Bible Heaven/Bible Heaven.iso/online/mhcc24/v24000

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 9KB | 165 lines

24001
 #145-152 Supplications with the whole heart are presented only
 by those who desire God's salvation, and who love his
 commandments. Whither should the child go but to his father?
 Save me from my sins, my corruptions, my temptations, all the
 hindrances in my way, that I may keep thy testimonies.
 Christians who enjoy health, should not suffer the early hours
 of the morning to glide away unimproved. Hope in God's word
 encourages us to continue in prayer. It is better to take time
 from sleep, than not to find time for prayer. We have access to
 God at all hours; and if our first thoughts in the morning are
 of God, they will help to keep us in his fear all the day long.
 Make me lively and cheerful. God knows what we need and what is
 good for us, and will quicken us. If we are employed in God's
 service, we need not fear those who try to set themselves as far
 as they can out of the reach of the convictions and commands of
 his law. When trouble is near, God is near. He is never far to
 seek. All his commandments are truth. And God's promises will be
 performed. All that ever trusted in God have found him faithful.

24009
 #153-160 The closer we cleave to the word of God, both as our
 rule and as our stay, the more assurance we have of deliverance.
 Christ is the Advocate of his people, their Redeemer. Those who
 were quickened by his Spirit and grace, when they were dead in
 trespasses and sins, often need to have the work of grace
 revived in them, according to the word of promise. The wicked
 not only do not God's statutes, but they do not even seek them.
 They flatter themselves that they are going to heaven; but the
 longer they persist in sin, the further it is from them. God's
 mercies are tender; they are a fountain that can never be
 exhausted. The psalmist begs for God's reviving, quickening
 grace. A man, steady in the way of his duty, though he may have
 many enemies, needs to fear none. Those that hate sin truly,
 hate it as sin, as a transgression of the law of God, and a
 breaking of his word. Our obedience is only pleasing to God, and
 pleasant to ourselves, when it comes from a principle of love.
 All, in every age, who receive God's word in faith and love,
 find every saying in it faithful.

24017
 #161-168 Those whose hearts stand in awe of God's word, will
 rather endure the wrath of man, than break the law of God. By
 the word of God we are unspeakable gainers. Every man hates to
 have a lie told him, but we should more hate telling a lie; by
 the latter we give an affront to God. The more we see the beauty
 of truth, the more we shall see the hateful deformity of a lie.
 We are to praise God even for afflictions; through grace we get
 good from them. Those that love the world have great vexation,
 for it does not answer what they expect; those that love God's
 word have great peace, for it outdoes what they expect. Those in
 whom this holy love reigns, will not perplex themselves with
 needless scruples, or take offence at their brethren. A good
 hope of salvation will engage the heart in doing the
 commandments. And our love to the word of God must subdue our
 lusts, and root out carnal affections: we must make heart work
 of it, or we make nothing of it. We must keep the commandments
 of God by obedience to them, and his promises by reliance on
 them. God's eye is on us at all times; this should make us very
 careful to keep his commandments.

24025
 #169-176 The psalmist desired grace and strength to lift up his
 prayers, and that the Lord would receive and notice them. He
 desired to know more of God in Christ; to know more of the
 doctrines of the word, and the duties of religion. He had a deep
 sense of unworthiness, and holy fear that his prayer should not
 come before God; Lord, what I pray for is, what thou hast
 promised. We have learned nothing to purpose, if we have not
 learned to praise God. We should always make the word of God the
 rule of our discourse, so as never to transgress it by sinful
 speaking, or sinful silence. His own hands are not sufficient,
 nor can any creature lend him help; therefore he looks up to
 God, that the hand that had made him may help him. He had made
 religion his deliberate choice. There is an eternal salvation
 all the saints long for, and therefore they pray that God would
 help their way to it. Let thy judgments help me; let all
 ordinances and all providences, (both are God's judgments,)
 further me in glorifying God; let them help me for that work. He
 often looks back with shame and gratitude to his lost estate. He
 still prays for the tender care of Him who purchased his flock
 with his own blood, that he may receive from him the gift of
 eternal life. Seek me, that is, Find me; for God never seeks in
 vain. Turn me, and I shall be turned. Let this psalm be a
 touchstone by which to try our hearts, and our lives. Do our
 hearts, cleansed in Christ's blood, make these prayers,
 resolutions and confessions our own? Is God's word the standard
 of our faith, and the law of our practice? Do we use it as pleas
 with Christ for what we need? Happy those who live in such
 delightful exercises.
24033
 * The psalmist prays to God to deliver him from false and
 malicious tongues. (1-4) He complains of wicked neighbours.
 (5-7)

 #1-4 The psalmist was brought into great distress by a deceitful
 tongue. May every good man be delivered from lying lips. They
 forged false charges against him. In this distress, he sought
 God by fervent prayer. God can bridle their tongues. He obtained
 a gracious answer to this prayer. Surely sinners durst not act
 as they do, if they knew, and would be persuaded to think, what
 will be in the end thereof. The terrors of the Lord are his
 arrows; and his wrath is compared to burning coals of juniper,
 which have a fierce heat, and keep fire very long. This is the
 portion of the false tongue; for all that love and make a lie,
 shall have their portion in the lake that burns eternally.

24037
 #5-7 It is very grievous to a good man, to be cast into, and
 kept in the company of the wicked, from whom he hopes to be for
 ever separated. See here the character of a good man; he is for
 living peaceably with all men. And let us follow David as he
 prefigured Christ; in our distress let us cry unto the Lord, and
 he will hear us. Let us follow after peace and holiness,
 striving to overcome evil with good.
24040
 * The safety of the godly.

 - We must not rely upon men and means, instruments and second
 causes. Shall I depend upon the strength of the hills? upon
 princes and great men? No; my confidence is in God only. Or, we
 must lift up our eyes above the hills; we must look to God who
 makes all earthly things to us what they are. We must see all
 our help in God; from him we must expect it, in his own way and
 time. This psalm teaches us to comfort ourselves in the Lord,
 when difficulties and dangers are greatest. It is almighty
 wisdom that contrives, and almighty power that works the safety
 of those that put themselves under God's protection. He is a
 wakeful, watchful Keeper; he is never weary; he not only does
 not sleep, but he does not so much as slumber. Under this shade
 they may sit with delight and assurance. He is always near his
 people for their protection and refreshment. The right hand is
 the working hand; let them but turn to their duty, and they
 shall find God ready to give them success. He will take care
 that his people shall not fall. Thou shalt not be hurt, neither
 by the open assaults, nor by the secret attempts of thine
 enemies. The Lord shall prevent the evil thou fearest, and
 sanctify, remove, or lighten the evil thou feelest. He will
 preserve the soul, that it be not defiled by sin, and disturbed
 by affliction; he will preserve it from perishing eternally. He
 will keep thee in life and death; going out to thy labour in the
 morning of thy days, and coming home to thy rest when the
 evening of old age calls thee in. It is a protection for life.
 The Spirit, who is their Preserver and Comforter, shall abide
 with them for ever. Let us be found in our work, assured that
 the blessings promised in this psalm are ours.
24048
 * Esteem for Jerusalem. (1-5) Concern for its welfare. (6-9)

 #1-5 The pleasure and profit from means of grace, should make us
 disregard trouble and fatigue in going to them; and we should
 quicken one another to what is good. We should desire our
 Christian friends, when they have any good work in hand, to call
 for us, and take us with them. With what readiness should we
 think of the heavenly Jerusalem! How cheerfully should we bear
 the cross and welcome death, in hopes of a crown of glory!
 Jerusalem is called the beautiful city. It was a type of the
 gospel church, which is compact together in holy love and
 Christian communion, so that it is all as one city. If all the
 disciples of Christ were of one mind, and kept the unity of the
 Spirit in the bond of peace, their enemies would be deprived of
 their chief advantages against them. But Satan's maxim always
 has been, to divide that he may conquer; and few Christians are
 sufficiently aware of his designs.