Homilist Psalm 37:7-11 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way… I. THE PASSION RANKLING IN THE HEART HAS AN EVIL TENDENCY. 1. It inflicts an injury on the soul of its possessor. Malign passions are to the soul what the legions of locusts are to the vegetation of the East — they eat up the life. Aye, worse than locusts, they are fiends, kindling fires that burn down to the very centre of being, and reduce to ashes the better parts of human nature. 2. It stimulates to the infliction of injury upon others. "Anger stirreth up strife." Men, under the influence of anger, are ever disposed to mischief; their tongues deal out slander, their hands are lifted in battle, and their feet are "swift to shed blood." II. THE CONNECTION OF THE WICKED WITH THE EARTH IS NOT ENVIABLE. 1. It is exposed to a violent termination. "Evil-doers shall be cut off." It is said the "wicked shall be driven away in his wickedness." He does not leave the world with a free will. All his sympathies, interests, hopes, are rooted in the earth, and he will hold on to the last with the energy of desperation; still he must go. 2. It is utterly unsatisfying, III. THEIR OPPOSITION BRINGS ON THEM TERRIBLE MISERY. 1. The seed of the serpent has from the beginning had a venomous animosity to the good. This animosity is here represented(1) As cunning, it "plotteth against the just"; it is fertile in schemes of ruin. (2) As raging. It "gnasheth upon him." Like the hidden fire of the volcano, it reveals itself by terrible vibrations. (3) As practical. Plan and passion will not satisfy it, it must work, and work with more implements than one — "sword and bow." In how many ways the wicked labour to beat down the ideas, thwart the plans, and wound the feelings of the righteous! 2. But all this opposition only brings ruin on themselves. The ruin involves(1) The contempt of Jehovah. Can the boldest imagination create a figure to give a more terrible representation of misery than this — the "laugh" of the Infinite? Sooner let Him hurl His thunders at me, and rain down His fires on my spirit than laugh at me. (2) The recoil of their own purposes. "Their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken." A remarkable instance of the kind may be found in Esther (chaps. 5.-7.) in the case of Haman. A straightforward course is easy, and men are safe in it; but it requires more skill than most men are endowed with to manage a crooked and crafty policy safely, or so as to be safe themselves in pursuing such a course. (Homilist.) Parallel Verses KJV: Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. |
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