Psalms 71

Cheerfulness conduces to health (Proverbs 17:22), it honors religion, it proclaims to the world we serve a good master. Cheerfulness is a friend to grace, it puts the heart in tune to praise God (Psalm 71:23). Uncheerful Christians, like the spies, bring an evil report on the go…

(Isaiah 48:17) I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit. (Psalm 71:17) O God, you have taught me from my youth. If God be our Father he will give us the teachings of his Spirit: the natural man receives not the things of God, neither can he know them (1 Corinthians 2:14…

4. We show honor to our Heavenly Father by celebrating his praise. Psalm 71:8. Let my mouth be filled with your praise, and with your honor all the day. Revelation 5:13. Blessing, honor, glory and power be to him that sits upon the throne.

2 Branch. If the righteous are so excellent in God's eye, then let God be excellent in their eye: if they are high in God's thoughts, let God be high in theirs; let the saints have adoring thoughts of God. Thy righteousness, O God, is very high (Psalm 71:19). Thou whose Name is…

Our fore-fathers knew not of such new ways of worship as you tell us of. But now my Brethren, if our fore-fathers reformed a little, let us bless God for what they did, but let us add more, to raise up the worship of God yet higher and higher, as in (Psalm 71:14). But I will hop…

Nor need we flee to that exposition ever and anon, that Christ died for all, that is, all ranks of men. For "all" is put in Scripture ordinarily for many; as (Deuteronomy 1:21; Psalm 71:18; Jeremiah 15:10; Jeremiah 19:9; Jeremiah 20:7; Jeremiah 23:30; Jeremiah 49:17; Ezekiel 16:…

Now aged persons when they grow in age, and not in the spirit, they lose their honor, for age is a crown of glory when it is found in the way of righteousness (Proverbs 16:31). Let them therefore pray with David, Forsake me not, O Lord, in mine old age (Psalm 71:9). 4. Have you…

But let every one examine his own strength as he ought, and we shall easily perceive, that none of us have so profited, but we shall still feel that God had need to uphold us daily by his power: for otherwise the most perfect would fall down flat at every turn. Which David also…

He expresses high exercises of joy, Psalm 21:1. The king shall [reconstructed: joy] in Thy strength; and in Thy salvation, how greatly shall he rejoice. Psalm 71:23. My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I sing unto Thee. Psalm 63:3[reconstructed: -7]. Because Thy loving kindness…

These therefore are necessary to the making of that power our own. 1. Dependence and trust; as that like phrase imports, "I will go in the strength of the Lord God," etc. (Psalm 71:16). And that, "I will strengthen them in the Lord, and they shall walk up and down in his name" (…

Psalm 48:14 Did he love me in my youth, and will he cast me off in my decrepit age? O God, (says the Psalmist) you hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared your wondrous works, now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not, Psalm 71. 17, 18. At…

3. Strong believing and resting upon the promises when the Lord hides himself under love-sickness and apprehended wrath, fetch sweeter influences than sense of presence: as may be clear in the godly, who 1. move questions, yet so as love and faith incline most to the edifying co…

2. Nor should Christians be unwilling to know the spiritual condition one of another; you may fall upon some, in your very course and kind. It is like David (Psalm 71:7), Heman (Psalm 88:15), the suffering Church (Lamentations 1:12; Psalm 102:6, 7), Elias (1 Kings 19:10), Isaiah…

But it makes not this distasteful; therefore the Psalmist prays, that when other comforts forsake him, and wear out, ebb from him, and leave him on the sand, this may not. That still he may feed on the goodness of God (Psalm 71:9): Cast me not off in old age, forsake me not when…

Therefore as we ought to seek more humble sense of Zion's distress, so withal, not to let go this hope, that her mighty Lord will in the end be glorious in her deliverance, and all her sufferings and low estate shall be as a dark soil to set off the luster of her restoration; wh…

Ye that fear the Lord praise him. Begin the Work of Heaven now, be Spiritual Quiristers: sound forth Holy Doxologies and Triumphs; say as David, Psalm 71:8. Let my Mouth be filled with your Praise, and with your Honor all the day.

They would be counted Good, but he must have good eyes that can see it, I know not whether it be Ignorance or Bashfulness that makes good discourse waved. Many are so mute in Religion as if their Tongues did cleave to the roof of their Mouth: had they any love to God, or had the…

They that are flat and careless at other times, are most often then with God. 5. To show the more of his glory, and the riches of his goodness in their recovery (Psalm 71:20-21): "You who have showed me great and sore troubles, shall quicken me again, and shall bring me up again…

Out of weakness they were made strong; out of weakness felt and apprehended. 2. There must be a full reliance upon God's strength alone (Psalm 71:16). I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God.

Prayer is a work of necessity, but praise a mere work of duty and respect to God. We would exalt him more in our own hearts, and in the hearts of others (Psalm 71:14). I will hope continually, and will yet praise you more and more: we pray because we need God, and we praise him…

Take these for a taste. After deep and sore troubles you shall increase my greatness and comfort me on every side (Psalm 71:21). So, show me a token for good, that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed, because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me (Psalm 81:17).

Fourthly, Saints have a liberty to imprecate vengeance, but such as must be used sparingly, and with great caution. (Psalm 71:13) Let them be confounded, and consumed, who are adversaries to my soul. Malicious enemies may be expressly prayed against.

So God is said to comfort those whom he frees from afflictions. Psalm 71:21. "After deep and sore troubles, you shall increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side." So the Lord comforts his people, not by word only, but also by deed; not only by speaking comfort to them,…

The mouth needs going to school, and if we will have it wise, let us get it a wise heart to be its tutor, to teach it the art and grace of speaking wisely and well; the heart of the wise teaches his mouth. Pray to God, for prayer is the means-general for preservation and sanctif…

And surely, the Song of the Lamb, recorded (in Revelation 15:3, 4) seems evidently to point at sundry Psalms of David, out of which it was compiled and collected, and which therefore were suitable and fit to be sung upon occasion of their victory over the Beast, especially with…

By INCREASE MATHER, Praesident of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, & Preacher of the Gospel at BOSTON, in New-England, Psalms 71:17.—You have taught [illegible] from my Youth, and hitherto have [illegible] declared your wondrous Workes. Ecclesiastes 12:1.Remember now your Creator…

Oh poor creature! 'tis because you feel it not; but when the time of misery shall come, you will say, This is woe and load enough, for the Lord to give no answer. Psalms 71:9. We see not our prophets, nor any to tell us how long: so you that despise means you shall then lament a…

The adopted see their own sins, Satan's snares, Christ's beauty, which they whom the god of the world had blinded, cannot discern; from where was it that David understood more than the ancients (Psalm 119:100)? He had a Father to teach him, God was his instructor (Psalm 71:17).…

Cartwright says it is a metaphor from men who, being oppressed with a burden, transfer it off themselves upon one who is mightier and stronger: it is excellent when the heart rolls all its cares upon the Lord, and disburdens itself upon him. (8.) There is a word that notes to le…

He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. David speaking in the person, and as a type of Christ, says, You have showed me great and sore troubles (Psalm 71:20). And again (Psalm 25:17), The troubles of my heart are enlarged, O bring you me out of my distresses.

The other cannot be our own obedience, because of our Iniquities. Wherefore this the same Psalmist directs us unto, Psalm 71:16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God, I will make mention of they righteousness, of yours only.

Hence it is added, in the Lord shall the seed of Israel be justified, verse 25. namely, because he is, in what he is, in what he was, and did, as given unto and for us, our righteousness, and our righteousness is all in him; which totally excludes our own personal inherent right…

3:23. Psalm 71:16. I will make mention of your righteousness, of yours only.

Be enamored with the way of Religion, and you will soon walk in it. 5 If you would walk with God, take hold of his arm; such as walk in their own strength, will soon grow weary and tire: Psalm 71. 16. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: We cannot walk with God, without Go…

Can it stand with this life of love, to be always speaking about worldly affairs, or news at the best; both weekday and Sabbath day, in bed and at board, in good company and in bad, at home and abroad? I tell you it will be one main reason why you desire to live, that you may ma…