(3.) This word must be improved by reading and hearing, but especially by meditation and singing.
(1st.) Meditation, when it is sweet and lively, stirreth this joy. Delight begets meditation, and meditation begets delight. There is a KUK\oyeveai<i in moral as well as natural things : Ps, i. 2, ' His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night ; ' and Ps. cxix. 97, ' Oh, how love I thy law ! it is my medita- tion da^^ and night ; ' and ver. 15, 16, ' I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways : I will delight myself in thy statutes ; I will DOt forget thy words.' These follow one another. Aflections are not excited but by deep and pondering thoughts.
(2d.) By singing psalms we draw forth this delight : Col. iii. 16, ' Let the word of God dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord;' Eph. v. 18, 19, ' Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess ; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.' Drunkards, when filled with the spirit of wine, sing wanton songs ; and those who are filled with the wine of the Spirit will praise God with spiritual songs. This is a duty of importance, a delightful way of being instructed by our refreshment. God would give us strength, but this is neglected, or cursorily performed by Christians. We will complain of the want of a spirit in prayer ; Ave should do so in singing. Cold- ness in this holy exercise argueth a deadness of faith and a coldness in true religion. We should express our joy this way.
(4.) Above all, this comfort is found in ready practice and obedience. There is a comfort, I confess, in speculation, but not so deep and intimate as in practice. The one is but a taste inviting to the other, which givetli us a fuller draught. Tlie bare contemplation and view
74 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [8eR. LX.
of any concerning and weighty truth is very ravishing to those that bend their minds to knowledge : Prov. xxiv. 13, 14, 'My son, eat thou honey, because it is good, and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste ; so shall the knowledge of wisdom be to thy soul,' Every truth is objectum intellecius, much more divine truth ; but now in practice the impression is doubled : we get comfort and joy raised in our con- sciences; our lives and light do not jar; we are at full quiet in our minds, apprehending ourselves to be in God's way : Ps. cxix. 14, ' I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches.'
Use 1. To show you that the people of God need not envy the wicked for their delights and pleasures ; they have chaster and sweeter delights ; God's statutes are their songs. Where the heart is spiritual, they can find delight enough in the word, both as their charter and their rule, and need not turn aside to vain mirth ; a portion in the promises will yield pleasure enough : ver. Ill, ' Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.'
2. To reprove those that reckon these things a burthen. The holy talking of heaven and godliness maketh worldly men ever heavy and out of humour ; it is not their delight. But it should not be so with the children of God. A child of God should only be heavy when lie displeases God, but delight in all the means that enable him to live to God.
3. When we are saddened by the evil of the present world, let us make use of this remedy ; let us meditate on God's statutes. We shall find ease and refreshing by exercising ourselves to know God in Christ.
4. To refute the vain conceit which possesseth the minds of men, that the way of godliness is a gloomy way. As soon as a man begin- neth to think of salvation, or the change of his life, or the leaving of his sins, embracing the service of God, presently his mind is haunted with this thought : Seest thou not how those that serve God are melancholy, afflicted, sorrowful, never rejoice more ? and wilt thou be one of them ? This is the opinion of the world, that they can never rejoice nor be merry that serve God. But certainly it is a vain conceit. No men do more and more truly rejoice than they which serve God. Consult the scriptures, who have more leave, shall I say, or command, to rejoice? Ps, xxxvii. 4, 'Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart ; ' Phil. iv. 4, ' Kejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice,' Ask reason who have more cause or matter to rejoice than they that have provided against the fears or doubts of conscience by reason of sin ? What is more satis- factory to a soul in doubts and fears than the knowledge of pardon and reconciliation with God ? For the satisfaction of the desires of nature which carry ns after happiness, who have a more powerful exciter of joy than the Holy Ghost ? Acts xiii. 52, ' The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.' Who more qualified with joy than those who have a clear right to the pardon of sin, and so can see all miseries uustinged ? Eom. v. 1-3, * Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein