Psalms 40

Was Christ a sacrifice? Did he bear God's wrath for us? we should bear man's wrath for him. Christ's death was voluntary (Psalm 40:7): Lo, I come to do your will, O God. (Luke 12:50) I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished.

God has old mercies (Psalm 25:6): Your mercies have been ever of old. And new mercies (Psalm 40:3): He has put a new song in my mouth. Every time we draw our breath, we suck in mercy; God has mercies under heaven, and those we taste of, and mercies in heaven, and those we hope f…

The King of Sweden wrought that motto on the battle at Lypswich: Ista a Domino facta sunt, The Lord has wrought this victory for us. 9. We hallow and sanctify God's name by obeying him: how does a son more honor his father than by obedience (Psalm 40:8)? I delight to do your wil…

(1.) Obedience must be uniform (Psalm 119:6), Then shall I not be ashamed, [illegible], I shall not blush when I have respect to all your commandments; as the sun goes through all the signs of the Zodiac, so must we through all the duties of religion: If a man be to go a hundred…

3. Sin is the worst debt, because it is not a single, but a multiplied debt. 〈in non-Latin alphabet〉, forgive us our debts; we have debt upon debt (Psalms 40:12). Innumerable evils have compassed me about.

And then take up words of pleading for yourself — it is for your life. Desire him to remember what he has been thinking of from everlasting — thoughts of peace and mercy toward us, whose number cannot be told (Psalm 40:5), which he has been thinking of with the greatest of delig…

But he attained it not of many years after; and in the mean time, was persecuted and hunted by Saul, as a flea in a man's bosom, or as a Partridge in the mountains, 1 Samuel 24.15. and 26.20. And thus God exercised him both in that and other his promises: as he saith, Psalm 40.1…

The wants to be bewailed are the burden of our sins and the corruptions of our natures, and the wickedness of our lives, and the sins of our youth, and of our old age (Psalm 40:12). My sins have taken such hold upon me, that I am not able to look up: they are more in number than…

Now our Savior Christ being in the like distress, both by reason of the Jews, who every way sought his final destruction and confusion, and especially because he felt the full wrath of God seizing upon him, does make choice of David's words, and apply them to himself in his dist…

And therefore, 1. Behold, believe and wonder, that he that was rich became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich; that he that was Lord of all, became servant to all; that he that was the infinite God, the express image of his Father's person, and thought it no ro…

This look of Christ leads 1. to take up much of the glory of grace, and condescending love to sinners. 2. It leads to take up Christ's faithfulness, that came to the world on sinners' errand according to the ancient transaction in the covenant of redemption, as he is brought in…

Neither man nor angel could satisfy divine justice, and make our peace with God, and therefore it's said (Acts 4:12): Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus, where it's clea…

For the first then, There is (we say) an eternal transaction between God and Jesus Christ the Mediator concerning the redemption of sinners, his actual redeeming by being wounded and bruised, supposes this; for the Son is no more liable to suffering (not to speak of his suitable…

We shall for clearing of this, propose these considerations. 1. In his undertaking of the bargain, his willingness appears; when burnt offerings and sacrifices would not do it, and when there was no obligation on him to do what he did, then comes in his free offer and consent, a…

2. Consider who was his great party in his sufferings; it was not Pilate and the Jews, he cared not so much for them, but it is God, and therefore he cries, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? and therefore he makes his address to God, Father if it be possible let this cup…

That he was for the transgression of God's people stricken, says plainly that he was engaged for them, as it is (Hebrews 7:22): He was made surety of a better testament. And (Psalm 40:7): Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me: I delight to do you…

1st. That as to the end and intent of it the Elect are the only persons for whose good and behalf it's intended; and if it be the Elect for whom he entered in that covenant, then the advantage, good and benefit of the Elect must be [reconstructed: secured] in this main article o…

Observe, That in the whole performance of the work of Redemption, even in the lowest and most shameful steps of it our Lord was a most willing condescender, He gave his grave with the wicked; He was a most free and willing undertaker, when as it were, the question was put, Who w…

They shall lay their hands on the sin, or sin-offering; because the sacrificed beast was typically to have the people's sins imputed to it, though properly, no man's sin is imputed to any, but to Christ. This is also clear, if we compare (Psalm 40:6) with (Hebrews 10:5-6). That…

We show that Jesus Christ is the only sin-offering, by which sin is taken away; and that it is implied here; so that it is denied to all other things, or means to have any efficacy, virtue, or merit in them, as to the removing of sin, and the curse brought on by it; this is, I s…

For the next thing, namely, the clearing and confirming of it; it might be cleared and confirmed from many grounds, but we shall only touch on some, that may make it out most convincingly, that it is most delightsome to Jesus Christ, to see sinners making use of Him, and getting…

If we could rightly discern His sufferings, and the benefits that we have by them, it would say, that there is good reason, that He should have a kindly meeting, who has done, and suffered so much to obtain these to us. 4. Consider the cheerful way of His suffering, and of His l…

1. The sufferings that Christ has endured, and the satisfaction that He has made, in the room of sinners, as the next words hold out, "For he shall bear their iniquities" (Isaiah 53); and the final verse, "He bore the sin of many"; indeed, this is the great scope of the chapter;…

(Psalm 38:4) My iniquities, says David, are gone over my head, as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me: it's true, sins are not always weighty to folks' sense, yet in themselves they are weighty, and sometime they will be found to be so, by the sinner. So, (Psalm 40:12) innu…

I am content to be so, you shall have my life, He comes not prigging to die, (to speak so) but casts down His blessed life at His Father's feet, and plentifully gives it out to the uttermost, so that He will not, as it were, leave one drop of His blood, but will needs pour and y…

And of this believers would be sensible, not only of their sinfulness in general, and of their particular acts of sin, but of their peculiar sinful acts, and that for these ends or uses. 1. It serves deeply to humble, and to press forth (to speak so) repentance; when we consider…

Now here be these sore pressures on the soul: 1. The poor man cannot look out to any creature-comfort, or creature-help. Say that an angel from heaven would stand for him, or a good conscience would plead comfort to him, it should solace him; but the man cannot look out, nor can…

For they cannot resist Christ's drawing love. O what sweetness of strongest and captivating love to see Christ and the tear in his eye, and his face foul with weeping, and his visage more marred than any of the sons of men (Isaiah 52:14), and a flood of blood on his body (Luke 2…

Consider that Christ offered himself more willingly than ever you did sin. 'Behold, I come' (says he, Psalm 40); 'I delight to do your will.' 'And how am I constrained till it be accomplished!' (Luke 12:56).

And for a confirmation even of this also — that God accounts all the elect justified in his justifying of Christ — we shall not need to go any further than the words of this text, if we do but diligently compare their standing here with that of theirs in that place out of which…

Thus when he chose him first to be our mediator, he takes an oath: 'You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.' Again, when Christ came to take upon him our nature, the words he spoke are recorded: 'Behold I come to do your will; a body have you fitted me' (Hebrews…

He has put such a [illegible], such an especial love into him, as he has put into the hearts of parents toward their own children, more than to all other men's children which they see besides, although more beautiful and more witty than their own. And both this commandment, and…

I said in my haste all men are liars, even Samuel and all the prophets who had assured him of the kingdom. It will come in the best time when it comes in God's time; neither too soon, nor too late; it will come sooner than your enemies would have it, sooner than second causes se…

Is it not because he has sin and bears sin? Now, that Christ has sin, the Holy Ghost witnesses in Psalm 40: My sins have taken such hold of me, that I am not able to look up, indeed they are more in number than the hairs of my head. In this psalm and certain others the Holy Ghos…

Christ alleging the same words, says, Him only shall you serve (Matthew 4:10). David says, Sacrifice and burnt offering you would not, but my ears have you pierced (Psalm 40:7); the author to the Hebrews citing this text, says, Sacrifice and burnt offering you would not, but a b…

Besides, the Lord not only opens the ear, when he manifests his will, but when he touches the man's heart with efficacy, and so moves him, that he yields him his obedience. As in Psalm 40; [reconstructed: You have pierced my ear]. And Christ says; Whoever has heard and learned o…

Indeed, he makes a distinction among the hearers, by pronouncing some to have ears, and others to be deaf. If it is next inquired, how it comes to pass that the former have ears, Scripture testifies in other passages, that it is the Lord who pierces the ears, (Psalm 40:7,) and t…

It is true that Christ's willingly undergoing those sufferings which he endured, is a great part of that obedience or righteousness by which we are justified. Christ underwent death in obedience to the command of the Father: 'Sacrifice and offering you did not desire: then said…

Ascribing glory to God in the highest, even to the highest of their powers: indeed, this delight would make all my duties Christ-like; and the nearer that pattern, the more excellent. He delighted to do his Father's will, it was to him meat and drink (Psalm 40:7; John 4:32, 34).…

He rejoiced in the thoughts of it from eternity (Proverbs 8:31). And always expresses the greatest willingness to undergo the hard task required thereunto (Psalm 40:7-8; Hebrews 10:7-8). Yea he was pained as a woman in travail, until he had accomplished it (Luke 12:50).

And this he did willingly, as became him who was to be a sacrifice. The law of this obedience being written in his heart (Psalm 40:9), that is, he had a readiness, willingness, desire for its performance. The end of sacrifices such as his was — bloody and for sin, Romans 4:3, He…

First, in general, from the covenant entered into by himself with his Father to this purpose. The terms of this covenant are at large set forth in Isaiah 53, summed up in Psalm 40:7-8, and Hebrews 10:8-10. Hence the Father became his God — which is a covenant expression, Psalm 8…

This is that which I intend; by the omission of this duty, grace withers, lust flourishes, and the frame of the heart grows worse and worse: and the Lord knows what desperate and fearful issues it has had with many. Where sin through the neglect of mortification gets a considera…

2. It will darken the soul, and deprive it of its comfort and peace. (1.) It weakens the soul, and deprives it of its strength: when David had for a while harbored an unmortified lust in his heart, it broke all his bones, and left him no spiritual strength; hence he complained t…

When sin is strong and vigorous, the soul is scarce able to make any head against it. It sighs, and groans, and mourns, and is troubled, as David speaks of himself, but seldom has sin in the pursuit; David complained that his sin had taken fast hold upon him, that he could not l…

Do but call back your thoughts, you that have indeed escaped it, and look but into that pit of misery from where the hand of the Lord has drawn you out, and you cannot miss to love him highly, and still kiss that gracious hand, even while it is scourging you with any affliction…

Sin is such a burden as makes the very frame of heaven and earth that is not guilty of it — indeed, the whole creation — to crack and groan (it is the Apostle's doctrine, Romans 8), and yet the impenitent heart whose guiltiness it is, not moved, groans not; for your accustomed g…

And so generally from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, (as our Saviour teaches.) That which the heart is full of, runs over by the tongue, if the heart be full of God, the tongue will delight to speak of him; much of heavenly things within will sweetly breathe forth…

1. Our want, and our indigence. O when we think what helpless creatures we should have been, if he had not provided for us: (Psalm 40:17) I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me. If we were but sensible of our own weakness and emptiness, and manifold necessities, we wou…

When the devils obey his word, they are forced to it by the absolute power of Christ; yet they do it not with willingness and freeness, as the good angels do. But we are to do it freely: I delight to do your will, O my God (Psalm 40:8). And (John 4:34), It is my meat and drink,…