Psalm 119:96 I have seen an end of all perfection: but your commandment is exceeding broad. Those of you who have visited Henry the Seventh's Chapel at Westminster Abbey must have noticed in the south-east corner the tomb of Dean Stanley and that of his wife, Lady Augusta There are many words engraven on the stone beneath Dean Stanley's tomb, and at the foot of them are the words of our text (P. B. Version). The words may well be taken as an epitome of the Dean's life. He saw an end of all perfection, he saw that all things human pass away, but he held on to the great eternal truths of religion, knowing that God's commandment, like God's love, is exceeding broad. I. THE TEMPORAL. "I see that all things come to an end." We live in a world of change; nothing is lasting, nothing is permanent down here. The little life of man, the little work of man sooner or later comes to an end. "I see that all things come to an end." The beautiful summer-time which delights us all changes at last into the long dreary winter. Nature changes, "the grass withereth, the flower fadeth." There are changes in public life as well as in private life; changes abroad and changes at home; changes in our own individual lives. The boy changes into the young man; school life is over. The young man changes into the man in his prime; youth is over. And old age creeps on, then cometh the end. Whether it be beauty, or wit, or learning, or pleasure, or honour, or position, or riches, experience will soon show us the end of all these things. II. The writer turns from the temporal to THE ETERNAL. He tries to fix our minds on the one Supreme Being who never passes away. "I am the Lord, I change not." "Thy commandment is exceeding broad." The great Rock of Ages remains unalterably the same. 1. God's love is exceeding broad. 2. His forgiveness. 3. His mercy. 4. His power to save. 5. His Church. 6. Heaven.We may differ in opinion down here, we cannot all think alike on earth, but there will be perfect unity there, for heaven, like God's commandment, is exceeding broad. (A. E. W. Lait.) Parallel Verses KJV: I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceeding broad.WEB: I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commands are boundless. MEM |
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