Unite My Heart to Fear Thy Name (Psalm 86:11)

Here, the fear of God does not refer to a specific grace of the Spirit but to Christianity as a whole. It is common practice for writers to represent an entire concept by referring to a part of it; here, the author refers to “the fear of God” as an essential part of the whole of the Christian experience.

Jay asks three questions to help us understand this prayer.

1. How can I know that God has united my heart to fear Him?
2. What is the language of a soul under this Divine influence?
3. Was David’s heart not united to the fear of God before?

This sermon is edited from William Jay’s devotional, Morning and Evening Exercises, (January 6, morning), first published in 1854. The full PDF format is available here. The Rev. William Jay (6 May 1769 – 27 December 1853) was an English Congregationalist minister. During his ministry, he became a popular pulpit orator, author, scholar, and one of C.H. Spurgeon’s favourite preachers. Jay’s writing is warm and devotional.