Deep Dive into The Treasury of David by Charles Spurgeon - Psalm 1
C. H. Spurgeon’s monumental work, The Treasury of David, grew out of both theological study and personal affliction. Spurgeon claimed originality for his Exposition of Psalm 1, calling it the "work of his health," crafted to aid in interpretation and arouse thought. Conversely, the vast compilation of quotations included in the volume was the "product of his sickness," undertaken as an available means of doing good when illness prevented him from daily preaching.
The demanding research necessary for compiling these quotations—which involved ransacking books by the hundred at institutions like the British Museum and Dr. William's Library—was undertaken with the diligent assistance of his friend and amanuensis, Mr. John L. Keys. Spurgeon acknowledged that this crucial help saved him a significant amount of time. He included the thoughts of many minds, though he explicitly stated that he did not endorse the scholarship or orthodoxy of every writer quoted.
The commentary on Psalm 1 serves as a preface, contrasting the blessedness of the righteous with the sure destruction of sinners. The godly man’s felicity is described as a multiplicity of blessings. His character is marked negatively by separation from sin, refusing the counsel of the ungodly, the way of sinners, and the seat of the scornful, illustrating a progression away from habitual evil. Positively, the righteous man's delight is in the law of the Lord, which he meditates upon constantly, finding in it his rule of life.
The righteous man is likened to a tree planted by life-giving rivers, guaranteeing seasonable fruitfulness and perpetual spiritual beauty, ensuring that even his smallest deeds of love shall not wither. His way is known by the Lord with approbation, leading to support and eventual glory. In sharp contrast, the ungodly are intrinsically worthless, compared to chaff that the wind drives away. They are destined to perish, both themselves and their influence, and shall be excluded from the congregation of the righteous in heaven. Spurgeon emphasizes that the prosperity promised to the godly is often a hidden, spiritual prosperity, achieved even through trials and afflictions.
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