Hints to Preachers

Verse 1.—Is full of matter for a sermon upon, past mercies a plea for present help. The first sentence shows that believers desire, expect, and believe in a God that heareth prayer. The title—God of my righteousness, may furnish a text (see exposition), and the last sentence may suggest a sermon upon, “The best of saints must still appeal to God’s mercy and sovereign grace.”

Verse 2.—Depravity of man as evinced (1) by continuance in despising Christ, (2) loving vanity in his heart, and (3) seeking lies in his daily life.

Verse 2.—The length of the sinner’s sin. “How long?” May be bounded by repentance, shall be by death, and yet shall continue in eternity.

Verse 3.—Election.—Its aspects towards God, our enemies, and ourselves.

Verse 3.—“The Lord will hear when I call unto him.” Answers to prayer certain to special persons. Mark out those who can claim the favour.

Verse 3.—The gracious Separatist. Who is he? Who separated him? With what end? How to make men know it?

Verse 4.—The sinner directed to review himself, that he may be convinced of sin.—Andrew Fuller, 1754-1815.

Verse 4.—“Be still.” Advice—good, practical, but hard to follow. Times when seasonable. Graces needed to enable one to be still. Results of quietness. Persons who most need the advice. Instances of its practice. Here is much material for a sermon.

Verse 5.—The nature of those sacrifices of righteousness which the Lord’s people are expected to offer.—William Ford Vance, 1827.

Verse 6.—The cry of the world and the church contrasted. Vox populi not always Vox Dei.

Verse 6.—The cravings of the soul all satisfied in God.

Verses 6, 7.—An assurance of the Saviour’s love, the source of unrivalled joy.

Verse 7.—The believer’s joys. (1) Their source, “Thou;” (2) their season—even now—“Thou hast;” (3) their position, “in my heart;” (4) their excellence, “more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.”

Another excellent theme suggests itself—“The superiority of the joys of grace to the joys of earth;” or, “Two sort of prosperity—which is to be the more desired?”

Verse 8.—The peace and safety of the good man.—Joseph Lathrop, D.D., 1805.

Verse 8.—A bedchamber for believers, a vesper song to sing in it, and a guard to keep the door.

Verse 8.—The Christian’s good-night.

Verses 2 to 8.—The means which a believer should use to win the ungodly to Christ. (1). Expostulation, verse 2. (2.) Instruction, verse 3. (3.) Exhortation, verses 4, 5. (4.) Testimony to the blessedness of true religion, as in verses 6, 7. (5.) Exemplification of that testimony by the peace of faith, verse 8.