2. The duty promised, ' I will never forget.' Forgetting or remem- bering is sometimes taken in scripture for a notional remembrance or notional forgetting, when we retain the notions of such a truth, or the notions of it vanish out of our minds. And sometimes it is taken practically, when we are suitably affected, as the thing or truth remem- bered deserves. Both may be intended ; I remember, retain, feel the fruit of thy word. That which hath done us good, the very notions of it will stick in our minds. Or else it may be for the practical remem- brance ; so it signifies, I will pi-ize, I will cleave fast to it as long as I live. To remember is to esteem, and to forget is to neglect; as Heb. xiii. 16, 'To do good, and to communicate, forget not ;' that is, neglect not. I may remember to communicate, yet not perform ; but forget not, that is, neglect not. In this sense we usually say. You forget me, that is, 3'ou neglect to do that which I desired of you. So David saith, ' 1 will never forget thy precepts.' The remembrance of his promises
YeR. 93.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 429
is effectual and perpetual. It is effectual ; for I will remember it, prize it, and lay it up in my lieart with thankfulness. And it is per- petual ; ' I will never ; ' the Hebrew is, ' not to all eternity ; ' ' I will not forget thy precepts for ever,' as we render it fitly.
Secondly, The reason, ' For with them thou hast quickened me.' The reason is taken from his experience of the benefit of this word ; and there we have the benefit received, quickening ; the author, thou liast quickened; the means, iui(h them. God by this means had quickened his soul.
1. The benefit, quickened. There is a double quickening, when from dead we are made living, or when from cold and sad and heavy we are made lively. One sort of quickening the word speaks of is Avhen from dead we are made living, Eph. ii. 1. Another when from cold, sad, heavy, we are made lively, and so not only have life, but enjoy it more abundantly, according to Christ's gracious promise, John X. 10, that they may be living, lively, kept still in vigour. Now this second quickening may be taken either more largely for the vitality of grace, or strictly for actual comfort. Largely taken ; so God quickens by increasing the life of ^ace, either internally by promising the life of grace, or morally and externally by promising the life of glory. More strictly ; his quickening may be taken for comfort and support in his affliction ; so it is likely to be taken here : he had said before, ver. 92, immediately before the text, ' Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction ; ' and now, ' I will never forget thy precepts : for with them thou hast quickened me.' It was great comfort and support to him, and therefore he should prize the word as long as he lived. This is the benefit received, thou hast quickened me.
2. Here is the author, thoic. God put him, by the inspiration of grace, upon the meditation of his word, and then he blessed that meditation ; his assistance and grace doth all. We receive all degrees of life from the fountain of life. The word was the means, but thou hast quickened me.
3. The means, hy them ; that is, by his precepts ; the word was spirit and life to him. By the Spirit God makes his word lively in operation, and conduceth very much to quickening, comforting, and supporting of the saints.
Doct. Those that have received comfort, life, and quickening by the word of God, find themselves obliged to remember it for ever. I shall illustrate this proposition by these considerations : —
1. That God's children are sometimes under deadness.
2. That in such deadness the word of God is the only means to quicken them.
3. Though the word be quick and lively and powerful, yet it is God that must bless it, that must make it a support to the soul.
4. That whenever we have received these comforts, quickenings, and supports from him, they should ever be recorded and treasured up in the registers of a thankful memory, for the great uses of Cliristianity.
First, God's children are under deadness sometimes, which happeneth to them for many causes.
1. By reason of some sin committed, and not repented of, or not
430 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. XCVIII.