THERE in a striking moral advance in the order of these two Psalms, and yet a very necessary connection. Indeed the ability to “rejoice in the Lord,” and to “praise the Lord,” can only be known by the man whose conscience and hearts have first been led through Psalm 32, and set in conscious blessedness with God by the knowledge of transgressions forgiven, and sins covered.
“Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity; and in whose spirit there is no guile,” become, then, the upper and lower chords (so to speak) of the sweet Psalmist of Israel’s melody. How beautifully note follows note, as He tells us of our security, and “that the floods of great waters shall not come nigh unto as,” yea, that in trouble the Lord is our hiding-place, and we “compassed about with songs of deliverance.” Our David sweeps his hand across the harp, according to this range, and bids us wake up the chorus for ourselves, and be glad in the Lord and rejoice: yea, louder still, to shout for joy.
The conscience and heart, as we have said, must needs pass through this thirty-second Psalm, that the confidence of the soul may take up these assurances to itself; and having done this, be free to get into another and a new place; and praise the Lord for what He is in Himself. This is the theme of Psa. 33, where we are told that “praise is comely for the upright;” and “earn the notes of our new long: and then bidden to play skillfully, and with a loud noise. He founds our new strains upon the fact that “the word of the Lord is right, and all His works are done in truth; that He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.” Such are the ascending scales of the man after God’s own heart; and the descending ones, though of another character, are necessarily equally exact. “The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to naught: He maketh the devices of the people of none effect. For the counsel of the Lord standeth sure, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.” In jealousy for the Lord, he looks round on the right and on the left, and sees the foremost man, of the world, but only to refuse him, “There is no king save” by the multitude of an host,” He glances at the pretensions of a mighty man, but only to say, the is not delivered by much strength.” “A horse is a vain thing for safety” with our Psalmist; and without reserve he blots out such notes as the king, the man of might, and the high-mettled horse; they have no place in the melodies of faith and of God.
Again, he turns his hand upwards, and says, “Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, to deliver them, and keep them alive.” His last notes of confidence and repose of soul under such protection are, “Our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name;” and, “Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”
The Lord, in all that He is, thus overtops every fear of the conscience about sin, and brings the heart that knows Him to repose upon His sufficiency and love. May God keep His saints so near Himself, that they may make melody in their hearts to Him, singing with the Spirit, and with the understanding also. Conscious blessedness in the creature can only find its proper expression in rejoicings and thanksgivings to the Blessed, and in the celebration of who and what He is!