Hints to Preachers

Title.—The art of memory. Holy memorabilia. The usefulness of sacred remembrances.

Verse 1.—The rebuke of God’s wrath. I. Richly deserved. II. Reasonably dreaded. III. Earnestly deprecated.—B. Davies.

Verse 1.—The evil consequences of sin in this world.—J. J. Blunt.

Verse 1.—The bitterest of bitters, “thy wrath;” why deprecated; and how escaped.

Verse 2.—God sharply chasteneth many of his children, and yet for all that he loves them never a whit the less, nor withholdeth in good time his mercy from them.—Thomas Wilcocks.

Verse 3 (last clause).—Sin causes unrest. He who cures it alone gives rest. Dwell on both facts.

Verse 4 (first clause).—Sin in its relations to us. To the eye pleasing. To the heart disappointing. In the bones vexing. Over the head overwhelming.

Verse 4.—The confession of an awakened sinner.

Verse 4 (last clause).—Sin. I. Heavy—“a burden.” II. Very heavy—“a heavy burden.” III. Superlatively heavy—“too heavy for me.” IV. Not immovable, for though too heavy for me, yet Jesus bore it.

Verse 5.—“Foolishness.” The folly of sin. Everything that a man has to do with sin shows his folly. I. Dallying with sin. II. Committing it. III. Continuing in it. IV. Hiding it. V. Palliating it.—B. Davies.

Verse 6.—Conviction of sin. Its grief, its depth, its continuance.

Verse 6.—“I go mourning.” I. Unlawful reasons for mourning. II. Legitimate themes for sorrow. III. Valuable alleviations of grief.

Verse 9.—The many desires of God’s children: the fact that God understands them even when unexpressed; and the certainty that he will grant them.

Verse 9.—Omniscience, a source of consolation to the desponding.

Verse 13.—The wisdom, dignity, power and difficulty of silence.

Verse 15.—Prayer, the offspring of hope. Hope strengthened by confidence in God’s answering prayer.

Verse 17.—Mr. Ready-to-Halt. His pedigree, and infirmity; his crutches, and his cure; his history, and safe departure.

Verse 18.—The excellence of penitent confession.

Verse 18.—The twin children of grace—confession and contrition: their mutual revelation and reaction.

Verse 18 (last clause).—There is good reason for such sorrow, God is well pleased with it. It benefits the mourner.

Verse 19.—The terrible energy and industry of the powers of evil.

Verse 22.—Faith tried, faith trembling, faith crying, faith grasping, faith conquering.