Secondly, I proceed to the latter clause, ' Hide not thy command- ments from me.' Here is his request. To make short work of it, I shall endeavour to make out the connection and sense of these words in these propositions.
1. Every man here upon earth, especially a godly man. is but a stranger and passenger. Every man is so in point of condition ; he must go hence, and quit all his enjoyments in the world — wicked men
182 SERMOXS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XX.
whether they will or no ; but a godh^ man is so in affection, and can- not be satisfied with his present state. This I have insisted upon.
2. It concerns him that is a stranger to look after a better and more durable state. Every man should do so. He that lives here for a while is concerned ; his greatest care should be for that place where he lives longest ; therefore eternity should be his scope. A godly man will do so. Those whose hearts are not set upon earthly things, they must have heaven. The more their affections are estranged from the one, the more they are taken up about the other, Col. iii. 2. Heaven and earth are like two scales in a balance; that which is taken from the one is put into the other.
3. There is no sufficient direction how to attain this durable estate but in the word of God. Without this we are but like poor pilgrims and wayfaring men in a strange country, not able to discern the way home, A blessed state is only sufficiently revealed in the word : 2 Tim. i. 10, ' Life and immortality is brought to light in the gospel.' The heathens did but guess at it, and had some obscure sense of an estate after this life ; but it is brought to light with most clearness in the word ; so the way thither is oidy pointed out by the word. It is the word of God makes us wise to salvation, and our line and rule to lead us to the heavenly Canaan ; and therefore it concerns those that look after this durable state, to consult with the word.
4. There is no understanding God's word but by the light of the Spirit : Job xxxii. 8, ' There is a spirit in man ; but the inspiration of the Almighty, that giveth understanding.' Though the word have light in it, yet the spirit of man cannot move till he enlightens us with that lively light that makes Avay for the dominion of the truth in our hearts, and conveyeth influence into our hearts. This is that light David begs when he saith, ' Hide not thy commandments from me.' David was not ignorant of the ten commandments, of their sound ; but he begs their spiritual sense and use.
5. If we would have the Spirit, we must ask it of God in prayer ; for God ' gives the Spirit to those that ask liim,' Luke xi. 13 ; and therefore we must say, as David, Ps. xliii. 3, ' Oh, send out thy light and thy truth : let them lead me ; let them bring me to thy holy hill, to thy tabernacle.'
6. When we beg it of God, we must do it with submission to his sovereignty, and with subscription to his justice. Therefore doth David use this manner of speech, ' Hide not thy commandments from me.' God doth hide when he doth not open our eyes to see. Now the Lord may choose whether he will do this or no ; for he is sovereign, and may in justice forbear to do so, because we have abused the light we have ; it will be hid from us unless he reveal it. The mystery of grace is wholly at God's dispose ; and whosoever begs it, he must refer himself to the holy and sovereign good pleasure of God, who may give out and withhold his efficacious grace according to his pleasure : Mat. xi. 25, 26, ' I thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes ; even so. Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.' Here is the Lord's sovereignty ; he doth in these things as he pleaseth ; there- fore David submits to it. And then it implies, it may be just with
VeR. 20.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 183
God to leave us unto our natural blindness, and suffer Satan to blind us more. It is fully consistent with the honour of his justice ; there- fore it is said, John xii. 40, ' He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts,' &c. ; that is, judicially, suffering them to increase their own blindness by their sin ; blindness, that is their sin ; and the Lord may leave it as a judgment upon them.
tlse. Here is direction to you that know you are but pilgrims. The great thing you should seek after is the straightest way to heaven. If you have a sense of eternity, and a sense of your present frailty, you should look how to get home to your country. To this end —
1. Study the word. Why ? This is your antidote against infection, and a cordial to cheer us in the way. It is an antidote against infection : .2 Peter i. 4, ' By the promises we escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.' The world is an infectious place ; therefore you had need take the promises next your heart to keep your hopes alive. And here is your cordial to keep you from fainting, that which makes you to rejoice in the midst of present afflictions, Ps. cxix. 54. It is a cordial to cheer us up, to revive us in the way, till we come to our journey's end. This will make up losses, sweeten difficulties, allay your sorrows. Then it is your direction, the way to lead you home : Ps. cxix. 105, ' Thy word is a light to my feet and a lantern to my paths.' We shall soon pass over this life ; all our care should be to pass it over well, there are so many by-paths in the world, and in a strange place we may soon miscarry.