2. Partly by afHictions ; as the prodigal, when he was reduced to husks and rags, then he came to himself and was brought to his right mind. Again, 1 Kings viii. 47, ' If in the land of their affliction, they shall bethink themselves and repent ;' the Hebrew is, ' bring it back to their hearts.' Affliction is sanctified to this end, to open the eyes ; it bringeth us to ourselves. So Haggai, i. 5, 7, ' Now consider your ways,' now 6ea6e ra? Kaphia'i eirl rm oSov'; vfiwv, ' lay your hearts upon your ways ;' when they sowed much and brought in little, and what they earned was put into a bag with holes ; that is, when the hand of God was upon them, and the visible curse of his providence. When the word of God doth not effectually discover men to them- selves, then he sends afflictions to put them upon a search, and by his rod whippeth them out of their sleepy dreams and carnal security.
3. By his Spirit ; and the first effect of his operations is compunc- tion : Acts ii. 37, ' When they heard this they were pricked in heart, and cried out, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved ?' ^ It makes them anxious and solicitous. I ascribe this work to the Spirit, because it was a time when the Spirit was newly poured forth. Well then, in the general, it is God's awakening the heart to a serious and anxious debate with itself concerning its eternal condition, before which we go on sleepily in a course of sin ; but then the soul crieth out^
VeK. 59.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 127
AYhat have I done, and what shall I do ? bow carelessly have I lived I and what shall become of me to all eternity ?
More particularly, this thinking upon our ways involveth in its full latitude three grand duties : —
1. As it relateth to our past estate, or the ways wherein we have walked, self-examining, or a serious searching and inquiring in what condition we are before God. This is necessary to conversion and turning to the Lord : Lam. iii. 40, ' Let us search and try our ways, and turn unto the Lord.' There needeth a serious calling ourselves to an account, or a strict view and survey of our former courses, if we would amend what is amiss in them ; and still, as we renew our repentance, this course must we take.
2. As it relateth to present actions, or the ways wherein we are to walk, so it implieth prudent consideration before we do anything ; let us see our warrant, that we may do nothing but what is agreeable to God's word : Prov. iv. 26, 27, ' Ponder the paths of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established : turn not to the right hand or to the left ; remove thy foot from evil.' "We have a narrow line to walk by, but a foot of ground to go upon ; and therefore we should not walk at hap- hazard, but with much exactness : Eph. v. 15, ' See that ye walk cir- cumspectly, not as fools, but as wise ;' therefore we need to weigh all our actions in the balance of the sanctuary, that if anything displease God we may avoid it. The conscience of our weakness, and the strict- ness of our rule, should make us take the better heed to ourselves,
3. With respect to the tendency and issues of things ; and so it noteth fore-consideration or deliberation in order to choice. God biddeth his people ' stand upon the ways and see, and inquire after the old paths, which is the good way, and walk therein,' Jer. vi. 16 ; as travellers, when they are at a loss or in doubt of their way, seeing divers paths before them, are careful to inform themselves aright that they may take the next, readiest, and best way for their journey's end. An awakened conscience is like Hercules, in hivio : there are two ways present themselves — the way of sin and flesh-pleasing, and the way of God's commandments ; or, as it is Mat. vii. 13, 14, ' the broad way,' and ' the narrow way,' The broad way of sin seemeth pleasant and enticing, but it leadeth to death ; the narrow way is rough and craggy, troublesome to flesh and blood, but the end is life and peace. Now the soul debateth upon the choice which of these is better, by weighing the loss and gain on either side, and the final issue and tendency of both these ways ; or rather, the awakened soul is in the case of a man that is yet to choose ; or like a man that is out of the way, and wants his usual marks. He bethinketh himself, If I go on in this broad beaten road of corruption, I am sure to go down to the chambers of death, and perish evermore. Oh ! but let me make a stop ; it is better to take God's direction than the way of mine own heart ; it is a way that will undo me for ever. Hitherto I have gone awry ; how shall I do to get into the right way ? I would be happy, and this course will never make me so ; surely it is better to take God's counsel than to please the flesh. No course will satisfy conscience, no course will make you happy, but a life led according to the word of God. Thus you see it implieth —