FOOTNOTES
[1] “Ancient morality was essentially national and exclusive. Its creed was that a man is born not for himself, but for his parents, his family, and the state. The state was surrounded by others with which, unless some treaty had been concluded, it was at war. To do as much good as possible to one’s own state, and as much harm as possible to all other states, was therefore the whole duty of a man.”—Ecce Homo, p. 125, small edition. (The student will do well to read the whole chapter in which these sentences occur.)
A New Song for New Hearts.
xii. 1. And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, &c.
This prophecy is said by some to relate to the invasion by Sennacherib, and the marvellous deliverance therefrom. If so, it is an instance of sanctified affliction, and a lesson to us that whenever we smart under the rod we may look forward to the time when it shall be withdrawn; it is also an admonition to us, that when we escape from trial we should take care to celebrate the event with grateful praise. It is thought by others that the text mainly relates to the latter days, and I think it would be impossible to read the eleventh chapter without feeling such a reference is clear. Both these interpretations are true and instructive; but we shall find out the very soul of the passage, if we consider it as an illustration of what occurs to every one of God’s people when he is brought out of darkness into God’s marvellous light, when he is delivered from the spirit of bondage beneath Divine wrath, and led by the Spirit of adoption into the liberty wherewith Christ makes him free. In regarding the text from this point of view, we shall first observe the prelude of this delightful song, and then listen to the song itself.
I. The prelude of this charming song—“In that day thou shalt say.” Here we have the tuning of the harps, the notes of the music follow after in the succeeding sentences. Note, 1. There is a time for the joyous song here recorded, “In that day”—the day of the manifestation of the Divine power. 2. One word indicates the singer. “Thou shalt say.” One by one we receive eternal life and peace. Religion is an individual matter. The word “thou” is spoken to those brought down into the last degree of despair. Thou broken-hearted sinner, ready to destroy thyself because of the anguish of conscience, in the day of God’s abounding mercy, thou shalt rejoice! 3. The Teacher of the song. “In that day thou shalt say.” Who but the Lord can thus command man’s heart and speech? 4. The tone of the song. “Thou shalt say.” The song is to be an open one, vocally uttered, heard of men. It is not to be a silent feeling, a kind of soft music whose sweetness is spent within the spirit; but in that day thou shalt testify and bear witness what the Lord has done for thee (H. E. I., 3903–3921).
II. The song itself.—1. All of it is concerning the Lord; it is all addressed to Him. “O Lord, I will praise Thee: though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away.” When a soul is escaped from the bondage of sin, it resembles the apostles on Mount Tabor—it sees no man but Jesus only. 2. It includes repentant memories. The Hebrew would run something like this, “O Lord, I will praise Thee; Thou wast angry with me.” We do this day praise God because He made us feel His anger. “What, is a sense of anger a cause for praise?” No, not if it stood alone, but because it has driven us to Christ. The song in its deep bass includes plaintive recollections of sin pressing heavily on the spirit. 3. It contains blessed certainties. “Thine anger is turned away.” “Can a man know that? Can he be quite sure he is forgiven?” He can be as sure of pardon as he is of his existence, as infallibly certain as he is of a mathematical proposition. The Scriptures teach that to the sinner who trusts in Jesus there is no condemnation, and every one may know whether he is trusting in Jesus or not (H. E. I., 309, 310, 324–334, 986, 989). 4. It includes holy resolutions. “I will praise Thee”—in secret, in public. For this purpose I will unite with Thy people. I will not be content unless all that I am and all that I have shall praise Thee. 5. It is a song which is peculiar in its characteristics, and appropriate only to the people of God. It is a song of strong faith, and yet of humility. Its spirit is a precious incense made up of many costly ingredients. Humility confesses, “Thou wast angry with me;” gratitude sings, “Thine anger is turned away;” patience cries, “Thou comfortest me,” and holy joy springs up, and saith, “I will praise Thee.” Faith, hope, love—all have their notes here, from the bass of humility up to the highest alto of glorious communion.
By way of practical results from this subject, let me speak, 1. A word of consolation to those who are under God’s anger. God never shut up a soul in the prison of conviction, but sooner or later He released the captive. The worst thing in the world is to go unchastised; to be allowed to sin and eat honey with it, this is the precursor of damnation; but to sin, and to have the wormwood of repentance with it, this is the prelude of being saved. If the Lord has embittered thy sin, He has designs of love towards thee; His anger shall yet be turned away. 2. A word of admonition. Some of you have been forgiven, but are you praising God as you should? (H. E. I., 3903–3911).—C. H. Spurgeon: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit (vol. xvi. pp. 241–250).
The preceding chapter relates to the reign of the Messiah; the end of it especially to the ingathering of the Jews—a period which will be the spiritual jubilee to the tribes of Israel, and the beginning of the millennium to the world itself. That is the day in which Israel shall say, “O Lord, I will praise thee,” &c. This passage may be applied to every spiritual child of Abraham. Consider—
I. The previous state referred to. “Thou wast angry with me.” Anger in God is not, as it often is in us, a blind, furious passion; but a holy disapprobation of wrong, and a righteous determination to punish it (H. E. I., 2288–2294). 1. Man’s character and conduct, while in his natural state, are such as justly expose him to the Divine anger. What does God survey in the sinner? Ignorance, unbelief, envy, malevolence, impurity, &c. In his conduct, likewise, how much there is that must necessarily be displeasing to God!—ingratitude, disobedience, selfishness, abuse of long-suffering, the rejection of Christ. 2. No intelligent being need be in any doubt as to whether he is, or is not, an object of the Divine anger. The teaching of Scripture is clear (Ps. vii. 11; xxxiv. 16, &c.) This is ratified by the workings of conscience. Let any one do good secretly, and contrast his state of mind with the feelings arising after the commission of secret evil. 3. The Divine anger is of all things to be deprecated. Remember what its effects have been upon impenitent sinners. Think of the old world; of Pharaoh and the Egyptians; of Sodom, &c. View the written in indelible and awful characters in the history of the Israelites. Nothing can resist it, alleviate it, or deliver from it.