5. Again, out of gratitude, when God doth all for us, can we deny him anything ? Dost thou love God as the chief est good, and wilt not thou fear to oftend him ? Whoever chooseth God for his portion will have David's disposition, ' I have said I will keep thy words ;' he will be exact and punctual to keep in with God.
SEEMON LXV.
I entreated thy favour with my ichole heart: he merciful unto me according to thy icord. — Ver. bdi.
In the former verse I took notice of two parts — David's protestation, ' Thou art my portion ; ' and Ins resolution, ' I will keep thy words.'
Ver. 5S.] sermons upon psalm cxix. 119
To either of the branches this verse may be supposed to have respect. To the former thus, as a second evidence : if we make God our por- tion, this will necessarily follow, we shall desire his favour above all things else. Our portion is that good which we choose, renouncing all things else ; therefore, when our hearts are set upon it, ' Whom have I in heaven but thee ? ' Ps. Ixxiii. 25. When you entreat his favour with your whole heart, that is the evidence God is your portion. Or you may refer it to the latter clause thus, ' I said I will keep thy words,' therefore I entreat thy favour. We cannot carry on a good purpose without God's favour, unless he assist us therein. When we are most resolved, we must expect opposition and assaults both from within and without. The devil will seek all be can to oppose you, and to shake 3'our resolutions, and your lusts will rage anew upon a severe re- straint. Therefore those that resolv^e to enter into a strict course must seek relief from God's favour and mercy, as David here, ' I entreated thy favour with my wdiole heart.' In the words we have an account •of David's practice upon a choice and resolution ; he betook himself to prayer.
Here you have —
1. The object or principal thing sought, God's favour.
2. The manner, zvith my luhole heart, with a sincere affection. He doth not say, with his lips only, but his heart ; and not with his heart only, but with his whole heart.
3. The sum of his request, or the fountain of all that he expected from God, he merciful to me.
4. The rule or ground of his expectation, according to thy luord. The meaning is, that God, according to his promise, would graciously lielp him.
Fi7^si, For the first, ' I entreated thy favour ;' or, as it is in the Hebrew, ' I painfully sought thy face ; ' meaning that he did with importunate and humble suit beg the smile of God's countenance. By face is meant favour : Prov. xxix. 26, many seek the ruler's favour ; ' it is, the ruler's face, that he may look cheerfully upon them : and I painfully sought, so the word signifies ; it notes such importunity as is neces- sary for so great a blessing. The note is this —
Doct. God's people, those that have made him their portion, they earnestly and constantly, above all things, desire his favour.
1. This God calls fur : Ps. cv, 4, ' Seek the Lord, seek his face ever- more.' None have such communion with God but they need seek more : Ps. xxvii. 8, ' Thou saidst. Seek my face ; thy face, Lord, will
, I seek.' ' Thou saidst ; ' it is that which God speaks in all his ordi- nances ; the whole drift of the word is to press us to get and keep the sense of God's love ever fresh in our hearts.
2. The nature of the saints carries them to it. This is the diffe- rence between them and carnal men, Ps. iv. 6, 7. The light of his countenance is spoken of either with allusion to the sun, whose light displayed cheers the plants ; or with allusion to the smiles of a friend. Ore good look from God the children of God prefer above all the world. All earthly things cannot please them so much as a smile from God, nor put such gladness in their hearts. But more especially do they seek it most painfully —
120 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, [SeR. LXV.
[1.] When they have never as yet attained any sense of it, but L'e under doubts, fears, and anxious uncertainty; then, if God will but look upon them, make out his love to their consciences, what a comfort will that be to them ! A man may want assurance and have grace, but he cannot slight assurance and have grace. He that is without it may be one of God's children, but he that doth not look after it, and is satisfied without it, certainly is none of that number. Therefore this is the de- sire and earnest prayer of all God's people in common, that God would cause his face to shine upon them : Ps. Ixxx. 1, ' Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth ; ' that is, that sittest upon the mercy- seat. Oh, that he would be good to them in Christ ! for between the cherubims there was the mercy-seat, where God sat. The meaning is, that he would a little dart in beams of comfort to their consciences.