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