232 SERMONS uroN PSALM cxix. [Ser. CXXXI.
3. The r;;rouiul of liis fear, ' I am afraid of thy judgments.' The great severity which (iod did exercise in ])unishing tlie evil-doers, and purging out the dross. When God dotli smite the wicked and caR ihem to an account for sin, he warnetli his own people to stand in awe. As here, ' Thou ])uttest away the wicked like dross. When the threatening is made good, and terrible judgments are abroad, every one needetli to look to himself ; not only to love God's testimonies, but to stand in awe of his judgments. We need all affections to keep us within our duty, both fear and love.
Doct. Tiiat when God is angry, and his judgments are abroad in the world, it becometh his own people to observe them, and have a> deep awe and sense thereof.
Here I shall show you —
1. How far the people of God do and ought to take notice of his judgments.
2. This fear tliat is wrought thereby, whether it be an infirmity of a duty.
3. The reasons why it becometh them to have a deep awe and sense of these things.
For the first: —
1. His ancient judgments in former times ought to be laid to lieart by us, especially when like sins abound. The scripture referreth to the days of Lot and Noah, and biddeth us remember Lot's wife, Luke xvii. 2G-32. God biddeth his people, ' But go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel,' Jer. vii. 12. And the apostle tells us that all the ])unishments that befell the stubborn Israelites are for our caution and warning : 1 Cor. x, 1-10, ' And all these things hai)pened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come ;' so lie concludeth in ver. 11. And the apostle tells us that Sodom and Gomorrah were ' an example to those that after should live imgodly,' 2 Peter ii. 6. A people might easily read their own doom and destiny if they would blow off the dust from these ancient providences, and mark the piints of God's justice and truth in them, and how the word of God was verified upon them, for these are but copies and patterns. Tlie desert of sin is still the same, and the exactness of divine justice remaineth still the same. These providences are pledges of tiie same wrath, of the like for substance to come upon us also, if we walk con- traiy to God. Others have smarted, why not we ? God is impartially and' immutably just: Gal. iii. 20, ' He is but one ;' always consonant unto himself, like unto himself ; his power is the same, so is his justice ; and therefore we should take warning : Exempio qui peccaf, bis peccat. He that will plunge himself in a bog or quagmire, where others have miscarried before him, is doubly guilty of folly, because he neither feareth nor will take warning by their example. This is one great benefit we have by the historical part of the word, that it doth not only preserve the memory of the saints, that we may imitate their graces and enjoy their blessings, but also records the sins and punish- ments of the wicked, that we may know God hath owned the historical part of the word, and fear lor ourselves-: Heb. ii. 1, 2, ' Therefore wo
Veil 120.] sermons upon tsalm cxix. 233
ought to give the more earnest heed to the tilings which we have heard, lest at any timewe should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward ;' Rom. i. 18, ' The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.' So the historical parts are also to justify the prophetical. It is not only a register and chronicle of what is past, but a calendar and prognostication of what is to come. God might have blotted out the memory of sinners, that it should be no more thought or heard of, but he would secure it upon record for our learn- ing ; as some malefactors, their bodies are not buried, but quarters set upon places of greatest resort : Ut qui vivi noliierunt 'prodesse, morte eorum respuhlica utaiur ; or as Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt, to season after ages. So that our flesh may tremble at the old judgments, that Adam for one sin was turned out of paradise, the old world swept away with a flood, Datlmn and Abirani swallowed up of the earth, Achito})hel and Judas brought to the halter, Herod eaten up with Avorms for his pride ; and all these have their use.
2. Judgments that light upon other countries ought to be made use of by us, because usually they go in a circuit ; the cup of trembling goeth round, Jer. xxv. 32 ; and because by this means we may learu to be wise, and have all our schooling at other men's costs. As God expresseth it, Zeph. iii. 6, 7, ' I have cut off the nations : their towers are desolate : I made their streets waste, that none passed by : their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, none inhabitant, I said. Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction ; so their dwell- ing should not be cut off, however I punished them : but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.' God would have us take warn- ing at a distance, and, while he is yet a great way off, to send for conditions of peace ; otherwise it is a new provocation, and the judg- ment is hastened, Jer. iii. 7-10. A fire in one house alarmeth all the street : and they make provision for their safety.