My Summer with Psalm 119 #24

As a few of you know, I love, love, LOVE Psalm 119. I thought it would be great to spend a summer focusing on that psalm and what others have had to say about it. I'll begin with Thomas Manton's Exposition of Psalm 119. It may take all summer to read all 158 sermons. But they're so GOOD, so RICH, I think it will be worth it.

Sermon 31 (Psalm 119:30)

• DAVID asserts his sincerity here in two things:— 1. In the Tightness of his choice, I have chosen the way of thy truth. 2. In the accurateness of his prosecution, thy judgments have I laid before me. First, For his choice, I have chosen the way of thy truth.’ God having granted him his law, he did reject all false ways of religion, and continued in the profession of the truth of God, and the strict observance thereof.
• By the way of truth is meant true religion; as 2 Peter 2:2, By whom the way of truth is evil spoken of.’ It is elsewhere called the good way wherein we should walk,’ 1 Kings 8:36; and the way of God,’ Ps. 27:11; and the way of understanding,’ Prov. ix. 6; and the way of holiness,’ Isa. 35:8; and the way of righteousness,’ 2 Peter 2:21, Better they had not known the way of righteousness,’ that is, never to have known the gospel, which is called the way of righteousness. It is called also the way of life,’ Prov. 6:23, And reproofs of instruction are the way of life;’ and the way of salvation,’ as Acts 16:17, the Pythoness gave this testimony to the apostles, These are the servants of God, which show unto us the way of salvation.’ Now all these expressions have their use and significancy; for the way of truth, or the true way to happiness, is a good way, showed us by God, who can only discover it; and therefore called the way of the Lord,’ or the way of God,’ in the place before quoted; and Acts 28:25, 26, it is manifested by God, and leadeth us to God. The Christian doctrine was that way of truth revealed by him who is prima veritas, the first truth. The ways wherein God cometh to us are his mercy and truth; and the way wherein we come to God is the way of true religion prescribed by him; it is the way of understanding, because it maketh us wise as to the great affairs of our souls, and unto the end of our lives and beings; and the way of holiness and righteousness, as directing us in all duties to God and man; and the way of life and salvation, because it brings us to everlasting happiness.
• Secondly, There follows the evidence of his sincerity, the accurate prosecution of his choice, Thy judgments have I laid before me.’ The Septuagint reads it, I have not forgotten thy judgments.’ By judgments is meant God’s word, according to the sentence of which every man shall receive his doom.
• To have a holy rule and an unholy life is unconsonant, inconsistent. A Christian should be a lively transcript of that religion he doth profess. If the way be a way of truth, he must always set it before him, and walk exactly.
• The points are two:— 1. That there being many crooked paths in the world, it concerns us to choose the way of truth. 2. That when we have chosen the way of truth, or taken up the profession of the true religion, the rules and institutions of it should ever be before us. There are two great faults of men— one in point of choice, the other in point of pursuit. Either they do not choose right, or they do not live up to the rules of their profession. Both are prevented by these points.
• Doct. 1. That there being many crooked paths in the world, it concerns us to choose the way of truth. I shall give you the sense of it in these eight propositions or considerations. Prop. 1. The Lord in his holy providence hath so permitted it that there ever have been, and are, and, for aught we can see, will be, controversies about the way of truth and right worship. There was such a disease introduced into the world by the fall, that most of the remedies which men choose do but show the strength and malignity of the disease. They choose out false ways of corning to God and returning to him.
• Thus there ever have been, and will be, contests about religion and disputes about the way of truth; yea, different opinions in the church, and among Christians themselves, about divine truths revealed in the scripture.
• Prop. 2. True religion is but one, and all other ways false, noxious, and pestilent: Eph. 4:5, One Lord, one faith, one baptism.’ There are many ways in the world, but there is but one good and certain way that leads to salvation.
• To make many doors to heaven is to set wide open the gates of hell. Many men think that men of all religions shall be saved, provided they be of a good life, and walk according to their light. 
• The Christian religion is not only the most compendious way to true happiness, but it is the only way: John 17:3, This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.’ There is the sum of what is necessary to life eternal; that there is one God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to be known, loved, obeyed, worshipped, and enjoyed; and the Lord Jesus Christ to be owned as our Redeemer and Saviour, to bring us home to God, and to procure for us the gifts of pardon and life; and this life to be begun here by the Spirit, and to be perfected in heaven. This is the sum of all that can be said that is necessary to salvation. Certainly none can be saved without Christ; for there is no other name under heaven whereby we can be saved but by Jesus Christ,’ Acts 4:12, and none can be saved by Christ but they that know him and believe in him.
• No man can be saved without these two things— without a fixed intention of God as his last end, and a choice of Jesus Christ as the only way and means of attaining thereunto. 
• Prop. 3. As soon as any begin to be serious, they begin to have a conscience about the finding out this one only true way wherein they may be saved.
• They that have a sense of eternity upon them will be diligent to know the right way.
• Prop. 4. When we begin to have a conscience about the true way, we must inquire into the grounds and reasons of it, that we may resolve upon evidence, not take it up because it is commonly believed, but because it is certainly true; not take it up by chance, but by choice; not because we know no other, but because we know no better.
• It is not enough to stumble upon truth blindly, but we must receive it knowingly, and upon solid conviction of the excellency of it, comparing doctrine with doctrine, and thing with thing, and the weak grounds the adversaries of the truth have to build upon.
• Object. But is every private Christian bound to study controversy, so as to be able to answer all the adversaries of the truth? I answer—No; it is a special gift, bestowed and required of some that have leisure and abilities, and it is a duty required of ministers and church guides to convince gainsayers and stop their mouths. Ministers must be able to hold fast the truth.
• Consider the sad consequence of erring. There are damnable errors and heresies, 2 Peter 2:1. Vice is not only destructive and damnable to the soul, but error. Now eternal damnation and salvation are no small matters.
• A man cannot please God in a false belief, how laudable so ever his life be; and they cannot put the fault upon others, that they are misled by them; for if the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch;’ not only the blind guide, but the blind follower.
• It is almost as dangerous to love a truth ignorantly as to broach an error knowingly. The faith of Christians should not be conjectural or traditional. If a man should not have reasons to sway his choice, he will never be able to check temptations even in practical things.
• The profit is exceeding great, for truth will have a greater force upon the heart when we see the grounds and reasons of it. We are exposed here in this lower world to great difficulties and temptations.
• Prop. 5. After this inquiry into the grounds and reasons of the way of truth, then we must resolve and choose it, I have chosen the way of truth,’ as the way wherein we are to walk: Jer. 6:16, Ask where is the good way, and walk therein, and then ye shall find rest for your souls.’
• You must not only so understand and form your opinions aright, not only see what is the good way, but walk therein; keep that way which you find to be the way of truth, renouncing all others.
• Prop. 6. That no religion will be found fit to be chosen upon sound evidence but the Christian. How shall I be persuaded of this? Why, that religion which God hath revealed, that religion which suits with the ends of a religion, that is, with the inward necessities of mankind, and most commodiously provides for man, that is true religion.
• The great ends of a religion are God’s glory and our happiness. God is glorified by a return of the obedience of the creature, and man is made happy by the enjoyment of God. All these ends are advanced by this way of truth.
• First, That is the only religion which is revealed by God, for certainly so must a religion be if it be true; for that which pleaseth him must be according to his will; and who can know his will but by his own revelation, by some sign whereby God hath discovered it to us? Alas! if men were to sit brooding a religion themselves, what a strange business would they hatch and bring forth! If they were to carve out the worship of God, they might please themselves, but could never please God.
• Secondly, Besides God’s revelation, it notably performs all that which a man would expect in a religion, and so suits the necessities of man as well as the honour of God. Why? That is the true religion, which doth most draw off the minds of men from things temporal and earthly to things celestial and eternal, that we may think of them and prosecute them. The sense of another world, an estate to come, is the great foundation upon which all religion is grounded. All its precepts and promises, which are like to gain upon the heart of man, they receive their force from the promise of an unseen glory, and eternal punishments which are provided for the wicked and contemners of the gospel. The whole design of this religion is to take us off from the pleasures of the flesh and the baits of this world, that we may see things to come.
• The aim of that religion is to remedy the disease introduced by the fall. All other religions do but make up a part of the disease, and the gospel is the only remedy and cure; therefore this is the way of truth you should choose.
• The Lord Jesus is our peace, and the ground of our peace; but we never find rest until we come under his yoke.
• Consider altogether Christ’s renewing and reconciling grace, the whole evangelical truth, this gospel which was founded in the blood of Christ, his new covenant, and sealed with God’s authority, and doth so fitly state duties and privileges, and lead a man by the one to the other.
• Prop. 7. Of all sects and sorts among Christians, the Protestant reformed religion will be found to be the way of truth. Why? Because there is the greatest suitableness to the great ends, the greatest agreement and harmony with God’s revelation, which they profess to be their only rule. I say, as to God’s worship, there is most simplicity, without that theatrical pomp which makes the worship of God a dead thing, and so most suitable to a spiritual being, and conducible to spiritual ends, to God who is a Spirit, and who will be worshipped in spirit and truth; for there God is our reward, and to be served by faith, love, obedience, trust, prayers, praises, and a holy administration of the word and seals; more suitable to the genius of the scripture, without the pageantry of numerous idle ceremonies, like flourishes about a great letter, which do rather hide religion than any way discover it; yea, betray it to contempt and scorn to a considering man.
• Prop. 8. That in the private differences among the professors of the reformed Protestant religion, a man is to choose the best way, but to hold charity towards dissenters. In the true church, in matters of lesser moment, there may be sundry differences; for until men have the same degree of light, it cannot be expected they should be all of a mind.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible