Surely the righteous will praise Your name; the upright will dwell in Your presence. Sermons
I. A MAN MUST HAVE ESTABLISHED GOOD PRINCIPLES IF HE IS TO HAVE AN INWARD SENSE OF RIGHT. When there is drifting and uncertainty as to what is right, there can be no restful inward conviction that we are right. II. A MAN MUST HAVE GOOD CONTROL OF HIS LIFE IF HE IS TO HAVE AN INWARD SENSE OF RIGHT. There must be harmony between the conduct and relations of the life and the cherished feelings of the heart, or the sense of sincerity will be destroyed. III. A MAN MUST BE SURE OF DIVINE DEFENSE IF HE IS SURE OF HIS OWN SINCERITY, God is true; he must be on the side of the true. God is served by the sincere; he surely defends his servants. - R.T.
I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. We read in the text that God "maintains the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor," and we may think that there is not much evidence of this. If society is under God's control how is it that it is such a chaos? There seems to be no order. Yet in the midst of the apparent confusion God is ruling. He holds the winds in His fists, and the water in the hollow of His hand. What gave the psalmist this assurance?I. HIS KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S CHARACTER. We read of the pity of God, of the compassion and mercy of God in the Old Testament. Hence the numerous passages relating to God and the poor. "He delivereth the poor in their affliction." "Thou hast prepared of Thy goodness for the poor." "Whoso mocketh the poor reproveth his Maker." "Thou hast been a strength to the poor." "Break off sins by showing mercy to the poor." Hence also the provision made for the poor. The gleanings of the fields and of the vineyards and oliveyards were always to be left for them. The spontaneous productions of the sabbatical year were also to form a part of their provision. Kindness to them was enjoined as a sacred duty and as a precious privilege. II. HIS SENSE OF JUSTICE. The psalmist speaks of "the right of the poor." Some would assert that the poor have no rights, except the right to starve, or get out of the way. The wealthy classes have rights. Oh yes. The sacredness of property is more inviolate than the sacredness of the Sabbath. "The rich man's wealth is his strong city," and around this strong city there are walls built by legislators. Let wealth have its rights; and let poverty have its rights too. If it is right to strengthen the weak, to lift up the feeble, to comfort the sorrowful, to heal the afflicted, to provide for the poor, then God will maintain that right. He that implanted in man this sense of justice, shall He not be just? Justice may appear tardy, but "ever the right comes uppermost, and justice shall be done." "I know that the Lord will," etc. If they have no other friend, the afflicted and poor have a Friend in heaven, whose righteousness is like the great mountains, whose mercy endureth for ever. III. HIS KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD RAISED HELPERS FOR THE FEEBLE AND OPPRESSED. Charity was exercised then. It was a part of the Jewish religion. The rites of hospitality were then observed, and are in a large measure observed now in the East, with great care and faithfulness. Not an enemy was betrayed who had come into a tent for hospitality. There is a fountain of sympathy in the human heart. God has made the heart, and kindled in it the emotions of love and pity. Love God, and you will be constrained to love man. Keep the first table of the law, and you will be impelled to observe the second. God is not poor, and needing our alms. But around us are men, made in the similitude of God, capable of holding fellowship with God, of thinking upon His name, and loving Him, and love to God can express itself in service to men. This is the essence of religion — love. The apostle says that all is vain without this. ( J. Owen.). Lord, I cry unto Thee. Homilist. I. DIVINE ATTENTION TO HUMAN ASPIRATIONS (vers. 1, 2).1. For immediate attention. 2. For favourable attention. II. A COMPLETE GUARDIANSHIP FROM WRONG IN LIFE (vers. 3, 4). 1. He prays against Wrong in words. Who shall tell the evils that flow in the world every day from unguarded speech? "The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity." 2. He prays against wrong in practice. (1) (2) III. A READINESS TO RECEIVE RIGHTEOUS REPROOFS (ver. 5). What greater necessity have all than the society of men who shall reprove, rebuke, exhort? IV. THE MAINTENANCE OF A DEVOUT AND BELIEVING SOUL IN THE MIDST OF OUR ENEMIES (vers. 6, 7). 1. Devotion. 2. Confidences — (1) (2) V. ULTIMATE DELIVERANCE FROM ALL ENEMIES (vers. 8-10). (Homilist.) People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics 141, Dwell, Holy, Praise, Presence, Psalm, Righteous, Surely, Thanks, Truly, Upright, YeaOutline 1. David prays to be delivered from Saul and Doeg8. He prays against them 12. He comforts himself by confidence in God Dictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 140:12 1075 God, justice of Library Question Lxxxiii of PrayerI. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V. … St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life Letter xxvi. (Circa A. D. 1127) to the Same Epistle xviii. To John, Bishop. How the Silent and the Talkative are to be Admonished. A Discourse of Mercifulness Covenanting a Privilege of Believers. Psalms Links Psalm 140:13 NIVPsalm 140:13 NLT Psalm 140:13 ESV Psalm 140:13 NASB Psalm 140:13 KJV Psalm 140:13 Bible Apps Psalm 140:13 Parallel Psalm 140:13 Biblia Paralela Psalm 140:13 Chinese Bible Psalm 140:13 French Bible Psalm 140:13 German Bible Psalm 140:13 Commentaries Bible Hub |
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