Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc21/v22800

Text File | 1994-03-01 | 9KB | 166 lines

22800
 #3-6 Even in affliction we need not want matter for praise. When
 this is the regular frame of a believer's mind, he values the
 loving-kindness of God more than life. God's loving-kindness is
 our spiritual life, and that is better than temporal life. We
 must praise God with joyful lips; we must address ourselves to
 the duties of religion with cheerfulness, and speak forth the
 praises of God from a principle of holy joy. Praising lips must
 be joyful lips. David was in continual danger; care and fear
 held his eyes waking, and gave him wearisome nights; but he
 comforted himself with thoughts of God. The mercies of God, when
 called to mind in the night watches, support the soul, making
 darkness cheerful. How happy will be that last morning, when the
 believer, awaking up after the Divine likeness, shall be
 satisfied with all the fulness of God, and praise him with
 joyful lips, where there is no night, and where sorrow and
 sighing flee away!

22804
 #7-11 True Christians can, in some measure, and at some times,
 make use of the strong language of David, but too commonly our
 souls cleave to the dust. Having committed ourselves to God, we
 must be easy and pleased, and quiet from the fear of evil. Those
 that follow hard after God, would soon fail, if God's right hand
 did not uphold them. It is he that strengthens us and comforts
 us. The psalmist doubts not but that though now sowing in tears,
 he should reap in joy. Messiah the Prince shall rejoice in God;
 he is already entered into the joy set before him, and his glory
 will be completed at his second coming. Blessed Lord, let our
 desire towards thee increase every hour; let our love be always
 upon thee; let all our enjoyment be in thee, and all our
 satisfaction from thee. Be thou all in all to us while we remain
 in the present wilderness state, and bring us home to the
 everlasting enjoyment of thee for ever.
22809
 * Prayer for deliverance. (1-6) The destruction of the wicked,
 encouragement to the righteous. (7-10)

 #1-6 The psalmist earnestly begs of God to preserve him from
 disquieting fear. The tongue is a little member, but it boasts
 great things. The upright man is the mark at which the wicked
 aim, they cannot speak peaceably either of him or to him. There
 is no guard against a false tongue. It is bad to do wrong, but
 worse to encourage ourselves and one another in it. It is a sign
 that the heart is hardened to the greatest degree, when it is
 thus fully set to do evil. A practical disbelief of God's
 knowledge of all things, is at the bottom of every wickedness.
 The benefit of a good cause and a good conscience, appears most
 when nothing can help a man against his enemies, save God alone,
 who is always a present help.

22815
 #7-10 When God brings upon men the mischiefs they have desired
 on others, it is weight enough to sink a man to the lowest hell.
 Those who love cursing, it shall come upon them. Those who
 behold this shall understand, and observe God's hand in all;
 unless we do so, we are not likely to profit by the
 dispensations of Providence. The righteous shall be glad in the
 Lord; not glad of the misery and ruin of their fellow-creatures,
 but glad that God is glorified, and his word fulfilled, and the
 cause of injured innocence pleaded effectually. They rejoice not
 in men, nor in themselves, nor in any creature, or creature
 enjoyments, nor in their wisdom, strength, riches, or
 righteousness; but in Christ, in whom all the seed of Israel are
 justified and glory, and in what he is to them, and has done for
 them.
22819
 * God is to be praised in the kingdom of grace. (1-5) In the
 kingdom of providence. (6-13)

 #1-5 All the praise the Lord receives from this earth is from
 Zion, being the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, and acceptable
 through him. Praise is silent unto thee, as wanting words to
 express the great goodness of God. He reveals himself upon a
 mercy-seat, ready to hear and answer the prayers of all who come
 unto him by faith in Jesus Christ. Our sins prevail against us;
 we cannot pretend to balance them with any righteousness of our
 own: yet, as for our transgressions, of thine own free mercy,
 and for the sake of a righteousness of thine own providing, we
 shall not come into condemnation for them. Observe what it is to
 come into communion with God in order to blessedness. It is to
 converse with him as one we love and value; it is to apply
 ourselves closely to religion as to the business of our
 dwelling-place. Observe how we come into communion with God;
 only by God's free choice. There is abundance of goodness in
 God's house, and what is satisfying to the soul; there is enough
 for all, enough for each: it is always ready; and all without
 money and without price. By faith and prayer we may keep up
 communion with God, and bring in comfort from him, wherever we
 are. But it is only through that blessed One, who approaches the
 Father as our Advocate and Surety, that sinners may expect or
 can find this happiness.

22824
 #6-13 That Almighty strength which sets fast the mountains,
 upholds the believer. That word which stills the stormy ocean,
 and speaks it into a calm, can silence our enemies. How contrary
 soever light and darkness are to each other, it is hard to say
 which is most welcome. Does the watchman wait for the morning?
 so does the labourer earnestly desire the shades of evening.
 Some understand it of the morning and evening sacrifices. We are
 to look upon daily worship, both alone and with our families, to
 be the most needful of our daily occupations, the most
 delightful of our daily comforts. How much the fruitfulness of
 this lower part of the creation depends upon the influence of
 the upper, is easy to observe; every good and perfect gift is
 from above. He who enriches the earth, which is filled with
 man's sins, by his abundant and varied bounty, can neither want
 power nor will to feed the souls of his people. Temporal mercies
 to us unworthy creatures, shadow forth more important blessings.
 The rising of the Sun of righteousness, and the pouring forth of
 the influences of the Holy Spirit, that river of God, full of
 the waters of life and salvation, render the hard, barren,
 worthless hearts of sinners fruitful in every good work, and
 change the face of nations more than the sun and rain change the
 face of nature. Wherever the Lord passes, by his preached
 gospel, attended by his Holy Spirit, his paths drop fatness, and
 numbers are taught to rejoice in and praise him. They will
 descend upon the pastures of the wilderness, all the earth shall
 hear and embrace the gospel, and bring forth abundantly the
 fruits of righteousness which are, through Jesus Christ, to the
 glory of the Father. Manifold and marvellous, O Lord, are thy
 works, whether of nature or of grace; surely in loving-kindness
 hast thou made them all.
22832
 * Praise for God's sovereign power in the creation. (1-7) For
 his favour to his church. (8-12) And the psalmist's praise for
 his experience of God's goodness. (13-20)

 #1-7 The holy church throughout all the world lifts up her
 voice, to laud that Name which is above every name, to make the
 praise of Jesus glorious, both by word and deed; that others may
 be led to glorify him also. But nothing can bring men to do this
 aright, unless his effectual grace create their hearts anew unto
 holiness; and in the redemption by the death of Christ, and the
 glorious deliverances it effects, are more wondrous works than
 Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage.

22839
 #8-12 The Lord not only preserves our temporal life, but
 maintains the spiritual life which he has given to believers. By
 afflictions we are proved, as silver in the fire. The troubles
 of the church will certainly end well. Through various conflicts
 and troubles, the slave of Satan escapes from his yoke, and
 obtains joy and peace in believing: through much tribulation the
 believer must enter into the kingdom of God.

22844
 #13-20 We should declare unto those that fear God, what he has
 done for our souls, and how he has heard and answered our
 prayers, inviting them to join us in prayer and praise; this
 will turn to our mutual comfort, and to the glory of God. We
 cannot share these spiritual privileges, if we retain the love
 of sin in our hearts, though we refrain from the gross practice,
 Sin, regarded in the heart, will spoil the comfort and success
 of prayer; for the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination of
 the Lord. But if the feeling of sin in the heart causes desires
 to be rid of it; if it be the presence of one urging a demand we
 know we must not, cannot comply with, this is an argument of
 sincerity. And when we pray in simplicity and godly sincerity,
 our prayers will be answered. This will excite gratitude to Him
 who hath not turned away our prayer nor his mercy from us. It
 was not prayer that fetched the deliverance, but his mercy that
 sent it. That is the foundation of our hopes, the fountain of
 our comforts; and ought to be the matter of our praises.