not be ashamed to retire into themselves, nor to reflect upon themselves, for their hearts shall not condemn them. David speaks this with application to himself; they that are upright may take the comfort of their uprightness; "As, if I be wicked, woe to me; so, if I be sincere, it is well with me."
7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 8. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.
Here is,
1. David's endeavour to perfect himself in his religion, and to make himself (as we say) master of his business. He hopes to learn God's righteous judgments; he knew much, but he was still pressing forward, and desired to know more, as knowing this, that he had not yet attained; but, as far as perfection is attainable in this life, he reached towards it, and will not take up short of it. As long as we live, we must be scholars in Christ's school, and sit at his feet; but we should aim to be head-scholars, and to get into the highest form. God's judgments are all righteous, and therefore it is desirable not only to learn them, but to be learned in them, mighty in the scriptures.
2. The use he would make of his divine learning. He coveted to be learned in the laws of God, not that he might make himself a name and interest among men, or fill his own head with entertaining speculations, but, (1.) That he might give God the glory of his learning; I will praise thee, when I have learned thy judgments; intimating, that he could not learn, unless God taught him; and that divine instructions are special blessings, which we have reason to be thankful for. Though Christ keeps a free school, and teaches without money and without price, yet he expects his scholars should give him thanks both for his word and for his Spirit; surely it is a mercy worth thanks, to be taught so gainful a calling as religion is. Those have learned a good lesson who have learned to praise God, for that is the work of angels, the work of heaven. It is an easy thing to praise God in word and tongue; but those only are well learned in this mystery who have learned to praise him with uprightness of heart, are inward with him in praising him, and sincerely aim at his glory in the course of their conversation, as well as in the exercises of devotion. God accepts only the praises of the upright. (2.) That he might himself come under the government of that learning; When I shall have learned thy righteous judgments, I will keep thy statutes. We cannot keep them, unless we learn them; but we learn them in vain, if we do not keep them. Those have well learned God's statutes who are come up to a full resolution, in the strength of his grace, to keep them.
3. His prayer to God, not to leave him; "O forsake me not; leave me not to myself, withdraw not thy Spirit and grace from me, for then I shall not keep thy statutes." Good men see themselves undone if God forsakes them; for then the tempter will be too hard for them. "Though thou seem to forsake me, and threaten to forsake me, and dost, for a time, withdraw from me, yet let not the desertion be total and final; for that is hell. O forsake me not utterly; for woe unto me, if God departs from me."
2. BETH.
9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Here is, 1. A weighty question asked; By what means may the next generation be made better than this? Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? Cleansing implies that it is polluted. Beside the original corruption we all brought into the world with us, (from which we are not cleansed unto this day,) there are many particular sins which young people are subject to, by which they defile their way; youthful lusts; (2 Tim. ii. 22.) these render their way offensive to God and disgraceful to themselves. Young men are concerned to cleanse their way—to get their hearts renewed, and their lives reformed; to make clean, and keep clean, from the corruption that is in the world through lust, that they may have both a good conscience and a good name. Few young people do themselves inquire by what means they may recover and preserve their purity; and therefore David asks the question for them.
2. A satisfactory answer given to this question. Young men may effectually cleanse their way, by taking heed thereto according to the word of God; and it is the honour of the word of God, that it has such power and is of such use both to particular persons, and to communities, whose happiness lies much in the virtue of their youth. (1.) Young men must make the word of God their rule, must acquaint themselves with it, and resolve to conform themselves to it: that will do more toward the cleansing of young men, than the laws of princes, or the morals of philosophers. (2.) They must carefully apply that rule, and make use of it; they must take heed to their way, must examine it by the word of God, as a touchstone and standard; must rectify what is amiss in it by that regulator, and steer by that chart and compass. God's word will not do without our watchfulness, and a constant regard both to it and to our way, that we may compare them together. The ruin of young men is either living at large, or by no rule at all, or choosing to themselves false rules; let them ponder the path of their feet, and walk by scripture rules; so their way shall be clean, and they shall have the comfort and credit of it here and for ever.
10. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
Here is, 1. David's experience of a good work God had wrought in him, which he takes the comfort of, and pleads with God; "I have sought thee, sought to thee as my Oracle, sought after thee as my Happiness, sought thee as my God; for should not a people seek unto their God? If I have not yet found thee, I have sought thee, and thou never saidst, Seek, in vain, nor wilt say so to me, for I have sought thee with my heart, with my whole heart; sought thee only, sought thee diligently."
2. His prayer for the preservation of that work; "Thou that hast inclined me to seek thy precepts, never suffer me to wander from them." The best are sensible of their aptness to wander; and the more we have found of the pleasure there is in keeping God's commandments, the more afraid we shall be of wandering from them, and the more earnest we shall be in prayer to God for his grace to prevent our wanderings.
11. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Here is, 1. The close application which David made of the word of God to himself; he hid it in his heart, laid it up there, that it might be ready to him whenever he had occasion to use it: he laid it up as that which he valued highly, and had a warm regard for, and which he was afraid of losing and being robbed of. God's word is a treasure worth laying up, and there is no laying it up safe but in our hearts; if we have it only in our houses and
