God's Statutes, the Christian's Song
Psalm 119:54
Your statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.


The human spirit is warmly and delicately alive to many external influences and impressions. Music and song are often called to aid the conceptions and feelings of the heart. And for this reason the believer applies to the Divine law all those invigorating and animating feelings which, in reference to other subjects, the men of this world fetch from minstrelsy and music.

I. SONG IS ENLISTED TO ANIMATE LOYALTY; and the Christian makes God's statutes his song in the house of his pilgrmage, because they animate his loyalty to his Sovereign who is in heaven.

II. SONG IS ENLISTED TO ANIMATE PATRIOTISM; and the Christian makes God's statutes his song in the house of his pilgrimage, because they animate his patriotism to the land that is afar off.

III. SONG IS APPROPRIATED TO CHERISH THE LOVE OF HOME; and the Christian makes God's statutes his songs in the house of his pilgrimage because they foster his love of his eternal home in heaven.

IV. SONG IS RESORTED TO BY THE TRAVELLER, IN ORDER TO BEGUILE THE LENGTH AND WEARINESS OF THE WAY; and the Christian makes God's statutes his song in the house of his pilgrimage, because they beguile the length and weariness of his pilgrimage journey through this life.

V. SONG IS RESORTED TO FOR ENCOURAGING AND EMBOLDENING THE MIND; and the Christian makes God's statutes his songs in the house of his pilgrimage, because they encourage and embolden him in the face of the dangers that lie in his way.

VI. SONG IS EMPLOYED TO CHERISH SOCIAL FEELING; and the Christian makes God's statutes his songs in the house of his pilgrimage, because they cherish and develop the social pleasures of religion.

VII. SONG IS EMPLOYED FOR THE SAKE OF RELAXATION AND AMUSEMENT; and the Christian makes God's statutes his song in the house of his pilgrimage, because his hours of relaxation and amusement cannot be more cheerfully and pleasantly spent than in awakening the music of Judah's harp.

(A. Nisbet.)



Parallel Verses
KJV: Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

WEB: Your statutes have been my songs, in the house where I live.




Duty Set to Music
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