Use. Let all our troubles drive us to the word of God ; there we shall find —
1. Grounds of comfort and support.
2. Hopes of deliverance.
3. Quickenings to duty, which being concocted by serious thoughts, and blessed to us by the Spirit of God, will enable us to ride out the storm cheerfully, and allay our cares and fears, and then we shall put ourselves into the way wherein God hath engaged his protection, and so shall not be afraid of what man can do unto us.
I now come to the 79th verse, let those that fear thee turn vnto me, and those that have known thy testimonies. When troubled by the wicked, he prayeth for the help and comfort of the godly. There is an elegant allusion between the two words, v^2% Let the proud be ashamed ; and '^yW', Let the godly be turned to me ; that is, let them desert the society of these proud men, and join to me.
In these words God's people are described by a double character — (1.) 'Those that fear thee;' (2.) ' Those that have known thy testi- monies.' David's petition concerning those, that they may turn to him. I shall deliver the importance of these words in certain propositions.
1. Observe the godly are described by two properties — the fear or worship of God, and the knowledge of his word. Those are godly who fear to offend God, and have the sound knowledge of his will ; those are fittest for God's use in the general, aud for David's use in the particular condition in which he was. For God's use : Fear and knowledge do make up a godly man. Knowledge without fear breedeth presumption, and fear without knowledge breedeth superstition and blind zeal, as a blind horse may be full of mettle, but is ever and anon stumbling. Knowledge must direct fear, and fear must season knowledge, then it is a happy mixture and composition, Deum cognoscere et colere — to know God, and worship him, is the whole duty of man, saith Lactantius. "When we know God's testimonies so as to regard, love, and believe them, and dare not dispense with our duty to him for all the wurld, this is a good frame ; our knowledge and fear of God must be according
336 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. LXXXVII.
to liis word. And tliese were fittest for David's case ; fit comforters and strengtbeners of the godly in persecution. There are many whom we cannot exclude from all fear of God, who yet know not his testimonies, run into error, darken and blemish a good cause ; but those that know and fear understand their duty, and are loath to violate it ; with these should our souls close. Well, then, David doth in effect say. Those whom thou hast joined to thyself, let them join to- me; they will acknowledge the equity of that cause which God owneth, and will con- verse with him whom thou disdainest not to take into favour ; because they reverence thy providence, and are taught out of thy testimonies ; and so, weighing the cause, as well as regarding the event, will be sooner won to the truth when God showeth mercy to his people ; other godly ones will be allured to join themselves to those whom they find to be so dear to God.
2. Friendship and fellowship with such godly ones is a great blessing. Partly as it conduceth to mutual si)iritual strength : Kom. i. 12, ' That I may be comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me.' It is a comfort to see our Father's children wherever we come, and to behold their faith, zeal, self-denial, mortification ; the godly are a strength to one another in evil times : Mai. iii. 16, ' Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another.' There are many advantages attend the communion of saints ; their very sight and pre- sence is a confirmation to us. Many times that temptation befalleth us which befell Elias ; we think we are left alone, 1 Kings xix. 10, that godliness is gone out of the world. To have company is an encourage- ment ; but we have not only company, but help. Every one hath, his peculiar gift to help others, 1 Cor. xii. One hath quickness of parts, but not so solid a judgment ; another is solid, but not of so ready, pre- sent, and good utterance : one is zealous, but ungrounded ; another well-principled, but timorous : 1 Cor. xii. 21, ' The eye (the knowing man) cannot say to the hand (the active man in God's cause), I have no need of thee.' All have their use, by mutual gifts and graces, to l)rofit one another, as the curtains of the tabernacle were coupled to one another by loops, Exod. xxvi. 3, or as a body fitly joined and com- pacted by that which every joint supplieth, Eph. iv. 16. Every Chris- tian hath need of another's help. And partly as it conduceth more to public safety and honour : Phil. i. 27, 28, ' Only let your conversation be as becometh the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel ; and in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.' When the members are cut off, the body is less powerful : Acts iv. 33, ' And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus,' when they were met with one heart. And the apostle prayeth, Rom. xv. 5, 6, ' Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Jesus Christ ; that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ; ' as if God could not be glorified by them where there is not this amen. Well, then, if David did so earnestly desire the company of God's children, so should we.