Psalm 116:16 O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, and the son of your handmaid: you have loosed my bonds. This, with the following verses, may be thus paraphrased: Blessed Lord, from the sense of what Thou hast done for me, I cannot but declare myself infinitely obliged to Thee; no servant bought with a price, or born in a house, can be more engaged to his Master than I am to Thee, who by Thy providence hast rescued me from the utmost dangers; what remains but that I should return the humblest offerings of praise and prayer, that I should spend my whole life as a vowed oblation to Thy service, and render Thee all possible praise in the public assembly, in the most solemn manner? I will own and endeavour to approve myself Thy servant. I. REASONS WHY SUCH A SERVICE SHOULD BE CHOSEN BY US. 1. It is a just service. (1) He has a right of creation, for He hath made us, and not we ourselves (Isaiah 44:1). (2) He has a right of redemption. We are His by purchase (Exodus 12:44; 1 Peter 1:18; 1 Corinthians 6:20). (3) He has a right to us by conquest (Luke 7:54). 2. It is a most necessary service. (1) Because we are born to serve. (2) If we withdraw our service from Him, we perish in our rebellion (Isaiah 60:12). (3) It is necessary by our own voluntary act. For we bound ourselves by a solemn promise and vow, in the face of the congregation at our baptism, to continue Christ's faithful servants and soldiers to our lives' end. 3. God's service is easy. What He commands us to do, He helps us to perform, so that "His commandments are not grievous." 4. God's service is the most honourable. No man ever truly served God that did not gain incredibly by it. These things the servants of God may depend upon as the certain perquisites and benefits of His service, protection, maintenance and reward. II. HOW WE SHOULD DEMEAN OURSELVES IN GOD'S SERVICE. 1. With reverence. This is accompanied with — (1) Humility. (2) Fear of offending (Malachi 1:6; Psalm 2:11; Hebrews 12:28). (3) A care of desire and pleasure (Colossians 1:10). 2. With obedience. (1) Active obedience to God consisteth in keeping His commandments and doing His will. (2) Passive obedience consists in contenting ourselves with the allowances of our supreme Master, and submitting ourselves to His corrections. 3. Fidelity. This is shown in — (1) The sincerity and heartiness of our service. (2) Zeal in His behalf. (3) Diligence. (E. Lake, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds. |
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