3. AVe may look upon them as contenting themselves with the naked theory of God's law, without making conscience of practice ; that they were such kind of guides that never tasted themselves what they com- mended to others, or practised what they taught ; then ' I have more understanding than my teachers.' He that excels in practice hath the best understanding. Practical knowledge is to be preferred before speculative, as much as the end is to bo preferred before the means ; the end is more noble than the means. Now speculative knowledge is the means to the end : Ps. cxi. 10, ' A good understanding have all they that do his commandments.' Not only know what is to be done, but do what is to be known. As for others, whatever light they seem to have, they have not wisdom and understanding : Jer. viii. 9, ' Lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord, and what wisdom is in them ?' They were boasting of the knowledge of the law, yet there was no wis- dom in them. A mean Ciiristian, that fears God, is a man of more understanding than he that hath a great deal of head-light ; and in this sense may it be well said, the children of God are wiser than their
VeR, 99.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 11
■ teachers. Many times those that are unlearned rise up and take heaven by violence, when others, by all their literul and speculative knowledge, are thrust down to hell.
Suppose it spoken no way in diminution to these teachers, but that they did their duty.
4. Some comment thus ; that David had more understanding than all his teachers who taught him the first rudiments of religion, that he transcended them by far, by God's blessing, in making further progress in this kind of knowledge. If this were the sense, it would teach us not always to keep to our milk and to the first principles of religion, but to wade further and further into these mysteries, Heb. v. 12, 13. We should go on still, and grow up to a greater fulness in knowledge ac- cording as we have more means and advantages. But this is not the sense, for he saith, ' than all my teachers.' Why then, secondly, take it for his godly teachers that were every way qualified ; and it is no new thing for a scholar to exceed his master, and Christians of a pri- vate station many times to excel those that are in office. Look, as in secular things among the heathens, Aristotle was wiser than Plato his master, and opposed him in many things, and therefore is called an ass's colt, that as soon as he was full with the dam's milk, he kicks her ; he forgot that he was his father. We should, if we can, exceed our teachers, but not despise them ; and Daniel, chap. i. 20, was wiser in civil arts than all his teachers, so also it is true as to holy things. Jesus Christ at twelve years of age ])uzzled the doctors. Eli brought up Samuel in the fear of God, but he proved wiser than Eli ; Paul, brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, Acts xxii. 3, proved a more nota- ble instrument of God's glory ; and Austin was taught by Ambrose, but grew afterwards more eminent than he. Thus David was wiser than his teachers, and yet they might be faithful and holy. Now he mentions this partly to commend the Lord's grace, ' Thou hast made me wiser than my teachers ; ' and partly to commend meditation in the word, the means by which he got it ; not to boast of his own attain- ments, but to commend grace, and commend the means of grace to others.
What may we observe from this assertion of David, ' I am wiser than my teachers ' ?
Ohs. 1. The freeness of God's grace in making a difference between men and men as to measures and degrees of knowledge : 1 Cor. iv. 7, ' Who made thee to differ from another ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received ?' Some have more and some less understanding, and all is as God gives out. There is not only a difference between men and men as to their great distinction of election and reprobation, but within the sphere of election as to measures of grace. God mani- fests himself to some more than to others ; they are admitted to this favour, to see more than others into the mind of God, though they have the same teacher, God's Spirit ; the same rule and direction, God's word ; the same principles of grace ; yet they have greater measures of knowledge : the reasons lie in God's bosom and grace. Now this should be noted, that those which excel should be kept humble, as being more indebted to grace than others are, and surely none should be proud because more in debt ; and that those who are excelled might submit, and be contented to be outshined : John iii. 30, ' He m;ut
12 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. OV.
increase, Lut I must dccrensc' It should be a rejoicing to them that God is likely to be glorified more by others ; especially teachers should i-ejoice that God should give such a blessing to the ministry, that they which seem to be luider them should see more than they. When those two (|uarrelling ])ronouns, vieuiii et fuum, mine and thine, have no more use, as in heaven, then we shall fully rejoice in one anothers' gifts and graces, and what they enjoy it will be our comfort: as, in a choir of voices, one sings the treble, another the bass ; tlipy are refreshed, and every one delights not only in his own part and per- Ibrmance, but in the part of each other ; all concurs to the harmony ; so one hath this measure of grace, another another, and all concur to the glory of God.