4. It is more refinedly done by them wlio by earthly things are drawn off from the pursuit of heavenly, and are night and day cumbered with much serving, and never take time to refresh their souls with the ] pleasure of the word ; like Martha, cumbered about many things, while Mary sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word, Luke x. Felix domus, saith Bernard, uhi Martha queritur de Maria — it is a happy house where Martha complaineth of Mary. But alas ! in most places it is otherwi.se ; religion is encroached upon, all remembrance of God and meditation of his word is jostled out of doors by the cares of the world.
Use 2. To press us to make this profession seriously, heartily.
1 . When we have wealth this profession should be made to draw off the heart from it to better thing.';. When our store is increased, our hearts are apt to be enchanted with the love of these things : Ps. Ixii. 10, ' If riches increase, set not your hearts upon them.' Our hearts
270 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXXXI.
are very apt to be set upon the world ; but we must remember this is not the true treasure ; there are other manner of riches that we should look after — to be rich towards God, lest I be a carnal fool, Luke xii, 21. Complacency in a worldly portion is a sure sign of a worldly heart, more than greedy desire.
2. When we want wealth we should make this profession to induce us to contentment. The good disciples had the Spirit ; to Judas, as the bad one, he gave the purse. If you have spiritual wisdom and knowledge, you have that which is most excellent : James ii. 5, ' God hath chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith.'
3. When we lose wealth for righteousness' sake, we have that which is better. The knowledge of a hated truth is better than to shine with the oppressor: Prov. iii. 31, 32, 'Envy not the oppressor, nor choose any of his ways: for the froward is an abomination to the Lord ; but his secret is with the righteous.'' You have your losses exchanged for a greater good.
Use 3. Of trial. Let us examine ourselves and see what esteem and account we have of the word of God. If any say that we are all ready to profess that we esteem the word of God more than all riches, then let us bring it off from words to deeds. Do you prefer obedience before gain ? do you seek after spiritual wisdom more than gain ? Prov. iv. 7, ' Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom ; and with all thy gettiug, get understanding.' Is this your main business, to be wise to salvation ? How many afflict and torment themselves to get silver and gold, but how few to understand and em- brace God's law ! How little doth this esteem of the word control contrary desires and affections !
SERMON LXXXI.
Thine hands have made me and fashioned me : give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. — Ver. 73.
In these words we have two things : —
1. The man of God's argument, thy hands have made me and fashioned me.
2. His request, give me understanding to keep thy commandments. 1. For his argument. He pleadeth as God's creature. Man is God's
immediate workmanship, both as to his body and his soul. Some apply the words, ' Thy hands have made me,' to the creation of the soul ; and the other words, ' and fashioned me,' to the creation of the body ; but we need not be so accurate. Both imply that he was wholly the work of God's hand, a mere creature of his framing, and a creature exactly made ; so made that he was also fashioned, ' fearfully and wonderfully made,' Ps. cxxxix. 14. The structure of man's body darts a re\^rence and awe of God into the consciences of beholders ; and he saith in the 15th verse, ' I was curiously wrought ; ' the Vulgar reads it acu- pictus — painted as with a needle. Man's body is a curious piece of embroidery, that is to be seen in the bones, veins, and arteries, that
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spread and run througliout the body ; which consideration increaseth the argument, not onlv as he was God's work, but framed with a great deal of artifice.
2. Here is his request, ' Give me understanding, that I mar learn thy commandments/ In which he beggeth grace, that the faculty might be well disposed, • Give me understanding ; ' and rightly exer- cised, ' That I may learn thy commandments ; ' that he might both know and keep his commandments. Surely he meaneth a saving knowledge : and therefore, when the work of grace is expressed by knowledge, a theoretical and notional knowledge is not understood, but that which is practical and operative ; such a knowledge as doth work such a change both in the inward and outward man, as that mind, heart, and practice do express a com'ormity to Gods law. As Jer. xxiv. 7, ' I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord ; and they shall be my people, and I will be their Gx>d ; for they shall return to me with their whole heart ; ' that is, all the blessings of the covenant he expresseth by giving them a heart to know him : they shall so know me as to acknowledge me for their Gixl, and carry them- selves accordingly in dutiful obedience to me. I will regard them as their God, and they shall regard me as my people. So when it is said, Col. iii. 10, that ' the new man' is 'renewed in knowledge, after the image of him that created him/ it is meant of a saving knowledge or acknowledgment of God, such as doth produce a perfect comormity to his law in both the tables ; it is such a knowledge as is set out in righteousness ; these are parallel expressions, Eph. iv. 24. Well, then, this new nature David prayeth for, ' Give me understanding ;' not as though he were altogether a stranger to it, but as seeking further degrees of it ; such a spiritual understanding of the will of God as might bring him into a more perfect and entire submission there- unto : ' I am thy creature ; ' let me be thy new creature ; give me a faculty so clearly renewed that I may know and keep thy com- mandments.