Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1589
“I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Your eyes: nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried unto You.” Psalm 31:22.
THAT is a bit of genuine experience, honestly told, in the most natural manner. How glad we ought to be that David never fell into the hands of an ordinary biographer, for such a piece of weakness as this text records would have been carefully repressed lest the good man’s reputation should suffer. It was only a hasty expression and every friendly biographer would have felt that it ought to be taken as unspoken. Here, however, stands this piece of human weakness upon David’s life and we are right glad of it—it is a comfort to us little folks to perceive the champions were men of like passions with ourselves! As a bee sucks honey out of nettles, so does faith find comfort even in the failings of David. But we must mind that we do not turn his errors into excuses, for that were to extract poison instead of wholesome juices.
The experience of a good man, of a great man, of a tried man like David, is exceedingly instructive and impressive. The children of God delight in doctrinal preaching and in practical preaching—but I believe that nothing is so sweet to them as experimental preaching by which we are not only taught the Truth of God in the head and in the hand, but something is said of Truth in the heart! This it is which endears the Book of Psalms to the whole Church and makes the explanation of that volume so important. Nothing more sweetly cheers the straggler after better things than to hear of the life-struggles of godly men.
Behold, then, a written confession, dictated by the penitent heart of David who withdraws the curtain from his own innermost life! I should not wonder if his experience should turn out to be very like your own for, as in water, face answers to face, so does the heart of man to man and this is the reason why the experience of one man is his best means of interpreting the feelings of another. Take heed, however, when you are reading the histories of the saints, that you use them with prudence, for it is not all the experience of a Christian that is Christian experience! A Believer may experience much which he does not experience as a Believer, but because his believing is failing him! Sometimes we are rather to regard the experience of good men as beacons to warn us from rocks than as lighthouses to show us where the harbor may
be.
Rheumatism is certainly a human disease, but I would, by no means recommend a person to seek after it in order to prove his manhood! We can well do without some things which were characteristic of certain eminent men, since they did not adorn or strengthen them, but rather disfigured and weakened them. In David’s case, it is well to follow David—but it is better to follow David’s son—for David, sometimes, went astray like a lost sheep—but David’s son was that great Shepherd of the sheep whose every step it is safe for the flock to follow! Do not let us imitate David in his speaking in haste, or in his saying, “I am cut off from before Your eyes.” But, at the same time, let us take care that we closely copy him in confessing conscious fault, as he does here, in crying to God in the hour of trouble as he tells us he did—and also in bearing witness to the exceeding goodness of God, notwithstanding our faults—as he here bears witness when he says, “Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried unto You.”
For our edification we will consider the text thus—here is, first, an utterance of unbelief—“I am cut off from before Your eyes.” Secondly, here is incidentally mentioned an effort of struggling faith—David says, “You heard the voice of my supplications when I cried unto You.” And, thirdly, here is a testimony of gratitude, for David joyfully declares that notwithstanding his unbelief, the Lord heard and answered his cries. O for the touch of the Holy Spirit to make this outline into a living sermon! Here are the altar and the wood—O Holy Spirit, You be the fire!
I. Let us begin by listening to AN UTTERANCE OF UNBELIEF—“I said in my haste, I am cut off from before Your eyes.” Note here, first, that unbelief is generally talkative—“I said.” It had been better for him not to have thought it, even, but when he did think thus wrongly, it was most unwise to speak the thought. I have heard it said, “If it is in the
mind it may as well come out,” but this is not true. If I had a rattlesnake in a box on this platform, I think you would, none of you, vote for the creature’s being let loose! Poison in a vial is deadly, but it will hurt no one until the cork is drawn and then we cannot tell how far the mischief may go. Lions and tigers and vipers are best shut up—the wider range you give them, the more you empower them to do mischief. If you have an ill thought, repent of it, but do not repeat it—it may harm you—but it will not harm others if you let it die within doors.