Fourth point, In our desires of knowledge it is meet to propound a good end ; as David here beggeth understanding, that he might see and discover to others what he had found in God's law. To know that we may know is foolish curiosity ; to know that we may be known is vanity and ostentation ; to see that we may sell our knowledge is base- ness and covetousness. To edify others, this is charity ; to be edified ourselves, this is wisdom. Good things must be sought to a good end : ' Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, to consume it upon your lusts,' James iv. 3. All things must be sought for to holy ends, to glorify God ; much more spiritual gifts. The only good end is God's glory : ' Open thou my lips, that I may show forth thy praise,' Ps. li. 15. We are to desire knowledge, that we may the more enjoy God, and the more glorify him.
There is a natural desire of knowledge, even of divine knowledge; but we must look to our ends, that we may grow in grace, 1 Peter ii. 3 ; that Ave may be more useful for God ; not merely to store the head with notions, or to vaunt it over others, as having attained more than they. No ; it should be only to do good to our own souls, and to save others: Kom. xv, 14, 'I am persuaded that ye are filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one auother.' But now, to make a market of our knowledge, or to use it for our vile ends, that is naught. Not for boasting, ostentation, curiosity, and vain speculation, but for practice, should be our end. When we improve our stock well, we please God, and shall have eternal profit ourselves.
VeR. 28.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 265
SERMON XXIX.
3Iy soul meltethfor Jieaviness : strengthen thou me accordinrj to thy
luord. — Yer. 28.
A Christian should neither be humbled to the degree of dejection, nor confident to the degree of security ; and therefore he is to have a double eye, upon God and upon himself, upon his own necessities and upon God's all-sufficiency. You have both represented in this verse (as often in this psalm), his case and his petition.
1. His case is represented, rn?/ soul meltethfor heaviness.
2. His petition and request to God, strengthen thou me according to thy ivord.
First, His case, ' My soul melteth for heaviness.' In the original the word signifies ' droppcth away.' The Septuagint hath it thus, 'My soul fell asleep through weariness.' Probably by a fault of the tran- scribers, one word for another. My soul droppeth. It may relate — (1.) To the plenty of his tears, as the word is used in scripture : Job xvi. 20, ' My friends scorn me ; but mine eye poureth out tears unto God,' or droppeth to God, the same word ; so it notes his deep sorrow and sease of his condition. The like allusion is in Josh. vii. 5, ' The heart of the people melted, and became as water.' Or, (2.) It relates to his languish- ing under the extremity of his sorrow ; as an unctuous thing wasteth by dropping, so was his soul even dropping away. Such a like expres- sion is used in Ps. cvii. 26, ' Their soul is melted because of trouble ;' and of Jesus Christ, wliose strength was exhausted by the greatness of his sorrows, it is said, Ps. xxii. 14, ' I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint ; my heart is like wax, it is melted in the midst of my bowels.' Be the allusion either to the one or to the other, either to the dropping of tears or to the melting and wasting away of what is fat and unctuous, it notes a vehement sorrow and brokenness of heart, that is clear : his soul was even melting away ; and unless God did help him, he could hold out no longer.
Doct. That God's children oftentimes lie under the exercise of such deep and pressing sorrow as is not incident to other men.
David expresseth himself here as in a languishing condition which is not ordinary, ' My soul droppeth or melteth away for heaviness.'
The reasons of the point are three : —
1. Their burdens are greater.
2. They have a greater sense than others.
3. Their exercise is greater, because their reward and comfort is so great.
1. Their burdens are greater than others, as temptation, desertion, trouble for sin. The good and evil of the spiritual life is greater than the good and evil of any other life whatsoever. As their joys are un- speakable and glorious, so their sorrows are sometimes above expres- sion : 'A wounded spirit who can bear?' Prov. xviii. 14. Common natural courage will carry a man through other afflictions, oh! but when the arrows of the Almighty stick in their heart, Job. vi. 3, that is an insupportable burden. According to the excellency of any life.
2G6 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXIX.
SO are the annoyances and the benefits of that life. Man, that hath a higher life than the beasts, is more capable of delights and sorrows than beasts are of pain and pleasure ; and so a Christian that lives the life of faith is more capable of a higher burden. Consider, they that live a . spiritual life have immediately to do with the infinite and eter- nal God; and therefore when he creates joy in the heart, oh, what a joy is that ! And when Grod doth but lay his hand upon them, how great is their trouble ! Sin is a heavier burden than affliction, and the wrath of God than the displeasure of man — Coelestis ira quosiyre- mit miseros facit, liumana nullos. Evils of an eternal influence are more than temporal, therefore must needs.be greater and more bur- densome.