41 Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
your salvation according to your promise;
42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
for my hope is in your rules.
44 I will keep your law continually,
forever and ever,
45 and I shall walk in a wide place,
for I have sought your precepts.
46 I will also speak of your testimonies before kings
and shall not be put to shame,
47 for I find my delight in your commandments,
which I love.
48 I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love,
and I will meditate on your statutes.
Sermon 53 (Psalm 119:47)
- He urgeth in the text with what delight he should carry on the work of obedience, And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.’ In which observe— 1. His great pleasure and contentment is asserted and professed, I will delight myself. 2. The object of it, in thy commandments. 3. The fundamental reason or bottom cause of this delight, which I have loved.
- Doct. A gracious heart doth love and delight in the commandments of God: the godly are described by it.
- It is not a superficial joy that they are delighted withal, but a substantial joy. It must needs be so, partly because these are better grounded, not built upon a mistake and fancy, but the highest warrant and surest foundation which mankind can build upon, the word of the eternal God, which can never fail; whereas the joy that is merely built upon carnal delights is built upon a fancy and mistake.
- The safety of the spiritual life lieth in the keeping up our joy and delight in it:
- The matter which feedeth our pleasures showeth the excellency or baseness of it.
- Our temper and inclination is known by our complacency or displacency:
- Therefore see which your hearts carry you to: to the world or the word of God.
- It is not in the study or contemplation of the justice and equity of these commandments, but in the obedience and practice of them.
- Nothing maketh the heart more cheerful than a good conscience, or a constant walking in the way of God’s commandments:
- Surely to know God, to love him, and fear him, and trust and repose our souls on him, and to worship him at the time, in the way, and manner appointed, is a delightful thing, and should be more delightful to us than our necessary and appointed food.
- When the heart is fitted and suited by principles of grace, the work is not tedious, but delightful. Things are easy and difficult according to the poise and inclination of the soul.
- Many have proved the pleasures of sin, but never yet found what comfort is in mourning for sin. Many have proved the comforts of the world, but never yet proved what is the joy of a good conscience, and the sweet pleasure of a godly conversation.
- The word is wholly appointed to maintain the life of grace in us. Use 1. Is to show us how to bring our hearts to the obedience of God’s commands. 1. Love them, if we would keep them. Nothing is hard to love. An esteem will quicken us to the obedience of them. 2. Delight in them, for then all goeth on easily. Delight sweeteneth everything, though in themselves toilsome or tedious; as fowling, hunting, fishing. Delight never mindeth difficulties. The reason why the commands are grievous is want of love and delight.
- God never hath our heart till he hath our delight, till we willingly abstain from what may displease him, and cheerfully practise what he requireth of us; when it is grateful to obey, and all pleasures to this are nothing worth.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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