Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. The ways by which God's outward blessings are abused, are principally two. 1. Iniquity. 2. Vanity. They are abused when they are made serviceable and occasional unto any iniquity. I will give you some special instances for this — (1) When we make our plenty the ground of an idle and unprofitable life; to live without any calling and employment, as if Divine goodness in any kind were a discharge from all industry. (2) When we consecrate, nay, that word is not fit, when we embezzle, God's bounty and mercies to luxury and drunkenness. 3. A third sin is loftiness. 4. A fourth sin unto which God's plenty may be and is abused is carnal confidence. 5. A fifth sin is covetousness and love of the world. But I proceed to the second way wherein men do abuse the plenty of God's goodness to them, namely, to vanity; and that is two fold, either of — 1. Feasting. 2. Apparelling. (O. Sedgwick, B. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. |
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