And as we should regard his precepts, so it shows in what regard his promises are, which are chiefly his testimony ; therefore it is said, John iii. 33, ' He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.' You give God the glory of his truth by venturing your souls upon his testimony, whereas otherwise you ' make him a liar,' a blasphemy which is most contrary to the glory of his being: 1 John V. 10, ' He that believeth not makes God a liar.' Look upon
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the promises as God's testimonies, yon may nrge it to your own heart and to God. We may nrge it to onr own heart when we are full of doubts and- troubles ; here we have Grod's testimony to show for it, ' Why do ye doubt, 0 ye of little faith ? ' Here is God's testimony. Nay, it is a testimony under an oath, that the heirs of promise might want no satisfaction, Heb. vi. 18. If we had but God's bare word it should beget faith, for God stands much upon his truth ; but we have his oatli, his hand and seal. Why ! after such a solemn assurance shall I make God a liar, as being in doubtful suspense ? And they are a testimony which you may produce to God himself : Lord, thou hast said, and here is a promise wherein thou hast caused me to hope ; I expect nothing but what thou wilt perform. Look, as Taniar showed the tokens to Judali when he was about to condemn her, showed him the ring and the staff as a testimony, and said. Whose are these? Gen. xxxviii. 25, you put God in mind of his promise ; here is the testimony he hath called you to these hopes whereby you should wait upon him. How shall we take it here ? for the precepts of God, or the promises, or both ? Surely the precepts of the word are the heritage, or the gospel and treasure of the church, a treasure not to be valued ; and every single believer is to take up his share, and count them his treasure and his heritage. No man can take the promissory part of the word for his heritage, but he is to take the mandatory part also ; as in every bond and indenture the conditions must be kept on both sides. So if you should take it for the whole covenant of God, wherein God is bound to us and we to God, there were no incongruity. Yet the notion of an heritage is most proper to the promises, and these are the rejoicing of our soul, the foundation of our solid comfort and hope. The promises are a witness in our hearts how he stands affected to us, of which we are most apt to doubt through our unbelief Natural light will convince us of the justice and equity of his precepts ; there- fore by the special use of the word the promises of God are called his heritage. Again, the promises are put for the things promised, and testimonies for the things contained and revealed in them ; for the promises properly are not our heritage, but they are the evidences, the charters which we have to show for our heritage. The blessings of the covenant are properly our heritage, and the promises are the assur- ance and conveyances by which this heritage is made over to us. As we say a man's estate lies in bonds and leases, meaning he hath these things to show as his right to such an estate ; so the promises, that is the blessings contained, or the testimony revealed there, they are the things a believer takes for his portion. Thus I have showed what is meant by the testimonies of God.
2. What is it to take them for our heritage ? There are two words, heritage, and / have taken them. The word heritage first notes the substance of our portion, or what we count our solid and principal estate ; secondly, it notes our right and propriety in it ; thirdly, the kind of tenure by which we hold it ; fourthly, many times actual possession. Now saith David, I have taken ; that implies actual choice on our part. We are not born heirs to this estate, but we take it, we choose it for our portion. And mark, he doth not say they are, but I have taken them for my heritage. Every believer cannot say, These are
136 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXI.
mine, they are my heritajjje, for everyone liatli not assurance; but yet every one should say, ' I have taken them,' there I k)ok for my liappi- ness; for ever}" behever is uHke afTected, though not alike assured. David doth not here so expressly mention his interest, though that is implied, as his choice. Briefly, to take God's testimony for our heri- tage implies lour things : —
[1.] To count them our choicest portions. Let others do what they •will, this is my share, my lot, my portion, saith David; that which I esteem to be my happiness; this is as lands, goods, treasures to me, dearer and nearer tlian all temporal things whatsoever. Look, as a believer in the duty part of religion takes the precepts for his coun- sellor, so David saith, Ps. cxix. 24, ' Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors,' or the men of my counsel. Answerably in tlie ha])py part, they are my heritage and the rejoicing of ray soul ; it is my wealth, my treasure, my chief estate. Every man is known by the choice of his portion ; now David was not taken up with any worldly thing, so as to make that his heritage, or account it his solid Jiaj)piness, wherein his soul could find complacency and contentment.