VeR. 92.] SERMONS UPON PSALJI CXIX. 425
1. Faith is necessary ; for the comforts of the word are received and improved by faith. Unless we expect the sure accompKshment of God's promises, how can we be supported by them ? Ps. xxvii. 13, * I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living ; ' that is, without a full assent to the promises which God had made him of his restoration, for he had particular assur- ance of the kingdom, as we have of the kingdom of heaven. So for the consent, as well as assent, to take the happiness contained in the promises as our whole felicity : Ps. cxix. Ill, ' Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever ; they are the rejoicing of my heart.' There is heritage and portion rich enough in God's promises, and this breedeth joy in all affiictions.
2. Meditation is necessary ; for thereby the sweetness of the word is perceived and tasted, and the promises laid before us. It is the fruit of delight : Ps. i. 2, ' But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.' And it is the cause of it : Ps. ci\\ 34, ' My meditation of him shall be sweet ; I will be glad in the Lord.' They who delight in a thing will often view it and consider it, and thereby their delight is increased. The most lively truths work not on us for want of serious consideration.
3. There must be mortification and self-denial, or prizing spiritual favours before temporal benefits. The cross will not be grievous to a mortified spirit, when they compare their gain with their loss, 2 Cor. iv. 16. To others we speak in vain, whose hearts are set upon worldly advantages ; but they who value all things in order to the chief good, and have weaned their hearts from the false happiness, they have their end if they be brought nearer to God, though by a bitter and sharp means.
Use 1. Eeproof to four sorts.
1. To those that know no comfort but what ariseth from the enjoy- ments of sense. Alas ! these comforts are dreggy and base, and leave a taint upon the soul, Jude 19. Again, they leave us destitute when we most need comfort, Job xxvii. 8. When other comforts forsake us, and have spent their allowance, the comforts of the word abide with us. Again, these comforts increase our grief, though for a time they seem to mitigate and allay it. They are like strong waters, that warm the stomach for the present, but destroy the true temper and natural heat of it, and leave it the colder afterwards ; they cheer us a little, but the end of that mirth is heaviness. Oh ! how much better are the com- forts of God's word, which giveth us matter of joy in the saddest con- dition ; and do not only save us from desperation in troubles, but make us rejoice in tribulation, and can bring pleasure to us in our bitterest afflictions ! There are breasts of consolation for every dis- tressed creature to suck at and be saved.
2. It reproves them that think philosophy as good, or a better in- stitution than Christianity. Certainly we should own the wisdom of God, by what hand soever it is conveyed to us ; as Elijah refused not his meat though brought by ravens. But when this is done by men of a profane wit, in a contempt of God, we must convince them of their dangerous error and mistake, and show how complete we are in Christ, that we be not spoiled by the rudiments of vain wisdom or philosophy.
426 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. XCVII.
Col. ii. 8. Surely God's comforts Imve greatest authority over the conscience to silence all our murmurings, Ps. xciv. 19. Man speaks to us by the evidence of reason, but in scripture God himself speaks to us, and impawneth his truth with us to do us good. They knew not the true cause of trouble, sin ; nor the true remedy, Jesus Christ. And surely those great mysteries of Christ as procurer of comfort, the Spirit as the applier, heaven as the matter, the word as the warrant, faith as the means to receive, all these are a more accommodate means to settle the conscience than those little glimmerings of light which refined nature discovered. They speak of submitting out of necessity, little of reducing the heart to God ; and their very doctrines for com- fort were rather a libel against providence than a sure ground of peace and tranquillity of mind ; and they taught men to ei-adicate the affec- tions rather than to govern and quiet them ; and therefore keep up your reveience to the scriptures. A Seneca may speak things more neatly, and to the gust of carnal fancy, but not with greater power and efficacy ; this is reserved for the word.
3. It reproves them that undervalue the consolations laid down in the word, as if they were but slender, empty, and unsatisfactory, and would have some singular and extraordinary way of getting comfort : Job XV. 11, 'Are the consolations of God small with thee? is there any secret thing with thee ? ' God's ordinary way is the sure way, the other layeth us open to a snare ; therefore they who undervalue the ordinary comforts of the word, obtained in a way of faith and re- pentance, and close walking with God (as Naaman undervalued the waters of Jordan), and would have signs and wonders to comfort them, they may long sit in darkness, because if God comfort them not in their way, they will not be comforted at all. Now, though God hath sometimes, in condescension to his jieople, granted them their desires — as to Thomas — yet it is with an upbraiding of their weakness and unbelief, John xx. 28. We should acquiesce in the common allowance of God's people, lest we seem to reflect on the wisdom and goodness of God, and lay open ourselves to some false consolation and dream of comfort, while we affect new means without the compass of the word ; especially when we find not our expectations there S2)eedily answered, like hasty patients, readier to tamper with every new medicine they hear of, than submit to a regular course of physic. Gregory tells us of a lady of the emperor's court that never ceased importuning him to seek from God a revelation from heaven that she should be saved. He answers, Bern difficilem et inutilem postulas — it was a thing difficult and unprofitable ; difiicult for him to obtain, unprofit- able for lier to ask, having a surer way by the scriptures, 2 Peter i. 19, than oracles. The adhering of the soul to the promises is the un- questionable way to obtain a sound peace. Luther, as he confesseth, was often tempted to ask a sign of the pardon of his sins, or some special revelation. He tells also how strongly he withstood these temptations — Pactum feci cum Domino meo ne mihi mitiat vis- iones, vel somnia, vel etiam angelos: contentus enim sum hoc cJono, quod habeo scriphiram sanctam ; quce ahtcnde docet et su2:)2:)ediiai omnia, quce necessaria sunt tam ad lianc vitam, quam ad futurom, — I indented Avitli the Lord my God, that he would never send me