Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc21/v21950

Text File | 1994-03-01 | 8KB | 142 lines

21951
 #8-10 What a sudden change is here! Having made his request
 known to God, the psalmist is confident that his sorrow will be
 turned into joy. By the workings of God's grace upon his heart,
 he knew his prayer was accepted, and did not doubt but it would,
 in due time, be answered. His prayers will be accepted, coming
 up out of the hands of Christ the Mediator. The word signifies
 prayer made to God, the righteous Judge, as the God of his
 righteousness, who would plead his cause, and right his wrongs.
 A believer, through the blood and righteousness of Christ, can
 go to God as a righteous God, and plead with him for pardon and
 cleansing, who is just and faithful to grant both. He prays for
 the conversion of his enemies, or foretells their ruin.
21954
 * The psalmist prays to God to plead his cause, and judge for
 him. (1-9) He expresses confidence in God, and will give him the
 glory of his deliverance. (10-17)

 #1-9 David flees to God for succour. But Christ alone could call
 on Heaven to attest his uprightness in all things. All His works
 were wrought in righteousness; and the prince of this world
 found nothing whereof justly to accuse him. Yet for our sakes,
 submitting to be charged as guilty, he suffered all evils, but,
 being innocent, he triumphed over them all. The plea is, "For
 the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." He knows the
 secret wickedness of the wicked, and how to bring it to an end;
 he is witness to the secret sincerity of the just, and has ways
 of establishing it. When a man has made peace with God about all
 his sins, upon the terms of grace and mercy, through the
 sacrifice of the Mediator, he may, in comparison with his
 enemies, appeal to God's justice to decide.

21963
 #10-17 David is confident that he shall find God his powerful
 Saviour. The destruction of sinners may be prevented by their
 conversion; for it is threatened, If he turn not from his evil
 way, let him expect it will be his ruin. But amidst the
 threatenings of wrath, we have a gracious offer of mercy. God
 gives sinners warning of their danger, and space to repent, and
 prevent it. He is slow to punish, and long-suffering to us-ward,
 not willing that any should perish. The sinner is described,
 ver. #14-16|, as taking more pains to ruin his soul than, if
 directed aright, would save it. This is true, in a sense, of all
 sinners. Let us look to the Saviour under all our trials.
 Blessed Lord, give us grace to look to thee in the path of
 tribulation, going before thy church and people, and marking the
 way by thine own spotless example. Under all the persecutions
 which in our lesser trials mark our way, let the looking to
 Jesus animate our minds and comfort our hearts.
21971
 * God is to be glorified, for making known himself to us. (1,2)
 And for making even the heavenly bodies useful to man, thereby
 placing him but little lower than the angels. (3-9)

 #1,2 The psalmist seeks to give unto God the glory due to his
 name. How bright this glory shines even in this lower world! He
 is ours, for he made us, protects us, and takes special care of
 us. The birth, life, preaching, miracles, suffering, death,
 resurrection, and ascension of Jesus are known through the
 world. No name is so universal, no power and influence so
 generally felt, as those of the Saviour of mankind. But how much
 brighter it shines in the upper world! We, on this earth, only
 hear God's excellent name, and praise that; the angels and
 blessed spirits above, see his glory, and praise that; yet he is
 exalted far above even their blessing and praise. Sometimes the
 grace of God appears wonderfully in young children. Sometimes
 the power of God brings to pass great things in his church, by
 very weak and unlikely instruments, that the excellency of the
 power might the more evidently appear to be of God, and not of
 man. This he does, because of his enemies, that he may put them
 to silence.

21973
 #3-9 We are to consider the heavens, that man thus may be
 directed to set his affections on things above. What is man, so
 mean a creature, that he should be thus honoured! so sinful a
 creature, that he should be thus favoured! Man has sovereign
 dominion over the inferior creatures, under God, and is
 appointed their lord. This refers to Christ. In #Heb 2:6-8|, the
 apostle, to prove the sovereign dominion of Christ, shows he is
 that Man, that Son of man, here spoken of, whom God has made to
 have dominion over the works of his hands. The greatest favour
 ever showed to the human race, and the greatest honour ever put
 upon human nature, were exemplified in the Lord Jesus. With good
 reason does the psalmist conclude as he began, Lord, how
 excellent is thy name in all the earth, which has been honoured
 with the presence of the Redeemer, and is still enlightened by
 his gospel, and governed by his wisdom and power! What words can
 reach his praises, who has a right to our obedience as our
 Redeemer?
21980
 * David praises God for protecting his people. (1-10) And for
 cause to praise him. (11-20)

 #1-10 If we would praise God acceptably, we must praise him in
 sincerity, with our whole heart. When we give thanks for some
 one particular mercy, we should remember former mercies. Our joy
 must not be in the gift, so much as in the Giver. The triumphs
 of the Redeemer ought to be the triumphs of the redeemed. The
 almighty power of God is that which the strongest and stoutest
 of his enemies are no way able to stand before. We are sure that
 the judgment of God is according to truth, and that with him
 there is no unrighteousness. His people may, by faith, flee to
 him as their Refuge, and may depend on his power and promise for
 their safety, so that no real hurt shall be done to them. Those
 who know him to be a God of truth and faithfulness, will rejoice
 in his word of promise, and rest upon that. Those who know him
 to be an everlasting Father, will trust him with their souls as
 their main care, and trust in him at all times, even to the end;
 and by constant care seek to approve themselves to him in the
 whole course of their lives. Who is there that would not seek
 him, who never hath forsaken those that seek Him?

21990
 #11-20 Those who believe that God is greatly to be praised, not
 only desire to praise him better themselves, but desire that
 others may join with them. There is a day coming, when it will
 appear that he has not forgotten the cry of the humble; neither
 the cry of their blood, or the cry of their prayers. We are
 never brought so low, so near to death, but God can raise us up.
 If he has saved us from spiritual and eternal death, we may
 thence hope, that in all our distresses he will be a very
 present help to us. The overruling providence of God frequently
 so orders it, that persecutors and oppressors are brought to
 ruin by the projects they formed to destroy the people of God.
 Drunkards kill themselves; prodigals beggar themselves; the
 contentious bring mischief upon themselves: thus men's sins may
 be read in their punishment, and it becomes plain to all, that
 the destruction of sinners is of themselves. All wickedness came
 originally with the wicked one from hell; and those who continue
 in sin, must go to that place of torment. The true state, both
 of nations and of individuals, may be correctly estimated by
 this one rule, whether in their doings they remember or forget
 God. David encourages the people of God to wait for his
 salvation, though it should be long deferred. God will make it
 appear that he never did forget them: it is not possible he
 should. Strange that man, dust in his origin, sinful by his fall,
 continually reminded of both by everything in him and about him, should yet
 need some sharp affliction, some severe visitation from God, to
 bring him to the knowledge of himself, and make him feel who and
 what he is.