Psalms 10

You who are given much to passion, whose tongue is often set on fire, take heed you do not one day in hell desire a drop of water to cool your tongue. 4. The evil tongue is the vain tongue, that vents itself in idle words: as if a tree should bear nothing but blossoms, Psalm 10:…

Hypocrites do not virtutem facere, but fingere, Melanct. they carry it fair with men, but care not how bad their hearts are; they live in secret sin: (Psalm 73:11). They say how does God know? (Psalm 10:11). God has forgotten, he hides his face, he will never see it. But (Psalm…

God has threatened to wound the hairy scalp of every one that goes on still in his trespasses (Psalm 68:21). He has threatened to judge adulterers (Hebrews 13:3), to be avenged upon the malicious (Psalm 10:14). You behold mischief and spite, to requite it with your own hand: to…

The higher grace is, the less earthly should Christians be: the higher the sun is, the shorter always is the shadow. 1. Covetousness exposes us to God's abhorrence (Psalm 10:3). The covetous whom the Lord abhors.

Prayer ushers in mercy. Be your case never so sad, if you can but pray you need not fear (Psalm 10:17); therefore give yourself to prayer.

Doing God's will will be both your comfort, and your crown. 10. If we are not doers of God's will, we shall be looked upon as contemners of God's will: let God say what he will, yet men will go on in sin, this is to contemn God (Psalm 10:13). Why does the wicked contemn God?

This is a sure sign of faith in every touched and humbled heart, and it is peculiar to the elect: and they which have this, have in them also the ground and substance of true saving faith: which afterward in time will grow up to greater strength. Reasons: 1. the promise of life…

'The poor leaves himself with you' — and does his God fail him? No: 'You are the helper of the fatherless' (Psalm 10:14) — that is, you are the helper of the destitute one who has none to go to but God. And that is a sweet Scripture (Psalm 112:7): 'He shall not be afraid of evil…

This drawing is by wiles, to steal a man off his feet. So (Psalm 10:9) a bird is drawn in the net. It is then a word borrowed from bodily strength, which draws heavy bodies out of one place to another, by strong hand.

3. It is the poor heritage of the sons of men, a clay patrimony (Psalm 115:16). The heavens, even the heavens are the Lord's; but the earth has he given to the children of men; and oppressors are the landlords of it (Psalm 10). God arises to judge (verse 18), that the man of the…

First, the Spirit certifies us of this, that surely our petitions are heard and granted, because he has given us a heart to pray, he has helped us to pray, we could never have prayed fervently, and feelingly, unless the Holy Ghost had helped us; we know we have straight hearts,…

These are the things that do most ravish the heart, and raise it in the contemplation of that glorious God to whom we speak; and fill us with the ecstasies of love, that we may be more like him, holy, wise, and good, as he is holy, wise and good. 4. We think a dry narrative to b…

2. A child of God that cannot speak a word, may put up an acceptable prayer: suppose the tongue which is the organ of speech, were cut out, yet a saint cannot thereby be obstructed in his access to God by prayer. For, as Amesius says, [Oratio formaliter est actus voluntatis] Pra…

1. Here is just ground of sharp rebuke to all graceless, prayerless persons, who understand nothing of this duty; they know not what it is to tug and struggle with the Lord in Closet-Prayer. David says, The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God, God…

8. Would you not prevent and circumvent wicked men's secret plots? Be sure then, you undermine them by secret prayer: The Devil and the Pope have many close and conclave consultations to undermine the Protestant religion, and to root out the name of Israel from under heaven: the…

Hereby we may plainly see that the Pope with his doctrine does nothing else, but trouble and torment men's consciences, and at length drives them to desperation: for he not only teaches, but also commands men to doubt. Therefore, according to the Psalm (Psalm 5:9): There is no t…

When God will punish the sins of the reprobate with eternal torment, according to their deserts; and crown the good works of his servants, with an eternal weight of glory, above their desert: for piety shall not always go unrewarded, neither shall impiety always go unpunished, f…

I bow my knees for you all that a living delightful religion may flourish in your hearts and families, instead of those dry, withered things, worldliness, formality, and strife about trifles. Which will make Torrington an Heph-zibah, a place to be delighted in; your country a pl…

The wicked boasteth of hi hearts desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth. The wicked through the pride of his countenance will [] sk after God; God is not in all his thoughts, Psalm 10. 3, 4. Here you see Providence may give men their hearts desire, and yet the…

How many should we see daily blasted with the breath of malicious execrations? Some men's mouths are full of cursing (Psalm 10:7). They love cursing, they clothe themselves with cursing as with a garment (Psalm 109:17-18).

By under the tongue, which is the part commended, we understand the heart or inward man, as it's distinguished from the bare expression of the tongue or words, which are only spoken (as we say) from the teeth forward: So, Psalm 66:17, He was exalted under my tongue, (as it's in…

London, seek the Lord of Hosts, who has come forth against you in battle, and wounded you with his sharp arrows, and yet has not laid down his weapons; get to your knees; hang about God's feet and arms; fill your mouths with arguments to stay him in the course of his judgments;…

The wicked are estranged, from the Womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking Lies; Their Poison is like the Poison of a Serpent, etc. So it is said of the Wicked, Psalm 10:2, 3, 4, 7: His Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness. This the Apostle, Romans 3 cites as a…

And he that says there is no God wishes there were none, and if he could help it there should be none. Others blaspheme the attributes of God, that charge the all-seeing eye with blindness, saying, the Lord shall not see (Psalm 94:7), that charge the eternal mind with forgetfuln…

This in a lively manner shadows forth the infinite and incomprehensible Mercy of our God; whose Mercy is said to be over all his works, Psalm 145:9. In how many sweet Notions is the Mercy of God represented to us in the Scripture. He is said to be Plenteous, Psalm 4:5. Abundant,…

The sun seems less than the wheel of a chariot: but reason teaches the philosopher, that it is much bigger than the whole earth, and the cause why it seems so little is, its great distance. The naturally wise man is as far deceived by this carnal reason in his estimate of Jesus…

The sanctified man's body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, as the Apostle speaks, and his soul the priest in it, that offers sacrifice both holy to the Lord, consecrated to him, a believing heart, no praying without this. Faith the very life of prayer, from which springs hope an…

And this seeking the destruction of souls is (you see) marked as all his work, the prey he hunts is souls, that they may be as miserable as himself. Therefore justly called our adversary, the enemy of holiness and of our souls, tempting to sin, and then accusing for sin, as his…

There is a crying with the soul, and with the heart to God. Psalm 10:17: Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble. It is the desires God hears.

Of all things a person can least endure to be sleighted. Psalm 10:13. Wherefore does the wicked contemn God?

OUT of the quiver of this Text I may draw several Arrows of Reproof. 1. It reproves such as do not think upon Gods Name. It is the Brand-mark of a Reprobate, God is not in all his thoughts, Psalm 10:4. He endeavours to expunge and blot God out of his mind: though he draws his Br…

Surely then this is pride with a witness, to neglect God who is over all blessed forever. (Psalm 10:4) The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God. That is, of his heart, betrayed by his countenance, he will not seek after God, and God is not in all h…

USE 1. It informs us of the evil of covetousness: most will stroke it with a gentle censure, and say such a one is a good man, but a little worldly, as if it were no great matter to be so. In fact they are apt to applaud those that are tainted with it (Psalm 10:3): He blesses th…

And so now proportionably, the new creature, the saints, they have an appetite suitable to their nature (1 Peter 2:2). (As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that they may grow thereby.) Appetite still follows life, and prepares men for receiving things good for…

The desires of the righteous are suitable to the constitution and frame of their heart. He will grant the desires of their souls (Psalm 10:17). A man that makes God his heart's delight, shall have his heart's desire (Psalm 37:4).

4. For setting about any action, especially of weight (Genesis 41:22): Without you shall no man lift up his hand, that is, attempt or do any thing. So (Psalm 10:12): Arise, O Lord, lift up your hand, forget not the poor; that is, Set to your active hand for their assistance. So…

To press you to this, 1. Consider we are naturally apt to forget God, do not like to retain him in our knowledge (Romans 1:28), backward to any remembrance of him (Psalm 10:4). The wicked through the pride of their countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all their th…

Use 1. To reprove those that are indifferent whether they enjoy God's favor, yes or no; so they may enjoy the creature they are satisfied. Surely God is not these men's portion, for their only care is what they shall eat, how they may be clothed, how to live well in the world, b…

And have you never thought of the God that made you? Are you of those harebrained fools that go on rashly in a course of sin, and God is not in all their thoughts? (Psalm 10:4) How can you look upon the body without thoughts of him whose workmanship it is?

God's prerogative must not be encroached upon, there is a superior sovereign: partly in vexing, molesting, and oppressing them at their pleasure; the formal Christian hates the spiritual (Galatians 4:29). Now this comes from their pride (Psalm 10:2): The wicked in his pride does…

And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart. (Daniel 9:19-20) and (Psalm 10:17) Lord you have heard the desire of the humble, you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear. Et passim Alibi.

1. Not because he is unwilling to give, but because he will have us better prepared to receive. Psalm 10:17: You will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear. We understand it usually of preparing the heart for prayer; to ask the mercy, but it is also meant of prepa…

Pride in some sense is the original of all wickedness, but more especially of malicious dealing with the people of God. Psalm 10:2: "The wicked in the pride of his heart does persecute the poor." The godly many times are in a mean condition when their adversaries are in power, a…

The wicked are compared to beasts of prey that live upon plunder and spoil, caring not what mischief they do. Psalm 10:9: He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; he catches the poor when he draws him into his net. Chrysostom says the drawing into the net is when the rich…

The sinner thinks thus: God has spared me all this while; he has extended patience into long-suffering; surely he will not punish. Psalm 10:11: He has said in his heart, God has forgotten. God sometimes in infinite patience adjourns his judgments and puts off the sessions a whil…

8. Hope of impunity. Men flatter themselves in fin and think God having spared them all this while, he never intends to punish; because the Assizes are put off therefore, surely there will be no Assizes, (Psalm 10:11). He has said in his heart, God has forgotten, he hids his fac…

It is foolish to pray against sin, and then to sin against prayer; a spiritual prayer, like the spirits of Wine, must be refined, and taken off the Lees and dregs of sin, Malachi 3 verse 3. That they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness: If the heart be holy, this…

David is often fainting in misery, yet by and by revived. Therefore there is good cause why the consideration of repentance and the combat should go together, that no man, after he has begun to repent, might dream of ease to his flesh, as though we should go to heaven in beds of…

Ah, Sir, take heed of this abominable miscreant, for though some wicked ones of the earth may bless you, yet he caused God to hate you. See what David says, "The wicked boasts of his heart's desire, and blesses the covetous whom the Lord abhors" (Psalm 10:3). Consider of these t…

1. Because God shall save the humble (Job 22:29). 2. And hear his desire (Psalm 10:17). 3. Revive his spirit (Isaiah 57:15).