Psalms 51

3. If you would have assurance, cherish the Holy Spirit of God. When David would have assurance, he prays, Take not away your Spirit from me (Psalm 51:11). He knew it was the Spirit only that could make him hear the voice of joy: The Spirit is [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉], the Co…

2. God lets men go on in sin and prosper, that he may leave them more inexcusable, (Revelation 2:21) I gave her space to repent of her fornication. God adjourns the sessions, spins out his mercies toward sinners, and if they repent not, his patience will be a witness against the…

Is your heart hard, he can with a word create softness. Is it unclean, he can create purity; Create in me a clean heart, O God (Psalm 51:10). Is the church of God low, he can create Jerusalem a praise (Isaiah 65:18).

Then follows that dismal sentence (Matthew 25:41): Ite Maledicti, Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. He that said to God, Depart from me (Job 21:14), and to religion, Depart from me, must now hear that word pronounced from his…

The Word is a glass to show us our spots, and Christ's blood is a fountain to wash them away. 2. Pray for a holy heart (Psalm 51:10). Create in me a clean heart, O God.

O be upright! Be what you seem to be: God loves plainness of heart (Psalm 51:6). The plainer the diamond is, the more it sparkles: the plainer the heart is, the more it sparkles in God's eye.

Not only is the guilt of Adam's sin imputed to us, but the pravity and corruption of his nature is derived to us, as poison is carried from the fountain to the cistern. This is that which we call original sin; (Psalms 51:5). In sin did my mother conceive me. Adam's leprosy cleav…

When David presumed upon God's paternal affection, and began to wax wanton under mercy, God made him pay dear for it, he withdrew the sense of his love; and though he had the heart of a Father, yet he had the look of an enemy. David prayed, Cause [reconstructed: me] to hear the…

It is called the adorning the hidden man of the heart (1 Peter 3:4). The dew wets the leaf, the sap is hid in the root; the religion of some consists only in externals, but Sanctification is deeply rooted in the soul (Psalm 51:6): In the hidden part you will make me to know wisd…

This sin of blood lay heavy on David's conscience. Though he had sinned by adultery, yet that he cried out of most was this crimson sin of blood (Psalm 51:14). Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God.

A soul steeped in the brinish tears of repentance, and bathed in the blood of Christ, is made pure. (2.) Pray much for pureness of soul (Psalm 51:10). Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Second, a natural man cannot perfectly keep all God's commandments, because he is so interlarded with sin. He is born in sin (Psalm 51:5; Job 15:16) — he drinks iniquity as water. All the imagination of his thoughts are evil, and only evil (Genesis 6:5).

(Ephesians 2:4): Rich in mercy. (Psalm 51:1): Multitude of mercies. The vial of wrath does but drop, but the fountain of mercy runs.

The sincere Christian may fall short of some degrees of grace, but he never falls short of the Kingdom; God will pass by many failings where the heart is right (Numbers 23:21). True gold, though it be light, has grains of allowance (Psalm 51:6). You desire truth in the inward pa…

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…

And in Job 33:23, to raise up one whose soul draws near the grave is said to be the work of 'one among a thousand' — which is easily granted if you consider the danger of such distress. In Scripture it is called the breaking of bones (Psalm 51), because the strength of a man's s…

As it is likely David did in the case of his murder of Uriah: he had done it so cunningly that he thought he could clear himself and wash his hands of it, for it was but 'the chance of war,' he said, that cut him off — 'The sword devours one as well as another' — and so he excus…

There is much guile and falseness of heart, which in those disturbances (when our consciences do boil within us and are stirred and heated to the bottom) does like the scum come up and float aloft. Thus in David, when he was under the rod for his sin of murder, as the guilt of h…

So it is easily found out; you will find your sin to be the thorn in your foot, the stone in your shoe, that grated and vexed you. David knew in Psalm 51 what it was for which God broke his bones, for his very sin was the instrumental cause itself of God's executing it upon him.…

Thus David in Psalm 38:18, being in great distress (verses 2-5): 'I will declare my iniquity and be sorry for my sin' — and he makes it an argument to God to pardon him. When his bones were broken (Psalm 51): 'Cleanse me from my sin' (verse 2), 'for I acknowledge my transgressio…

You have seen the wonders of God in the deep; now that you are ashore, tell men of the rocks and shoals and storms they are likely to meet with in such and such courses — of uncleanness, worldliness, and the like. David says that when he should have his broken bones healed again…

Surely, he felt in himself this original sin, which did straiten his good affections, so as he could not put them forth so much as he would toward the Law of God. And when he says, Psalm 51.12, Stablish me oh Lord by thy free spirit; he would give us to understand, that by origi…

A soul enriched with the treasures of grace, may yet be in the dark of desertion, and so tossed as to think it shall be cast away in the storm. David in a state of disconsolacy prays, Take not away thy holy Spirit from me, Psalm 51.11. He doth not pray, saith Austin, Lord, Give…

If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us. 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…

Commonly men are like the swine that run with their grunts and eat up the mast, but never look up to the tree from where it falls. But the godly are with David, to feel this want in themselves, and to beseech God to open and as it were to unlock their lips, that they may endeavo…

1. In this petition we are taught first that we are to have a fervent desire, and to hunger, that God would give us his Spirit to reign and rule in our hearts, and to bow them to all obedience and subjection of his will: and further, whereas our hearts have been as it were filth…

The contrary blessing to be desired, is that God would establish us by his free Spirit (Psalm 51:12). Which is so called, because it sets us every day more and more at liberty out of the reach of sin and Satan.

This is the sacrifice which God accepts. Psalms 51:17. When Ahab abased himself, though he did [illegible] in hypocrisy, yet God had some respect to it.

Direction 5. Study sincerity, Psalm 51. 6. thou desirest truth in the inward parts; be what you seem to be; be not like the Waterman, that looks one way and Rows another; do not look Heaven-wards by a profession, and Hell-wards by your conversation; do not pretend God, and love…

His neck is out of the Devil's yoke; he is freed from the law of sin (Romans 8:2). He has God's free spirit (Psalm 51:12), which makes him free and cheerful in his obedience; the will is not compelled but changed; a regenerate person is drawn indeed by the Spirit, but sweetly, a…

If so, why did Peter weep so bitterly — Matthew 26:75? Why did David cry out of broken bones — Psalm 51? I hear what you say of the pleasure of sin, and I have read what David said of the terrible effects of sin in his Psalm of remembrance — Psalm 38:2-8: 'Your arrows stick fast…

Jeremiah 32:40, I will put my fear in their heart, that they shall not depart from me; it's called the Father's drawing (John 6:44) as I show. In the saints' prayers (as Psalm 51) it's called even as to further degrees of this work, or restoring of lost degrees, creating of a cl…

And if these two things be not carried along in the use-making of this sacrifice — to wit, the conviction of sin and of the liability to wrath, and God's institution and appointment of this sacrifice to take away sin and to avert wrath — our use-making of it is but will-worship.…

1. That sacrifices are taken in sundry ways in Scripture. 1. Sometimes they are taken improperly for duties; as alms, prayers, praises, etc. (Psalm 51). The sacrifice of a broken heart you will not despise. So also (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Where the plain meaning of the word can be no other than this, that when a judge pronounces a man to be just, although he be unjust, it is a wicked thing which the Lord abhors. And so, Psalm 51:4: That you might be justified when you speak. That is, that you might be declared to…

In these few words then, we have, 1. something spoken of iniquity which three parties have some acts about, to wit, 1. the Elect, us all; 2. Him, to wit the Mediator; 3. the Lord, to wit Jehovah; then we have the express act of the Lord, to wit, his laying on Him the Mediator, t…

Now it is known, that as these are often trials of the faith of the saints, yet are they sour fruits of our fleshly indulgence to our carnal delights, and of our not opening to our Beloved, when he knocks, (Song of Solomon 5:2-6). And though the godly do steadfastly believe thei…

The voice of my beloved — it is not a perfect speech, but for joy she can speak no more. It is the voice of joy and gladness, that with the very sound can heal broken bones (Psalm 51:8), and which David desired to hear. O if you heard Christ speak — Song of Solomon 5:13. His lip…

1. We know no grace as common to all and every one of Adam's sons, as nature. 2. Because the Scripture makes nature, wrath, sin, death, common to all (Romans 5:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21; Romans 3:9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; Job 14:4; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1, 2, 3; Hebrews…

As kings, to rule over all our lusts, and to rule all those whom God commends to our government according to God: as kings, to get victory and to conquer over the world, and to over-wrestle any difficulty as we meet with: as kings, anointed with the spirit of a king, of a royal…

This is the proper nature of true life, as soon as they are truly begotten, they beget others of their own kind, not but that sometimes a Christian soul hides himself long, before he be well settled, but when he truly discerns that he lives, and is conscious to himself that God…

The cause of this freedom is the gift and donation of the free spirit of God. Therefore David prays, Establish me with your free spirit (Psalm 51:12). And Paul says, Where the Spirit is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

First here the Apostle's dealing is worthy to be observed, in that, reproving them which neglected their duty to the ministers of the word, he brings in God himself taking the matter into his own hand, making the ministers' quarrel, his own quarrel: and this he does, to the end…

The sum is, that God prefers this sacrifice before all others; namely, when the faithful are so humbled in the true denial of themselves, that they think themselves nothing, indeed and are content to be brought to nothing also in God's sight. In which sense it is said: (Psalm 51…

The Lord hath anointed me to bind up the Broken-hearted, to comfort all that mourn. This godly Sorrow, and Brokenness of Heart is often spoken of, not only, as a great Thing in the distinguishing Character of the Saints, but that in them, which is peculiarly acceptable and pleas…

Psalm 34:18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken Heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite Spirit. Psalm 51:17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit; a broken and a contrite Heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 138:6. Though the Lord be High, he hath Resp…

The Holy Spirit presents and exhibits the only true remedy — the only fountain for cleansing, though nigh to us, cannot be seen until the Spirit opens our eyes; it is an eminent part of his office and work to glorify Christ by showing these things to us (John 16:14), and without…

He restores my soul: and leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name's sake (Psalm 23:3); that is to say, Now I can walk and act as a sound man, and the paths of righteousness are become pleasant and delectable to me, which before I declined, or wherein my halt and maimed s…

Why, the same effect you may discern to follow the saints converse with God in his Providences. What was that which pierced the heart of David with such a deep sense of the evil of his sin, which is so abundantly manifested in Psalm 51. throughout? Why, if you look into the Titl…

A twig is brought to any form, but grown limbs will not bow. (6.) You are instrumental causes of all their spiritual misery; and that (1.) By generation, (2.) Imitation, they lye spiritually dead of the Plague which you brought home among them, Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in…