I will praise [thee], O Lord, with my whole,
heart
This is what is called in the New Testament making melody in the
heart, or singing with grace in the heart, ( Ephesians
5:19 ) ( Colossians
3:16 ) ; and yet does not signify mere mental singing, but
vocal singing, the heart joining therein; for the word here used
for praise signifies to confess, to speak out, to declare openly
the praises of God in the public congregation, as David elsewhere
determines to do, ( Psalms 111:1
) ( Psalms
138:1 Psalms 138:2
) ; the heart ought to, be engaged in every, part of divine
service and worship, whether in preaching or in hearing, or in
prayer, or in singing of praise; and the whole heart also:
sometimes God has nothing of the heart in worship, it is removed
far from, him, and gone after other objects; and sometimes it is
divided between God and the creature; hence the psalmist prays
that God would unite his heart to fear him, and then he should
praise him with all his heart, with all that was within him, with
all the powers and faculties of his soul; see ( Psalms 86:11
Psalms
86:12 ) ( 103:1 ) .
This phrase is not expressive of the perfection of this duty, or
of performing it in such manner as that there would be no
imperfection in it, or sin attending it; for good men fail in all
their performances, and do nothing good without sin; hence
provision is made for the iniquities of holy things; but of the
heartiness and sincerity of it; and in such a sincere and upright
manner the psalmist determines, in the strength of divine grace,
to praise the Lord;
I will show forth all thy marvellous works;
such as the creation of all things out of nothing, and the
bringing them into the form and order in which they are by the
word of God; and in which there is such a display of the power
and wisdom of God; and particularly the formation of man out of
the dust of the earth, in the image, and after the likeness of
God; the sustentation of the whole world of creatures in their
being, the providential care of them all, the preservation of man
and beast; and especially the work of redemption: it is
marvellous that God should think of redeeming sinful men; that he
should fix the scheme of it in the way he has; that he should
pick upon his own Son to be the Redeemer; that ungodly men,
sinners, the chief of sinners, and enemies, should be the persons
redeemed; and that not all the individuals of human nature, but
some out of every kindred, tongue, people, and nation: as also
the work of grace, which is a new creation, and more marvellous
than the old; a regeneration, or a being born again, which is
astonishing to a natural man, who cannot conceive how this can
be; a resurrection from the dead, or a causing dry bones to live;
a call of men out of darkness into marvellous light; and it is as
wondrous how this work is preserved amidst so many corruptions of
the heart, temptations of Satan, and snares of the world, as that
it is; to which may be added the wonderful works yet to be done,
as the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, the destruction of
antichrist, the resurrection of the dead, the last judgment, and
the eternal glory and happiness of the saints; and doubtless the
psalmist may have respect to the many victories which he, through
the divine power, obtained over his enemies; and particularly the
marvellous one which was given him over Goliath with a stone and
sling: these the psalmist determined to make the subject of his
song, to dwell and enlarge upon, to show forth unto others, and
to point out the glories, beauties, and excellency of them: and
when he says "all" of them, it must be understood of as many of
them as were within the compass of his knowledge, and of as much
of them as he was acquainted with; for otherwise the marvellous
works of God are infinite and without number, ( Job 5:9 ) ( 9:10 ) .