My Autumn with Psalm 119 #1

I will be continuing on in my study of Psalm 119 this autumn. I have spent months reading Thomas Manton's exposition of Psalm 119. In October I hope to cover the next eight verses of the Psalm.

³³ Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;    and I will keep it to the end.
³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep your law    and observe it with my whole heart.³⁵ Lead me in the path of your commandments,    for I delight in it.³⁶ Incline my heart to your testimonies,    and not to selfish gain!³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;    and give me life in your ways.³⁸ Confirm to your servant your promise,    that you may be feared.³⁹ Turn away the reproach that I dread,    for your rules are good.⁴⁰ Behold, I long for your precepts;    in your righteousness give me life!

Sermon 36 (Psalm 119:33)

• THE man of God had promised to run the way of God’s commandments; but being conscious of many swervings, beggeth God further to teach him. In the words two things are observable:— 1. A prayer for grace. 2. A promise made upon supposition of obtaining the grace asked. He promiseth— [1.] Diligence and accuracy of practice, I will keep it. [2.] Perseverance, unto the end.
• First, In the prayer for grace observe— 1. The person to whom he prays, O Lord. 2. The person for whom, teach me. 3. The grace for which he prayeth, to be taught. 4. The object of this teaching, the way of God’s statutes. The teaching which he beggeth is not speculative, but practical; to learn how to walk in the way of God.
• Divine teaching is necessary for all those that would walk in the way of God’s statutes.
• We have lost our way to true happiness. Adam lost it, and all mankind in him; ever since we have been wandering up and down: Ps. 14:3.
• We can never find it of ourselves till God reveal it to us: He hath showed thee, man, what is good,’ Micah 6:8. It is well for man that he hath God for his teacher, who hath given him a stated rule by which good and evil may be determined.
• As the book of the scriptures is necessary to expound the book of the creatures, so and much more is the light of the Spirit to expound the book of the scriptures. Others teach the ear, but God openeth the heart. The rule is one thing, and the guide is another. The means were never intended to take off our dependence upon God, but to engage it rather, that we may look up for his blessing: 1 Cor. 3:6, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase;’ 2 Cor. 4:6, God, that commanded (ho eipon) light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.’
• The work of the Spirit is to take off the scales from our eyes, that we may see clearly what the scripture speaketh clearly.
•  We have need of none to teach us to do evil—Vitia etiam sine magistro discuntur; we have that from nature; but in the way of God we must be taught and taught again; God must be our teacher and daily monitor.
• It informs us that as to knowledge and direction there must be much done.
• That some doctrine should be revealed by God, by which he might understand how God stood affected towards him, and he ought to be affected towards God.
• That this doctrine being revealed by God, it should be kept safe and sound, free from oblivion and corruption, in some public and authentic record, especially in these last times, when not only the canon is enlarged, but the church propagated far and near, and ob noxious to so many calamities, and men are short-lived, and there are not such authentic witnesses to preserve the credit of a divine revelation.
• That this writing and record be known to come from God’s own hand by some infallible proof, to the end that it may be entertained with the more reverence.
• To own this authority, and discern God’s mind, we need a suitable faculty, or a heart disposed by the Holy Ghost to receive the proof which God offereth, namely, that we should be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and open our eyes.
• It is not enough to own our rule, but we must be continually excited to study it, that we may come to a saving measure of the knowledge of God’s mind in the word.
• After some knowledge our ignorance is apt to return upon us, unless the Holy Ghost do still enlighten us and warn us of our duty upon all occasions.
• Use 2. In the sincerity of your hearts go to God for his teaching. God is pleased with the request:1. The way of God’s statutes is worthy to be found by all. 2. So hard to be found and kept by any. 3. It is so dangerous to miss it, that this should quicken us to be earnest with God. 1. It is so worthy to be found; it is the way to eternal life and to escape eternal death; and in matters of such a concernment no diligence can be too much: Prov. 15:24, The way of life is above to the wise, to depart from hell beneath.’ It is the way that leadeth to life and true happiness. 2. It is so hard to find and keep; it is a narrow way: Mat. 7:13, 14, Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat; because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’ There is defect, here excess. A gracious spirit, that would keep with God in all things, is sensible of the difficulty; there are many ways that lead to hell, but one way to heaven. 3. It is so dangerous to miss it in whole or in part; in whole, you are undone for ever; in part, in every false religion such disadvantages, so little of God’s presence and the comforts of his Spirit: 1 Cor. 3:15, If any man’s work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.’ A man should look after the most clear and safe way to heaven.
• Doct. 2. That divine teaching is earnestly desired by God’s children.
• Do we look after spiritual knowledge, such as will not only store the head with notions, but enter upon the heart?
• Doct. 3. All that teaching that we expect or get from God must still be directed to practice: Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end.’
• 1. This is God’s intention in teaching, therefore should be our end in learning. The end of sound knowledge is obedience: Deut. 4:5, 6, Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it: keep therefore and do them, for this is thy wisdom.’ Others do little more than learn them by rote, when they know them only to talk of them, or fashion their notions and plausible opinions that they may hang together. 2. It is not the knowing, but obeying, will make us happy. We desire to know the way that we may come to the end of the journey; to inquire the way and sit still will not further us: Blessed are they that hear the word and keep it,’ Luke 11:28;’ He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction,’ Prov. 10:17. None but desire to be happy; walk in God’s way; he goeth on right that submitteth to the directions of the word. 3. All the comfort and sweetness is in keeping: Ps. 19:11, In keeping thy commandments there is a great reward;’ many sweet experiences. Notions breed a delectation when they are right, but nothing comparable to practice. 4. He that will do shall know: John 7:17, If any man will do his will, he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God.’ Such as truly fear God, and make conscience of every known duty in their practice, have God’s promise that they shall be able to discern and distinguish between doctrine and doctrine; others provoke God to withhold light from them. Not that the godly are infallible. Alas! the best men’s humours and fleshly passions do often mislead them, but this is the fruit of their careless walking.
• Use 1. Is to reprove them that desire knowledge, but only to inform their judgments or satisfy their curiosity, not to govern their hearts in the fear of God, or to reform their practices.
• Use 2. It directeth us in our desires of knowledge, what should be our scope. Come with a fixed resolution to obey, and refer all to practice. Knowledge is the means, doing is the end: Deut. 5:31, I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.’
• Doct. 4. In this practice we must be sincere and constant. I will keep it’— 1. Having such a help as this continual direction. 2. Such an engagement as this condescension to direct and warn a poor creature. And to the end,’ that is to the end of my life; there is no other period to our obedience but death.
• [1.] It is not enough to begin a good course, but we must go on in it, if we mean to reach the goal, else all our labour is lost; the end crowneth the work. [2.] God, that made us begin, doth also make us to continue to the end. Is the beginning from God, the end and perfection from us? This is to ascribe that which is less perfect to God, and that which is more perfect to us.
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© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible