Doct. 3. The third point, that these free-will-offerings are accepted with God. ' They shall come with rams,' speaking of the conversion of the Gentiles in terms proper to the old legal dispensation, ' and they shall come with acceptance,' Isa. Ix. 7 ; and Mai. iii. 4, ' Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord.' Upon what grounds, and what way our acceptance with God is brought
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114 SERMONS UPON PSiU,M CXIX. [SeR. CXIX.
about ? Our woi-ks in themselves cannot please God, they are accepted not as merits, but as testimonies of thankfulness.
1. Our persons are by Christ reconciled to God, and in worship he delights. This is the proper importance of laying the peace-offering upon the top of the burnt-olfering, Lev. iii. 10.
2. Our infirmities are covered with his righteousness ; for Christ is the propitiation, the mercy-seat that interposeth between the law and God's gracious audience. We come to the throne of grace when we come to God in and by him, Heb. iv. 16.
3. By his intercession our duties are commended to God ; as Aaron was to stand before the Lord with his plate upon his forehead, where- in was writ, ' Holiness to the Lord.' Why ? ' That he might bear the iniquity of the people, that they might be accepted of the Lord.' All our acceptance comes from Christ's intercession ; and alas ! our prayers and praises are unsavoury eructations, belches of the flesh, as they come from us ; a great deal of infirmity we mingle with them, we mingle brimstone with our incense and sweet spices, therefore provoke the Lord to abhor and despise us ; but there is an angel stands by the altar that perfumes all our prayers and praises. How should this encourage us against the slightings of the world and discouragements of our own hearts, and to look after the testimony of our acceptance with God !
Doct. 4. The fourth point, that this gracious acceptance must be sought and valued as a great blessing : Ps. xix. 14, ' Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be accej)table in thy sight, 0 Lord.' And it must be valued as a great blessing, if we consider either who the Lord is, or what we are, or what it is we go to him for. If we consider who the Lord is, God all-sufficient, that standeth in no need of what we can do, that cannot be profited by us ; he is of so great a majesty, that his honour is rather lessened than greatened by any- thing we can do ; the great author of all blessings, all our offerings come from himself first : ' Of thine own have we given thee.' And if we consider what we are, poor, impotent, sinful creatures, will God take an offering at our hands ? And if we consider what we do, nothing but imperfection; there is more of us in it, of our fleshly part, in anything we do, yet that these things should be accepted with God.
SEEMON CXIX.
My soul is continually in my hand : yet do I not foi'get thy laio. — Yer. 109.
In this verse and the next, David asserts his integrity against two sorts of temptations and ways of assault — the violence and craft of his ene- mies. Their violence in this verse, my soul is in my hand ; and their craft in the next verse, they laid snares for me. And yet still his heart is upright with God.
VeR, 109.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 115
In this verse observe — (1.) David's condition, my soul is continually in my hand. (2.) His constancy and perseverance, notwithstanding that condition, yet do I not forget tliy laio.
First, Let me speak of the condition he was now in, in that expres- sion, ' My soul is continually in my hand.' The soul in the hantl is a phrase often used in scripture; it is said of Jephthah, Judges xii. 3, ' I put my life in my hands, and passed over against the children of Ammon.' So Job xiii. 14, ' Wherefore do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in my hand ? ' And when David went to encounter Goliath, 1 Sam. xix. 5, it is said, ' He put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine.' In exposing ourselves to any hazard and dangers in any great attempt, it is called the putting of our life in our hand. And the witch of Endor, when she ventured against a law to please Saul, and so had exposed her life, this form of speech is used concerning her, 1 Sam. xxviii. 21, ' I have put my life in my hand.' Briefly, then, by sold is meant life, and this is said to be in his hand ; I go in danger of my life day by day ; as if he should say, I have my soul ready divorced when God calls for it. It not only notes liableness to danger, but resolution and courage to encounter it. In a sense, we always carry our souls in our hands ; our life hangs by a single thread, which is soon fretted asunder, and therefore we should every day be praying that it may not be taken from us, as the souls of wicked men are, Job xxvii. 8 ; Luke xii. 20, but yielded up, and resigned to God. But more especially is the expression verified when we walk in the midst of dangers and in a thousand deaths : ' My soul is in my hand ; ' that is, I am exposed to dangers that threaten my life every day.