Psalms 125

Outward comforts are given us as baits by the way to refresh us, but not as crutches to lean on: if we make the creature an idol, what we make our trust God makes our shame. O trust in Deo Immutabili: we like Noah's Dove have no footing for our souls, till we get into the ark of…

God has not only the title of a father, but the bowels of a father; he will not lay too heavy burdens on his children, lest their spirits fail before him. 2. He will correct in measure for the duration; he will not let the affliction lie on too long (Psalm 125:3). The rod of the…

If we are members of the body mystical, we cannot but have a sympathy with others in their wants, and this sympathy sets us a praying for them. David had a public spirit in prayer (Psalm 125:4): Do good, O Lord, to those that be good: though he begins the psalm with prayer for h…

The state of it is shadowed by precious stones, and gold; to signify, as well the durableness, as the excellency thereof. And in the 15th Psalm, verse 1 it is called the mountain of God's holiness: Hills are hardly removed; and therefore David says, that Mount Zion cannot be rem…

Therefore when God has brought us to this, that we are desirous of grace, rather in truth than in outward show, or if in show, but that we might do others good thereby, and singly aim at God's glory in it, and desire and endeavor to walk by the straight rule of the Word of God,…

For the mountain the Scripture would not name it, and we need not anxiously inquire after it, whether any near Jericho as some say, or as others, some mountain near Jerusalem: and possibly the highest above the rest was chosen by the tempter. The pinnacle of the Temple was not p…

We have not strength to subsist under perpetual troubles, but are soon broken and subdued by them. 2. With respect to spiritual strength, the best are subject to great infirmities, which often betray us to sin, if our vexations be great and long (Psalm 125:3). The rod of the wic…

The first is, the manner of his journeying, in these words, "I went up, or, ascended to Jerusalem." And this he speaks, because Jerusalem was placed, and seated upon a mountain, and compassed with mountains (Psalm 125), or again, in respect of the dignity and excellence of the p…

For the persecuting bondwoman, and her son, must be cast out. The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous (Psalm 125:3). This is our comfort.

Lastly, this teaches, what is the office of all Christian people, namely, to walk in the Spirit, that is, to frame and order the whole course and tenor of their lives, according to the line and square of God's word and Spirit. A motive to which duty may be that fearful threat pr…

False therefore is the opinion of Pucksius, that if a man lead an outward civil life, he may be saved in any religion, the Jew in his Judaism, the Turk in his Mahometism, the Heathen in his Paganism. For they that walk not in this way, according to this rule, do but weary themse…

As if the Prophet should say, that their obstinacy increased, because the Lord gave them no taste of his grace. For the faithful are often surprised with a very dangerous temptation, when they see the wicked overflow in all abundance, and are almost discouraged, as David has wel…

'If you have bitter Envying and Strife in your Hearts, glory not, and lie not against the Truth: This Wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.' Psalm 125:5. 'As for such as turn aside to their crooked Ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the Worker…

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…

"My well-beloved has a vineyard in a very fruitful hill and he fenced it" (Isaiah 5:1-2). No inheritance is better defended and secured than the Lord's inheritance (Psalm 125:2): "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people." So careful is h…

5. In the duration of their Troubles; they shall not lie always upon them, Psalm 125:3. Our God is a God of Judgment, Isai. 30. 18. Knows the due time of removing it, and is therein punctual to a day, Revelation 2:10.

Some ground is incapable of being plowed, some are morally incapable of having good done to or for them: but when the creature is in a capacity, God communicates his goodness to them, deals with men as they deal with him. Psalm 18:25-26. With the merciful you will show yourself…

And in this sense the Apostle says, all things are yours (1 Corinthians 3:22), ordinances, providences, life, death, all dispensed with a respect to their final happiness or eternal benefit: not only ordinances to work internal grace, but providences as an external help and mean…

Those that do so, God will reckon them with the workers of iniquity. (Psalm 125:5) "As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel." They that shift for themselves lose the benefit of G…

A facile Christian is malleable to anything, he is like wool that will take any dye; he is a weak reed that will be blown any way with the breath of men; one day you may persuade him to engage in a good cause, the next day to desert it; he is not made of oak but of willow, he wi…

Ignorance: Make out your meaning. Christian: Why, the word of God says, that man's ways are crooked ways, not good but perverse; it says, they are naturally out of the good way, that they have not known it (Psalm 125:5; Proverbs 2:15; Romans 3:12). Now, when a man thus thinks of…

Then their hands hang down and their hearts faint. Nor is it to be wondered at, when the length of troubles proves so sore a temptation even to the upright as to put forth their hands to iniquity (Psalm 125:3). If such a temptation shakes such men as build on the rock, it must q…

That unfruitful branches God in the end takes away: as he did Judas, who was here especially aimed at. For proof, take Psalm 125. It is a psalm made of purpose to show the different estate of the professors of religion.

When God sets men ways of righteousness, and gives them the light of his ordinances, and men love darkness, then God gives them up to strong delusions, that they might believe lies. In the third place, for hypocrisy, such as turn aside to crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them f…

Thus you see what lively acts faith puts forth under and in afflictions. Thirdly, faith is not without its work when an affliction is past (Psalm 125:4). And then first it does pay God all the vows and promises it has made to him in affliction.