Psalms 57

14. The evil tongue is the cruel tongue, that speaks to the wounding of the hearts of others. The tongue is made almost in the fashion of a sword; and the tongue is sharp as a sword (Psalm 57:4). Their tongue is a sharp sword. Kind, loving words should be spoken to such as are o…

The next attribute is God's truth; (Deuteronomy 32:4) — A God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is he. (Psalm 57:10) For your mercy is great to the heavens, and your truth to the clouds. A God of truth; (Psalm 86:15) — Plenteous in truth.

(Psalm 115:3) Our God is in the heavens, he has done whatever he pleased. God being in Heaven governs the universe, and orders all occurrences here below for the good of his children: When the saints are in straits and dangers, and see no way of relief, he can send from Heaven a…

Prayer which wants a good aim, wants a good issue. 5. Prayer that will prevail with God must have fixation of mind (Psalm 57:7): O God, my heart is fixed. Since the fall the mind is like quicksilver which will not fix; it has principium motus but non quietis: the thoughts will b…

Here are six expressions to set forth God's mercy, and but one to set forth his justice; who will by no means clear the guilty. Psalm 57:10: God's mercy is great above the heavens. Psalm 108:4: God is represented as a king, and a rainbow was about his throne (Revelation 4:2-3).

Which false calumnies and charges of his I take most properly to be those darts mentioned Ephesians 6:11, which are there said more especially to oppose our faith; and therefore faith is there said to quench them. From which trade of his forging darts of calumnies he has his nam…

There are few musicians that can take up a lute or viol and play immediately on it, without some time to tune it. There are few Christians that can immediately say as in Psalm 57:7: 'O God, my heart is fixed, it is fixed.' O, when you go to God in any duty, take your heart aside…

There is one ground of boasting that the Lord will have removed in a sinner's justification and obtaining the pardon of sin by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ; but there is another ground or matter of boasting that man might have if he could reach out the hand to b…

The palace of heaven does not so confine him and enclose him, but that he is present every where by his essential presence, and powerful and efficacious providence. Besides omnipotent (Psalm 57:2). I will cry to God most high, to God who performs all things for me.

Divine Conduct: Or, the Mystery of Providence, wherein the being and efficacy of providence is asserted and vindicated; the methods of providence as it passes through the several stages of our lives opened; and the proper course of improving all providences directed, in a treati…

2. Again in Scripture they are used to evidence and signify these three things. 1. They are used to signify the nature and disposition of a person, as good or evil; hence evil men are said to have lions' teeth, and that their teeth are as spears (Psalm 57:4). And that beast (Dan…

Is that a name to be sported with, and to be tossed to and fro upon every light and vain tongue? The tongue of man is called his glory, (Psalm 57:8) "Awake up my glory." And shall the glory of man be the dishonor of God?

5. Slanderers, turn from your evil ways. The sin of slandering is one of the worst sorts of lying; and the teeth of slanderers are compared to spears and arrows, and their tongue to a sharp sword (Psalm 57:4), and when they utter their slanders, they bend their bow, and shoot th…

1. It is to awaken our selves, and shake off spiritual sloth. Holy David awakens his tongue and heart when he went about God's service (Psalm 57:9). Awake up my glory, I myself will awaken early.

9. Divis. There be some influences in which the Lord concurs with the actings of saving grace; as of faith, love, hope, and other influences, in which the Lord concurs with the actings of a mere gift, or other principles, possibly the flesh, custom, &c. and it were good to know…

Indeed sometime a spiritual disposition to pray or praise, or hope, goes along with the command. Now the obligation of the command to praise is ever one, and it is good when the man can say, My heart is fixed, I will praise (Psalm 57), and the command to wait on the Lord lies ev…

1. The doubling noteth the heat and fervor of affection in David, as that My God, my God, notes the heat of faith; two gripes of faith is better then one: so says the tripling of that prayer, O my Father, O my Father, remove this cup (Matthew 26). There is fire in the desire (Ps…

1. A habit is a heavenly disposition or quality gracious, by which the man even sleeping is denominated a convert, a believer, a translated man from darkness to light (Colossians 1:13; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:4; 1 John 3:14). 2. It is a fixed quality different from a spiritual disposi…

3. If the habit of grace be qualified with a super-added disposition, heavenly and spiritual, there are boilings and stirrings in the heart; as in Paul to pray (Acts 20), after the spirit in him has been graciously and heavenly exhorting the Church of Ephesus, he kneels down and…

2. Does not experience teach that there be times when David says (2 Samuel 7:27), "Your servant has found his heart to pray this prayer"? Was not this so much as to say, the heart and disposition to pray is lost sometimes, and is away (Psalm 57:7), "My heart is fixed, O God, my…

A part of the air keeps its being best in the whole element, whereas a part of the air is corrupted in the bowels of the earth, where it is out of its own element: a part of water is best preserved in being in the element of water; put it in a pit or hole of the earth it's alone…

Yet no husbandman, no vinedresser, can be Lord of the influences of heaven: so has the Lord commanded us to plow up the fallow-ground of our hearts, and not to sow among thorns; to lie under the husbandry of ministers sent of God; to frequent ordinances; to yield up our hearts b…

The God of nature, by a sort of necessity, must give influences to the egg so prepared to be a living bird: when the heart is boiling and seething with thoughts of the King, the tongue is the pen of a ready writer. When the heart is fixed (Psalm 57:7), as if he were master of in…

Fourthly, another means is to make your moan to God, and lay your case before him, as Hezekiah, when Rabshekah came and reviled God, and the people of God, he went and spread the letter before God, and made his moan before God; If we can do so, there will be that satisfaction to…

Partly because when there are no other means to help, mercy unexpectedly finds out means for us. We are at an utter loss in ourselves; God finds out means of relief for us (Psalm 57:3): "He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up, Sel…

[And it looks upon God in Christ] as the fountain of blessings, for otherwise God to the fallen creature is not an object of trust but horror, as the devils believe and tremble (James 2:19), and that may be the reason why the sons of men are said to put their trust under the sha…

I the Lord will be to her a wall of fire round about her, and will be the glory in the midst of her. Now see how David pleads (Psalm 57:1): Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me; for my soul trusts in you, indeed, in the shadow of your wings will I make my refuge, until th…

God made man's tongue his glory, but sin makes it his shame. Says holy David to his tongue, awake, my glory (Psalm 57:8), and (Psalm 16:9) my glory rejoices; which the Apostle (according to the Septuagint) renders, my tongue was glad (Acts 2:26). And when is our tongue our glory…

Nor had their playing with Instruments been a means of conveying the Spirit to Saul, had not their voyces concurred and sung with their Instruments. 3. Singing of Psalmes honoureth God with our glory (Psalm 108:1 and Psalm 57:8). Where Davids glory being distinguished not onely…

They are for that religion not which has the Word to guide it but the sword to back it; this Seneca calls a mind that rolls up and down and settles nowhere. But grace consolidates and fixes the heart (Psalm 57:7): my heart is fixed, O God. Hypocrites are like meteors in the air;…

A flashy Christian is not broken for sin; sin seldom lies heavy on a light heart. Keep the heart serious; fix it upon God (Psalm 57:7): O God, my heart is fixed. Grace consolidates the heart and keeps it from floating in levity; poise your heart with the thoughts of hell and jud…

Were Saints to fight it out in open field by the strength of their own grace, then the strong were more likely to stand, and the weak to fall in battel, but both castled in the Covenant are alike safe. Fourthly, the Saints dependance on God, and expectation from God in all their…

This is ignorance, when a man, coming to the special case, forgets the rule that he had lately agreed upon in the general question. Of which thing Augustine discourses very finely in his exposition of the first verse of Psalm 57, although the same thing is not continual. For som…

We are beholding to this providence of obstructing sin, for our lives, our families, our estates, our liberties, for whatever is, or may be dear to us. For may we not say sometimes with the Psalmist (Psalm 57:4), My Soul is among Lyons, and I lie even among them that are set on…

As this weakens the whole law of sin, so answerably all its properties; and particularly this aversation. It is this frame only that will enable us to say with the Psalmist (Psalm 57:7), My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. It is utterly impossible to keep the heart in a…

And yet further to set forth the greatness of them, the Scripture uses all dimensions. Height (Psalm 57:10); your mercy is great to the heavens. Yes, higher yet (Psalm 108:4); your mercy is great above the heavens.

God shall hear and afflict them. Psalm 57:1, Be merciful to me O God, etc., verse 3, He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Psalm 59:1, Deliver me from my enemies, O my God.

Keep your heart from old and new iniquities (Psalm 4:16). Secondly, we must keep our hearts prepared or fixed — the word signifies both (Psalm 57:7) — that is, we must have our hearts fraught with all good things, fixed and set upon God. Our hearts must not be like the heart of…

Secondly, faith shrouds and hides a man before afflictions do come. And he hides himself, first, in God (Psalm 57:1). Under the shadow of your wing will I put my refuge, until this calamity be past; he hides himself in the protection of the Lord, and so is kept safe and warm und…

In which sense Bildad uses it, where comparing mankind with the celestial bodies, he says, How much less man a worm, even the Son of Man, a worm? (Job 25:6) 2 To designate corrupt and wicked men, in which sense it is opposed to sons of God: as where Moses says, that the sons of…

So Paul (Colossians 4:2), so Peter (1 Peter 4:7). To this purpose also tends that moving speech of David, Awake my glory, awake Viol and Harp, I will awake early (Psalm 57:8). §. 134 Of the causes of drowsiness.