“The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true, being altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them indeed Your servant is warned; in keeping them is great reward.” Psalms 19:7-11
In C. S. Lewis’ book, Reflections on the Psalms, he titles chapter VI “Sweeter Than Honey” based on Psalm 19:10. Lewis wonders at how the ‘statutes’ of God could be considered delicious or exhilarating. He goes on to contrast God’s Law with the practices of many of the Pagan religions like infanticide and cult prostitution. By comparison to those practices, God’s statutes do seem like a breath of fresh air.
In the concluding paragraph of that chapter, Lewis writes:
In so far as this idea of the Law’s beauty, sweetness, or preciousness, arose from the contrast of the surrounding Paganisms, we may soon find occasion to recover it. Christians increasingly live on a spiritual island; new and rival ways of life surround it in all directions and their tides come further up the beach every time. None of these new ways is yet so filthy or cruel as some Semitic Paganisms. But many of them ignore all individual rights and are already cruel enough. Some give morality a wholly new meaning which we cannot accept, some deny its possibility. Perhaps we shall all learn, sharply enough, to value the clean air and “sweet reasonableness” of the Christian ethics which in a more Christian age we might have taken for granted. But of course, if we do, we shall then be exposed to the danger of priggery. We might come to “thank God that we are not as other men.” This introduces the greatest difficulty which the Psalms have raised in my mind.
Reflections on the Psalms was first published in 1955. That is sixty-eight years ago from this year. Unfortunately, some of our new ways may be approaching the “filthy or cruel ways of Semitic Paganism.” Our modern-day practice of abortion on demand certainly qualifies for filthy and cruel. There may be situations in which lives are in danger that abortion may be the only solution, but it should not be used as an alternative form of birth control.
In addition, some of the “new morality” that is accepted in our day is not new and it is not moral. When men give in to their own base desires and then label it a “new morality,” they are not fooling anyone, and especially not God. “I feel” all too often takes the place of “I ought” today. I may feel like stealing my neighbor’s car because it is newer and better than my car, but, surely, I ought not to do that.
We don’t use the word “priggery” much today. A prig is one who offends or irritates by observance of proprieties in a pointed manner or to an obnoxious degree. He is the man who thanks God that he is not as other men. We do well to remember that but for the grace and Law of God, there go we all.
L Scott Gage
