Vanity Deprecated
(No. 3026)
A SERMON PUBLISHED ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1907.
DELIVERED BY C. H. SPURGEON,
AT THE METROPOLITAN TABERNACLE, NEWINGTON, A LORD'S-DAY EVENING, IN THE
YEAR 1864.
"Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken me in Your way."
Psalm 119:37.
THERE are divers kinds of vanity. In the play of the frivolous and the
sport of the idle, we see but one sort of vanity–light, open and
undisguised. The cap and bells of the fool, the motley of the jester,
the mirth of the world, the dance, the lyre and the cup of the
dissolute– men know these to be vanities–they wear upon their
forefront their proper name and title. Yet another species of vanity,
and more deceitful, can be discovered in the cares of this world and
the deceitfulness of riches. A man may follow vanity as truly in the
counting-house as in the theater. If he is spending his life in
amassing wealth, he is heaping vanity to himself quite as much as
though he openly passed his days in vain show or empty pageant. All the
fools do not dance or drink. All the fools do not make jests–full many
there are of somber mood who spend money for that which is not bread,
and their labor for that which satisfies not!
Moreover, there is such a thing as solemn vanity–the vanity that may
be seen among those who observe the empty ceremonials of religion,
invest themselves with strange garments and affect the odor of
sanctity. Or, turning from the gorgeous meetings to the lowly
conventicle, vanity may even be discovered beneath the broad brim of
the Friend who, seeking after the world rather than after Christ,
thinks that he rebukes the world's vanity when the world may well
rebuke his! Vanity, I say, is quite as certainly to be found among the
sober as among the frivolous. Unless we follow Christ, and make God the
great Object of our life, we only differ from the most frivolous in
degree–and possibly the degree may not be as great as we suppose!
You will all understand my text, as you hear it, to mean, first, "Turn
away my eyes from looking upon the levities of men, the tomfoolery of
the world." But it means more than this. "Turn away my eyes from
looking at the world's pride, at the world's wealth, at the world's
substantial temptations." These, as the royal preacher has said, are
vanity. "Vanity of vanities," said Solomon, "all is vanity," as he
looked at everything beneath the sun! And we may say of everything
short of Christ, "Turn away my eyes from beholding it, less my heart
should love it."
The Psalmist goes on to couple with this another petition–"Quicken me
in Your way." Beholding vanity is sure to bring deadness into the soul.
You all know that this is true, not only of that which is frothy, but
of all that, however specious, is not sterling. If you let the cares of
this world enter into your mind too much, do they not destroy your
spirituality? If honor is your game, or even if you are hunting after
an honest livelihood without casting the care of it upon God, you know
that your Grace declines, your faith grows weak and your love becomes
ready to expire. No high degree of Divine Grace can be attained when
the eyes are fixed upon debasing things. We must have our eyes where we
profess that our hearts already are–beyond the skies. We must be
looking for Christ to reveal the exceeding riches of His Grace and
Glory–not after vanities to display the pleasure of this present evil
world–or else our souls will soon lose the force and strength of piety
and we shall have good reason to cry, "Quicken me in Your way."
Beloved, I hope you all know what the Psalmist means by being quickened
in God's way. Often your spirits get lethargic and dull when, suddenly,
the Spirit of God comes upon you and once, more your former vigor
returns. And, instead of creeping, you begin to run in the way of God's
Commandments. Pray, then, this prayer as well as the former one,
"Quicken me in Your way," for, as the looking at vanity will make us
dull, so our souls being quickened will be sure to turn our eyes away
from vanity! As the first part of the text acts upon the second, so the
second will act also upon the first. Put the two together and may they
be graciously fulfilled in the experience of every one of us!
To amplify the teaching of the text, I shall now call your attention to
four things–a tacit confession; a silent profession; a vehement desire
and a confident hope.
I. First, then, I observe here A TACIT CONFESSION. It is not stated in
so many words, but it is really meant.
The Psalmist seems to impeach himself and unburden his breast before
God, deploring, indeed, a natural tendency towards vanity. What? Is it
so, after all, that David has known of fellowship with the world? Does
the vain still attract him? What? When God' s Covenant has been
peculiarly delightful to the shepherd-king, do the mirth and revelry of
this world and the gewgaws of earth still attract him? He seems to
confess it. He would not need to have his eyes turned off from vanity
if there were not a something in his heart that went after it! He would
not ask God to turn them off unless he felt that he needed a stronger
arm than his own to keep him in fitting restraints! It is very easy for
you and me to stand up and play the wise man–yes, and in the closet to
pray like wise men. We may feel, in our own souls, that we have
experience, now, and shall never again be intoxicated by the world's
draughts, never more be deceived by its lies. But no sooner does Madam
Bubble show her face than her strange fascinations draw our eyes! Let
the world ring the bell and straightway we start up and our heart
wanders, too often before we are aware of it! We know they are vain
things– know it thoroughly–but yet, knowing it, we do not in our own
nature therefore avoid them! Reckless of the snares, the birds are
foolish enough to fly into them! Though we know that the draught is
poisoned, yet is it so sweet that unless prevented by God's Grace, you
and I would soon be drunk with it! Every child of God knows that he is
a fool or he is a great fool, indeed, if he does not know it! Every
heir of Heaven understands that there is within himself a very sink of
vanities–his vicious tastes respond to the vile compounds of earth as
"deep calls unto deep." It is clear enough, I think, if you turn over
the prayer, that the Psalmist confesses that his heart goes after
vanity.
He confesses, yet again, that his eyes are on it now. He says, "Turn
them off." What does he mean but that they are on it? And some of us,
in coming up to the House of God, tonight, and, perhaps, while sitting
here, have had to confess that our eyes are on vanity. Why, some of you
Believers may have been thinking of some silly snatch of a song that
you heard before you were converted, or some idle tale that was told
you the other day. You would gladly forget it, but it has followed you
in here–yes, and may even follow you to the Communion Table. Or,
possibly, your worldly cares have come up with you and my poor talk has
scarcely had power to lift you up from your families, from your shops,
or from all the anxious thoughts that burden you! Your heart is on
these things now. When you stood up to sing about Christ and asked Him
to set you as a seal upon His heart, where were your flighty
imaginations roaming? We tried to pray just now, but while the
preacher' s words went up to Heaven, did not your hearts wander, I know
not where?
The confession assumes another character as it seems to hint that, no
sooner are our eyes on vanity, than our heart goes after it. What? Can
we not manage our own eyes? What? Are we such vain creatures that the
mere sight of vanity is a temptation to us? Surely to see vanity ought
to be sufficient to make us avoid it! Some men say that they will look
at evil and, knowing that it is evil, they will be safe from the danger
of being betrayed by it. Ah, how many have proved the hollowness of
that pretense? Brothers and Sisters, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and
Evil has brought little benefit to mankind–it has certainly brought a
curse! Beware of the hope to be as gods through eating again of that
tree! We are more likely to be as devils than to be as gods through
feeding upon it! Oh, no! I know enough of sin without looking at it!
There is enough knowledge of my sinfulness forced upon me by my daily
temptations and failures, without my going to this place or to the
other, that I may look upon sin! Do not tell me that you went into bad
company just to ascertain its character! Do not tell me, young man,
that having heard a certain thing condemned, you thought you ought to
see it for yourself! That will not do! That is not a Believer's desire,
nor a godly man's wish! He cries, "Turn away my eyes. Lord, let me
speak to You humbly. Am I so sinful and so weak that I have only to see
a ditch to fall into it–only to see a fire to put my finger into it? I
am not like that in other things–how is it that I am so besotted in
the carnality of my mind? Yet so it is, Lord. You know and Your servant
feels that it is so." Therefore, let the confession stand, "Turn away
my eyes from beholding vanity."
The Psalmist's confession seems to go a little deeper, for he seems to
say that he cannot keep his own eyes off vanity. "Turn away my eyes."
What, Lord? Have I not an optic nerve? Is there not a power in my head
to turn which way it wills? Am I compelled to look at vanity? No, not
compelled by physical necessity, but still, so compelled by the
disposition of this vile nature of mine that unless You keep Your hands
on my head and turn my eyes from beholding vanity, I shall surely be
looking at it! We will go anywhere to see vanity! It is strange what
mountains men will climb– into what depths they will dive–what
leagues they will travel–what wealth they will spend to see vanity!
And when
they have seen all they can see, what does it come to but the sight of
so much smoke, after all? And yet, Brothers and Sisters, we cannot keep
our eyes off it! If anybody tells you that there is a lewd or unseemly
thing, a juggle, or some witchcraft, do you not feel an inward craving,
an unholy desire to see it? Is not that a well-known principle of human
nature? There is a little tract, I think, entitled, "Don't Read
It"–and why, do you think, was it so entitled? Because, whatever tract
might remain unread, that one is certain to be read! "Don't Read
It"–the prohibition provokes appetite, and the moment you and I hear,
"don't," said, inclination begins to be astir! Thank God that this
morbid propensity is restrained and subdued by Sovereign Grace through
the love of Jesus! But still, the natural bias is toward evil and only
toward evil. Therefore, Lord, "Turn away my eyes from beholding
vanity." The confession goes very deep, you see.
But there is even more in the next clause. "Quicken me in Your way." He
seems to confess that he is dull, heavy, lumpy, all but dead. Do not
you feel the same? I hope you do not, but I often do, and I am afraid
you often do, even the best of you. And when we think of how fast our
spirits ought to move along the heavenly road, constrained and moved by
love like that of Jesus, I think we all must cry–
"Dear Lord! And shall we always lie
At this poor dying rate?
Our love so faint, so cold to You,
And Yours to us so great?'
Yes, we are dull if God leaves us for a moment–so dull and so doting
that the best motives cannot quicken us! Otherwise the Psalmist would
not have needed to appeal to the Almighty to effect that of which he
was himself capable. What? Will not the thought of Hell quicken me? Can
I think of sinners perishing and yet not be awakened? Will not the
thought of Heaven quicken me? Can I think of the reward that awaits the
righteous and yet be dull and stupid? Will not the thought of death
quicken me? Can I think of dying and standing before my God–and yet be
slothful in my Master's service? Will not Christ's love quicken me? Can
I think of His dear wounds, can I sit at the foot of His Cross and
think of Him, and yet not be stirred to something like fervency and
zeal? Yet it seems that no such consideration can quicken to zeal, but
that God Himself must do it or else there had been no need to cry,
"Quicken me." It struck me, as I turned this text over, that it was
amazing how poverty-stricken the Psalmist felt himself. What does a
beggar ask for? The poorest beggar that I ever met never asked me, so
far as I remember, for anything less than a drink of water and a bite
of bread–but here is a man who does not ask God for anything so little
as that–he asks for life itself! "Quicken me." The beggar has life–he
only asks me for means to sustain it. But here is a poor beggar,
knocking at Mercy's door, who has to ask for life itself! And that
beggar represents me–represents you–represents, I am sure, every
Christian who knows himself. You may well ask, every day, for spiritual
existence! It is not, "Enlarge me, Lord. Enrich me in heavenly things,"
but, "Oh, do keep me alive! Quicken me, O Lord!" You see that the
confession thus takes us into the most secret places of man's need. I
pray God to teach us all so to feel what our true state is that, with
humble, sincere and devout hearts, we may pray the prayer, "Turn away
my eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken me in Your way."
II. The text likewise involves A SILENT PROFESSION. Do you observe it?
It is not all confession of sin–there is a profession of something.
There is a profession at least of this, "Lord, I know it is vanity."
That is something. "O my God, how I bless You that I know the
hollowness of the world and the plague of my own heart! It was always
so, but I did not always think so." There are some of you who do not
think that even worldly amusements are vanity. You love them–there is
a sweetness and a substance in them to you. Perhaps you are like the
lady who said to the minister that she loved to go to the play,
because, first of all, there was the pleasure of thinking of it before
she went–and then there was the pleasure of being there, then there
was the pleasure of thinking of it afterwards–and the pleasure of
telling it to one's friends. "Ah," said the man of God, "and there is
another pleasure you have forgotten." "What is that, Sir?" asked the
lady. "It is the pleasure of thinking of it on a dying bed, Madam."
Small pleasure that! Some of you have never thought of that last
pleasure and, therefore, the world's vanity is very satisfactory to
you. I know what a pig would say if he were to talk. As he munched his
husks, he would say, "I cannot tell what to think of those stupid
men–they call these husks empty–and throw them away. I think them
very luscious and substantial." You would, then, attribute the quality
of the taste to the nature of the beast. It is after the manner of a
pig and so, sinners say, "We cannot make out why these strict people,
these Puritans, find fault with worldly amusements–we find them very
sweet." Yes, but you see that it is only a sinner who says so–it is
only a sinner who feels so. The true child of God knows that both the
pleasures of this world and its cares are, alike, vanity!
I know how some of you have often felt when you were busy. Encumbered
with many things, more than you could manage, a friend has complimented
you and said, "I am glad you are getting on so well. Appearances
bespeak a thriving trade." "Well," you reply, "I think I am. I am
grateful for business." But, as your friend turned his head, you
thought to yourself, "Ah, but I should be more grateful if I had more
Divine Grace, for I feel that much business needs much Grace to balance
it, or else the more I get, the poorer I shall be." You felt that it
was vanity unless you could have God's blessing and the Presence of
Christ with it.
It is a feature of this profession that, seeing this vanity, you do not
want to love it and would avoid being ensnared by it. If I say, "Turn
away my eyes from it," I do, in effect, confess before God that I do
notlove it. I hope there are many of us here who can say, "Lord, our
evil heart sometimes goes after it, but we do not really love it–in
the bottom of our souls there is a hatred of sin so deeply rooted that
if the loss of our eyes would take away temptation and prevent us from
sinning, we would thank You to never allow us to see a ray of light,
again, for sin is so terrible an evil to us that even blindness would
be a blessing if it enabled us to escape from sin."
The second clause of the text has in it, likewise, the nature of
profession–"Quicken me in Your way." The man who can pray thus is
already in God's ways! He professes that he loves them–that he desires
to be obedient to God's will and to continue to make greater progress
in God's ways. What do you say, dear Brothers and Sisters? Some of you
find the ways of righteousness very rough, yet, would you leave them?
Some of you are reproached and persecuted for Christ's sake, yet, would
you like to go back to the ways of sin? The devil has put a horse at
your door and there is a golden bridle on it–and it ambles so softly!
"Now mount," he says, "and come back and serve your old master! Nobody
will laugh at you then! Everyone will call you a good
fellow–charitable, kind and liberal. Come back," he says, "and I will
treat you better than before!" Will you mount and ride? "No," the very
least of us would say if we had the highest offer for the renunciation
of Christ–we would not leave Him–
"Go you that boast in all your stores,
And tell how bright they shine–
Your heaps of glittering dust are yours,
But my Redeemer's mine!
I would not change my blest estate
For all that earth calls good or great!
And while my faith can keep her hold,
I envy not the sinner's gold." No, Lord, I may be weary in Your way,
but, by Your Grace I will never weary of Your way.
III. And now, in the third place, there is before us here A VEHEMENT
DESIRE–how vehement, those only experience who know the bitterness of
vanity and the disappointment which it brings! How vehement those only
can describe who know the excellence and sweetness of Divine
Quickening! The Psalmist breathes his whole soul out in this prayer. He
seems to plead most vehemently, his body and his soul seem to pray
together. "Turn away my eyes," says the body. "Quicken me," says the
soul!
This is a most reasonable and a most practical desire.
How reasonable it is! When a Christian is not quickened in God's way,
he is very uncomfortable. The happiest state of a Christian is the
holiest state. As there is the most heat nearest the sun, so is there
the most happiness nearest to Christ. I am persuaded that no Christian
ever finds any comfort when his eyes are fixed on vanity–no, that he
never finds any satisfaction unless his soul is quickened in the ways
of God. The world may find happiness elsewhere, but he cannot. I do not
blame ungodly men for going to their pleasures. Why should I blame
them? Let them have their fill– that is all they have to enjoy. I
heard of a converted wife who despaired of her husband's salvation, but
she used to be always very kind to him. She said, "I am afraid he will
never be converted." But whatever he wished for, she always got for
him, and she would do anything for him, "for," she said, "I fear that
this is the only world in which he will be happy and, therefore, I have
made up my mind to make him as happy as I can in it." But you
Christians must seek your delights in a higher sphere because you
cannot be happy in the insipid frivolities of the world, or in the
sinful enjoyments of it!
Besides being uncomfortable, it is very dangerous. A Christian is
always in danger when he is looking after vanity. We heard of a
philosopher who looked up to the stars and fell into a pit. But if they
fall deeply who look up, how deeply
do they fall who look down! No Christian is ever safe when his soul is
so slothful or drowsy that it needs quickening. Of course you do not
understand me to mean that his soul is in danger of being lost. Every
Christian is always safe as to the great matter of his standing in
Christ, but he is not safe as regards to his standing and happiness in
this life. Satan does not often attack a Christian who is living near
to God–at least, I think not. It is when the Christian gets away from
God and gets half-starved and begins to feed on vanities, that the
devil says, "Now I will have him!" He may sometimes stand foot to foot
with the child of God who is active in his Master's service, but the
battle is generally short. He that slips as he goes down into the
Valley of Humiliation invites Apollyon to come and fight with him!
Again, for a Christian to have his eyes fixed on vanity is injurious to
his usefulness. No, more–it does positive damage to others. When a
Christian is found setting his affection upon worldly things, what do
worldlings say? "Why, he is one of our own kith and kin! He is just
like us! See, he loves what we love, where is the difference between us
and him?" Thus the cause of Christ gets serious injury. How can you, my
dear Brother, from the pulpit, for instance, preach concerning a
certain sin when you are, yourself, guilty of it? I should like, for
instance, to hear a man who swears that Baptism regenerates when he
knows it does not, rebuke a countess for saying that she is "not at
home" when she is! I should like to hear him rebuke a draper for "a
white lie" across the counter. I should like to hear him rebuke the
devil, for, I think he could scarcely venture to do it! Unfaithfulness
to the Spirit of God is as great a sin as ever Satan committed! No, my
Brothers and Sisters, we must keep ourselves clear of these sins, or
else, for practical purposes, the tendon of Achilles has been cut and
we cannot serve God with might and main! We can only do some trifling
service for Him when our garments are spotted and our souls are set on
vanity.
For all these reasons, then, let the Christian pray this reasonable
prayer that he may be kept from vanity.
Did I say that this is a very practical prayer? So, in truth, it is.
You will observe that the former pain is practical, though the latter
may seem spiritual. The Psalmist says, "Turn away my eyes." Now, the
man who prays after this fashion will not fail in the directness of his
aim. He who is diligent in praying this prayer will not be negligent in
his life. He will not pray, "Turn away my eyes from vanity," and then
go and drink death-draughts of carnal pleasures. He will not pray,
"Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity," and then go and turn his
eyes on the very evil that he deprecated! No, Brothers and Sisters,
there is something so practical in the text that I commend it to your
earnest observation. Make it your prayer tonight, each one of you!
IV. Lastly, there is in the text an expression of CONFIDENT HOPE.
The Psalmist does not pray like a waverer who will receive nothing of
the Lord. It seems to me that he has an unmoved confidence that God
will turn his eyes away from vanity and that God can quicken him. Have
any of you backslidden? Let this sentence comfort you tonight! Do not
lose the belief that Divine Love can restore you. Have you sunk very
low? Do not, I pray you, doubt the efficacy of the right hand of the
Most High to bring you back again! Satan will get a great advantage
over you if you begin to think that God cannot quicken you. No, be
assured that He can. And let me tell you that He can do so readily. It
may cost you many pains, but it will cost Him none. He the made the
world out of nothing can certainly restore to you the joy which you
have lost!
And may I tell you what I think is the means which God often uses with
his people to restore and quicken them, and take their eyes from
vanity? I think it is a sight of Christ! At any rate, my personal
witness is that I never know the vanity of this world so well as when I
see the beauties and the perfections of the Lord, my Master. That true
man of God, Dr. Hawker–I am told by a friend of mine who visited him
one morning–was asked to go and see a military review that was then
taking place at Plymouth. The doctor said, "No." My friend pressed him
and said, "I know you are a loyal subject and you like to see your
country's fleets–it is a noble spectacle." The doctor said, no, he
could not go and, being pressed until he was ashamed, he made this
remarkable answer, "There are times when I could go and enjoy it, but
my eyes have seen the King in His beauty this morning, and I have had
so sweet a sense of fellowship with the Lord Jesus that I dare not go
to look upon any spectacle lest I should lose the present enjoyment
which now engrosses my soul." I think you and I will have felt the same
thing, in our measure, when Christ has manifested Himself to us. What?
Look on vanity, my Lord, when Your pierced hand has touched my heart?
What are the grandest buildings of this world, with all their pomp of
architecture, compared with You, You Great Foundation Stone, you Chief
Cornerstone, elect and precious? What is the music of this world, with
all its swell and roll, compared with Your name, Immanuel, God With
Us–
"Sweeter sounds than music knows Charm me in Immanuel's name– All her
hopes my spirit owes
To His birth, and Cross, and shame."
What are the world's feasts compared with You, O Christ? Its dainties
are not sweet, for I have tasted of Your flesh. Its wines are no longer
luscious, for I have sipped from the cup of Your blood. What are the
world's choicest offers that she can make me of honor or of wealth?
Have You not raised me up and made me to sit together in heavenly
places with Yourself, and have You not made me a king and a priest unto
God and shall I not reign with You forever and ever? Christian, you may
carry on such musing as this by the hour together! You may boast
yourself in God and your leviathan faith may swim in this boundless
deep of Jesus' love! You surely, after this, can never wish to go back
to the pool wherein the minnow of this world disports itself. Here you
can bask yourself in the rays of a meridian sun–and will you
afterwards cry for a farthing candle because you have lost its beams?
Shame on you, Christian, if your soul is taken up with vanities! Let
those love them find their all in them, but you cannot! The sight of
Him who is white as the lily for perfection and red as the rose for
sacrificial suffering must have taken away the beauty of this world for
us! Says Rutherford, "Ever since I ate the Bread of Heaven, the brown
bread of this world has not been to my palate. And since I have feasted
on the food of angels, I cannot eat the ashes that satisfy the men
whose portion is in this life." And truly it is so! Arise, Sun of
Righteousness, and our love of darkness shall be dispelled while we are
charmed with Your light! We hear of some who worship the sun at its
rising–that is sad idolatry–but rise, Sun of Righteousness, and we
will worship You and there shall be no idolatry in that! You are not
like the sun that burns out human eyes when they look upon it. We will
look into Your face until Your transporting light shall only burn out
our sight for this world–to help us to gaze upon Yourself without a
veil between.
Oh, that I were talking thus for you all, but I am conscious that I am
not. I do pray, however, that you who love vanity may find out how vain
it is before you come to die. The other night I lay awake and tossed to
and fro many hours before I fell asleep. I realized then, more than at
any other time in my life, what it was to die. My every bone seemed to
tremble. I lay, as I thought, upon a bed of sickness–the room seemed
hushed around me. The ticking of my clock sounded like the ticking of
the death-watch. I thought I heard them whisper, "He must die." And
then my soul seemed to fling itself back upon the realities of God in
Christ and I asked myself, "Have I preached or have I prayed for this?
But now is Christ able to save me. He is my only hope and my only plea.
Is it true that Christ came into the world to save sinners?" And I
recalled those cogent and blessed arguments which prove that Christ is
the Sent One of God and my soul rejoiced that it could die in peace!
And then I could but think of that sweet rest which Jesus brings when
you can throw yourself on Him.
And now, tonight, in the recollection of that strange vision of the
shadow of death through which I passed, I can but ask others, "What
will you do when you really come to die, if you have no Savior?" Men
and women, if you have no Christ to trust to, what will you do? You
must soon have the death-sweat wiped from your clammy brows. You must
soon have the needed drop of water administered to your parched lips.
What will you do when Death shakes the bones within the strong man and
makes each nerve thrill with the dread music of pain? What will you do
when death, and Hell, and judgment, and eternity, and the Great White
Throne have become real things to you and your business, and even your
children and your wife seem banished from your eyes? Let a brother's
love beseech you to flee from the wrath to come and to fly to Christ
for salvation! God knows how I love your soul! It is for the sake of
men's souls that I suffer contempt and scorn and will gladly bear
it–yes, and will provoke it more than I have ever done–provoke it
because this dull, dead age needs provocation–needs to be stirred up!
Even its ministers need to be stirred up to something like honesty and
zeal for the souls of men! I say that I will gladly bear reproach for
your souls' sake–will not you?
Oh, will not you be persuaded to think on those things that make for
your eternal peace? The gates of Heaven are up there! The gates of Hell
are down yonder! The Cross of Christ points you to Heaven–follow its
guidance! Look to the wounds of Jesus! These are the gates of pearl
through which you must enter Heaven. But if you will turn to your
vanities and to your sins and follow them–and delight yourself in
worldly pleasures–then Hell is your portion as surely as you sin! May
the Lord give faith to those who have none and help us who have
believed through Grace, to walk in His ways–and unto His name shall be
the Glory, world without, end! Amen.
EXPOSITION BY C. H. SPURGEON: PSALM 119:81-88.
Verse 81. My soul faints for Your salvation: but I hope in Your word.
The Psalmist was so full of longing, hungering, thirsting, for God's
salvation that he had come even to faintness through the strength of
his desire. Yet, in his faintness, he was not too far gone to hope–and
we, also, have good ground for hoping and believing that God, who gave
us His Word, will stand to it, for He is both able and willing to
fulfill all that He has promised!
82. My eyes fail from searching Your word, saying, When will You
comfort me?He looked out for a message from God as the watchers of the
night looked for the breaking of the morning. His eyes ached to behold
the comforts of his God. Oh, blessed state of strong desire! I pray God
that we may all experience it!
83. For I am become like a bottle in the smoke; yet do I not forget
Your statutes. When an empty skin bottle was hung up in one of the
smoky dwellings of the East, it became withered, cracked, useless. And
the Psalmist says, "'I am become like a bottle in the smoke,'–I seem
to be good for nothing, withered, dried up–'yet do I not forget Your
statutes.'" A good memory is one of the best of things for us to
possess, but a good memory for that which is good is better still.
84. Howmany are the days of Your servant? When will You execute
judgment on them that persecute me?"I am not going to live here
forever, Lord. Let me not have to wait to be vindicated until I am in
my grave. O my God, hasten the day of my deliverance!"
85. 86. The proud have dug pits for me, which are not after Your Law.
All Your commandments are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help
You me. God's Word is all true–the longer we test and try it, the more
shall we find it to be worthy of our fullest confidence. Those who
doubt its Truth have never really proved its power. Those who mistrust
it in any degree are as yet like inexperienced mariners who are
constantly doubting and fearing what is going to happen. But those who
have long done business on the great waters of the ocean of Divine
Inspiration and who have seen the wonders of the Lord there, will tell
you that though Heaven and earth shall pass away, God s Word shall
endure forever! We have seen a thousand things in the course of our
earthly pilgrimage, but there is one thing that we have never seen, and
that we never shall see, namely, God proving unfaithful to His promise
and deserting His people in their time of need!
What a short yet comprehensive prayer the Psalmist prayed when he
uttered those three words, "Help You me!" "' Help You me –that I may
never be frightened by those who wrongfully persecute me–that I may
never do anything to deserve their persecution–that I may be able to
behave myself wisely while they are plotting against me." If you are in
business, write this prayer on your shops, your offices, and your
ledgers! If you are sick, have this petition hanging before your eyes,
that you may be constantly reminded to cry to the Lord, "Help You me."
87. They had almost consumed me upon earth; but I forsook not Your
precepts. Therefore his enemies could not consume him. As long as the
Believer holds fast to God s precepts, he is indigestible even to the
old dragon, himself! And no adversary shall ever be able to devour him
as long as the Word of God is in his heart!
88. Quicken me after Your loving kindness; so shall I keep the
testimony of Your mouth "Give me more true spiritual life, inspirit me,
revive me, 'quicken me.' At this very moment, good Lord, if I am cold,
and half frozen, and almost dead, yet since I am like the trees whose
life is in them even when they have lost their leaves, give me a new
springtime–'Quicken me after Your loving kindness .'" We all need this
quickening if we are to hold on and hold out to the end and, blessed be
the name of the Lord–
"New supplies each hour we meet While pressing on to God."