mh_parser/vol_split/19 - Psalms/Chapter 130.xml

<div2 id="Ps.cxxxi" n="cxxxi" next="Ps.cxxxii" prev="Ps.cxxx" progress="67.55%" title="Chapter CXXX">
<h2 id="Ps.cxxxi-p0.1">P S A L M S</h2>
<h3 id="Ps.cxxxi-p0.2">PSALM CXXX.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Ps.cxxxi-p1">This psalm relates not to any temporal concern,
either personal or public, but it is wholly taken up with the
affairs of the soul. It is reckoned one of the seven penitential
psalms, which have sometimes been made use of by penitents, upon
their admission into the church; and, in singing it, we are all
concerned to apply it to ourselves. The psalmist here expresses, I.
His desire towards God, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.1-Ps.130.2" parsed="|Ps|130|1|130|2" passage="Ps 130:1,2">ver. 1,
2</scripRef>. II. His repentance before God, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.3-Ps.130.4" parsed="|Ps|130|3|130|4" passage="Ps 130:3,4">ver. 3, 4</scripRef>. III. His attendance upon God,
<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.5-Ps.130.6" parsed="|Ps|130|5|130|6" passage="Ps 130:5,6">ver. 5, 6</scripRef>. IV. His
expectations from God, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.7-Ps.130.8" parsed="|Ps|130|7|130|8" passage="Ps 130:7,8">ver. 7,
8</scripRef>. And, as in water face answers to face, so does the
heart of one humble penitent to another.</p>
<scripCom id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130" parsed="|Ps|130|0|0|0" passage="Ps 130" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.1-Ps.130.4" parsed="|Ps|130|1|130|4" passage="Ps 130:1-4" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.130.1-Ps.130.4">
<h4 id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.7">God's Regard to His Church.</h4>
<div class="Center" id="Ps.cxxxi-p1.8">
<p id="Ps.cxxxi-p2">A song of degrees.</p>
</div>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.cxxxi-p3">1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee,
<span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxxxi-p3.1">O Lord</span>.   2 Lord, hear my
voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my
supplications.   3 If thou, <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxxxi-p3.2">Lord</span>, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who
shall stand?   4 But <i>there is</i> forgiveness with thee,
that thou mayest be feared.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p4">In these verses we are taught,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p5">I. Whatever condition we are in, though
ever so deplorable, to continue calling upon God, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.1" parsed="|Ps|130|1|0|0" passage="Ps 130:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>. The best men may
sometimes be in <i>the depths,</i> in great trouble and affliction,
and utterly at a loss what to do, in the depths of distress and
almost in the depths of despair, the spirit low and dark, sinking
and drooping, cast down and disquieted. But, in the greatest
depths, it is our privilege that we may cry unto God and be heard.
A prayer may reach the heights of heaven, though not out of the
depths of hell, yet out of the depths of the greatest trouble we
can be in in this world, Jeremiah's out of the dungeon, Daniel's
out of the den, and Jonah's out of the fish's belly. It is our duty
and interest to cry unto God, for that is the likeliest way both to
prevent our sinking lower and to recover us out of the <i>horrible
pit and miry clay,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p5.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.40.1-Ps.40.2" parsed="|Ps|40|1|40|2" passage="Ps 40:1,2">Ps. xl. 1,
2</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p6">II. While we continue calling upon God to
assure ourselves of an answer of peace from him; for this is that
which David in faith prays for (<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.2" parsed="|Ps|130|2|0|0" passage="Ps 130:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>): <i>Lord, hear my voice,</i> my
complaint and prayer, and <i>let thy ears be attentive</i> to the
voice both of my afflictions and <i>of my supplications.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p7">III. We are taught to humble ourselves
before the justice of God as guilty in his sight, and unable to
answer him for one of a thousand of our offences (<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.3" parsed="|Ps|130|3|0|0" passage="Ps 130:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>): <i>If thou, Lord,
shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord! who shall stand?</i> His calling
God <i>Lord</i> twice, in so few words, <i>Jah</i> and
<i>Adonai,</i> is very emphatic, and intimates a very awful sense
of God's glorious majesty and a dread of his wrath. Let us learn
here, 1. To acknowledge our iniquities, that we cannot justify
ourselves before God, or plead Not guilty. There is that which is
remarkable in our iniquities and is liable to be animadverted upon.
2. To own the power and justice of God, which are such that, if he
were extreme to mark what we do amiss, there would be no hopes of
coming off. His eye can discover enough in the best man to ground a
condemnation upon; and, if he proceed against us, we have no way to
help ourselves, we cannot stand, but shall certainly be cast. If
God deal with us in strict justice, we are undone; if he make
remarks upon our iniquities, he will find them to be many and
great, greatly aggravated and very provoking; and then, if he
should proceed accordingly, he would shut us out from all hope of
his favour and shut us up under his wrath; and what could we do to
help ourselves? We could not make our escape, nor resist not bear
up under his avenging hand. 3. Let us admire God's patience and
forbearance; we should be undone if he were to mark iniquities, and
he knows it, and therefore bears with us. <i>It is of his mercy
that we are not consumed</i> by his wrath.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p8">IV. We are taught to cast ourselves upon
the pardoning mercy of God, and to comfort ourselves with that when
we see ourselves obnoxious to his justice, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p8.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.4" parsed="|Ps|130|4|0|0" passage="Ps 130:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>. Here is, 1. God's grace
discovered, and pleaded with him, by a penitent sinner: <i>But
there is forgiveness with thee.</i> It is our unspeakable comfort,
in all our approaches to God, that there is forgiveness with him,
for that is what we need. He has put himself into a capacity to
pardon sin; he has declared himself gracious and merciful, and
ready to forgive, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p8.2" osisRef="Bible:Exod.34.6-Exod.34.7" parsed="|Exod|34|6|34|7" passage="Ex 34:6,7">Exod. xxxiv. 6,
7</scripRef>. He has promised to forgive the sins of those that do
repent. Never any that dealt with him found him implacable, but
easy to be entreated, and swift to show mercy. With us there is
iniquity, and therefore it is well for us that with him there is
forgiveness. <i>There is a propitiation with thee,</i> so some read
it. Jesus Christ is the great propitiation, the ransom which God
has found; he is ever with him, as advocate for us, and through him
we hope to obtain forgiveness. 2. Our duty designed in that
discovery, and inferred from it: "<i>There is forgiveness with
thee,</i> not that thou mayest be made bold with and presumed upon,
but <i>that thou mayest be feared</i>—in general, that thou mayest
be worshipped and served by the children of men, who, being
sinners, could have no dealings with God, if he were not a Master
that could pass by a great many faults." But this encourages us to
come into his service that we shall not be turned off for every
misdemeanour; no, nor for any, if we truly repent. This does in a
special manner invite those who have sinned to repent, and return
to the fear of God, that he is gracious and merciful, and will
receive them upon their repentance, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p8.3" osisRef="Bible:Joel.2.13 Bible:Matt.3.2" parsed="|Joel|2|13|0|0;|Matt|3|2|0|0" passage="Joe 2:13,Mt 3:2">Joel ii. 13; Matt. iii. 2</scripRef>. And,
particularly, we are to have a holy awe and reverence of God's
pardoning mercy (<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p8.4" osisRef="Bible:Hos.3.5" parsed="|Hos|3|5|0|0" passage="Ho 3:5">Hos. iii. 5</scripRef>,
<i>They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness</i>); and <i>then</i>
we may expect the benefit of the forgiveness that is with God when
we make it the object of our holy fear.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Ps.cxxxi-p8.5" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.5-Ps.130.8" parsed="|Ps|130|5|130|8" passage="Ps 130:5-8" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Ps.130.5-Ps.130.8">
<h4 id="Ps.cxxxi-p8.6">Encouragement to Trust in and Depend upon
God.</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Ps.cxxxi-p9">5 I wait for the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxxxi-p9.1">Lord</span>, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I
hope.   6 My soul <i>waiteth</i> for the Lord more than they
that watch for the morning: <i>I say, more than</i> they that watch
for the morning.   7 Let Israel hope in the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxxxi-p9.2">Lord</span>: for with the <span class="smallcaps" id="Ps.cxxxi-p9.3">Lord</span> <i>there is</i> mercy, and with him
<i>is</i> plenteous redemption.   8 And he shall redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p10">Here, I. The psalmist engages himself to
trust in God and to wait for him, <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.5-Ps.130.6" parsed="|Ps|130|5|130|6" passage="Ps 130:5,6"><i>v.</i> 5, 6</scripRef>. Observe, 1. His dependence
upon God, expressed in a climax, it being a a song of degrees, or
ascents: "<i>I wait for the Lord;</i> from him I expect relief and
comfort, believing it will come, longing till it does come, but
patiently bearing the delay of it, and resolving to look for it
from no other hand. <i>My soul doth wait;</i> I wait for him in
sincerity, and not in profession only. I am an expectant, and it is
<i>for the Lord</i> that <i>my soul waits,</i> for the gifts of his
grace and the operations of his power." 2. The ground of that
dependence: <i>In his word do I hope.</i> We must hope for that
only which he has promised in his word, and not for the creatures
of our own fancy and imagination; we must hope for it because he
has promised it, and not from any opinion of our own merit. 3. The
degree of that dependence—"<i>more than those that watch for the
morning,</i> who are, (1.) Well-assured that the morning will come;
and so am I that God will return in mercy to me, according to his
promise; for God's covenant is more firm than the ordinances of day
and night, for they shall come to an end, but that is everlasting."
(2.) Very desirous that it would come. Sentinels that keep guard
upon the walls, those that watch with sick people, and travellers
that are abroad upon their journey, long before day wish to see the
dawning of the day; but more earnestly does this good man long for
the tokens of God's favour and the visits of his grace, and more
readily will he be aware of his first appearances than they are of
day. Dr. Hammond reads it thus, <i>My soul hastens to the Lord,
from the guards in the morning, the guards in the morning,</i> and
gives this sense of it, "To thee I daily betake myself, early in
the morning, addressing my prayers, and my very soul, before thee,
at the time that the priests offer their morning sacrifice."</p>
<p class="indent" id="Ps.cxxxi-p11">II. He encourages all the people of God in
like manner to depend upon him and trust in him: <i>Let Israel hope
in the Lord</i> and <i>wait for</i> him; not only the body of the
people, but every good man, who <i>surnames himself by the name of
Israel,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Isa.44.5" parsed="|Isa|44|5|0|0" passage="Isa 44:5">Isa. xliv. 5</scripRef>.
Let all that devote themselves to God cheerfully stay themselves
upon him (<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p11.2" osisRef="Bible:Ps.130.7-Ps.130.8" parsed="|Ps|130|7|130|8" passage="Ps 130:7,8"><i>v.</i> 7,
8</scripRef>), for two reasons:—1. Because the light of nature
discovers to us that <i>there is mercy with him,</i> that the God
of Israel is a merciful God and <i>the Father of mercies. Mercy is
with</i> him; not only inherent in his nature, but it is his
delight, it is his darling attribute; it is with him in all his
works, in all his counsels. 2. Because the light of the gospel
discovers to us that <i>there is redemption with him,</i> contrived
by him, and to be wrought out <i>in the fulness of time;</i> it was
in the beginning hidden in God. See here, (1.) The nature of this
redemption; it is redemption from sin, from all sin, and therefore
can be no other than that eternal redemption which Jesus Christ
became the author of; for it is he <i>that saves his people from
their sins</i> (<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p11.3" osisRef="Bible:Matt.1.21" parsed="|Matt|1|21|0|0" passage="Mt 1:21">Matt. i.
21</scripRef>), that <i>redeems them from all iniquity</i>
(<scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p11.4" osisRef="Bible:Titus.2.14" parsed="|Titus|2|14|0|0" passage="Tit 2:14">Tit. ii. 14</scripRef>), and <i>turns
away ungodliness from Jacob,</i> <scripRef id="Ps.cxxxi-p11.5" osisRef="Bible:Rom.11.26" parsed="|Rom|11|26|0|0" passage="Ro 11:26">Rom.
xi. 26</scripRef>. It is he that redeems us both from the
condemning and from the commanding power of sin. (2.) The riches of
this redemption; it <i>is plenteous redemption;</i> there is an
all-sufficient fulness of merit and grace in the Redeemer, enough
for all, enough for each; enough for me, says the believer.
Redemption from sin includes redemption from all other evils, and
therefore is a plenteous redemption. (3.) The persons to whom the
benefits of this redemption belong: <i>He shall redeem Israel,</i>
Israel according to the spirit, all those who are in covenant with
God, as Israel was, and who are <i>Israelites indeed, in whom is no
guile.</i></p>
</div></div2>