4. If we would profit by the word of Grod, we must go to God, and desire the light and strength of his grace.
If we would enjoy the blessed God, according to the direction of his word, we must not only consult with the word, but with God. Xotliiuo- else can draw us off from the world, and persuade us to look after heavenly things ; nothing else will teach us the vanity of the creature, the reality of spiritual privileges. Until we see these things in a divine light, the heart hangs off from God ; and therefore saith^David, Ps. xvi. 7, 'I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel.' He had chosen God for his portion, and then ' I will bless the Lord,' &c. We shall still run after lying vanities until God doth open your eyes to see the mysteries of the word, and to be affected with the way. Those that are drawn to God must first be taught of God : John vi. 44, * No man cometh to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him ; ' for Christ adds presently, ' They shall be all taught of God.' Our hearts can never be drawn unto God until he take us into his own hands.
5. The more we are brought to attend upon the word, and the more influence the word hath upon us, the nearer the blessing.
Christians, we are not far from the kingdom of God. There is some blessedness when we begin to look after the directions of the word, and to wait upon the teachings of God : Prov. viii. 34, ' Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.' Then you are in a hopeful way to true blessed- ness when you begin to be careful to attend upon God's teaching, much more when you have the fruits of it, when you know him so as to love him, so as to have your hearts drawn oft' from sin and folly : Acts iii. 26, ' Him hath God sent to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.' The great business of Jesus Christ is to make us blessed in the enjoyment of God. But how is it ? only by bare knowledge ? No, it is by turning every one from his iniquity. So the more this teaching of God prevails upon the heart, the more blessed we are : Ps. cxix. 1, ' Blessed are the undefiled in the way, wdio walk in the law of the Lord.' Otherwise, to have a golden head and feet of clay, that is monstrous, as in Nebuchadnezzar's image ; to have a naked knowledge of God, and not brought under the power of it. You read of the heathens, when they sacrificed to their gods, they were wont to hang a garland upon the heads of the beasts, and to crown them with roses, so they were led on to sacrifice. Many may have garlands upon their heads, ornaments of knowledge, yet are going on to destruction ; therefore that light and teaching wiiich conveyeth blessedness is such as prevaileth upon the heart, and doth effectually turn us to God.
G. It is not only an affront put upon God, but also a great wrong, to neglect the word of God, and the way he prescribes, and to seek blessedness in temporal things.
Here you have the true way to blessedness set down in God's
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114 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XIII,
statutes ; but in outward things there wants fulness, sincerity, eternity.
[1.] There wants fulness. That which makes us blessed, it must fill up the heart of man. As a vessel is never full until it have as much as it can hold, so we can never be said to have a full happiness and contentment until we have as much as we can hold. That which fills must be greater than the thing filled. Now man's heart is such a chaos of desires, that it can never be filled up but in God : Ps. xvi. 11, ' In thy presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.' Therefore, of the joy and happiness we have in God, it is said, ' Enter into thy master's joy,' Mat. xxv. When we speak of a cup of water, that enters into the man, that is taken down into the man ; but if we speak of a river of water, or tub of water, that is greater than the man is capable of, or can receive, — the man enters into it ; so this joy and happiness, which is truly and genuinely so, it must exceed our capacity, greater than we can receive, that we may enter into it ; it is the infinite God can only satisfy the heart of man. In temporal things there is no kind of fulness ; you have not one worldly comfort, but you desire more of it. Ahab was a king, yet still he wants something, Naboth's vineyard. A man is not satisfied with abundance, neither is his soul filled Avith increase of worldly things ; yet we may desire more, Eccles. v. ; and if we have one thing to the full, yet we shall need another. If a man be strong, he may need learning ; it may be though he hath some kind of learning and know- ledge, yet he hath not wisdom. Naanian was rich, wise, valiant, and honourable, but he was a leper. There is a hut upon all worldly hap- piness ; therefore there is no fulness in these things.