We cannot live long with men without catching something of their manner, of their mode of thought, of their character, of their government of themselves. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. (4)In the dark as well as the light.3. For if God's exhaustive knowledge of the human heart waken dread in one of its aspects, it starts infinite hope in another. Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatSense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. There is no cry so pitiful as "Nothing to live for." His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. Being rich he becomes richer; being already high born, of still nobler lineage; being illustrious, he gains greater renown; and--what is more than all--once a sinner he is now a saint. Hoyt, D. D.: This psalm sings of I. So that whenever we are on the point of doing or saying anything cowardly, or mean, or false, or impure, or proud, or conceited, or unkind, the remembrance that God is looking on shall instantly flash across us and help us to beat down our enemy. LCMS Sermons - Pastor James F. Wright Sermon on Ephesians 4:30-5:2. But yet there is another, not less powerful than any, which deserves special mention. We could never discharge our duties properly if we were to be perpetually distracted by the consciousness of what was around us: and, above all, we might be daunted by the perpetual thought of the presence of God, and so be paralyzed instead of helped. Differently to be admonished are those that are at variance and those that are at peace. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative LifeEpistle Xlvii. I. Then is the moment to choose whether or not we will live in the presence of God; then when the finger of conscience is pointing to Him and saying, "He is looking at you. His omnipotence (vers. But if that knowledge whereby man knows himself is mysterious, then certainly that whereby God knows him is far more so. And this perpetual though not always conscious sense of God's presence would, no doubt, if we would let it have its perfect work, gradually act on our characters just as the presence of our fellow-men does. We cannot live long with men without catching something of their manner, of their mode of thought, of their character, of their government of themselves. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." What we may comprehend as seeing a slow response is due to God not listening to us, we are not taking time to be patient. and the merit of his perfect obedience is applied to us for our forgiveness. For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. "I dwell with him that is of a humble and contrite heart, to revive the heart of the contrite ones."--ISA. David praises God for the truth of his word4. And now you that are afraid about the future, rest with us in this sweet promise. 23, 24). S. Augustine, Of the Perfection of Human Righteousness, viii. lxxxv. The word, "me," in the text, cannot be appropriated by any man, unless he, in some respects, resembles the character of David, who penned this psalm. 15. Cultivate a loving affection for Him.(Homilist. He will revive us."--HOS. "(Archbishop Temple. The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." We do not agree with Momus, neither are we of his mind who desired to have a window in his breast that all men might see his heart. xlix. The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made John CunninghamThe Ordinance of CovenantingIntroduction. This is living with God. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. xviii. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. We do not agree with Momus, neither are we of his mind who desired to have a window in his breast that all men might see his heart. v. 22). Our hearts will put us in mind of God's eye being upon us every now and then involuntarily. 7. It is perfectly plain from the elevated central point of view where we now stand, and in the focal light in which we now see, that no man can be justified before God upon the ground of personal character; for that character, when subjected to God's exhaustive scrutiny, withers and shrinks away. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. So, too, by living in the presence of God and, as it were, in the courts of heaven, we shall assuredly learn something of a heavenly tone, and shake off some of that coarse worldliness, that deeply ingrained selfishness, that silly pride and conceit which now spoils our very best service. He is always involved in our lives as the Sovereign Orchestrator. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. One of these, borrowed from the Spanish theologian Francisco de Vitoria,48 was based on the universal right conferred by the 'law of nations' (ius gentium) to freedom of trade and communication. 18, 19. "Thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever." His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. ID. Rom. In short, to live with God is to be perpetually rising above the world; to live without Him is to be perpetually sinking into it, and with it, and below it. People Listen In Different Wayscan You Reach All Of Them? Said Milton, speaking of his travels abroad when a young man: "I again take God to witness that in all places where so many things are considered lawful, I lived sound and untouched from all profligacy and vice, having this thought perpetually with me, that though I might escape the eyes of men, I certainly could not the eyes of God."4. Though the transgressor is ignorant of much of his sin, because, at the time of its commission, he sins blindly as well as wilfully, and unreflectingly as well as freely; and though the transgressor has forgotten much of that small amount of sin, of which he was conscious, and by which he was pained, at the time of its perpetration; though, on the side of man, the powers of self-inspection and memory have accomplished so little towards this preservation of man's sin, yet God knows it all, and remembers it all. It is not his own strength or good resolves, but that ever-enduring mercy which fortifies him against all the risks and perils which he knows beset him; and he will abide in that mercy through continual prayer and trust. And this will generally be just when we are tempted to do wrong, or perhaps just when we are actually beginning to do it: some secret sin of which no one knows or dreams perhaps, some self-indulgence, which we dare not deny that God condemns. 8). Decision # 5: Choosing Daily to Serve the Lord. That of adoring and constantly thoughtful reverence (vers. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit. 2. )PeopleDavid, PsalmistPlacesJerusalemTopicsAbandon, Accomplish, Age, Chief, Complete, Concerneth, Concerns, David, Endures, Endureth, Eternal, Everlasting, Fall, Forever, Forsake, Fulfil, Fulfill, Hands, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Musician, O, Perfect, Psalm, Purpose, Steadfast, WorksOutline1. We become unconscious of everything by long use. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? His omnipresence. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. cxxxviii. His omnipresence. Thomas AquinasOn Prayer and The Contemplative LifeEpistle Xlvii. He professes his confidence in GodDictionary of Bible ThemesPsalm 138:86708predestination8125guidance, promise8441goalsPsalm 138:7-81265hand of GodLibraryFaith in PerfectionIn the opening, I must remark that this is not the heritage of all mankind. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. "(Archbishop Temple. The right state of mind plainly is to have the thought of God's presence so perpetually at hand that it shall always start before us whenever it is wanted. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. ", 6708predestination8125guidance, promise8441goals, Question of the Contemplative LifeI. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. )God and ourselvesW. AugustineOf Holy Virginity. And lest the presence of God should be too much for us, Christ has taken human nature on Him, and has provided that He will be always with us as long as the world shall last. But when the mercy of God is on you and with you, you can be confident, you can be assured, that God will certainly perfect ALL that concerns you. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. xlix. Rom. Then , 1. 6. How those that are at Variance and those that are at Peace are to be Admonished. II. That He will complete the work. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. The worst has been seen, and that too by the holiest of beings, and yet eternal glory is offered to us! The duties of that Covenant are God's law; and the demands of the law are all made, St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. Hoyt, D. D.: This psalm sings of I. A Consolatory Letter to the Parents of Geoffrey. )PeopleDavid, PsalmistPlacesJerusalemTopicsAbandon, Accomplish, Age, Chief, Complete, Concerneth, Concerns, David, Endures, Endureth, Eternal, Everlasting, Fall, Forever, Forsake, Fulfil, Fulfill, Hands, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Musician, O, Perfect, Psalm, Purpose, Steadfast, WorksOutline1. But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. G. T. Shedd, D. D.)God's presenceArchbishop Temple. The thought will flash across us that God sees us. If you look at it, you will see that there is in its bowels a full description of a true Christian. His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. G. T. Shedd, D. D.: One of the most remark. 5 Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD. This is what we need to impart interest to life. To Dominicus, Bishop. 15. 1, 2. We do not agree with Momus, neither are we of his mind who desired to have a window in his breast that all men might see his heart. He has suffered thus, partly from a certain obscurity in his style of writing, partly from the difficulty of the thoughts which he attempted to convey. Is the Contemplative Life wholly confined to the Intellect, or does the Will enter into it? The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. 23, 24). But once let a man or woman reach this assurance that through all the various scenes of life God is moulding them, and even by the "strokes of doom" fashioning them "to shape and use," and all the life sparkles with glad significance. It is perfectly plain from the elevated central point of view where we now stand, and in the focal light in which we now see, that no man can be justified before God upon the ground of personal character; for that character, when subjected to God's exhaustive scrutiny, withers and shrinks away. 1, 2. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. It is a simple question of time; a simple question whether it shall come here in this world, where the blood of Christ "freely" flows, or in the future world, where "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin."(W. 16:15 .) able characteristics of a rational being is the power of self-inspection. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.for" 23, 24). Do the Moral Virtues pertain to the Contemplative Life? We become unconscious of everything by long use. He then that has no care to keep peace refuses to bear the fruit of the Spirit. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. The Lord Will Perfect - RCCG PPP I receive perfect joy, health, favour and breakthrough in the name of Jesus. But in almost every case the dazzling rays of a searchlight frustrated the attempt, and the fugitives' vessel was captured by the Americans. For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. We could never discharge our duties properly if we were to be perpetually distracted by the consciousness of what was around us: and, above all, we might be daunted by the perpetual thought of the presence of God, and so be paralyzed instead of helped. There is, therefore, nothing wrong in our forgetting that we are in the presence of God any more than there is anything foolish in our forgetting that we need air to breathe or light to see by, or that if we fall we may hurt ourselves: just in the same way as we very often, and quite rightly, forget that we are in the company of men who will take notice of our faults. (Weekly Pulpit. Those who live much in refined and educated society acquire refinement insensibly. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. Men only see what a man says and does; God sees all that a man is. If God makes your son His son also, what do you lose or what does he himself lose? He is present everywhere, in the entirety of Himself. That of a prayerful seeking of the Divine guidance (ver. It is a simple question of time; a simple question whether it shall come here in this world, where the blood of Christ "freely" flows, or in the future world, where "there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin."(W. 2. The Promise of Peace You keep him in perfect peace You keep him in perfect peace. v. 22). But there are other reasons for the comparative neglect into which he has fallen. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. 17, 18).2. xlix. This is one of the most famous statements in the Old Testament, and rightly so because it expresses the heart of a great spiritual leader at the end of his life. And this perpetual though not always conscious sense of God's presence would, no doubt, if we would let it have its perfect work, gradually act on our characters just as the presence of our fellow-men does. --The Life and Writings of St. Hilary of Poitiers. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. The thought will flash across us that God sees us. 17, 18).2. March 3rd, 2023. For he who is required by the necessity of his position to speak the highest things is compelled by the same necessity to exhibit the highest things. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. "O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years."--HAB. )God all-seeing:In the mythology of the heathen, Momus, the god of fault-finding, is represented as blaming Vulcan, because in the human form, which he had made of clay, he had not placed a window in the breast, by which whatever was done or thought there might easily be brought to light. v. 22). 8. The word perfect can be used in various ways. God Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me | Ray Noah The thought will flash across us that God sees us. (Isa. Psalms 138:8 Context. Hilary of PoitiersThe Life and Writings of St. Hilary of PoitiersPsalmsThe piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. THE DIVINE OMNISCIENCE (vers. For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Today, the LORD will perfect that which concerns me and my family. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. In the day when I cried Charles KingsleyOut of the DeepWherefore a Few Witnesses, which the Lord Deigns to Suggest to My Mind32. solely via the power of the Holy Spirit. We become unconscious of everything by long use. Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. Be comforted in every time of trouble. 19 III. Hear my prayer, O God; and hide not Thyself from my petition. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. (Admonition 23.) AugustineOn the Good of MarriagePrayer Out of the Deep. In a declaration of faith you are speaking to yourself which was what David was doing in this verse. (Admonition 23.) For whereas man sinned, and is fallen, and by his fall all things are in confusion: death prevailed from Adam to Moses (cf. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God, 20th centu ry. As for Me and My House: - Keep Believing Ministries His omnipresence. 7 ad 3m II. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' If God makes your son His son also, what do you lose or what does he himself lose? But in almost every case the dazzling rays of a searchlight frustrated the attempt, and the fugitives' vessel was captured by the Americans. "And can you tell me," said the infidel, "whether your God is a great or a little God?" St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. For it is written, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace (Gal. Thomas experiences the presence of the risen Christ and he responds by saying "MY LORD AND MY GOD!" Thomas addresses Jesus in the same language in which Israel addressed Yahweh. For those that are at variance are to be admonished to know most certainly that, in whatever virtues they may abound, they can by no means become spiritual if they neglect becoming united to their neighbours by concord. St. Hilary of Poitiers is one of the greatest, yet least studied, of the Fathers of the Western Church. KJV: The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. 8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Now, in this condition of things, God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life. 6. 23, 24). The mercy of the creature is changeable; the mercy of Jehovah is unchangeable. : The fact that God is always present and knows every minute trifle in our lives, and that His unerring judgment will assuredly take count of every detail of our character and our conduct, neither exaggerating nor omitting, but applying absolute justice; this truth is one of those which lose force from their very universality. (2)Unseen world.(3)Everywhere. Chapter i. In short, to live with God is to be perpetually rising above the world; to live without Him is to be perpetually sinking into it, and with it, and below it. v. 22). Whence the material universe? OURSELVES. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. xlix. But that crown of life which you have submitted to His wisdom, which you have taken up in obedience to the plain indications of His providence, which you follow out with integrity, walking before the Lord and committing your way unto Him that crown of life shall have His blessing, and none shall be able to put you on one side. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. Therefore the first natural bond of human society is man and wife. This Psalm is a Psalm of David. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. The Lord Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me - Joyful Jane Hence Paul Leo the GreatWritings of Leo the GreatSense in Which, and End for which all Things were Delivered to the Incarnate Son. 12), while the devil was exulting against us;--then God, in His loving-kindness, not willing man made in His own image to perish, said, Whom shall I send, and who will go?' The former are made and fulfilled by its glorious Originator; the latter are enjoined and obligatory on man. The law and covenant of God are co-extensive; and what is enjoined in the one is confirmed in the other. The self-knowledge, remember, must come in the one way or the other. The mercy of the creature was of yesterday; the mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting. We see that mercy has provided for the ruined life to be restored and built up again according to the plan of the great Architect. The proposals of that Covenant include its promises and its duties. "And among all the people" to say it another way "I will be glorified." So to see, to apprehend, and to reckon with his holiness (and, in some sense, to perceive it) is to see glory and, thus, to glorify him. He must be prepared for the Kingdom that has been prepared for him Saint Bernard of ClairvauxSome Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of ClairvauxThat the Ruler Should be Always Chief in Action. 2. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? He may be an uncommonly thoughtful person, and little of what is done within his soul may escape his notice; nay, we will make the extreme supposition that he arrests every thought as it rises, and looks at it; that he analyzes every sentiment as it swells his heart; that he scrutinizes every purpose as it determines his will; even if he should have such a thorough and profound self-knowledge as this, God knows him equally profoundly and equally thoroughly. No, the first day of creation was a guarantee of the five which followed it and of the grand rest day which crowned the week. )PeopleDavid, PsalmistPlacesJerusalemTopicsAbandon, Accomplish, Age, Chief, Complete, Concerneth, Concerns, David, Endures, Endureth, Eternal, Everlasting, Fall, Forever, Forsake, Fulfil, Fulfill, Hands, Kindness, Love, Loving, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Mercy, Musician, O, Perfect, Psalm, Purpose, Steadfast, WorksOutline1. 7. When it is in progress He will not leave it or suffer it to be marred He will carry it forward through its successive stages until it be finished to the glory of His name. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. "Come, and let us return to the Lord: for He hath torn, and He will heal us. So, too, by living in the presence of God and, as it were, in the courts of heaven, we shall assuredly learn something of a heavenly tone, and shake off some of that coarse worldliness, that deeply ingrained selfishness, that silly pride and conceit which now spoils our very best service. The text, however, itself, is its own guard. The Lord Will Perfect That Which Concerns Me 2 | SermonAudio Our relation toward such a God should be 1. Beyond the sea, and far out of the sight of man, God's hand would lead him, and God's right hand grasp him. [2105] And these without all controversy we take to be humble. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. PRAYER POINTS FOR JULY - Tesh N Writings GOD ACCURATELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY KNOWS ALL THAT MAN MIGHT, BUT DOES NOT, KNOW OF HIMSELF. The right state of mind plainly is to have the thought of God's presence so perpetually at hand that it shall always start before us whenever it is wanted. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. Nor did God create these each by himself, and join them together as alien by birth: but He created the one St. Does the Contemplative Life comprise many Acts? Those who are always hearing pure and high principles set forth as the guides of life learn to value and to know them even faster than they can learn to live by them. His discourse, the first which He delivered to His disciples at greater length, began from this. Take heed unto me and hear me; how I mourn in my prayer and am vexed.--Psalm iv. Like the air we breathe, like the light we see, it involves a mystery that no man has ever solved. We have received with the utmost gratification the letters of your Fraternity, which have reached us somewhat late by the hands of Donatus and Quodvultdeus, our most reverend brethren and fellow-bishops, and also Victor the deacon with Agilegius the notary. Those who live much in a court acquire courtly manners. 7 ad 3m II. It is here proposed to show, that every incumbent duty ought, in suitable circumstances, to be engaged to in the exercise of Covenanting. xviii. From the just we learn justice; from the charitable we catch an infection of charity; from the generous we receive the instinct of generosity. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. The strophe closes with a frank confession of the writer's impotence and awe. vi. The Coming Andrew MurrayThe Ministry of IntercessionForasmuch as Each Man is a Part of the Human Race1. As low as $30/day. Our relation toward such a God should be 1. In my trouble I will call upon the Lord, and complain unto my God; so shall He hear my voice out of His holy temple, and my complaint shall come before Him; it shall enter even into His ears.--Ps. If we had such a window we should pray for shutters, and should keep them closed.God omniscientWeekly Pulpit.