[1.] Let us pray often, for in prayer we profess our subjection and dependence. Where prayers are fervent, earnest, frequent, it argueth great humility ; where rare, cold, unfrequent, little humility; where none, no humility. Seeking to God, who is so excellent, mindeth us of our own baseness ; seeking his daily relief and succour mindeth us of the changeableness of all worldly things, and the several vicissitudes of this life, Ps. x. 4. A man serious in prayer, living in a constant dependence upon God, must needs be a humble man.
[2.] Let us be contented with a little, and not seek great things for ourselves ; for interest is the great makebait. I am sure a worldly
Ver. 78.] SERMONS UPON psal:m cxix. 329
portion is the usual fuel of pride. A worm may grow in manna, but usually it is some worldly excellency which giveth us such great advantages here below which puffeth us up. If riches increase by the fair allowance of God's providence, we are not to grow proud of them : 1 Tim. vi. 17, ' Charge them that are rich in the world, that they be not high-minded.' Moses saith, Deut. viii. 12-14, ' Take heed when thou hast eaten, and art full, and thy gold and silver is multiplied, lest thy heart be lifted up.' Our hearts are mighty apt to be lifted up by a full estate.
[3.] If we excel in gifts and graces, double caution is necessary ; this is a real excellency, 2 Cor. xii. 7. Pride maketh us not OLly unthankful to God, but perverse to men : Prov. xxi. 24, ' Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath.' Men con- ceited of their gifts make their own fancy and conceit their rule ; and if anything be done that pleaseth not them, they rend and tear all, and trample upon the unquestionable interest of Jesus Christ to wreak their sj^leen.
It is a question whether real grace may make a men proud. Gifts, to be sure, may: 'Knowledge puffeth up;' yea, grace, through corruption. They need caution that have the great presence of God with them as to success when eminently employed in God's service. Credit by worldly eminency and esteem falleth in with their services, and secretly insinuates high thoughts of their own excellences.
[4.] Consider how much pride hath cost us. They that are proud and burdensome to other people, God will pull down their pride : Isa. xiii. 11, 'And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity ; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.' It is spoken of the Chaldeans, who in bravery and force offered violence to others. God loveth to pull down the pride and insolency of roysterers, that have been formidable and burdensome to other people. The Lord of hosts haith purposed to stain the pride of all glor)', and to bring into contempt the honourable of the earth. What hath God been doing, not in former, but latter times?
[5.] Consider that Christianity was sent into the world not to set up a kingdom of power, but patience. Mat. xviii. 4, ' Whosoever, therefore, shall be humble as this little child, tlie same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven ;' Luke i. 51-53, ' He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their heart ; he hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree ; he hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.'
[6.] Consider who made us differ : 1 Cor. iv. 7, ' For who made thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received ? Kow if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?' Who would be proud of a borrowed garment ? he becometh the more in debt. Nothing is ours but sin, all other things are the free gift of God. Shall the wall boast itself because the sun shines upon it? or the pen arrogate the praise of fair writing ? The more we have received from God the more we are obliged to acknowledge his goodness, and confess our own unworthiness.
330 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXXVI.
Secondly, The event, or effect of Grod's providence desired, together with the reason of it. That which he desired was that thej^ might ' be ashamed ;' the reason, because they have ' dealt perversely without a cause.' Let us explain both.
1. The event of God's providence prayed for, that they may be ashamed ; that is, that they may not prosper and succeed in their attempts ; for men are ashamed when they are disappointed, and all their endeavours for the extirpation of God's people are vain and fruit- less, and those things which they have subtlely devised have not that effect which they propounded unto themselves : Ps. Ixx. 3, ' Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame, which say. Aha ! '
2. The reason urged, ' For they dealt perversely with me without a cause.' The Septuagint hath it aSi'/cco?, unjustly. Ainsworth readeth, With falsehood they have depraved me. It implieth two things — (1.) That they pretended a cause ; (2.) David avoucheth his innocency to God ; and so, without any guilt of his, they accused, defamed, con- demned his actions, as is usual in like cases. Elsewhere he complain- eth, Ps. Ivi. 5, ' They every day wrest my words, and their thoughts are against me for evil.' They condemned him for wicked, perverted his sayings and doings. Men pretend causes of their oppression, heresy, schism, rebellion ; but mere malice and perverseness of spirit incline them to seek the destruction of the people of God.