The Golden Alphabet Part Two

Extract

The Golden Alphabet — Part Two — Psalm 119:17-48
C. H. Spurgeon

Exposition of verses 17 to 24, Gimel 17. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.

18. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
19. I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20. My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.
21. Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments.
22. Remove from me reproach and contempt; for I have kept thy testimonies.
23. Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes.
24. Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors. In this section the trials of the way appear to be manifest to the Psalmist’s mind, and he prays accordingly for the help which will meet his case, As in the last eight verses he prayed as a youth newly come into the world, so here he pleads as a servant, and a pilgrim, who growingly finds himself to be a stranger in an enemy’s country. His appeal is to God alone, and his prayer is specially direct and personal. He speaks with the Lord as a man speaketh with his friend.

17. “Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.”
“Deal bountifully with thy servant.” He takes pleasure in owning his duty to God, and counts it the joy of his heart to be in the service of his God. Out of his condition he makes a plea, for a servant has some hold upon a master; but in this case the wording of the plea shuts out the idea of legal claim, since he seeks bounty rather than reward. Let my wage be according to thy goodness, and not according to my merit. Reward me according to the largeness of thy …