2/18/24:
Psalm 18 Devotional:

Psalm 18: 1 This Psalm is the first beginning of his gratulation, and thanksgiving in the entering into his kingdom, wherein he extolleth and praiseth most highly the marvelous mercies and grace of God, who hath thus preserved and defended him. 32 Also he setteth forth the image of Christ’s kingdom, that the faithful may be assured that Christ shall always conquer and overcome by the unspeakable power of his Father, though all the whole world should strive there against.

To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, which spake unto the Lord the words of this song (in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul) and said,

18:1 I will love thee dearly, O Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, and my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

3 I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of wicked men made me afraid.

5 The cords of the grave compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

7 Then the earth trembled, and quaked; the foundations also of the mountains moved and shook, because he was wroth.

8 Smoke went out at his nostrils, and a consuming fire out of his mouth: coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.

10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, and he came flying upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness that was before him his clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave 1his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

14 Then he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.

19 He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

22 For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

23 I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

24 Therefore the Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

26 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt cast down proud looks.

28 Surely thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.

29 For by thee I have 1broken through an host; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30 The way of God is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried in the fire: he is a shield to all that trust in him.

31 For who is God, except the Lord? or who is a rock, except our God?

32 God girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way upright.

33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of brass is broken by mine arms.

35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath caused me to increase.

36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: and I did not turn again till they were consumed.

38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.

39 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.

41 They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.

42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

44 As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

45 The strangers shall shrink away, and be affrighted from their private chambers.

46 Let the Lord live; and blessed be my strength; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.

47 It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.

48  Oh my deliverer from mine enemies: even thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

49 Therefore will I praise thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and will sing unto thy name.

50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, even to David, and to his seed for evermore.

As in previous Psalms we have focused on the sincerity of the Christian and the necessity of godliness and uprightness of life in our devotion, so now in this Psalm David begins His Psalm of praise and victory with a resolution and commitment to love the Lord for what He had accomplished for His servant. For while it is true that God is to be loved and adored by His people for who He is, yet this is not made so manifest as when He acts for us, and works wonders for our benefit. Then may the soul sing with David and say, “I will love thee dearly O Lord.” just as the law says, “You shall love the Lord your God” and again, “for consider what great things He hath done for you”. Therefore the pious soul breathes with thankfulness and lifts up its voice to heaven with hymns of praise and worship, promising to love the Lord evermore for His righteousness and grace. Just as the apostle also writes saying, “unto you that believe He is precious” so David says, “I will love thee dearly”. For to love God is to be filled with the knowledge of holy doctrine, to be deeply affected by it, so that the affections are enflamed unto an ardent and holy desire and it results in holy activity, as prayer, meditation, reading, worship and obedience to all known holy principles. This is the meaning and extent of love to God and this is why the apostle says it is the greatest of the three, because it encompasses the greatest scope, reaching to God, His attributes and our neighbor also for God’s sake. This love works with faith, and in it and doth always accompany it, giving faith in Christ a sweet savor, well pleasing to God.

Calvin,
It is to be observed, that love to God is here laid down as constituting the principal part of true godliness; for there is no better way of serving God than to love him. No doubt, the service which we owe him is better expressed by the word reverence, that thus his majesty may prominently stand forth to our view in its infinite greatness. But as he requires nothing so expressly as to possess all the affections of our heart, and to have them going out towards him, so there is no sacrifice which he values more than when we are bound fast to him by the chain of a free and spontaneous love; and, on the other hand, there is nothing in which his glory shines forth more conspicuously than in his free and sovereign goodness…In speaking thus, David, at the same time, intended to show that his thoughts and affections were not so intently fixed upon the benefits of God as to be ungrateful to him who was the author of them, a sin which has been too common in all ages. Even at this day we see how the greater part of mankind enjoy wholly at their ease the gifts of God without paying any regard to him, or, if they think of him at all, it is only to despise him. David, to prevent himself from falling into this ingratitude, in these words makes as it were a solemn vow, Lord, as thou art my strength, I will continue united and devoted to thee by unfeigned love.

Calvin,
When David thus heaps together many titles by which to honor God, it is no useless or unnecessary accumulation of words. We know how difficult it is for men to keep their minds and hearts stayed in God. They either imagine that it is not enough to have God for them, and, consequently, are always seeking after support and succor elsewhere, or, at the first temptation which assails them, fall from the confidence which they placed in him. David, therefore, by attributing to God various methods of saving his people, protests that, provided he has God for his protector and defender, he is effectually fortified against all peril and assault; as if he had said, Those whom God intends to succor and defend are not only safe against one kind of dangers, but are as it were surrounded by impregnable ramparts on all sides, so that, should a thousand deaths be presented to their view, they ought not to be afraid even at this formidable array. We see, then, that the design of David here is not only to celebrate the praises of God, in token of his gratitude, but also to fortify our minds with a firm and steadfast faith, so that, whatever afflictions befall us, we may always have recourse to God, and may be fully persuaded that he has virtue and power to assist us in different ways, according to the different methods of doing us mischief which the wicked devise.

Therefore with love to God and true affection for His holy name, let us pray for His continual supply of grace, that we might be strengthened against our adversaries and overcome them even as David who came before us. 

Lectures on “the Preface to the Westminster Confession by Thomas Manton.”

Lesson 7.
The order and symmetry of divine operations upon the soul.

Would parents but begin betimes, and labour to affect the hearts of their children with the great matters of everlasting life, and to acquaint them with the substance of the doctrine of Christ…

Intro.

1. The nature of the Godhead.
It is essential that we worship the true God. (in opposition to modern heresies)
John 4:24, Eph 1:1-14
[1] Father.
i. Decrees.
ii. Providence.
iii. Law.
[2] Son.
i. Covenant of grace.
ii. Incarnation.
iii. Propitiation.
iv. Resurrection.

[3] Holy Spirit.
i. Creation.
ii. Regeneration.
iii. Sanctification.
iv. Comfort.

2. The offices of Christ.
Prophet.
Priest.
King.

3. The books of wisdom. (The tabernacle)
Proverbs. 8
Ecclesiastes. 1:12-13, 2:11, 12:13-14
Song of Songs. 8:5-7

2. The nature of man. Prov. 2.
[1] Mind. Neh. 8:8, John 8:32
[2] Affections. Deut. 6:5-7, Psalm 45.
The heart of the godly minister. To speak of Christ because we love Him.
[3] Will.
Phil. 2:13, For it is God which worketh in you, both the will and the deed, even of His good pleasure.

3. The nature of saving faith.
[1] Repentance by the law.
[2] Believe in the righteousness of the Son.
[3] Obey through the Spirit.

4. Our aim is to affect the hearts of our hearers by sound doctrine.
[1] By the preaching of the truth.
[2] By making relevant contrasts.
[3] By applying the principles.
[4] By relating spiritual truth to our experience in this life.
[5] By encouragment of heavenly promises.
[6] By warning of coming judgment.

Conclusion.

YouTube Audio: https://youtu.be/odNdLSf4OBs