This
psalm, though it speaks not of Christ, as many of the psalms we have
hitherto met with have done, has yet a great deal of gospel in it. The
apostle tells us that David, in this psalm, describes "the blessedness
of the man unto whom God imputes righteousness without works," Rom. iv.
6. We have here a summary, I. Of gospel grace in the pardon of sin (ver. 1,
2), in divine protection (ver. 7), and divine guidance, ver. 8. II. Of
gospel duty. To confess sin (ver. 3-5), to pray (ver. 6), to govern
ourselves well (ver. 9, 10), and to rejoice in God, ver. 11. The way to
obtain these privileges is to make conscience of these duties, which we
ought to think of--of the former for our comfort, of the latter for our
quickening, when we sing this psalm. Grotius thinks it was designed to be
sung on the day of atonement.
A psalm of David, Maschil.
1 Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is
the man unto whom the LORD
imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
3 When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day
long. 4 For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my
moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. 5 I
acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I
will confess my transgressions unto the LORD;
and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. 6 For this
shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be
found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto
him.
This psalm is entitled Maschil, which some take to be only the name
of the tune to which it was set and was to be sung. But others think it is
significant; our margin reads it, A psalm of David giving instruction,
and there is nothing in which we have more need of instruction than in the
nature of true blessedness, wherein it consists and the way that leads to
it--what we must do that we may be happy. There are several things in which
these verses instruct us. In general, we are here taught that our happiness
consists in the favour of God, and not in the wealth of this world--in
spiritual blessings, and not the good things of this world. When David says
(Ps. i. 1), Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the
ungodly, and (Ps. cxix. 1), Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
the meaning is, "This is the character of the blessed man; and he that
has not this character cannot expect to be happy:" but when it is here
said, Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven, the meaning is,
"This is the ground of his blessedness: this is that fundamental
privilege from which all the other ingredients of his blessedness
flow." In particular, we are here instructed,
I. Concerning the nature of the pardon of sin. This is that which we all
need and are undone without; we are therefore concerned to be very
solicitous and inquisitive about it. 1. It is the forgiving of
transgression. Sin is the transgression of the law. Upon our
repentance, the transgression is forgiven; that is, the obligation to
punishment which we lay under, by virtue of the sentence of the law, is
vacated and cancelled; it is lifted off (so some read it), that by
the pardon of it we may be eased of a burden, a heavy burden, like a load on
the back, that makes us stoop, or a load on the stomach, that makes us sick,
or a load on the spirits, that makes us sink. The remission of sins gives
rest and relief to those that were weary and heavily laden, Matt. xi.
28. 2. It is the covering of sin, as nakedness is covered, that it may not
appear to our shame, Rev. iii. 18. One of the first symptoms of guilt in our
first parents was blushing at their own nakedness. Sin makes us loathsome in
the sight of God and utterly unfit for communion with him, and, when
conscience is awakened, it makes us loathsome to ourselves too; but, when
sin is pardoned, it is covered with the robe of Christ's righteousness, like
the coats of skins wherewith God clothed Adam and Eve (an emblem of the
remission of sins), so that God is no longer displeased with us, but
perfectly reconciled. They are not covered from us (no; My sin is ever
before me) nor covered from God's omniscience, but from his vindictive
justice. When he pardons sin he remembers it no more, he casts it
behind his back, it shall be sought for and not found, and the
sinner, being thus reconciled to God, begins to be reconciled to himself. 3.
It is the not imputing of iniquity, not laying it to the sinner's charge,
not proceeding against him for it according to the strictness of the law,
not dealing with him as he deserves. The righteousness of Christ being
imputed to us, and we being made the righteousness of God in him, our
iniquity is not imputed, God having laid upon him the iniquity of us all
and made him sin for us. Observe, Not to impute iniquity is God's
act, for he is the Judge. It is God that justifies.
II. Concerning the character of those whose sins are pardoned: in whose
spirit there is no guile. He does not say, "There is no guilt"
(for who is there that lives and sins not?), but no guile; the
pardoned sinner is one that does not dissemble with God in his professions
of repentance and faith, nor in his prayers for peace or pardon, but in all
these is sincere and means as he says--that does not repent with a purpose
to sin again, and then sin with a purpose to repent again, as a learned
interpreter glosses upon it. Those that design honestly, that are really
what they profess to be, are Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile.
III. Concerning the happiness of a justified state: Blessednesses are to
the man whose iniquity is forgiven, all manner of blessings, sufficient
to make him completely blessed. That is taken away which incurred the curse
and obstructed the blessing; and then God will pour out blessings till there
be no room to receive them. The forgiveness of sin is that article of the
covenant which is the reason and ground of all the rest. For I will be
merciful to their unrighteousness, Heb. viii. 12.
IV. Concerning the uncomfortable condition of an unhumbled sinner, that sees
his guilt, but is not yet brought to make a penitent confession of it. This
David describes very pathetically, from his own sad experience (v. 3,
4): While I kept silence my bones waxed old. Those may be said to
keep silence who stifle their convictions, who, when they cannot but see the
evil of sin and their danger by reason of it, ease themselves by not
thinking of it and diverting their minds to something else, as Cain to the
building of a city,--who cry not when God binds them,--who will not
unburden their consciences by a penitent confession, nor seek for peace, as
they ought, by faithful and fervent prayer,--and who choose rather to pine
away in their iniquities than to take the method which God has appointed of
finding rest for their souls. Let such expect that their smothered
convictions will be a fire in their bones, and the wounds of sin, not
opened, will fester, and grow intolerably painful. If conscience be seared,
the case is so much the more dangerous; but if it be startled and awake, it
will be heard. The hand of divine wrath will be felt lying heavily upon the
soul, and the anguish of the spirit will affect the body; to the degree
David experienced it, so that when he was young his bones waxed old; and
even his silence made him roar all the day long, as if he had been
under some grievous pain and distemper of body, when really the cause of all
his uneasiness was the struggle he felt in his own bosom between his
convictions and his corruptions. Note, He that covers his sin shall not
prosper; some inward trouble is required in repentance, but there is
much worse in impenitency.
V. Concerning the true and only way to peace of conscience. We are here
taught to confess our sins, that they may be forgiven, to declare them, that
we may be justified. This course David took: I acknowledged my sin unto
thee, and no longer hid my iniquity, v. 5. Note, Those
that would have the comfort of the pardon of their sins must take shame to
themselves by a penitent confession of them. We must confess the fact of
sin, and be particular in it (Thus and thus have I done), confess the
fault of sin, aggravate it, and lay a load upon ourselves for it (I have
done very wickedly), confess the justice of the punishment we have been
under for it (The Lord is just in all that is brought upon us), and
that we deserve much worse--I am no more worthy to be called thy son.
We must confess sin with shame and holy blushing, with fear and holy
trembling.
VI. Concerning God's readiness to pardon sin to those who truly repent of
it: "I said, I will confess (I sincerely resolved upon it,
hesitated no longer, but came to a point, that I would make a free and
ingenuous confession of my sins) and immediately thou forgavest
the iniquity of my sin, and gavest me the comfort of the pardon in my
own conscience; immediately I found rest to my soul." Note, God is more
ready to pardon sin, upon our repentance, than we are to repent in order to
the obtaining of pardon. It was with much ado that David was here brought to
confess his sins; he was put to the rack before he was brought to do it (v.
3, 4), he held out long, and would not surrender till it came to the last
extremity; but, when he did offer to surrender, see how quickly, how easily,
he obtained good terms: "I did but say, I will confess, and thou
forgavest." Thus the father of the prodigal saw his returning son when
he was yet afar off, and ran to meet him with the kiss that sealed his
pardon. What an encouragement is this to poor penitents, and what an
assurance does it give us that, if we confess our sins, we shall find
God, not only faithful and just, but gracious and kind, to forgive
us our sins!
VII. Concerning the good use that we are to make of the experience David had
had of God's readiness to forgive his sins (v. 6): For this shall
every one that is godly pray unto thee. Note, 1. All godly people are
praying people. As soon as ever Paul was converted, Behold, he prays,
Acts ix. 11. You may as soon find a living man without breath as a living
Christian without prayer. 2. The instructions given us concerning the
happiness of those whose sins are pardoned, and the easiness of obtaining
the pardon, should engage and encourage us to pray, and particularly to
pray, God be merciful to us sinners. For this shall every one that is
well inclined be earnest with God in prayer, and come boldly to the
throne of grace, with hopes to obtain mercy, Heb. iv. 16. 3.
Those that would speed in prayer must seek the Lord in a time when he
will be found. When, by his providence, he calls them to seek him, and
by his Spirit stirs them up to seek him, they must go speedily to seek
the Lord (Zech. viii. 21) and lose no time, lest death cut them off, and
then it will be too late to seek him, Isa. lv. 6. Behold, now is the
accepted time, 2 Cor. vi. 2, 4. Those that are sincere and abundant in
prayer will find the benefit of it when they are in trouble: Surely in
the floods of great waters, which are very threatening, they shall
not come nigh them, to terrify them, or create them any uneasiness, much
less shall they overwhelm them. Those that have God nigh unto them in all
that which they call upon him for, as all upright, penitent, praying
people have, are so guarded, so advanced, that no waters--no, not great
waters--no, not floods of them, can come nigh them, to hurt them. As the
temptations of the wicked one touch them not (1 John v. 18), so
neither do the troubles of this evil world; these fiery darts of both kinds,
drop short of them.
7 Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt
preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of
deliverance. Selah. 8 I will instruct thee and teach thee in the
way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye. 9 Be
ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no
understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they
come near unto thee. 10 Many sorrows shall be to the
wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD,
mercy shall compass him about. 11 Be glad in the LORD,
and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright
in heart.
David is here improving the experience he had had of the comfort of
pardoning mercy.
I. He speaks to God, and professes his confidence in him and expectation
from him, v. 7. Having tasted the sweetness of divine grace to a
penitent sinner, he cannot doubt of the continuance of that grace to a
praying saint, and that in that grace he should find both safety and joy. 1.
Safety: "Thou art my hiding-place; when by faith I have recourse
to thee I see all the reason in the world to be easy, and to think myself
out of the reach of any real evil. Thou shalt preserve me from trouble,
from the sting of it, and from the strokes of it as far as is good for me. Thou
shalt preserve me from such trouble as I was in while I kept silence,"
v. 3. When God has pardoned our sins, if he leaves us to ourselves,
we shall soon run as far in debt again as ever and plunge ourselves again
into the same gulf; and therefore, when we have received the comfort of our
remission, we must fly to the grace of God to be preserved from returning to
folly again, and having our hearts again hardened through the deceitfulness
of sin. God keeps his people from trouble by keeping them from sin. 2. Joy:
"Thou shalt not only deliver me, but compass me about with songs of
deliverance; which way soever I look I shall see occasion to rejoice and
to praise God; and my friends also shall compass me about in the great
congregation, to join with me in songs of praise: they shall join their
songs of deliverance with mine. As every one that is godly shall pray
with me, so they shall give thanks with me."
II. He turns his speech to the children of men. Being himself converted, he
does what he can to strengthen his brethren (Luke xxii. 32): I
will instruct thee, whoever thou art that desirest instruction, and
teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, v. 8. This, in another
of his penitential psalms, he resolves that when God should have restored to
him the joy of his salvation he would teach transgressors his ways, and do
what he could to convert sinners to God, as well as to comfort those that
were converted, Ps. li. 12, 13. When Solomon became a penitent he
immediately became a preacher, Eccl. i. 1. Those are best able to teach
others the grace of God who have themselves had the experience of it: and
those who are themselves taught of God ought to tell others what he has
done for their souls (Ps. lxvi. 16) and so teach them. I will guide
thee with my eye. Some apply this to God's conduct and direction. He
teaches us by his word and guides us with his eye, by the secret intimations
of his will in the hints and turns of Providence, which he enables his
people to understand and take direction from, as a master makes a servant
know his mind by a wink of his eye. When Christ turned and looked upon Peter
he guided him with his eye. But it is rather to be taken as David's promise
to those who sat under his instruction, his own children and family
especially: "I will counsel thee; my eye shall be upon thee"
(so the margin reads it); "I will give thee the best counsel I can and
then observe whether thou takest it or no." Those that are taught in
the word should be under the constant inspection of those that teach them;
spiritual guides must be overseers. In this application of the foregoing
doctrine concerning the blessedness of those whose sins are pardoned we have
a word to sinners and a word to saints; and this is rightly dividing the
word of truth and giving to each their portion.
1. Here is a word of caution to sinners, and a good reason is given for it.
(1.) The caution is, not to be unruly and ungovernable: Be you not as the
horse and the mule, which have no understanding, v. 9. When the
psalmist would reproach himself for the sins he repented of he compared
himself to a beast before God (so foolish have I been and
ignorant, Ps. lxxiii. 22) and therefore warns others not to be so. It is
our honour and happiness that we have understanding, that we are capable of
being governed by reason and of reasoning with ourselves. Let us therefore
use the faculties we have, and act rationally. The horse and mule must be
managed with bit and bridle, lest they come near us, to do us a
mischief, or (as some read it) that they may come near to us, to do us
service, that they may obey us, Jam. iii. 3. Let us not be like them;
let us not be hurried by appetite and passion, at any time, to go contrary
to the dictate of right reason and to our true interest. If sinners would be
governed and determined by these, they would soon become saints and would
not go a step further in their sinful courses; where there is renewing grace
there is no need of the bit and bridle of restraining grace. (2.) The reason
for this caution is because the way of sin which we would persuade you to
forsake will certainly end in sorrow (v. 10): Many sorrows shall
be to the wicked, which will not only spoil their vain and carnal mirth,
and put an end to it, but will make them pay dearly for it. Sin will have
sorrow, if not repented of, everlasting sorrow. It was part of the sentence,
I will greatly multiply thy sorrows. "Be wise for yourselves
therefore, and turn from your wickedness, that you may prevent those
sorrows, those many sorrows."
2. Here is a word of comfort to saints, and a good reason is given for that
too. (1.) They are assured that if they will but trust in the Lord, and keep
closely to him, mercy shall compass them about on every side (v.
10), so that they shall not depart from God, for that mercy shall keep them
in, nor shall any real evil break in upon them, for that mercy shall keep it
out. (2.) They are therefore commanded to be glad in the Lord, and to
rejoice in him, to such a degree as even to shout for joy, v.
11. Let them be so transported with this holy joy as not to be able to
contain themselves; and let them affect others with it, that they also may
see that a life of communion with God is the most pleasant and comfortable
life we can live in this world. This is that present bliss which the upright
in heart, and they are only, are entitled to and qualified for.
