2. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. Then up comes another fear. 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. We cannot live long with men without catching something of their manner, of their mode of thought, of their character, of their government of themselves. He professes his confidence in GodDictionary of Bible ThemesPsalm 138:86708predestination8125guidance, promise8441goalsPsalm 138:7-81265hand of GodLibraryFaith in PerfectionIn the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. Hoyt, D. D.: This psalm sings of I. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. Ps. lvii. ", 6708predestination8125guidance, promise8441goals, Question of the Contemplative LifeI. 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. Those who live much in refined and educated society acquire refinement insensibly. The Coming, 1. (Isa. vi. 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. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." He takes His motives entirely from Himself. 2019 Ted Fund Donors S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. If it is a concern to us, then it is a concern to God too because God cares for us. He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. 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. If there is a creator of the universe, He must also be its sustainer: He cannot press material forces into service and go and leave them, as we do a windmill to draw water, for all force depends upon Him for its existence. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. The thought will flash across us that God sees us. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. 19 III. That of siding with Him against evil (vers. 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. 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. It's that simple. A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. This is living with God. This is living with God. Ps. If something is concerning or upsetting to you right now, know that God will take care of it. (Isa. How shall we learn to walk by His side? "What do you mean when you say, 'The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me'? But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. vi. ad probam IV. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? xviii. 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. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. xviii. so his questioner asks again; and the psalmist is at no loss for reply. The mercy of the creature was of yesterday; the mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting. 3. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. The writer of Psalm 51. says if but the Lord will restore to him the joy of his salvation, and uphold him with his free spirit, "then will I teach transgressors," etc. )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. 19-22).3. Justice, in this reference, is out of the question. vi. 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. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. 1, 2. (1)He knows our actions, ways, words, thoughts. S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. the lord will perfect that which concerns me sermon. 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. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. AugustineOn the Good of MarriagePrayer Out of the Deep. He will revive us."--HOS. cxxxviii. 6. If God makes your son His son also, what do you lose or what does he himself lose? God has made us so. The friends of God are glad in the sure hope of being more and more consciously under His eye. 13-16).4. The faith of that Centurion He on this account chiefly praised, and said St. He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. Gregory to Dominicus, Bishop of Carthage [1454] . For if God's exhaustive knowledge of the human heart waken dread in one of its aspects, it starts infinite hope in another. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. 1. As low as $30/day. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. 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. "(Archbishop Temple. Pentecostal. 9 Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 23, 24). the various events and vicissitudes of life, even before one of them existed. If God makes your son His son also, what do you lose or what does he himself lose? 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. 7 ad 3m II. xviii. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. 8). Read full chapter Psalm 138:8 in all English translations Psalm 137 Psalm 139 King James Version (KJV) Public Domain PLUS Do you have questions about the passage you are reading? THE LORD PUTS IT INTO HIS PEOPLE'S HEARTS TO PRAY, AND SUPPLIES THEM WITH A PLEA. Hoyt, D. D.)God's knowledge of manW. )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. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. 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. S. Augustine, Of the City of God, xix. Patience under trial and strength in adversity thrive under the all-seeing eye. 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. His omniscience. The bank would not desire such a man who has no confidence in them. To reprove some prevalent impieties in human conduct. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. This is what we need to impart interest to life. The daily prayer in the closet, the endeavour to keep the attention fixed when praying with others, either in our regular services or in family worship. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. 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. 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. 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. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. 15. His mercy and His grace are the grand springs of all the happiness and blessings we possess, and of all the hopes that inspire the heart and animate the soul. Gregory to Dominicus, Bishop of Carthage [1454] . When I kept going, in danger and beatings and shipwreck and insults and prison, that was the power of Christ in me. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. Ps. Let the path I daily walk in not be a crooked, corrupt and perverse path. His omniscience. 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. 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. For that voice more readily penetrates the hearer's heart, which the speaker's life Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the Great, How those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. 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. This is living with God. Our hearts will put us in mind of God's eye being upon us every now and then involuntarily. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. That of welcoming the Divine searching (vers. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. (Isa. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me: Thy right hand shall save me."--PS. His plans and purposes as displayed in these miracles of creation, are precious beyond measure. 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. 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 while all held their peace, the Son [441] said, AthanasiusSelect Works and Letters or AthanasiusCovenant Duties. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN KNOWS OF HIMSELF. 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. : 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. )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. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative Life, Epistle Xlvii. There is no reason to mourn a son as lost who is a religious, still less to fear for his delicacy of constitution. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. "(Archbishop Temple. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. 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 former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. 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. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? How few are the objects we see even thus externally and partially! That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. And how, through us, others would be blessed! Letter Xliii a Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. AugustineOn the Good of Marriage, Prayer Out of the Deep. 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. Sermon Outlines. It is the ever-enduring mercy of the Lord on which he stays himself by means of continued faith and prayer. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN KNOWS OF HIMSELF. THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (vers. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit. He prophesies that the kings of the earth shall praise God7. God has made us so. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. He compasseth man's path, and his lying down, and is acquainted with all his ways. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. He bringing me home, Timothy, and I'm going to see his face. For that voice more readily penetrates the hearer's heart, which the speaker's life Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatHow those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? It is from the mercy of God that He works for us, and works in us. (Admonition 23.) 1, 2. 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. 24).(W. 7 ad 3m II. But in almost every case the dazzling rays of a searchlight frustrated the attempt, and the fugitives' vessel was captured by the Americans. 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. 8). 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. 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. able characteristics of a rational being is the power of self-inspection. S. Thomas, On the Beatific Vision, I., xii. His omnipresence. GOD.1. 15. 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.