DISCOURSE: 641
PROMISES TO THE UPRIGHT
Psalms 84:11. The Lord God is a sun and a shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will be with hold from them that walk uprightly.
THE choice which every true Christian makes, affords matter of astonishment to the ungodly world. He prefers a life of godliness with all the odium attached to it, before all the pleasures and honours which he could possibly enjoy in the ways of sin. They, who look no further than to the concerns of time and sense, are amazed that so many sacrifices should be made without any visible recompence. Doubtless the choice of Moses must have been deemed marvellously absurd in the palace of Pharaoh [Note: Hebrews 11:24-26.]; as that also, which David deliberately made, must have been among his ungodly courtiers. But the reason assigned for it was sufficient to justify him in the eyes of every rational being [Note: ver. 10, 11. “I had rather,” &c. “For,” &c.].
His words lead us to shew,
I. The character of true Christians as here described—
“They walk uprightly” both towards God and man. Integrity in our dealings with man is an essential part of true uprightness, yet it is far from being the whole of what is comprehended in that term. Many act honestly from a mere sense of honour, while they pay no regard at all to their duties towards God. But sincere Christians act in a very different manner, they have respect to God in every thing, that they may approve themselves to him.
They search out their duty diligently—
[A child of God will not conclude hastily that he knows his duty. He is aware of the deceitfulness of sin, and the wickedness of his own heart. He knows that, if he blindly follow the dictates of an unenlightened conscience, he may commit murder itself under the idea of doing God service [Note: John 16:2.Acts 26:9.]. He therefore desires to have his judgment informed. For this end he reads the Holy Scriptures — — — and begs the Spirit of God to guide him into all truth — — — He is glad of instruction and reproof from his fellow-creatures, that he may be preserved from error. And the one desire of his heart is, to be freed from every undue bias — — — and to fulfil in all things the will of God.]
They perform it uniformly—
[Every true Christian labours to do unto others as he would have others do to him. But he does not rest satisfied with this. He strives to maintain the mastery over all his motives and principles of action — — — He endeavours to have his tempers regulated according to the word of God, and the example of his Lord and Saviour — — — He moreover watches unto secret prayer. He lives a life of communion with God — — — and of dependence on God — — — He would not make any exceptions or reserves — — — He longs to be free both from partiality and hypocrisy; and desires rather to descend from a throne to the place of a door-keeper in God’s house for the maintenance of his integrity, than to rise from the place of a door-keeper to a throne through the smallest violation of his duty [Note: ver. 10.]. He says with David, I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way [Note: Psalms 119:128.]. And with him also he prays, “O that my ways may be directed to keep thy statutes [Note: Psalms 119:5.]!”]
What delight God has in such characters we may see, if we consider,
II.
The blessedness that shall be accorded to them—
We are here distinctly told what God will be to them—
[There is scarcely any thing noble or useful in the sphere of nature or of art, which is not used to illustrate the goodness of God towards his people. To the upright he will be “a sun.”
How welcome is the sun to one who has been groping his dubious way during a long and dreary night [Note: This metaphor must not be taken in its full extent, but only in reference to a traveller.]. His path is now made clear, and he is enabled to avoid the stumbling-blocks which before obstructed his progress. Nor are its beams less refreshing to his body, than its light is useful to his feet. He now shakes off the anxieties and cares with which he was before disquieted. He feels his spirit exhilarated; and prosecutes his journey with ease and pleasure. Thus does God arise on those who have been sincerely occupied in doing his will. He causes light to arise in the darkness [Note: Psalms 112:4.]. Even when they were in darkness, he was a light unto them [Note: Micah 7:8.]; but now he dispels all the clouds, and shines upon them with healing in his beams [Note: Malachi 4:2.]. How sweet the change when the light of God’s countenance is thus lifted up upon them! How plain is now the way of duty, which before was dark and intricate! And how pleasant is it to “run the way of his commandments, now that their feet are set at liberty!”
He will also be to them “a shield.” The more upright they are, the more will Satan and the world combine against them. Men will strike at them with the sword of persecution; and Satan will cast at them the fiery darts of temptation. But God will “compass them with his favour as with a shield.” If they be wounded, he will heal them again, and overrule their momentary pain for their greater advantage. As for their head, he will surely protect it in the day of battle. He will perfectly secure them from every fatal blow. Nor shall any weapon that is formed against them be ever suffered finally to prosper [Note: Isaiah 54:17.].
Whilst God himself thus becomes their light and protection, he informs us further,]
What he will do for them—
[He will give them grace. Certain it is that he must have given them grace before, or else they never would have been able to attain to real uprightness. But, as their conflicts increase, he will give them more grace [Note: James 4:6.]. As particular occasions call for it, he will give them seasonable grace, even in the very time of need [Note: Hebrews 4:16.]. And if their temptations should exceed all that ever were experienced by man, he will give them grace sufficient for them [Note: 2 Corinthians 12:9.]. “My grace is sufficient for thee,” is his word to every soul, however buffeted by Satan, or ready to sink under the violence of his assaults. “They shall receive continually out of Christ’s fulness, even grace for grace.”
He will also give them glory. His favours to them shall not terminate with their present state of existence. He will not only make them more than conquerors here, but will give them an unfading crown of righteousness and glory in a better world. Whatever felicity the angels enjoy in heaven, that shall his saints also participate. And as our first parents were banished from the tree of life for yielding to the tempter, so shall they, who resist and overcome him, be admitted to the tree of life that grows in the midst of the paradise of God, and shall go no more out for ever [Note: Revelation 2:7.].
“Nor will he withhold from them any thing that is truly good.” Were wealth and honour good for them here below, they should possess it. If God withhold those things from his people now, he does it because he knows that they would not, on the whole, be good for them. He that gave his own Son to die for them, will assuredly give them all other things that will promote their welfare. They shall never want any thing for body or soul, for time or eternity.]
Infer—
1.
How truly blessed are they who are upright before God!
[This is the Psalmist’s own reflection [Note: ver. 12.]. He varies indeed the term by which he describes the people of God; but his meaning is the same; for none can be upright except those who trust in him, because nothing but the grace of God can make them so: nor do any trust in him without receiving that grace which shall make them upright. The manner in which he expresses his reflection, is worthy of notice; he does not merely assert it as a fact, or appeal to men for the truth of it, but appeals to God himself respecting it. “O Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.” How strong must have been the conviction of it in his mind! And can any thing be more clear? To have the Lord God himself for their light and defence, and to have all the blessings of grace and glory ensured to them by the unalterable promise of Jehovah; what can they have more? Let every upright soul then rejoice; for he is and shall be blessed. And let all be stirred up to walk worthy of their high calling. So shall God be glorified in them; and they, ere long, be glorified with him for evermore.]
2. In what a pitiable state are the generality of mankind!
[There are many who are honest and just even among the heathen. But, alas! the generality labour not in earnest to find out their duty; nor do they know any thing of that unreserved devotedness to God which characterizes the true Christian. Is God then a sun to them? Is he not rather a cloud of darkness to them, or rather, I should say, a consuming fire [Note: Exodus 14:20; Hebrews 12:29.]? Is he a shield to them? Is he not rather an irresistible adversary [Note: Matthew 5:25.]? Will he give them grace and glory? Shall he not rather visit them with wrath and fiery indignation [Note: Romans 2:8.]? Will he withhold from them no good? Is there not rather a time shortly coming when they shall not have so much as a drop of water to cool their tongue? O that men would consider this! Surely their state calls for much compassion. Let every one lay this to heart. Let every one seek to be found “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” And let it be the one ambition of us all to be found of God in peace, without spot and blameless [Note: 2 Peter 3:14.]