154 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XVIII.
US.' If we did receive it with more lieed, we would retain it with more constancy ; lay them up, keep them choicely.
2. Affection, that is a great friend to memoiy. What we esteem most we best remember. Omnia quce ciirant senes meminerunt — an old man will not forget where he laid his bag of gold. Delight and love will renew and revive the object upon our thoughts. Here in the text we have this truth asserted, ' I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.' Affection to truths cometh from the application. In a public edict a man will be sure to carry away what is proper to his case.
3. Meditation. We must be often viewing and meditating of what we have laid up in the memory. It availeth not to the health of the body to eat much, but to digest what is eaten. Tumultuary reading and hearing, without meditation, is like greedy swallowing much meat. When little is thought on, it doth not turn to profit. This concocteth and digesteth what we have heard. The more a thing is revolved in the mind, the deeper impression it maketh.
4. Beware of inuring the mind to vain thoughts ; for this distracts it, and hindereth the impression of things upon it. The face is not seen in running waters ; nor can things be written in the memor}^ unless the mind be close and fixed. Lead is capable of engraving, because it is firm and solid ; but quicksilver, because it is fluid, will not admit it. An inconsistent, wandering mind reapeth little fruit from what is read or heard.
5. Order is a help to memory. Heads of doctrine are as cells wherein to bestow all tilings that are heard from the word. He that is well instructed in the jn-inciples of religion will most easily and firmly remember divine truths. 3Ietliodus est catena memorice, to link truths one to another, that we may consider them in their pro- portion.
6. Get a lively sense of what you hear or read, and you will re- member it by a good token : Ps. cxix. 93, ' I will never forget thy precei)ts, for by them thou hast quickened me.' They that are quickened by a sermon will never forget such a sermon.
7. Holy conference. The speaking often of good things keeps them in the heart ; and the keeping of them there causeth us to speak to those that are about.
8. Get the memory sanctified, as well as other faculties, and pray for the Spirit ; for that faculty is corrupted as well as others.
SERMON XVIII.
Deal hountifully luitli thy servant, tJiaf I may live, and keep thy
loord. — Ver. 17.
In the former part we heard of the virtue and excellency of the word, and therefore how much the saints desire to understand it, meditate of it, speak of it, and transfer it into their practice. Now, whosoever will resolve upon such a course, will necessarily be put upon prayer ; for
VeR. 17.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 155
mark how David's purposes and prayers are intermingled, / will, and Iivill; and then presently pra}'etli again, ' Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word.' In this request observe —
1. It is generally expressed, together with his own relation to God, deal hountifidbj loitli thy servant
2. It is particularly explained wherein he would have this bounty expressed : —
[1.] In the prorogation of his life, that I may live.
[2.] In the continuance of his grace, and keej) thy loord; the one in order to the other. David doth not simply pray for life, but in order to such an end ; and the general request concerneth both parts, yea, rather the latter than the former, that whilst I live I may keep thy word, as counting that to be the greatest benefit or argument of God's bounty, to have a heart framed to the obedience of his will.
I might observe many things ; as (1.) What a great honour it is to be God's servant. David, a great king, givetli himself this title, ' thy servant;' and Constantine counted it a greater honour to be a Christian than to be head of the empire. (2.) That all we have or expect cometh from God's bounty to us. So doth David express himself, ' Deal bountifully with thy servant;' as intimating not only the measure, but the rise and source of what he expected from God. (3.) That among all the benefits which we expect from the bounty of God, this is one of the greatest, to have an heart to ' keep his word.' (4.) God's word must not only be understood, but obeyed ; for this is the mean- ing of keeping the word : John xiv. 21, ' He that hath my command- ments, and keepeth them,' &c. Hatli implieth knowledge. We must have them before we can keep them ; but when we have them, we must keep them, and do what we know. But omitting all these points, which will be more fitly discussed elsewhere, I shall only point out two lessons : —
1. The cause of life, and that is God's bounty.