Doct. 3. That these reproaches are grievous to God's children, and go near their hearts ; therefore David desires God to appear for him, that he may have somewhat to answer them that reproached him.
1. Man's nature cannot endure reproach, especially a scornful re- proach : every man thinketh himself worthy of some regard.
2. Eeligion increaseth the sense of it, as the flood increased when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened, Gen. vii. 11. When the deep below and the heaven above combined, the flood was greater ; so when grace and nature join, it is very grievous. David said, Ps. xlii. 10, ' It was a sword in my bones when they said, Where is now thy God ?' These were cutting words to David's heart.
[1.] It is a dishonour to God, and they are sensible of that, as well as a misery to themselves. It is a dishonour to his power, as if he could not help ; to his love, as if he would not ; to his truth, as if he would fail in the needful time, or were fickle and inconstant, as if he would desert his friends in misery ; to his holiness, as if he favoured wicked men in their evil courses, and formal dead-hearted services : Ps. 1. 21, ' These things hast thou done, and I kept silence ; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.' How can a soul that loveth God endure this, that the power of God should be lessened or his truth questioned ? Kabshakeh said, ' What con- fidence is this wherein thou trustest?' Isa. xxxvi. 4, compared with xviii. 19, 20, ' Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, The Lord shall deliver us. Hath any of the gods of the heathens delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria ? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad ? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim ? and have they delivered Samaria out of my hand ? AVho are they amongst all the gods that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand ?' As if the living God had no more power than dumb idols. Therefore Hezekiah goeth and spreads the letter before the Lord. You touch a godly man to the quick when you strike at God's honour ; they have a tender sense and feeling of this,
[2.] It reflects upon the ways of God, to bring them out of request. You thought you were one of God's darlings, you thought nobody served God but you ; this is your godly profession, your lasting and prayer ; wliat need such niceness ? Thus they count his way folly, his life madness.
[3.] These reproaches strike at the life of faith, and therefore go
458 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XLIX.
very near the hearts of God's children. Trust and confidence in Grod is the life of their souls : Ps. iii. 2, ' There is no help for him in God'. Such temptations are very catching, when he seemeth opposite to them. Now our unhelief puts in to make the temptation stronger. There is some visihle pretence for what is said, Where are the promises thou talkest of ? Where the promises and the deliverance ? What have thy prayers hrought from heaven ? Thou hast called and none answered, cried and none hath pity on thee. What profit in serving the Lord ? And then what followeth after this open ohjection ? Un- helief Cometh ; and whispereth in our ears. Do you think those things true the word speaketh ?
Well, then, open your hearts to God, as Hezekiah did Kabshakeh's letter ; tell him of these ' cruel mockings,' as they are called, Heb. xi. 36. It is the manner of saints so to do : Ps. cxv. 2, ' Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?' and Joel ii. 17, on the fasting day ' let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar ; and let them say. Spare thy people, 0 Lord,, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them : wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God ? '
Doct. 4. God making good his promises, confuteth these reproaches and insultations. When deliverance cometh their mouths are stopped : Job V. IG, ' The poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth ;' Ps. cvii. 42, ' The righteous shall see it, and iniquity shall stop her mouth,' then when 'he sets the poor on high from afiliction, and maketh them families like a flock.' In both these places it is not said, God stoppeth their mouths, or the saints stop their mouths, but they stop their own mouths ; then we need not answer our adversaries, they answer themselves ; they have not a word to say, and all their pride and insultation is defeated and silenced.
Use 1. Prayer is necessary. Desire God to appear and right him- self, that he may confute the perverse thoughts of men, and wrong applications of his providence, that carnal men may see your hope and confidence in God is not in vain. You may beg deliverance on this ground, that the mouth of iniquity may be stopped.