Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/spurgeon/ps4.2

Text File | 1993-03-16 | 8KB | 143 lines

                           EXPOSITION.

        In this second division of the Psalm, we are led from the
closet of prayer into the field of conflict. Remark the undaunted
courage of the man of God. He allows that his enemies are great
men (for such is the import of the Hebrew words translated
--_sons of men_), but still he believes them to be foolish men,
and therefore chides them, as though they were but children. He
tells them that they _love vanity, and seek after leasing_, that
is, lying, empty fancies, vain conceits, wicked fabrications. He
asks them _how long_ they mean to make his honour a jest, and his
fame a mockery? A little of such mirth is too much, why need they
continue to indulge in it? Had they not been long enough upon the
watch for his halting? Had not repeated disappointments convinced
them that the Lord's anointed was not to be overcome by all their
calumnies? Did they mean to jest their souls into hell, and go on
with their laughter until swift vengeance should turn their
merriment into howling? In the contemplation of their perverse
continuance in their vain and lying pursuits, the Psalmist
solemnly pauses and inserts a _Selah_. Surely we too may stop
awhile, and meditate upon the deep-seated folly of the wicked,
their continuance in evil, and their sure destruction; and we may
learn to admire that grace which has made us to differ, and
taught us to _love_ truth, and _seek_ after _righteousness_.

              EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

        Verse 2.--"_O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my
glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after
leasing? Selah_." Prayer soars above the violence and impiety of
men, and with a swift wing commits itself to heaven, with happy
omen, if I may allude to what the learned tell us of the augury
of the ancients, which I shall not minutely discuss. Fervent
prayers stretch forth a strong, wide-extended wing, and while the
birds of night hover beneath, they mount aloft, and point out, as
it were, the proper seats to which we should aspire. For
certainly there is nothing that cuts the air so swiftly, nothing
that takes so sublime, so happy, and so auspicious a night as
prayer, which bears the soul on its pinions, and leaves far
behind all the dangers, and even the delights of this low world
of ours. Behold this holy man, who just before was crying to God
in the midst of distress, and with urgent importunity entreating
that he might be heard, now, as if he were already possessed of
all he had asked, taking upon him boldly to rebuke his enemies,
how highly soever they were exalted, and how potent soever they
might be even in the royal palace.--^Robert Leighton, D.D.

        Verse 2.--"_O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my
glory into shame_?" etc. We might imagine every syllable of this
precious Psalm used by our Master some evening, when about to
leave the temple for the day, and retiring to his wonted rest at
Bethany (verse #8|), after another fruitless expostulation with
the men of Israel. And we may read it still as the very utterance
of his heart, longing over man, and delighting in God. But
further, not only is this the utterance of the Head, it is also
the language of one of his members in full sympathy with him in
holy feeling. This is a Psalm with which the righteous may make
their dwellings resound, morning and evening, as they cast a sad
look over a world that rejects God's grace. They may sing it
while they cling more and more every day to Jehovah, as their
all-sufficient heritage, now and in the age to come. They may
sing it, too, in the happy confidence of faith and hope, when the
evening of the world's day is coming, and may then fall asleep in
the certainty of what shall greet their eyes on the resurrection
morning--

        "Sleeping embosomed in his grace,
                Till morning-shadows flee."

^Andrew A. Bonar, 1859.

        Verse 2.--"_Love Vanity_." They that love sin, love
vanity; they chase a bubble, they lean upon a reed, their hope is
as a spider's web.'

        "Leasing." This is an old Saxon word signifying
falsehood.

        Verse 2.--"_How long will ye love vanity, and seek after
leasing_?" "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." This our
first parents found, and therefore named their second son Abel,
or vanity. Solomon, that had tried these things, and could best
tell the vanity of them, he preacheth this sermon over again and
again, "Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity." It is sad to
think how many thousands there be that can say with the preacher,
"Vanity of vanities, all is vanity;" nay, swear it, and yet
follow after these things as if there were no other glory, nor
felicity, but what is to be found in these things they call
vanity. Such men will sell Christ, heaven, and their souls, for a
trifle, that call these things vanity, but do not cordially
believe them to be vanity, but set their hearts upon them as if
they were their crown, the top of all their royalty and glory.
Oh! let your souls dwell upon the vanity of all things here
below, till your hearts be so thoroughly convinced and persuaded
of the vanity of them, as to tremble upon them, and make them a
foot-stool for Christ to get up, and ride in a holy triumph in
your hearts.

        Gilemex, king of Vandals, led in triumph by Belisarius,
cried out, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity." The fancy of
Lucian, who placeth Charon on the top of a high hill, viewing all
the affairs of men living, and looking on their greatest cities
as little birds' nests, is very pleasant. Oh, the imperfection,
the ingratitude, the levity, the inconstancy, the perfidiousness
of those creatures we most servilely affect! Ah, did we but weigh
man's pain with his payment, his crosses with his mercies, his
miseries with his pleasures, we should then see that there is
nothing got by the bargain, and conclude, "Vanity of vanities,
all is vanity." Chrysostom said once, "That if he were the
fittest in the world to preach a sermon to the whole world,
gathered together in one congregation, and had some high mountain
for his pulpit, from whence he might have a prospect of all the
world in his view, and were furnished with a voice of brass, a
voice as loud as the trumpets of the archangel, that all the
world might hear him, he would choose to preach upon no other
text than that in the Psalms, O mortal men, '_How long will ye
love vanity, and follow after leasing_?'"--^Thomas Brooks,
1608-1680.

        Verse 2.--"_Love Vanity_." Men's affections are according
to their principles; and every one loves that most _without him_
which is most suitable to somewhat _within him_: _liking_ is
founded in _likeness_, and has therefore that word put upon it.
It is so in whatsoever we can imagine; whether in temporals or
spirituals, as to the things of this life, or of a better. Men's
love is according to some working and impression upon their own
spirits. And so it is here in the point of vanity; those which
are vain persons, they delight in vain things; as children, they
love such matters as are most agreeable to their childish
dispositions, and as do suit them in that particular. Out of the
heart comes all kind of evil.--^Thomas Horton, 1675.

                       HINTS TO PREACHERS.

        Verse 2.---_Depravity of man_ as evinced (1) by
continuance in despising Christ, (2) loving vanity in his heart,
and (3) seeking lies in his daily life.

        Verse 2.--The length of the sinner's sin. "How long?" May
be bounded by repentance, shall be by death, and yet shall
continue in eternity.