The heart in the Scripture is variously used; sometimes for the mind and understanding, sometimes for the will, sometimes for the affections, sometimes for the conscience, sometimes for the whole soul. Generally, it denotes the whole soul of man and all the faculties of it, not absolutely, but as they are all one principle of moral operations, as they concur in our doing good or evil…the seat and subject of the law of sin is the heart of man.
John Owen

Spurgeon PS1829

Spurgeon PS1829

EXPOSITION.

Some repetitions are not vain repetitions. Second thoughts upon God’s mercy should be and often are the best. Like wines on the lees our gratitude grows stronger and sweeter as we meditate upon divine goodness. The verses which we have now to consider are the ripe fruit of a thankful spirit; they are apples of gold as to matter, and they are placed in baskets of silver as to their language. They describe the believer’s victorious career and his enemies’ confusion.

“_For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall_.” Whether we meet the foe in the open field or leap upon them while they lurk behind the battlements of a city, we shall by God’s grace defeat them in either case; if they hem us in with living legions, or environ us with stone walls, we shall with equal certainty obtain our liberty. Such feats we have already performed, hewing our way at a run through hosts of difficulties, and scaling impossibilities at a leap. God’s warriors may expect to have a taste of every form of fighting, and must by the power of faith determine to quit themselves like men; but it behoves them to be very careful to lay all their laurels at Jehovah’s feet, each one of them saying, “_by my God_” have I wrought this valiant deed. Our _spolia optima_, the trophies of our conflicts, we hereby dedicate to the God of battles, and ascribe to him all glory and strength.

EXPLANATORY NOTES AND QUAINT SAYINGS.

Verse 29.–“_By thee I have run through a troop_,” etc. David ascribes his victories to God, declaring that, under his conduct, he _had broken through the wedges or phalanxes_ of his enemies, and had taken by storm their fortified cities. Thus we see that, although he was a valiant warrior, and skilled in arms, he arrogates nothing to himself.–^John Calvin.

Verse 29.–“_By my God have I leaped over a wall_;” or, “taken a fort.”–^Henry Hammond.

Verse 29.–“_Leaped over a wall_.” This probably refers to his having taken some remarkable town by scaling the ramparts.–^John Kitto, in “The Pictorial Bible.”

HINTS TO PREACHERS.

Verse 29.–Believing exploits recounted. Variety, difficulty in themselves, ease in performance, completeness, impunity, and dependence upon divine working.