458 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. C.
the feast will be at an end, and tlien we begin to feel the gripes of a surfeit.
Use 2. Let it moderate our sorrows and fears. Our sorrows ; when these things befjill us, it is no strange thing, 1 Peter iv. 12 ; it is do more strange than to see the night succeed the day, or to see a shower come after sunshine ; it is no wonder to see a light thing move up- ward, nor a heavy thing to move downward. So our fears ; when the power and strength of the world is turned upon us, there will be an end of all our evils, but not of the word of God. We shall everlastingly find the effects of his truth and promise, though our enemies excel in worldly pomp, and seem to be grounded upon an immutable founda- tion ; but as powerful as they seem to be, they shall at length come to an end : Job v. 3, * I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation ; ' when the foolish, that is, the wicked, seemed to get rooting, then I cursed, not by way of imprecation, but by way of prediction.
Use 3. It serves to moderate our delights. No day so pleasant but the night puts an end to it, no summer so fruitful but a barren winter overtaketh it. The Philistines were sporting on their holiday, but their banqueting-house became their grave and place of burial ; and Jonah's gourd was soon withered and dried up. Worldly riches serve men as long as they live, and after death do some service in conveying their bodies to the grave by a pompous funeral ; but there it leaves them. But the word of God supports us against all temptations while we live, and conveys us to death with comfort, and the fruit of it abideth with us ; after we are dissolved the soul immediately hath benefit by it, and afterwards, at the resurrection, the body. We do not hold worldly things durante vita — during our life, nor quamdiu bene se gesserint — as long as we shall behave ourselves well in our places ; but only durante benepla.cito — as long as God ])leaseth. How often is tlie most shining glory burned into a snutf, turned into ignominy, and honour into contempt, and our fulness into the want of all things ! A cobweb that has been long a-spinning is soon swept dow^n. Yea, the time will come when the lust of these things shall be gone, 1 John ii. 17, and the time will come when we shall take no pleasure in them. As soon as we have the creatures, many times we are weary of them, 2 Sam. xiii. 8 ; as Amnon hated Tamar when he had satisfied his lusts ; and David longed for the waters of Bethlehem, and when he had it, he would not drink it. When we come to con- sider these things, the imperfections that before lay hid are discovered by fruition.
Secondly, Let us now come to the antithesis, hut thy commandments are exceeding broad.
Before I come to discuss the words in particular, I observe —
First, that the stability of the word of God is often opposed to the vanity of the creature : Isa. xlvi. 8, ' The flower ffideth and the grass withereth, but the word of God abideth for ever.' So 1 Peter i. 25, ' All flesh is grass, and the glory of man is as the flower of grass ; but the word of God liveth and abideth for ever; ' and 1 John ii. 17, ' The world passeth away, and the lusts thereof; but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever.' So Luke x. 41, 42, ' Martha, thou art
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careful and troubled about many things ; but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall never be taken away from her.' Xow, what doth this teach us, but that when we see the vanity of earthlv things, we should be informed what better things to set our hearts upon ? The hearts of men cannot be idle, their oblec- tation must be upon something; when pleasures, and riches, and honours are found vain and perishing, there is a more enduring sub- stance to be looked after.
Secondly, That these better things are discovered by the word of God, now ' life and immortality is brought to light through the gospel,' 2 Tim. i. 10, and he that doth the will of God shall increase his knowledge, he that doth the will of God shall know what doctrine is of God. This doth direct us in making our choice; the inde- pendent heart of man will choose something to adhere to. Now, in the word of God we have direction what to choose. The use of all things present is temporal, but the use and benefit of the word is ever- lasting ; this will do us good another day. All things visible have their own perfection in their kind, -and do extend, some of them to one temporal use and some to another ; but the word of God extendeth in its kind to all uses ; as godliness is profitable to all things ; it bringeth blessedness in this life and in the world to come, 1 Tim. iv. 8. A man may satisfy himself in the contemplation of any truth and virtue that is visible ; but here are unsearchable riches, such deep wisdom, tiuch rich comforts, perfect directions, that we cannot see to the bottom of them. Every perfect thing in the world hath an end, but the word endureth for ever.