(3.) Without the directing act of judgment, how easily shall we miscarry, and make religion a burden to ourselves, or else a scorn to the world! Want of judgment causeth different effects, not only in divers, but in the same person : sometimes a superstitious scrupulous- ness, at other times a profane negligence ; sometimes making conscience
' Qn. 'a taste to test'?— Ed.
208 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXXIV,
of all things, then of nothing : as the one weareth off, the other suc- oeecleth : as the devil cast the lunatic in the Gospel sometimes into the water, sometimes into the fire ; either fearful of sin in everything they do, or bold to run into all sin without fear ; whereas a truth judiciously understood would prevent either extreme. So again for want of judgment; sometimes men are transported by a fiery and indiscreet zeal, at other times settle into a cold indiffcrency, and all things come alike to them. The way to prevent both is to resolve upon evidence: 1 Thes. V. 21, ' Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.' Cer- tainly the clearer our judgment is the more steadfast is our faith, the more vehement our love, the more sound our joy, the more constant our hope, the more calm our patience, the more earnest our pursuit of true happiness ; otherwise we shall never carry it evenly between vain presumption and feigned reverence, between legal fear and rash hopes, uncomely dejections and a loose disregard of God. Wisdom is the faculty by which we apply that knowledge we have unto the €ud why we should have it.
[2.] It makes us troublesome to others, by preposterous carriage, rash censuring, needless intermeddling : Phil. i. 9,10, 'And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment ; that ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ ; ' our corruptions will otherwise break forth to the offence of others. An injudicious Christian increaseth the reproaches of the world, as if the servants of God were the troublers of Israel, by unseasonable reproofs, mistiming of duties, meddling with that which no ways ap- pertaineth to him. All lawful things are not fit at all times, nor in all places, nor to be done by all persons. Much folly, indiscretion and rashness remaineth in the best, whereby they dishonour God, and bring religion into contempt.
[3.] They trouble the church of God ; it hath suffered not only from the persecutions of enemies, but from ^the folly, rashness, and indiscretion of its friends. There are different degrees of light, some babes, some young men, some grown persons in Christ Jesus : 1 John ii. 13, ' I write unto you fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning ; I write unto you young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one ; I write unto you little children, because ye have known the Father.' Now, children have their fancies, and young men their passions, and old men their humours. When the one would prescribe to the other, they hurry all things into con- fusion : the injudicious generally seek to carry it, and would govern the world. In young ones, there are great affections but little know- ledge and judgment ; they have a great zeal, but little prudence to moderate it ; and when this is joined with perverseness and contumacy, it is not easy to be said how much evil it bringeth to the church of God ; as a fiery horse routeth the troop, and bringeth disorder into the army. The devil loveth to draw things into extremes, to set gift against gift, prudence against zeal, the youth of Christianity against age, and so to confound all things, and so to subvert the kingdom of Christ by that comely vanity which is the beauty of it. In the general, all overdoing in religion is undoing.
VeR. 66.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 209
Use. The use is, let all this press us to seek this benefit of good judgment and knowledge. To this end —
1. Consider the value and necessity of it. Without it we cannot regularly comfort ourselves in the promises, but it will breed a care- lessness and neglect of our duty ; nor fulfil the commandments of God, but it will breed in us a self-confidence and disvaluing of the grace of God ; nor reflect upon our sins, but we shall be swallowed up of immoderate sorrow ; nor suffer for the truth, but we shall run into indiscreet reasoning and oppositions that will trouble all, and, it may be, subvert the interest of religion in the world ; or else grow into a loose uncertainty, leaping from one opinion to another. This uncertainty cometh not so much, or not altogether, from vile affection, as want of information in religion, professing without light and evi- dence, having more of affection than principles. There is a twofold injudiciousness — total or partial. (1.) Total, when men are given up et9 vovv aSoKLfiov, into a reprobate sense, or an injudicious mind, Rom. i. 28 : when utterly incapable of heavenly doctrine, or discerning the things of the Spirit. This is one of God's heaviest judgments. That is not the case of any of you, I hope. (2.) Partial, and that is in us all. Alas ! we are ignorant of many things which we should know; at least, we have not that discretion and prudence which is necessary for directing our faith, tempering our zeal, ordering and regulating our practice, which is necessary to avoid evil, to do good, or to do good well. Or, if we have light, we have no sense or taste. Many never felt the bitterness of sin to purpose, of sweetness of righteousness ; there- fore we have need to cry to God, Lord, give me good taste and know- ledge.