Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps18.21

Text File | 1993-04-19 | 4KB | 71 lines

                           EXPOSITION.

        Here the assertion of purity is repeated, both in a
positive and a negative form. There is "_I have_" and "_I have
not_," both of which must be blended in a truly sanctified life;
constraining and restraining grace must each take its share. The
words of this verse refer to the saint as a traveller carefully
keeping to "_the ways of the Lord_," and "_not wickedly_," that
is, designedly, wilfully, persistently, defiantly forsaking the
ordained pathway in which God favours the pilgrim with his
presence. Observe how it is implied in the expression "_and have
not wickedly departed from my God_," that David lived habitually
in communion with God, and knew him to be his own God, whom he
might speak of as "_my God_." God never departs from his people,
let them take heed of departing from him.

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 21.--"_I have not wickedly departed from my God_;"
that is, with a purpose and resolution of heart to continue in a
way of sinning; and that is the property of sincerity. A man
indeed may be overtaken and surprised by a temptation, but it is
not with a resolution to forsake God and to cleave unto the sin,
or rest in it. He will not sleep in it, spare it, or favour it;
that is, to do wickedly against God, to have a double heart and a
double eye; to look upon two objects, partly at God and partly at
sin; so to keep God, as to keep some sin also, as it is with all
false-hearted men in the world. They look not upon God alone, let
them pretend to religion never so much, yet they look not unto
God alone, but upon something else together with God; as Herod
regarded John, but regarded his Herodias more; and the young man
in the gospel, comes to Christ, yet he looks after his estate;
and Judas followed in Christ, yet looks after the bag; this is
_to depart wickedly from God_.--^William Strong, 1650.

        Verse 21 (last clause).--Although a godly man may break a
particular commandment again and again against knowledge, yet his
knowledge never suffers him to go so far as to venture knowingly
to break the covenant of grace with God, and to depart from him;
when he hath gone on so far in a sin as he comes to apprehend he
must break with God, and lose him if he goes on any further, this
apprehension stays him, stops and brings him back again; he may
presumptuously venture (though seldom; and always to his cost) to
commit an act of sin against knowledge, because he may withal
think, that by one act the covenant is not broken, nor all
friendship and love hazarded between God and him, nor his
interest in the state of grace, nor God, quite lost by it, though
he may well think he would be displeased with him; but if he
should begin to allow himself in it, and to continue to go on
again and again in it, then he knows the covenant would be
broken, it cannot stand with grace; and when this apprehension
comes, and comes in strongly, he cannot sin against it, for this
were to cast away the Lord, and to depart wickedly from him, now
so he doth not. So David, though he sinned highly and
presumptuously, yet says he, "_I have not departed wickedly from
my God_;" that is, I have not so far departed from him as though
I apprehended I should utterly lose my interest in him, yet I
would go on. No; for he is my God, there lies the consideration
that kept him from departing from him. So #Ps 44:17|, "We have
not dealt falsely in thy covenant," says the church there. Many
acts of displeasing him may pass and be ventured, but if the holy
soul thinks that the covenant lay at stake, that he and God must
utterly part and break off, thus far he will never go.--^Thomas
Goodwin.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verse 21.--Intregrity of life, its measure, source,
benefit, and dangers.