2. God's children are sensible of their own insufficiency, and so of the need of a constant dependence upon God ; sound and saving know- ledge is ever humble. They have clearer light than others, and so best
346 SERMOKS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. XXXVI.
see their own defects : Prov. xxx. 2, ' Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man ; ' and are, too, most sensible of corruptions, and see most of the excellency of the object : 1 Cor. viii. 2, ' If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.' They study their own hearts, and so are conscious to many weaknesses ; they know how easily they are misled by the wiles of Satan and the darkness of their own hearts ; whereas a presumjituous formalist goeth on boldly, and in the confidence of his own wit runneth headlong into temptation.
3. Their strong affection to knowledge ; they desire to know more, for tliere is more still to be learned in the word of God. Though taught in part, they see what a small measure of knowledge they have attained nnto ; till they attain the beatifical vision they are never satisfied : Hosea vi. 3, ' Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord ;' still increasing and bettering their notions concerning the things of God.
4. Their great care that they may not go astray, nor offend in mat- ter, or manner, or principle, and end. They whose hearts are set upon exact walking Avould fain know what God would have them to do in every action and in every circumstance : Lord, teach me ; let thy Holy Spirit guide me, and direct me in performing acceptable obedience to thee. It was David's resolution, ver. 32, ' I will run the way of thy commandments, w^ien thou shalt enlarge my heart.' Now we have his prayer for direction in this verse, ' Teach me, 0 Lord, the way of thy statutes ;' I would know it that I may keep it. It is a very trouble- some condition to a child of God when he is in the dark, and knoweth not what to do, and is forced to walk every step by guess, and cannot find the ground sure under him. The conflict between duty and danger doth not trouble so much as between duty and duty : John xii. 35, ' He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.' Oh ! it is a sad judgment to wander in a maze of confusions, and to be like those that thought to go to Dothan, and found themselves in Samaria, 2 Kings vi. 20.
Well, then, the ^Lse is, Have we this temper of God's people ? Do we look after spiritual knowledge, such as will not only store the head with notions, but enter upon the heart? Are we sensible of our weakness and Satan's wiles, and that God, that hath begun the work, must perfect it ? Do we make it our happiness to grow rich in know- ledge, and better our apprehensions concerning God and the things of God ? Would we understand every point of duty that we may ful- fil it ? As face answereth to face in water, so should heart to heart, the heart of one child of God to another.
Doct 3. All that teaching that we expect or get from God must still be directed to practice: 'Teach me, 0 Lord, the w^ay of thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end.'
1. This is God's intention in teaching, therefore should be our end in learning. The end of sound knowledge is obedience : Deut. iv. 5, 6, ' Behold I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it : keep therefore and do them, for this is thy wis- dom.' Others do little more than learn them by rote, when they know
VeR. 33.] SERMONS UPOX PSALM cxix. 347
them only to talk of them, or fashion their notions and plausible opinions that they may hang together.
2. It is not the knowing, but obeying, will make us happy. We desire to know the way that we may come to the end of the journey ; to inquire the way and sit still will not further us : ' Blessed are they that hear the word and keep it,' LulvO xi, 28 ; ' He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction,' Pro v. x. 17. None but desire to be happy ; walk in God's Avay ; he goeth on right tliat submitteth to the directions of the word.
3. All the comfort and sweetness is in keeping: Ps. xix. 11, 'In keeping thy commandments there is a great reward ; ' many sweet ex- periences. Notions breed a delectation when they are right, but nothing comparable to practice.
4. He that will do shall know : John vii. 17, * If any man will do his will, he shall know the doctrine whether it be of God.' Such as truly fear God, and make conscience of every known duty in their practice, have God's promise that they shall be able to discern and distinguish between doctrine and doctrine ; others provoke God to withhold light from them. Not that the godly are infallible. Alas ! the best men's humours and fleshly passions do often mislead them, but this is the fruit of their careless walking.