Psalm 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. It is characteristic of a good man that he "sets the Lord always before him," whereas it is said of the wicked, "God is not in all their thoughts." This seems to furnish a pretty good test of the state of a man's mind with respect to virtue and vice. The wicked man is a practical atheist. The good man sees God in everything, and everything in God. An habitual regard of God is the most effectual means of advancing us from the more imperfect to the more perfect state. Recommend this duty by an enumeration of its happy effects. 1. An habitual regard to God in our actions tends greatly to keep us firm in our adherence to our duty. It has pleased Divine Providence to place man in a state of trial and probation. This world is strictly such. God has placed us under laws. We are certainly less liable to forget these laws, and our obligation to observe them, when we keep up an habitual regard to our great Lawgiver and Judge, when we consider Him as present with us. 2. An habitual regard to God promotes an uniform cheerfulness of mind. It tends to dissipate melancholy and anxiety. 3. Fits a man for the business of this life, giving a peculiar presence and intrepidity of mind, and is therefore the best support in difficult enterprises of any kind. Consider the most proper and effectual methods of promoting this temper of mind. (1) Endeavour to divest your minds of too great a multiplicity of the cares of this world; (2) Do not omit stated times of worshipping God by prayer, public and private; (3) Omit no opportunity of turning your thoughts to God; (4) Never fail to have recourse to God upon every occasion of strong emotion of mind; (5) Labour to free your minds of all consciousness of guilt and self-reproach; (6) Cultivate in your minds just ideas of God. (J. Priestley, LL. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.WEB: The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God. |
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