First, In defiance of all difficulty, own God as your hiding-place and shield. David when he was driven from his palace royal, and wandered up and down for his life, and when his enemies began to say, Now there is no help for him in God, Ps. iii. 3 ; all Israel were against him. Many there be which say thus : his son drives him from his palace ; now there is no safety, nor defence ; but saith he, ' Lord, thou art my shield and my glory, and the lifter up of my head.' This is the way to get under the covert of his wing, when in the face of all difficulties we will own God as our hiding-place.
Secondly, Sue out your protection by earnest prayer. God hath given us promises as so many bonds upon himself, and we must put these bonds in suit. Our necessity leads us to the promises, and the promises lead us to the throne of grace : Ps. cxli. I), ' I fly to thee ; hide me, 0 Lord ; keep me from the snare which they have laid for me.' Plead with him, and say, Lord, thou hast said thou wilt be my refuge and hiding-place ; whither should a child go but to its father ? and
VeR. 115.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 177
whither shouhl I go but to thee, for thou art my God ? Challenge him upou his word. See how David expresseth himself : Ps. xvii. 7, 8, ' Show thy marvellous loving-kindness, 0 thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee. Keep me as the apple of thine eye : hide me under the shadow of thy wings.' Go challenge God upon his word : Lord, thou hast said thou wilt save those that trust in thee, those that depend upon thee. The eye is offended with the least dust, and nature hath provided a fence and covert for it. Thus may we go to God, and challenge such kind of protection : Keep me as the apple of thine eye, hide me under thy wings. As the dam is ready to flutter and spread her wings over the young brood when they fly to her, so will God.
Thirdly, Take notice whenever it is made good ; give Cod his honour when he hath been a hiding-place and protection to you, that you may observe his providence : Ps. xviii. 30, ' As for God, his way is perfect : the word of the Lord is tried : he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.' Well, I have waited upon God according to these promises, and lo ! it is come to pass as the Lord hath said. So Ps. xxviii. 7, ' The Lord is my strength and my shield ; my heart trusteth in him, and I am helped ; ' Gen. xlviii. 16, ' The angel of tlie covenant, which hath fed me all my days, and redeemed me from all evil.' He speaks of the faithfulness of God and of the mediator in all those promises of protection.
Fourthly, Constantly make use of God. You may think this dis- course may be of no use to you, because you are out of fears and dangers : why, you are constantly to make use of God, be it well or ill, and to live upon God. All our comforts are from God, as well as our support in trouble. Certainly he that lives upon God in prosperity, will live upon him in adversity. Oh! when you are well at case, and abound in all things, you take these things out of the hand of God ; you will learn better to make him your refuge. But he that lives upon the creature in his prosperity, when the creature fails he will be in utter distress, and know not what to do.
SERMON CXXVI.
Depart from me, ye evil-doers : for I loill heep ilie commandmcnis of my God. — Ver. 115.
Most of the passages of this psalm are directed to God himself; but now he speaks to carnal men, shaking them off, as Christ will at the last day. His speech is then. Mat. vii. 22, ' Depart from me, ye woi'kers of inicpiity ; ' and so saith David, ' Depart from me, ye evil-doers.' Whether David speaks this for his own sake, or for others' instruction, as he doth many things in this psalm, I will not dispute. But certainly the drift of this verso is to show, that if we intend to walk constantly with God, we should keep at a distance from wicked men. Separation from them is necessary for a conjunction with God. If they be not God's, they should be none of yours, for you are his : ' Depart from VOL. VIII. M
178 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXVI.
me, ye evil-doers : for I will keep the commandments of my God.' Here —
1. Take notice of the persons to whom he speaks, ye evil-doers.
2. What is said ; he renoimceth all commerce with them, depart from me.
The reason of this renunciation, /or I ivill keep the commandments of mil God.
Where yon may note —
[1.] The fixedness of his resolution, I will.
[2.] The matter resolved upon, / irjill keep the commandments, which they broke or made light of, and so their friendship and company was a hindrance to him.