[2.] By giving success to a wrong party, that layeth claim to him, to his favour in an evil way, and interpret when his providence seems to be an approbation of an evil course. It is a great tempta- tion. God's choicest servants have been staggered by it ; yet it is but a temptation : Ps. 1. 21, ' I kept silence, and thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.' God may hold his hand, though they strangely transform him in their thoughts, and entitle their actions to his patronage. God trielh you : Dent. xiii. 2, 3, ' The Lord your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the Lord your God, with all your heart and with all your soul.' God's word is so clear and satisfactory, that by a righteous judgment he may permit it, to try our steadfastness and obedience, not as chaff, but as solid grain. But must we not regard providences ? Yes, but not interpret them against the word, but with it. It is comfortable to see the word
VeR. 102.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 39
backed with a providence, Rom. ii. 18 ; Heb. ii. 2 ; and Hosea vii. 12 ; when the word is made good, and they feel that which they would not believe. Not interpret it against the word. Providence is never against the word ; it is an exact comment upon it, if we had eyes to see it ; and when we see it altogether we shall find it so. But now we view it by pieces, and so mistake : Rom. viii. 28, ' For we know that all things work together for good to them that lo.ve Grod, to them who are called according to purpose;' Ps. Ixxiii. 17, 'Until I went into the sanc- tuary, then understood I their ends." When we look to the end of things, all hazards are over.
Secondly, The reasons why we must he exact and constant, not- withstanding these temptations. I will name but two, implied in the two words of the text, ' Thy judgments' — (1.) It is God's word ; (2.) God's word is judgment.
1. It is God's direction, who cannot deceive or be deceived; you may venture your soul's temporal and eternal estate, and all upon it, upon God's bare word ; for it is impossible for him to lie in his pro- mises, Heb. vi. 18, or to be deceived in his directions. The word of the Lord is a pure rule : 1 John ii. 27, ' The unction teacheth you all things, and is truth, and is no lie.' Tliere is no erring while we walk by this direction, the Spirit of God teaching us by his word; and in- deed this is the effect of that great faith, to believe God upon his bare word, to believe what he hath spoken is true, and to act accordingly. If this were rooted in our hearts, we should not be so unstable, so easily foiled by Satan, discouraged by the oppositions of evil men, or live by example, but by rule, and would interpret the providence of God to the advantage, and not the prejudice of obedience : ' Whom resist, steadfast in the faith,' 1 Peter v. 9. Adhere to the truth of the word : I know here is my direction, and in the issue will be my safety and happiness. But either we do not believe this is God's word, or clo not urge the heart with God's authority and veracity, and therefore we are up and down. But now, when we determine this is God's word, and so receive it, 1 Thes. ii. 13, ' When ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God.^ And then it is my rule ; whatever it cost me. There you urge the heart with the authority of God, Mat. svi. 24 : a resolute giving up ourselves to God's direction, and to re- ceive the law from his mouth. And it is a certain rule, whatever cross accidents fall out, it should be received with such certainty and absolute authority as nothing should move us. So assured of it, ' that if an angel should preach any other doctrine, let him be accursed,' Gal. i. 8; 2 Tim. iii. 16; and 2 Peter i. 2. When it is believed to be the Lord's mind, it is a sure ground for faith to rest upon ; it is not a doctrine found out by the wit of man, no private invention of others, but God's inspira- tion. God hath wisdom to direct me the safest way, and goodness and faithfulness enough not to mislead me : ' Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he teach sinners in the way,' Ps. xxv. 8. It is not the devices of their heads that wrote it, but the public mind of God. And saith the apostle, ' Knowing this first ;' this is the first and supreme principle : he had said, ver. 19, that we should consult with the word for direction and comfort before we can get any saving light or true comfort.
40 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeR. CVIII.
2. It is jadi:;ments. Every man's doom is contained in tlie word, and if you can but stay a little, you shall see it verifietl by sensible and plain experiences. Do but wait and observe how God niaketh good his promises, and accomplisheth his threatenings, and you will see no cause to depart ; you will find you have done right in the issue, and that close obedience is the only way of safety and happiness here and hereafter. David did so as to his own case : Ps. xviii. 21, ' I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.' And was he a loser by it ? No ; ' God hal^h recompensed me according to the cleanness of my hands.' On the other side, those that depart from God are destroyed ; his word will be made good against them : Ps. cxix. 119, ' Thou puttest away the wicked of the earth like dross.'