Use 2. Wait. Carnal men reproach God's people with their trust, when in their distress he stays a little, when they have humbled themselves for their sins, and sought reconciliation with God as his word prescribeth, and are sufficiently weaned from carnal props, and have learned to depend on him ; the wicked shall find himself mis- taken about the godly, whose ways he counted folly.
And take not the ivord of truth utterly out of my mouth ; for I have ho23ed in thy judgments. — Ver. 43.
In the first verse of this portion David had begged for deliverance ac- cording to the word ; this he backeth with several arguments. His
YeR. 43.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 459
first argument was from his enemies, wlio would else reproach him for his trust. He now enforceth that request from another argument, lest his case and condition should make him afraid, or his disappointments ashamed to own his faith in God's promises, and so his mouth be shut up from speaking of God and his word, for the edification of others and the confutation of the wicked. Here observe —
1. His request, and take not the loord of truth out of my mouth.
2. The profession of his faith, repeated by way of argument; and reasons, /or / liave hoped in thy judgments.
1. For his request. ,You may wonder why he beggeth that the word of truth may not be taken out of his mouth. Rather you would think he should ask that it might be kept in his heart. But you must consider that confession of truth is very necessary, and in a time of dangers and distresses very diflftcult. The proper seat of the word of truth is the heart ; it must abide there. But when the heart is full, the tongue will speak : ' 1 have believed, and therefore have I spoken,' Ps. cxvi. 10. The word is first in the heart, and then in the mouth ; therefore David saith, ' Take it not out of my mouth/ And pray, mark, he doth not only deprecate the evil itself, but the degree and extremity of it, ' Take it not utterly out of my mouth.' God's chil- dren may not have liberty to speak for him, or if liberty, not such a courage as is necessary. Therefore, though he should or had failed in being ashamed to profess his hope, yet he desireth he might not wholly want either an occasion or a heart so to do ; that he might not wholly want an occasion, having no relief and comfort by the promises, nor an heart, as being altogether dismayed or disconsolate.
2. The profession of his faith is renewed, ' For I have hoped in thy judgments.' The word D^tDEHi^l'J, judgments, signifieth either the law, or the execution of the sentence thereof.
[1.] The law, or whole word of God, so that I have hoped in thy judgments is no more but ' in thy word do I hope,' as it is Ps. cxxx. 5, ' I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.'
[2.] Answerable execution, when the promise or threatening is ful- filled.
(1.) When the promise is fulfilled, that is judgment in a sense; when God accomplisheth what he hath promised for our salvation and deliverance. Thus God is said to judge for his people when he righteth and saveth them according to his word : Lam. iii. 59, ' 0 Lord, thou hast seen my wrong ; judge thou my cause.'
(2.) But the more usual notion of judgment is the execution of the threatening on wicked men, which being a benefit to God's faithful servants, and done in their favour, David might well be said to hope for it. Their judgment is our obtaining the promise. Points : —
Doct. 1. It is not enough to believe the word in our hearts, but we must confess it with our mouths.
Doct. 2. Such trials may befall God's children that the word of truth may seem to be taken out of their mouths.
Doct. 3. At such a time God must be dealt withal, as much con- cerned in it. David saith to the Lord, ' Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth.'
Doct. 4. If it please God to desert us in some passage of our trial,
460 SERMONS upox PSALM cxix. [Ser. XLIX.
Ave must not give him over, but deal with him not to forsake us utterly.
Doct. 5. They will not utterly be overcome in their trials who hope in God's judgments.
Doct. 1. It is not enough to believe the word in our hearts, but we must confess it with our mouths. So it is expressly said, Eom. x, 9. 10, ' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved ; for with the heart man believeth unto rigliteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.' There is the whole sum of Christianity, and it is reduced to these two points — be- lieving with the heart, and confessing with the mouth ; an entertain- ing of Christ in the heart with a true and lively faith, and a confessing of Christ with the mouth in spite of all persecution and danger. So in the first solemn proposal of the gospel : Mark xvi. 16, ' He that be- lieveth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned;' where not only belief is required, but open profession ; for that end serveth baptism, which is a badge and bond — a badge to distinguish the worshippers of Christ from others, and a bond to bind us to open profession of the name of Christ, and practice of the duties included therein. So Heb. iii. 1, Jesus Christ is called ' the great high priest and apostle of our profession.' The Christian religion is a con- fession, not a thing to be smothered and kept in secret, or confined to the heart, but to be openly brought forth, and avowed in word and deed to the glory of Christ. If a man should content himself to own God in his heart, what would become of the Church of God, and all his ordinances, and the assemblies of his people, among whom we make this open confession ?