O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You. Sermons
I. WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUCH SUFFERING TO COME TO HIS PEOPLE? We may reply: 1. Suffering is the lot of an. The men of this world do not escape it more than the servant of God, and, all things considered, probably they suffer more, because the alleviations and consolations which belong to the child of God they know nothing of. But if suffering, which is the lot of all, did not come to the child of God; if faith were the passport to immunity from those varied ills which flesh is heir to, what a crowd of mere loaves and fishes seekers we should have! 2. For spiritual discipline. The soul needs training, exercise, and development as much as the body, and how but by trial can this be secured? There is not one fruit of the Spirit that can be fully perfected save in this way. 3. In self-revelation. Many men live continually in a perfect mist of mistake about themselves. How strong Peter thought himself! But his trial and his sad fall revealed him to himself as nothing else could. 4. For driving us nearer God. We do not wrench ourselves away from God, but we are perpetually in peril of drifting, and this unconsciously. Hence we need to be from time to time roused to this fact - that we have got away from God, and that we must come back. 5. That we may give testimony. The world marks how the Christian bears trial; if meekly, patiently, both towards God and towards men, the world notes it, and confesses the grace of God. 6. And that we may learn to sympathize. How could we if we knew nothing of suffering? II. HOW ARE SUCH CONDITIONS BROUGHT ABOUT? Through: 1. Circumstances. The troubles of life, personal or relative - losses, bereavements, sickness, etc. 2. Wrong thoughts of God. How many such there are in this psalm! A great deal that the psalmist has said is exaggerated and untrue. What he says existed not in reality, but in his own bewildered imagination. 3. Failure of hope for the future. What terrible things he says about death I To him the grave is all dark and dreadful. It is "the pit," a mere charnel house, blow, the Old Testament writers, though they had not our fulness of hope, yet had hope. But in this psalm the writer seems to have lost it. Perhaps there had been: 4. Neglect of communion with God. If we fail here, farewell to all joy in God, and when trouble comes it finds us all unprepared, and we go down before it into the depths. 5. Love. For that which touches the beloved touches the heart that loves. Christ loved us intensely, and became of necessity "the Man of sorrows;" for he saw and pitied our misery so much that it led him straight to Gethsemane and the cross. And all love links itself to pain. III. WHAT TO DO UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS. 1. Inquire of God as to the, cause of your trouble, if you do not know what it is. 2. Humble yourself beneath his hand. Say over and over again, until your heart assents, "Thy will be done." 3. Get nearer God than ever. This is what he desires to see you do. 4. Be careful to obey his every command. 5. Go and try to comfort other troubled ones. 6. Meditate much upon Christ's Sufferings. Along such channels as these help, peace, rest, relict, will come. - S.C.
As well the singers as the players on instruments shall be there. Music does a great many things for us. It pleases the senses, it affords aesthetic delight, it calms perplexed feelings, it nerves the soldier's heart to battle, it soothes the babe upon its mother's breast, it thrills the maiden's heart with love, it consoles the mourner's grief and hallows it, it spurs the rapture of the dance, and moderates and sanctifies the march to the tomb. What man would but cannot, music seems to do for him. When his deed lags, she strengthens him; when his spirit falters, she inspires; when his voice is dumb, she speaks for him. In a word, music is capable of supplementing man's finitude, and opening for him the realm of his ideals and his aspirations. And this is the explanation of its power to do so much for us, and be so much to us, because in its own terms it has a capacity of expressing life. This is at once an explanation of its power and a statement of its inscrutable mystery, that it is fitted to be the common language of the universal sentiment of humanity. As good old Father Haydn said of it, "My language is understood all over the world." So, in recognition of this capacity to portray human experience and to reflect human sentiment, I have chosen to consider music as an epitome of life. One essential of music is based on time, and consists in the relation of notes to each other measured by duration. The savage beating his tom-tom is the rudimentary musician. The human ear is earliest susceptible to the impression of rhythm. Yet so radically and perpetually essential is this feature that the most elaborate symphony is dependent on it equally with the primitive drum-beat. Lacking it, either one would be incoherent, would cease to be music, and would become simply noise. This is manifest, but now where shall we find in life the equivalent of this essential term? What is the pulse of the moral life, the heart-beat of conduct as rhythm is the heart-beat of song? What imparts measure and meaning and impulse to the otherwise unrelated activities, and sets them in order in intelligible succession? What, if not the exercise of will, the putting forth of purpose? Yes, purpose is to life what rhythm is to song. Beside time, the other evident essential of music is tune, in which also we may discern some suggestive parallel to life. The possibility of tune depends on that mysterious feature of music we call the scale or the octave. These eight tones of relative pitch that compose the octave, with their semitones of the chromatic scale, furnish the material out of which all music is composed. Melody, which is a sort of harmony, and harmony, which is in turn a sort of condensed melody, both equally flow from this mysterious relation that sounds bear to each other, and depend on it. Not a single note in music stands alone in its significance. We are not far, then, from recognizing what is signified concerning human life, in the fact that music rests on the relation of note to note, of part to part. The parallel truth is that no man liveth to himself. Selfishness excludes one from the harmony of being. As the notes in the scale are fitted by their mutual relations to portray ideal beauty, so are we constituted for each other, attaining the roundness, the completeness, the satisfaction of life, never in ourselves alone, but only as we stand related to each other in the significance of that scale of character that imparts the meaning to life, and in this large relation we all inevitably stand for discord or for harmony. A closing parallel may be drawn from the motive of music. Its material it takes from time and tune, its method is obedience, and its motive is love. Each individual musical entity gives itself to the use and being of the whole. How the symphony exemplifies this truth! Each note is woven as a mesh in the network of tone; each part contrasts and amplifies every other part; each instrument sets in other colour the utterance of its neighbour — the violins in clear intensity of utterance give forth the theme, and then they part, some to maintain it, others to adorn it; the flutes and clarionets and oboes touch it with a sylvan tone; the lower strings grant it the fervour of their passionate thought; the horns breathe calm and clear; the trumpets sound the voice of resolute affirmation, while the basses solidly support them all: so many voices, yet with one harmonious theme, it is the picture of a community of inspired souls with a common purpose. Therein the finite escapes from its bondage and restriction, and goes out into the Infinite. Hear the words of the Christ, having identical import: "He that loseth his life shall find it. Let a man deny himself, and he shall have a part in My eternal kingdom. Let the finite humble itself, and it shall be exalted to share in the Infinite." A definition has been given of music, at once most philosophical and most poetical — a single line by Sidney Lanier: —Music is love in search of a word.Yea, this is its one abiding theme; not the mere feeling of affection and selfish preference, not of mawkish sensibility, the expression of which is music's bane and curse and disgrace, but love that comes from a humble consciousness of the worth of personal being, and that in the spirit of consecration and of self-bestowment devotes itself to that fulness of being of which its character enables it to supply a part. "Music is love in search of a word." True life is love striving for perfect utterance in word and deed.(C. F. Carter.) All my springs are in Thee I. IN JESUS CHRIST ARE THE SPRINGS OF PARDONING MERCY. This is the root of every other mercy.II. A Christian acknowledges ALL HIS SPRINGS OF SANCTIFYING GRACE TO BE IN JESUS CHRIST. As the streams of a fountain are directed into various channels to water every part of the garden in which it springs, so doth the grace of God, in Jesus Christ, gush forth from its unfathomable depth of mercy, into every sentiment of the heart and mind of a sincere believer. It rectifies the erring judgment — it corrects the perverted will — it sanctifies the affections, weaning them from the vanities of earth and the defilement of sin, and turning them to dwell with complacency and with delight upon the supreme realities of eternal things. It quickens every languishing grace, and unites all the parts of Christian character in one supreme desire to glorify God. III. THE SPRINGS OF THAT PEACE AND JOY WITH WHICH A CHRISTIAN IS FILLED IN BELIEVING, ARE ALSO FOUND IN THE SON OF GOD, AS HE IS PRESENT WITH HIS CHURCH. O if the sight of Joseph at Pharaoh's right hand, in favour and honour with the King of Egypt, could send the patriarchs home to Canaan with such joyful news to their aged father, what a message of delight must faith carry to the soul when it comes after a visitation of mercy in those services in which it hath contemplated the glory of Christ, and its own interest in that glory! With joy, even with joy unspeakable and full of glory, may such a soul draw water out of the wells of salvation. IV. THE SPRINGS OF HOPE THAT CHEER AND BLESS THE PILGRIMAGE OF A CHRISTIAN, ARE DERIVED FROM THE GREAT HEAD OF THE CHURCH. To Him are given exceeding great and precious promises; and a view of the unchangeable fidelity of his Father, in the covenant of love by Jesus Christ, fills him with a hope that maketh not ashamed. V. THE SPRINGS OF ETERNAL GLORY PROCEED FROM THE SON OF GOD. The righteousness, the holiness, which constitutes the character of true Christians, and the blessedness with which it will be recompensed, are all given by Christ to the Church. They who possess them are the seed which should prolong their days, or be happy for ever. In them He sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. Here the gracious purpose of Jehovah prospers in His hands, perfectly and for ever. (R. P. Buddicom, M. A.) 1. We will speak first of that spring which may be called sanctification, which washes us from daily accumulating evil, and checks our own depravity — which makes us more holy, and more fit to become partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. 2. Sustaining grace. 3. Wisdom to direct. 4. Strength and assistance in every time of need. 5. Joy and comfort. II. WHERE ARE THESE SPRINGS TO BE FOUND? In Jesus our Lord and our God. It is of the Father's grace that the Spirit gives us from Jesus' fulness, so that we can never faint or fail. The wisdom of this arrangement will be evident if we consider — 1. Our own folly. 2. Our weakness. 3. Our great ingratitude and forgetfulness of God. 4. Our tendency to pride. 5. We admire this plan because it exalts God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It makes us to come often into their presence to acknowledge our need and to extol God as alone able to supply it. (J. A. Spurgeon.). O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before Thee. Homilist. I. DEPICTING HIS WRETCHED STATE. He speaks of himself as "full of troubles," satiated with sufferings.1. He represents himself as tottering on the grave and without power (vers. 2-5). 2. Crushed by agonies and conscious of the Divine displeasure (vers. 6, 7). 3. Bereft of friends, and the subject of social contempt (ver. 8). 4. Deprived of liberty and exhausted with grief. "I am shut up," etc. (ver. 8). II. SUPPLICATING HIS AFFLICTING GOD. This he did — 1. With unremitting earnestness (ver. 1). To whom can human sufferers look for help, but to the God of "salvation"? And to look to Him with earnest constancy is at once our duty and our interest. 2. With profound inquiries (vers. 10-12). The living have a profound interest in the dead. 3. With pious determination (ver. 13). 4. With painful apprehension (vers. 14-18). (Homilist.) From this psalm —I. LEARN HOW TO PRAY. 1. Tell the Lord your case. 2. Pray naturally. 3. Pray with this belief fixed in your mind, that your help must come from God, and pray expecting salvation from the Lord. 4. Pray often. 5. With weeping and mourning. 6. Pleadingly. II. RESOLVE TO PRAY IN YOUR VERY WORST CASE. When you are full of troubles, go to God with them, that is the very time when you most need to pray. "But," say you, "Mr. Spurgeon, you do not know all that I have to think of." No, but I do know that, the more you have to think of, the more reason you have to go to God in prayer about it. The more loads you have to drag, the more horses you need; and the more work there is to be done, the more reason is there for crying to God to help you to do it. Do not, I pray you, stay away from the outward means Of grace when you are in trouble; but especially do not stay away from God Himself when you are tried and perplexed. When you are as full of trouble as ever you can be, then is the time to pray most. "But I have nobody to speak to," says another. Never mind if you have not; that is all the more reason why you should pray to God, and plead with God, who will not leave you. "But I am distracted," says another. Yes, and you will be distracted, unless you will go to God as you are, and implore Him to look at your distractions, and to lay His gentle hand upon you, and to restore you to yourself, and then to restore you to Himself. III. REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP ON PRAYING. 1. You cannot lose anything by prayer. 2. It is not so great a thing, after all, to have to continue to ask. As a sinner I kept God waiting for me long enough, aye, far too long. 3. Cease not to pray, for He to whom thou prayest is a gracious God. Take good heart; thou wilt not plead in vain, for He loves to hear thy prayers. He must, He will, answer thee, for He is a God of grace. 4. He has heard others. 5. He has promised to hear thee. ( C. H. Spurgeon.) The tide was out. A great ocean steamer lay at the wharf, loaded to the line; by its side was a little boat that danced on top of the waves. The big iron ship grew worried, and said to the dancing, happy boat: "I fear, when the tide comes in, I'm so heavy it can't lift me, and I'll go to the bottom." "Never fear," said the smaller one, "it can lift thee as well as me." "Oh but you are so light, while I'm so heavy. It's easy enough to lift you, but me — oh, dear! Worry not, worry not, old ironsides. It's lifted the likes o' you many a time, and will soon lift thee as well as me." And the tide came in; up and up they both rose on the bosom of the sea; one lifted as high and as easy as the other. Great heart, loaded to the line with thine own sorrows and others' burdens, filled with fears and worried with doubt, thou wilt not go down.(The Advertiser.) People Abaddon, Ethan, Heman, Korah, Mahalath, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Affliction, 88, Chief, Choirmaster, Contemplation, Cried, Cry, Crying, Daily, Director, Ezrahite, Gt, Heman, Instruction, Korah, Leader, Leannoth, Lt, Mahalath, Maschil, Maskil, Music, Musician, Music-maker, Nightly, O, Overseer, Psalm, Salvation, Saves, Sickness, Song, Sons, Suffering, TuneOutline 1. A prayer containing a grievous complaint.Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 88:1 4957 night 5831 depression Library Out of the Deep of Doubt, Darkness, and Hell. O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night unto Thee. Oh! let my prayer enter into Thy presence. For my soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto Hell. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in a place of darkness, and in the deep.--Ps. lxxxviii. 1, 2. If I go down to Hell, Thou art there also. Yea, the darkness is no darkness with Thee; but the night is as clear as the day.--Ps. cxxxix. 7, 11. I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my calling. … Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, that we May Get Our Case and Condition Cleared up to Us. How a Desolate Man Ought to Commit Himself into the Hands of God Our Status. His Past Work. How is Christ, as the Life, to be Applied by a Soul that Misseth God's Favour and Countenance. Letter xvi to Rainald, Abbot of Foigny Letter xxiv (Circa A. D. 1126) to Oger, Regular Canon The Wrath of God Period ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500 Sense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties. Psalms Links Psalm 88:1 NIVPsalm 88:1 NLT Psalm 88:1 ESV Psalm 88:1 NASB Psalm 88:1 KJV Psalm 88:1 Bible Apps Psalm 88:1 Parallel Psalm 88:1 Biblia Paralela Psalm 88:1 Chinese Bible Psalm 88:1 French Bible Psalm 88:1 German Bible Psalm 88:1 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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