The use is for direction to us. When you have heard the word, remember what A'ou hear, and apply it to yourselves by serious iucul- cative thoughts. So when you read the word, do not only understand it, but think of it again and again: Deut. xxxii. 46, ' Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you this day,' saith Moses to the Israelites. So Christ : Luke ix. 44, ' Let these sayings sink into your hearts.' Truths never go to the quick of the affections but by serious and ponderous thoughts. You will not lift up your hands till the truth sink into the heart. You read chapters, hear sermon after sermon ; they do not stir you, or it is but a little, for a fit, like a man that hath been a little warming himself by the fire, and goeth away, and is colder than he was before. 0 Christian ! this means is not to be neglected, no more than reading and hearing, because of its great use, both for first conversion, and continual quickening.
1 . For first conversion. A man cometh to himself by serious thoughts of those great and important truths which are delivered in the word of God : Luke xv. 17, ' And when he came to himself, he said/ &c. ; Ps. xxii. 27, ' All the ends of the Avorld shall remember, and turn unto the Lord ; ' Ps. cxix. 59, ' I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.'
2. For continual quickening. Musing maketh the fire burn. The greatest things will not move us if we do not think of them : Eom. viii. . 31, 'What shall we then say to these things ? If God be for us, who can be against us ? ' Job v. 27, ' Lo, this we have searched, so it is ; hear it, and know thou it for thy good.' The benefit of sound doctrine consists in the application thereof by the hearers. When men have spent their time and strength to find a good lesson for us, shall not we think of it ?
SERMON LV,
Bememher thy word unio thy servant, upon icldcli thou hast caused me to hope. — Ver. 49.
In the words observe —
1. His prayer and humble petition to God, remember thy luord. God is said to remember when he doth declare by the effect that he doth remember. He sometimes seemingly forgets his promise, that is, to appearance carrieth himself as one that doth forget.
2. His argument is taken —
[1.] From his interest, thy servant. [2.] From his trust and hope, which is expressed — (1.) As warranted. (2.) As caused.
(1.) As warranted by hi&icord; that gave him ground of hope and comfort.
YeR. 49. j SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 21
(2.) As caused by his influence, Upon luliich thou hast caused me to hope. The word his warrant, the Spirit his anchor. Would Grod raise up such a hope merely to defeat it ? The word concurred to this hope, as it offered —
(1st.) A command to believe.
(2d.) The promise of the eternal and immutable God to build upon. The influence of his grace concurred ; for he that maketh the offer in the word doth also work faith in the believer, and iuclineth his heart to apply the promise and trust in it ; for faith is ' the gift of God,' Eph. ii. 8. In short, here is a promise believed and pleaded ; and both confirm our faith in the fulfilling and granting of it.
Doct. That believers may humbly challenge God upon his word, and seek the full performance of what he hath promised.
This point, that it may be managed with respect to this text, I shall give you these considerations : —
1. That God delighteth to promise mercy before he accomplish it ; which showeth these things : —
[1.] His abundant love. God's heart is so kindly affected to his people that he cannot stay till the accomplishment of things, but he must tell us aforehand what he meaneth to do for us: Isa. xlii. 9, ' Before they spring forth, I will tell you of them ;' long before there was any sight of such things, or means that might produce them : so that his promise is an eruption and overflow of his love.
[2.] His care for our security ; for by his promise he giveth his people a holdfast upon him, as he maketh himself a debtor to them by his own promise, who was otherwise free before such engagement to poor creatures : Ps. Ixxxix, 34, ' My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.' The word is gone out of his lips, not to be recalled, nor reversed. The promises are as so many bonds, wherein he stands bound to us ; and these bonds may be put in suit, and his people have liberty and confidence to ask what he hath promised to them. Austin saith of his mother, Chirographa tua in- jiciehat tibi Domine — Lord, she showed tliy own bond and hand- writing. It is a mighty argument in prayer when we can plead that we ask no more than God hath promised.