2. Experience breeds confidence. The apostle teacheth us so, Rom. V. 4. When we have had former experience of God's readiness to hear us, it is an argument that breeds confidence of the like audience for the future. ' He that delivered me out of the mouth of the lion,' &c. God, that hath been gracious, surely will be gracious still, lor then promises are sensibly confirmed, and then former mercies are pledges of future. By giving, God becomes a debtor : jMat. vi. 25, ' Is not life more than meat, and the body than raiment ? ' Our Saviour's argument was this, If God give life, he will give food ; if a body, he will give raiment. If he hath given grace, the earnest of the Spirit, he will give glory. If he hath given us Christ, he will give us other
254 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXVII.
things together with him. If he hath begun with us, he will end with us, Phil. i. 6. One mercy is the pledge of another.
3. We are endeared to God not only by acts of duty, but by every act of mercy. What is the argument he urgeth for Sion : Zech. iii. 2, ' Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire ? The Lord rebuke thee, Satan.' Have not I delivered Sion, and shall I suffer that to be de- stroyed which I have delivered ? The Lord urgeth his own mercy and his former kindness.
Use. To quicken us not to grow weary of dealing with God. Let lis go often to God. Men think it an uncivil importunity to be re- quired to do more when they have done already ; Solomon gives us that advice, Prov. xxv. 17, ' Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house, lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.' Men waste by giving, but God doth not ; when you have been with him, and he hath done liberally for you, yet he upbraids you not. God, that hath vouchsafed grace, you may desire the continuance of his grace, and to crown his own grace.
Secondly, Observe, the mercy which he asks is God's help in a course of holiness, namely, to walk worthy of the mercy.
Doct. 2. They that upon declaring their ways have found mercy with God, their care should be to walk worthy of the mercy.
The Lord hath heard me. What then ? ' Teach me thy statutes.' So Ps. Ixxxv. 8, ' The Lord will speak peace to his people, but let them no more return unto folly.' Mark, when God hath spoken peace, when they have an answer of peace, after you have prayed to God, take heed of turning to folly ; do not lose the favour you have got ; walk more holily and more worthy of such a mercy : Mat. vi. 12, ' Forgive us our sins.' What then? ' Lead us not into temptation.' Upon supposition the Lord hath forgiven us our sins, oh ! let us not sin again. Many would invite God to favour their ways when they have no respect to his ways, which is in effect to make God a servant to our lust ; but if you would have mercy from the Lord, beg that you might walk worthy of the mercy. The children of God should do so upon a double ground — in point of prudence and thankfulness. In point of prudence, as they have smarted under their former folly ; and in point of thankfulness, as they have tasted the Lord's grace in his answer.
1. When you have declared your way with brokenness and bitter- ness of heart, you have experience of the evil of sin ; and when you know how bitter it is by sound remorse, it is folly to return to it agciin: Josh. xxii. 17, mark the reason, ' Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed unto this day?' Our former sense of the evil of sin when declaring it should be a restraint to us, else your cure is in vain. A man that is recovered out of a deep disease is willing to escape the like again ; or, as Christ said to the man that had an infirmity thirty-eight years, ' Go thy way, sin no more, lest a worse thing happen unto thee.' When a man hath had the bitter sense of the fruit of sin, this will make him more cautious for the future. They are foolish children that remember beating no longer than it smarts, when they are scarce yet whole of the old wound. Though God hath taken out the sting of the sin, and granted us com-
VeR. 27.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 255
fort, 3'et remember j'our former smart, that you mcay not fall into it again.
2. Out of thankfulness for God's gracious answer. Every answer of grace leaves an obligation upon the sinner that he may not offend God again. See what a holy argument is used, Ezra ix. 13, ' Should we after such a deliverance as this break thy commandment ? ' Will you again relapse ? So Luke vii. 47, ' For her sins are forgiven her, therefore she loved much.' Grace melts the heart. When a man hath received much mercy from God, his heart is wrought out into thankfulness ; and the more they have been in sin, the more will they be in godliness when once they have tasted the sweetness of pardon, and had an answer of grace from God.