Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Psalms » Chapter 71 » Verse 20

Psalms 71:20 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

20 Thou, which hast shewed H7200 me great H7227 and sore H7451 troubles, H6869 shalt quicken H2421 me again, H7725 and shalt bring me up H5927 again H7725 from the depths H8415 of the earth. H776

Cross Reference

Hosea 6:1-2 STRONG

Come, H3212 and let us return H7725 unto the LORD: H3068 for he hath torn, H2963 and he will heal H7495 us; he hath smitten, H5221 and he will bind us up. H2280 After two days H3117 will he revive H2421 us: in the third H7992 day H3117 he will raise us up, H6965 and we shall live H2421 in his sight. H6440

Ezekiel 37:12-13 STRONG

Therefore prophesy H5012 and say H559 unto them, Thus saith H559 the Lord H136 GOD; H3069 Behold, O my people, H5971 I will open H6605 your graves, H6913 and cause you to come up H5927 out of your graves, H6913 and bring H935 you into the land H127 of Israel. H3478 And ye shall know H3045 that I am the LORD, H3068 when I have opened H6605 your graves, H6913 O my people, H5971 and brought you up H5927 out of your graves, H6913

2 Corinthians 11:23-31 STRONG

Are they G1526 ministers G1249 of Christ? G5547 (I speak G2980 as a fool G3912 ) I G1473 am more; G5228 in G1722 labours G2873 more abundant, G4056 in G1722 stripes G4127 above measure, G5234 in G1722 prisons G5438 more frequent, G4056 in G1722 deaths G2288 oft. G4178 Of G5259 the Jews G2453 five times G3999 received I G2983 forty G5062 stripes save G3844 one. G3391 Thrice G5151 was I beaten with rods, G4463 once G530 was I stoned, G3034 thrice G5151 I suffered shipwreck, G3489 a night and a day G3574 I have been G4160 in G1722 the deep; G1037 In journeyings G3597 often, G4178 in perils G2794 of waters, G4215 in perils G2794 of robbers, G3027 in perils G2794 by G1537 mine own countrymen, G1085 in perils G2794 by G1537 the heathen, G1484 in perils G2794 in G1722 the city, G4172 in perils G2794 in G1722 the wilderness, G2047 in perils G2794 in G1722 the sea, G2281 in perils G2794 among G1722 false brethren; G5569 In G1722 weariness G2873 and G2532 painfulness, G3449 in G1722 watchings G70 often, G4178 in G1722 hunger G3042 and G2532 thirst, G1373 in G1722 fastings G3521 often, G4178 in G1722 cold G5592 and G2532 nakedness. G1132 Beside G5565 those things that are without, G3924 that which G3588 cometh upon G1999 me G3450 daily, G2250 G2596 the care G3308 of all G3956 the churches. G1577 Who G5101 is weak, G770 and G2532 I am G770 not G3756 weak? G770 who G5101 is offended, G4624 and G2532 I G1473 burn G4448 not? G3756 If G1487 I must needs G1163 glory, G2744 I will glory G2744 of the things which concern G3588 mine G3450 infirmities. G769 The God G2316 and G2532 Father G3962 of our G2257 Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ, G5547 which G3588 is G5607 blessed G2128 for G1519 evermore, G165 knoweth G1492 that I G3754 lie G5574 not. G3756

Mark 14:33-34 STRONG

And G2532 he taketh G3880 with G3326 him G1438 Peter G4074 and G2532 James G2385 and G2532 John, G2491 and G2532 began G756 to be sore amazed, G1568 and G2532 to be very heavy; G85 And G2532 saith G3004 unto them, G846 My G3450 soul G5590 is G2076 exceeding sorrowful G4036 unto G2193 death: G2288 tarry ye G3306 here, G5602 and G2532 watch. G1127

Psalms 88:6-18 STRONG

Thou hast laid H7896 me in the lowest H8482 pit, H953 in darkness, H4285 in the deeps. H4688 Thy wrath H2534 lieth hard H5564 upon me, and thou hast afflicted H6031 me with all thy waves. H4867 Selah. H5542 Thou hast put away H7368 mine acquaintance H3045 far H7368 from me; thou hast made H7896 me an abomination H8441 unto them: I am shut up, H3607 and I cannot come forth. H3318 Mine eye H5869 mourneth H1669 by reason of affliction: H6040 LORD, H3068 I have called H7121 daily H3117 upon thee, I have stretched out H7849 my hands H3709 unto thee. Wilt thou shew H6213 wonders H6382 to the dead? H4191 shall the dead H7496 arise H6965 and praise H3034 thee? Selah. H5542 Shall thy lovingkindness H2617 be declared H5608 in the grave? H6913 or thy faithfulness H530 in destruction? H11 Shall thy wonders H6382 be known H3045 in the dark? H2822 and thy righteousness H6666 in the land H776 of forgetfulness? H5388 But unto thee have I cried, H7768 O LORD; H3068 and in the morning H1242 shall my prayer H8605 prevent H6923 thee. LORD, H3068 why castest thou off H2186 my soul? H5315 why hidest H5641 thou thy face H6440 from me? I am afflicted H6041 and ready to die H1478 from my youth H5290 up: while I suffer H5375 thy terrors H367 I am distracted. H6323 Thy fierce wrath H2740 goeth over H5674 me; thy terrors H1161 have cut me off. H6789 They came round about H5437 me daily H3117 like water; H4325 they compassed H5362 me about together. H3162 Lover H157 and friend H7453 hast thou put far H7368 from me, and mine acquaintance H3045 into darkness. H4285

Psalms 66:10-12 STRONG

For thou, O God, H430 hast proved H974 us: thou hast tried H6884 us, as silver H3701 is tried. H6884 Thou broughtest H935 us into the net; H4686 thou laidst H7760 affliction H4157 upon our loins. H4975 Thou hast caused men H582 to ride H7392 over our heads; H7218 we went H935 through fire H784 and through water: H4325 but thou broughtest us out H3318 into a wealthy H7310 place.

Psalms 40:1-3 STRONG

[[To the chief Musician, H5329 A Psalm H4210 of David.]] H1732 I waited H6960 patiently H6960 for the LORD; H3068 and he inclined H5186 unto me, and heard H8085 my cry. H7775 He brought me up H5927 also out of an horrible H7588 pit, H953 out of the miry H3121 clay, H2916 and set H6965 my feet H7272 upon a rock, H5553 and established H3559 my goings. H838 And he hath put H5414 a new H2319 song H7892 in my mouth, H6310 even praise H8416 unto our God: H430 many H7227 shall see H7200 it, and fear, H3372 and shall trust H982 in the LORD. H3068

Acts 2:32-34 STRONG

This G5126 Jesus G2424 hath G450 God G2316 raised up, G450 whereof G3739 we G2249 all G3956 are G2070 witnesses. G3144 Therefore G3767 being G5312 by the right hand G1188 of God G2316 exalted, G5312 and G5037 having received G2983 of G3844 the Father G3962 the promise G1860 of the Holy G40 Ghost, G4151 he hath shed forth G1632 this, G5124 which G3739 ye G5210 now G3568 see G991 and G2532 hear. G191 For G1063 David G1138 is not G3756 ascended G305 into G1519 the heavens: G3772 but G1161 he saith G3004 himself, G846 The LORD G2962 said G2036 unto my G3450 Lord, G2962 Sit thou G2521 on G1537 my G3450 right hand, G1188

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 71

Commentary on Psalms 71 Matthew Henry Commentary


Psalm 71

David penned this psalm in his old age, as appears by several passages in it, which makes many think that it was penned at the time of Absalom's rebellion; for that was the great trouble of his later days. It might be occasioned by Sheba's insurrection, or some trouble that happened to him in that part of his life of which it was foretold that the sword should not depart from his house. But he is not over-particular in representing his case, because he intended it for the general use of God's people in their afflictions, especially those they meet with in their declining years; for this psalm, above any other, is fitted for the use of the old disciples of Jesus Christ.

  • I. He begins the psalm with believing prayers, with prayers that God would deliver him and save him (v. 2, 4), and not cast him off (v. 9) or be far from him (v. 12), and that his enemies might be put to shame (v. 13). He pleads his confidence in God (v. 1, 3, 5, 7), the experience he had had of help from God (v. 6), and the malice of his enemies against him (v. 10, 11).
  • II. He concludes the psalm with believing praises (v. 14, etc.). Never was his hope more established (v. 16, 18, 20, 21). Never were his joys and thanksgivings more enlarged (v. 15, 19, 22-24).

He is in an ecstasy of joyful praise; and, in the singing of it, we too should have our faith in God encouraged and our hearts raised in blessing his holy name.

Psa 71:1-13

Two things in general David here prays for-that he might not be confounded and that his enemies and persecutors might be confounded.

  • I. He prays that he might never be made ashamed of his dependence upon God nor disappointed in his believing expectations from him. With this petition every true believer may come boldly to the throne of grace; for God will never disappoint the hope that is of his own raising. Now observe here,
    • 1. How David professes his confidence in God, and with what pleasure and grateful variety of expression he repeats his profession of that confidence, still presenting the profession of it to God and pleading it with him. We praise God, and so please him, by telling him (if it be indeed true) what an entire confidence we have in him (v. 1): "In thee, O Lord! and in thee only, do I put my trust. Whatever others do, I choose the God of Jacob for my help.' Those that are entirely satisfied with God's all-sufficiency and the truth of his promise, and in dependence upon that, as sufficient to make them amends, are freely willing to do and suffer, to lose and venture, for him, may truly say, In thee, O Lord! do I put my trust. Those that will deal with God must deal upon trust; if we are shy of dealing with him, it is a sign we do not trust him. Thou art my rock and my fortress (v. 3); and again, "Thou art my refuge, my strong refuge' (v. 7); that is, "I fly to thee, and am sure to be safe in thee, and under thy protection. If thou secure me, none can hurt me. Thou art my hope and my trust' (v. 5); that is, "thou hast proposed thyself to me in thy word as the proper object of my hope and trust; I have hoped in thee, and never found it in vain to do so.'
    • 2. How his confidence in God is supported and encouraged by his experiences (v. 5, 6): "Thou hast been my trust from my youth; ever since I was capable of discerning between my right hand and my left, I stayed myself upon thee, and saw a great deal of reason to do so; for by thee have I been holden up from the womb.' Ever since he had the use of his reason he had been a dependent upon God's goodness, because ever since he had had a being he had been a monument of it. Note, The consideration of the gracious care which the divine Providence took of us in our birth and infancy should engage us to an early piety and constant devotedness to his honour. He that was our help from our birth ought to be our hope from our youth. If we received so much mercy from God before we were capable of doing him any service, we should lose no time when we are capable. This comes in here as a support to the psalmist in his present distress; not only that God had given him his life and being, bringing him out of his mother's bowels into the world, and providing that he should not die from the womb, nor give up the ghost when he came out of the belly, but that he had betimes made him one of his family: "Thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels into the arms of thy grace, under the shadow of thy wings, into the bond of thy covenant; thou tookest me into thy church, as a son of thy handmaid, and born in thy house, Ps. 116:16. And therefore,'
      • (1.) "I have reason to hope that thou wilt protect me; thou that hast held me up hitherto wilt not let me fall now; thou that madest me wilt not forsake the work of thy own hands; thou that helpedst me when I could not help myself wilt not abandon me now that I am as helpless as I was then.'
      • (2.) "Therefore I have reason to resolve that I will devote myself unto thee: My praise shall therefore be continually of thee;' that is, "I will make it my business every day to praise thee and will take all occasions to do it.'
    • 3. What his requests to God are, in this confidence.
      • (1.) That he might never be put to confusion (v. 1), that he might not be disappointed of the mercy he expected and so made ashamed of his expectation. Thus we may all pray in faith that our confidence in God may not be our confusion. Hope of the glory of God is hope that makes not ashamed.
      • (2.) That he might be delivered out of the hand of his enemies (v. 2): "Deliver me in thy righteousness. As thou art the righteous Judge of the world, pleading the cause of the injured and punishing the injurious, cause me in some way or other to escape' (God will, with the temptation, make a way to escape, 1 Co. 10:13): "Incline thy ear unto my prayers, and, in answer to them, save me out of my troubles, v. 4. Deliver me, O my God! out of the hands of those that are ready to pull me in pieces.' Three things he pleads for deliverance:-
        • [1.] The encouragement God had given him to expect it: Thou hast given commandment to save me (v. 3); that is, thou hast promised to do it, and such efficacy is there in God's promises that they are often spoken of as commands, like that, Let there be light, and there was light. He speaks, and it is done.
        • [2.] The character of his enemies; they are wicked, unrighteous, cruel men, and it will be for the honour of God to appear against them (v. 4), for he is a holy, just, and good God.
        • [3.] The many eyes that were upon him (v. 7): "I am as a wonder unto many; every one waits to see what will be the issue of such extraordinary troubles as I have fallen into and such extraordinary confidence as I profess to have in God.' Or, "I am looked upon as a monster, am one whom every body shuns, and therefore am undone if the Lord be not my refuge. Men abandon me, but God will not.'
      • (3.) That he might always find rest and safety in God (v. 3): Be thou my strong habitation; by thou to me a rock of repose, whereto I may continually resort. Those that are at home in God, that live a life of communion with him and confidence in him, that continually resort unto him by faith and prayer, having their eyes ever towards him, may promise themselves a strong habitation in him, such as will never fall of itself nor can ever be broken through by any invading power; and they shall be welcome to resort to him continually upon all occasions, and not be upbraided as coming too often.
      • (4.) That he might have continual matter for thanksgiving to God, and might be continually employed in that pleasant work (v. 8): "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, as now it is with my complaints, and then I shall not be ashamed of my hope, but my enemies will be ashamed of their insolence.' Those that love God love to be praising him, and desire to be doing it all the day, not only in their morning and evening devotions, not only seven times a day (Ps. 119:164), but all the day, to intermix with all they say something or other that may redound to the honour and praise of God. They resolve to do it while they live; they hope to be doing it eternally in a better world.
      • (5.) That he might not be neglected now in his declining years (v. 9): Cast me not off now in the time of my old gage; forsake me not when my strength fails. Observe here,
        • [1.] The natural sense he had of the infirmities of age: My strength fails. Where there was strength of body and vigour of mind, strong sight, a strong voice, strong limbs, alas! in old age they fail; the life is continued, but the strength is gone, or that which is his labour and sorrow, Ps. 90:10.
        • [2.] The gracious desire he had of the continuance of God's presence with him under these infirmities: Lord, cast me not off; do not then forsake me. This intimates that he should look upon himself as undone if God should abandon him. To be cast off and forsaken of God is a thing to be dreaded at any time, especially in the time of old age and when our strength fails us; for it is God that is the strength of our heart. But it intimates that he had reason to hope God would not desert him; the faithful servants of God may be comfortably assured that he will not cast them off in old age, nor forsake them when their strength fails them. He is a Master that is not wont to cast off old servants. In this confidence David here prays again (v. 12): "O God! be not far from me; let me not be under the apprehension of thy withdrawings, for then I am miserable. I my God! a God in covenant with me, make haste for my help, lest I perish before help come.'
  • II. He prays that his enemies might be made ashamed of their designs against him. Observe,
    • 1. What it was which they unjustly said against him, v. 10, 11. Their plot was deep and desperate; it was against his life: They lay wait for my soul (v. 10), and are adversaries to that, v. 13. Their powers and policies were combined: They take counsel together. And very insolent they were in their deportment: They say, God has forsaken him; persecute and take him. Here their premises are utterly false, that because a good man was in great trouble and had continued long in it, and was not so soon delivered as perhaps he expected, therefore God had forsaken him and would have no more to do with him. All are not forsaken of God who think themselves so or whom others think to be so. And, as their premises were false, so their inference was barbarous. If God has forsaken him, then persecute and take him, and doubt not but to make a prey of him. This is talking to the grief of one whom God has smitten, Ps. 69:26. But thus they endeavour to discourage David, as Sennacherib endeavoured to intimidate Hezekiah by suggesting that God was his enemy and fought against him. Have I now come up without the Lord against this city, to destroy it? Isa. 36:10. It is true, if God has forsaken a man, there is none to deliver him; but therefore to insult over him ill becomes those who are conscious to themselves that they deserve to be for ever forsaken of God. But rejoice not against me, O my enemy! though I fall, I shall rise. He that seems to forsake for a small moment will gather with everlasting kindness.
    • 2. What it was which he justly prayed for, from a spirit of prophecy, not a spirit of passion (v. 13): "Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul. If they will not be confounded by repentance, and so saved, let them be confounded with everlasting dishonour, and so ruined.' God will turn into shame the glory of those who turn into shame the glory of God and his people.

Psa 71:14-24

David is here in a holy transport of joy and praise, arising from his faith and hope in God; we have both together v. 14, where there is a sudden and remarkable change of his voice; his fears are all silenced, his hopes raised, and his prayers turned into thanksgivings. "Let my enemies say what they will, to drive me to despair, I will hope continually, hope in all conditions, in the most cloudy and dark day; I will live upon hope and will hope to the end.' Since we hope in one that will never fail us, let not our hope in him fail us, and then we shall praise him yet more and more. "The more they reproach me the more closely will I cleave to thee; I will praise thee more and better than ever I have done yet.' The longer we live the more expert we should grow in praising God and the more we should abound in it. I will add over and above all thy praise, all the praise I have hitherto offered, for it is all too little. When we have said all we can, to the glory of God's grace, there is still more to be said; it is a subject that can never be exhausted, and therefore we should never grow weary of it. Now observe, in these verses,

  • I. How his heart is established in faith and hope; and it is a good thing that the heart be so established. Observe,
    • 1. What he hopes in, v. 16.
      • (1.) In the power of God: "I will go in the strength of the Lord God, not sit down in despair, but stir up myself to and exert myself in my work and warfare, will go forth and go on, not in any strength of my own, but in God's strength-disclaiming my own sufficiency and depending on him only as all-sufficient-in the strength of his providence and in the strength of his grace.' We must always go about God's work in his strength, having our eyes up unto him to work in us both to will and to do.
      • (2.) In the promise of God: "I will make mention of thy righteousness, that is, thy faithfulness to every word which thou hast spoken, the equity of thy disposals, and thy kindness to thy people that trust in thee. This I will make mention of as my plea in prayer for thy mercy.' We may very fitly apply it to the righteousness of Christ, which is called the righteousness of God by faith, and which is witnessed by the law and the prophets; we must depend upon God's strength for assistance and upon Christ's righteousness for acceptance. In the Lord have I righteousness and strength, Isa. 45:24.
    • 2. What he hopes for.
      • (1.) He hopes that God will not leave him in his old age, but will be the same to him to the end that he had been all along, v. 17, 18. Observe here,
        • [1.] What God had done for him when he was young: Thou hast taught me from my youth. The good education and good instructions which his parents gave him when he was young he owns himself obliged to give God thanks for as a great favour. It is a blessed thing to be taught of God from our youth, from our childhood to know the holy scriptures, and it is what we have reason to bless God for.
        • [2.] What he had done for God when he was middle-aged: He had declared all God's wondrous works. Those that have not good when they are young must be doing good when they are grown up, and must continue to communicate what they have received. We must own that all the works of God's goodness to us are wondrous works, admiring he should do so much for us who are so undeserving, and we must make it our business to declare them, to the glory of God and the good of others.
        • [3.] What he desired of God now that he was old: Now that I am old and gray-headed, dying to this world and hastening to another, O God! forsake me not. This is what he earnestly desires and confidently hopes for. Those that have been taught of God from their youth, and have made it the business of their lives to honour him, may be sure that he will not leave them when they are old and gray-headed, will not leave them helpless and comfortless, but will make the evil days of old age their best days, and such as they shall have occasion to say they have pleasure in.
        • [4.] What he designed to do for God in his old age: "I will not only show thy strength, by my own experience of it, to this generation, but I will leave my observations upon record for the benefit of posterity, and so who it to every one that is to come.' As long as we live we should be endeavouring to glorify God and edify one another; and those that have had the largest and longest experience of the goodness of God to them should improve their experiences for the good of their friends. It is a debt which the old disciples of Christ owe to the succeeding generations to leave behind them a solemn testimony to the power, pleasure, and advantage of religion, and the truth of God's promises.
      • (2.) He hopes that God would revive him and raise him up out of his present low and disconsolate condition (v. 20): Thou who hast made me to see and feel great and sore troubles, above most men, shalt quicken me again. Note,
        • [1.] The best of God's saints and servants are sometimes exercised with great and sore troubles in this world.
        • [2.] God's hand is to be eyed in all the troubles of the saints, and that will help to extenuate them and make them seem light. He does not say, "Thou hast burdened me with those troubles,' but "shown them to me,' as the tender father shows the child the rod to keep him in awe.
        • [3.] Though God's people be brought ever so low he can revive them and raise them up. Are they dead? he can quicken them again. See 2 Co. 1:9. Are they buried, as dead men out of mind? he can bring them up again from the depths of the earth, can cheer the most drooping spirit and raise the most sinking interest.
        • [4.] If we have a due regard to the hand of God in our troubles, we may promise ourselves, in due time, a deliverance out of them. Our present troubles, though great and sore, shall be no hindrance to our joyful resurrection from the depths of the earth, witness our great Master, to whom this may have some reference; his Father showed him great and sore troubles, but quickened him and brought him up from the grave.
      • (3.) He hopes that God would not only deliver him out of his troubles, but would advance his honour and joy more than ever (v. 21): "Thou shalt not only restore me to my greatness again, but shalt increase it, and give me a better interest, after this shock, than before; thou shalt not only comfort me, but comfort me on every side, so that I shall see nothing black or threatening on any side.' Note, Sometimes God makes his people's troubles contribute to the increase of their greatness, and their sun shines the brighter for having been under a cloud. If he make them contribute to the increase of their goodness, that will prove in the end the increase of their greatness, their glory; and if he comfort them on every side, according to the time and degree wherein he has afflicted them on every side, they will have no reason to complain. When our Lord Jesus was quickened again, and brought back from the depths of the earth, his greatness was increased, and he entered on the joy set before him.
      • (4.) He hopes that all his enemies would be put to confusion, v. 24. He speaks of it with the greatest assurance as a thing done, and triumphs in it accordingly: They are confounded, they are brought to shame, that seek my hurt. His honour would be their disgrace and his comfort their vexation.
  • II. Let us now see how his heart is enlarged in joy and praises, how he rejoices in hope, and sings in hope for we are saved by hope.
    • 1. He will speak of God's righteousness and his salvation, as great things, things which he was well acquainted with, and much affected with, which he desired God might have the glory of and others might have the comfortable knowledge of (v. 15): My mouth shall show forth thy righteousness and thy salvation; and again (v. 24), My tongue shall talk of thy righteousness, and this all the day. God's righteousness, which David seems here to be in a particular manner affected with, includes a great deal: the rectitude of his nature, the equity of his providential disposals, the righteous laws he has given us to be ruled by, the righteous promises he has given us to depend upon, and the everlasting righteousness which his Son has brought in for our justification. God's righteousness and his salvation are here joined together; let no man think to put them asunder, nor expect salvation without righteousness, Ps. 50:23. If these two are made the objects of our desire, let them be made the subjects of our discourse all the day, for they are subjects that can never be exhausted.
    • 2. He will speak of them with wonder and admiration, as one astonished at the dimensions of divine love and grace, the height and depth, the length and breadth, of it: "I know not the numbers thereof, v. 15. Though I cannot give a particular account of thy favours to me, they are so many, so great (if I would count them, they are more in number than the sand, Ps. 40:5), yet, knowing them to be numberless, I will be still speaking of them, for in them I shall find new matter,' v. 19. The righteousness that is in God is very high; that which is done by him for his people is very great: put both together, and we shall say, O God! who is like unto thee? This is praising God, acknowledging his perfections and performances to be,
      • (1.) Above our conception; they are very high and great, so high that we cannot apprehend them, so great that we cannot comprehend them.
      • (2.) Without any parallel; no being like him, no works like his: O God! who is like unto thee? None in heaven, none on earth, no angel, no king. God is a non-such; we do not rightly praise him if we do not own him to be so.
    • 3. He will speak of them with all the expressions of joy and exultation, v. 22, 23. Observe,
      • (1.) How he would eye God in praising him.
        • [1.] As a faithful God: I will praise thee, even thy truth. God is made known by his word; if we praise that, and the truth of that, we praise him. By faith we set to our seal that God is true; and so we praise his truth.
        • [2.] As a God in covenant with him: "O my God! whom I have consented to and avouched for mine.' As in our prayers, so in our praises, we must look up to God as our God, and give him the glory of our interest in him and relation to him.
        • [3.] As the Holy One of Israel, Israel's God in a peculiar manner, glorious in his holiness among that people and faithful to his covenant with them. It is God's honour that he is a Holy One; it is his people's honour that he is the Holy One of Israel.
      • (2.) How he will express his joy and exultation.
        • [1.] With his hand, in sacred music-with the psaltery, with the harp; at these David excelled, and the best of his skill shall be employed in setting forth God's praises to such advantage as might affect others.
        • [2.] With his lips, in sacred songs: "Unto thee will I sing, to thy honour, and with a desire to be accepted of thee. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee, knowing they cannot be better employed.'
        • [3.] In both with his heart: "My soul shall rejoice which thou hast redeemed.' Note,
          • First, Holy joy is the very heart and life of thankful praise.
          • Secondly, We do not make melody to the Lord, in singing his praises, if we do not do it with our hearts. My lips shall rejoice, but that is nothing; lip-labour, though ever so well laboured, if that be all, is but lost labour in serving God; the soul must be at work, and with all that is within us we must bless his holy name, else all about us is worth little.
          • Thirdly, Redeemed souls ought to be joyful thankful souls. The work of redemption ought, above all God's works, to be celebrated by us in our praises. The Lamb that was slain, and has redeemed us to God, must therefore be counted worthy of all blessing and praise.