288 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXXIII.
of hawking and hunting, the best wine and delicious meats, of honours and purchases in the workl, all which tend but to increase the gust of the flesh, and the carnal savour which is baneful to^ us ; or else with idle stories, the clatter of vanity, which are impertinent to our great end ; or else about the world, thriving in the world : nothing about those high and excellent and necessary things of the grace of God in Christ, and the truth of the promises, and the glory of the world to come: Ps. xxxvii. 30, 31, 'The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment : the law of God is in his heart ; none of his steps shall slide ; ' and ' The mouth of the righteous is as choice silver ;' they have a sense of better things. But alas ! from others you hear nothing but unsavoury vanity, which is as different from the discourse of the children of God as the melody of a bird from the grunting of a hog or swine.
SEKMON LXXXIII.
Ihww, 0 Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me. — Ver. 75.
We have need all to prepare for aflaictious, for we are to take up our cross daily. Now, to help you to a right carriage under them, these words, well considered, will be of some use to you ; they are the con- fession of a humble soul abundantly satisfied with God's dispen- sations. In them observe : —
1. A general truth or point of doctrine concerning the equity of God's judgments, thy judgments, 0 Lord, are right.
2. A particular application or accommodation of this truth to David's case and person, in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.
3. His sure and firm persuasion of both, I know. Let us explain these branches and parts of the text as they are laid forth.
1. The general truth, the Lord's judgments are right. In which proposition there is the subject and the predicate. The subject or things spoken are the Lord's judgments. The word is often put in this psalm and elsewhere for God's statutes, or precepts, or righteous laws ; and in this sense some take it here, and make out the sense thus : ' Lord, I know that thy judgments,' viz., thy precepts, are holy, just, and good ; and this persuasion is not lessened in me, though thou hast sharply afilicted me : I have as great a value and esteem for thy word as ever. But rather, by the Lord's judgments are meant the pas- sages of his providence, as the latter clause showeth ; those judicial dispensations whereby he doth punish the wicked, or correct his chil- dren. And let it not seem strange that the troubles and afflictions of the godly should be called judgments ; for though there be no vindic- tive wrath in them, yet they are called so upon a double reason : partly because they are acts of God's holy justice, correcting and humbhng his people for sin, according to the sentence of his word. Thus it is said, 1 Peter iv. 17, that 'judgment shall begin at the house of God ;' where the trials and troubles of the godly are plainly called
VeR. 75.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 289
judgments. And partly because the Lord judiciously measureth and directeth them as the state of his children requireth and their strength will bear. So it is said, Jer, x. 24, ' Correct me, but in judgment.' The first notion implieth God's justice, the second his wisdom. And mark, it is said distinctly in the text, ' Thy judgments, 0 Lord.' His enemies might unjustly persecute him, but 'thy judgments ;' so far asthe Lord hath a hand in it, all was just and right : this is the subject or thing spoken of. Secondly, Here is the predicate, or what is said of it, ' are right ; ' the Hebrew, tsedec ; the Septuagint, otl SLKaioavvrj ra Kpi^ara aov, are righteousness itself ; thy dispensations are wholly made up of perfect justice; how smart soever they be, they are right as to the cause, right as to the measure, right as to the end. The first of these respects concerneth God's justice, the two other his wisdom. First, Eight as to the cause ; they never exceed the value of their impulsive : Job xxxiv. 23, ' He will not lay upon man more than is right, that he should enter into judgment with him.' God never afflicteth his people above their desert, nor gives any just occasion to commence a suit against his providence. Secondly, Eight as to the measure, not above the strength of the patient. In his own people's afflictions it is so : Isa. xxvii. 8, ' In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate it ; he stayeth his rough wind in the day of the east wind.' God dealeth w^ilh his own with much moderation, meting out their sufferings in due proportion. So Jer. xxx. 11, ' I will correct thee in measure.' Thirdly, Eight as to their end and use. God knoweth how to strike in the right vein, and to suit his providence to the purpose for which it is appointed : the kind of the affliction is to be considered as well as the measure. The Lord chooseth that rod which is most likely to do his work. Paul had a thorn in the flesh, that he might not be exalted above measure, 2 Cor. xii. 7. He was a man inured to dangers and troubles from without, these were familiar to him, therefore he could the better bear them ; but God would humble him by some pain in the flesh, which should sit near and close.