Psalms 19

Resp. Every creature has a voice to call to us. The heavens call to us to behold God's glory (Psalm 19:1). Conscience calls to us, God's judgments call to us — Repent (Micah 6:9).

It is pity then that ever man was made! 1. Creatures below us glorify God, the inanimate creatures; the heavens glorify God (Psalm 19:1). The heavens declare the glory of God.

Saint Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a garden; the Moral Law is a chief flower in it; the Scripture is a banquet, the Moral Law the chief dish in it. First, The Moral Law is perfect (Psalm 19:7). The Law of the Lord is perfect.

2. Positively; God made the world to demonstrate his own glory. The world is a looking-glass, in which we may see the power and goodness of God shine forth: The heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1). The world is like a curious piece of arras or tapestry, in which we may…

Chrysostom compares the Scripture to a garden — every truth is a fragrant flower, which we should wear not in our bosom but our heart. David tasted the Word sweeter than the honey and the honeycomb (Psalm 19:10). There is that in Scripture that may breed delight: it shows us the…

And read the Word not carelessly, but with seriousness and affection; it is the oracle of Heaven, the well of salvation, the book of life. David for the preciousness of God's Word esteemed it above gold, and for the sweetness above honey (Psalm 19:10). By reading the Word aright…

1. Get the fear of God. Why does David say, The fear of the Lord is clean (Psalm 19:8)? Because it cleanses the heart of malice, it cleanses the tongue of slander.

Use. You see all sins are not equal, some are more grievous than others, and bring greater wrath; therefore especially take heed of these sins. (Psalm 19:13.) Keep back your servant from presumptuous sins. The least sin is bad enough, you need not aggravate your sins, and make t…

Psalm 33:18-19: The eye of the Lord is over them that fear him; to preserve them from death, and to keep them alive in famine. God by his providential care shields off dangers from his people, he sets a lifeguard of angels about them (Psalm 19:11). God's Providence keeps the ver…

O then let us bestir ourselves for the kingdom of Heaven; it is a labour full of pleasure; a Christian would not part with his joy for the most delicious music; he would not exchange his anchor of hope for a crown of gold: Well might David say in keeping your precepts there is g…

9. Doing God's will on earth brings peace in life and death. 1. In life; (Psalm 19:11) In keeping your precepts there is great reward; not only after keeping them but in keeping them; when we walk closely with God in obedience, there is a secret joy let into the soul, and how sw…

And it was practiced by David (Psalm 51) and (Psalm 32:5). The manner of making confession is this: known sins, and those which trouble the conscience, are to be confessed particularly; but unknown sins generally (Psalm 19:12). 6. Lastly, hence it is manifest, that there is no j…

And as for secret sins, they cannot make our repentance void: for he that truly repents of his known sins, repents also of such as be unknown, and receives the pardon of them all. God requires not an express or special repentance of unknown sins; but accepts it as sufficient, if…

So the upright heart cannot be at rest till it has wept out its troubles, and poured out its complaints before the Lord. 3. It includes earnest supplications and fervent prayer for heart-purifying and rectifying grace, when sin has defiled and disordered it, so as in Psalm 19:12…

Query 1. Does religion in any way countenance or patronize the sinful practices of its professors, or does it not rather impartially and severely condemn them? It is the glory of the Christian religion that it is pure and undefiled (James 1:27); no doctrine is so holy (Psalm 19:…

2. No man living on earth, but he is beholden to Christ (though many know him not) for common helps of providence, and experiences do teach him some more of God by nature. 3. The sound of Christ, God revealed in the Gospel, in the Apostles' ministry is declared, and is gone to t…

There is unbelief in it, when we dare sin against the clear light and checks of conscience, and venture upon his threatenings: You cannot drive a dull ass into the fire that is kindled before him (Proverbs 1:17): Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. And the…

13. The reward of secret prayer shall be open and manifest: They have already a reward and gift in secret; communion with God is an abundant recompense. In keeping your commandments there is great reward (Psalm 19:11). But this is a [praemium ante praemium] reward before the rew…

His eyes are open upon all the ways of man, and who knows all the errors of his life? Therefore must we get alone and enumerate all the sins we know of, and desire God to show us what we do not know, and with holy David, breathe out that devout petition (Psalm 19:12): Cleanse yo…

As (Psalm 2:8): Ask of me and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession. And again (Psalm 19:3): Their voice has gone through all the earth. Briefly, all the prophecies of the kingdom of Christ and of the publishing of the Go…

Answer. Known sins require particular repentance: but if sins be unknown, or unconsidered, by reason that men are carried away with the sway of the times (as the Patriarchs were) a general repentance suffices (Psalm 19:12). Again, it may be alleged, that Abraham took Hagar by th…

For this had been an improper simile, and too far-fetched, seeing he speaks here of children's first rudiments. I confess indeed that the same Hebrew word is used in the 18th chapter, where I have translated, 'From all parts,' or, 'Line after line,' and so in many other places:…

And thus he convinces their ingratitude, who being called, answered not: for God's meaning is to make us partakers of all the good things which he offers us, whereof otherwise we are utterly destitute. Where it follows, that God speaks in righteousness, it serves as an expositio…

I grant it seems very hard at the first blush, that the Prophets should make the hearts of men more hard; seeing they bring the word of God in their mouth, by which as by a light men should lighten and order their paths (Psalm 119:105). And we know that David gives it this title…

‐Mais aussi il entrera en une grande admiration de sa puissance et sagesse infinie;” — “but also will greatly admire His infinite power and wisdom.” Thus the sun and moon, though they are dumb creatures, are said to have a loud and distinct voice for singing the praises of God,…

I know of no Part of the holy Scriptures, where the Nature and Evidences of true and sincere Godliness, are so much of set Purpose, and so fully and largely insisted on and delineated, as the one hundred and nineteenth Psalm; the Psalmist declares his Design in the first Verses…

3. Holy fear keeps the heart and life clean. The fear of the Lord is clean, says David (Psalm 19). Clean not only in itself, formally clean, but effective, it makes clean and keeps clean the heart and life.

We heed not our own actions, but let them pass from us without consideration or reflection; and truly the greatest part of our lives is thus huddled up, without pondering what we do; and we are equally ignorant as careless, whether we do well or ill. And in such neglected action…

Do not all these wonderful works proclaim aloud, that certainly there is a great and glorious God, who sits enthroned on high, and who has thus paved the bottom of heaven with stars, and adorned the inner parts of it with glories, yet to us unknown? Upon which very reflection th…

2. God speaks to men by his works; and that either by his works of creation, or by his works of providence. 1. God speaks by his works of creation; the heavens have a voice and declare God's glory (Psalm 19:1), and the earth has not only an ear to hear (Isaiah 1:2), but also a t…

What an infinite mercy is it that God has honored us with the scriptures! The barbarous Indians have not the oracles of God made known to them: they have the golden mines, but not the scriptures, which are more to be desired than much fine gold (Psalm 19:10). Our Savior bids us…

Thus the Gospel has a double use and benefit also. It's necessary as the former rain at seed-time, it causes the first spring of grace in the heart (Psalm 19:7). And there could be, (in an ordinary way) no spring of grace without it (Proverbs 29:18).

Or have you found the work of God so unpleasant to you (Proverbs 3:17)? Or the trade of godliness so unprofitable (Psalm 19:11)? Or do you not know, that millions now in hell perished for want of serious diligence in religion (Luke 13:34)?

As nature opens her treasures to none but the diligent, so neither does grace. He that will be rich, must be a painful Christian; and whoever will closely ply the trade of godliness, shall comfortably and quickly find, That in keeping God's commands there is great reward (Psalm…

But those by a kind and overruling providence ordinarily baffled and made successless. Thus does this grace of meekness carry its own recompense along with it, and in keeping of this commandment, as well as after keeping it, there is a great reward (Psalm 19:11). [4.] Consider w…

Is not this a mercenary thing, and hypocrisie? we are not to serve God for reward, but for himself: and therefore how is this that Moses had a respect unto the recompence of reward, and how is this a thing that should help us on in our way? First, this is granted, that we are bo…

If my Conscience had not thus convinced and warned, the sin had not been so great and crimsoncoloured, Iam. 4. 17. Ah! this is to sin with an high hand, Numb. 15. 30. to come near to the great and unpardonable trasgression, Psalm 19:13. O how dreadful a way of sinning is this, w…

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out throughout the earth, and their word to the end of the world, Psalm 19:1-4, and so forth. So Job: chapter 37, chapter 38, chapter 39; throughout.

But the Word is a glorious shining Light, as hath been showed; an illuminating Light; compared to, and preferred above the light of the Sun. Psalm 19:5, 6, 7. Romans 10:18. Let not then a reproach be cast upon the most glorious Light in the world, the most eminent reflection of…

But every such Blessing does not signify the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God, his Release from the Guilt or Obligation to Hell, and his first Right to Heaven. He that obeys the Duties of the Law or Gospel in any Measure or Degree, has some Sort of Blessedness prono…

Honor the King. This is a precious cluster of divine precepts; the whole face of the heavens is adorned with stars, but of different greatness, and in some parts they are thicker set than in the rest — thus is it likewise in the holy Scriptures, and these are the two books that…

Likewise you wives be in subjection to your own husbands: that if any one obeys not the word, they also without the word may be won by the conduct of the wives. The Tabernacle of the Sun (Psalm 19) is set high in the heavens, but it is, that it may have influence below upon the…

Our light is but in part: and who can understand his errors? (Psalm 19:12) Cleanse me from secret sins: we sin out of ignorance, as a man in the dark may jostle against his friend. Sometimes by imprudence and inconsideration, as a man that is not heedful though he knows it, he m…

God has showed more of his workmanship in the structure of the heavens, than in any other part of the creation, that being the most glorious part of the world. (Psalm 19:1-3) The heavens declare the glory of the Lord, and the firmament shows his handiwork, etc. Certainly it is m…

When they dye they shall go to God, and while they live every thing in the world shall do them good. 10. The Fear of God is a great Cleanser, Psalm 19:9. The fear of the Lord is clean.

For what other outcome can be hoped for than ultimate destruction for those who rise up against God and against his elect? We are therefore taught to walk in trembling before God, to such a degree indeed that when his will becomes known to us we should strive utterly to obey him…

Walking after their own lusts is the description of those that were monsters of men, that had outgrown all feelings of conscience. The laws of men are not our rule; it is too narrow and short to commend us to God, to be punctual to the laws of men and no more (Psalm 19:7). The l…

A man that would be holy, had need of an exact rule, for to be sure his practice will come short of his rule, and therefore if the rule itself be short, there will no due provision be made for respects to God or man. But now this is a rule that reaches not only to the way, but t…

This is the Book of Books, let it not lie idle and unemployed. The world can as well be without the Sun as the Bible (Psalm 19). First, he speaks of the Sun, and then of the Law of God.

Now it is the word of God believed and obeyed, which yields us the greatest profit, and the greatest sweetness. You have both in one verse (Psalm 19:10): More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold: sweeter also than the honey and the honeycomb. Because of the…