Tonight we come to the 37th verse. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy word. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy word. Dear congregation, the eyes are as the windows of the soul. What we see so easily affects the heart. Having been aware of the danger of covetousness, he pleased with the Lord as we saw last week to incline his heart, that is to stretch his heart, to bend his heart towards the Word. Now he prays that the Lord would work on his eyes. And as we go through these little petitions, how helpful they are for us to pray, how needful they are. For, Lord, we think of our eye and we think of our heart, how easy it is to be affected within as we view certain things. Well, he prays that the Lord would turn away his eyes from beholding vanity, and then he beseeches the Lord that he would quicken him. Dear brothers and sisters, how much we need the Lord and His influence in our lives each and every day. As we shall see in a moment, we need that quickening work in order for us to pray, as we sung, call upon the Lord. We need that quickening work. Well, as we come to these words tonight, I'd like us to consider first of all, turn away mine eyes. And secondly, quicken thou me. Turn away mine eyes, and then secondly quicken thou me. Let's hear these words again. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy word. Except when we're asleep, so many things come before our eyes. We're always observing certain things. But then think a little further. There are many things that come into our minds and we begin to muse upon them. Now recall those interesting words in Ephesians 1 verse 18. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened. So we can think in the first place of our physical eyes and there's many things we behold with our eyes. But then we can think of the eyes of our understanding. Ephesians 1 verse 18. We see many things in our minds. Many things come before our eye and then before our mind. There are many pleasant sights at Stourhead at the present time. The colours are spectacular. The Dorset coastal pathway sets forth many beautiful sights in the autumn sunshine. Children playing and laughing together rejoices the heart. A blazing fire in the sitting room, if you have a woodburner, warms the soul. A roast dinner of all the trimmings can make the mouth water. People gathered in an eager anticipation is a heartwarming sight for the preacher. An open Bible and the words on the page can stir the soul. The thought of Jesus Christ can bring much pleasure. There are many good and lawful things that come before our minds, which does us good. However, as we consider here in these words tonight, there are many ill sites in this world in which the heart can be led astray. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. We'll come back in a moment to those words at the beginning of the verse, turn away. But let's note for a moment, the vanity. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. The Hebrew word can be translated as desolating, evil, false, vain, lying, idolatry. Let's just think of a few things here. Idolatry, idol worship. And then there is the danger of self. And consider unjust gain, worldly gain. How many are seeking such worldly gain in these days? They see certain things. Many of them have lined up tonight in the shops to get their lottery tickets because their eyes have been drawn to these things. They desire to have a quick fix. They desire that worldly gain. Sinful pleasures, drunkenness, fornication. Worldly honour? How pride can so easily be fueled? Thomas Manson the Puritan writes, By vanity there is understood the vain things of the world, which do so often deceive us to the happiness they promise. And how many are deceived? The deceived will make them happy. So much can pop up before the eye, which is not good. There is much vanity in this world. There are many temptations. Satan will fire his darts. The world will present its sinful pleasures. And the heart will parade many a vain thing. There are the dangers from without. And we can be tempted by the world. And we can be tempted by Satan. But we can also be as James makes plain. So many things come before our eye, so many things come into our minds. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, that which is ill, that which is not good. Many a temptation of a sexual nature can come before the eye. David fell when he gazed at Bathsheba washing herself. Many temptations can come. The social media such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and so on can be a means of keeping in contact and promoting good things, wholesome things. The television can have some documentaries or other such programs which can be wholesome. But there are the dangers. Pictures can flash up. We need to be on our guard. Pictures of ladies and men dressed immodestly. How we need to be on our guard. How we need to act. So many temptations can suddenly arrive before your eye and come into your mind. And we need to say no. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. But before we make that prayer, we need to say no. We need to resist temptation. Joseph gives us a good example. Remember Potiphar's wife, day after day, sought him to commit wickedness. Genesis 39 verse 7, And it came to pass, after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph. And she said, Lie with me. But he refused and said unto his master's wife, Behold my master, what have not what is with me in the house? And he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I, neither have ye kept back anything from me but thee. Because thou art his wife, how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? You see, he said no. He feared the Lord, and he was strong. And he said no, verse 10. And it came to pass, as he spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearken not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. The temptation came day after day and he said, no. We are in this world and there are many vain things and temptations can come before your eye every day. Suddenly, you're going along and a temptation comes. You go into a shop and a temptation arises. You go on the social media or you're in front of the television and a temptation suddenly pops up before you. We mustn't be surprised if we face temptation day after day. This is a prayer we need to be praying every day. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Turn it away. Remember what Job said in Job 31 verse 1? I have made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? I have made a covenant with mine eyes. Now he's thinking there particularly that he will not engage in sexual sin. I have made a covenant with mine eyes. But let's open this up a little further. In view of all temptation, I have made a covenant with mine eyes. The man needs to be saying, why should I muse over this lady? And the lady needs to be saying, why should I muse over this man? I have made a covenant with mine eyes. And then in view of all temptation, I have made a covenant with mine eyes. How often do we renew that covenant? It's a challenge, isn't it? When we read those words again. I have made a covenant with mine eyes. We need to keep thinking on the covenant we made. And then we need to keep renewing the covenant. You know, we think each year here we renew the church covenant. Covenants are good things, aren't they? We have that wonderful covenant. As for me in my house, we will serve the Lord. Oh, to renew that covenant every day. Covenants are good things. They've gone out of the church by and large. Oh, for them to come back in. and to be renewing covenants. When we think of this covenant, I made a covenant with mine eyes. Keep renewing that covenant. Why then should I think upon a mate? We need to take action, and then we need to pray. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. How we need God's help. It's interesting, isn't it, through these verses. We're just presented with this truth, we need God's help. Left to ourselves, we'll be glued to this world and the sinful things of it. We need God's help. Yes, we point the finger at ourselves every time. But oh how we need God's help. And the Psalmist knew this. He had fallen. Oh, he makes this earnest prayer, having learned by experience the sinfulness of his own sin. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Now David recognizes there were vain things. They promised happiness, but it was a deceit. It's important we recognise the vanity in this world. And the vanity that comes before us each and every day. Recognise it. And make it plain to the Lord that you are recognising it. Just note this here. Turn away my eyes from behorning vanity. He's making this request before the Lord. And he speaks of vanity. And he makes it known. I recognise the vanity in this world. I recognise the vanity that comes up before mine eyes and comes into my mind. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. Make your earnest and humble plea for help. Turn away mine eyes. I remember as a boy my mother used to say to me often, look the other way. Don't look, look the other way. Turn away mine eyes. I do not want to gaze on vain things. I do not want to think about sinful things. We don't do either. We don't want to look on vain things or think about sinful things. Turn away mine eyes. I'm so weak. Sometimes one can have problems with their eye muscles. We have problems with our eye muscles at times. And we need the Lord to turn our eyes. I'm so weak, turn mine eyes. Cause me to turn my head and my thinking. And you know, dear brothers and sisters, there's certain times when we need the Lord to help us to turn our heads physically. Not only mentally, but physically. We have to look the other way. We have to turn our heads. Lord, help me when I'm in a shop. When a certain one comes down the street dressed immodestly. Turn mine eyes, turn my head away. Well, let's come back to the beginning of the verse and note particularly these words. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. The Hebrew word, or Bar, means to cross over. To pass. To make to pass. It's not that the Lord would shut our eyes. But that he would turn our eyes. He would cause us to cross over and consider something else. And look at something else. Now that's interesting isn't it? To cross over. To pass. Or the Hebrew to make to pass. It can be translated. So the idea is this, it's not to shut the eye, but to turn my eyes away from that which is ill, that I might behold that which is good. It's not just to shut my eyes, no. To turn my eyes, that I might focus on that which is good. When temptation comes before my eye, turn my eyes Lord, that I might think on that which is wholesome. That which is of profit to me. I want to behold good things. I want to behold the beauties of creation. I want to consider those things which are lawful for me. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. I don't want to think about those sinful things. I want to think about good things. Cause me, Lord, to think of the good. The godly man will say, I want to live joyfully with my wife. and not gaze at another woman. Let my eyes be towards my wife. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity. The believer will want to think of good things. The believer will want to think of the word of God. The believer will want to consider thee altogether lovely, saviour and friend. I don't want to look at ill things. I want to behold my saviour. Even when a temptation comes before you, oh to just have our eyes turned and consider our Saviour who went all the way to Calvary and so loved us. Would that not be such a help in the bell of temptation? We want to gaze at Christ and admire His royal beauty. When Satan sends a fiery dart and a temptation comes before your eye, do you not want to consider the Word and your beloved Saviour? Turn away mine eyes, cause me to think on that which is good. Turn away mine eyes, cause me to consider some verse of Scripture. Let me admire some excellency of Jesus. In Sunday school a number of years ago we used to sing this, turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. When you're in the veil of temptation, turn your eyes from this world and look unto Jesus. It's not close my eyes, turn my eyes from the ill to the good. Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. I want to think on things which glorify God and does my soul good. There's much there, isn't there? Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity. Well secondly, as we draw to a close, quicken thou me. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way. Quicken me, Lord. At the root of the Hebrew word, it is to live. But then we consider to revive, to nourish up, to restore. And that implies there is a flagging. You know what that is like at times. You may be on a long walk and it's hot and you're exhausted. How many could not bear the heat just over a month ago? It wasn't long ago, was it, the heatwave? I saw a picture of my youngest niece back in the summer in that scorching heatwave. Her cheeks were red and she was just hot and bothered. She looked exhausted. And I saw others as well. One's flagging. Sometimes we can be flagging mentally. And then we can be flagging spiritually. One can know a measure of weakness. The psalmist did. He desires this quickly. Quicken thou me in thy way. One can feel weak within. At times the mind seems to be going very slowly. You know what that's like. It's just hard to concentrate at times. It's hard to think, it's hard to get things together in your mind. One can be tired mentally and then there can be a dullness. One can struggle. Firstly, in affliction one can find a way hard. Each step can be so difficult as you wade on through the rivers of affliction. Quicken me Lord, quicken thou me in my way. But the Lord is able, Psalm 119 verse 25. My soul cleaveth unto the dust, quicken thou me according to thy word. There's the psalmist, he's cleaving to the dust, he's on the ground in affliction. God is able to quicken him through the word. And that's made plain in verse 50. This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy words have quickened me. In affliction, you see the Lord has come and the word has been applied and there's been a reviving of the soul. That little reviving within. You can feel tired, weak. You're facing the heat of affliction. But then the Lord sends that little reviving. But then consider one can be weakened through sin. One can be dulled through iniquity. Oh for that quickening, quickened thou be in thy way. But then consider thirdly, a quickening in the way of godliness. A quickening in the way of godliness. Puritan Thomas Manton speaks of an enlivening in the way of holiness. The grace has been put within. We were quickened, Ephesians 2 verse 1. We had new life. Principle of Grace within and we can consider all those individual graces or habits. All for our reviving. All for those graces to be excited, to be quickened. See, at times, our faith before the Lord seems small. How often did he say that to his disciples? O ye of little faith, where is your faith? Where's the exercise? And at times, our faith appears small. Oh, for a reviving, a quickening of that grace of faith, so that the eye opens further, as it were. The eyelids of doubt go to one side, and we so focus on the Lord. Oh for that exciting of the love within. A quickening of our love. Just pause and consider we're in this world and there's many a temptation. And we can be finding it a struggle. As each temptation comes before us and the world pulls at our hearts. Oh for that quickening of the grace of love that we so love Christ. All for that quickening, so that the graces within are excited and so we with a renewed strength, quicken our pace in God's way. Quicken thou me in thy way. You may be on a long hot walk and you're tired, you see the end in view, but you've got to keep going, all for a revival. O we know the end is in view, O for reviving on our journey. Quicken thou me in thy way. Help me to go in the way of godliness. Help me to see my duty. Help me to walk humbly with thee. Quicken me, Lord. Psalm 119 verse 88. Quicken me after thy lovingkindness. So shall I keep the testimony of thine. What favours display when the Lord quickens us and helps us to go the way of godliness, helps us to go the way of his word. Quicken thou me. Now consider how the Holy Spirit entered your soul in the time of life, time of love, and life was put within. where we pray then that the Holy Spirit, who dwells within, would blow across the graces. That there would be this quickening. Quicken thou me in thy word. That the Holy Spirit would so work and apply the word. That the word would be brought home and the graces would be stirred. Consider at this point, a quickening in view of prayer. Just turn with me to Psalm 80 and verse 18. We sang those words a little earlier. Psalm 80 and verse 18. Now the psalmist here is praying for a quickening. Or we pray that the Lord will quicken us to pray, that we might pray for a quickening. To pray before praying. upon my neck, that little reviving, and we're able to pray, and we pray for more quickening, for more reviving. Oh, for that revival of our souls. There's many a temptation in this world. Many things come before our eyes, and we can be wary as we battle on through temptation. Oh, for reviving of our souls. Do you see the need for it? We learn by experience. We need that quickening. I do. I seem to get so tired at times. I can know that mental dullness. Oh, for a quickening. Oh, for a stirring. Quicken thou me. Oh, to walk in more conformity to God's word. Oh, to walk more closely to Christ. Quicken me, Lord, in thy way, and quicken me so that my pace quickens in my adherence and following of Christ. Turn away mine eyes and quicken me. May the Lord grant us our request and may help us. Amen. Let us come then to the Lord in prayer.