I could wish this task, on this solemn, and to me, painful occasion, had devolved on one suitable, but supported by the Lord’s presence, upheld by his power, and cheered with his approbation in my mind, I humbly attempt to rehearse the wonders of his love, the riches of his grace, and the displays of his mercy to me, and mine, and attempt, in my poor way, to prove the glorious truth in the text: Out of the mouths of babes God has ordained his own glory, the glory of his love, his grace, his mercy, his truth, his power, his faithfulness, and infinite condescension. It is true that I can do no justice to the important words, by way of a Sermon. They contain a vast store of rich truth and precious experience. I must therefore merely glance at the meaning, and shew, in as concise a manner as I can, to whom they belong, and to whom they will, with scriptural propriety, apply.
The title of this psalm is to the chief musician upon Gittith, a psalm of David.—Various are the conjectures of learned men on this title. Some think the word Gittith signifies the wine press, and the title means, To the conqueror over the trodden wine press, wrath; and if so, we are not at a loss to know to whom it belongs. A psalm of, or concerning the beloved one, to whom be glory. Amen.
The ever blessed Redeemer is the subject of this psalm. Hence we find it quoted in the New Testament, and twice applied to him. It is a revelation of Christ, as God-man, in his headship, his empire, dominion, and excellent name, his royalties, majesty, and glory, with his union, relation, and interest in his people. It is addressed to him as Jehovah, the covenant God of the church; as one of the glorious and divine persons, subsisting in the divine essence, with the Father and the holy Spirit, the incomprehensible God, the most high God, blessed for evermore; the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the first and the last. If the first, there were none before him, and if the last, there can be none after him. He is the Almighty, himself has declared it; the true God and eternal life, possessing every divine and glorious perfection, the maker of heaven and earth, the centre, the foundation, the glory, the beauty, and ornament of creation; and the whole is sustained by him—he is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, eternal, unchangeable—the adorable I am, that I am!—and as God in covenant, as well as absolute deity, he is called our God, your God, their God, my Lord, and my God, the most mighty, the great God, the living God; and must not that person have diabolical effrontery to deny the essential and eternal Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ? Such conduct clearly demonstrates that such persons are in nature’s thickest gloom, nor can those characters give the church or the world any scriptural account of the holy Spirit’s work upon their hearts. We, therefore, can never allow such unconverted persons to be proper judges of any one truth in divine revelation. When persons are called by divine grace, they are brought to feel their need of just such a saviour as Christ is, and are led to prize the infinite value of his blood, the merit of his obedience, the power of his arm, and the love of his heart. But amidst the host of enemies to the person and dignity of Christ, we humbly and gratefully unite with the Psalmist: Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, thy perfections, and thy gospel, wherever it has been carried. And how glorious it will be in the new heavens and earth, during the millennium, his thousand years personal reign with his people. There he has set his glory above the heavens, his everlasting love, his holy humanity; and his church, as considered in himself, are exalted above the ærial or starry heavens. This is his glory, the joy of the redeemed, the wonder of elect angels, and the envy of devils.
The Psalmist, having been led to adore Jehovah Jesus, as God in covenant, and as God-man, the brightness of the Father’s glory, is sweetly brought on to view him in his humiliation, final victory, and exaltation; and while considering the heavenly bodies, their glory and greatness, with his own insufficiency to celebrate his power, he yet adores him for that knowledge with which his mind was favored, and exclaims, What is man that thou art mindful of him? This passage is quoted by the apostle, and the whole of it is applied to Christ, as the mediator, as the Son of man, admiring that grace which conferred so great an honor upon him, as to choose his individual nature, his humanity, as to unite it with the Godhead, that he should prepare it in the covenant, anoint it with the oil of gladness above his fellows, delight in it, exalt it, and take such providential care of it; support it under his direful sorrows, raise it, and give it glory. Thus the sacred Messiah is represented, as filled with holy and admiring thoughts of the subject, and in extacy asks, What is man? the human nature made a little lower than God, but next unto him, and in personal union with the Son of God; a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, but crowned with glory and honor, as the whole election of grace, and as the mediator of reconciliation. Christ by delegation, hath universal dominion over all things, visible and invisible, nature, providence, grace, glory, earth, and hell; and this will ever form a subject for the admiration of God’s people. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! for as thou hast formed thy people for thy praise, thou hast ordained the wonders of thy grace shall be celebrated by them in time and eternity. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength, because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
We may consider these words as justly applicable to 1. David. 2, David’s Lord.—3, The children of the temple. 4, The apostles in their minority.—5, The experience of believers.—6, The salvation of children. This good man was chosen and ordained for the glory of God, and for the benefit of his people; eternally chosen in Christ to salvation; he was impressed with the power of converting grace in very early life, and long before he was introduced to public notice, long before his elevation to the throne of Israel. No doubt, while a youth, the holy Spirit took possession of his heart, and led his mind to hope in the promised Messiah, for life and salvation, and being selected from the busy world, and the cares, vanities, and snares of the court, he had many sweet moments in the sacred enjoyment of his God. Times, his mind often afterwards reflected upon with heaven-felt pleasure. It appears God had endowed him with astonishing skill in music, and a sublime talent for poetry, so that he probably filled his leisure hours with close attention to the exercise of those gifts; and as Mr. Toplady strikingly remarks, on David’s composing this beautiful pastoral psalm: We must form to ourselves an idea of David, the stripling, and think we see him watching his flocks on a summer’s night, under the expanded canopy of the skies. The air is still, the heavens are serene, the moon arrived at her full, is pursuing her majestic silent course, the stars, like peeresses, on a coronation solemnity, assume their brightest robes, to attend the beauteous sovereign of the night, while both moon and stars concur to shed a soft undazzling lustre on all the subjacent landscape. David, at this happy period, a blameless youth, unpoisoned with ambition, and unfacinated by the witchcraft of court corruption, and his hands undipped in blood, is seated on a rising hillock, or on the protuberant root of some stately tree. All is hushed, not a bough rustles, not a leaf trembles to the breeze; the silent flocks are either carelessly grazing by his side, or slumbering securely at his feet. The birds have suspended their songs, until waked by the superior sweetness of his voice, and the music of his hand; for, charmed with the loveliness of the scene, and wrapt by the holy Spirit into a seraphic flame of exalted devotion, he has lain aside his crook—he has taken up his harp, and transmitting to the throne of God, these grateful, these inexpressibly beautiful lines contained in this psalm, this divine testimony of Jesus, although perhaps wrote more than a thousand years before his incarnation. David’s mind was illuminated with spiritual knowledge, his faith centering in the Messiah, his hope resting on his covenant engagements, his affections cleaving to him, his mind at this time, happy in his love; and astonished at the infinite condescension of the God of all grace, in looking upon him in early life; saving him from the follies of youth, converting his soul, anointing him though a stripling, to be a king; working deliverance for him, when by a supernatural power upon him, he slew a lion at one time, and a bear at another. Surely as his heart glowed at the reflection, his mouth spoke forth the high praises of the Lord; and as God was his strength, so he had ordained the effects of it for the glory of his own name, that he might be praised and adored, and that the enemies of the Lord and his people might be confounded. This was frequently the case in the wars of David, but particularly while a stripling; and in comparison to men of war, he was but a babe or suckling, when he went to meet Goliah, the gigantic champion of the Philistines, who for forty days gave a challenge to decide the fate of the war by a single combat, defying them to produce a man in the whole army of Israel that dare engage him. The Lord stirred up the mind of this pious youth, this shepherd’s boy, the son of Jesse, to attack this unwieldy monster, near eleven feet high, and covered with brass. David, armed with divine power and skill, and encouraged by his God, went forth to meet the insulting foe, and slung a stone, which being divinely directed, sunk into his forehead, and brought him to the ground. Surely, in reading the whole history, we may see the text evidently fulfilled, and sweetly confirmed; but surely, if the power, glory, and faithfulness of God were so eminently seen in the victory given to this babe; out of whose mouth God was glorified, and his enemies stilled, silenced, overcome, and defeated, how much more so in the instance of David’s Lord, who having taken our nature into union with his divine person, is called the Holy Child, Jesus, (Acts iv, 27) by whom God had ordained his highest glory, the honor of all his perfections, in a way of grace, in the salvation of innumerable millions. And are we not often led to contemplate the appearance of this holy child? When but a babe, as it were, we find him in the temple, disputing with the learned doctors there, hearing them, and asking them questions about many points in the laws of Moses, and probably many important questions concerning the promised Messiah; and all that heard him were astonished at his understanding, and answers. Out of his sacred lips God ordained his truth, his word, his will should be known. May we not see this accomplished by the mouth of his ministry, miracles, praises, and prayers? And those who were taught of God, wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. His lips were like lilies, dropping sweet-smelling myrrh, when he opened his mouth and taught, and blest his people. Every doctrine he preached, every invitation he gave, every truth he taught, every declaration he made, every word he spoke, was truly blessed, of everlasting importance, and for the glory of God. His prayers and intercessions for his dear people were ever prevalent with God, while every tear he shed, every sigh he heaved, every groan he uttered, every stripe, and every pain, with every drop of blood which he shed, were as so many mouths pleading for all who believe in him; and now he lives in glory, he appears before the throne in the full virtue and dignity of his sacrifice and obedience, pleading for all that come to God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession with God for them. By his infinitely meritorious obedience to the law, and by his bearing its dreadful penalties, he stilled the avenger, the curse of a broken law, and the insulted justice of God. He made full satisfaction by enduring the curse, being made a curse for us, so that the threatening being thus executed upon the surety, and justice satisfied, it can no longer pursue that poor sinner, who flies to the city of refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before him; and this city is divinely set forth in these blessed Scriptures: A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, a refuge from the storm. The eternal God is thy refuge. Christ, God-man, mediator, is the refuge. Here the righteous flee, and are safe from the avenger of blood. God, revealed in a broken law, is an enemy to sinners as such, just as a judge is to a guilty criminal; but when viewed as reconciled, and well pleased we see him well pleased with us in him; the Father looks upon us in Christ, views us holy, and pronounces us righteous; as a man looking up a wall, or on any object through a red glass, it appears red; so are we view in Christ. Ye are complete in him, having forgiven us all trespasses—Christ having finish the work, overcome all enemies, disappointed Satan, bruised his head, and took away his power; drew the envenomed dart of death, barred the mouth of hell from his people, overcome the grave; put an end to sin, and triumphed over death in his own dominions; he has for ever stilled the enemy and the avenger, and fulfilled the purposes, and gracious decrees of God, respecting the redemption of his chosen. Worthy is the lamb that was slain! how great his love, how infinite his condescension, how eminent his victories, but how dreadful an evil must sin be,
How damnable must sin appear,
If we reflect how dear
It cost the Saviour to atone
For all our weight of guilt,
For sin his precious blood was spilt.
This scripture was also divinely fulfilled, when our Lord rode in triumph to Jerusalem, as related by the evangelist. Having sent two of his disciples to fetch him an ass and a colt, he sat thereon. While vast multitudes were collected, and attended him in the way to the city, some laid their cloaths on the beast, others cast them on the ground for him to ride over, and many cut down branches of palm trees to adorn his entrance into the city, the children in the temple sung their hosannas to the Redeemer, in harmony with the loud shouts and acclamations of the populace. The Pharisees, those most inveterate enemies of Christ, who had been a little mortified just before, by the display of the power and Godhead of Christ, in raising Lazarus from the dead, were still more so, on beholding the triumphant entrance of Jesus, the approbation of the people, and the anthem of the children. They had the daring effrontery to ask him, hearest thou what those children say? The Saviour said, And did you never read, that out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? Here was the real literal fulfilment of this text, for the Redeemer on this occasion, stilled and silenced those enemies and avengers. This triumphant entrance was indeed an emblem of his future exaltation. The animal which bore Him perhaps intended to shew the characters he would make use of to bear his name in the Jewish and Gentile worlds, and amongst all persons, high and low, rich and poor, learned and illiterate. The conduct of the people in casting their cloaths from them, to shew the effect that grace has upon the heart, in causing the soul to renounce its own righteousness, as more fit for the feet of an ass, than to recommend it to God; while the branches of palms which they bore were ensigns of the future victories which the all-conquering captain of our salvation would gain over all his enemies. And the very songs of the children, the prayers, and the praises which would ascend from his redeemed in the temple of his church, in all future generations. Their hosannas were a prayer for salvation in all its branches—save Lord, I beseech thee! and it was a wishing success, and prosperity to his kingdom. These two are found together in the souls of the called children of God. Where there is prayer for our own souls, there is an earnest desire for the increase of the Redeemer’s kingdom, and a hearty welcoming his visits: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. This is the soul’s echo to the pleasing tidings: Behold the king cometh unto thee. May not this group of children, singing the praises of the adorable Messiah, though perhaps unconscious of the meaning, be a beautiful figure of that vast body of children who are saved by his grace, and shout his fame, his love, and his victories, in the temple of heaven for ever.
Babes, thither caught from womb and breast,
Claim’d right to sing above the rest,
Because they found that happy shore
They never saw nor sought before.
And surely God has ordained the praise of his own grace in the salvation of children, and this will be confessed for ever by them, to the eternal confusion of those who live and die despisers of salvation by grace. Here, such enemies will be confounded in beholding the freeness, the sovereignty, riches, and victories of electing, redeeming, calling, and glorifying grace: for Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength, because of thine enemies.
I humbly conceive this beautiful passage may, with propriety, be applied to the apostles, and first ministers of our Lord. This was a name he was pleased to them. The great head of the church having chosen his twelve apostles, it pleased him to call and appoint seventy disciples besides, in allusion to Moses choosing twelve princes and seventy elders in the wilderness. The Lord Jesus sent them out two by two, and giving them power to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick, they went forth and did as Jesus commanded them. Upon their return, and laying their labours at his feet, astonished at their success, that it exceeded their expectations, even to the casting out of devils. At that time Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes—even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. These ministers of Christ are called babes, weak, ignorant, and foolish, when compared with what they should be after the day of Pentecost, or when compared with the wise ones of this world, men of great natural gifts, wisdom, sagacity, penetration, and skill, in natural things; but these were babes in comparison to such knowing ones, and they were babes in their own esteem, weak, defenceless, impotent, dependent, and knowing little or nothing in their own opinion, yet humble, docile, and teachable, sitting at their master’s feet, and looking to him for divine teaching. It was out of the mouths of these persons God had ordained the gospel to be preached, and this is called the rod of his strength—the power of God to salvation in every one that believeth. Their testimony was plain and simple, but it did wonders in the world. Nor can there be a greater proof of the divine authenticity of the word of God, than the work it has accomplished, for in the hands of the holy Spirit, and by the preaching of it, proud, profane, prejudiced, and carnal persons, have been humbled, subdued, quickened, illuminated, made holy, saved. The wolf has been brought to lay down at the feet of the Lamb of God, the cow and the bear. The ministers of Christ, and a raging tyrant by nature, have walked together! yea, a little child has led those fierce characters into all truth! (Isaiah xi.) Instrumentally, such enemies have been subdued, changed, and become distinguished monuments of sovereign, converting grace. The New Testament is full of those instances, and millions in heaven, and thousands upon earth, have felt the power of a gospel ministry. This is most strikingly remarked by the apostle: But if all prophecy, or preach, and there came in one that believeth not, or unlearned, he is convinced of all, judged of all, and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship, and report that God is in you of a truth, because the same Almighty power is put forth in the word, that called light out of darkness at the creation, and that called Lazarus from the tomb. Nothing short of this, can produce any good effect upon the understanding, the will, the affections, the mind, and conscience of a sinner. What powerful reproofs, cutting convictions, consoling influences, supporting and delivering power, have been felt by the Lord’s people, in hearing and reading the gospel of Jesus, whether in the Old or the New Testament. And this has cast out Satan, and sin’s dominion, tyranny, power guilt, and distress, from the soul; has answered many an accusation, freed from many a doubt, and overcome the enemy and the avenger. This is no small mortification to that implacable foe, to see the astonishing power and success of the gospel, and himself, at times, put to flight, by a simple act of faith in God’s truth.