Psalms 116:3-4

The sorrows of death compassed me.

To souls in agony

I. First, here is the wretched condition into which many a poor awakened soul has been brought.

1. Many a troubled conscience feels the sorrows of death; that is to say, he is the subject of griefs similar to those which beset sinners on their dying beds. They are all around him--these sorrows of the past, and the present, and the future.

2. Awakened sinners sometimes feel what they describe as the pains of hell: not that any living man does endure the pains of hell to the extent which they are suffered in hell, but still a dreadful foretaste of those pains may he experienced by an awakened conscience. What are these pains of hell? Remorse; a sense of condemnation; a terrible despair; a crushing sense of misery.

3. But the case was worse than this, for the poor soul felt no alleviation and knew of no escape. These things were by themselves, unsoftened, left in all their terror, the gall was unmixed, the vinegar undiluted. Notice the language. “The sorrows of death compassed me.” It is a very strong word. When the hunters seek their prey they form a cordon around the poor animal that is to be destroyed. The poor panting creature looks to the right, but a man with a spear is there, he looks to the left and there are the dogs. Before and behind him are more spearmen, more hounds, more hunters; there is no way of escape. So does an awakened soul discern no rescue, no loophole by which it may be delivered. The text says, “The pangs of hell gat hold upon me.” “Gat hold,” as if the jaws of the lion had really gripped the lamb, or the paws of the bear were hugging the poor defenceless sheep. “Gat hold upon me,” as though God’s terrible sergeant from the court of justice had laid his band upon his shoulder, and said, “I arrest thee in the name of God to lie in hell’s prison, and perish for ever.” Many a soul has felt that, and felt also that it could not get away from the terrible grip.

4. Once more, the psalmist felt no comfort from any exertion that he made. That takes in the last sentence of the text’s description. “I found trouble and sorrow;” so that he looked for something, but the only result of his search was that he found trouble and sorrow. Do you remember, in the days when you were under bondage on account of sin, how you bound yourself apprentice to Moses to work out your own salvation by your own goodness? What did you get? Surely you found trouble in the work, and sorrow as its wages. You found trouble and sorrow. Perhaps you went to Mr. Legality, and he and his son, Mr. Morality, did what they could for you; but if you were really awakened all that you got from them was trouble and sorrow. That was the whole result of it.

II. The awakened sinner’s course of action. What did he do? First, he called--called upon God’s name, lifted up his heart, and lifted up his voice, and called as a man might do who is lost in a fog and calls to a neighbour, hoping to hear a voice that will guide him; or as one who is far away in the bush of Australia and gives a call in the hope that some human voice may respond to it. This call is often described as a cry--a natural, simple, inartificial, unpleasant, but most effectual style of expressing our distress. Oh, sinner, if God has really been at work with you, and put you where I have been describing, you will call to God now. Now, notice, he says, “Then called I upon the name of the Lord.” The sinner had forgotten the Lord till then, and now the Lord came to his remembrance. When did he call? That is the important point in this text. “Then called I upon the name of the Lord.” Then. Was that the first time in his life? Perhaps it was. Begin at once, O sinner. When his condition was at its very worst, then he called upon God. Why did he not stop till he became better? He knew that delays are dangerous. And now for his prayer. Here it is--“O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul.” A very natural prayer, was it not? He just said what he meant, and meant what he said, and that is the way to pray. It is a very short prayer. Many a prayer is too long by twenty times. It is smothered under a bed-full of words. It was a humble prayer: “O Lord, I beseech Thee.” It is the language of one who is bowed into the dust. It was an intense prayer: “O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul.” But I want you most of all to notice that it was a scriptural prayer. There are three great little prayers in Scripture,--’O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul;” “God, be merciful to me a sinner;” and, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” These are all contained in the Lord’s Prayer. “O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul,” is “Deliver us from evil.” “God be merciful to me a sinner,”--what is that but “Forgive us our trespasses”? And what is the prayer, “Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom,” but that grand petition, “Thy kingdom come”? How wonderfully comprehensive is that prayer which our Lord Jesus has given us for a model. All prayers may be condensed into it, or distilled from it.

III. Deliverance (verse 8). He gained a great deal more than he asked for. He prayed, “O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul,” and God delivered his soul from death, his eyes from tears, and his feet from falling. He asked for one thing, and he obtained it, and two other things besides; for it is our Heavenly Father’s way to do exceedingly abundantly above what we ask or even think. He gained deliverance from death; for souls can die though they cannot cease to exist. They die when separated from God; all souls are dead until by union to God they are quickened into spiritual life. His eyes were also cleared from tears. Who is not free from sorrow when he is free from the fear of the death-penalty? Forgiveness brings joy at its heel wherever it comes. And then, having gained salvation and joy, the Lord gave him stability. Those feet that were so apt to slide were set fast, and the fear of future apostasy was removed by the gracious securities which God gave to him that He would never leave him. Thus he had a blessing for his soul, his eyes, and his feet--salvation, joy, and stability. The last word to be said is this--these same blessings can be had by others. “Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.” That is why the Lord heard David’s prayer--because He is gracious, and He loves to show grace to sinners. It was also because He is righteous, and therefore keeps His promise. Remember, too, that if your distresses are like David’s you may use the same prayer, because you have the same promises. (C. H. Spurgeon.)