Psalms 1

The banner of God's love shall be eternally displayed; the joys of heaven are without intermission and expiration (1 Thessalonians 4:17): And so shall we be ever with the Lord. Use. As it is sad news to the wicked, they shall not stand in judgment (Psalm 1:5) — they shall come t…

Quest. 6. Wherein lies the dignity of such as have God for their Father? Resp. They have greater honor than is conferred on the princes of the earth; They are precious in God's esteem; (Isaiah 43:4) Since you were precious in my eyes, you have been honorable; the wicked are dros…

And Ishmael is accounted a persecutor, by the Holy Ghost, for mocking Isaac, Galatians chapter 4, verse 29. And David reckoning up the degrees of sinners, makes the chair of the scornful, the third and highest, Psalm 1:1. All these places show the heinousness of this sin: and th…

And the remnants of the old bondage under Satan must be grievous and irksome to us, and we must bewail them bitterly. The Jews in a bodily captivity, wept when they remembered Zion (Psalm 1:27). How much more should we weep, when we feel the law of our members rebelling against…

But as has been said, he requires that we be teachable, and he will not have us to be hardened in our sluggishness and dullness. As it is said in Psalm 1: He meditates in his law day and night. The second kind of implicit faith is in regard of apprehension: when a man cannot say…

Third, in urging this doctrine more hardly upon the people, to cause them not to rest on the letter of the law, but seek to the promised Messiah, in whom only was their righteousness — as young heirs and minors are kept under tutors while their minority expires. But, first, who…

2. God does nothing in the election of Peter, more than of Judas; nor can grace and mercy have place in the choosing of the one, rather than the other; but as free will is foreseen to play the game ill, or well, so go the eternal decrees of election and reprobation, and there ca…

Fifthly, the Word also meditated upon, when a man has heard it, and searched it, and believed it, read and conferred about it, or say none of these for the present, but whether these have gone before or no, for the present the very meditation of God's Word, which a man now takes…

Do you meditate on it, digest it as the seed of the new life, as the rule of your actions, as the charter of your hopes? A good man is described to be one that delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates therein day and night (Psalm 1:2) and again (Psalm 119:97) Oh how I love…

Answer: It is a common rule in Scripture, that words signifying knowledge, signify also the motions and good affections of the heart. (Psalm 1): The Lord knows the way of the righteous, that is, knows, and approves it. (2 Timothy 2:19): The Lord knows who are his, that is, he kn…

By peace, we are to understand outward peace, as prosperity, and good success in all things we go about. For whatever they do, shall prosper (Psalm 1:3). And peace with the creatures; as first with the good Angels (Colossians 1:20), who are ministering spirits, sent forth to min…

An high Look, and a proud Heart, are Sin. Psalm 1[•]. [••]. Thou [〈◊〉] bring [〈…〉]

She is not like a city without walls, exposed to every assault and temptation, but has a hedge of divine protection, which is as a wall of fire about her to defend her; and also a guard of watchfulness and holy fear, in the exercise of which the believer has rule over his own sp…

Thus it fell out with David, whose last ways were not like his first; and yet by this, these holy fruits are not utterly destroyed, because it is the seed of God; and so is immortal (1 John 5:4-5). And also because the promises of perseverance and victory made to it, cannot be f…

It is not without good reason that among the many words with which St. Peter exhorted his new converts, this only is recorded, save yourselves from this untoward generation (Acts 2:40). Those that listen to the counsel of the ungodly, and stand in the way of sinners, as willing…

And as these Counsels prosper in their hearts, so will your Business thrive in you hands. Piety and Prosperity are married together in that Promise, Psalm 1:3. Onesimus was never so profitable a Servant to Philemon, as when he became his Brother in a Spiritual, as well as his Se…

But this foreknowledge here is peculiar to the elect. Verba sensus in sacra scriptura connotant affectus, as the Rabbins remark, so in man (Psalm 66), if I see iniquity, and in God (Psalm 1; Amos 3:2), and in that speech of our Saviour, relating it as the terrible doom of reprob…

Desire the sincere milk] Not only hear it because it is your custom, but desire it because it is your food, and it is 1. A natural desire, as the infants of milk, not upon any external respect or inducement, but from an inward principle and bent of nature, and because natural, t…

But as the Lord does thus equally see both, so, as his eye and countenance imports his mind concerning them, and towards them, the manner of beholding them is different, indeed contrary. And from the other beholding in common, knowing their ways, arises this different beholding,…

Now they are scattered up and down, as God has service for them to do; one here, another there; they are spread in several places, where they are like two or three berries in the uppermost top of the bough. That Psalm is generally acknowledged to be spoken of the day of judgment…

Dross is the filth of the Mettal. Sinners are compar'd to Chaff, Psalm 1:4. When a Wicked man dies, there is only a little Chaff blown away.

If they be animated and quickened from God's command, for the higher measure of holiness for glorious ends, without a warrant from the Word, is the more sordid superstition: Christ healed the leper, when he charged him with anger to tell no man, he, (no question for a good end)…

David calls the statutes of God the men of his counsel. Young men that are taken with other books, if they neglect the word of God, that book that should do the cure upon the heart and mind, they are with all their knowledge miserable (Psalm 1:2). His delight is in the law of th…

Delight causes meditation, and meditation increases delight. Psalm 1:2: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night. A man that delights in the law of God, will exercise his mind therein.

Not to know it only, but to feel the power of it prevailing over his lusts, that was his delight as to the better part of his soul. So it is made a general character of the blessed man (Psalm 1:2): that he delights in the law of God, and in that law does he exercise himself day…

As it is written in the Scriptures, so it is their constant exercise to read it, and consult with it often. (Psalm 1:2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night. And (Joshua 1:8) This book of the law shall not depart out of your mo…

Where there is an inner man, a frame of grace in the heart, that will bring delight. See the character of a blessed man (Psalm 1:2). His delight is in the Law of the Lord. Quite contrary to the hypocrite, he may act from compulsions and urgings of conscience, from legal bondage:…

Doctrine. A gracious heart does love and delight in the commandments of God. The godly are described by it: hence David makes it the character of a blessed man (Psalm 1:2): His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in that law does he meditate day and night. And Psalm 112:1: Bl…

4. Meditation is necessary to show our love: I will lift up my hands also to your commandments, which I have loved, and I will meditate in your statutes. (Psalm 1:2) His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night. (Psalm 119:47) And I will d…

The earth is the fruitful mother of all herbs and plants; but yet it must be tilled, ploughed, harrowed, and dressed, or else it brings forth little fruit. The Scripture contains all the grounds of hope, comfort, and happiness, the only remedy of sin and misery, our rule to walk…

Delight begets meditation, and meditation begets delight. There is a [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] in moral as well as natural things (Psalm 1:2). His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law does he meditate day and night.

And many of them that sleep in the dust shall arise, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. But now the godly are bold and confident (Psalm 1:5). The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

All the moral sentences of Seneca and Plutarch do not come with such force upon the conscience as one saying of God's Word. God's language has a special energy, here must be your study, and your delight (Psalm 1:2): His delight is in the Law of the Lord; and in his Law does he m…

Do not be so irreligious as to go into temptation, when you have been so religious as to pray to God not to lead you into temptation; this is mock-prayer; keep out of harm's way (Proverbs 4:14-15). Enter not (put not a foot) into the way of the wicked; if you have been so foolis…

Let Mary's one thing be preferred before Martha's many. 7. Love God and his law much, and your thoughts will be much upon him and it; the love of God will find your heart work enough to do: he that delights in God and his law, will find occasion enough to meditate therein, and p…

Then they would be glad to take hold of the shirt of a Jew (one that is so inwardly (Romans 2:28-29)) and say, 'We will go with you, for God is with you'; but they will find a great gulf fixed between them, Heaven will not hold any of the wicked, nor shall Hell have any of the r…

But is it not made a character of a godly man to delight in the Word of God? Does not David say, he is a blessed man that delights in the Law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2)? There is a delighting in the word, which flows from grace, and is a proof of blessedness.

You will not deny but you are bound to love the Law of God, and then certainly if that cause is there, this effect will of necessity follow. In fact, it is the way of all the saints (Psalm 1:1-2): it is as necessary as not to sit in the seat, walk in the counsels, and stand in t…

The wicked are of no account with God; they are vile persons (Nahum 1:14). Therefore the wicked are compared to chaff (Psalm 1:4) and to dross (Psalm 119:119). There is little use of a wicked man while he lives and no loss of him when he dies; there is only a little chaff blown…

How can they be said to finish their work who never yet began a good work? A Christian brings forth kindly fruit; the godly man brings forth his fruit (Psalm 1:3) — that is, he brings forth fruit proper for him to bear. What is this kindly and proper fruit? When we are good in o…

Secondly, to stand, is here to stand justified and acquitted at the great day of judgement. The phrase is frequent in Scripture, which sets out the solemn discharge they shall have then, by standing in judgement, Psalms 1:5. The wicked shall not stand in the judgement; that is,…

Nor do we extoll dead letters and lifeless forms, as Libertines say, for we take in with the letter the quickening sense and convincing meaning of the Word, and it is considerable that the Spirit draws sweetly after him, the nature, faculties of will, mind and affections, and th…

But there is forgiveness with you that you maist be feared. There is an inquiry included in these words, how a man, how any man may be justified before God; how he may stand, that is, in the presence of God, and be accepted with him; How he shall stand in judgment, as it is expl…

Pardon of sin circumscribes blessedness within it, (Psalm 32:1). Whom God pardons, he crowns, Psalm 1[illegible]3. 4. Who forgivs your iniquities, who crowns you with loving kindness.

The Psalmist speaking of the wicked, says, they are become filthy; in the Hebrew it is, they are become stinking. That you may see how low a sinner is fallen in God's account, the Lord compares him to dross, Psalm 119:119 to chaff, Psalm 1:4 to a Pot boiling with scum, Ezekiel 2…

1. Our own personal endeavours in reading, studying and meditating on the Scripture, that we may come unto a right Apprehension of the things contained in it, are required unto this purpose. It is known to all, how frequently this Duty is pressed upon us, and what Promises are a…

Psalm 1:2. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord.

Therefore not only will not all men be saved, as some will be excluded the heavenly city; but some men have not their names written in the Lamb's book of life, and this is a further evidence, that all will not be saved. It is said, that sinners shall not stand in the congregatio…

It is with your thoughts as with your speeches, their goodness lies in their placing and order (Proverbs 25:11) — if fitly spoken, they are as apples of gold in pictures of silver. And as a man is to bring forth actions, so thoughts in due season; as those fruits, so these buds…

For every child of God is a child of promise: you say, you are weary of sin, and have come to Christ, and blessed are they that seek God, their hearts shall live for ever, etc. It is well; these promises will bear you out, for there is no day you read the Scripture, as daily you…