227 SERMON XIX. A PRAYER IN THE PROSPECT OF PSALM XXXIX. 13. O, spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence and be no more! THIS Psalm was written in affliction. Some heavy trial had occasioned a deep conviction of human mortality, and of the fluctuation of present enjoy ments. The appropriate duty in affliction is prayer. A pious man loves the exercise: he highly estimates the privilege. David had intimate fellowship with his God, and under every pressure of grief he hastened to his throne, and poured out his heart before him. Thus, at the fourth verse, "Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is that I may know how frail I am.' He proceeds in a variety of sentiments and petitions, of which perhaps a funeral is the best comment, and then observes"When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth." The similitude is just and affecting. The ; 66 body is the garment of the soul: in this garment sin hath lodged a "moth," which by degrees frets away first its beauty, then its strength, and finally the contexture of all its parts. Surely every man is vanity." Again the Psalmist addresses himself to his God: he prays, he cries, he weeps" Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears. Tears have a voice which in Heaven is well understood: they possess a sacred eloquence which, when united with the prayer of penitence and faith, must prevail. In the text are two things—a DEPARTURE anticipated, and a PRAYER presented: "O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence and be no more!" 66 I. The DEPARTURE anticipated. It refers clearly to the event of death. And what is death? Not annihilation; not ceasing to exist; but it is "going hence," and "being no more" here. Thus of Enoch it is said, "He was hot, for God took him." Jacob also observes of his two sons, Joseph is not, and Simeon is not:" in his apprehen'sion, they were no longer living, but numbered eith the dead. And Job speaks thus, "Man dieth, and wasteth away:" this regards the body: "yea, man giveth up the ghost"-he breathes forth the immortal spirit-" and where is he?" A most solemn question! The soul is the man; and at death it is fixed in bliss or woe, according to its true state and character. 1 But the text suggests the idea of departure" going hence."-A traveller departs from an inn at which he has been refreshed: he pursues his journey, and reaches home. A mariner departs from the port at which he has touched: he completes his voyage, and arrives at the desired haven. The application is ob vious. A soldier departs from his place of training, * Gen. v. 24; Gen. xlii. 36; Job xiv. 10, goes forth to conflict and to triumph: in like manner, the Christian prepares for warfare, and anticipates at once conquest and a crown. Under the banner of the Cross he is safe; led by "the Captain of Salvation," he is confident of victory; amidst the perils of life, and the agonies of death, he can sing, "In all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us."-More particularly, Death is going hence from present employment.We occupy some station in society, and have a series of duties devolving on us, according to the appointment of Divine Providence; but soon all will be over! Whatever situation we fill, in whatever diversity of engagements we are concerned, however busy in forming plans or in executing designs, at the moment of dissolution all is suspended and hushed in silence! Such is "the son of man-his breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." An argument is here suggested for dispatch in secular business : whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wis dom in the grave whither thou goest. A motive also is given to regularity in the conduct of these affairs: suffer them not to run into confusion, but " set thine house in order, for thou shall die and not live*; and how soon, or how suddenly, none can tell. Death is separation from present connections.-We all have friends, with whom we take sweet counsel, and are united in the tenderest bonds of affection and esteem; but the last enemy dissolves this union: it puts lover and friend far from us," and our acquaintance into darkness." Gloomy consideration, and painful beyond expression! were it not for the Gospel, which" brings life and immortality to light;" Eccl. ix. 10; Is. xxxviii. 1. and which assures us of a future state where believers shall not only be with Jesus, but with each other, in one pure and perpetual society. Let us then be careful what kind of connexions we form, that when we go hence" it may be with a rational hope of meeting them in a better world. Let us also endeavour to improve our intercourse with friends, to impart advantage to them, and to derive it to ourselves; then shall we have to bless God for each other to all eternity. Death is the termination of present trials.Who is without them? But ere long they shall be left behind. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord: they rest from their labours;" from all their toil and trouble, their sin and sorrow. Death is compared to sleep; and in the grave "the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest." God forbid, that after the adversities of this life, any of us should sink into torment in the next! that after the anxieties we at present feel, we should " go hence" to endure anguish, tribulation, and wrath for ever! Let us see to it that we have "repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ," by whom the curse is removed, and heaven is secured. And let us sit as easy under our trials as possible; while we endeavour to profit by them, to learn something useful, and to attain something good. Death is parting with present privileges, the va rious means of instruction and edification with which we are now favoured.-Beyond this life, there are no Bibles, no Sabbaths, no preaching of the Gospel, no meetings for prayer and spiritual conversation; all these are left behind. How seriously does the fact admonish us to esteem and improve our advantages, while we have them! This is a land of light; the grave is a house of darkness: while you have the light, therefore, walk in it, lest the darkness come on you unawares. Never trifle with privileges which, if once lost, cannot be recalled; and on the wise improvement of which depends your eternal felicity. Death is the giving up of present enjoyments.-We speak not of trials merely, but of consolations; we sing not of judgments only, but of mercies: yea, the mercies of our God are new every morning; they are repeated every moment; but death suspends them all. We "go hence;" and whatever we enjoyed, we leave it, nor can we possibly return to it. Let this instruct us to sit loose to present comforts, not to build on them, not to expect much from them. "Brethren, the time is short"-short and uncertain to each of us! "It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passeth away*." Death is the close of present prospects: they are all bounded by the narrow span of life.-We look forward, and we anticipate events which we think will take place; we promise ourselves growing satisfaction and abiding pleasure, but-" blindness to the future is wisely given !" We "know not what a day may bring forth?" The fairest hopes of mortals are often lost in darkness, and their towering wishes vanish in delusive dreams. Let us then be more than ever conversant with realities. Let us say with the Psalmist, "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." And with the Prophet, let us" cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of?" Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help; whose * 1 Cor. vii. 29-31. |