Thirdly, Note, they that would steer their course according to God's holy will had need of the conduct and assistance of his Holy Spirit ; for he goes to God, ' Lord, teach me thy statutes,' Ps. xxv. 4 ; ' Show me thy ways, 0 Lord, teach me thy paths ;' and Ps. xxvii. 11, ' Teach me thy way, 0 Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies ;' and Ps. Ixxxvi. 11, 'Teach me thy way, 0 Lord, I will walk in thy truth : unite my heart to fear thy name.' These places show that he addressed himself to God that he might not follow any sinful course in the time of trouble and temptation, that he might not dishonour God.
SEKMON XXVIIL
Malce me to understand the loay of thy precepts : so shall I talk of thy luondrous loorlcs. — Ver. 27.
In the former verses the man of God layeth forth his calamitous condi- tion, and beggeth comfort and audience, not merely to prosper his affairs, but to better his heart. Many will invite God to favour their ways when they have no respect to his ways, which in effect is to make him a servant to their lusts. But David's chiefest care was about duty rather than success ; therefore he desireth God to direct him how to walk in the way of his precepts ; his heart was much upon that.
In the close of the former verse he had said, ' Teach me thy sta- tutes ; ' and here again, ' Make me to understand the way of thy precepts,' &c.
In the words there is— (1.) A request; (2.) An argument. Where- in is intimated— (1st.) The fruit of divine illumination ; he should thereby see his wondrous works. (2d.) His duty thereupon ; then will I talk of them. The word signifieth also to meditate. Sept. — I will exercise myself. It should be his delight to think and speak of the admirable goodness of God, and the divine^ excellencies of his word, and the pleasures that result from the practice of it. (3d.) He intimateth the sincerity of his desire, propounding this as his end, That I may talk ; that I may be useful and edifying in my converse with others.
25G SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXVIII.
The first thing that I shall observe is, that David doth so often beg again and again for understanding.
Doct. That a sound and saving knowledge of the truths of the gosjiel is such a blessing as the children and people of God think they can never enough ask of him.
We have abundant proof of it in so much of this psalm as we have already gone over.
First, What is a sound saving knowledge ?
1. Such as doth establish the heart against all delusions, and keep- cth us on truth's side. Many have some scraps of knowledge, loose and uncertain motions,^ but they are not settled and grounded in the truth, and therefore the unlearned and unstable are joined together : 2 Peter iii. 16, ' Which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.' Unskil- ful and unsettled Christians lie open to every fancy ; they have not such a stock of truth as may keep them savoury and sound in the faith. To be able to prattle a little in religion is not sound knowledge, but we must be ' grounded and settled in the faith,' Col. i. 23; that is, have not only some floating opinion, but well-grounded persuasion of the truth, so as we know -we are upon firm ground, and dare ven- ture our souls upon it, and may build surely and safely upon such principles. He calleth it elsewhere, Col. ii. 2, ' The riches of the full assm-ance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.' AVhen men rest contented with obvious truths, or a slight knowledge of the common and easy prin- ciples of Christianity, there is not such an awe upon their practice, nor any establishrnent of their judgments, but, like light chaff, they are soon carried with the blasts of temptation, and the winds of error. And therefore we need to ask again and again, ' Give me an under- standing of the way of thy precepts.'
2. A sound saving knowledge is such as causeth the soul to lie under the dominion, life, and power of the truth, and aweth and commandeth the heart into obedience : John viii. 32, ' Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ;' when our knowledge freetli us from the slavery of sin. In others, that content themselves with a naked knowledge, truth is held captive, and cannot break out with any sovereignty in their conversations: Eom. i. 18, ' Holding the truth in unrighteousness.' Lust beareth sway, but truth lieth under fetters and restraint ; it may talk its fill, like a man in bonds, but it can do nothing.
3. AVhen it giveth us prudence how to practise. This is that which David beggeth of God, to understand the way of his precepts ; that is, to be taught how to walk in each duty and point of conversation, after what sort he may live and direct his life. It is not sufficient to know the meaning of the word in general, to have a notional understanding of it ; but to reduce i| to practice, where, and when, and how we ought to perform each action. Some have a naked model of truth, are wise in generals, but fail in the application of the rule, and are to seek in the ordering of their steps, and all particular cases : 1 Peter iii. 7, ' Husbands, dwell with your wives as men of knowledge.' Then is a man a man of knowledge when he knowetli how to order the