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SERMONS

ON THE

HUNDRED AND NINETEENTH PSALM.

BY THE

REV. THOMAS MANTON, D.D.

WITH

A COMPLETE ALPHABETICAL TABLE, DIRECTING TO THE PRINCIPAL
MATTERS CONTAINED THEREIN.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. II.

All things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and
in the Psalms, concerning me."-LUKE xxiv. 44.

Hic Psalmus est tantò præstantior, quantò prolixior.-MUIS.

THIRD EDITION.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR,

BY WILLIAM HARRIS, D.D.

SECOND THOUSAND.

LONDON:

WILLIAM BROWN, 130, OLD STREET, ST. LUKE.
1845.

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SERMONS

ON

PSALM CXIX.

SERMON LXVII.

VERSE 60.-I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

66

In the verse immediately preceding, the man of God speaks of repentance as the fruit of consideration and self-examining: "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies." But when did he turn? for, though we see the evil of our ways, we are naturally slow to get it redressed. Therefore David did not only turn to God, but he did it speedily: we have an account of that in this verse, I made haste," &c. This readiness in the work of obedience is doubly expressed, affirmatively and negatively. Affirmatively, "I made haste;" negatively, "I delayed not." This double expression increaseth the sense according to the manner of the Hebrews; as, “I shall not die, but live" (Psalm cxviii. 17); that is, surely live; so here, "I made haste and delayed not; that is, I verily delayed not a moment; as soon as he had thought of his ways, and taken up resolutions of walking closely with God, he did put it into practice. The Septuagint read the words thus, 'I was ready, and was not troubled or diverted by fear of danger.' Indeed, besides our natural slowness to good, this is one usual ground of delays: we distract ourselves with fears; and, when God hath made known his will to us in many duties, we think of tarrying till the times are more quiet, and favour our practice, and our affairs are in a better posture. A good improvement may be made of that translation; but the words run better, as they run more generally, with us, "I made haste, and delayed not," &c. ; and from thence observe,—

DOCTRINE. That the call of God, whether to amendment and newness of life or to any particular duty, must be without delay obeyed. To illustrate the point by reasons:

REASON I.-Ready obedience is a good evidence of a sound impression of grace left upon our hearts. There is a slighter conviction which breedeth a sense of duty, but doth not urge us thoroughly to the performance of it; and so men stand reasoning instead of running, debating the case with God: and there is a more sound conviction, which is accompanied with a prevailing efficacy; and, when we have this upon our spirits, then all excuses and delays are laid aside, and we come off readily and kindly in the way of compliance with God's call. This is doctrinally spoken of: "Draw me, we will run after thee" (Cant. i. 4). Running is an earnest and speedy motion, from whence comes it? From drawing: it is a fruit of

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