Nero's sword will not have the final say, but Jesus is going to bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. And though we thought that we had suffered loss from the tardiness of their coming, yet we find gain from their more abundant charity; seeing that from this delay in point Saint Gregory the Greatthe Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great, The Coming Revival"Wilt Thou not revive us again: that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?"--PS. S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. 7 ad 3m II. Although he had averred so strongly his aversion to the wicked, he prays that this may be no mere outward separation. How, then, would the record run? Psalm 138:8, NASB: The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your faithfulness, LORD, is everlasting; Do not abandon the works of Your hands. ad probam IV. Nor does such a feeling indicate malevolence. He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. To Dominicus, Bishop. God has made us so. Said Milton, speaking of his travels abroad when a young man: "I again take God to witness that in all places where so many things are considered lawful, I lived sound and untouched from all profligacy and vice, having this thought perpetually with me, that though I might escape the eyes of men, I certainly could not the eyes of God."4. 18, 19. That of siding with Him against evil (vers. 2. (Isa. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. 19 III. 8). The so-called "Lord's Prayer," which actually is not the Lord's Prayer (that's in John 17) in Matt. He must be prepared for the Kingdom that has been prepared for him Saint Bernard of ClairvauxSome Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of ClairvauxThat the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action. Though the transgressor is ignorant of much of his sin, because, at the time of its commission, he sins blindly as well as wilfully, and unreflectingly as well as freely; and though the transgressor has forgotten much of that small amount of sin, of which he was conscious, and by which he was pained, at the time of its perpetration; though, on the side of man, the powers of self-inspection and memory have accomplished so little towards this preservation of man's sin, yet God knows it all, and remembers it all. And the hour of death will come. Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatSense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. He will revive us."--HOS. Hoyt, D. D.)God's knowledge of manW. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. "(Archbishop Temple. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. 18 " Ep., cxxx. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' 18 " Ep., cxxx. He must be prepared for the Kingdom that has been prepared for him Saint Bernard of ClairvauxSome Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of ClairvauxThat the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action. The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words. The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words. It is perfectly plain from the elevated central point of view where we now stand, and in the focal light in which we now see, that no man can be justified before God upon the ground of personal character; for that character, when subjected to God's exhaustive scrutiny, withers and shrinks away. "He is so great that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him, and so little that He can dwell in my heart.". It is perfectly plain from the elevated central point of view where we now stand, and in the focal light in which we now see, that no man can be justified before God upon the ground of personal character; for that character, when subjected to God's exhaustive scrutiny, withers and shrinks away. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. (ver. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. Ps. Like when Jesus in Mark 4:39 said Peace be still. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN MIGHT, BUT DOES NOT, KNOW OF HIMSELF. That of welcoming the Divine searching (vers. If that Being has gone down into these depths of human depravity, and seen it with a more abhorring glance than could ever shoot from a finite eye, and yet has returned with a cordial offer to forgive it all, and a hearty proffer to cleanse it all away, then we can lift up the eye in adoration and in hope. Then is the moment to choose whether or not we will live in the presence of God; then when the finger of conscience is pointing to Him and saying, "He is looking at you. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. (Weekly Pulpit. This is one of the most famous statements in the Old Testament, and rightly so, because it expresses the heart of a great spiritual leader at the end of his life. Hoyt, D. D.)God's knowledge of manW. "Forsake not the works of Thine own hands." For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. His omniscience. But in almost every case the dazzling rays of a searchlight frustrated the attempt, and the fugitives' vessel was captured by the Americans. In the day when I cried Charles KingsleyOut of the Deep. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. There is no reason to mourn a son as lost who is a religious, still less to fear for his delicacy of constitution. In short, to live with God is to be perpetually rising above the world; to live without Him is to be perpetually sinking into it, and with it, and below it. But if that knowledge whereby man knows himself is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is far more so. (2)His knowledge of us is entire, complete.2. "Whatever concerns me," says he, "the Lord will perfect.". This is living with God. Now, in this condition of things, God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. Whence the march and trend of history, always revealing "a power not ourselves, which makes for righteousness," and which sweeps away opposition like dust before the oncoming storm? To Dominicus, Bishop. In the day when I cried Charles KingsleyOut of the DeepWherefore a Few Witnesses, which the Lord Deigns to Suggest to My Mind32. It is a simple question of time; a simple question whether it shall come here in this world, where the blood of Christ "freely" flows, or in the future world, where "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin."(W. And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. Gregory to Dominicus, Bishop of Carthage [1454] . But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops promotes the greater good which the Church offers humankind, especially through forms and programs of the apostolate fittingly adapted to the circumstances of time and place. The brilliant searchlight sweeping the broad ocean and revealing even the smallest craft on its surface is but a faint type of the Eternal Light from which no sinner can hide his sin. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius John Edgar McFadyenIntroduction to the Old TestamentLinksPsalm 138:8 NIVPsalm 138:8 NLTPsalm 138:8 ESVPsalm 138:8 NASBPsalm 138:8 KJVPsalm 138:8 Bible AppsPsalm 138:8 ParallelPsalm 138:8 Biblia ParalelaPsalm 138:8 Chinese BiblePsalm 138:8 French BiblePsalm 138:8 German BiblePsalm 138:8 CommentariesBible Hub. lxxxv. And have not many actually made shipwreck of faith and a good conscience? Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. Nay, more, this process of self-inspection may go on indefinitely, and the man grow more and more thoughtful, and obtain an everlastingly augmenting knowledge of what he is and what he does, so that it shall seem to him that he is penetrating so deeply into those dim and shadowy regions of consciousness where the external life takes its very first start, and then he may be sure that God understands the thought that is afar off, and deep down, and that at this lowest range and plane in his experience he besets him behind and before.II. His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. Wherefore a few witnesses, which the Lord deigns to suggest to my mind, I proceed to mention, from out the teaching of Christ concerning humility, such as perhaps may be enough for my purpose. March 3rd, 2023. To Dominicus, Bishop. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. One of these, borrowed from the Spanish theologian Francisco de Vitoria,48 was based on the universal right conferred by the 'law of nations' (ius gentium) to freedom of trade and communication. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. 15. lxxxv. 17, 18).2. As they are the works of His hands, they must be very dear unto Him, He cannot but love them and delight in them, and He rests in His love. vi. The 10 Best Books for Skeptics of Christianity. 19-22).3. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever--do not abandon the works of Your hands. The faith of that Centurion He on this account chiefly praised, and said St. Hence he entreats God to see and disclose it, and then taking his hand to lead him in a way which, unlike the way of the wicked (Psalm 1:6), does not perish, but ends in everlasting life. AugustineOn the Good of MarriagePrayer Out of the Deep. 1. Nay, more, this process of self-inspection may go on indefinitely, and the man grow more and more thoughtful, and obtain an everlastingly augmenting knowledge of what he is and what he does, so that it shall seem to him that he is penetrating so deeply into those dim and shadowy regions of consciousness where the external life takes its very first start, and then he may be sure that God understands the thought that is afar off, and deep down, and that at this lowest range and plane in his experience he besets him behind and before.II. G. T. Shedd, D. D.: One of the most remark. : The fact that God is always present and knows every minute trifle in our lives, and that His unerring judgment will assuredly take count of every detail of our character and our conduct, neither exaggerating nor omitting, but applying absolute justice; this truth is one of those which lose force from their very universality. While the majority of the sermons listed below are "mine," several of them are sermons worked up by my dad, Frank Higginbotham, who preached over 60 years, and others were developed from seeds planted by various preachers I've heard throughout my lifetime. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius John Edgar McFadyenIntroduction to the Old TestamentLinksPsalm 138:8 NIVPsalm 138:8 NLTPsalm 138:8 ESVPsalm 138:8 NASBPsalm 138:8 KJVPsalm 138:8 Bible AppsPsalm 138:8 ParallelPsalm 138:8 Biblia ParalelaPsalm 138:8 Chinese BiblePsalm 138:8 French BiblePsalm 138:8 German BiblePsalm 138:8 CommentariesBible Hub, (2)There is the error that imagines that death will make some fundamental alteration in their relation to God.2. It is not his own strength or good resolves, but that ever-enduring mercy which fortifies him against all the risks and perils which he knows beset him; and he will abide in that mercy through continual prayer and trust. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. Wherefore a few witnesses, which the Lord deigns to suggest to my mind, I proceed to mention, from out the teaching of Christ concerning humility, such as perhaps may be enough for my purpose. This thought is expanded and enforced by its application to all measures of space. 19-22).3. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. : While the Americans were blockading Cuba, several captains endeavoured to elude their vigilance by night, trusting that the darkness would conceal them as they passed between the American war-ships. 6. The worst has been seen, and that too by the holiest of beings, and yet eternal glory is offered to us! He learnt his theology, as we shall see, from Eastern authorities, and was not content to carry on and develop the traditional teaching of the West; and the disciple St. xlix. cxxxviii. But if that knowledge whereby man knows himself is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is far more so. 7. We do not agree with Momus, neither are we of his mind who desired to have a window in his breast that all men might see his heart. iii. xlix. Those who live much in refined and educated society acquire refinement insensibly. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. )God all-seeing:In the mythology of the heathen, Momus, the god of fault-finding, is represented as blaming Vulcan, because in the human form, which he had made of clay, he had not placed a window in the breast, by which whatever was done or thought there might easily be brought to light. Through Baptism God puts his name on us. The simple question, then, which meets us is, Wilt thou know thyself here, and now, that thou mayest accept and feel God's pity; or wilt thou keep within the screen, and not know thyself until beyond the grave, and then feel God's judicial wrath? Though the transgressor is ignorant of much of his sin, because, at the time of its commission, he sins blindly as well as wilfully, and unreflectingly as well as freely; and though the transgressor has forgotten much of that small amount of sin, of which he was conscious, and by which he was pained, at the time of its perpetration; though, on the side of man, the powers of self-inspection and memory have accomplished so little towards this preservation of man's sin, yet God knows it all, and remembers it all. He will revive us."--HOS. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. 18, 19. For if God's exhaustive knowledge of the human heart waken dread in one of its aspects, it starts infinite hope in another. 15. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. 23, 24). Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the Great, Sense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. This is living with God. There is no reason to mourn a son as lost who is a religious, still less to fear for his delicacy of constitution. 4. Cultivate a loving affection for Him.(Homilist. The separate, personal thinking of God toward every one of us. Hoyt, D. D.)God's knowledge of manW. )PeopleDavid, PsalmistPlacesJerusalemTopicsAbandon, Accomplish, Age, Chief, Complete, Concerneth, Concerns, David, Endures, Endureth, Eternal, Everlasting, Fall, Forever, Forsake, Fulfil, Fulfill, Hands, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Musician, O, Perfect, Psalm, Purpose, Steadfast, WorksOutline1. The "Lord will," says he, the "Lord will." He looks on all through his life, and he feels sure that what God has done and is doing he will carry on even to the end. cxxxviii. That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. Does the Contemplative Life consist solely in the Contemplation of God, or in the Consideration St. v. 22). 8). --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. the lord will perfect that which concerns me sermon. 7. We could never discharge our duties properly if we were to be perpetually distracted by the consciousness of what was around us: and, above all, we might be daunted by the perpetual thought of the presence of God, and so be paralyzed instead of helped. ad probam IV. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. That act whereby another being knows my secret thoughts and inmost feelings is most certainly inexplicable.I. (2)Unseen world.(3)Everywhere. Those who are always hearing pure and high principles set forth as the guides of life learn to value and to know them even faster than they can learn to live by them. 15. I like that thought, don't you? The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. vi. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. In a sermon preached before the Virginia Company in 1610 William Crashaw advanced a range of arguments to justify the Virginia enterprise. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit. Rom. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. And lest the presence of God should be too much for us, Christ has taken human nature on Him, and has provided that He will be always with us as long as the world shall last. 5, 6. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. All the elements in heaven, everything in nature, the powers and forces of darkness, all heard that Word and they surrendered to that Word, they submitted to that Word and there was great peace and calm all around. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. The right state of mind plainly is to have the thought of God's presence so perpetually at hand that it shall always start before us whenever it is wanted. Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatSense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." (Admonition 23.) 5, 6. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. We will be engaging in this for 21 days. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. 17, 18).2. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative LifeEpistle Xlvii. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. 1. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. 19 III. Understand the meaning of Psalms 138:8 using all available Bible versions and commentary. Then is the moment to choose whether or not we will live in the presence of God; then when the finger of conscience is pointing to Him and saying, "He is looking at you. So, too, by living in the presence of God and, as it were, in the courts of heaven, we shall assuredly learn something of a heavenly tone, and shake off some of that coarse worldliness, that deeply ingrained selfishness, that silly pride and conceit which now spoils our very best service. lxxxv. That of siding with Him against evil (vers. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. Being rich he becomes richer; being already high born, of still nobler lineage; being illustrious, he gains greater renown; and--what is more than all--once a sinner he is now a saint. But in almost every case the dazzling rays of a searchlight frustrated the attempt, and the fugitives' vessel was captured by the Americans. The right state of mind plainly is to have the thought of God's presence so perpetually at hand that it shall always start before us whenever it is wanted. There is no reason to mourn a son as lost who is a religious, still less to fear for his delicacy of constitution. OURSELVES. And here let us look upon the bright as well as the dark side of this subject. And some will pass through great affliction and some will experience a great many wants. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. 24).(W. God Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever do not abandon the works of your hands. able characteristics of a rational being is the power of self-inspection. 24).(W. And this perpetual though not always conscious sense of God's presence would, no doubt, if we would let it have its perfect work, gradually act on our characters just as the presence of our fellow-men does. And at the altar Jesus gives . Chapter i. the regular habit of reading the Bible at a fixed time, the occasional reminders of ourselves that God is looking on, these are our chief means of learning to remember His presence. His omnipotence (vers. For if God's exhaustive knowledge of the human heart waken dread in one of its aspects, it starts infinite hope in another. We have the help of Almighty God! 19-22).3. Those who live much in refined and educated society acquire refinement insensibly. 17, 18).2. lxxxv. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. How priceless the blood of Calvary, in which the saints have "washed their robes and made them white"! "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. That of adoring and constantly thoughtful reverence (vers. His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. | 28:00 min. 17, 18). I. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Letter Xliii a Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. He is in (1)Heaven. But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. The ruler should always be chief in action, that by his living he may point out the way of life to those that are put under him, and that the flock, which follows the voice and manners of the shepherd, may learn how to walk better through example than through words. 7 ad 3m II. Nay, more, this process of self-inspection may go on indefinitely, and the man grow more and more thoughtful, and obtain an everlastingly augmenting knowledge of what he is and what he does, so that it shall seem to him that he is penetrating so deeply into those dim and shadowy regions of consciousness where the external life takes its very first start, and then he may be sure that God understands the thought that is afar off, and deep down, and that at this lowest range and plane in his experience he besets him behind and before.II. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' It leads to prayer. We see that mercy has provided for the ruined life to be restored and built up again according to the plan of the great Architect. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit. Hilary of PoitiersThe Life and Writings of St. Hilary of PoitiersPsalmsThe piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. To start saving items to a SermonFolder, please create an account. 27 of 37 9/29/2016 ( THU) ID 919161452389 RADIO BROADCAST Blog -This . If God makes your son His son also, what do you lose or what does he himself lose? It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. OURSELVES. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. The separate, personal thinking of God toward every one of us.(1)Innumerable.(2)Constant.II. I will ask you three questions suggested by the words themselves, and according to your answer to these three questions, shall be Charles Haddon SpurgeonSpurgeon's Sermons Volume 5: 1859Question of the Contemplative LifeI. His omnipresence. cxxxviii. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. What are those things you are standing for and believing that the Lord will bring to pass concerning you, beloved take the Word of God as it and with a simple faith believe in your heart that His promises will not fail to the ground but will fulfill all it intend to do in your life and situation in Jesus Name. Forasmuch as each man is a part of the human race, and human nature is something social, and hath for a great and natural good, the power also of friendship; on this account God willed to create all men out of one, in order that they might be held in their society not only by likeness of kind, but also by bond of kindred. This is the communion with Him, and with Christ, which unquestionably helps the struggling, the penitent, the praying, more than anything else. "But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15b). If that Being has gone down into these depths of human depravity, and seen it with a more abhorring glance than could ever shoot from a finite eye, and yet has returned with a cordial offer to forgive it all, and a hearty proffer to cleanse it all away, then we can lift up the eye in adoration and in hope.