1. To direct us in the exercise of grace formerly received. A ship already rigged needs a pilot ; so, although God hath renewed the heart, yet there needs direction how to exercise and put forth that grace that we have received ; therefore David, Ps. cxix. 5, ' Oh, that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes ;' and 2 Thes. iii. 5, * The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God,' &c. In the exercise of every grace we need new directions from God.
2. To excite and quicken the habits of grace. This is like blowing up the sparks of fire that are buried under the ashes. There needs continual excitation, which is often sought by the saints : ' Quicken me, 0 Lord, according to thy word.' And draw me, saith the spouse. Cant. i. 4.
3. This actual grace serves for this use, to strengthen them in the operation, and to facilitate the work. This is that which is expressed Ps. cxix. 32, ' When thou shalt enlarge my heart ;' that when the inclination of the renewed heart to good things is powerfully set a-work, this is like filling the sails with a good wind, which carries on the ship merrily to its port and haven.
4. Use it to sustain, protect, and defend the grace that we have against the assaults and temptations and varieties and casualties of the present life. And this is that which is meant here, ' Uphold me. Lord, that I may live.' Now this use of God's actual assistance by way of sustentatiou and protection is necessary for us upon three grounds — (1.) Because of the natural changeableness of our spirits. (2.) Because of daily assaults from Satan. (3.) Because of the great impression which our temporal condition makes upon us.
[1.] Because of the natural changeableness of our spirits. Man of himself is an unstable creature. Take him at the best, he is but a creature, and to be a creature and to be mutable is all one. God found no stability in the angels ; they are creatures, and therefore they might sin. God only is impeccable ; and why ? Quia Deus est, because he is God. But all creatures may fail ; angels fell, and Adam fell in innocency ; and how can we hope to stand unless God uphold us ? The best of God's children are often troubled with fits of unbe- lief and decays of love ; their faith and love are not always at one stay and tenor, but sometimes more and sometimes less. David felt the waverings, and was afraid of himself; therefore saith to God, ' Uphold me, that I may live.' And so all that have any spiritual experience see that without continual grace they cannot live, and keep body and soul together. They find that often purposes and resolutions are upon them to those things that are good, but within a while their hearts sink again. Such is the inconstancy and uncertainty of their aftec- tions ; now, they hope, anon they fear ; now a great flush of affections, anon dead again ; now humble, anon proud ; now meek, anon pas- sionate ; now confident, then full of fears and anguish ; like men sick
190 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXYII.
of an ague, sometimes well and sometimes ill. What a Protens ■would even a good man seem, if all his affections and passions were visible and liable to the notice of the world ! None differ so much from them as they seem to differ from themselves. Sometimes they are like trees laden with fruit, at another time they are like trees in the winter, which, tliough they seem to have life in the root, yet to appearance they differ little from those that are starlv dead. Nay, in those very particular graces for which they are eminent, how have they failed! Abraham, that was the father of the faithful, so eminent for faith, yet in Abimelech's country he discovered much carnal fear. Gen. XX. Moses, that Avas the meekest man upon earth, yet in what a froward passion was he when he struck the rock twice, Num. xx. 10, 11, ' And ho spake unadvisedly with his lips,' Ps. cvi. 33, which God took so heinously, that lie only gave him a sight of Canaan, and would not permit him to enter. Peter is noted to have the greatest fervency and zeal of all the apostles (you know he had so much courage that he ventures against a band of men that came to attack Christ), and yet how was he surprised with cowardice and sinful fear at a damsel's question ! And therefore we' need this sustaining grace, and to go to God : ' Lord, uphold me.' The wards of the lock are held up only while the key is turned, so God must uphold us or we fall. Or let me express it thus : As meteors are kept up in the air while the sun stays, that which first drew them up must keep them up, or else they fall to the ground ; so we sink presently when this sustaining grace is withdrawn. Or as Moses, when he was but a while in the mount with God, how soon the people fell to idolatry ! So if God be but away we shall be found as unstable as water.