Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 3.djvu/580

572  myself, so others, in thy statutes. If God's right hand uphold us, we must, in his strength, go on in our duty, both with diligence and with pleasure.

118. Thou hast trodden down all them that err from thy statutes: for their deceit is falsehood. 119. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross: therefore I love thy testimonies. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.

Here is, 1. God's judgments on wicked people, on those that wander from his statutes, that take their measures from other rules, and will not have God to reign over them. All departure from God's statutes is certainly an error, and will prove a fatal one. These are the wicked of the earth; they mind earthly things, and lay up their treasures in the earth, and live in pleasure on the earth, and are strangers and enemies to heaven and heavenly things. Now, see how God deals with them, that you may neither fear them, nor envy them. (1.) He treads them all down; he brings them to ruin, to utter ruin, to shameful ruin; he makes them his footstool. Though they are ever so high, he can bring them low; (Amos ii. 9.) he has done it many a time, and he will do it, for he resists the proud, and will triumph over those that oppose his kingdom. Proud persecutors trample upon his people, but, sooner or later, he will trample upon them. (2.) He puts them all away like dross. Wicked people are as dross, which, though it be mingled with the good metal in the ore, and seems to be of the same substance with it, must be separated from it. And, in God's account, they are worthless things, the scum and refuse of the earth, and no more to be compared with the righteous, than dross with fine gold. There is a day coming which will put them away from among the righteous, (Matth. xiii. 49.) so that they shall have no place in their congregation; (Ps. i. 5.) which will put them away into everlasting fire, the fittest place for the dross. Sometimes, in this world, the wicked are, by the censures of the church, or the sword of the magistrate, or the judgments of God, put away as dross, Prov. xxv. 4, 5.

2. The reasons of these judgments. God casts them off, because they err from his statutes; they that will not submit to the commands of the word, shall feel the curses of it. And because their deceit is falsehood, because they deceive themselves by setting up false rules, in opposition to God's statutes, which they err from; and because they go about to deceive others with their hypocritical pretences of good, and their crafty projects of mischief. Their cunning is falsehood, so Dr. Hammond. The utmost of their policy is treachery and perfidiousness; this the God of truth hates, and will punish.

3. The improvement David made of these judgments; he took notice of them, and received instruction from them. The ruin of the wicked helped to increase, (1.) His love to the word of God; "I see what comes of sin; therefore I love thy testimonies, which warn me to take heed of those dangerous courses, and keep me from the paths of the destroyer." We see the word of God fulfilled in his judgments on sin and sinners, and therefore we should love it. (2.) His fear of the wrath of God; My flesh trembles for fear of thee. Instead of insulting over those who fell under God's displeasure, he humbled himself. What we read and hear of the judgments of God upon wicked people, should make us, [1.] To reverence his terrible majesty, and to stand in awe of him; Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God? 1 Sam. vi, 20. [2.] To fear lest we offend him, and become obnoxious to his wrath. Good men have need to be restrained from sin by the terrors of the Lord; especially when judgment begins at the house of God, and hypocrites are discovered, and put away as dross.

16. AIN. 121. I have done judgment and justice: leave me not to mine oppressors. 122. Be surety for thy servant for good: let not the proud oppress me.

David here appeals to God,

1. As his Witness, that he had not done wrong; he could truly say, "I have done judgment and justice; I have made conscience of rendering to all their due, and have not, by force or fraud, hindered any of their right." Take him as a king, he executed judgment and justice to all his people; (2 Sam. viii. 15.) take him in a private capacity, he could appeal to Saul himself, that there was no evil or transgression in his hand, 1 Sam. xxiv. 11. Note, Honesty is the best policy, and will be our rejoicing in the day of evil.

2. As his Judge, that he might not be wronged; he, having done justice for others that were oppressed, begs that God would do him justice, and avenge him of his adversaries; "Be surety for thy servant for good; undertake for me against those that would run me down, and ruin me." He is sensible that he cannot make his part good himself, and therefore begs that God would appear for him. Christ is our Surety with God; and, if he be so, Providence shall be our Surety against all the world; who, or what, shall harm us, if God's power and goodness be engaged for our protection and rescue? He does not prescribe to God what he should do for him; only let it be for good, in such way and manner as infinite Wisdom sees best; only let me not be left to mine oppressors. Though David had done judgment and justice, yet he had many enemies; but, having God for his Friend, he hoped they should not have their will against him; and in that hope he prayed again, Let not the proud oppress me. David, one of the best of men, was oppressed by the proud, whom God beholds afar off: the condition, therefore, of the persecuted is better than that of the persecutors, and will appear so at last.

123. Mine eyes fail for thy salvation, and for the word of thy righteousness.

David, being oppressed, is here waiting and wishing for the salvation of the Lord, which would make him easy.

1. He cannot but think that it comes slowly; Mine eyes fail for thy salvation. His eyes were towards it, and had been long so: he looked for help from heaven, and we deceive ourselves if we look for it any other way; but it did not come so soon as he expected, so that his eves began to fail, and he was sometimes ready to despair, and to think that, because the salvation did not come when he looked for it, it would never come. It is often the infirmity even of good men, to be weary of waiting God's time, when their time is elapsed.

2. Yet he cannot but hope that it comes surely; for he expects the word of God's righteousness, and no other salvation than what is secured by that word, which cannot fall to the ground, because it is a word of righteousness. Though our eyes fail, yet God's word does not, and therefore those that build upon it, though now discouraged, shall in due time see his salvation.

124. Deal with thy servant according unto thy mercy, and teach me thy statutes 125. I am thy servant, give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.