Psalm 119:113 I hate vain thoughts: but your law do I love. I. THEIR NATURE. Wandering thoughts are the disorderly motions of the soul in the time of God's worship, by which the mind is diverted or disturbed in the performance of the duty. 1. The time: when engaged in the duties of religion. 2. What draws our thoughts aside. (1) Sometimes things in themselves evil and sinful. (2) Sometimes things good in themselves, but evil because they are unseasonable. II. THEIR CAUSES OR OCCASIONS. 1. The depravity of our nature. 2. Allowance of sin. 3. Being over-careful and troubled about many things. 4. Slight thoughts of God and His service. III. THEIR BAD EFFECTS. 1. They render our duties vain and burdensome. 2. They hinder communion with God. 3. They induce us to think hardly of ourselves. 4. They bring guilt upon the soul, and lead to a curse instead of a blessing. IV. DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR PREVENTION OR CURE. 1. Wash your hearts from wickedness. 2. Endeavour to maintain an habitual spirituality of mind. 3. Attend to religious duties with earnest desires of the presence of God. 4. Depend not upon your own strength. 5. Use means to bring your heart into a suitable temper. 6. Set the Lord always before you. (S. Lavington.) Parallel Verses KJV: SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. |
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