Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps15.2

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                           EXPOSITION.

        THE ANSWER. The Lord in answer to the question informs us
by his Holy Spirit of the character of the man who alone can
dwell in his holy hill. In perfection this holiness is found only
in the Man of Sorrows, but in a measure it is wrought in all his
people by the Holy Ghost. Faith and the graces of the Spirit are
not mentioned, because this is a description of outward
character, and where fruits are found the root may not be seen,
but it is surely there. Observe the accepted man's _walk, work
and word_. "_He that walketh uprightly_," he keeps himself erect
as those do who traverse high ropes; if they lean on one side
over they must go, or as those who carry precious but fragile
ware in baskets on their heads, who lose all if they lose their
perpendicular. True believers do not cringe as flatterers, wriggle
as serpents, bend double as earth-grubbers, or crook on one side.
as those who have sinister aims; they have the strong backbone of
the vital principle of grace within, and being themselves
upright, they are able to walk uprightly. Walking is of far more
importance than talking. He only is right who is upright in walk
and downright in honesty. "_And worketh righteousness_." His
faith shows itself by good works, and therefore is no dead faith.
God's house is a hive for workers, not a nest for drones. Those
that rejoice that everything is done for them by another, even
the Lord Jesus, and therefore hate legality, are the best doers
in the world upon gospel principles. If we are not positively
serving the Lord, and doing his holy will to the best of our
power, we may seriously debate our interest in divine things, for
trees which bear no fruit must be hewn down and cast into the
fire. "_And speaketh the truth in his heart_." The fool in the
last Psalm spoke falsely in his heart; observe both here and
elsewhere in the two Psalms, the striking contrast. Saints not
only desire to love and speak truth with their lips, but they
seek to be true within; they will not lie even in the closet of
their hearts, for God is there to listen; they scorn double
meanings, evasions, equivocations, white lies, flatteries, and
deceptions. Though truths, like roses, have thorns about them,
good men wear them in their bosoms. Our heart must be the
sanctuary and refuge of truth, should it be banished from all the
world beside, and hunted from among men; at all risk we must
entertain the angel of truth, for truth is God's daughter. We
must be careful that the heart is really fixed and settled in
principle, for tenderness of conscience towards truthfulness,
like the bloom on a peach, needs gentle handling, and once lost
it were hard to regain it. Jesus was the mirror of sincerity and
holiness. Oh, to be more and more fashioned after his similitude!

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 2.--"_He that walketh uprightly_," etc.--If neither
the golden reason of excellency can move us, nor the silver
reason of profit allure us, then must the iron reason of
necessity enforce us to _integrity_ and _uprightness of heart_.
For first, such is the necessity thereof, that without integrity
the best graces we seem to have are counterfeit, and, therefore,
but glorious sins; the best worship we can perform is but
hypocrisy, and therefore abominable in God's sight. For
uprightness is the soundness of all grace and virtues, as also of
all religion and worship of God, without which they are unsound
and nothing worth. And first, as touching graces, if they be not
joined with uprightness of heart, they are sins under the masks
or vizards of virtue, yea, as it may seem, double sins: for as
Augustine saith, _Simulata aequitas est duplex iniquitas, quia et
iniquitas est, et simulatio_: Feigned equity is double iniquity,
both because it is iniquity, and because it is feigning.--^George
Downame, D.D., 1604.

        Verse 2.--_He that walketh uprightly_."--Here two
questions are moved: First. Why David describes a sound member of
the church, and inheritor of heaven, by works rather than by
faith, seeing the kingdom of heaven is promised unto faith, and
the profession thereof also maketh one a member of the visible
church? Secondly. Why, among all the fruits of faith, almost
innumerable, he makes choice of those duties especially which
concern our neighbours? To the first, answer may be, that in
this, and in all other places of Holy Scripture, where good works
are commanded or commended in any, faith is ever presupposed,
according to that apostolical maxim, "Whatsoever is not of faith
is sin;" "Without me," saith our blessed Saviour, "ye can do
nothing" (#Joh 15:5|); and without faith in him it is impossible
to please God (#Heb 11:6|); _fides est operum fomes_, as Paulinus
wittily: "_Faith (as our church speaks), is the nest of good
works_; albeit our birds be never so fair, though haply we _do
that which is right, and speak that which is true_, yet all these
will be lost, except it be brought forth in a true belief."
Aristides was so just in his government that he would not tread
awry for any respect to friend or despite of foe. Pomponius is
said to have been so true, that he never made lie himself, nor
suffered a lie in other. Curtius at Rome, Menaeceus at Thebes,
Codrus at Athens, exposed themselves unto voluntary death, for
the good of their neighbours and country: yet, because they
wanted the rest of true faith in the world's Saviour where to lay
their young, we cannot (if we speak with our prophet here from
God's oracle), say that they shall ever rest upon his holy hill.
Another answer may be, that faith is an inward and hidden grace,
and many deceive themselves and others with a feigned profession
thereof, and therefore the Holy Spirit will have every man's
faith to be tried and known by their fruits, and howsoever
eternal life be promised to faith, and eternal damnation be
threatened against infidelity, yet the sentence of salvation and
condemnation shall be pronounced according to works, as the
clearest evidence of both. It is truly said, out of Bernard, that
although our good works are not _causa regnandi_, yet they be
_via regni_, the causeway wherein, albeit not the cause
wherefore, we must ascend God's holy hill. To the second demand,
why the duties immediately belonging to God, are not mentioned
here, but only such as concern our brother? Answer is made, that
this question is propounded of such as, living in the visible
church, openly profess the faith, and would seem to be devout,
hearing the word of God, and calling upon his name; for of such
as are profane atheists, and do not so much as make a semblance
of holiness, there is no question to be made, for, without all
doubt, there can be no resting place for such in the kingdom of
heaven. Now that we may discern aright which of those that
profess religion are sound, and which unsound; the marks are not
to be taken from an outward hearing of the word, or receiving of
the sacraments, and much less from a formal observation of human
traditions in God's tabernacle (for all these things hypocrites
usually perform), but from the duties of righteousness, giving
every man his due, because the touchstone of piety towards God is
charity towards our brother. "Herein," saith John, "are the
children of God known, and the children of the devil: whosoever
doth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not
his brother."--^John Boys.

        Verse 2.--There is no ascertaining the quality of a tree
but by its fruits. When the wheels of a clock move within, the
hands on the dial will move without. When the heart of a man is
sound in conversion, then the life will be fair in profession.
When the conduit is walled in, how shall we judge of the spring
but by the waters which run through the pipes?--^William Secker.

        Verse 2.--"_And worketh righteousness_." A man must first
be righteous before he can work righteousness of life. "He that
doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." #1Jo
3:7|. The tree makes the fruit, not the fruit the tree; and
therefore the tree must be good before the fruit can be good. #Mt
8:18|. A righteous man may make a righteous work, but no work of
an unrighteous man can make him righteous. Now, we become
righteous only by faith, through the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us. #Ro 5:1| ... Wherefore let men work as they will,
if they be not true believers in Christ, they are not workers of
righteousness; and, consequently they will not be dwellers in
heaven. Ye must then close with Christ in the first place, and by
faith receive the gift of imputed righteousness, or ye will never
truly bear this character of a citizen of Zion. A man shall as
soon force fruit out of a branch broken off from the tree and
withered, as work righteousness without believing in, and uniting
with Christ. These are two things by which those that hear the
gospel are ruined.--^Thomas Boston.

        Verse 2.--"_Worketh righteousness_." Jacob's ladder had
stairs, upon which he saw none standing still, but all either
ascending, or else descending by it. Ascend you likewise to the
top of the ladder, to heaven, and there you shall hear one say,
"My Father doth now work, and I work also." Whereupon Basil
noteth that King David having first said, "_Lord, who shall dwell
in thy tabernacle_?" adds then, not he that hath wrought
righteousness heretofore, but _he that doth now work
righteousness_, even as Christ saith, "My Father doth now work,
and I work also."--^Thomas Playfere.

        Verse 2.--But here observe David saith, "that _worketh_
righteousness;" not that talks about, thinks about, or hears of
righteousness; because, "not the hearers of the law, but the
doers of the law, shall be justified." What then do we owe unto
others? That which Christ saith (#Mt 8|), "Whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you, do ye also unto them," even unto
your enemies: that is, to injure no one, to succour those that
suffer injury, and to do good unto all men. But these things, I
say, are spoken especially unto those who have respect of
persons; as if he had said, It is not because thou art a priest,
nor because thou art of a religious order, nor because thou
prayest much, nor because thou dost miracles, nor because thou
teachest excellently, nor because thou art dignified with the
title of father, nor because thou art the doer of any work
(except righteousness), that thou shalt rest in the holy hill of
the Lord; for if thou be destitute of the work of righteousness,
neither all thy good works, nor thy indulgences, nor thy votes
and suffrages, nor thy intercessions, shall avail thee anything.
Therefore, the truth is firm; that it is the walker without spot,
and the doer of righteousness, that shall rest in the tabernacle
of the Lord. Yet how many are there, who build, increase and
adorn churches, monasteries, altars, vessels, garments, etc.,
who, all the while never so much as think of the works of
righteousness; nay, who tread righteousness under foot that they
may work these their own works, and because of them hope to gain
the pardon of their unrighteousness, while thousands are deceived
by these means! Hence, in the last day, Christ will say, "I was
an hungered, I was thirsty, I was naked, I was in prison, I was a
stranger." He will not say one word about those works which are
done and admired at this day. And on the other hand, it is of no
account against thee that thou art a layman, or poor, or sick or
contemptible, or how vile soever thou art, if thou workest
righteousness, thou shalt be saved. The only work that we must
hope will be considered and accounted of, is the work of
righteousness: all other works that either urge or allure us on
under a show of godliness, are a thing of nought.--^Martin
Luther.

        Verse 2.--"_And speaketh the truth in his heart_."
Anatomists have observed that the tongue in man is tied with a
double string to the heart. And so in _truth spoken_ there is
necessary a double agreement of our words. 1. With our heart.
That is, to the speaking of truth, it is necessary our words
agree with our mind and thoughts about the thing. We must speak
as we think, and our tongues must be faithful interpreters of our
mind; otherwise we lie, not speaking as we think. So what is
truth in itself may be spoken by a man, and yet he be a liar;
namely, if he does not think as he speaks. 2. With the thing as
it is in itself. Though we think a thing to be so, which is not
so, we lie, when we affirm it; because it is not as we say,
though we really think it is so. For our mistaken notions of
things can never stamp lies to pass current for truths. #2Th
2:11|.--^Thomas Boston.

        Verse 2.--I this day heard a sermon from #Ps 15:2|, "_And
speaketh the truth in his heart_." ... O my soul, receive the
admonition that has been given thee! Study truth in the inward
parts; let integrity and truth always accompany thee, and
preserve thee: speak the truth in thy heart. I am thankful for
any conviction and sense I have of the evil of lying; Lord,
increase my abhorrence of it: as a further assistance and help
against this mean, sordid, pernicious vice, I would endeavour,
and resolve, in pursuit of the directions laid before us in the
sermon, to mortify those passions and corruptions from whence
this sin of lying more ordinarily flows, and which are the chief
occasion of it, as "out of the heart proceed evil thoughts" (#Mt
15:19|); so, from the same fountain proceed evil words. And I
would, with the greatest zeal, set myself against such
corruptions as upon observation I find more commonly betray me
into this iniquity: pride often indites our speech, and coins
many a lie; so envy, covetousness, malice, etc. I would endeavour
to cleanse myself from all this filthiness: there never will be a
mortified tongue while there is an unmortified heart. If I love
the world inordinately, it is a thousand to one I shall be often
stretching a point to promote a worldly interest; and if I hate
my brother, it is the same odds I shall reproach him. Lord, help
me to purge the fountain, and then the streams will be pure. When
the spring of a clock, and all the movements are right, the hand
will go right; and so it is here. The tongue follows the inward
inclination. I would resolve to do nothing that may need a lie.
If Gehazi's covetousness had not shamed him, he had not wanted a
lie to excuse him, "He that walks uprightly, walks surely" and
safely in this, as well as other respects. #Pr 10:9|. May I do
nothing that is dishonourable and mean, nothing that cannot bear
the light, and then I shall have little temptation to lying. I
would endeavour for a lively sense of the eye of God upon me,
acting and speaking in his presence. Lord, I desire to set thee
always before me; thou understandest my thoughts as perfectly as
others do my words. I would consider before I speak, and not
speak much or rashly. #Pr 29:20|. I would often think of the
severity of a future judgment, when every secret shall be made
manifest, and the hypocrite and liar exposed before angels and
men. Lastly, I would frequently beg divine assistance herein. #Ps
119:29; Pr 30:8|. O my God, help me in my future conduct, remove
from me the way of lying; may the law of kindness and truth be in
my tongue; may I take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my
tongue. I bewail my past miscarriages in this respect, and flee
to thy mercy through the blood of Christ; bless to me the
instructions that have been this day given me; let no iniquity
prevail against me; "Keep back thy servant from presumptuous
sins, and cleanse me from secret faults." I commit my thoughts,
desires, and tongue, to thy conduct and government; may I think
and act in thy fear, and always speak the truth in my
heart.--^Benjamin Bennet's "Christian Oratory," 1728.

        Verses 2,5.--As the eagle casteth off her beak, and so
reneweth her youth, and the snake strippeth off her old skin, and
so maketh herself smooth: even so he that will enter into the
joys of God, and rest upon his holy mountain, must, as the
Scripture speaks, put off the old man and put on the new, which,
after God, is created in righteousness and true holiness,
repenting truly, speedily, steadily.--^Robert Cawdray.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.


        Verse 2.--"_He that walketh uprightly_." I. What he must
be. He must be upright in heart. A man himself bent double cannot
walk uprightly. II. How he must act. Neither from impulse,
ambition, gain, fear, or flattery. He must not be warped in any
direction, but stand perpendicularly. III. What he must expect.
Snares, etc. to trip him. IV. Where he must walk. Path of duty,
the only one in which he can walk uprightly. V. Where he must
look. Up, right-up, and then he will be upright.

        Verse 2.--"_Speaketh the truth in his heart_."
Subject:--Heart falsehood and heart truth.

        Verse 2. (first clause).--The citizen of Zion an upright
walker.

        Verse 2 (middle clause).--The citizen of Zion, a worker
of righteousness.

        Verse 2 (last clause).--The citizen of Zion, a speaker of
truth.--^Four Sermons in Thomas Boston's Works.