Hints to Preachers

Verse 1.—It unspeakably concerns all men to know what God has spoken.—W. S. Plumer.

Verse 1.—I. Who has spoken? The mighty, not men or angels, but God himself. II. To whom has he spoken? To all nations—all ranks—all characters. This calls for, 1. Reverence—it is the voice of God. 2. Hope—because he condescends to speak to rebels. III. Where has he spoken? 1. In creation. 2. In providence. 3. In his word.—G. R.

Verses 1-6.—I. The court called in the name of the King of kings. II. The judgment set, and the judge taking his seat; v. 2, 3. III. The parties summoned; v. 8. IV. The issue of this solemn trial foretold; v. 6.—Matthew Henry.

Verses 1-15.—I. God’s call to man. II. Man’s call to God.

Verse 2.—I. The internal beauty of Zion. 1. Positive beauty of wisdom—holiness—love. 2. Comparative with the beauty of Paradise and the heaven of angels. 3. Superlative—all the perfections of God combined. II. Its external glory. Out of it God hath shined. 1. On this world. 2. On gracious souls. 3. On angels who desire to look, etc. 4. On the universe. “All the creatures heard I,” etc.—G. R.

Verse 4.—I.. What God will do for his people. He will judge them. 1. Deliver. 2. Defend. 3. Uphold. II. The means at his disposal for this purpose. “He shall call,” etc—heaven and earth are subservient to him for the good of his church.—G. R.

Verse 4.—The judgment of the visible church. It will be by God himself, public, searching—with fire and wind, exact, final.

Verse 5.—The great family gathering. I. Who are gathered. II. How they are gathered. III. To whom. IV. When they are gathered.

Verse 5 (last clause).—I. The covenant. II. The sacrifice which ratifies it. III. How we may be said to make it.

Verse 6 (last clause).—Then slander will not pervert the sentence, undue severity will not embitter it, partiality will not excuse, falsehood will not deceive, justice will surely be done.

Verse 7.—Sins of God’s people specially against God, and only known to God. A searching subject.

Verses 13-15.—What sacrifices are not, and what are acceptable with God.

Verse 15.—I. The occasion—“trouble.” II. The command—“call upon me.” III. The promise—“I will deliver thee.” IV. The design—“thou shalt,” etc.—G. R.

Verse 15.—“Thou shalt glorify me.” This we do by praying, and by praising when prayer is heard; as also by confidence in his promises, submission to his chastisements, concern for his honour, attachment to his cause, affection to his people, and by continual obedience to his commands.

Verse 15.—I. A special invitation as to person and time. II. Special promise to those accepting it. III. Special duty involved when the promise is fulfilled.

Verses 16, 17.—I. The prohibition given. 1. The prohibited things—“declare my statutes.” “Take my covenant,” etc. (1.) Preaching. (2.) Teaching, as in Sunday-schools. (3.) Praying. (4.) Attending ordinances. 2. Prohibited persons. Wicked preachers, etc., while they continue in wickedness. II. The reason assigned; v. 17. 1. No self-application of the truth. 2. Inward hatred of it. 3. Outward rejection.—G. R.

Verse 17.—I. The fatal sign. 1. Hating to be taught. 2. Hating what is taught. II. What it indicates. 1. Pride. 2. Contempt of God. 3. Indifference to truth. 4. Atheism at heart. 5. Deadness of conscience. II. What it leads to. See verse 22.

Verses 17, 18.—Rejection of salutary instruction leads sooner or later to open transgression. Instances, reasons, inferential warnings.

Verses 20, 21.—I. Man speaking and God silent. II. God speaking and man silent.

Verse 21.—I. God leaves men for a time to themselves. II. They judge of God on this account by themselves. III. He will in due time reveal their whole selves to themselves. “I will reprove,” etc.—G. R.

Verses 21, 23.—Note the alternative; a life rightly ordered now, or sins set in order hereafter.

Verse 22.—I. The accusation—“Ye that forget God,” his omniscience, his power, his justice, his goodness, his mercy, his word, his great salvation. II. The admonition—“Consider this,” rouse yourselves from your forgetfulness into serious reflection. III. The condemnation—“Lest,” etc. 1. The awfulness. “Tear,” as a lion or eagle its prey—tear body and soul. 2. Its irresistibleness—“None to deliver.”—G. R.

Verse 23.—I. Salvation is the work of God. II. The evidence of salvation is holiness of heart and life. III. The effect of that evidence is praise. IV. The tendency of that praise is to glorify God. God is not glorified by the doubts, and fears, and murmurings of his people, but by their praise.—G. R.

Verse 23 (last clause).—The true order of life. I. That first which is first. II. That most which is most. III. That ever which is ever. IV. That all which is all.