Let us turn then to God's Word
again, and we turn to the portion that we read in the 107th Psalm,
and we have a fourfold text. It's found in four separate verses
throughout the Psalm. Verse 8, verse 15, verse 21,
and again at verse 31, the words, would praise the Lord for his
goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men. As I said, these three Psalms
from 105 through 106 into 107 really form a unit in which we
have the tracing out of Israel's history even from the days of
Abraham. If we turn back to Psalm 105,
verse 6, O ye seed of Abraham, his servant, ye children of Jacob,
his chosen. And there we read something of
God's dealings with them, how they must go into Egypt. We have mention of Joseph, for
example, there at verse 17. He sent a man before them, even
Joseph, who was sold for a servant. And the consequence of that,
of course, is that in the appointed time, Jacob and all his family
also followed Joseph into Egypt. But then there is to be a great
deliverance out of Egypt, and so as Joseph had been sent before
them, sold, into bondage. So, at verse 26 in Psalm 105
we are told he sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had
chosen. And then we read of God's dealings
with the Egyptians and their deliverance. They're coming out
of Egypt, but then alas, as they enter into the wilderness, we
read much of their rebellious spirits. In Psalm 106, for example,
verse 14, we're told that they lusted exceedingly in the wilderness
and tempted God in the desert, and yet still God preserves a
generation and brings them into the possession of that land that
he had promised long ago to Abraham. And so they come into the possession
of the promised land. But even there in that land of
promise we see them alas as a most rebellious people. Look at what
we're told, for example, verse 34 in Psalm 106, they did not
destroy the nations concerning whom the Lord commanded them,
but were mingled among the heathen and learned their works as they
rebelled in the wilderness so also they rebelled when they
came into the promised land and because of that God doubted them
in the way of judgments and of course we know that during the
period of the judges for example many times they were overcome
by their enemies and in God would raise up a deliverer. So it went
on throughout their history and eventually of course they were
taken into exile. They were taken into captivity
again, moved into Babylon and there they were for some 70 years. This is the scene then that runs
throughout the Psalms, these three Psalms, and then we began
our reading there at the end of Psalm 106, nevertheless. He
regarded their affliction when he heard their cry, and he remembered
for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of
his mercy. He made them also to be pitied
of all those that carried them captives. Save us, O Lord our
God, and gather us from among the heathen to give thanks unto
thy holy name. and to triumph in thy praise.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting
and let all the people say Amen. Praise ye the Lord. And then coming into the 107th
Psalm we have this recurring statement as I say our text tonight. Oh that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men. And as we take these words for
our text, I want to divide what I say into two basic parts. First
of all, to say something with regards to the goodness of God,
and then secondly, to say something with regards to the works of
God. God's works, of course, are but
a demonstration of His goodness. But we begin with that goodness,
so that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. See how the psalm begins on that
very note, O give thanks unto the Lord for he is good, for
his mercy endureth forever. Again if we go back to the beginning
of Psalm 106, praise ye the Lord, O give thanks unto the Lord for
he is good, for His mercy endureth forever. It is obviously a relationship
between the word good and the word God. God is good. We see it in the 119th Psalm
at verse 68, David cries out, Thou art good, and doest good. Isn't this our mercy that the
God that we come together to worship tonight is a good God?
And are we not those who daily see God demonstrating His goodness
in the way in which He deals with us, His gracious ways? How
God is a kind and a compassionate God. How He is so long-suffering. He doesn't reward us after our
sin. He doesn't deal with us in the
way of punishment, but He shows Himself to be one who is ever
patient with us. Oh yes, He might come with His
chastening hand, in His mercy He does correct us. But if we
are the Lord, we know that the punishment that our sins truly
deserve have been visited upon the person of His only begotten
Son. We never suffer the vindictive
judgments of God. He is good in all His ways, in
all His dealings. In the Gospel we read of that
young man who comes to the Lord and now he addresses Christ,
wanting to know what good thing he must do to inherit eternal
life. He addresses Christ as good master. But it is interesting how the
Lord responds to that young man initially. He says, why callest
thou me good? There is one good, that is God. And there is much in that response
by the Lord. Obviously this young man doesn't
come as one who is recognizing that Jesus is God manifest in
the flesh. This is why Christ answers, He
does. Why call me good? The one who
is good is God. It is God who is to be recognised
as the source of all goodness. And how important it is that
we come to the Lord Jesus Christ in that right spirit. He can
discern of course the thoughts, the intents of our hearts as
He does with that young man. Who we look to Him as that one
who is a good and a gracious Saviour. the goodness of God. And there, in that 106th Psalm,
see how the psalmist expresses something of his desire, that
I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness
of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. God's
inheritance, God's nation, God's chosen. But it's interesting
what we have in the opening clause of that verse, that I may see
the good of thy chosen. And thinking on those words,
it struck me like this, that the doctrine of God's sovereign
election is connected to God's goodness. The goodness of thy
chosen. Election is a good doctrine. And interestingly that was recognized
certainly by the reformers in the Church of England because
in the 17th article of the Church of England, the 39 articles,
which article deals with the matter of predestination and
election, we find these words that the godly consideration
of our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant and unspeakable
comforts to godly persons. The godly consideration of our
election, God's sovereign predestination, it is full, says the article,
of pleasant, sweet, unspeakable comforts The doctrine of election
is a good doctrine and yet I'm sure we're all aware it is a
doctrine much despised. Remember how our late friend
Sidney Norton used to speak about something of his experience in
his ministry in Oxford and the opposition that he found as he
sought to stand by the doctrines of God's sovereign grace and
There was one who came to him and on an occasion accused him
that the God that he preached was a fiend. That was the word
that was used. What a blasphemy. He accused
Sidney Norton of preaching a God that was a fiend. Now why was
he a fiend in the eyes of this particular individual? Because
the man said, your God chooses some and passes over others.
He hated the doctrine of election did that particular man. It was
an offence to him. And I can remember having a similar
experience, the language wasn't so strong, but I remember some
years ago at He Jian, there was one there in the congregation
who told me quite straight that the God that I preached was not
the God that they believed in when they were converted. I preached
a different God to the one that they believed in when they were
converted. And why was this God a different God? Because I said
that he was a God who made choice of individuals, a sovereign choice.
And they didn't like the idea, you see, the doctrine of God's
absolute sovereignty. And it is an absolute sovereignty
that we see when we consider that doctrine of election, the
children being not yet born. neither having done good or evil,
that the purpose of God according to election might stand, says
in Romans chapter 9. They'd done nothing, they'd done
neither a good thing nor a bad thing, they'd done nothing at
all. The reference of course is to Jacob and Esau. It was such a sovereign choice,
it was nothing in there. that caused God to make choices
of Jacob and not of Esau was simply the divine sovereignty. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. It is a sovereign choice that
God makes and it is of course an eternal choice. It is before
ever they are born according as he has chosen us in him that
is in Christ has poured to the Ephesians before the foundation
of the world. before ever there was a creation.
God made choice of his people the goods, the goods of thy chosen. It is, I say, a precious truth. I spoke of two examples of those
who were so sorely offended by the doctrine of the divine sovereignty,
but that's not the case at all. The late pastor here said to
me on more than one occasion that when one comes to an understanding
and an experience of these doctrines and we sing some of those great
free grace hymns, doesn't it make the hair stand on the back
of your head? When you read of God or sing
of God and sing of His free grace, His sovereign love, it is that
that thrills the soul. It is the goods of God's chosen,
there is the goodness of God there. He is a good God, because
He has not left men sunk in sin and iniquity, but in His mercy
He is pleased to call a people unto Himself. All that men would
praise the Lord, says the Psalms, for His goodness. But then he goes on to speak
also of his wonderful works. Because the God who is good,
does good. He's an active God. It's interesting
that the first thing that we discover with regards to God
is that he works. He works in creation. That's
the first revelation that we have of God in Genesis chapter
1. He works. He's good and he does
good. It's interesting again when we
turn back to the 105th psalm to see how there the psalmist speaks of his works
or his deeds. Oh give thanks unto the Lord,
call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Oh he's a doing God, he's a working
God and his works are wonderful Worse, as I've already intimated,
we certainly see that with regards to the creation. Read through
the opening chapter of Genesis, and what do we come to? The sixth
day of creation, the final day of creation, the end of Genesis,
chapter 1. God saw everything that he had
made, and it was very good. And the evening and the morning
were the sixth day, it says. Here is the whole of creation
completed in six days and God beholds all the work of His fingers
and He makes that pronouncement Himself. He beholds it and it
was very good. His wonderful works, you see.
We have to praise God for His wonderful works to the children
of men and He puts the man who was created in his image and
of his likeness, he puts the man at the head of creation. He is to subdue the earth, to
replenish the earth, he is to make use of it. It's for the
man who stands there in the very place of God, there in the creation. His wonderful works to the children
of men, but not only his wonderful work, In creation we have also
his wonderful work in providence and as I say in these psalms
from 105 through 106 into 107 we see the manifold providences
of God. The way in which God deals with
his people, the way in which God raises up a man such as Joseph. He sent a man before them, even
Joseph, it says there, in the 105th Psalm. And then he sent
Moses, his servant, and Aaron whom he had chosen. This is all
the outworking of God's providence, is it not? And certainly the
107th Psalm is recognised as a great celebration of the providences
of God. in dealing with men in the variety
of situations that they pass through in life. And how necessary
it is that as we come to the end of the year we should recall
God's providences. Only earlier today we were talking
about it a little at the meal table. Andrew in the course of
preaching this morning had mentioned the fact that he would never
have expected himself ten years ago to be living on the south
coast of England. He was born in Leeds, he thought
he would see out his days there in Leeds. And how strange it
is, God's providences. We find ourselves in situations
that we would never have expected to be. We can all reflect on that and
even when we think over the year that has passed and God's hand
upon us, God's providential dealings with us. And this psalm, Psalm
107 I say, is a great psalm on those manifold providences of
God, the way in which he cares for his people, and what is over
his people. But we're not only to come to
the psalms and to consider them in that sort of objective way,
in that historical fashion. When we come to them, do we not
also want to enter into them in a subjective way. We want to understand something
of the spiritual significance of these things that are written.
We're told in the New Testament, in Romans chapter 15, that whatsoever
things were written for time were written for our learning.
That we through patience or endurance and comfort of the scriptures
might have hope There's a spiritual significance. We're to be comparing
spiritual things with spiritual things. When we come to the word
of God, it's not just God's output dealings with us that we want
to understand in the light of his word, but we want to understand
something of those subjective dealings, God's dealings with
us in our soul. As I think I've said before,
it's Mr. Philpott who says of Psalm 107 that it is an epitome
of Christian experience. It's not just dealing with the
externals of God's providence, it's dealing also with the spiritual
experiences of the people of God. And we certainly see that
when we come to the end of the Psalm and those words, that exhortation,
who so is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall
understand the loving kindness of the Lord." They shall understand. And the verb that we have here
in the original is what they call the reflexive verb. In other words, the action reflects
back upon the person performing the action. William Romaine makes this observation
that the observer finds his own interest. Whoso is wise and will
observe these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness
of the Lord. The observer finds his own interest. This is how we read the Word
of God, in a personal way. We want to know that it is God's
Word to us. It's God's word for us. It's God speaking to us. And so we see God's wonderful
works not only when we consider creation, or when we think upon
his providences, but we also are to remember God's dealings
in Christ. that great salvation that was
wrought in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that salvation that was accomplished
by Christ, why it must be wrought into the sinner's experience. We must know it in that very
real, personal way. All that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children
of men. You see how that word comes at
the end of a section wherein the psalmist has been speaking
of God's dealings in the way of leading his people, we might
say, on the lands. Verse 3, he gathered them out
of the lands from the East and from the West, from the North
and from the South. And what does he do? Come to
verse 7, he led them forth by the right way that they might
go to a city of habitation. From verse 3 right through to
verse 7 you see he is speaking of God's gathering his people,
leading his people and leading them in a right way. Now we need
that God should deal with us in that way with regards to our
natural life. We know that the way of man is
not in himself. It is not in man that walketh
to direct his steps. We want God to direct our steps. We should desire that we might
walk in that way of obedience to God as he reveals to us his
commandments. We have those gospel precepts
that we are to be governed by. We are to walk in the ways of
obedience. We want God then to lead us.
When it comes to matters where we have to make certain decisions,
should we not be those who are a prayerful people, who pray
over these things? We're told several times in the
Psalm how they cry unto the Lord in their trouble. Do we not need
to cry unto the Lord? We're troubled. What is the right
way? What are we to do? We're to seek God that he would
ever lead us in that right, that proper way. But not only God's
leadings with regards to the outward circumstances of our
lives, there's also a spiritual significance, is there not, to
these readings. Look at what we're told here
in verses four and five, they wandered in the wilderness in
a solitary way. They found no city to dwell in,
hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in it. How often God's
people, in a spiritual sense, feel themselves to be in a solitary
world. It is a solitary world sometimes
that the Christian has to walk. There seem to be few others who
understand him or understand his experiences. He feels himself,
the psalmist says elsewhere, he is a sparrow alone upon a
housetop. Is it not true with regards to
that Narrow way that leads to life, the Lord Jesus himself
tells us, straight is the gate, narrow is the way that leads
unto life. Shall there be that finding? O companions, if we
find, alas, how soon they are gone, for it is decreed that
most must pass past the darkest paths alone. It often is that
way that the Christian has to go. He is brought into a situation
where the only one he can look to, the only one he can turn
to is God. God is the only one who understands
him. He has to cast all his care again upon his God. As he wanders
in his solitary world, hungry, thirsty, his soul faints but
he cries. He cries unto the Lord in his
trouble. The Lord delivers him out of
all his distresses. and then he has cause to be thankful
and to praise God for his wonderful works to the children of men. But we read here not only of
God's sovereign providence with regards to those who we might
say are travelling by land but we go towards the end of the
psalm and we have the refrain again at verse 31, O that men
would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful
works to the children of men. And there of course it comes
after a section from verse 23 following in which we read of
those who are being led and directed at sea. Verse 23 they go down
to the sea and ship that do business in great waters. These see the
works of the lords and his wonders in the deep. He doesn't just
watch over landlubbers, he watches over those also who are mariners,
who venture onto the oceans. There is that sovereign providence
of God in all the circumstances of our lives. But again, we are
surely to understand something of the spiritual significance
of what we read there from verse 23 and the following verses. We're told at verse 27, "...are
they real too, and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at
their wits' end." They are said to be at their wits' end. The
margin gives the alternative, all their wisdom is swallowed
up. They are at their wits' end.
I like the way it's put so succinctly in the actual text, at their
wits' end, that the margin does help us to understand just what
that means, all their wisdom is swallowed up, there's no wisdom.
orphans are we ever brought to that path where we feel we've
got no wisdom of our own no wisdom we don't know we don't
understand we are such dull scholars such slow learners and we fear
ourselves so often to be so foolish but what does God say in his
word if any of you lack wisdom Let him ask of God that giveth
to all men liberally and that braveth not, but let him ask
in faith. How often do we have to ask God for wisdom to understand
our lives, to understand the circumstances of our lives, the
situations that we're brought in, to interpret what God's dealing
with us. We need the Lord himself to grant
to us that heavenly wisdom, the wisdom from above, that wisdom
which is first pure and then peaceful. and gentle and easy
to be entreated says James and full of mercy that's the wisdom
that we require is it not but there is that promise that we
have concerning those who are in that way in Isaiah chapter
35 do we not read of them Isaiah 35 and verse 8 we read
of an highway it shall be called the way of
holiness the unclean shall not pass over it but it shall be
for those the wayfaring men though fools though fools shall not
err therein all we are often brought are we not to that where
we are at our wit's end and we know not what to do but to cry
to God We are to ask God for wisdom, who so is wise, and will
observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindness
of the Lord. God deals with travellers, be
they those that are travelling on the land, as we see in the
former parts, of the chapter from verse 3 following or be
they those who are travelling at sea from verse 23 following
God deals with these travellers and are not those who are truly
his children as pilgrims in the earth. Here we have no continuing
city that's what we are told in Hebrews chapter 11 That chapter
that deals with those of faith from the Old Testament dispensation,
those men and women who truly knew the Lord. They were pilgrims,
they were strangers here upon the earth. And that's how we
are to do it. We have no continuing city here.
And we need the Lord then to lead us in the world. And we
need to press on, do we not, and to persevere. He that shall
endure to the end, says Christ, the same shall be saved. It's
not just making a beginning. Oh, we had that favour in the
summer months of seeing four young women come forward and
being baptised, and what a joy. They give their testimony, they
speak of God's dealings. But how solemn it is. It's not
a beginning, is it? It's not just a beginning, it's
a continuing. It's a persevering. It's an enduring. It's pressing on. It's fighting
with the fight of faith. It's laying hold of eternal life. Oh, as pilgrims and strangers
then we have to be those who would look to the Lord and seek
wisdom from him whereby we might understand his dealings with
us. But then, as I say, the text is a fourfold text but only in
verse 8 and verse 31 in relation to these who are travellers that
we have it again in verse 15 or that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children
of men and in the context here it's dealing with those who we
might say were captives or prisoners verse 10 following you see such
as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in
affliction and iron but God delivers them verse 16 he has broken the
gates of brass and cut the bars of iron in sunder and there is cause to praise
God for his dealings in granting deliverances to those who are
bound, those who are in the prison house. This was, of course, very
much the experience of Joseph in a very literal sense. He found
himself imprisoned. Why so? Because of his faithfulness
to his master, his faithfulness to his God, because of the wicked
accusations that were made against him by Potiphar's unfaithful
wife. We've read the words there at
verse 17 in Psalm 105 and what follows verse 18 who speaks,
they hurt with fetters and he was laid in iron. Until the time that his word
came, the word of the Lord Friday. Oh, what a word is that, friends.
Verse 19. There is a time, you see. There
is a time when God's word will come. And how there is to be
a waiting. And how in all that waiting there
is a great trial. The word of the Lord is trying
them out. He sent there into Egypt for a purpose. He must
become the chief nun next to the Pharaoh. in order that Israel or Jacob and his sons
might be preserved in the time of famine they must enter into
the land of Egypt and this is all part and parcel of the great
sovereign purpose of God and part and parcel of it is that
Joseph must be exalted how is Joseph going to be exalted by
being first of age by being put in the prison And then you know
the story, you're familiar I'm sure with the story of Joseph,
how he interprets the dreams of the butler and the biker and
the consequences that he is eventually released because the butler remembers
this man who is still in the prison when the pharaoh wants
someone not only to interpret his dream but to tell him what
his dream was. And Joseph is summoned before the pharaoh and
interprets the dream, and as a result is exalted. How strange
are the ways of God, or the mystery of God's providences. But as I said, in a very real
literal sense, Joseph is one of those who became a prisoner. Such as we read of here in this
107th Psalm, verse 10, such as sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death being bound in affliction and dying. But again, we don't
just want to read scripture as history, we want to enter in
some measure into the mystery of it and the spiritual significance
of these things and the way in which God deals with his people. Isn't it true in the experience
of the gods that they are brought to that experience where they
are shut up to what they are as sinners shut up to that terrible
doctrine of total depravity and we have to learn in our own soul's
experience and it's a very bitter experience that we are so impotent
we can do nothing we are lost the psalmist in another psalm
cries out I am shut up and I cannot come forth or when God begins
to deal with us, you see, and shuts us in to what we are in
our fallen condition. Job certainly knew it. He cries
out in chapter 12, He shutteth up a man and there can be no
opening. When God makes a man, a woman
feel something of their sinnership, They can do nothing. No good
saying, well, it's your duty in here, you know. You have to
believe. Duty, faith. Duty, repentance. And you feel,
I can do nothing. I want to believe. I want to
repent. And I cannot. I'm shut up. I'm
a sinner. And I'm lost in it. Paul says to the Galatians, before
faith came, we were kept under the law. Shut up to the faith
which you'd after would be revealed God. A man can receive nothing
except it be given him from heaven, says the Baptist. How true it
is. But you see, what does God do? He deals with the sinner in this
way. He makes us feel that we are
sinners. Christ himself tells us he came to call the sinner
and not the righteous. We have to be brought to feel
what our sinnership is. and the utter inability of doing
anything for ourselves, but that deliverance that comes from God,
He hath broken the gates of Brahms, and cut the bars of iron in Sunder,
all that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for
His wonderful works to the children of men, the captives, but then
also We have the refrain again, verse 21, and the context now has to do
with those who are sick. Verse 17, following, fools, because of their transgression
and because of their iniquities are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth
all manner of means, and they draw near unto the gates of death.
Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saveth
them out of their distresses. He sent his word, and healed
them, and delivered them from their destructions. Now, certainly
back in the summer, one knew something of sickness and weakness
as a result of that sickness, and what it was to abhor all
manner of meat. And yet, in the goodness of God,
there's restorings. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children
of men, but again surely we're not just to think here of physical
illness, physical sickness. Are we not ultimately to see
that the reference here is to the sin-sick soul? And now the
Lord has mercy upon sin-sick souls. Are we those who feel
sometimes we're so sick of ourselves and so sick of our sins? and I'll first consider all that
I owe to myself. I owe myself, see Princeman,
because of what I am. I'm not what I would be. And
sin is an awful burden, you see, to such souls as this. But it
is our comfort, they that are whole have no need of a physician,
but they that are sick, says Christ. I came not to call the
righteous but sinners unto repentance, or to be those who sin six sinners,
that the Lord is pleased to deal with and to bring to himself
all that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for
his wonderful works to the children of men. And let them sacrifice
the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoicing. These friends are something then
Such an inadequate attempt really to expand the content of the
psalm, but these are something of those things that stand before
us in this part of God's Word. And when we come to the end of
the psalm, and I know I've preached on that text more than once really,
the last verse of this psalm, who so is wise and will observe
these things, even they shall understand the loving kindness
of the Lord. I love the parallelism of the
psalm. Because you see, we discover that these things, in the former
part, are what the psalmist refers to at the end of verse 43 as
the loving-kindness. We observe these things. What
are these things? They are the loving-kindnesses.
the loving-kindness is of the Lord. And it's a great word.
It's a great, great word, is that word that we find so often
in the Psalms, loving-kindness. It's got no real equivalence
in our English language. There are a number of ways in
which it could be rendered. Loving-kindness is often the
way, but it could be rendered as covenant faithfulness, or steadfast love. or sovereign
grace, or sure mercies. It's that all of these ideas
are there in the word that's there in the Hebrew. It's such a word that's pregnant
with meaning. God's covenant faithfulness,
His steadfast love, His sovereign grace, His sure mercies, His
loving kindness. And what does God say to Israel? That is the true Israel, the
spiritual Israel. I will make an everlasting covenant
with you. Even the sure mercies of David. All the sure mercies of David.
Remember what David says as he comes to the end of his life.
2 Samuel chapter 24. And he considers the state of
affairs in his own house, his own family. and much to grieve
him with regards to his own children not only the rebellion of Absalom
but many things have grieved him concerning the state of affairs
in his own family and he says this though his house be in such
a dreadful condition such confusion he has made with me an everlasting
covenant He has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things unsure. This is all my salvation, says
David, and all my desire. And you know, we have the covenants
in these three Psalms. If we go back to the 105th Psalm, in verse 8, He has remembered
His covenant forever. the words which he commanded
to a thousand generations, which covenant he made with Abraham,
and his oath unto Isaac, and confirmed the same unto Jacob
for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant. Oh,
this is God's covenant, you see. It's his oath. It's that law
that he gave to Jacob. It's spoken of there in verse
10 as an everlasting covenant. And that's what we are to remember,
is it not, as we come to the end of the year, we remember
God's everlasting covenant. Remember what Oliver Cromwell,
one of the greatest Englishmen that have ever lived, on his
dying bed, he said to his family as his children gathered around,
Leave you the covenant to feed on. I leave you the covenant
to feed on. Ought to be those friends who
would feed on the covenant, then we'll praise God. We'll praise
God. And we have this fourfold refrain,
as I say, throughout the psalm, all that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful work to the children
of men. But we also, in this psalm, strangely,
have a fourfold prayer. in verse 6 and verse 13, verse
19 and verse 28. Then they cried unto the Lord
in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And that's the best way, is it
not? It's to plead the covenant. It's to plead the promises of
God. It's to remind God who He is. It is that God who is good,
and that God who does wonderful works for the children of men. Oh, that men would praise the
Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children
of men. Amen.