2. As to others, you will invite, encourage, and strengthen them in believing. You are witnesses of his fidelity: Ps. xviii. 30, 'As for God, his way is perfect ; the word of the Lord is tried.' I can assure you I have found more than letters and syllables in a promise, it is a tried word ; I can tell you what God hath done for my soul.
Use. Let us look to the accomplishment of these promises, and trust God the more for the future. Make much of promises: Heb. xL 13, ' These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them.' They are sure declarations of the i)urposes of God. God's purposes are immutable, but promises declared lay an obligation upon liim to keep them. Eejoice in them till performance cometh. Take heed of setting sense against them: Eom. iv. 18-21, ' Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many, ac- cording to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be : and being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb : he staggered not at the promise through unbelief ; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God ; and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform.' Naturally men are all for having before them. Take heed of haste : Ps. cxvi. 11, * I said in my haste. All men are liars ; ' Ps. xxxi. 22, ' I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes.'
VkR. G6.1 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 2U3
SERMON LXXIV.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge : for I, have believed thy commandments. — Vkr. (d^j.
The man of God had acknowledged tliat God had done good for him ; now he beggeth the continuance of his goodness. God, that hath showed mercy, will show mercy. His treasure is not spent by giving, nor hath he the less for communicating to the creature. Man will say, I have given you already, why do you trouble me any more ? But God upbraideth no man ; the more frequent our suits are for grace, the more welcome we are : ' Thou hast done good for thy ser- vant ; ' and now again, ' Teach me good judgment and knowledge : for I have believed thy commandments.' In the words observe —
1. The blessing asked, Teach me goodj'udgmejit and hioiuledge.
2. The reason urged, foo' I have believed thy commandments.
I begin with the prayer or blessing asked, ' Teach me good judg- ment and knowledge.' Let us consider a little the different ti'ans- lations of this clause. The Septuagint hath three words ;^/37;o-TOT?7Ta, iraihelav, koI <yvwaiv, goodness, discipline, and knowledge ; others, bonitatem gustus et scientice cloce me, teach me goodness of taste and knowledge ; Ainsworth, Vatablus, bonitatem sensus, learn me good- ness of reason and knowledge. In the original Hebrew Di^iD ZniO, the Hebrew word signifieth taste or savour, so it is translated Ps. xxxiv. 8, ' Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.' The word also signifieth behaviour, as Ps. xxxiv. title, ' A Psalm of David when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech.' For a man is tasted by his carriage, and some think it may mean goodness of inclination or manners. I think we fitly translate it judgment, it being coupled with a word that signifieth knowledge — taste, by a metaphor from the bodily sense, being applied to the mind ; as meats are discerned by the taste, so things by the judgment ; and so that which David beggeth here is a good or exact judgment, or the faculty of judging well.
I)oct. That a judicious sound mind is a great blessing, and should earnestly be sought of God by all that would please him.
The man of God renewing this request so often, and his calling it here good judgment and knowledge, will warrant this observation, and sufficiently showeth how good it is to have the mind illuminated and endowed with the true knowledge of things. In handling this point, I shall show —
1. What is the use of a sound mind.
2. Why this should be so often and earnestly asked.
First, What is the use of a sound mind ? There is a threefold act of judgment : — •
1. To distinguish.
2. To determine.
3. To direct and order.
1. To distinguish and judge rightly of things that differ, that we may not mistake error for truth, and evil for good. So the apostle
204 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXIY.
maketh it the great work of judgment to discern between good and evil : Heb. v. 14, ' But strong meat belongeth to those that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and bad.' The things that are to be judged are true and false, right and wrong, necessary or indifferent, exj^edient or inexpedient, fit or unfit ; for many things are lawful that are not ex- pedient: 1 Cor. vi. 12, 'All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient,' as to time, place, persons. Well, then, judgment is a spirit of discerning truth from falsehood, good from evil, that we may ajiprove what is good, and disallow the contrary. So the spiritual man judgeth all things, 1 Cor. ii. 15 ; that is, though he hath not an authori- tative judgment, he hath a judgment of discretion ; and if he did stir up this gift of discerning, he might more easily understand his duty, and how far he is concerned in point of conscience and in order to salvation. So 1 Cor. x. 15, 'I speak as to wise men, judge ye what I say.' The spiritually wise, if they would awaken the gifts of grace received in regeneration by diligence and prayer and heedfulness of soul, might sooner come to a resolution of their doubts than they usually do. As bodily taste doth discern things savoury from un- savoury, profitable from noxious, so is judgment given us that we may distinguish between the poisons which the world offereth in a golden cup to impure souls, and that wholesome spiritual milk which we suck out of the breasts of scripture, between savoury food and hurtful diet^ how neatly soever cooked. The soul's taste is more necessary than the body's, as the soul is the better part, and as our danger is greater, and errors there cost us dearer.