After the Sermon Part 3

In this part of the sermon: He then explores Psalm 119, citing multiple verses to demonstrate the Psalmist's unwavering commitment to meditation, even when facing slander from princes, wrongful opposition…

Martin uses the Psalmist's experience of princes talking against him (Psalm 119:23) to illustrate how meditation provides solace and steadfastness amidst vicious, false, and slanderous reports, preventing a 'paralyzing pity party'.

How do most of us feel when people talk against us, especially, when they make up stories about us, and pass them around as though they are truth? We're hurt. Few things grieve us more. Few things take the spirit of a little child, or the spirit of an old man or woman, and batter it more fiercely, than vicious, false, insistent, slanderous reports.

11:56 - 12:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He then explores Psalm 119, citing multiple verses to demonstrate the Psalmist's unwavering commitment to meditation, even when facing slander from princes, wrongful opposition…

He draws an analogy to David's experience with Absalom's usurpation to emphasize the severity of being 'overthrown wrongfully' and how, even in such dire circumstances, the Psalmist maintained his commitment to meditation.

We don't know what the circumstances were. It could be a situation that had parallels to that which David knew when Absalom, in the pride and ambition of his own heart, usurps the throne of his father David. If anything would cut a man to the quick and cause him to leave off, as it were, the discipline of meditation, a man in such circumstances, we would surely excuse him, but listen to the language. Let the proud be put to shame, for they have overthrown me wrongfully, or with falsehood, but I will meditate on my precepts, here again.

14:25 - 15:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation is the chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind. ... It is the digestive process by which spiritual food nourishes the soul and promotes its growth in holiness.

Martin quotes extensively from Oliver Haywood's 'Heart Treasure' to explain meditation as the 'chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind' and the 'digestive process' for spiritual growth, highlighting the consequences of its absence.

Meditation is the chief agent in fastening divine truths on the mind. The knowledge of these truths we receive by hearing, reading, and social interchange of pious thought, that is, conversing with spiritually-minded Christians. But it is meditation alone that gives them a permanent dwelling place in our memories and makes them our own. It is the digestive process by which spiritual food nourishes the soul and promotes its growth in holiness.

17:55 - 18:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation alone imprints truth deeply upon the conscience and engraves it on the tablets of the inner man as with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond.

Haywood's metaphor of 'heads and hearts are like sieves' illustrates how truth runs out of those who do not meditate, making them unstable and unfruitful despite ample teaching.

Instruction flows in upon them from all sides, but their heads and hearts are like sieves, out of which everything runs as fast as it is poured in. The impressions which truth makes on their minds are as fleeting as are the characters traced in the sand that are totally obliterated when the next wave breaks upon the shore. Meditation alone imprints truth deeply upon the conscience and engraves it on the tablets of the inner man as with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond. It thus becomes incorporated into the soul, forms as it were a part of it, is ever present with it, to regulate its a...

18:59 - 20:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Meditation alone imprints truth deeply upon the conscience and engraves it on the tablets of the inner man as with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond.

Haywood's metaphor of 'characters traced in the sand' illustrates the fleeting nature of truth's impressions on minds without meditation, which are easily obliterated.

Instruction flows in upon them from all sides, but their heads and hearts are like sieves, out of which everything runs as fast as it is poured in. The impressions which truth makes on their minds are as fleeting as are the characters traced in the sand that are totally obliterated when the next wave breaks upon the shore. Meditation alone imprints truth deeply upon the conscience and engraves it on the tablets of the inner man as with a pen of iron, and the point of a diamond. It thus becomes incorporated into the soul, forms as it were a part of it, is ever present with it, to regulate its a...

18:59 - 20:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Go to the Lord Jesus who can take your meditation-hating heart, your God-hating heart, your scripture-hating heart, and He can change it and pardon all the sins that have flowed out of that heart and make you white as sn…

Martin alludes to the story of the rich man in hell (Luke 16) to illustrate the forced, tormenting meditation on one's folly and missed opportunities that awaits the unconverted who refuse to repent.

You will be forced to meditate. You'll be forced, if you don't repent, to meditate for all eternity in hell upon what a fool you are. Because you remember the words to the rich man in hell? He cries out, a drop of water!

21:21 - 21:44 Read in full sermon