Psalm 12:1-8 Help, LORD; for the godly man ceases; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.… The Psalm appears to have been composed in a time of great degeneracy and corruption of manners. I. THE IMPORTANT, USEFUL, AND AMIABLE CHARACTERS HERE SPECIFIED. Godly and faithful. The word "godly" is sometimes translated "merciful." 1. Consider godliness as a principle that comes from God, not in a natural but supernatural way. Holiness is the work of the Spirit of God. No man is godly but he in whom God has wrought a saving change, whose heart is turned from sin to God, from self to Christ, from earth to heaven. Wherein does godliness consist? Godliness is God's likeness. Wherever that is, there is a supreme love to God. Every godly man loves God, not only because God is kind and bountiful to him, but because God is holy in Himself: He is a godly man who is a sincere and a constant worshipper of God. The love of a child to a parent is exemplified by his obedience. A child of God obeys his heavenly Father from love. Every godly man worships God in secret. Everyone who is godly professes a regard for the public worship of God, and makes conscience of attending it. A godly man is not free from frailties and infirmities. But his heart is habitually right in the sight of God, and his way of life prevailingly corresponds with his religious profession. Consider — 2. The other branch of the word godly, namely, merciful. (Isaiah 57:1) Merciful men are men of kindness such as show kindness. As they fear God, so they regard man. Happy for society when these two things are conjoined, a ready heart and a bountiful hand. 3. The faithful. The truly godly are faithful to God; and also faithful to men. Where godliness is, there will be honesty. II. THE GREAT CAUSE WE HAVE TO DEPLORE THE LOSS OF SUCH PERSONS. When David wrote, it was a time of abounding iniquity among all degrees of people, and there were very few to be found who preserved these characters. The ceasing and the failing of them is to be considered also descriptive of their dissolution. When the judgments of God are abroad in the earth, and a dark cloud hangs over a sinful kingdom, is there not cause to bewail the departure of such as were men of prayer and of a public spirit? III. THE DUTY OF CRYING TO GOD FOR HELP WHEN SUCH CHARACTERS FAIL. Vain is the help of man. Our help is in the name of the Lord. 1. Let us pray that the Lord would help us to attend to such a speaking providence, and improve it to our spiritual advantage. 2. That the Lord would so help in the present exigence and trial as to raise up others to supply the place of such useful men. (Richard Winter.) Parallel Verses KJV: {To the chief Musician upon Sheminith, A Psalm of David.} Help, LORD; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.WEB: Help, Yahweh; for the godly man ceases. For the faithful fail from among the children of men. |
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