December 5

To show that the Lord is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. - Psalms 92:15.

OBSERVE the testimony here given concerning God; it is this, that the fruitfulness of Christians manifested in their fearing God-in attending upon and delighting in his ordinances, and growing in grace, and bringing forth fruit in old age, not only show that they are upright, but are declarative of and designed to “show that the Lord is upright; and that there is no unrighteousness in him.” And they do this in two ways.

First, As it evidences his faithfulness to his engagements. “All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth;” not only mercy but “truth;” because they are in fulfilment of his promises. What is there pertaining to us, as Christians, that has not been provided for us in the covenant of grace, Is it our afflictions? Whatever else it may be, this is included; the rod was in the covenant from everlasting: “If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments, if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, then I will visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquities with stripes; nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from them, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.” And David says, “I know that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.” Faithfulness regards the accomplishment of the promise, God has engaged to afflict his people. Has he not been with us in trouble? He assured us of this. Has he not sustained our strength? have not our “shoes been as iron and brass” to defend us from the thorns and briars of the wilderness? “The Lord is upright.” “He is faithful that hath promised.”

Secondly, Because it shows that they are adhering to him with purpose of heart. They have not turned back from him, and this shows that they have found him to be what they expected he would be. Had they been deceived by him, they would have given him up. “Under the law the servant that had his ear bored gave proof that he loved his master; and he would not have loved him if he had not behaved well to him. The attachment and the adherence of the servants of God proclaim his faithfulness, and show that they have not been disappointed in their expectations of him. Just like the venerable Polycarp, who, when commanded to deny his Saviour, said, “Eighty and four years he has been a good Master to me, and has not forsaken me, and shall I now forsake him?” Thus the perseverance of the Christian shows not what he is, but what God is; and says Paul, “By the grace of God I am what I am;” “not me, but the grace of God which is in me.” It shows “that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.”

And here we may also observe the Testifier. Who can bear his testimony to this truth? “I,” says David, “he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” Every one can say this, and will say this, who has like David made God his rock for building upon; his rock of refuge from danger; his rock of refreshment, whose streams follow him all the wilderness through. And cannot we also bear this testimony and say, “He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him?”