Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 33
Overview:
God to be praised.
(1-11) His people encouraged
By his power.
(12-22)
1-11 Holy joy is the
Heart and soul of praise, and that is here
pressed upon the righteous. Thankful praise is the breath and
language of holy joy. Religious
Songs are proper expressions of
thankful praise. Every endowment we possess, should be employed
with all our skill and earnestness in
God's service. His
promises are all
Wise and good. His
Word is right, and therefore
we are only in the right when we agree with it. His
Works are
all done in
Truth. He is the righteous
Lord, therefore loveth
Righteousness. What a pity it is that this
Earth, which is
So
full of the proofs and instances of
God's
Goodness, should be
So
empty of his praises; and that of the multitudes who live upon
his bounty, there are
So few who live to his
Glory! What the
Lord does, he does to purpose; it stands
Fast. He overrules all
the counsels of men, and makes them serve his counsels; even
that is fulfilled, which to us is most surprising, the eternal
counsel of
God, nor can any thing prevent its coming to pass.
12-22 All the motions and operations of the souls of men, which
No mortals know but themselves,
God knows better than they do.
Their hearts, as
Well as their times, are all in his
Hand; he
formed the
Spirit of each
Man within him. All the powers of the
Creature depend upon him, and are of
No account, of
No avail at
all, without him. If we make
God's favour sure towards us, then
we need not fear whatever is against us. We are to give to him
the
Glory of his special
Grace. All human devices for the
Salvation of our souls are vain; but the
Lord's watchful
Eye is
over those whose conscientious fear of his name proceeds from a
believing
Hope in his
Mercy. In difficulties they shall be
helped; in dangers they shall not receive any real damage. Those
that fear
God and his wrath, must
Hope in
God and his
Mercy; for
there is
No flying from him, but
By flying to him. Let thy
Mercy, O
Lord, be upon us; let us always have the comfort and
benefit, not according to our merits, but according to the
promise which thou hast in thy
Word given to us, and according
to the
Faith thou hast
By thy
Spirit and
Grace wrought in us.