A Response to Iain Murray’s The Psalter—The Only Hymnal?  (James Beggs Society)

The book contains 45 meditations on the Psalms that Vos originally wrote for the Standard Bearer. The title is O Taste & See: Meditations from the Psalms. It is a reprint of the book that was first published as a paperback in 1983. The reprint is graced with attractive hard covers. The front cover displays the old Hudsonville Protestant Reformed church building and the genial countenance of Gerrit Vos.

In addition to the devotional expositions of many of the Psalms, the book contains a biographical sketch of Vos by his daughter. How characteristic of him that he wrote out his will on the back of a church bulletin and that the will began, “When I fall asleep in Jesus.”

To preach the Psalms well is not the strong gift of every minister. Doing so requires the sanctified soul of a poet. It calls for the man who feels deeply into all the spiritual moods of the Psalms and who then can express these moods with lyrical voice. Such was the soul of Gerrit Vos. Such a man was the long-time pastor of Hudsonville.

The devotionals that make up this book are instructive, moving, and comforting. They are simple, so that every Christian can understand. They are profound, uncovering the depths of God’s revelation of Himself to the soul of His child by the Spirit of Christ.

They are also God-glorifying. God had to have His glory in all the preaching and writing of Gerrit Vos. I saw Rev. Vos’ zeal for the glory of God on an occasion that I have not forgotten. As a seminarian, I had spoken a word of edification on a Sunday evening to the congregation of Hudsonville. Rev. Vos was present. Afterwards, he sought me out. He said nothing about the sermon, which, looking back, I recognize as his unfailing kindness. But his face was aglow with delight that in the congregational prayer I had praised “our adorable God.”

(Prof. David J. Engelsma)

Click here to read a review of this book by one of our readers!

Chapters of this book have been translated into Burmese.

Praise His Majesty is a music book containing 254 psalter (a songbook of Psalms) tunes arranged for beginning pianists. The book (8½ inches by 11 inches) has a sturdy semi-concealed double wire binding and glossy nylon laminate covers. Teachers of piano will find Praise His Majesty a worthwhile supplement to their students’ course of study. Adults with limited experience on the piano will also find this book valuable. The beginning piano student will be able to play the first few songs after only a few piano lessons. The book gradually progresses to levels that are more difficult. Upon completion of this book, the student should be ready to play out of The Psalter itself.

One of the most powerful temptations of the believer is to doubt God’s goodness to him in time of trouble—earthly trouble including family distress, sickness, and financial hardship. Lending force to the temptation is God’s apparent goodness to the wicked in their prosperity—earthly prosperity including a peaceful home, health, and economic success.

Every Christian struggles with this temptation at some time in his life. Every Christian knows by experience that, especially when his trouble is great, or continues without relief, the temptation threatens his very faith in God and thus his salvation. The words of the psalmist in Psalm 73:2 are his own: “My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.”

This temptation and this struggle regarding earthly troubles, as well as the overcoming of the temptation and victory in the struggle by every child of God are the profound and grand themes of Psalm 73.

Prosperous Wicked and Plagued Saints is a commentary on this precious psalm that applies to stumbling believers and their children, in a practical way, that gospel-truth which alone holds them up and restores them. This is the truth of God’s goodness, His gracious and favourable attitude, to his people in their trouble, as it is also the truth of God’s curse of the wicked in their prosperity.

In light of the teaching of Psalm 73, the book takes issue with a theory about earthly prosperity and earthly woe that, for all its strange popularity with Reformed and evangelical Christians, only intensifies the believer’s temptation to doubt in the hour of trouble: the theory of common grace.

“This little gem of a book … [is] a faithful exposition of Scripture, a book for all the saints. Prof. Engelsma takes Scripture word for word and carefully opens up its meaning with devastating effect. Verse by verse and phrase by phrase, through just over 100 easy-to-read pages, he shows us how [Psalm 73] totally demolishes the theory of common grace” (The Reformed Witness).

“I’ve started on David Engelsma’s book, and I like the way he writes: very simple and direct, unflinchingly getting right to the truth of the matter. It started me thinking about prosperous and famous people of today, like David and Victoria Beckham, Simon Cowell and Rod Stewart, for example.” – Essex, England

“I highly recommend this book for those who are struggling, depressed, stressed, and or suffering. It will straighten out your perspective. For the unbeliever this book will warn you not to take for granted your prosperity (whether in business, family, friends, society or finances) and instead look to the God who created you and will judge you according to your many sins and turn in repentance to Him.” – New York, USA

“I’m currently reading Prosperous Wicked and Plagued Saints by Prof. Engelsma. It’s very good so far. Prof. Engelsma is a very good writer. His language is clear and easy to understand which makes it a joy to read.” – Denmark

“What a wonderful book … I connected with this psalm and Professor Engelsma’s explanation of feeling lost in similar situations as did the psalmist. Knowing another church member that was going through similar trials, I purchased another [copy] for them.”

“I very much enjoyed the book on Psalm 73, Prosperous Wicked and Plagued Saints. I gave a copy to my daughter and son-in-law after the loss of their new born son. It was greatly appreciated.” – England

To read chapter 1 of this book in German, click here.
To read chapter 8 of this book in German, click here.
To read excerpts from chapter 1 of this book in Portuguese, click here.
To read chapter 2 of this book in Portuguese, click here.

John Owen (1616-1683) on Psalm 73: “We know that time and again God allows worldly good things to pass to the very people that He hates, whom He has a fixed determination to punish, and whom He has declared to be reserved for eternal punishment and destruction. (Psalm 73:4-12, 18-20). Note carefully—things which are good in themselves, but bestowed in such a way as to make it impossible to determine whether they are given in love or in hatred, cannot reveal any facet of God’s character. (‘The righteous and the wise, and their works, are in the hand of God: no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked: to the good and the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as to the good, so to the sinner,’ Eccles. 9:1-2.) God gives good temporal things to the wicked. Why conclude that He is attempting to beguile them into realizing that He can be appeased? Far rather, as sovereign, He is fattening them for the coming day of slaughter!” (Biblical Theology [Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1994], p. 78).

6 sermons on Psalm 139 by Rev. Martyn McGeown on CD or DVD

Every Christian needs to be assured of his heavenly Father’s personal, loving knowledge of himself or herself. Does Jehovah really know me? where I live? where I go? what I do?
Is He with me? With me as a covenant friend? Has He always been near me, right from the beginning of my existence? And what is our calling in the light of God’s intimate knowledge of and care for me?

(1) Jehovah’s Knowledge of Me (Ps. 139:1-6)
(2) Jehovah’s Presence With Me (Ps. 139:7-12)
(3) Jehovah’s Forming of Me (Ps. 139:13-16)
(4) Jehovah’s Precious Thoughts of Me (Ps. 139:17-18)
(5) Counting Jehovah’s Enemies as Mine (Ps. 139:19-22)
(6) A Prayer for Jehovah’s Searching (Ps. 139:23-24)

6 sermons by Rev. Martyn McGeown
on Psalm 23 on CD or DVD

These six comforting sermons by Rev. McGeown on possibly the most famous Psalm
set forth the beautiful relationship between the Good Shepherd and His sheep.

(1) The Happiness of Belonging to Jehovah’s Flock (Ps. 23:1)
(2) Resting in Jehovah’s Pasture (Ps. 23:2)
(3) Led by the Shepherd (Ps. 23:3)
(4) With the Shepherd in the Fearful Valley (Ps. 23:4)
(5) Table Fellowship With the Shepherd (Ps. 23:5)
(6) Pursued by the Shepherd’s Goodness (Ps. 23:6)

6 sermons on Psalms 120-125 on CD or DVD

Each of Psalms 120-134 is titled “A Song of degrees” or ascents, referring to OT saints going up to Jerusalem on pilgrimage to keep the feasts or festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles. These fifteen Psalms are a little Psalter within the Psalter, with vital lessons for Christian pilgrims today who go up to God in private and public worship by faith. Listen to the first volume on Psalms 120-125 to help you in ascending to our heavenly Father in prayer and praise.

(1) The Saint Setting Out (Ps. 120)
(2) The Saint on His Way (Ps. 121)
(3) The Saint at His Arrival (Ps. 122)
(4) Looking to the Lord (Ps. 123)
(5) If It Had Not Been for the Lord! (Ps. 124)
(6) The Church’s Security (Ps. 125)

10 sermons on Psalms 126-134 on CD or DVD

Psalms 126-134 are pilgrim Psalms, referring to OT saints going up to Jerusalem to keep the feasts or festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles, and containing vital lessons for Christian pilgrims today who go up to God in private and public worship by faith. Listen to or watch the second volume on Psalms 126-134 to help you in ascending to our heavenly Father in prayer and praise. (It is not necessary to listen to the first volume beforehand.)

(1) Returning From Captivity (Ps. 126)
(2) The Necessity of God’s Blessing (Ps. 127)
(3) The Blessed God-Fearer (Ps. 128)
(4) Afflicted Israel Sings (Ps. 129)
(5) Out of the Depths (Ps. 130)
(6) The Saint as a Weaned Child (I) (Ps. 131:1)
(7) The Saint as a Weaned Child (II) (Ps. 131:2-3)
(8) Pleading the Davidic Covenant (Ps. 132)
(9) The Blessedness of Church Unity (Ps. 133)
(10) Many Blessings in the Church! (Ps. 134)

5 sermons on Psalm 2 on CD or DVD

A wholly and directly Messianic psalm, Psalm 2 is a powerful prophecy of the New Testament kingdom of God’s Son. Though the heathen rage against Him and His Christ (vv. 1-3), God laughs at them for He installs His Son as ruler (vv. 4-6) of the Messianic kingdom (vv. 8-9). Therefore, all are called to believe the gospel lest they perish (vv. 10-12)! The reference to God’s Son as His “begotten” (v. 7) is further explained in the bonus disk (“The Only Begotten Son of God”) that accompanies this short series of sermons on Psalm 2.

(1) The Raging Heathen (Ps. 2:1-3)
(2) The Laughing God (Ps. 2:4-6)
(3) The Begotten Son (Ps. 2:7)
(4) The Messianic Kingdom (Ps. 2:8-9)
(5) The Gospel Call (Ps. 2:10-12)
Plus a Bonus Disk: “The Only Begotten Son of God”

“I decided to listen again to the sermons on Psalm 2. I listened to sermon 1 in the AM of Easter Sunday, number 2 in the early PM and number 3 in the late afternoon, ‘The Begotten Son,’ which couldn’t have been more apt for the commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord. Yesterday, I listened to number 4, ‘The Messianic Kingdom’ which speaks so clearly to the state of this country and world now. I hope to listen to number 5, ‘the Gospel Call’ tomorrow.” – Yorkshire, England

Showing Christ in the Psalms & looking at a consensus of opinions on Psalms & instrumental music in worship

“Revs. Kerr and McDonald ably represent the robust, vibrant teaching of historic Presbyterianism in defence of exclusive, unaccompanied Psalmody. The articles are relevant, challenging and eminently biblical; and the supporting consensus of opinion, from apostolic times down, shows that to contend for exclusive, unaccompanied Psalmody is neither unnecessary, nor divisive”  (Rev. Chris Conners, Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Australia).