Psalms 103 - Spurgeon’s Verse Expositions of the Bible

Psalms 103:1-15

Let us read, dear friends, the one hundred and third Psalm, not because we do not know it, but because I trust that we know it by heart, and feel that it is a fit expression for our heart's thankfulness on this last Sabbath evening of another year.
Psalms 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul:
He has been blessing thee; now begin thou to bless him. If, during the week, thou hast been busy about the things of the world now leave these unimportant matters, and come to the grandest exercise in which an intelligent spirit can be engaged. «Bless the Lord, O my soul.» Let there be no sleeping now, no coldness, no indifference; let it be real soul-work. His blessings have been real, let thy praises be real, too.
Psalms 103:1. And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the whole of his name, and especially the holiness of it; be glad that thou hast a holy God. There was a time when this was a terror to thee, for thou wast unholy, and unable to delight in God's holiness; but he has cleansed and washed thee, and now thou canst rejoice in the whole of his character, in the wholeness, or the holiness, of his blessed name.
Psalms 103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul,
Do it again. If thou hast praised him now in thy heart, lift up thy heart yet higher. Let the praise come up from a greater depth, from the very bottom of thy heart, and let it rise to a loftier height, even to the highest heaven.
«Bless the Lord, O my soul.»
Psalms 103:2. And forget not all his benefits:
Thou hast a bad memory for good things; but now try to make thy memory awake, forget not any of God's benefits. If thou canst not remember all, yet do not wilfully forget any of them: «Forget not all his benefits.» Here is a list to help thy memory:-
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Canst thou not praise the Lord for this? One of those iniquities, like a millstone about thy neck, would be sufficient to sink thee into hell; but God forgives them all. He does it now as much as ever he did. He still forgives, for the forgiveness of God to his people is a continuous act. Do thou, then, continually praise him, and rejoice in him.
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
None can set the human frame in order but he who made it. Medicines and physicians are of little service unless God blesses the doctor's skill. Especially does the Lord heal soul sicknesses; and they are very many and very terrible. Bless his name that he continues still to heal. As fresh complaints break out in thy poor flesh or spirit, and thy soul mourns over them, he comes, and gives the healing balm.
Psalms 103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Keeping thee from the gates of the grave; and, better still, delivering thee from the jaws of hell.
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
The Lord has made a king of thee; and what an empire is thine! And what a crown is this, which thou dost wear! Other crowns make the head lie uneasy; but this is the softest, the best, the richest coronet that ever crowned head did wear. Thou mayest be content to keep it though all the Caesars should offer all their pomp to thee in exchange for thy crown; «He crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies.
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The mouth of man is very hard to fill. There are some men's mouths that never will be filled until the sexton gives them a shovelful of earth; for they are covetous and greedy, and always hungry after more; but God has filled thy mouth, not with earth, nor with earth's treasure, but «with good things», the very best things. The best of the best he has given thee, all that thy heart desireth, in giving thee himself; so that thy youth, when thou growest old, and feeble in thy spirit, returns to thee once more. Bless the Lord, then, for all these mercies.
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
He lets the oppressor go on for a while; but sooner or later, there comes a terrible retribution. There is nothing of oppression in this world that can live long; for God is abroad, and oftentimes even the horrors of war make an end to the equal horrors of oppression. God interposes in dreadful judgments to execute vengeance on those that oppress the poor.
Psalms 103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Bless him for this. Bless him for the Old Testament Scriptures. Bless him that he did not hide himself of old; but did speak to his people, and reveal himself by his prophets, and by the types and symbols of the law, Bless his name, and study much the revelation of his ways and acts, and get all the good out of it that thou canst.
Psalms 103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious,
Bless him, O my soul! Bless him for this, for where wouldst thou have been if he had not been merciful? Where wouldst thou be if he were not gracious, giving grace to keep thee what thou art, and to make thee better?
Psalms 103:8. Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Blessed words! Any who are under a sense of sin will suck honey out of these choice expressions. «Slow to anger.» God does get angry at last when grace has had her day; but he is «plenteous in mercy.
Psalms 103:9. He will not always chide:
He will chide sometimes. He would not be a kind Father if he did not. That is a cruel father to his children who never chides them. This was Eli's sin, and you know how it brought destruction upon him and his house. Our Father takes care to chide us when we need it; but «he will not always chide.»
Psalms 103:9-10. Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Brothers and sisters, bless his name for this. Let every verse, as we read it, awaken fresh gratitude; and let us keep up the music of our souls in harmony with the language of the Psalm.
Psalms 103:11-12. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
They are gone. There is a chasm between us and our sins, which will never be bridged. To an infinite distance has the great Scapegoat carried away all the sins of his people; they shall never return to us.
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
The best of them need pity. There is something to pity in them; and because the Lord pities them, he will not lay too heavy a burden upon them, he will not demand too much of them, he will not give them over to their enemies. He deals tenderly with them because they are so weak.
Psalms 103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Sometimes we do not remember that ourselves; we think that we are iron, and we fancy that we shall last for ever; but the Lord «remembereth that we are dust.»
Psalms 103:15-16. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Before even the mower's scythe comes, the hot eastern wind has dried up the grass, and it is gone. How little a thing carries us away! It seems as if it did not need death to come with a sharp scythe to cut down such frail creatures as we are; he does but breathe upon the field, and all the flowers are withered at once. Oh, that we might all be prepared for such a speedy end of our lives, and not look upon this world as a place for a long stay; but only as the meadow in which we, in common with other feeble flowers, are blooming out our little hour!
Psalms 103:17. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,
Blessed be his name that mercy had no beginning, and shall never have an end. You and I are of yesterday, and therefore we pass away tomorrow; but God is ever the same, and of his years there is no end, because he is without beginning; and such is his love to his people, eternal, and unchangeable. Bless his name for this, dear friends. Do not forget what is to be the accompaniment to the reading of the Psalm; but constantly bless the Lord, praise him, and magnify his holy name.
Psalms 103:17-18. And his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Bless him for his goodness to our children. Some of us have seen the covenant of the Lord kept to our children as well as to ourselves. May we all have that blessing in the case of all that spring of us!
Psalms 103:19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Bless him for his sovereignty. A God who did not reign would be no God to us; but «the Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice;» and let his people be glad because he «hath prepared his throne in the heavens,» beyond the reach of all man's attacks or assaults. Beyond all time and change, the Lord reigneth on for ever and ever, «and his kingdom ruleth over all.» It extends over all things that are on the earth, and above it, and beneath it; angels and men and devils are all subject to his sway.
Psalms 103:20-22. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
I think, before we pray, we must bless and magnify the Lord by singing Milton's version of Psalms 136:1:-«Let us with a gladsome mind, Praise the Lord, for he is kind:
Psalms 103:1-16

Psalms 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name,
We ought to be always blessing God; this sacred employment should be like an atmosphere surrounding us at all times. Yet there are special seasons when we feel as if we must wake ourselves up, and brace ourselves up, for some special adoration, talking to ourselves as the psalmist does here
Psalms 103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Alas! that forgetfulness of God's benefits is an evil kind of worm that eats into the very heart of our praise. Oh, for a retentive memory concerning the lovingkindness of the Lord! Come, my heart, thou hast been thinking of many things whilst thou hast been away from the house of prayer; now forget them. Perhaps thou hast even dwelt upon thy sorrows, and remembered the wormwood and the gall; if so, now let those sad memories vanish, «and forget not all his benefits.»
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
What a great «all» that is! From thy childhood until now, thou hast been full of iniquities, and the Lord has been equally full of forgiveness.
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
There is no other physician like him; and all human physicians, whatever skill they may possess, derive it from him. Blessed be the healing God!
Psalms 103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Else hadst thou, long ago, gone down into the pit; but redemption has kept thee out of it. Thy natural life and thy spiritual life have both been preserved to thee through the precious blood of Christ.
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
We talk about crowned heads; there are many such here in this assembly. Let everyone whose head is crowned «with lovingkindness and tender mercies» magnify the name of the crowning Lord.
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.
Thou wast down on the ground lately, with all thy feathers shed, but they have grown again, and thou art up on the wing once more. Thy youth has been given back to thee; renew, then, thy praises of thy God; with the dew of thy youth restored to thee, let the dew of thy gratitude also abound. Who would not bless the Lord when he knows the blessedness of sin pardoned, a wounded spirit healed, the life redeemed from destruction, youth restored like the eagle's, and the whole being crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies?
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Therefore, let the oppressed praise him. Let the justice, which adorns his throne, be the subject of our constant delight. There is no act of oppression, on the part of the great ones of the earth, at which he will wink: «The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.»
Psalms 103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Bless him for having thus revealed himself, giving us his Holy Word, in which we see him as in a mirror. When God makes himself known to his people, then is the time for them to praise him. You can scarcely worship an unknown God; but when he makes himself known by special revelation in your heart, then you must and you will praise him.
Psalms 103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Therefore, again praise him. All who know and love the Lord should form a great orchestra continually magnifying his holy name.
Psalms 103:9. He wilt not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
So that, if you are just now being chidden by him, if you have some consciousness of his anger, begin to bless him that it wilt not last long: «He will not always chide,» Behold the rainbow painted on the storm-cloud, and bless the name of the Lord even while you are under his afflicting hand.
Psalms 103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Therefore, praise him again and again. Had he dealt with us as we deserve, we should not have been here; but we are still here, on praying ground, and on pleading terms with the Most High; therefore, let us praise him.
Psalms 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Such great mercy as this should have the highest praise of which we are capable. This verse speaks of the height of God's mercy; the next one tells of its breadth.
Psalms 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
They are gone never to return; it is impossible that they should he imputed against us any more for ever; therefore, praise him to the very utmost.
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Notice that, as this sacred song rises, it gets more tender; if it is not quite so jubilant, the praise is all the deeper, and quite as thrilling. One of the sweetest thoughts that we can have concerning God is that which relates to his fatherly tenderness toward his children.
Psalms 103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Let his name be praised for this. Dust must be handled daintily, lest it should resolve itself into its separate particles, and God thus delicately handles us.
Psalms 103:15-16. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Yet doth God think of us, even as he doth of the grass; and as he giveth to each blade of grass its own drop of dew, so do we seem to feel hanging about each one of us a glistening drop of mercy, for which let us praise his holy name as the sunlight of his favor sparkles in every drop of his lovingkindness.
Psalms 103:17-18. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Then, surely, we must bless God for his favor to our posterity, for his lovingkindness, not only to ourselves, but also to our children, and our children's children. As we look back, we praise the God of our fathers; and as we look forward, we praise the God of our children's children.
Psalms 103:19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
For which again let us say, «Hallelujah!» The Lord of hosts is no dethroned monarch; he hath not lost his power to govern all whom he hath made: «His kingdom ruleth over all.»
Psalms 103:20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Magnify him more than ever, if that is possible, ye mighty hosts who,-« Day without night Circle his throne rejoicing.»
Psalms 103:21-22. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
The praise is spread widely now, over all the universe; yet, O my heart, do not thou forget thine own personal note in it: O Bless the Lord, O my soul.»
Psalms 103:1-17

Psalms 103:1-19. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefit?
Three times the psalmist says, «Bless, bless, bless.» Come, my heart, wake up, awake every faculty, but especially my memory: «Forget not all his benefits.» Here is a list of some of them; as we read each one, let our hearts say, «Bless the Lord for that.»
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Hallelujah, bless the Lord for that! He who has felt the weight of his sin will leap for joy at the thought of the forgiveness of all his iniquities.
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
He has restored some of us from the bed of sickness and extreme pain, and he is even now healing our spiritual diseases. Sometimes, it may be that he giveth the bitter medicine, but it is thus that «he healeth all thy diseases.» The process of sanctification is a healing process to the soul, so bless the Lord for it.
Psalms 103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Can you ever praise God enough for your redemption from a doom so great as to be the destruction of every hope, and of everything worth having? «Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;»
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
There is about your head, even now, a halo of love, invisible to all but the eyes of grace and gratitude, a bright, shining crown of lovingkindness and tender mercies. Have I not often told you that kindness is the gold of the crown, but that lovingkindness is the velvet to line the crown to make it sit softly on the brow? Mercies these are the jewels; but the tenderness of the mercies is the ermine that makes the crown such that it cannot truly be said, «Uneasy lies the head that wears this crown.» No; but happy, happy, happy are all they who are thus crowned; bless the Lord if you are among them.
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
There is an inward satisfaction that God gives to his people. They are not satisfied with themselves, but they are satisfied from themselves, from that «well of water» which springs up within them «unto life eternal.» What a mercy it is to be so satisfied as to get young again, to feel your spiritual youth coming back to you, to be young in heart even if you are old in body: «Thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.» Let me again pause here, and say, «Let us bless the Lord for this.» Do not let one of these mercies be passed over as if they made up a dry and uninteresting list, like the lots in an auctioneer's catalogue; but let us bedew every one of these lines with a tear of heartfelt thankfulness.
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Bless his name for this. In every age, he has broken the oppressor's rod.
For a while, his people may be made to smart; but, by-and-by, he hears their cries, and he avenges their wrongs.
Psalms 103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses, his act unto the children of Israel.
Bless him for this. He does not hide himself from his people, so that they do not know «his ways» and «his acts.» Revelation is a constant source of thanksgiving to those who understand it through the teaching of the Spirit who inspired it. God might never have spoken to us, or we might not have lived in a world wherein God had deigned to reveal his will. But that is not the case: «He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.»
Psalms 103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Surely, dear friends, we can all bless God for this truth; for, if he had been quick to be angry, where should we have been? If his mercy has been scanty, we should long ago have been destroyed, but he is «slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.»
Psalms 103:9. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Are you, just now, hearing the stern voice of his chiding? Does his anger, like a black cloud, seem to rest upon you, and hide from you his reconciled face? Then, bless the Lord that «he will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever» against his own chosen ones.
Psalms 103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Bless the Lord for that. Sweep your hand over the harp strings so as to fetch the sweetest music from them. How true it is of me and of you? «He hath not dealt with us after our sins!»
Psalms 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Immeasurable mercy, illimitable grace, blessed be his holy name!
Psalms 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Here again I cannot tell how much we ought to bless him. It is not merely pardon of a temporary character that is given to us, but our sin is carried right away into a land of forgetfulness, so that it will never come back again to us. «Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.»
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Let us praise him for his tender pity over our weakness, his forbearance with our infirmity and waywardness.
Psalms 103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Some people do not remember that, they try to work us as if we were made of iron. But the Lord is very pitiful. He knows that we are nothing but a mass of animated dust, which the wind can soon carry away.
Psalms 103:15-16. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
In a very little time, unless Christ should first come in his glory, this is what will happen to all of us. A breath of fever-bearing wind, or some other disease, borne on the wings of the wind, will sweep over us, and the strongest of us will wither in an hour.
Psalms 103:17. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,
Oh, bless him for that! He does not die; he does not change; he does not fail any who trust to him.
Psalms 103:17-18. And his righteousness unto children's children: to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Let us bless God for his love to our sons and our daughters. Some of us have great joy in our children, I pray that all of you may have the same joy, that you may see that the Lord, who is your God, is also the God of your descendants, as the God of Abraham was the God of Isaac, and of Jacob, and of Joseph, and of Ephraim and Manasseh, from generation to generation. Grace does not run in the blood, but it often runs side by side with it. It is often the way with God, when he has blessed the father, to bless the son for the father's sake, so you, who are yourselves believers may pray with great confidence for your sons and daughters. Bless the Lord for this.
Psalms 103:19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
For this also we bless him. If there was any part of the world that he did not rule over, if there were any circumstances which he could not control, if there were any events which happened without his permission, if he were not King everywhere, this would be an intolerable world to live in; but now we bless him because «his kingdom ruleth over all.»
Psalms 103:20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
David calls in the angels to help him to praise the Lord; he wants to do it well, but feels that he is weak and feeble, so he calls in the best of help.
We also sing,
«Angels, assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold;
But when you raise your highest notes,
His love can ne'er be told.»
Psalms 103:21. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
All who wait upon him, whether angels or men, or the lower creatures are called upon to glorify his great name; and they do so.
Psalms 103:22. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Do you notice that there is not a single petition in the whole of this psalm? It is all praise; and herein it is like heaven, where they cease to pray, but where they praise God without ceasing. We cannot rise to that height here, but let us both praise and pray when we can.
Psalms 103:1-18

Psalms 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Come, my heart, be down in the dumps no longer, take thy harp from the willows, tune its strings, and begin to pour forth its music to the praise of love divine.
Psalms 103:2-19. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
This is a better crown than any emperor ever wore, unless he also was a child of God. Priceless gems and jewels rare adorn this wondrous coronet;
«who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.»
Psalms 103:5-19. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide.
Art thou suffering his chidings just now? They are good for thee, but they will not last for ever: «He will not always chide:»
Psalms 103:9-10. Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins;-
It is all of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed: «He hath not dealt with us after our sins;»
Psalms 103:10-12. Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Then, surely, he will also remove our troubles from us; but if not, as he has removed our transgressions so far away that they can never be brought back again, we have real cause for joy whatever happens to us here.
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
The very best of them are only objects of pity. Though they are the best, they need that he should look down upon them with infinite compassion.
Psalms 103:14-19. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heaven; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
What a comfort this is for us! Over the great as well as over the little, over all parts of the earth, as well where war rageth as where peace reigneth «his kingdom ruleth over all.» Nothing happeneth without his permission, even the little things of life are ordered by him; the foreknown station of a rush by the riverside is as fixed as the place of a king, and the chaff from the hand of the winnower is steered as surely as the stars in their courses; for, to God, nothing is little and nothing is great.
Psalms 103:20-21. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts;»
Let all the armies of heaven break forth into one song: «Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts;»
Psalms 103:21-22. Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
Psalms 103:1-19

Psalms 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul:
Come, my soul, wake up, bestir thyself, for thou hast a great work to do.
Psalms 103:1. And all that is within in me, bless his holy name.
Let no power or faculty exempt itself from this blessed service. Come, many memory, my will, my judgment, my intellect, my heart, all that is me is be stirred up by his holy name to magnify and bless. «Bless the Lord, O my soul,» for the music must begin deep down in the center of my being; it must be myself, my inmost self that praises God.
Psalms 103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
This shall be the first note of our grateful song, «We love him because he first loved us.» We have not to go abroad for materials for praise; they are all around us at home. «Forget not all his benefits» to thee, my soul; his overwhelming, his innumerable benefits, which have to be summed up in the gross as «all his benefits,» forget them not.
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Come, my soul, canst thou not praise God for sin forgiven? This is the sweetest note in our song of praise: «Who forgiveth all thine iniquities,» not merely some of them, the blessed Scapegoat has carried the whole mass into that «No man's land» where they shall never be found again.
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
He is the Physician who can heal thee, my soul. Thy diseases are the worst diseases of all, for they would drag thee down to hell if they remained unhealed; but he «healeth all thy diseases.»
Psalms 103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
O my soul, praise God for redemption. If thou canst not sing about anything else, sing of «free grace and dying love.» Keep on singing «Those charming bells.»
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
What! canst thou wear such a crown as this, which is made up of living kindness and tender mercies, and yet not bless him who put it upon thy head? Oh, let it not be so, but let us each one break forth in spirit Holy's song, «My soul doth magnify the Lord.»
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
This is heavenly feasting on heavenly fare. There is divine satisfaction to be derived from the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. O my soul, pray to God to give thee this satisfying food so that thy youth may be renewed, so that thy wing-feathers may grow again, that thou mayest mount as eagles do! Surely, dear friends, this little list of mercies, though such a short one, comprises an immensity of mercy far beyond utmost comprehension; let us bless the Lord for it all.
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Let the poor and the down-trodden praise the Lord who so graciously takes care of them. He is the Executor of the needy, and he is the executioner of those that oppress them.
Psalms 103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Therefore let us bless the God of revelation, who does not hide himself from his creatures, but who makes known both his ways and his sets unto his chosen people. An unknown God is an unpraised God; but when he reveals himself to his people, they cannot refrain from blessing his holy name.
Psalms 103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenty in mercy.
Praise him for all this; at every mention of any one of his divine attributes let your hearts beat to the music of praise.
Psalms 103:9. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Therefore let the afflicted praise him, let the downcast and the despondent sing praises unto his holy name. If they cannot sing because of anything else, let them bless the name of the Lord that he will not keep his anger for ever.
Psalms 103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Let us all thank God that we are not in hell, and that we are yet on praying ground and on pleading terms with him, and some of us can praise him that we shall never come into perdition, for he hath saved us with an everlasting salvation. Truly, if we did not bless him, every timber in this house and every iron column that supported this roof might burst out in rebukes for our ingratitude.
Psalms 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Look up to the blue sky, try to imagine what is beyond the stars, and then say to yourself, «So great is his mercy toward them that fear him;» and try to praise him as he deserves to be praised.
Psalms 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Let us therefore unstintedly praise him for such boundless lovingkindness and tender mercy.
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
He has an infinitely tender heart, he never strikes without regret, but his love always flows most freely. No earthly father or mother is half so pitiful as God is to his children.
Psalms 103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Our bodies are just animated dust, and our souls are so weak and feeble that even they might be compared to dust in his sight, not iron or granite, but simply dust. What men call «the laws of nature» are so stern that it is a wonder that men live as long as they do, for earthquakes and tornadoes and volcanoes are found that no man can bind; and when so many men are constantly crossing the sea it is a wonder that so many of them ever come to land again.
Psalms 103:15. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
You are like the primrose by the river's brink, or the buttercup and the daisy in the meadow that is mown with the scythe. That is all we mortals are; not mighty cedars, not solid rocks, but just flowers of the field or as so much grass.
Psalms 103:16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
The hot winds of the East blow over a meadow, and it is burned up immediately. Even in the South of France, when the Sirocco has blown across from Africa I have seen the fairest flowers look in a short time as if they had been burned with a hot iron, and such are we when pestilence, as we call it, comes. It is but a breath of poisonous wind, and we are soon gone.
Psalms 103:17. But-
This is a blessed «but»
Psalms 103:17. The mercy of the LORD
That is not a fading flower, that is not a withering wind: «But the mercy of the Lord»-
Psalms 103:17. Is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children.
Here are innumerable mercies all enclosed in the one mercy of the Lord; everlasting mercy, covenant mercy. If we do not praise God whenever we think of the covenant of grace, what are we at? We must be possessed by a dumb devil if we do not praise him whose mercy «is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him.»
Psalms 103:18-19. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandment, to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Now, children of the King, will you go mourning all your days ? You who dwell in the light of his throne, will not you be glad ? Rejoice, O believer, for thy King liveth and reigneth for ever.
Psalms 103:20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
«Bless the Lord, ye his angels.» We cannot do it well enough yet, so help us ye angels «that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.» Your actions are your praises, O ye mighty angels of God; oh, that we had learned to do his commandments as ye do them! We are praying for this «Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.»
Psalms 103:21. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
All living things and all the forces and powers of nature are calling upon men to praise the Lord; and we cry to all the hosts of God, the ministers of his, that do his pleasure, «Bless ye the Lord.»
22. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
While all these glorious anthems are ascending to heaven, I must not be silent; but I too must praise the Lord with my whole heart: «Bless the Lord, O my soul.»
Psalms 103:1-20

This is a song of exulting thanksgiving, of overflowing joy and praise. Let each one of us read it as speaking for himself. Let it, here and now, be our own personal tribute of peculiar mercy received by each.
Psalms 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
If things without are not joyous, let all that is within wake itself up to praise my God. He will hear me, even though I speak not. If I keep the praise within myself, he will hear the music of my soul. «Bless his holy name.»
Psalms 103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul,
Do it again. If thou hast blest him once, bless him again. Doth he not multiply to bless thee? Bless him repeatedly, continually, then. Never weary of the work. Repeat thyself in grateful praise.
Psalms 103:2. And forget not all his benefits:
Thy poor memory has often been the grave of his mercy; but now call for a resurrection, and let his mercies rise before thine eyes, and let thy praises rise with them. «Forget not all his benefits.»
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities:--
Yes, that is done. Thou art a forgiven sinner tonight. «All thine iniquities,» and they were very many, have gone from thee once for all. Wilt thou not sing about that?
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
Thou art raised up from the bed of pain. What is better still, the Lord is at work with thy sinful nature, purging and cleansing thee of thy corruption healing thee of thy pride, thy sloth, thy unbelief. Wilt thou not praise him for this? «Who healeth» goes on to heal continues to heal «all thy diseases.»
Psalms 103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Who has redeemed thee with his own precious blood, and given thee a life above all life the life of God within thee-a redeemed life. Oh! by the precious blood that bought thee, wilt thou be silent? Wilt thou not sing about redemption? Is it not the sweetest theme to sing about that ever can be imagined?
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
Treats thee like a king. As a king giveth to a king, so gives he his mercies unto thee crowns thee. What! shall a crowned head refuse to praise him who crowned it? No. «Bless the lord, O my soul!»
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things;
He might have left thee to pine in spiritual hunger; instead whereof he has fed thee made thee to know what is good, and to love what is good, and to feed upon that which is good, and to rejoice in that which is good. Will thou not praise him for this?
Psalms 103:5. So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Oh! thou art strengthened. Thou growest young again; thy faith is revived; thy hope is brightened; thy love has been stirred up, and the smouldering flame begins to burn anew with vigor. Wilt thou not bless him who restoreth thee after this fashion? Surely, thou canst not refuse to praise.
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Let the poor of the earth praise him for this. Let the despised those who are trampled on exult in the fact that God is the executioner of the proud, and the executor of the poor. «He executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.»
Psalms 103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
He is a God who makes himself known. He might have hidden himself behind his works, instead of which he has given us a revelation a revelation in the Old Testament which made David sing. But you and I have a revelation in the New Testament not made to Moses this time, but to great David's greater son. Shall we not praise him for making known his ways and his acts to us in the person of his son, in a bright and lustrous manner unknown before? «My soul, bless thou the Lord.»
Psalms 103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
And should not this make us plenteous in song? So good a God to such great sinners! Mercy-full full of mercy, and gracious, full of grace, and love, and kindness! So slow to anger, and so quick to forgive! O my soul, be thou slow to murmur: be thou quick to praise!
Psalms 103:9. He will not always chide:
So that even you who feel his chidings tonight ought to bless him, because they last such a little while. Such are our faults that if he were always chiding, we could not find any fault with him. But he will not always chide. He will sometimes. He makes us know the folly of our hearts when we wander from him, but «he will not always chide.»
Psalms 103:9. Neither will he kept his anger for ever.
It is very short-lived towards his people. In fact, it is not anger of that sort which he lets loose against rebels; for he has said, «I will not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.»
Psalms 103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins: nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Come: will you not praise him for this? If he had dealt with us according to our sins, we certainly should not have been in the house of prayer. We should have been now in the house of punishment. We should have been driven from his presence, instead of being invited to seek his face. «He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.»
Psalms 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Sing loud, then, and praise him greatly, for his mercy is so great!
«Loud as his thunders shout his praise,
And sound it lofty as his throne!»
What music can be equal to such mercy as this «as high as the heaven is above the earth»: Surely, the best music our lips can give, and better than that, should be offered to him.
Psalms 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Oh! what a mercy this is! In the third verse, you see, he gave us the note upon which here, in the twelfth verse, he enlarges: «Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.» How doth he forgive them? Why, «as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.» They were ours: we could not deny them; but he has removed them taken them right away from us, and laid them on a scape-goat. That scape-goat has carried them away: they will never be found again. «As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.» Now comes in the next note. The third verse was, «Who healeth all thy diseases.» This is what he says of it:
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
While they are sick in body, and while he looks at them with great tenderness, feeling for them, suffering with them.
Psalms 103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
He knows that our sickness is but a premonition of that death which will dissolve this mortal frame, which is only kept together by a continuous miracle. It is strange that such a heap of dust as our body is does not dissolve much sooner. That it should return to the dust from whence it came is no wonder. The wonder is that it returneth not at once: and it would, were it not for that next mercy mentioned in the fourth verse, «Who redeemeth thy life from destruction.» He is singing about that now. «He knoweth our frame: he remembereth that we are dust.»
Psalms 103:15-16. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Shall we sorrow about this? No: for we remember that we have another note yet in the fourth verse, «Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.» So he chants that over in the seventeenth verse.
Psalms 103:17-18. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
Mercy for ourselves: mercy for our children. What a blessing this is that our father's friend is our friend, and is the friend of our children, too! As David loved Mephibosheth for Jonathan's sake, so doth God still look upon the children of his children, and keeps his covenant to them.
Psalms 103:19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens;
Blessed be his name, he crowns us, and we are glad that he should be crowned, too: «Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.» And here we see him who it is that crowns us. «The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens.»
Psalms 103:19-20. And his kingdom ruleth over all. Bless the LORD, ye his angels,
As if he could not do it well enough himself, and so he called in the angels to help him. Ye bright spirits that behold him day and night, and circle his throne, rejoicing with your never-ceasing symphonies, lend me your harps end tongues. «Bless the Lord, ye his angels.»
Psalms 103:20-21. That excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto this voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts;
Sun, moon, and stars, the hosts of heaven, and all creatures that dwell in this lower sphere of whatever form ye be, burst forth into song and extol him; and oh! men the beasts that should be the hosts of God when ye are made willing in the day of his power, go forth to praise him. «Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts.»
Psalms 103:21. Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
Ye servants of his, whether ye be, wind, and rain, and snow, or whether ye be intelligent agents, so long as you are doing his pleasure, praise him as you do it.
Psalms 103:22. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
In the spirit of that, I think, we must ever sing our hymns of praise unto God. Nay, more, our whole life be a psalm of joyous thanksgiving and thanks-living.
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 103:1; 1 Corinthians 1:25-31.
Psalms 103:1-21

What more appropriate passage than the 103 rd Psalm can we read, on this first Sabbath night of another year, to express the gratitude of our thankful hearts. I will only interject a sentence here and there; but let me beg all to try to worship God in the spirit while we once more read together the familiar words of this much-loved Psalm.
Psalms 103:1. Bless the LORD, O my soul:
O my soul, be not thoughtless and wandering, but give this holy hour to the sacred employment of praising and blessing thy God!
Psalms 103:1. And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Let every string of my heart be now touched by the fingers of the Holy Spirit, let every faculty of my being wake up to praise the Lord: «and all that is within me, bless his holy name.»
Psalms 103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
They are very memorable; they deserve to be «engraved as in eternal brass.» To be forgetful of them, will be a base form of ingratitude. Come, my memory, wake up: «Forget not all his benefits.» Here are a few of the choicest of the gems in this cabinet; the jewels are too many for me to exhibit them all.
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
The Lord has done it, and continues to do it: «who forgiveth» not some of thine iniquities, but all of them, so that you can sing, «The depths have covered them: there is not one of them left.» Why, there is enough to sing of in that alone; we need never leave off praising God for that one mercy of sin forgiven; it is the first of God's favors, and prepares us to enjoy the rest.
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
Many times has my heart had to sing about the gift from my God of this precious pearl: «who healeth all thy diseases;» and some of you have also had occasion, in your restored health, to praise the Lord for this privilege. But, oh, to think that, every day, he is healing us of the great disease of sin, our very afflictions being, often, but the lancet and the knife with which he is removing from us the foul taint of evil «Who healeth all thy diseases.»
Psalms 103:4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Thou hast a life that can never die, for he has redeemed it; then, bless thy Lord for redemption. If thou dost not sing for this cause, the very stones in the street will cry out against thee.
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
What a crown! What gems bestud it! No gold or silver can ever equal this:
«lovingkindness and tender mercies.» Every child of God is a crowned king; shall we not for this also sing aloud, «Bless the Lord, O my soul»?
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
If you enjoy sweet inward contentment and satisfaction with your God, you must praise him, «who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's» With renewed strength, can you, will you, be silent? I am sure you cannot; but you must use all the strength that God hath given back to you to his praise and glory.
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Blessed be his name for this! He is the supreme Governor of the world, and he will rectify all its wrongs in his own time and way. There is a great power that makes for righteousness, and that power is on the throne. «The Lord reigneth.»
Psalms 103:7-19. He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Let your heart keep praising the Lord as we read every one of these sentences, for there is a theme for everlasting music in each line of this Psalm. «He will not always chide,» Hallelujah! «Neither will he keep his anger for ever.» And again we say, «Hallelujah!»
Psalms 103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins;
Blessed be his holy name!
Psalms 103:10. Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For ever adored be his longsuffering and his tender mercy.
Psalms 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Therefore praise him.
Loud as his thunders shout his praise,
And sound it lofty as his throne.
If he be such a God as this, you can never overdo his praises, it is impossible to exaggerate in your exaltation of him.
Psalms 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
They are gone; they are removed to an infinite distance; they will never come back. It is not possible that they should ever again be laid to our charge.
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
Do not stop the music of thanksgiving; let your hearts, if not your voices, keep on saying, «Bless the Lord! Bless the Lord!» Oh, what pity you and I have needed! What tenderness and compassion! And
Such pity as a father hath
Unto his children dear,
such pity has God had upon us.
Psalms 103:14-16. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
As a congregation, we have had most grievous proof of this truth during the last two or three months. It has seemed to me as if everybody was dying; our ranks have been thinned wondrously; And we are to the margin come, And we expect to die.
Psalms 103:17-19. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Do not believe the people who attribute sickness and death to the devil, and so try to make it appear that God has left his throne. He reigneth still; he reigneth ever, «King of kings, and Lord of lords, Hallelujah!» «Bless the Lord, O my soul!» «The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.»
Psalms 103:20-22. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
For well thou mayest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee! Lead thou the song, and may the whole world join thee in joyful adoration of the Triune Jehovah, Father, Son, and Spirit! Now we will read the passage that specially relates to the message I have to deliver to you presently in my Master's name. Turn to Isaiah 59:16 :
This exposition consisted of readings from Psalms 103:1; Isaiah 59:16-21; and Isaiah 60:1-16
Psalms 103:1-22

One's heart naturally turns to this passage when one desires to magnify the Lord. It is specially suitable for a New Year's meditation.
Psalms 103:1. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Come, my soul, wake up! Bestir thyself! Thou hast great work to do, such work as angels do for ever and ever before the throne. Let no power or faculty exempt itself from this divine service. Come, my memory, my will, my judgment, my intellect, my heart, all that in me is, be stirred up his holy name to magnify and bless. «Bless the Lord, O my soul,» for the music must begin deep down in the center of my being; it must be myself, my very self, that praises God.
Psalms 103:2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
This shall be the first note: «We love him because he first loved us.» We have not to go abroad for materials for praise, they lie at home. Forget not all his benefits to thee, my soul, his overwhelming, his innumerable benefits, which have to be summed up in the gross as «all his benefits» forget them not.
Psalms 103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Come, come, my soul, canst thou not praise God for sin forgiven? That is the first note, and it is the sweetest note, in our song of praise. «Who forgiveth all thine iniquities,» not some of them but the whole mass the blessed Scapegoat has carried into the «No man's land of oblivion.»
Psalms 103:3. Who healeth all thy diseases;
He is the Physician for thee, my soul: thy diseases are the worst of all diseases, for they would drag thee down to hell if they were not cured. But Jehovah Rophi healeth all thy diseases.
Psalms 103:4. who redeemeth thy life from destruction;
Oh, my soul, praise God for redemption! If thou canst not sing about anything else, sing of free grace and dying love. Keep on ringing those charming bells.
Psalms 103:4. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
What! can you wear a crown, and not praise him who placed it on your head? Can you wear such a crown as this, made up of lovingkindness and tender mercies, and not bless the Lord? Oh, let it not be so, let us each break forth in spirit in one song tonight, and say, «My soul doth magnify the Lord.»
Psalms 103:5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Heavenly feasting on heavenly bread; divine satisfaction from the finished work of Christ. Oh, my soul, pray to God to give thee new life tonight, so that thy youth may be renewed, so that thy wing feathers may grow again, and that thou mayest mount as eagles do! Surely, dear friends, this little list of mercies, so small for number, contains an immensity of mercy. Let us bless the Lord for every one of them.
Psalms 103:6. The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
Let the poor and the down-trodden sing unto the Lord. He will take care of you, he is the Executor of the needy and the Executioner of the proud. «The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.»
Psalms 103:7. He made known his ways unto Moses his acts unto the children of Israel.
Therefore, let us bless him, the God of revelation, who does not hide himself from his creatures; but who makes known his ways and his acts unto his people. An unknown God is an unpraised God; but when he shows himself to his people, they cannot refrain from blessing his name.
Psalms 103:8. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Praise him for this. Bless his name at every single mention of his divine attributes; let your hearts beat to the music of praise tonight.
Psalms 103:9. He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Let the afflicted praise him; let the downcast and the despondent sinner praise him; if he cannot sing about anything else, let him bless the name of the Lord that he will not keep his anger for ever.
Psalms 103:10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
Let us thank God we are not in hell; we are yet on praying ground, and on pleading terms with him. Some of us will never go into perdition, for he hath saved us with an everlasting salvation. Truly, if we did not bless him, every timber in this house, and every iron column beneath this roof, might burst out in rebukes for our ingratitude; we must bless his name.
Psalms 103:11. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
Look up into the blue sky, up, up beyond the stars, and say to yourself. «So great is his mercy.» Let us therefore praise him accordingly.
«Loud as his thunders shout his praise,
And sound it lofty at his throne.»
Psalms 103:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
There is neither latitude nor longitude for praise. God's grace is boundless; let us therefore unstintedly praise him.
Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
He has a tender heart: he never strikes without regret, but his love always flows freely. No father or mother is half so mild and loving as is the Lord of hosts.
Psalms 103:14. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
Our bodies are but animated dust, and even our souls might be compared to dust in his sight. Not iron or granite, but mere dust are we. It is a wonder that men live so long when there are such mighty forces, even in nature, arrayed against them. Who can control earthquakes and volcanoes? And when men cross the sea in times of storm, it is a wonder that they come to land again.
Psalms 103:15. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
You are like the primrose by the river's brim, or the buttercup and the daisy in the field that is visited with the scythe. That is all we are, not cedars, not oaks, not rocks, but flowers of the field.
Psalms 103:16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
Some of the hot winds of the East come over a meadow, and it is burned up immediately. I have seen the fairest and loveliest flowers look, in a short time, as if they had been burned with a hot iron when the Sirocco had blown across from Africa: and such are we. We speak of the breath of the pestilence; it is but a puff of wind, and we are gone.
Psalms 103:17-18. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; to such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
«But», and this is a blessed «but.» «But the mercy of the Lord» that is not a fading flower, that is not a withering wind, «But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting.» Here are ten thousand blessings in one. You have everlasting mercy, covenant mercy. Oh, if we do not praise God when we think of the covenant, what has happened to us? We must be possessed with a dumb devil if we do not praise the name of him whose mercy is from everlasting to everlasting.
Psalms 103:19. The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Now, children of a King, will you go mourning all your days? You that dwell in the light of his throne, will not you be glad? Rejoice, O Zion, for thy King liveth and reigneth for ever! «The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice.»
Psalms 103:20. Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
«Bless the Lord, ye his angels.» We cannot do it well enough yet; help us, then, ye angels that excel in strength; put out all your strength when ye praise him, «ye that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his Word.» Your actions are your praises, O ye angels! Would God that we had learned to do his commandments as ye do them! We are praying for this, even as our Lord taught his disciples to say, «Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.»
Psalms 103:21. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
All living things, and all the forces and powers of nature, are calling upon men to praise the Lord; and all the hosts of God, the organs of Omnipotence, ring out the grand chorus, «Bless ye the Lord.»
Psalms 103:22. Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.
I must not go grumbling up to heaven, nor stumbling among the works of God, I must gratefully come to him, and myself praise him, so with the psalmist I cry, «Bless the Lord, O my soul.»