As a few of you know, I love, love, LOVE Psalm 119. I thought it would be great to spend a summer focusing on that psalm and what others have had to say about it. I'll begin with Thomas Manton's Exposition of Psalm 119. It may take all summer to read all 158 sermons. But they're so GOOD, so RICH, I think it will be worth it.Sermon 16 (Psalm 119:15)
- Our thoughts follow our affections. It is tedious and irksome to the flesh to meditate, but delight will carry us out. The smallest actions, when we have no delight in them, seem tedious and burdensome.
- Delight will set the mind a-work, for we are apt to muse and pause upon that which is pleasing to us. Why are not holy thoughts as natural and as kindly to us as carnal? The defect is in the heart: I have rejoiced in thy testimonies,’ saith David, and therefore I will meditate in thy statutes.’
- Meditation is not a flourishing of the wit, that we may please the fancy by playing with divine truths (sense is diseased that must be fed with quails), but a serious inculcation of them upon the heart, that we may urge it to practice. Nor yet an acquainting ourselves with the word that we may speak of it in company: conference is for others, meditation for ourselves when we are alone.
- To respect God’s ways is to take heed that we do not turn out of them, to regard them and ourselves: Observe to do them,’ Josh.1:8; and it is called elsewhere, pondering our path: Prov. 4:26, Ponder the path of thy feet,’ that we may not mistake our way, nor wander out of it. Respect to God’s word was opened ver. 6 and 9. The main point is this— That one great duty of the saints is meditating on the word of God, and such matters as are contained therein.
- Meditation is— 1. Occasional. 2. Set and solemn.
- There is a reflective meditation, which is nothing but a solemn parley between a man and his own heart:
- What can be more against self-love and carnal ease than for a man to be his own accuser and judge? All our shifts are to avoid our own company, and to run away from ourselves.
- There is a meditation which is more direct, when we exercise our minds in the word of God and the matters contained therein. This is twofold:—
- Dogmatical, or the searching out of a truth in order to know ledge: Proving what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’ Rom. 12:2. This is study, and differeth from meditation in the object, and supposeth the matter we search after to be unknown, either in whole or in part; whereas practical meditation is the inculcation or whetting of a known truth upon the soul: and it differs in the end; the end of study is information, and the end of meditation is practice, or a work upon the affections. Study is like a winter sun, that shineth, but warmeth not; but meditation is like blowing up the fire, where we do not mind the blaze but the heat. The end of study is to hoard up truth; but of meditation, to lay it forth in conference or holy conversation. In study, we are rather like vintners, that take in wine to store themselves for sale; in meditation, like those that buy wine for their own use and comfort.
- Thoughts are the eldest and noblest offspring of the soul, and it is fit they should be consecrated to converse with God.
- Faith is lean unless it be fed with meditation on the promises.
- The mind of man is restless, and cannot lie idle; therefore it is good to employ it with good thoughts, and set it a-work on holy things; for then there will be no time and heart for vanity, the mind being prepossessed and seasoned already; but when the heart is left to run loose, vanity increaseth upon us.
- We meditate of God that we may love him and fear him; of sin, that we may abhor it; of hell, that we may avoid it; of heaven, that we may pursue it. Still the end is practical, to quicken us to greater diligence and care in the heavenly life.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
No comments:
Post a Comment