Psalms 18

I have seen the afflictions of my people. God is in Heaven, and he can thunder out of Heaven upon his enemies (Psalm 18:13). The Lord thundered in the heavens; indeed, he sent out arrows and scattered them, and he shot out lightnings and discomfited them.

2. To love God. Mercy should be the attractive of love; (Psalm 18:1). I will love you, O Lord my strength. The Hebrew word for love, ercameca, signifies love out of the inward bowels.

9. If you would not come short of the kingdom of heaven, take heed of indulging any sin; one millstone will drown as well as more; and one sin lived in will damn as well as more: Vbi regnat peccatum non potest regnare Dei regnum, Hierom. If any one sin reign, it will keep you fr…

I saw two Women and the wind was in their wings: Wings are swift, but wind in the wings great swiftness; such readiness should be in our obedience; as Peter as soon as ever Christ commanded him to let down his net, at Christ's Word he presently let down the net, and you know wha…

This exposition has its warrant in God's word, where hell often signifies the sorrows and pains of hell, as Hannah in her song to the Lord says (1 Samuel 2:6), The Lord kills and makes alive, he brings down to hell and raises up, that is, he makes men feel woe and misery in thei…

He does not fly upon the mercy and suck out the sweetness of it, looking no further than his own comfort — no, he cares for no mercy except God be magnified in it. So in Psalm 18:2, when God had delivered him from all his enemies: 'The Lord,' said he, 'is my strength and my rock…

It is as easy for the Lord to revive as to remove your comforts in relations. There is a sweet expression to this purpose in Psalm 18:28: For you, Lord, will light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Every comfortable enjoyment — whether in relations, estates,…

But observe here more particularly, 1. That all the elect people of God are lying under iniquity even as others; this we spoke to the last day, and shall not repeat what was then said; it's with respect to iniquity in the elect that all the business of redemption is transacted,…

But the coals of the furnace cast upon reprobates are dipped in the curse of God; so that in a small affliction, even in the miscarrying of a basket of bread, and the loss of one poor ox, there is a great law-curse, and intolerable vengeance (Deuteronomy 27:26; Deuteronomy 28:17…

4. And by faith I live not, Christ lives in me, and I am crucified and mortified; that is, by faith I know that I did live the life of God, and was crucified to the world; whereas I was dead in sins, before I believed. 5. And because believing is somewhat more than a naked act o…

So we are bidden (Malachi 3:10): Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now therewith, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough t…

I answer, Answer. we must always observe to whom the Prophet speaks. For the Prophets were accustomed to describe God in various sorts, according to the diversity of the hearers: as David also testifies where he says; that he is merciful and favorable to the good, severe and rig…

Surely because we are not capable of his goodness. For this cause he is compelled to show himself perverse with such as are perverse; and pure with the pure, as David shows (Psalm 18:26). For he manifests himself in such a way to us, as we give him occasion.

All the faithful by his example are taught what to do when God for their sakes manifests his power miraculously, or by extraordinary means: it ought not to suffice them that those of their own times should be made acquainted with it, but as much as in them is they are so to prov…

I have appareled, or girded you. This appareling answers to the nakedness of which he spoke before, saying: The loins of kings shall be ungirt: for he is said to apparel such as he furnishes with strength to the battle: (Psalm 18:32) to make them conquerors. From where we may ga…

For when the Prophets mean to extol God's works, it is their custom (as we have often shown) to mention this first deliverance. And thus David setting forth the victories he obtained, says, that the mountains trembled and shook, the air cleft in two, and the Lord appeared from h…

With such minds he has no sympathy. He examines the Scriptures with the humility of one who inquires at the oracle of God, (2 Samuel 16:23,) and proclaims the reply with the faith of one who knows that the word of the Lord is tried, (Psalm 18:30.) Intimately connected with this…

9. Make to yourselves friends. As in the words which were last considered Christ did not enjoin us to offer sacrifices to God out of the fruits of extortion, so now he does not mean that we ought to search for defenders or advocates, who will throw around us the shield of their…

God declares that his dealings with men shall be suitable to their disposition and practice. Psalm 18:25-26: 'With the merciful man you will show yourself merciful; with an upright man you will show yourself upright; with the pure you will show yourself pure; and with the perver…

Crying unto God is an expression that does not only denote prayer, but intense and fervent prayer. To cry is to pray in a holy passion; and such are usually effective prayers (Psalm 18:6 and Hebrews 5:7). The encouragements to this resolution are twofold.

Cant. 2. 3, 4, 5. Why, so does the observation of his Providences also. Never did any man convers with Gods works of Providenc aright, but fnd his heart at some times melted into love to the God of his mercies, Psalm 18:1 compared with the Title. When God had delivered him from…

Sanctified mercies are commonly turned into Cautions against sin, Ezra 9:13 they are so many bands of restraint upon the soul that has them, to make them shun sin. They will engage a mans heart in love to the God of his mercies, Psalm 18:1 compared with the Title. They never sat…

It is said God made this hedge, Have you not made a hedge about him? First, There is a hedge which is made immediately by the hand of God: sometimes God makes the hedge immediately, yea sometimes God expresses himself to be the hedge or wall, as (Zechariah 2:5); so (Psalm 18, ve…

3. The same might be objected against public prayers also, seeing there may be many petitions that are not suitable to all joiners; yet the Lord has commanded both public praying and praising. 4. When the matter which is sung is above us, being a thing we have not yet reached, a…

The eighth particular is, the nose (it was not mentioned in her commendation, Chapter 4.). It is not to be taken here for the whole countenance, but for a part thereof: Therefore it is distinguished from the eyes, and is described as being eminent (like a tower) beyond the rest…

It's called hers, because she must make a special account for her own soul, and the talent that is given to her, according to the trust that is put on her. We have almost the same phrase, Chapter 1:6, where the Bride calls it, mine own vineyard: this vineyard is said to be befor…

Prayer is the soul's private converse and intercourse with God. Prayer whispers in God's ears (Psalm 18:6). My prayer came before him, even into his ears.

And then it is added in the second verse, And thou shalt swear, the Lord liveth, in Truth etc., that is, Then your profession of religion will be worth regarding, you will be indeed what you pretend to be, you will be Israelites indeed, in whose profession is no guile. They who…

True grace tolerates no lust (Galatians 5:17). No, not the bosom darling-corruption (Psalm 18:23). Thirdly, Does that which I call my grace, humble, empty and abase my soul?

If God were dead (if I may speak so, with reverence of him who lives forever and ever) and Christ buried and rotten among the worms, we might have cause to look like dead people. But the Lord lives, and blessed be the rock of our salvation (Psalm 18:46). None have right to joy b…

I take this for the manner and course of heaven, to work one contrary out of another, by the greatest distractions to make way for unity and order. It is said (Psalm 18:11), He has made darkness his secret place. God's counsels are always carried under the covert of darkness; us…

Let conscience keep up a grand inquest in the soul, under a charge from the judge of heaven and earth, to enquire, and due presentment make of all riots, routs, and breaches of the peace, and let nothing be left unpresented for favor, affection or self-love; nor let anything pre…

Job 4. 23. And especially against that sin which was its darling in the days of his vanity, Psalm 18:23. True hatred (as the Philosopher observes, is of the whole kind: He that hates sin, as sin, and so does every upright Soul, hate all sins as well as some. Again, the Soul that…

God appropriates it as a peculiar work of his; He causeth [His wind to hlow.] Hence, He is said in Scripture, to bring them forth of his treasury, Psalm 137:7. There they are locked up and reserved, not a gust can break forth, till he command and call for it to go and excute his…

It is the property of a good Christian to magnify the power of God, to have high thoughts of it, and therefore it is his privilege to find safety in that power. David cannot satisfy himself with one, or two expressions of it, but delights in multiplying them (Psalm 18:1). The Lo…

One man will have his corrupt will, and another his, and thus they choke and jostle one another, and by the cross encounters of their purposes as flints meeting, they strike out these sparks that set all on fire. So then according to the order of the Apostle's exhortation, the o…

The chains of sin are so strong, and so fastened on our nature, that there is in us no power to break them off, till a mightier and stronger Spirit than our own, come into us. The Spirit of Christ dropped into the soul, makes it able to break through a host, and leap over a wall…

He is our Rock, and his work is perfect; he does not begin a building, and then leave it off, none of his designs break in the middle, or fall short of their end, he will perfect that good work, which he has begun, to the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1). And how often is he…

Thus we try God, and try his word. (Psalm 18:30) The word of the Lord is a tried word: He is a buckler to all those that trust in him. All those which build upon it, that wait to see what God will do, they will find it, upon experience, to be accomplished to a tittle: Never did…

Therefore, when Christ was transfigured, the disciples were astonished, and fell back; they could not endure the emissions and beamings out of his divine glory, because of the weakness and incapacity of the present state; therefore has God a place above, where he discovers his g…

3. Hereby may you know your affection to God's will, by keeping yourselves from your sins. (Psalm 18:23) I was upright before him, and kept myself from my iniquity. There is an iniquity that we may call ours, upon which the will is most passionately addicted; be it worldliness,…

Earthly Princes have Armies to defend their Persons from danger, but God needs none to help him: he can fight without an army. God puts strength into all Armies; other Captains may give their Soldiers Armour, but they cannot give them Strength: but God does, Psalm 18:39. You has…

Namely this: the latter recognized that God wished to be honored and worshipped according to the prescription of his law, and that his worship is contained within certain laws, within which, as within fixed boundaries, one must remain, and that therefore the ark of the Lord was…

On the other hand, if someone proud and arrogant spews out his venom and meditates rebellion against God, and at the mention of God is stirred to fury, and dreads his presence, and would rather hear anything else than the mention of God, he is surely neither fit nor disposed to…

Therefore let us know that David in this place did not wish to proclaim himself before God so as to boast of some perfection and integrity of life in which nothing is lacking: but only to institute a comparison of his cause with Saul's cause, who was undeservedly persecuting him…

2. You lose many an argument of trust and confidence. 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…

The Scripture speaks (Deuteronomy 33:29) of counterfeit submissions to higher powers: Your enemies shall be found liars to you, you shall tread upon their high places — the meaning is, shall be subdued by you. So (Psalm 18:44): Strangers shall submit themselves to me. (Psalm 66:…

This for his internal government. And then his external government, by answering of prayers, fulfilling promises, accomplishing prophecies (Psalm 18:30). As for God, his way is perfect, the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all that trust in him.

Herod will not part with his Herodias. David says in Psalm 18:23, I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Either some lust of the flesh, or of the eyes, or pride remains.

5. A child of God may have some particular evils, which may be called predominant sins, (not with respect to grace, that's impossible that a man should be renewed and have such sins that sin should carry the mastery over grace;) but they may be said to have a predominancy in com…