Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
Saved or unsaved
I. the earnest entreaty of a troubled soul. It was said of the great Sir Isaac Newton that he had a white soul, so pure was it. But this can be said of very few. They do not feel their need of salvation. When you become awakened it is a crisis of your life. You begin to ask concerning things whether they be right or wrong. Your conscience is tender and sensitive. And you must hear for yourself. “Say unto my soul”--so reads the text. But whose soul? Why, the soul of every man who desires salvation.
II. the boon desired. It is salvation. Our Lord Jesus is willing to save all men. More willing than the men in the lifeboat to save the people from the wreck. Sometimes the lifeboat dare not venture out to sea; but there is never a time when the Lord Jesus will refuse to save shipwrecked souls. I was much touched to hear a lifeboat man say, that at a certain wreck off the Orme’s Head, near Llandudno, when the lifeboat put off to save the passengers and sailors of the vessel in distress, it was impossible to take all of them into the boat, and many were left. The men would have gladly saved all, but their boat was not large enough. Now, our Lord can save all mankind. And He will save us from our faults as well as from our sins. And you need this, for faults will grow up into sins if not rooted out.
III. the certainty of God doing this. He says “I am thy salvation.” What God says, can and will be done. It is not “I may,” or “I could” do this; but I am thy salvation.” If God can make a world so beautiful as this, can He not purify our souls? If He can tint the flower and make it lovely, cannot He redeem us from all iniquity?
IV. there is a personal assurance of salvation. “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” Hannah More once said that if we preach about a privilege and do not mention the person who should have the privilege, it is like putting a letter into the post-office without any direction upon it. If you want this salvation, it is ready; but for whom is it intended? For every creature, and it is particularly addressed to you. Jesus did not say, “Go into all the world and save nations,” but “Go into all the world and preach the good news to every creature.” So, this salvation is meant for you. Then, when you are saved, your example shall bless the world. But until you are saved, your example is worth very little. (W. Birch.)
Full assurance
Many enemies were round David, but he feels there is only one thing God needs to do to make him strong. Let but God say unto his soul, “I am thy salvation,” and he will defy them all.
I. objections to the doctrine of full assurance.
1. Some say it is better a man should stand in jeopardy, better for him to have doubts and fears.
2. Others say full assurance cannot be had. But it is possible, and has been enjoyed by many. If it were impossible, would we, as here, be told to pray for it? Romanists and formalists object; the former because it would do away with Purgatory, and the latter because they want no one to be better than themselves.
3. Others because some have pretended to it who have never been saved.
4. Or because they think the doctrine makes men careless. But confidence of success stimulates exertion, and realizing assurance overcomes all difficulties.
5. Others who trust in their good feelings would have us groan in the Lord always. Of all the Diabolians, Mr. Live-by-feeling was one of the worst.
II. the text itself. It seems to say--
1. That David had his doubts, or he would not have thus prayed.
2. But he was not content to remain in doubt.
3. And he knew where to obtain full assurance. Then take each word of the text and note its force. It is by His word, and by His ministers, and by His Holy Spirit, God says this to the soul.
III. hear the preacher. He would speak to those who neither know nor care to know that they are saved; beware of your condition, for it is full of peril. And what folly on your part, for you have soon to die. And though you may not now feel it, you are most miserable. But do you wish to be saved? Then Christ is for thee. (C. H. Spurgeon.)
Heaven made sure, or the certainty of salvation
The words contain a petition for a benediction. The supplicant is a king, and his humble suit is to the King of kings: the king of Israel prays to the King of heaven and earth. He doth beg two things:--
1. That God would save him.
2. That God would certify him of it. So that the text may be distributed accordingly into salvation, and the assurance of it. The matter is assurance; the manner, how assured: “Say unto my soul.”
I. from the matter, or assurance, observe--
1. That salvation may be made sure to a man. David would never pray for that which could not be. Nor would St. Peter charge us with a duty which stood not in possibility to be performed (2 Peter 1:10). “Make your election sure.” Paul directly proves it (2 Corinthians 13:5), “Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” We may then know that Christ is in us.
2. That the best saints have desired to make their salvation sure. David that knew it, yet entreats to know it more (Psalms 41:11). “I know thou favourest me;” yet here still, “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” A man can never be too sure of his going to heaven. If we purchase an estate here, we make it as sure, and our tenure as strong, as the brawn of the law or the brains of the lawyer can devise. Now from this desire of David we draw matter--
(1) Of consolation. Even he desired better assurance. Sometimes a dear saint may want feeling of the spirit of comfort. But God doth sometimes hide from men this comfort--to extend their desires, to enlarge their joys when they shall again find the consolation they thought lost. To try whether we will serve God gratis, though we get nothing for it (Job 1:9). To make us more careful of this comfort when we have it.
(2) Of reprehension to others who are thinking all is well when it is not so.
(3) Of instruction, teaching us to keep the even way of comfort; eschewing both the rock of presumption on the right hand, and the gulf of desperation on the left. Let us neither be over-bold nor over-fainting, but endeavour by faith to assure ourselves of Jesus Christ, and by repentance to assure ourselves of faith, and by an amended life to assure ourselves of repentance. For they must here live to God’s glory that would hereafter live in God’s glory.
3. In the next place, observe the means how we may come by this assurance. This is discovered in the text, “Say unto my soul.”
4. Such assurance is the sweetest comfort that can come to a man in this life. There is no potion of misery so embittered with gall but this can sweeten it with a comfortable relish. When enemies assault us, get us under, triumph over us, imagining that salvation itself cannot save us, what is our comfort? “I know whom I have believed;” I am sure the Lord will not forsake me. What state can there be wherein the stay of this heavenly assurance gives us not peace and joy?
II. the manner. “Say unto my soul.” God bath spoken--
1. By His own voice (Genesis 3:8; Deuteronomy 4:15; John 12:28; 2 Peter 1:17).
2. By His works (Psalms 19:1).
3. By His Son (Hebrews 1:1).
4. By the Scriptures (Romans 15:4). Oh that we had hearts to bless God for His mercy, that the Scriptures are among us, and that not sealed up under an unknown tongue!
5. God speaks by His ministers, expounding and opening to us those Scriptures. These are dispensers of the mysteries of heaven. This voice is continually sounding in our churches, beating upon our ears; I would it could pierce our consciences, and that our lives would echo to it in an answerable obedience. How great should be our thankfulness! Let us not say of this blessing, as Lot of Zoar, “Is it not a little one?” nor be weary of manna with Israel, lest God’s voice grow dumb unto us, and, to our woe, we hear it speak no more. No, rather let our hearts answer with Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10), “Speak, Lord, for thy servants hear.” If we will not hear Him say to our souls, “I am your salvation,” we shall hear Him say, “Depart from Me, I know you not.”
6. God speaks by His Spirit: this “Spirit beareth witness with our spirit,” etc. Perhaps this is that “voice behind us” (Isaiah 30:21), as it were, whispering to our thoughts, “This is the way, walk in it.” It is the Church’s prayer (Song of Solomon 1:2). The Holy Ghost is the kiss of God the Father. Whom God kisseth, He loveth. Now by all these ways doth God speak peace to our consciences, and say to our souls that He is our salvation: “I am thy salvation.”--The petition is ended. I will but look into the benediction, wherein I should consider these four circumstances: Who, What, To whom, When. Who?--The Lord. He alone can (Hosea 13:9). What?--Salvation. A special good thing: every man’s desire, though he be running hellward. Man would be blessed, though he takes the course to be cursed. I will give thee a lordship, saith God to Esau. I will give thee a kingdom, said God to Saul. I will give thee an apostleship, saith God to Judas. But, I will be thy salvation, He says to David, and to none but saints. To Whom?--My soul. Not others’ only, but mine. When?--In time present. “I am.” To conclude: it is salvation our prophet desires. Not riches. He that prefers riches before his soul doth but sell the horse to buy the saddle, or kill a good horse to catch a hare. He begs not honour: many have leapt from the high throne to the low pit. The greatest commander on earth hath not a foot of ground in heaven, except he can get it by entitling himself to Christ. He desires not pleasures; he knows there are as great miseries beyond prosperity as on this side it. And that all vanity is but the indulgence of the present time; a minute begins, continues, ends it: for it endures but the acting, and leaves no solace in the memory. In the fairest garden of delights there is somewhat that stings in the midst of all vain contents. The Christian seeks “that better part which shall never be taken from him.” (T. Adams.)
Soul salvation
Our text brings to our view the soul of man, and, whilst preaching therefrom, I also will try to show some of the causes of the apparent failure of Christianity. It is not Christianity which is at fault, but Christians who are not Christlike.
I. why is it that men do so neglect religion?
1. A large portion of the community is deceived by riches. They think all their happiness lies in what riches can give. Hence they toil early and late; they think about nothing else. But when they get rich they are never satisfied. I do not ask for an equal distribution of wealth, but I call upon the rich to be trustees for the world, and to say, “Lord, all that I have is Thine; how shall I use it for Thy glory, and for the good of my fellow-men?” Another cause of the apparent failure of Christianity is--
2. The errors of many teachers and ministers.
3. A third cause is the unreasonableness of scepticism. Christianity has blessed the lives of all who believed in it. It has made the drunkard sober, the thief honest, and has delivered men from the power of darkness into God’s marvellous light. The path of Christ’s truth will Carry the world to peace and happiness, if they will but walk therein.
4. The last cause which I shall mention is that people hold false notions about God. Many men think if they pay a large sum to a church, or to some good cause, God will smile upon them. And the unfortunate one who, time after time, relapses into sin believes God cannot forgive one who falls so often. “He may forgive and bless those who live righteously, but can He bless me?” He can: He is waiting to bless thee.
II. We have now to notice as earnest desire. David, remembering the past, and fearing for the future, earnestly desires soul salvation. “Oh God! say unto my soul, ‘I am thy salvation.’”
1. He desires salvation from the burden of sin. Even as a man working in a coal-pit, upon whom the earth has fallen, earnestly cries for help, so the Christian is in agony to be saved from the burden with which his sins have fallen upon his memory and his conscience.
2. We also have here an earnest desire for salvation from the power of sin. In the sad days of American slavery, I have read of a maiden being bought by a very wicked man for purposes of sin and shame, and she, weeping, as she was dragged along the road to his estate, shrieked piteously for a deliverer. Poor thing! the law gave the monster the power over her. But how different when we in the bondage of sin, cry out to God for help. Christ comes and delivers his people from the power of sin.
III. the delightful expectation of the text. It is to have God’s voice to be heard in the soul. “Say unto my soul, ‘I am thy salvation.’” There may be some here who cannot find peace and holiness, and who now cry for salvation. Losing your way whilst wandering in an underground cavern and your light burning out, it is delightful to hear the guide in the distance cry, “All right, my friend, I know where you are, and will lead you safely out.” Likewise the promise is, “The Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly return to His temple.” Pray on, hope on, believe on. You shall hear His voice, for He hath promised. (W. Birch.)