Psalms 116

Question: How may it be known that a deliverance comes in love? Answer: 1. When a deliverance makes our heart boil over in love to God (Psalm 116:1): I love the Lord because he has heard my voice. It is one thing to love our mercies, another thing to love the Lord: then a delive…

David certainly made a critical observation upon some of his words, wherein he had offended: words of pride (Psalm 30:6): In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved. And (Psalm 116:14): I said in my haste, All men are liars: Even Samuel and all the prophets, who promised me…

As David when he was in fears uttered a desperate speech — namely, that Samuel's prophecy concerning him and message from God that he should be king would prove false. He said not only that one day he should perish by the hand of Saul (1 Samuel 27:1) — the ground of which was th…

Be thankful. Thus David in Psalm 116:3 compared with verse 1: 'I love the Lord — and why? The sorrows of death surrounded me, the pains of the grave took hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow, I was brought low and he helped me.' Second, learn to pity others in that condition.

David was an excellent practitioner hereof: no man was more tried and tossed than he, yet he ever drew near unto God, Psalm 73.28. Indeed sometime he said, all men were liars, but that was in his fear, Psalm 116.11. And again, I am cast out of thy sight, but that was in his hast…

Thus we see how this holy King, cannot content himself with any terms, to express his religious and reverent conceit of God's Majesty. For the third, God's merciful works to his Church and children, have always been considered of by good men with great reverence: And, What shall…

What man is he that lives and shall not see death? Grace itself gives no charter of exemption from it; an earthen pot though full of gold may break: the righteous who are earthen vessels, though they are filled with the golden graces are not freed from breaking by death: but the…

In Ephesians 3:17, we read of being rooted in grace. Grace in the heart is the root of every gracious word in the mouth, and of every holy work in the hand (Psalm 116:10; 2 Corinthians 4:13). It is true, Christ is the root of a Christian; but Christ is the originating root, and…

I am sick of love. (Psalm 116:16): O Lord, truly I am your servant. (Psalm 63:1): My soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs after you.

So Pethi is the simple man, that is facile and easily persuaded. (Psalm 116:6) The Lord preserves the simple. Then he says he will speak to her heart, [in non-Latin alphabet] super, secundum, he will speak friendly to her; not according to the renewed heart, for it was not yet r…

The people of God miscarry in their haste (Psalm 31:22). I said in my haste, I am cut off, but you heard the voice of my supplication (Psalm 116:11). I said in my haste all men are liars, even Samuel and all the prophets who had assured him of the kingdom.

Thus God sometimes shows himself in the likeness of the Devil, and the Devil likewise shows himself in the likeness of God: and God will be known under the likeness of the Devil, and will have the Devil known under the likeness of God. The cross immediately follows the doctrine…

Abraham and Isaac before God (Genesis 17:1; Genesis 48:15). And David (Psalm 116:9; Psalm 139 throughout). And Cornelius (Acts 10:33).

And in that he mentions himself in particular, it is that he might give the more authority to his doctrine. For he thereby shows that he spoke from the heart, uttering and testifying by this his confession the fruit of his faith, according to that sentence, I believed, therefore…

In this place then the two words, servant and chosen, have the same signification: yet so, that election goes before. And therefore David says, that he was God's servant before he was born; because he was received into his household from his mother's womb (Psalm 116:16). Vers. 2…

I answer, that although faith begets peace in our hearts, yet notwithstanding we are tossed to and fro with many waves, and are never so secure and quiet in this life, as when the Lord draws us home to himself. The death of the just then you see brings them to a sweet rest and p…

It was an additional aggravation of this detestable crime, that the head of the holy man was made, after his death, a matter of sport. But in this way the Lord sometimes gives up his people to the pride of wicked men, till he at length makes it evident that their blood is precio…

This latter conjecture appears to me to be probable; for we know that the holy fathers, during sacrifices, observed the solemn rite of tasting the cup; “Que les saincts peres ont observé ceste ceremonie solennelle de prendre la coupe, et gouster un peu de ce qui estoit dedans;”…

If a Man has no Love to another, yet Gratitude may be moved by some extraordinary Kindness; as in Saul towards David: But this is not the same Kind of Thing, as a Man's Gratitude to a dear Friend, that his Heart was before possessed with a high Esteem of, and Love to; whose Hear…

Thus when Isaiah had obtained a special manifestation of God, and the Lord askt, whom shall I send? he presents a ready soul for the employment, Isaiah 6:8 Here am I, Lord, send me. Why, the very same effect follows sanctified Providences, as you may see in Jehosaphat, 2 Chron.…

See your selves over-topt by the least of all your mercies, Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least, said Jacob. (4.) Eye the Condescension of God, to your requests for those mercies, Psalm 34:6 This is the sweetest bit in any enjoyment, in which a man can sensibly relish the…

So it was with David, after God had made him such a Promise, and in the time thereof so faithfully performed it, that never was mercy better secured to any man; for they are call'd, the sure mercies of David, Isaiah 55:3 yet Providence delayed the accomplishment of them so long,…

Thirdly note, that as God has life in his hand in a special manner, so he takes special care of the lives of his people. Save his life (says God) I will look to that: (Psalm 116:15). Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints; precious is their death; not that…

But the violence a Christian takes, leads to rest. As the weary traveler sits down at night and rests him (Psalm 116:7): Return to your rest, O my soul. Holy violence is like the flying of Noah's Dove to the Ark, where it found rest.

It is a wretched way by which the children of hell vent their passion at their beasts, their servants, any person, or anything that provokes them, to swear at them. Men in passion are apt to reveal secrets, to make rash vows and resolutions which afterwards prove a snare, and so…

The angry man when he awakes, is still with the Devil, contriving some malicious project; The meek and quiet man, when he awakes is still with God, solacing himself in his favor. Return to your rest, O my soul, says David (Psalm 116:7) when (verse 6) he had reckoned himself amon…

5. That what is said and done in haste, is likely to be matter for a deliberate repentance. We find David often remembering with regret, what he said in his haste, particularly one angry word he had said in the day of his distress and trouble, which seemed to reflect upon Samuel…

The sixth particular, in having God to be their portion, is the Rest that the foul has in God: The term of all motion is rest, every thing that moves, moves that it may have rest: Now here in this world the creature is altogether in motion, and especially man, because he is not…

2. The return that the saints make unto him to complete communion with him herein, holds some analogy with his love in this; for it is a love also of rest and delight. Return to your rest, O my soul, says David (Psalm 116:7). He makes God his rest; that is, he in whom his soul d…

Do not my words do good, says the Lord (Micah 2:7). When God speaks, there is not only truth in his words, that may answer the conviction of our understanding, but also they do good, they bring that which is sweet and good and desirable to the will and affections: by them the so…

But in this must be some difference of temporal and spiritual things, the prayer in the right strain cannot be too fervent in any thing, but the desire of the thing in temporals may be too earnest, a feverish distempered heat which diseases the soul, therefore in these things, a…

David as he does profess his love to God in prayer in his Psalms, so no doubt it grew in the expressing. I will love you, O Lord, my strength (Psalm 18) and Psalm 116 does raise an incentive of love out of this very consideration of the correspondence of prayers; I love the Lord…

Partly, because here our converse with God is more express as to our own case. When we join with others, God may do it for their sakes; but here (Psalm 116:1): I love the Lord, because he has heard [my] voice, and [my] supplication. When we deal with him alone, we put the promis…

It does also increase our love; for by answers of prayer, we have new fuel to keep in this holy fire in our bosoms. We pray, and then he gives direct answers, (Psalm 116:1) I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice, and my supplication. So our hope is exercised, in waiting…

And indeed when he proclaims God's goodness, which he felt in the midst of afflictions, he does not proclaim his own fortitude, does not boast in his evils, but rather acknowledges his terror and fear. Just as in Psalm 116 he says: I said in my haste, every man is a liar. By whi…

But as dangers afterward increased, from which no exit appeared (for in human judgment it could never happen that David would escape Saul's hands), how great do we think David's difficulties were, and into how many different directions his mind must have been tossed? Surely he h…

For if a man asks us why we are in this world, why God has such a care of us, why his goodness feeds and cherishes us, and finally [reconstructed: that] he does as it were put out our eyes with the great number [reconstructed: of benefits] which he bestows upon us — it is to the…

1. We may mention what is wrought in us for God's glory; surely however we humble ourselves we must not belie his bounty. To be always complaining of spiritual evils, it does not argue a good temper of soul: Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with…

Answers of prayer are an argument against atheism, which is so natural to us, and inbred in our hearts, it persuades us that there is a gracious being; (Psalm 65:2) O you that hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come: we have called upon him, and found that there is a God; and a…

His Christ to save us, his word to enlighten us, his Spirit to guide and direct us till we come to Heaven, where he will give himself to us an eternal inheritance. Certainly unless void of all sense and common ingenuity, you will say as the Psalmist (Psalm 116:12), What shall I…

The promises will not lie by as a dead stock. (Psalm 116:1-2) God has heard my voice and my supplications, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. This is that which will quicken you to rejoice in God, and to a holy thankfulness, when you compare his Word with the effe…

David elsewhere says (Psalm 23:6), mercy and goodness shall follow me all my days; go after him, find him out in his wanderings. So (Psalm 116:12), what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me? They found their way to him though shut up with sins and dangers.

1. For his request, you may wonder why he begs that the word of truth may not be taken out of his mouth, rather you would think he should ask that it might be kept in his heart: but you must consider that confession of truth is very necessary, and in a time of dangers and distre…

Those that interpret it cords or ropes, understand it some one way, some another. Aben Ezra says the griefs and sorrows prepared for the wicked have taken hold of me, and parallels it with Psalm 116:3: "The sorrows of death encompassed me, the pains of hell got hold of me." Othe…

The attributes from which the mercy comes is the pillar of the believer's confidence and hope: if such a good, then a fit object of trust. If I have found him a God hearing prayer, I will call upon him as long as I live (Psalm 116:2). Praise does but provide matter of trust, and…

There are two questions every one of you should put to yourselves: what has God done for you, and what have you done for God? When you thus serve God, you may plead it to God, as David (Psalm 116:16), "O Lord, truly I am your servant, I am your servant." You may expect relief, a…

Our present state may be very sad and uncomfortable, and yet God is designing the choicest mercies to us (Psalm 31:22): I said in my haste, I am cut off from before your eyes; nevertheless you heard the voice of my supplications, when I cried to you. Psalm 116:11: I said in my h…

Faith is the strength of the soul; as faith decays, or is tired, the soul faints. Faith may be damped, and give up our case for gone (Psalm 116:11; Psalm 31:22). They throw up all, and think it is in vain to wait any longer.

As the joys of heaven are the greatest joys, so the sorrows of hell the greatest sorrows. 2 A place and state of pains and pangs, far beyond them of a woman in travail (Psalm 116:2). The pains of hell got hold of me; there's no ease in hell.

What, sick when pardoned? No, I am no more sick; when sin is taken away, the abiding of sickness is as nothing: the sense of sin makes us sick, but the sense of pardon makes us well; so that we can say, as in Psalm 116:7, "Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bo…