VeR. 32.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 329
apprehensions of the Lord's grace, we are carried out to God with greater strengtli and liveliness.
4. We may look upon it as a fruit of love. For thus the apostle doth express his love to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. vi. 11, ' 0 ye Corin- thians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.' It is love which is the great poise and weight upon the soul that sets all the wheels a-going. When love is strong, the heart is carried out with fervour and earnestness: Neh. iv. 6, ' AVe built the wall.' Why? ' For the people had a mind to the work ; ' then it went on speedily. Where we have no affection to a thing, the least service is burdensome ; but when our hearts are for it, then the most difficult thing will seem easy ; Jacob's seven j^ears' hard service were sweetened by his love to Eachel ; yea, duties against the hair, as Shechem for Dinah's sake submitted to be circumcised. Love sets us a-work strongly.
Thus the general enlargement is when we are freed from the slavery of sin and bondage of conscience, that we may serve God cheerfully; and the particular enlargement, you may look upon it as a fruit of wisdom and knowledge, or of faith, or of joy, or of love ; when we have a fruitful understanding, a large faith, a sweet delight in God, and a strono; love to him.
Secondhj, For the necessity of this, that the heart should be enlarged before we can run the way of God's commandments.
1. There needs a large heart because the command is exceeding broad : Ps. cxix. 96, ' I have seen an end of all perfection ; but thy commandment is exceeding broad.' A broad law and a narrow heart will never suit. We need love, faith, knowledge, and all to carry us through this work, which is of such a vast extent and latitude.
2. We need an enlarged heart because of the lets and hindrances within ourselves. There is lust drawing off from God to sensual objects : James i. 14, ' Every man is temi)ted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.' Therefore there needs something to jDoise us, to incline us, to draw us on, to carry us out with strength and life another way, to iu"ge us in the service of God. Lust sits as a clog upon us; it is a weight of corruption, Heb. xii. 1, retarding us in all our flights and motions, tliAvarting, opposing, breaking the force of spiritual impulsions, if not hindering them altogether. Gal. v. 17. Well, then, lust drawing so strongly one way, God needs to draw us more strongly the other way. When there is a weight to poise us to worldly and sensual objects, we need a strength to carry us on with vigorous and lively motions of soul towards God, an earnest bent upon our souls, which is this enlargement of heart.
Use 1. Let us therefore look after this benefit, and acknowledge God in it.
First, Ask it often of God. God keeps assisting grace in his own hands, and disposeth it at pleasure, that he may the oftener hear from us. The prodigal, that had his portion in his own hands, went away from his father; and therefore we have but from hand to mouth, that we may be daily kept in a dependence and constant course of com- munion with God. It is pleasing to God, when we desire him to renew his work, to bring forth the actings of grace out of his own seed, to blow with his wind, with the breath of his Spirit upon our
330 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXIV.
£;-ardens, that the spices may flow out, Cant. iv. 15. But now, when we depend upon ourselves, and neglect God, and think to find al\va3'S a like largeness of heart and a like savouriness of spirit, we shall be but like Samson : Judges xvi. 20, ' When his locks were gone, he thouglit to go forth and shake himself as at other times, and wist not that 'tlie Lord was departed from him.' So when our strength is gone and God withdrawn, we shall not find a like pregnancy and con- sistency of thoughts, a like readiness and vigour of affections in holy duties, but all will be out of order ; the understanding is lean, dry, and sapless, the heart averse and dead ; and therefore God will be acknowledged in our enlargements, both as to prayer and praise. In a way of prayer we should often seek to him ; and he will be acknow- ledged in a way of praise likewise : Ps. Ixiii. 8, ' My soul foUoweth hard after thee ; thy right hand upholdeth me.' If you find any strong actings of faith and love stirred up to follow hard after God, to pursue him close in holy duties, when you feel any of these vigorous and lively motions, ascribe it not to yourselves, but to God's right hand ; he is to be owned in the work.' ' Not I,' saith the apostle, ' but the grace of God wrought in me.'
Secondly, Avoid the causes of straitening, if you would have this enlarged heart. What are they ?