2. There is a particular enlargement, or the actual assistance of the Lord's grace, carrying us on in the duties of our heavenly calling with more success. This is that which David begs in this place, ' If thou wilt enlarge my heart.' There are, after grace is received, many spiritual distempers which are apt to seize upon us. Sometimes we are slow of heart, sometimes in bonds and straits of conscience as to God's service. A man of s})iritual experience is sensible of these things, of a damp which is many times upon his life and comfort, and want of strength and largeness of heart for God's service. Whosoever makes conscience of daily communion with God, and that in every service would do his uttermost, cannot but be sensible of straits ; and therefore it is grievous to him to be under bonds and restraints, and that he cannot so freely let out his heart to God. Others that do not make communion with God their interest, that go on in a dead track and course of duty, are never sensible of enlargement or straitening.
But briefly, that we may know when the heart is enlarged, under- stand the nature of it, let us see when the heart in scripture is said to be enlarged.
1. You may look upon this enlargement as the effect of wisdom and knowledge ; and so Solomon is said to have a large heart : 1 Kings iv. 29, 'And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart even as the sand that is on the sea- shore.' The greater stock of sanctified wisdom and knowledge a man hath, the more is the heart enlarged ; for he hath a treasure within liim, and he is ready to bring out of the good treasure of his heart good things. He that hath more gold than brass farthings, when Ije puts his hand into his pocket, will more easily bring forth gold than fjMthings ; so when the heart hath a good stock of holy principles within, they are ready at hand, they break out more easily in our dis- course, in our praying ; we are ready in all temptations to check the sin. All grace is increased to us by knowledge : 2 Peter i. 2, ' Grace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.' Still this way doth God enlarge the heart of his people. When the understanding is full of pregnant truths, the greater awe there is and check upon the heart to sin, and the greater impulsion to duty. Look, as the influences of heaven pass through the air, but they produce their effects in the earth ; they do not make the air fruitful, but the earth ; so do the influences of grace pass through the understanding, but they produce their fruit in the will, and show
328 SERMONS uroN PSALM cxix. [Ser. XXXIV.
forth tlieir strength in the atiections ; and therefore when we would have onr affections for God, the way is to enharge the understanding.
2. You may look upon it as the effect of faith, which wideneth the capacities of our souls, and doth cause us more to open towards God, that we may take in his grace ; it doth enlarge our desires and ex- pectations : Ps. Ixxxi. 10, ' Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.' Surely a temple for the great God, such as our hearts should be, should be fair and ample. If we would have God dwell in our hearts, and shed abroad his influences, we should make room for God in our souls by a greater largeness of faith and expectation. The rich man thought of enlarging his barns when his store was increased upon him : Luke xii. ; so should we stretch out the curtains of Christ's tent and habita- tion, have larger expectations of God, if we would receive more from him. The vessels failed before the oil failed. We are not straitened in God, but in ourselves, by the scantiness of our own thoughts ; we do not make room for him, nor greaten God : Luke i. 46, ' My soul doth magnify the Lord.' Faith doth greaten God. Why, can we make God greater than he is ? As to his declarative being, we can have greater and larger apprehensions of his greatness, goodness, and truth.
3. We may look upon it as an effect of comfort and joy, through the assurance of God's love ; for that enlargeth the heart, but sorrow straitens it, and puts it in bonds. The word that we translate grief. Judges X. 16, ' His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel ; ' in the Hebrew it is ' shortened ' or ' lessened.' A man's mind is lessened when he is under that passion. Griefs contract and lessen the soul,, but joy enlargeth it, as Isa. Ix. 5 ; and in this sense it is said,. Ps. iv. 1, ' Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.' In sorrow the spirits return to comfort and support the heart, but in joy they are dilated and scattered abroad ; and so this is that affection which sends abroad strength and life into all our actions. As this is- true of joy and sorrow in common, so especially of spiritual joy and spiritual sorrow, which are the greatest of the kind ; no sor- ■<-ow like that sorrow, no joy like that joy ; therefore nothing more enlargeth the heart. When God hides his face, when pressing troubles do revive a sense of wrath, alas ! ' My soul is troubled,' saith the Psalmist, ' I cannot speak ; ' we cannot pour out our hearts tO' God with that largeness, that measure of strength, spirit, and life as before. But now, when we can joy in God as those that have received the atonement, when we have the comfort of a good conscience, the joy in the Holy Ghost, this causeth a forward and free obedience ; and those that could hardly creep before, but languished under the burden of sorrows, when cheered and revived with the light of God's counte- nance, they can run and act with vigour and alacrity in God's service : Neh. viii. 10, ' The joy of the Lord is their strength.' It is as oil to- the wheels, as wings by which we mount to meet with God : Ps. xxx. 11, ' Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing ; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.' It is an allusion to those eastern countries ; when their garments were girded and tucked up, they were more expedite and ready to run. So here, when thou shalt enlarge my heart, then I will run the way of thy command- ments. When our soul is filled with gladness, and comfortable