The argument only is behind, according to iliy word. David, when he begs for quickening, he is encouraged so to do by a promise. The question is, where this promise should be ? Some think it was that general promise of the law, ' If thou do these things, thou shalt live in them,' Lev. xviii. 5 ; and that from thence David drew this particular conclusion, that God would give life to his people. But rather it was some other promise, some word of God he had to bear him out in this request. We see he hath made many promises to us of sanctifying our affliction : Isa. xxvii. 9, ' The fruit of all shall be the taking away of sin ;' of bettering and improving us by it, Heb. ii. 11 ; of moderating our affliction ; that he will 'stay liis rough wind in the day of the east-wind,' Isa. xxvii. 8 ; that he will ' lay no more upon us than he will enable us to bear,' 1 Cor. x. 13. He hath promised he will moderate our affliction, so that we shall not be tempted above our strength. He hath promised he will deliver us from it, that ' the rod of the wicked shall not always rest on the back
lOG SERMONS UPON I'SALM CXIX. [Ser. CXVIII.
of the rigliteous?' Ps. cxxv. 3; that he will be with us in it, and never fail us, llcb. xiii. 5. Now, I argue thus : if the people of God could stay their heaits upon God's word when they had but such obscure hints to work upon, that we do not know where the i)roniise lies, ah ! how should our hearts be stayed upon God when we have so many promises ! When the scriptures are enlarged for the comfort and enlarging of our faith, surely we should say now as Paul, when he got a^Avord, Acts xxvii. 25, ' I believe God ;' I may exj^ect God will" do thus for me, when his word speaks it everywhere. Then you may expostulate with God : I have thy word for it. Lord ; as she, when she showed him the jewel, ring, and staff, Whose are these? So we may cast in God his promises : Whose are these according to thy word ? And mark, David, that was punctual with God, ' 1 have sworn, and I will, perform it; and quicken _ me according to thy word.' Sincere hearts may plead promises with God : Isa. xxxviii, 3, 'Lord, remember I have walked before thee with an upright heart' These may look up and wait upon God for deliverance.
SEEMON CXVIII.
Accept, Iheseecli ihee, the free-ivill-offerings of my mouth, 0 Lord, and teach me thy judgments. — Yee. 108.
In this verse two things are asked of God — God's acceptance ; then, secondly, instruction.
First, He begs acceptation. Therein take notice — (1.) Of the matter, object, or thing that he would have to be accepted, the free-iu ill-offer- ings of my mouth. (2.) The manner of asking this acceptation, accept, I beseech thee, 0 Lord. In the former, you may observe the general nature of the thing, and then the particular kind ; they w^ere free- will-offerings ; and yet more express, they were free-will-offerings of his hands ; not legal sacrifices, but spiritual services, free-will- offerings of his mouth, implying praises. Our praises of God are called '^' the calves of our lips,' Hosea xiv. 2, rendered there by the Septuagint, ' the fruit of our lips,' and accordingly translated by the apostle, Heb. xiii. 15, ' The fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.' He was in deep affliction, wandering up and down the desert; he was disabled to offer up to God any other sacrifice, therefore he desires God would accept the free-will-otferings of his mouth ; he had nothing else to bring him.
Secondly, He begs of God instruction in his way, teach me thy judgments. By misphaUm, 'judgments,' are meant both God's sta- tutes and God's providences. If you hdce them in the former sense, for God's statutes, so he begs grace to excite, direct, and assist him in a course of sincere obedience to God, practically to walk according to God's will. If you understand it in the latter sense, only for the ac- complishment of what God had spoken in his word, for God's provi- dence, for his corrective dispensation, ' Teach me,' he begs under- standing and profiting by them.
VeR. 108.] SEKMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 107
I shall begin with his first request, which offereth four observa- tions : —
1. That God's people have their spiritual offerings.
2. That these spiritual offerings must be free-will-offerings.
3. That these free-will-offerings are graciously accepted by God.
4. That this gracious acceptance must be earnestly sought and valued as a great blessing, ' I beseech thee accept,' &c.
Doct. 1. First, That God's people have their spiritual offerings. I shall give the sense of this point in five propositions.
1. That all God's people are made priests to God, for every offering supposeth a priest ; so it is said, Rev. i. 6, that Christ Jesus ' hath made us kings. and priests.' All Christians, they have a communion with Christ in all his offices ; whatever Christ was, that certainly they are in some measure and degree. Now, Christ was king, priest, and prophet ; and so is every Christian, in a spiritual sense, a king, priest, and prophet ; for they have their anointing, their unction from the Holy One, and he communicates with them in his offices. So also do they resemble the priesthood under the law. In 1 Peter ii. 5, they are called 'a holy priesthood to offer sacrifices to God;' and 1 Peter ii. 9, they are called ' a royal priesthood.' They are a holy priesthood, like the sons of Aaron, who were separated from the people, to minister before the Lord ; and they are a royal priesthood, in conformity to the priest- hood of Melchisedec, who was ' king of Salem, and also priest of the most high God.' There is a mighty conformity between what is done by every Christian and the solemnities and rites used by the priests under the law. The priests of the law were separated from the rest of the people : so are all God's people from the rest of the world. The priests of the law were to be anointed with holy oil, Exod. xxviii. 41 ; so all Christians they receive ' an unction from the Holy One,' 1 John ii. 20. By the holy oil was figured the Holy Spirit, which was the unction of the Holy One, by which they are made fit and ready to perform those duties which are acceptable to God. After the priest was thus generally prepared by the anointing to their services, before they went to offer, they were to wash in the great laver which stood in the sanctuary door, Exod. xxix. 4 ; Lev. viii. 4, 5. So every Christian is to be washed in the great laver of regeneration, Titus iii. 5. And when they are regenerated, born again, purged and cleansed from their sins, then they are priests to offer sacrifices to God ; for till this be done, none of their offerings are acceptable to him : for ' they that are in the flesh cannot please God,' Eom. viii. 8 ; and 'the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord,' Pro v. xv. 8. Thus you see in all these correspondences, and in many more. Christians they are priests. What the priests of the law were to God, that is every Chris- tian now to God, to offer spiritual sacrifices by Christ Jesus our Lord.