Secondly, Subjectively ; and so again God is blessed either in an active or in a passive sense.
1. In an active sense. And here we must distinguish again ; for so God is blessed either with respect to himself or with respect to us.
[1.] Blessed in himself, as he hath the fulness of perfection and contentment. Blessedness is often ascribed to God: 1 Tim. i. 11, ' The glorious gospel of the blessed God.' I will open that place by and by : 1 Tim. vi. 15, ' Who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords.' Xow, how is God blessed in him-
VeR. 12.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 109
self ? God's blessedness is that attribute by which the Lord, from himself, and in his own being, is free from all misery and enjoyeth all good, and is sufficient to himself, and contented with himself, and doth neither need nor desire the creature for any good that can accrue to him by us. Or, more shortly, God's blessedness is the fruition of him- self, and his delighting in himself. Mark, it lieth not in the enjoy- ment of the creature, but in the enjoyment of himself. God useth us, but doth not enjoy us. As we enjoy a thing for itself, but we use it for another ; so lUi and frul differ : we use the means, but enjoy the end. God useth the creature in subserviency to his own glory. So it is said : Prov. xvi. 4, ' God made all things for himself.' His happi- ness lietli in knowing himself, in loving himself, in delighting in himself.
But how is this used as an argument, ' Blessed art thou, 0 Lord ; iherefore teach me thy statutes '" ? Either thus : God, that is blessed, hath enough for himself ; surely there is enough in him for us too : Gen. xvii. 1, ' I am God all-sufficient ; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' I sa}^, if God finds satisfaction enough in himself, our souls surely will find satisfaction in him. That wliich will fill a pottle, or greater measure, will fill a pint or a lesser measure ; that which will satisfy a prince, and be enough for him in that estate, will satisfy a beggar, and supply his wants. God hath an infinite fulness of know- ledge, comfort, and holiness ; therefore surely enough to satisfy us, as emjity as ■ we are. Therefore we should desire to receive of this fulness in God's w^aj'. Or, again, thus : If God be blessed, we had need to inquire after his statutes, for these teach us the way how we may be blessed in God's blessedness, how we may be conformed to the nature of God, and live the life of God, and then surely we shall be happy enough. (1.) How we may be conformed to the nature of God : 2 Peter i. 4, ' That we may be partakers of the divine nature,' according to our measure, that ours may be such as his is. The promises, or the word, have an influence that way. If we see a man hath a rich trade, and secret ways of gain, every one would be acquainted with the mysteries and art of his getting, and desirous to know it. God is eternally blessed, therefore we should study to be like him. (2.) That we may live the life of God. Surely if we could learn to live such a life as God doth, we should be happy. However our prejudices darken it, yet the life of God cannot be a gloomy life. Now, ignorance of God's statutes is a great hindrance to the life of God : Eph. iv. 18, ' Being alienated or estranged from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.' Well, then, the consideration of this, that God is blessed, will certainly make us prize his statutes, prize his word, for by that we are conformed to the nature of God, and to the life of God ; we are engaged in the same design wherein God himself is engaged : God loves himself, and acts for himself, and pm'sueth his own glory. Now when tlie word of God breaks in upon the heart, we pursue the same design with God. Men are prejudiced against a course of holiness ; it seems to look upon them w^ith a sour and austere face. Surely God loves a pleasant life ; whoever is miserable, he hath a full content- ment. Doth he that made all things want true joy and contentment ?
110 SERMONS UFON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XIII,
Who should have liappiness if God hath not ? Now, when we learn God's statutes, we come to he conformed to the nature of God ; we love what he loves, and hate what he hates, and then we begin to live the life of God. The happiness of God lieth in loving himself, enjoy- ing himself, and acting for his own glory ; and this is the fruit of grace, to teach us to live as God lives, to do as God doth, to love him and enjoy him as our chiofest good, and to glorify him as our utmost end. This is the first sense wherein God may be said to be actively blessed, as he hath infinite complacency in himself.