6. It is a great relief in troubles and afflictions. Our faintings come from ignorance, or our forgetfulness : Heb. xii. 5, ' Ye have for- gotten the consolation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.' If we had a herb growing in our gardens that would ease our smart, what are we the better if we know it not ? There is no malady but what hath its remedy in the word. To have a comfort ready is a great relief.
7. It makes our conference and conversation with others more gracious : Mat. xii. 34, ' Out of the abundance of the heart the moutli
VeR. 11.] SERMONS UPON P.SALM CXIX. 103
Bpeakctli.J When we have a great deal of hidden treasure in the soul it will get out at the tongue ; for there is a quick intercourse between the heart ai^ the tongue. The tap runs according to the liquor where- with the vessel is filled. Come to men of an unsavoury spirit, pierce them, broach them, give them occasion again and again for discourse, and you get nothii]g but frothy communication from them and vain talk. But now a man that halli stored his heart with the word is ever and anon interposing for God. Like a bottle filled with wine, he must have vent. As the spouse's lips are said to 'drop as honey- combs,' they are ever putting forth savoury expressions in their con- verse with others : Col. iii. ] 6, ' Let the word of God dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and s})iritual songs.' It will burst out presently if the word of God dwell in your hearts.
Before I go to the second reason, let me answer an objection : But is not this to take from the Spirit, and to give it to the word ? and that to the word, not as written in God's book, but as it is in our hearts ? Will not this be to ascribe all to created grace ? I answer —
1. Questionless it is the office of the Spirit to bring things to our re- membrance, and the great help of the Spirit of God is by suggesting such jiassages as may be of most seasonable relief to the soul in temptations, in i)rayer, and in business, John xiv. 16. But what is given to the scrii)tures and grace is not to the wrong of the Spirit, for the scripture is of his inditing, and grace is of his working; yea, we still reserve the chief honour. to the Holy Ghost, for he not only worketh grace, but worketh by grace. He not only indites the scripture, but works by it ; it is he that quickeneth prayer ; and therefore it is ill trusting to our own understanding and memor}^ for it is the Spirit that is the great re- membrancer, and impresseth upon the mind savoury and seasonable thoughts.
2. I grant further, the children of God are subject to much forget- fulness of the truth that is impressed upon their hearts. Partly through the present cloud and mist which the temptation raiseth. The Psalmist had truths enough to support him, Ps. Ixxiii. 17 ; yet he saith, * Until I went into the sanctuary of God, I was foolish and ignorant ; I was as a beast before thee.' There is so much duluess upon the children of God that they cannot remember seasonable thoughts ; as Hagar had a fountain by her, yet she did not see it till God opened her ej'es. Gen. xxi. So under the temptation all are be- nighted, and the light that is in the understanding is obscured. And partly through the little sense they have for the present of the need of the comforts which the word propoundeth ; few' so wise as to lay up for a dear year. And partly through sloth and negligence, being taken up with other things. It is possible sometimes that we may be guided by the Spirit, and act right merely by the guidance of the Holy Ghost, without any interposing and concurrence of our own understandings ; as John xii. 13, compared with ver. 16, 'They took brandies of palm- trees, and went forth to meet him ; and cried, Hosanna, blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.' ' These things understood not his disciples at the first ; but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that thev had done these things unto him.' 3Iark, they were guided bv the
104 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XII.
Spirit to do that tbcy knew not for the present ; they had only a back- look, not a foresight ; they were ignorant of what they were doing until afterward ; thoughts came not in their mind but only in the review : John ii. 22, ' When he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them/ They did not take up the meaning of them, yet they were guided aright. They did not carp against Christ, as the Jews did. They were guided by the Spirit in a case they were wholly ignorant.