I will give You thanks with all my heart; before the heavenly beings I will sing Your praises. Sermons
I. IT WILL OPENLY CONFESS GOD. (Vers. 1, 2.) "Before the gods," meaning, we think, those high princes and potentates - god-like in their majesty, power, and in the abject homage and deference that men paid to them - under whose authority and oppression they had so long lived. The den of lions, the burning fiery furnace, had hitherto been the penalty which had to be paid, did any man dare to praise Jehovah in the presence of these mighty kings. But it had been done all the same; and here the psalmist declares he will do it again. And, indeed, the spirit of praise is irrepressible. It must tell out its gladness in God. II. AND WILL DECLARE THE REASON WHY. 1. Because of the Lord's "loving-kindness." (Ver. 2.) We do not know what special instance of this called forth the praise here expressed; but he whose eyes are opened of the Lord to mark his loving-kindness will never lack loving-kindness to mark. 2. His "truth." The Lord's fidelity to his Word. What he promised he performed. How unbelieving we too often are! Yet those who have trusted the Lord have never had cause to regret their doing so. 3. And this in so emphatic and extraordinary a manner. "Thou hast magnified thy Word," etc. The Lord's name and renown for fidelity were great already, and had led to high expectation; but what the Lord had done had surpassed all expectation - it had been "above all thy Name." 4. And this had been a matter of the psalmist's own personal experience. (Ver. 3.) Whether or no the particular burden, for relief from which he had cried unto the Lord, had been taken away, we do not know; but if, as is so often the case, it had not, there had been given strength to bear it - "Thou strengthenedst me," etc. One way or the other, the cry of the believer is heard, and either the trouble itself is removed, or grace sufficient, not only to bear it, but to enable us to glory in it, is given instead; and this, surely, is the better of the two. And all this the psalmist had himself experienced (2 Corinthians 12:9). III. WILL CONFIDENTLY EXPECT GREAT BLESSING AS THE RESULT OF HIS TESTIMONY. (Vers. 4, 5.) Kings, not merely common people, but kings - a very unlikely class - shall be moved by it. They shall come away from the paths of sin into the ways of the Lord; they shall be really converted. And, what is more, they shall "sing in" those ways; they shall rejoice and be glad. And such confident expectation will ever result from this spirit. IV. WILL DISCLAIM ALL WORTH AND GOODNESS OF ITS OWN, (Ver. 6.) He confesses that he is one of the lowly ones, and that it is all of the Lord's condescension that he has been noticed at all. V. WILL GO FORWARD WITHOUT FEAR. (Ver. 7.) 1. Of trouble; even though he walk in the midst of it; for God will revive him. 2. Of his enemies; for God will save him. 3. Of personal failure; for (ver. 8) "the Lord will perfect," etc. He might, and probably would, fail; but God will not allow of that. VI. BUT WILL NOT, THEREFORE, PRESUME. Instead of this, the psalm ends with the humble prayer, "Forsake not the works," etc. Such are some of the blessed fruits of the spirit of exultation in God. Let us cherish it more by confession, by trust, by personal experience. - S.C.
Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem. 1. False brethren are the chief instruments of persecution of the true members of the Church whensoever they find occasion.2. Whosoever do delight in the Church's calamity, and do endeavour the Church's ruin by word or deed; by their stirring up of others to afflict them; or by any oppression which may tend to the Church's prejudice, when the Lord is visiting her, their sin shall not be forgotten of God in the day when the Lord judgeth His people, but shall be severely punished. 3. No less will suffice the adversaries of the Church than the utter ruin and razing of it to the ground. 4. The estate of the Church at the worst is better than the estate of Babylon, or any estate of her adversaries, how prosperous soever at the best; for albeit the Church be in captivity and oppressed, yet she shall not be destroyed, but it is not so with her adversaries. 5. Faith is neither blinded by the prosperity of the wicked, nor by the adversity of the Church, but doth see through the prospect of the Lord's Word, both her approaching delivery of the Church and the ruin of her enemies. 6. As the enemies of God's Church have measured out unto the Lord's people, so it shall be measured back again and more, for a reward unto her adversaries. 7. There is a happiness, wherein blessedness doth not consist, which neither is a part or branch of blessedness, nor a proper mark of blessedness, but only signifieth some happiness in the consequence of a man's work, tending to the glory of God and good of His Church; and such is the happiness of the Modes and Persians here spoken of, who, whatsoever were their corrupt intentions in their war, did work, albeit not as religious servants, yet as God's instruments, a good work of justice upon the oppressors of God's people, and a good work of delivery of the Lord's people. 8. Albeit it be a sinful thing to satisfy our carnal affection in the misery of any man; yet it is lawful in God's cause to wish that God be glorified, albeit in the confusion of His enemies; and here great need is to have the heart well guarded with the fear of God, for wherewise to allow the dashing of little ones against the stones might make a man guilty of savage cruelty. (D. Dickson.). I will praise Thee with my whole heart. Homilist. I. The GRAND RESOLVE of a good man — to serve God (vers. 1, 2).1. Entirely. "I will praise Thee with my whole heart." Unless the Almighty is thus served He is never served at all. 2. Courageously. "Before the gods," etc. No shame, no timidity, but exulting courage. 3. Intelligently. He is infinitely good and true. II. The NOBLE TESTIMONY of a good man (ver. 3). What good man who has ever prayed could not furnish similar testimony? III. The SANGUINE HOPE of a good man (vers. 4, 5). 1. This hope implies a very desirable object. To have all the kings of the earth praising God, what patriotic, philanthropic, and religious ends could be more desirable? 2. This hope implies a reasonable expectation. Would it not be natural to expect that when kings heard of God, the words of His mouth, they would worship and serve Him? We have here — IV. The THEOLOGICAL BELIEF of a good man (ver. 6). 1. No creature is too humble for the Divine regard. He is not so taken up with the vast as to ignore the minute, so sublimely exalted as not to condescend to the meanest. 2. No creature is too vile to escape His notice. "The proud He knoweth afar off." V. The SUBLIME CONFIDENCE of a good man (ver. 7). 1. The universal law of human life. What is that? Progress, walking. Implying —(1) A constant change of position.(2) A constant approximation to destiny, every step leading nearer to the end. Life is a constant walk. No pause. A rapid walk. "Swifter than a post." An irretraceable walk. 2. The saddening probabilities of human life. "In the midst of trouble." The path is not through flowery meads and under azure skies, but rugged, tempestuous, perilous. 3. The grand support of human life. "Thou wilt revive me." The support is all-sufficient, the only effective and ever available. (Homilist.) I. SING WITH WHOLE-HEARTED PRAISE (ver. 1). 1. His song would openly show his contempt of the false gods: he would sing whether they were there or no. They were such nothings that he would not change his note for them. 2. It would evince his strong faith in the true God. In the teeth of the adversary he glorified Jehovah. His enthusiastic whole-hearted song was better than denunciation or argument. 3. It would declare his joyful zeal for God: he sang to show the strong emotion of his soul. Others might be pleased in Baal, he greatly rejoiced in Jehovah. 4. It would shield him from evil from those about him; for holy song keeps off the enemy. Praise is a potent disinfectant. If called to behold evil let us purify the air with the incense of praise. II. WORSHIP BY THE DESPISED RULE. "I will worship toward Thy holy temple." 1. Quietly ignoring all will-worship, he would follow the rule of the Lord, and the custom of the saints. 2. Looking to the Person of Christ, which was typified by the temple. There is no sinning like that which is directed towards the Lord Jesus, as now living to present it to the Father. 3. Trusting in the one finished Sacrifice, looking to the one great Expiation, we shall praise aright. 4. Realizing God Himself. III. PRAISE THE QUESTIONED ATTRIBUTES. 1. Loving-kindness in its universality. Lovingkindness in its speciality. Grace in everything. Grace to me. Grace so much despised of Pharisees and Sadducees, but so precious to true penitents. Concerning the grace of God, let us cling close to the doctrine and spirit of the Gospel all the more because the spirit of the age is opposed to them. 2. Truth. Historic accuracy of Scripture. Absolute certainty of the Gospel. Assured truthfulness of the promises. Complete accuracy of prophecy. IV. REVERENCE THE HONOURED WORD. "Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name." God has magnified His sure word of testimony beyond all such revelations as we receive through creation and providence, though these declare God's Name. The Gospel word is — 1. More clear. Words are better understood than nature's hieroglyphs. 2. More sure. The Spirit Himself sealing it. 3. More sovereign. Effectually blessing believers. 4. More complete. The whole of God is seen in Christ. 5. More lasting. Creation must pass away, the Word endures for ever. 6. More glorifying to God. Specially in the great Atonement. V. PROVE IT BY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. "In the day when I cried Thou answeredst me," etc. He had used his knowledge of God derived from the Word. 1. By offering prayer. "I cried." What do men know of the truth and grace of God and the virtue of His Word if they have never prayed? 2. By narrating the answer. "Thou answeredst me," etc. We are God's witnesses, and should with readiness, care, frequency, and courage testify what we have seen and known. 3. By exhibiting the strength of soul which was gained by prayer. This is good witness-bearing. Show by patience, courage, joy, and holiness what the Lord has done for your soul. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) He who praises God with his whole heart is like a man on fire, he is terrible to the adversaries of the Most High. When the great Spanish Armada was ready to swoop down upon the English coast, our brave Admiral Drake took some of his small ships, and placed them where the wind would carry them right among the Spanish fleet. He filled the vessels with combustible material, and set them alight. Then the wind just took the fire ships and drifted them up against the Spanish galleons that floated high out of the water, and exposed a vast surface to the air, and one and another of the big unwieldy monsters were soon in a blaze, and a great victory was won without a blow being struck. So, I like to get a red-hot Christian, full of music and praise unto Jehovah, and just let him go, by the influence of the Holy Spirit, right into the middle of the adversaries of truth. They cannot make him out, they do not know how to handle a man of fire. It was a wise plan, this of David, of getting in among the heathen gods and singing to the praise of Jehovah.( C. H. Spurgeon.) Singing unto Jehovah before the gods was good for David's own soul. It is perilous to attempt a secret fidelity to God, it is so apt to degenerate into cowardice. A converted soldier tried at first to pray in bed, or in some secret corner, but he found it would not do; he must kneel down in the barrack-room before the others, and run the gauntlet of the men's remarks; for until he had done so he had not taken his stand and he felt no peace of mind. It is needful for our spiritual health that we come out distinctly upon the Lord's side.People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Confess, David, Gods, Gt, Heart, Lt, Melody, Mighty, O, Praise, Praises, Presence, Psalm, Psalms, Sing, ThanksOutline 1. David praises God for the truth of his word4. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God 7. He professes his confidence in God Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 138:1Library Faith in PerfectionIn the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. I will ask you three questions suggested by the words themselves, and according to your answer to these three questions, shall be … Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859 Question of the Contemplative Life Epistle Xlvii. To Dominicus, Bishop. The Coming Revival Forasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race... Prayer Out of the Deep. Wherefore a Few Witnesses, which the Lord Deigns to Suggest to My Mind... Letter Xliii a Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. That the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action. How those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. Sense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. Covenant Duties. Introduction. Chapter i. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. 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