1. How comfortable it is for the heirs of promise to see one another, or meet together ! Aspectus boni viri delectat — the very look of a good man is delightful; it is a pleasure to converse with those that are careful to please God, and awe-ful to offend him.
2. How much affected they are with one another's mercies : ' They will be glad to see me,' who have obtained an event answerable to my hope ; they shall come and look upon me as a monument and spec- tacle of the mercy and truth of God. This sense I prefer, though not excluding the other. But what mercy had he received ? The context seemeth to carry it for grace to obey God's commandments ; that was the prayer immediately preceding, to be 'instructed and taught in God's law,' ver. 73. Now they will rejoice to see my holy behaviour, how I have profited and glorified God in that behalf. The Hebrew writers render the reason. Because then I shall be able to instruct them in those statutes, when they shall see me, their king, study the law of God. It may be expounded of any other blessing or benefit God hath given according to his hope ; and I rather understand it thus: they will be glad to see him sustained, supported, and borne out in his troubles and sufferings ; they will be glad when they shall see in me a notable example of the fruit of hoping in thy grace, and this hope leaveth not ashamed.
Secondly, The reason is, ' Because I hoped in thy word ; ' and there compare this with the first clause. God's children are described to be those that fear God, and David is described to be one that hopes in his word. Both together make up a good character and description of the Lord's people ; they are such as fear God and hope in his word. They are elsewhere coupled : Ps. xxxiii. 18, ' Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, that hope in his mercy ; ' and Ps. cxlvii. 11, ' The Lord takes pleasure in them th<at fear him, that hope in his mercy.' A sincere Christian is known by both these ; a fear of Go^, or a constant obedience to his commands, and an afiiance, trust, and dependence upon his mercies. Oh, how sweetly are both these coupled ; a uniform sincere obedience to him, and an unshaken con- stant reliance on his mercy and goodness ! The whole perfection of the Christian life is comprised in these two — believing God and fearing him, trusting in his mercy and fearing his name ; the one maketh us careful in avoiding sin, the other diligent to follow after righteous-
VeB. 74.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 281
ness ; the one is a bridle from sin and temptations, the other a spur to our duties. Fear is our curb, and hope our motive and encom-age- ment ; the one respects our duty, the other our comfort ; the one allayeth the other. God is so to be feared, as also to be trusted ; so to be trusted, as also to be feared. And as we must not suffer our fear to desrenerate into legal bondage, but hope in his mercy ; so our trust must not degenerate into carnal sloth and wantonness, but so hope in his word as to fear his name. Well, then, such as both believe ia Grod and fear to offend him are the only men who are acceptable ta God and his people. God wiU take pleasure in them, and they take pleasure in one another : ' They that fear thee will be glad when they see me.' The first part of the character, ' They that fear thee ; ' the fear of God is an excellent gi-ace, a strong bridle to hold the soul from sin ; not that servile, but filial and child-like fear, that is afraid to sin against God or break his laws : Prov. xxviii. 14. ' Blessed is the man that feareth always ; ' this grace should always bear rule in our hearts : 1 Peter i. 17, ' Pass the time of your sojoiurning in fear ; ' our whole course must be carried on under the conduct of this grace. Look, as the fear of man is a bridle upon the beasts to keep them from hurting man, Gen. ix. 2, ' The fear and dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth ; ' so when the fear of Grod is rooted in our hearts, we are kept from disobeving and dishonouring Grod. Joseph is an instance of the power of this holy fear : Gen. xxxix. 9, ' How- shall I do this gi'eat wickedness, and sin against God ? ' Secondly, the other character, ' I hope in thy word : ' a Christian Hveth by faith, whereas the brutish worldling live'th by sense : the one liveth by bread only, the other by the word of Grod ; the one is a higher sort of beast, the other is a kind of earthly angel, for he liveth with God, and dwelleth with God, and expecteth all out of Grod's hands : Ps. cxxx. 5, ' I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope : ' there is his charter and inheritance, and his solace and support ; he fetcheth all from the word. Both these graces, as they are vei-y acceptable unto God, so are they most lovely and beautiful to behold by men ; to be among the company of them that fear God, and hope in his word, is the most pleasant thing to a gracious heart that can be ; for while others are taken up about toys and ti'ifies, they are taken up about the only serious matters. If Balaam was constrained to say of God's people, ' How goodly are thy tents, 0 Jacob, and thy taber- nacles, 0 Israel ! ' oh, how pleasant is it much more to the people of God, to see one another, to come among them that fear God, and are loath to oftend him, and also that hope in his word ! They can speak of the life of faith, and blessedness to come, and take off the veO. of the creature, and are mainly taken up with another world ; their business is not to offend Grt)d here, and hope fully to enjoy him hereafter : Kom. i. 12, ' Comforted by the mutual faith both of you and me.'