“I have stuck unto thy testimonies: O LORD, put me not to shame.” Psalm 119:31
In whatever state or stage of experience you are, it will be your wisdom and your mercy to stick to God’s testimony. Has the Lord just begun a work of grace in your heart? Is he shewing to you what you are by nature, and bringing before your eyes the sins of your youth, and plunging you in deep convictions? It will be your wisdom, and it will be your mercy, to stick to that testimony; not to be driven from your standing into despair, nor pushed forward into fleshly confidence; but to stick to that testimony which God himself has implanted.
Has God made you to sigh and cry from the depths of a broken heart – to fall down before his truth? Stick to that testimony; he will not put you to shame. Again, if the Lord has done a little more for you, shewn you the least glimpse of mercy and favor, and given you some little testimony of your interest in the blood of the Lamb, it will be your wisdom, and it will be your mercy, to stick to that testimony too.
You will find those who will push you presumptuously forward; you will find those who would drive you despairingly backward; you will find those who would pull you down into those doubts and fears that their own minds are exercised with, and you will find those who would draw you aside into the vain confidence, in which they themselves are standing. It will be your wisdom and mercy to abide by the testimony, which God himself has revealed; and he can work in your soul, that faith whereby you can and will stick to his testimony.
But some may say, “How can I know that I am sticking to God’s testimonies?” I would ask, what are the feelings of your hearts toward them? Is there godly fear? Is there holy reverence? Is there trembling awe? Is there any exercise of soul? Any pouring out of the heart before God? Any realising of his presence? Any trembling lest you should offend him? Any desire after him? Any solemn feelings whereby your soul is exercised unto his perfections? Then there is reason to believe there is some testimony of God in your conscience, and that you are sticking to it.
But if your religion be such as leads to vain confidence, to self-righteousness, to presumption, to false security, and to a careless, light, trifling spirit, depend upon it you are not sticking to God’s testimony, or else you have no testimony from God to stick unto. But if the Lord is bringing into your soul some sense of his displeasure; if you have trifled with him, and brought guilt into your soul and trouble into your mind it will be your wisdom, and it will be your mercy to do, as the Lord speaks in Leviticus 26:41 “accept of the punishment of your iniquity;” to put your mouth in the dust, and confess that you are vile; not to turn aside to presumptuous confidence as though you would blunt the edge of God’s sword in your soul, but to receive it in your heart, embrace it in your conscience, and to cleave to it as the testimony of God himself.
In whatever state or stage of experience you are, it will be your wisdom and your mercy to stick to God’s testimony. Has the Lord just begun a work of grace in your heart? Is he shewing to you what you are by nature, and bringing before your eyes the sins of your youth, and plunging you in deep convictions? It will be your wisdom, and it will be your mercy, to stick to that testimony; not to be driven from your standing into despair, nor pushed forward into fleshly confidence; but to stick to that testimony which God himself has implanted.
Has God made you to sigh and cry from the depths of a broken heart – to fall down before his truth? Stick to that testimony; he will not put you to shame. Again, if the Lord has done a little more for you, shewn you the least glimpse of mercy and favor, and given you some little testimony of your interest in the blood of the Lamb, it will be your wisdom, and it will be your mercy, to stick to that testimony too.
You will find those who will push you presumptuously forward; you will find those who would drive you despairingly backward; you will find those who would pull you down into those doubts and fears that their own minds are exercised with, and you will find those who would draw you aside into the vain confidence, in which they themselves are standing. It will be your wisdom and mercy to abide by the testimony, which God himself has revealed; and he can work in your soul, that faith whereby you can and will stick to his testimony.
But some may say, “How can I know that I am sticking to God’s testimonies?” I would ask, what are the feelings of your hearts toward them? Is there godly fear? Is there holy reverence? Is there trembling awe? Is there any exercise of soul? Any pouring out of the heart before God? Any realising of his presence? Any trembling lest you should offend him? Any desire after him? Any solemn feelings whereby your soul is exercised unto his perfections? Then there is reason to believe there is some testimony of God in your conscience, and that you are sticking to it.
But if your religion be such as leads to vain confidence, to self-righteousness, to presumption, to false security, and to a careless, light, trifling spirit, depend upon it you are not sticking to God’s testimony, or else you have no testimony from God to stick unto. But if the Lord is bringing into your soul some sense of his displeasure; if you have trifled with him, and brought guilt into your soul and trouble into your mind it will be your wisdom, and it will be your mercy to do, as the Lord speaks in Leviticus 26:41 “accept of the punishment of your iniquity;” to put your mouth in the dust, and confess that you are vile; not to turn aside to presumptuous confidence as though you would blunt the edge of God’s sword in your soul, but to receive it in your heart, embrace it in your conscience, and to cleave to it as the testimony of God himself.
“I have stuck unto thy testimonies.” To cleave to everything which God makes known in the conscience, be it judgment, be it mercy, be it a smile, be it a frown, be it a testimony for, be it a testimony against, whatever it be that comes with power, and is brought to the soul by the application of the Spirit – to cleave to it, keeps the soul in a safe and blessed spot.
