulated blessings: and this, as is observed in the psalm before us, is “both comely and pleasant [Note: ver. 1.].” Behold how Moses adored God for the deliverance of Israel from the Egyptian hosts [Note: Exodus 15.]! See how David makes every distinct blessing a subject of distinct acknowledgment, and no less than twenty-six times in as many short verses ascribes every thing to the free and everlasting mercy of his God [Note: Psalms 136. See particularly ver. 1, 2, 3, 26.]! And as David elsewhere calls on every rank and order of society to discharge that debt to God [Note: Psalms 135:19-21; Psalms 150:1-6.], so in our text both “Jerusalem and Zion,” both priests and people, are called upon to praise the Lord: yea, the psalm both begins and ends with this just requirement, “Praise ye the Lord; praise ye the Lord.” Let every one amongst us then stir up his soul to this blessed work; and “let all that is within us bless his holy name.”

Let us not however rest in acknowledgments, however devout. There is a more substantial way in which we are bound to praise him, that is, in our lives, “by giving up ourselves to his service, and by walking before him in holiness and righteousness all our days.” This is the union which God himself prescribes; “Whoso offereth me praise, honoureth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I shew the salvation of God [Note: Psalms 50:23.].”]