1. What is to be observed and remembered. All the eminent pas- sages of God's providence, when acts of power have been seasonably interposed for the rescue of his people, judgments of all kind, public, universal, private and personal, our own experiences : 2 Cor. i. 10, ' Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver ; in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.' The experiences of others, not in one, but in every age ; for in every place and age God delighteth to leave a monument of his righteousness, and all is for the consolation and instruction of the church. Judgments in our time, judgments in former times, blow off the dust from old mercies, and the inscription of them will be a kind of prophecy to your faith. But especially cast your eye often upon the Lord's manner of dealing with his saints in scripture, their consolations and deliverances received after trouble ; partly because the word of God is a rich storehouse of these instances and examples, and partly because of the infallibility of the record, where things are delivered to us with so much simplicity and truth ; partly also because of the manner and ends in which and for which they are recorded. But if I would have recourse to scripture, should I not rather make use of the promises ? Ans. We must not set one part of scripture against another ; but examples do mightily help us to believe promises, as they are a pledge of the justice, faithfulness, care and love of God towards his people ; and — I know not by what secret force and influence — invite us to hope for what God hath done for others of his servants.
2. How they must be considered. Seriously, as everything that Cometh from God. A slight consideration wull not draw forth the profitable use of them. When they are looked on cursorily, or lightly passed by, the impression of God upon his works cannot be discerned, therefore they must be well considered, with all their cir.cum- stances : Ps. cxliii. 2, David sufficed not to say, ' I remember thy works of old,' but ' I meditate on all thy works ; I muse on the works of thy hands ; ' Ps. Ixxvii. 12, ' I remember thy works of old ; I will meditate also of all thy works.' And surely this should l)e a delight- ful exercise to the children of God, as it is for the son of a noble and princely father to read the chronicles where his father's acts are re- corded, or the famous achievements of his ancestors : Ps. cxi. 2, ' The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.' Some works of God have a large impression of his power and goodness, and they are made to be remembered, as it after fol-
54 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LVIII.
loweth there. He is ready to do the like works when his church standeth in need thereof. Now they must be sought out, for there is more liid treasure and excellency in them than doth at first appear. He that would reap the use and benefit of them should take pleasure to search out matter of praise for God and trust for himself. Of all other study, this is the most worthy exercise and employment of godly men, to study and find out the works of God in all their purposes and designs ; there is more pleasure in such meditations than in all other the most sensual divertisements.
3. The end is to be strengthened and confirmed in the w,ny of our duty, in dependence upon God, and adherence to liim ; or that faith may be strengthened in a day of affliction, and our hearts encouraged in cleaving to the ways of God. ^
[L] Dependence upon God, which implieth a committing ourselves to his power, a submitting ourselves to his will, and a waiting his leisure ; all these are in trust, and all these are encouraged by remem- bering his judgments of old.
(1.) Committing ourselves to his power is trust and dependence : * Our God is able to deliver us ' from the fiery furnace, Dan. iii. 17 ; Eom. iv. 21, ' Being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform.' Now this is abundantly seen in his judgments of old : Isa. li. 9, ' Awake, awake, put on strength, 0 arm of the Lord ; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art not thou he which hath cut Eahab, and wounded the dragon ; which hast dried the sea, and the waters of the great deep ?' If God will but take to himself his gi'eat power, and bestir himself as in ancient days, what should a believer fear ?
(2.) Submitting ourselves to God's will is a great act of dependence, submitting before the event. Now, how may a believer acquiesce in God's providence, and enjoy a quiet repose of heart ? He knoweth not what God will do with him, but this he knoweth, he hath to do with a good God, who is not wont to forsake those that depend upon him ; he hath wisdom and goodness enough to deliver us, or to make our troubles profitable to us. Now his judgments of old do much help to breed this composedness of mind : Ps. ix. 10, ' They that know thy name will put their trust in thee ; for thou. Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.' They that know anything of God's wont, and have learned from others, or experimented themselves, or by searching into the records of time have found with what wisdom and power, justice and mercy, God governeth the world, will be firmly grounded in their trust and reliance on these, without applying themselves to any of the sinful aids or policies of the world for succour, or troubling themselves about success ; for God never forsook any godly man in his distress, that by prayer and faith made his humble and constant appli- cations to him.