Now this actual help is necessary —
1. Partly to direct us : Ps. Ixxiii. 24, ' Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and aiterward receive me to glory.' We need not only a principle within and a rule without, but need also a guide. Though we have grace in our hearts, though we have the law of God to direct us, yet we need also a guide upon all occasions. The rule is the scripture, and the guide is the Spirit of God.
2. Partly to quicken and excite us by effectual motions. The heart of man is very changeable, and it is like the eye, easily discomposed and put out of frame. Deadness creeps upon us, and we drive on heavily in the work of God : Ps. cxix. 37, ' Quicken thou me in thy way.' God doth renew the vigour of the life of grace upon all occasions.
3. Partly to corroborate and strengthen that which we have received, and make it increase and grow in the soul, and more firmly rooted there, Eph. iii. 16. The apostle prays that God would
* strengthen you with might by his S])irit in the inner man.' The inward man, the frame of grace that we have received, needs to be strengthened, increased, and be more deeply rooted in the soul. So 1 Peter v. 10, ' The God of all grace make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.' Many words are used, to show how God is interested in maintaining and keeping afoot the grace he hath planted in the soul.
364 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXIX.
4. Partly in protecting and defending them against tlie incursions and assaults of the devil. The regenerate are not onl)' escaped out of his clutches, but appointed to be his judges, which an envious and proud spirit cannot endure ; therefore he maligneth, assaulteth, and besiegeth them with temptations daily ; therefore Christ prays, Johii xvii. 11, 'Keep through thy own name those whom thou hast given me.' When a city is besieged, fresh supplies are sent in ; they are not kept to their standing provision : so it is not the ordinary power of God that doth preserve and keep us from danger; there is new- relief and fresh strength : ' We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation,' 2 Peter i. 5. Now we experience the help we have from God, partly by the change and frame of our heart, when we are acted by him, and when we are not. When God by the impulsions of his grace doth quicken and awaken our hearts, we are carried on with a great deal of earnestness and strength ; but at other times we seem to be much bound, and have not those breathings from the Spirit of God to fill our sails, and carry us on with the same life and strength. Yea, in the same duty how is a Christian up and down ! carried out sometimes with a great deal of zeal and warmth ; but if God withdraw that assistance before the duty be over, how do the affections flag ! So that we are like the wards of a lock, kept up while the key is turned, but fall again when the key is turned the other way. While the work of grace is powerful, we are kept in a warm and heavenly plight. Thus as to duties we need spiritual relief.
Likewise in temptations, when we are ready to fall into such a sin with great proneness of heart, and the Lord quickens and excites us by his grace. It is often with a Christian as with David : Ps. Ixxiii. 2, ' My feet were almost gone ; my steps had well-nigh slipt ; ' even carried away by the violence of Satan, and importunate motions of our own lusts ; then the Lord gives ' grace to help in a time of need,' Heb. iv. 16. In the original it is no more but this, Seasonable relief God vouchsafeth.
Object Ay ! but are we to do nothing when we are indisposed?
This case is often traversed in this psalm.
1. The precept of God falls upon us as reasonable creatures, and doth not consider whether we are disposed or indisposed ; and God's influence is not our rule, but our help. We are to stir up ourselves ; the Lord complains, Isa. Ixiv. 7, ' There is none that stirreth up him- self to take hold of me ; ' and Timothy is bid to ' stir up the gift of God which is in him,' 2 Tim. i. 6. God's assistance will be best ex- pected in a way of doing ; up and be doing, and the Lord will be with thee. When we stir up ourselves, and set ourselves to the work in the conscience of our duty, we can better expect God's help and assistance.
2. In great distempers there may be some pause. Elisha would not prophesy when he was under a passion of anger ; therefore he calls for a minstrel to sing a psalm, 2 Kings iii. 13-15, and as he played upon an instrument, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. He was under a passion, offended with the king of Israel, therefore he would not prophesy until his spirit was composed. Certainly we are not to run headlong upon duties in the midst of these distempers. Sailing is more safely delayed in time of an extreme storm. When the heart