Psalms 119:106

"I have sworn, and am steadfastly purposed to keep Your righteous judgments" [Psalm 119:106]: as one who walked aright in the light of that lantern, and kept to straight paths. For he calls what he has determined by a sacrament, an oath; because the mind ought to be so fixed in keeping the righteous judgments of God, that its determination should be in the place of an oath. Now the righteous judgments of God are kept by faith; when, under the righteous judgment of God, neither any good work is believed to be fruitless, nor any sin unpunished.

Is anybody, I mean to say, in a position to have both the will and the ability, unless the one who granted us the will by calling us also helps us to have the ability by inspiring us? The fact is, his mercy gets in ahead of us every single time; to call us when we were lacking the will and then to ensure we obtain the ability to do what we will. So let us say to him, "I have sworn and determined to keep the judgments of your justice." I have indeed determined, and promised obedience because you have ordered it; but because "I can see another law in my members fighting back against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin that is in my members," "I have been utterly humbled, Lord; give me life according to your word." Look, "to will is available to me"; therefore, "approve, Lord, the voluntary offering of my mouth," so that your peace may come on earth to people of good will.

I have sworn, and I will perform it,.... Or, "I have performed it" (h).

Such was the national covenant at Sinai and in the fields of Moab.

"I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments." Under the influence of the clear light of knowledge he had firmly made up his mind, and solemnly declared his resolve in the sight of God. Perhaps mistrusting his own fickle mind, he had pledged himself in sacred form to abide faithful to the determinations and decisions of his God. Whatever path might open before him, he was sworn to follow that only upon which the lamp of the word was shining. The Scriptures are God's judgments, or verdicts, upon great moral questions; these are all righteous, and hence righteous men should be resolved to keep them at all hazards, since it must always be right to do right. Experience shows that the less of covenanting and swearing men formally enter upon the better, and the genius of our Saviour's teaching is against all supererogatory pledging and swearing; and yet under the gospel we ought to feel ourselves as much bound to obey the word of the Lord as if we had taken an oath so to do. The bonds of love are not less sacred than the fetters of law. When a man has vowed he must be careful to "perform it," and when a man has not vowed in so many words to keep the Lord's judgments, yet is he equally bound to do so by obligations which exist apart from any promise on our part,—obligations founded in the eternal fitness of things, and confirmed by the abounding goodness of the Lord our God. Will not every believer own that he is under bonds to the redeeming Lord to follow his example, and keep his words? Yes, the vows of the Lord are upon us, especially upon such as have made profession of discipleship, have been baptized into the thrice holy name, have eaten of the consecrated memorials, and have spoken in the name of the Lord Jesus: We are enlisted, and sworn in, and are bound to be loyal soldiers all through the war.