Today’s Reflection:
Busyness is the order of the day.
Crowded schedules, shopping sprees, and misplaced priorities mask my deepest pain.
My heart is crying out for true intimacy.
Lord, draw near to me and let me sit at your feet and grab hold of this worship moment. Amen. (Junius Dotson, The Africana Worship Book: Year C)
From page 41 of The Africana Worship Book: Year C, edited by Valerie Bridgeman Davis and Safiyah Fosua. Copyright © 2008 by Discipleship Resources. All rights reserved. Used by permission. http://bookstore.upperroom.org/ Learn more about or purchase this book.
Today’s Question: Pray today’s prayer. ANXIETY FILLS MY LIFE.
Busyness is the order of the day.
Crowded schedules, shopping sprees, and misplaced priorities mask my deepest pain.
My heart is crying out for true intimacy.
Lord, draw near to me and let me sit at your feet and grab hold of this worship moment. Amen.
Today’s Scripture: “For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23, NRSV)
This Week: pray for those who are receiving cancer treatments.
Did You Know?
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.
This week we remember: Augustine of Hippo (August 28).
Augustine was born in 354 in Roman Africa. His father, Patricius, was a pagan, and his mother, Monica, was Christian.
After his conversion to Christianity and his baptism in 387, Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, and he framed the concepts of original sin and just war.
Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due to his teaching on salvation and divine grace.
His memorial is celebrated 28 August, the day of his death. He is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, the alleviation of sore eyes, and a number of cities and dioceses.
Lectionary Readings for Sunday, 2 September 2018
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Song of Solomon 2:8 The voice of the man I love! Here he comes,
bounding over the mountains, skipping over the hills!
9 My darling is like a gazelle or young stag.
There he is, standing outside our wall,
looking in through the windows,
peering in through the lattice.
10 My darling speaks; he is saying to me,
“Get up, my love! My beauty! Come away!
11 For you see that the winter has passed,
the rain is finished and gone,
12 the flowers are appearing in the countryside,
the time has come for [the birds] to sing,
and the cooing of doves can be heard in the land.
13 The fig trees are forming their unripe figs,
and the grapevines in bloom give out their perfume.
Get up, my love, my beauty!
Come away!”
Psalm 45:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” By the descendants of Korach. A maskil. A lovesong:
2 (1) My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
I address my verses to the king;
My tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.
3 (2) You are the most handsome of men;
gracious speech flows from your lips.
For God has blessed you forever., 6-9,
6 (5) Your arrows are sharp. The people fall under you,
as they penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
7 (6) Your throne, God, will last forever and ever;
you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity.
8 (7) You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of joy in preference to your companions.
9 (8) Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia;
from ivory palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.
10 (9) Daughters of kings are among your favorites;
at your right stands the queen in gold from Ofir.
James 1:17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning. 18 Having made his decision, he gave birth to us through a Word that can be relied upon, in order that we should be a kind of firstfruits of all that he created. 19 Therefore, my dear brothers, let every person be quick to listen but slow to speak, slow to get angry; 20 for a person’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness!
21 So rid yourselves of all vulgarity and obvious evil, and receive meekly the Word implanted in you that can save your lives. 22 Don’t deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it! 23 For whoever hears the Word but doesn’t do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, 24 who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.
26 Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing. 27 The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world.
Mark 7:1 The P’rushim and some of the Torah-teachers who had come from Yerushalayim gathered together with Yeshua 2 and saw that some of his talmidim ate with ritually unclean hands, that is, without doing n’tilat-yadayim. 3 (For the P’rushim, and indeed all the Judeans, holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing. 4 Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist; and they adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.)
5 The P’rushim and the Torah-teachers asked him, “Why don’t your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?” 6 Yeshua answered them, “Yesha‘yahu was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites — as it is written,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away from me.
7 Their worship of me is useless,
because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’[Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13]
8 “You depart from God’s command and hold onto human tradition., 14-1514 Then Yeshua called the people to him again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand this! 15 There is nothing outside a person which, by going into him, can make him unclean. Rather, it is the things that come out of a person which make a person unclean!”, 21-2321 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come forth wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness…. 23 All these wicked things come from within, and they make a person unclean.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Verse 8
[8] The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
The voice — Christ's voice, the word of grace revealed outwardly in the gospel, and inwardly by the Spirit of God.
Leaping — He saith, leaping and skipping, to denote that Christ came readily, and swiftly, with great desire and pleasure and adds, upon the mountains and hills, to signify Christ's resolution to come in spite of all difficulties.
Verse 9
[9] My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
Like a roe — In swiftness. He is coming to me with all speed and will not tarry a moment beyond the proper season.
He standeth behind — And while he doth for wise reasons forbear to come; he is not far from us. Both this and the following phrases may denote the obscure manner of Christ's manifesting himself to his people, under the law, in comparison of his discoveries in the gospel.
The window — This phrase, and that through the lattess, intimate that the church does indeed see Christ, but, as through a glass, darkly, as it is said even of gospel-revelations, 1 Corinthians 13:12, which was much more true of legal administrations.
Verse 10
[10] My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Spake — Invited me outwardly by his word, and inwardly by his Spirit.
Rise up — Shake off sloth, and disentangle thyself more fully from all the snares of this world.
Come — Unto me, and with me; follow me fully, serve me perfectly, labour for a nearer union, and more satisfying communion with me.
Verse 11
[11] For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The winter — Spiritual troubles arising from a deep sense of the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, the curse of the law; all which made them afraid to come unto God. But, saith Christ, I have removed these impediments, God is reconciled; therefore cast off all discouragements, and excuses, and come to me.
Verse 12
[12] The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The flowers — The communications of God's grace, the gifts, and graces, and comforts of the Holy Spirit, are vouchsafed unto, and appear in believers, as buds and blossoms do in the spring.
The turtle — This seems particularly to be mentioned because it not only gives notice of the spring, but aptly represents the Spirit of God, which even the Chaldee paraphrast understands by this turtle, which appeared in the shape of a dove, and which worketh a dove-like meekness, and chastity, and faithfulness, in believers.
Verse 13
[13] The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Her figs — Which it shoots forth in the spring.
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
Verse 1
[1] My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Enditing — Heb. boileth, or bubbleth up like water over the fire. This denotes that the workings of his heart, were fervent and vehement, kindled by God's grace, and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
Made — Have composed.
Pen — He was only the pen or instrument in uttering this song; it was the spirit of God, by whose hand this pen was guided.
Verse 2
[2] Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Fairer — Than all other men: which is most true of Christ; but not of Solomon; whom many have excelled, in holiness and righteousness, which is the chief part of the beauty celebrated in this psalm.
Grace — God hath plentifully poured into thy mind and tongue the gift of speaking wisely, eloquently, and acceptably.
Therefore — And because God hath so eminently qualified thee for rule, therefore he hath blessed thee with an everlasting kingdom.
Verse 6
[6] Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
O God — It is evident, that the speech is still continued to the same person whom he calls king, verse 1,11, and here God, to assure us that he doth not speak of Solomon, but a far greater king, who is not only a man, but the mighty God, Isaiah 9:6.
A right scepter — Thou rulest with exact righteousness and equity.
Verse 7
[7] Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Therefore — Therefore God hath exalted thee far above all men and angels, to a state of joy and endless glory at his right hand; which is fitly compared by the oil of gladness.
Thy God — According to thy human nature, John 20:17, though in respect of thy Divine nature, thou art his fellow, Zechariah 13:7, and his equal, Philemon 2:6, and one with him, John 10:30.
Oil — So called, because it was a token of gladness, and used in feasts, and other solemn occasions of rejoicing.
Fellows — Above all them who partake with thee in this unction: above all that ever were anointed for priests or prophets, or kings.
Verse 8
[8] All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Myrrh — Wherewith they used to perfume their garments: this may denote those glorious and sweet smelling virtues, which, as they were treasured up in Christ's heart, so did they manifest themselves outwardly, and give forth a grateful smell, in the whole course of his life and actions.
Palaces — The king is here supposed to reside in his ivory palaces, and his garments are so fragrant, that they not only perfume the whole palace in which he is; but the sweet favour is perceived by those that pass by them, all which is poetically said, and with allusion to Solomon's glorious garments and palaces. The heavenly mansions, may not unfitly be called ivory palaces, as elsewhere in the same figurative manner they are said to be adorned with gold and precious stones, from which mansions Christ came into the world, into which Christ went, and where he settled his abode after he went out of the world, and from whence he poured forth all the fragrant gifts and graces of his spirit, although there is no necessity to strain every particular circumstance in such poetical descriptions; for some expressions may be used, only as ornaments, as they are in parables; and it may suffice to know, that the excellencies of the king Christ are described by things which earthly potentates place their glory.
Whereby — By the sweet smell of thy garments out of those ivory palaces, or the effusion of the gifts and graces of thy spirit from heaven; which as it is a great blessing to those who receive them, so doth it rejoice the heart of Christ, both as it is a demonstration of his own power and glory, and as it is the instrument of bringing souls to God.
Made thee — Thou art made glad.
Verse 9
[9] Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Among — Among them that attend upon thy spouse, as the manner was in nuptial solemnities. As the queen is the church in general, and so these honourable women are particular believers, who are daily added to the church, Acts 2:47. And although the church is made up of particular believers, yet she is distinguished from them, for the decency of the parable. And these believers may be said to be Kings daughters, because among others, many persons of royal race embraced the faith, and because they are in a spiritual sense, Kings unto God, Revelation 1:6.
Right hand — The most honourable place.
Ophir — Clothed in garments made of the choicest gold. By which he designs the graces wherewith the church is accomplished.
James 1:17-27
Verse 17
[17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
No evil, but every good gift - Whatever tends to holiness.
And every perfect gift — Whatever tends to glory.
Descendeth from the Father of lights — The appellation of Father is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows, "he begat us." He is the Father of all light, material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and of glory.
With whom is no variableness — No change in his understanding.
Or shadow of turning — in his will. He infallibly discerns all good and evil; and invariably loves one, and hates the other. There is, in both the Greek words, a metaphor taken from the stars, particularly proper where the Father of lights is mentioned. Both are applicable to any celestial body, which has a daily vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there Is any such vicissitude, it is in ourselves, not in him.
Verse 18
[18] Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Of his own will — Most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, James 1:15.
Begat he us — Who believe.
By the word of truth — The true word, emphatically so termed; the gospel.
That we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures — Christians are the chief and most excellent of his visible creatures; and sanctify the rest. Yet he says, A kind of - For Christ alone is absolutely the first - fruits.
Verse 19
[19] Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Let every man be swift to hear — This is treated of from James 1:21 to the end of the next chapter.
Slow to speak — Which is treated of in he third chapter.
Slow to wrath — Neither murmuring at God, nor angry at his neighbour. This is treated of in the third, and throughout the fourth and fifth chapters.
Verse 20
[20] For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
The righteousness of God here includes all duties prescribed by him, and pleasing to him.
Verse 21
[21] Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore laying aside — As a dirty garment.
All the filthiness and superfluity of wickedness — For however specious or necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, all wickedness is both vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous. Every reasonable end may be effectually answered without any kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside, or all your hearing is vain.
With meekness — Constant evenness and serenity of mind.
Receive — Into your ears, your heart, your life.
The word — Of the gospel.
Ingrafted — In believers, by regeneration, James 1:18 and by habit, Hebrews 5:14.
Which is able to save your souls — The hope of salvation nourishes meekness.
Verse 23
[23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Beholding his face in a glass — How exactly does the scripture glass show a man the face of his soul!
Verse 24
[24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
He beheld himself, and went away — To other business.
And forgot — But such forgetting does not excuse.
Verse 25
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
But he that looketh diligently — Not with a transient glance, but bending down, fixing his eyes, and searching all to the bottom.
Into the perfect law — Of love as established by faith. St. James here guards us against misunderstanding what St. Paul says concerning the "yoke and bondage of the law." He who keeps the law of love is free, John 8:31, etc. He that does not, is not free, but a slave to sin, and a criminal before God, James 2:10.
And continueth therein — Not like him who forgot it, and went away.
This man — There is a peculiar force in the repetition of the word.
Shall be happy — Not barely in hearing, but doing the will of God.
Verse 26
[26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
If any one be ever so religious — Exact in the outward offices of religion.
And bridleth not his tongue — From backbiting, talebearing, evilspeaking, he only deceiveth his own heart, if he fancies he has any true religion at all.
Verse 27
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
The only true religion in the sight of God, is this, to visit - With counsel, comfort, and relief.
The fatherless and widows — Those who need it most.
In their affliction — In their most helpless and hopeless state.
And to keep himself unspotted from the world — From the maxims, tempers, and customs of it. But this cannot be done, till we have given our hearts to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Verse 4
[4] And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
Washing of cups and pots and brazen vessels and couches — The Greek word (baptisms) means indifferently either washing or sprinkling. The cups, pots, and vessels were washed; the couches sprinkled.
Verse 5
[5] Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
The tradition of the elders — The rule delivered down from your forefathers.
Verse 6
[6] He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Isaiah 29:13.
Verse 15
[15] There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
There is nothing entering into a man from without which can defile him — Though it is very true, a man may bring guilt, which is moral defilement, upon himself by eating what hurts his health, or by excess either in meat or drink yet even here the pollution arises from the wickedness of the heart, and is just proportionable to it. And this is all that our Lord asserts.
Verse 22
[22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Wickedness — The word means ill natured, cruelty, inhumanity, and all malevolent affections.
Foolishness — Directly contrary to sobriety of thought and discourse: all kind of wild imaginations and extravagant passions. (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes).
In need of prayer? The Upper Room Living Prayer Center is a 7-day-a-week intercessory prayer ministry staffed by trained volunteers. Call 1-800-251-2468 or visit The Living Prayer Center website.
This week we remember: Augustine of Hippo (August 28).
Augustine of Hippo
August 28
Augustine of Hippo (November 13, 354 – August 28, 430), also known as St. Augustine, was bishop of Hippo Regius (present-day Algeria). He was a Latin philosopher and theologian and is generally considered as one of the greatest Christian thinkers of all times.Augustine was born in 354 in Roman Africa. His father, Patricius, was a pagan, and his mother, Monica, was Christian.
After his conversion to Christianity and his baptism in 387, Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and different perspectives. He believed that the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, and he framed the concepts of original sin and just war.
Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due to his teaching on salvation and divine grace.
His memorial is celebrated 28 August, the day of his death. He is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, the alleviation of sore eyes, and a number of cities and dioceses.
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
James 1:17-27
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Song of Solomon 2:8 The voice of the man I love! Here he comes,
bounding over the mountains, skipping over the hills!
9 My darling is like a gazelle or young stag.
There he is, standing outside our wall,
looking in through the windows,
peering in through the lattice.
10 My darling speaks; he is saying to me,
“Get up, my love! My beauty! Come away!
11 For you see that the winter has passed,
the rain is finished and gone,
12 the flowers are appearing in the countryside,
the time has come for [the birds] to sing,
and the cooing of doves can be heard in the land.
13 The fig trees are forming their unripe figs,
and the grapevines in bloom give out their perfume.
Get up, my love, my beauty!
Come away!”
Psalm 45:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” By the descendants of Korach. A maskil. A lovesong:
2 (1) My heart is stirred by a noble theme;
I address my verses to the king;
My tongue is the pen of an expert scribe.
3 (2) You are the most handsome of men;
gracious speech flows from your lips.
For God has blessed you forever., 6-9,
6 (5) Your arrows are sharp. The people fall under you,
as they penetrate the hearts of the king’s enemies.
7 (6) Your throne, God, will last forever and ever;
you rule your kingdom with a scepter of equity.
8 (7) You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness.
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of joy in preference to your companions.
9 (8) Your robes are all fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia;
from ivory palaces stringed instruments bring you joy.
10 (9) Daughters of kings are among your favorites;
at your right stands the queen in gold from Ofir.
James 1:17 Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father who made the heavenly lights; with him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning. 18 Having made his decision, he gave birth to us through a Word that can be relied upon, in order that we should be a kind of firstfruits of all that he created. 19 Therefore, my dear brothers, let every person be quick to listen but slow to speak, slow to get angry; 20 for a person’s anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness!
21 So rid yourselves of all vulgarity and obvious evil, and receive meekly the Word implanted in you that can save your lives. 22 Don’t deceive yourselves by only hearing what the Word says, but do it! 23 For whoever hears the Word but doesn’t do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror, 24 who looks at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.
26 Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing. 27 The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world.
Mark 7:1 The P’rushim and some of the Torah-teachers who had come from Yerushalayim gathered together with Yeshua 2 and saw that some of his talmidim ate with ritually unclean hands, that is, without doing n’tilat-yadayim. 3 (For the P’rushim, and indeed all the Judeans, holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing. 4 Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist; and they adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.)
5 The P’rushim and the Torah-teachers asked him, “Why don’t your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?” 6 Yeshua answered them, “Yesha‘yahu was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites — as it is written,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far away from me.
7 Their worship of me is useless,
because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.’[Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13]
8 “You depart from God’s command and hold onto human tradition., 14-1514 Then Yeshua called the people to him again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand this! 15 There is nothing outside a person which, by going into him, can make him unclean. Rather, it is the things that come out of a person which make a person unclean!”, 21-2321 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come forth wicked thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness…. 23 All these wicked things come from within, and they make a person unclean.” (Complete Jewish Bible).
Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Verse 8
[8] The voice of my beloved! behold, he cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.
The voice — Christ's voice, the word of grace revealed outwardly in the gospel, and inwardly by the Spirit of God.
Leaping — He saith, leaping and skipping, to denote that Christ came readily, and swiftly, with great desire and pleasure and adds, upon the mountains and hills, to signify Christ's resolution to come in spite of all difficulties.
Verse 9
[9] My beloved is like a roe or a young hart: behold, he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice.
Like a roe — In swiftness. He is coming to me with all speed and will not tarry a moment beyond the proper season.
He standeth behind — And while he doth for wise reasons forbear to come; he is not far from us. Both this and the following phrases may denote the obscure manner of Christ's manifesting himself to his people, under the law, in comparison of his discoveries in the gospel.
The window — This phrase, and that through the lattess, intimate that the church does indeed see Christ, but, as through a glass, darkly, as it is said even of gospel-revelations, 1 Corinthians 13:12, which was much more true of legal administrations.
Verse 10
[10] My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Spake — Invited me outwardly by his word, and inwardly by his Spirit.
Rise up — Shake off sloth, and disentangle thyself more fully from all the snares of this world.
Come — Unto me, and with me; follow me fully, serve me perfectly, labour for a nearer union, and more satisfying communion with me.
Verse 11
[11] For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The winter — Spiritual troubles arising from a deep sense of the guilt of sin, the wrath of God, the curse of the law; all which made them afraid to come unto God. But, saith Christ, I have removed these impediments, God is reconciled; therefore cast off all discouragements, and excuses, and come to me.
Verse 12
[12] The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land;
The flowers — The communications of God's grace, the gifts, and graces, and comforts of the Holy Spirit, are vouchsafed unto, and appear in believers, as buds and blossoms do in the spring.
The turtle — This seems particularly to be mentioned because it not only gives notice of the spring, but aptly represents the Spirit of God, which even the Chaldee paraphrast understands by this turtle, which appeared in the shape of a dove, and which worketh a dove-like meekness, and chastity, and faithfulness, in believers.
Verse 13
[13] The fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Her figs — Which it shoots forth in the spring.
Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9
Verse 1
[1] My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Enditing — Heb. boileth, or bubbleth up like water over the fire. This denotes that the workings of his heart, were fervent and vehement, kindled by God's grace, and the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.
Made — Have composed.
Pen — He was only the pen or instrument in uttering this song; it was the spirit of God, by whose hand this pen was guided.
Verse 2
[2] Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.
Fairer — Than all other men: which is most true of Christ; but not of Solomon; whom many have excelled, in holiness and righteousness, which is the chief part of the beauty celebrated in this psalm.
Grace — God hath plentifully poured into thy mind and tongue the gift of speaking wisely, eloquently, and acceptably.
Therefore — And because God hath so eminently qualified thee for rule, therefore he hath blessed thee with an everlasting kingdom.
Verse 6
[6] Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.
O God — It is evident, that the speech is still continued to the same person whom he calls king, verse 1,11, and here God, to assure us that he doth not speak of Solomon, but a far greater king, who is not only a man, but the mighty God, Isaiah 9:6.
A right scepter — Thou rulest with exact righteousness and equity.
Verse 7
[7] Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Therefore — Therefore God hath exalted thee far above all men and angels, to a state of joy and endless glory at his right hand; which is fitly compared by the oil of gladness.
Thy God — According to thy human nature, John 20:17, though in respect of thy Divine nature, thou art his fellow, Zechariah 13:7, and his equal, Philemon 2:6, and one with him, John 10:30.
Oil — So called, because it was a token of gladness, and used in feasts, and other solemn occasions of rejoicing.
Fellows — Above all them who partake with thee in this unction: above all that ever were anointed for priests or prophets, or kings.
Verse 8
[8] All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.
Myrrh — Wherewith they used to perfume their garments: this may denote those glorious and sweet smelling virtues, which, as they were treasured up in Christ's heart, so did they manifest themselves outwardly, and give forth a grateful smell, in the whole course of his life and actions.
Palaces — The king is here supposed to reside in his ivory palaces, and his garments are so fragrant, that they not only perfume the whole palace in which he is; but the sweet favour is perceived by those that pass by them, all which is poetically said, and with allusion to Solomon's glorious garments and palaces. The heavenly mansions, may not unfitly be called ivory palaces, as elsewhere in the same figurative manner they are said to be adorned with gold and precious stones, from which mansions Christ came into the world, into which Christ went, and where he settled his abode after he went out of the world, and from whence he poured forth all the fragrant gifts and graces of his spirit, although there is no necessity to strain every particular circumstance in such poetical descriptions; for some expressions may be used, only as ornaments, as they are in parables; and it may suffice to know, that the excellencies of the king Christ are described by things which earthly potentates place their glory.
Whereby — By the sweet smell of thy garments out of those ivory palaces, or the effusion of the gifts and graces of thy spirit from heaven; which as it is a great blessing to those who receive them, so doth it rejoice the heart of Christ, both as it is a demonstration of his own power and glory, and as it is the instrument of bringing souls to God.
Made thee — Thou art made glad.
Verse 9
[9] Kings' daughters were among thy honourable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.
Among — Among them that attend upon thy spouse, as the manner was in nuptial solemnities. As the queen is the church in general, and so these honourable women are particular believers, who are daily added to the church, Acts 2:47. And although the church is made up of particular believers, yet she is distinguished from them, for the decency of the parable. And these believers may be said to be Kings daughters, because among others, many persons of royal race embraced the faith, and because they are in a spiritual sense, Kings unto God, Revelation 1:6.
Right hand — The most honourable place.
Ophir — Clothed in garments made of the choicest gold. By which he designs the graces wherewith the church is accomplished.
James 1:17-27
Verse 17
[17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
No evil, but every good gift - Whatever tends to holiness.
And every perfect gift — Whatever tends to glory.
Descendeth from the Father of lights — The appellation of Father is here used with peculiar propriety. It follows, "he begat us." He is the Father of all light, material or spiritual, in the kingdom of grace and of glory.
With whom is no variableness — No change in his understanding.
Or shadow of turning — in his will. He infallibly discerns all good and evil; and invariably loves one, and hates the other. There is, in both the Greek words, a metaphor taken from the stars, particularly proper where the Father of lights is mentioned. Both are applicable to any celestial body, which has a daily vicissitude of day and night, and sometimes longer days, sometimes longer nights. In God is nothing of this kind. He is mere light. If there Is any such vicissitude, it is in ourselves, not in him.
Verse 18
[18] Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Of his own will — Most loving, most free, most pure, just opposite to our evil desire, James 1:15.
Begat he us — Who believe.
By the word of truth — The true word, emphatically so termed; the gospel.
That we might be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures — Christians are the chief and most excellent of his visible creatures; and sanctify the rest. Yet he says, A kind of - For Christ alone is absolutely the first - fruits.
Verse 19
[19] Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
Let every man be swift to hear — This is treated of from James 1:21 to the end of the next chapter.
Slow to speak — Which is treated of in he third chapter.
Slow to wrath — Neither murmuring at God, nor angry at his neighbour. This is treated of in the third, and throughout the fourth and fifth chapters.
Verse 20
[20] For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
The righteousness of God here includes all duties prescribed by him, and pleasing to him.
Verse 21
[21] Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Therefore laying aside — As a dirty garment.
All the filthiness and superfluity of wickedness — For however specious or necessary it may appear to worldly wisdom, all wickedness is both vile, hateful, contemptible, and really superfluous. Every reasonable end may be effectually answered without any kind or degree of it. Lay this, every known sin, aside, or all your hearing is vain.
With meekness — Constant evenness and serenity of mind.
Receive — Into your ears, your heart, your life.
The word — Of the gospel.
Ingrafted — In believers, by regeneration, James 1:18 and by habit, Hebrews 5:14.
Which is able to save your souls — The hope of salvation nourishes meekness.
Verse 23
[23] For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Beholding his face in a glass — How exactly does the scripture glass show a man the face of his soul!
Verse 24
[24] For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
He beheld himself, and went away — To other business.
And forgot — But such forgetting does not excuse.
Verse 25
[25] But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
But he that looketh diligently — Not with a transient glance, but bending down, fixing his eyes, and searching all to the bottom.
Into the perfect law — Of love as established by faith. St. James here guards us against misunderstanding what St. Paul says concerning the "yoke and bondage of the law." He who keeps the law of love is free, John 8:31, etc. He that does not, is not free, but a slave to sin, and a criminal before God, James 2:10.
And continueth therein — Not like him who forgot it, and went away.
This man — There is a peculiar force in the repetition of the word.
Shall be happy — Not barely in hearing, but doing the will of God.
Verse 26
[26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
If any one be ever so religious — Exact in the outward offices of religion.
And bridleth not his tongue — From backbiting, talebearing, evilspeaking, he only deceiveth his own heart, if he fancies he has any true religion at all.
Verse 27
[27] Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
The only true religion in the sight of God, is this, to visit - With counsel, comfort, and relief.
The fatherless and widows — Those who need it most.
In their affliction — In their most helpless and hopeless state.
And to keep himself unspotted from the world — From the maxims, tempers, and customs of it. But this cannot be done, till we have given our hearts to God, and love our neighbour as ourselves.
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23
Verse 4
[4] And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
Washing of cups and pots and brazen vessels and couches — The Greek word (baptisms) means indifferently either washing or sprinkling. The cups, pots, and vessels were washed; the couches sprinkled.
Verse 5
[5] Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?
The tradition of the elders — The rule delivered down from your forefathers.
Verse 6
[6] He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Isaiah 29:13.
Verse 15
[15] There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
There is nothing entering into a man from without which can defile him — Though it is very true, a man may bring guilt, which is moral defilement, upon himself by eating what hurts his health, or by excess either in meat or drink yet even here the pollution arises from the wickedness of the heart, and is just proportionable to it. And this is all that our Lord asserts.
Verse 22
[22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
Wickedness — The word means ill natured, cruelty, inhumanity, and all malevolent affections.
Foolishness — Directly contrary to sobriety of thought and discourse: all kind of wild imaginations and extravagant passions. (John Wesley's Explanatory Notes).
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