[3.] To make us thankful for our mercies and gracious escape. It is fear that maketh us taste the sweetness of the promise of free par- don, when we see from what miseries we are delivered by the mercy of God. When the Israelites had seen the Egyptians drowned in the water, they saw they had cause to triumj)!! in the God of their salva- tion, Exod. XV. 1, 2. The consideration of our defects is in part repre- sented to us in the bitter experience of others; there we may see what dangers we are liable unto, were it not for his preventing grace, that we are not condemned with the world, and left to perish in our sins.
[4.] To quicken and sharpen our prayers. God knoweth how to take vengeance on all iniquity, even in his dearest servants : Joel ii. 17, ' Spare tliy people, 0 Lord, and give not thine heritage to re- proach.' Sparing is an act of God's mercy, withdrawing and mode- rating deserved judgments. Now the more our fear is increased, the more earnest and importunate will we be to keep off or get the judg- ment removed.
Use. Heproof of the greatest part of the world, that pass by God's judgments, and take no notice of them, so as to fear and return to him ; not his judgments upon others. When the arrows of God fly round about us, we should fear for ourselves, and when Avralii is making irKpiisition for sinners, be the more earnest to be found in Christ!^ But a senseless stupidity possesseth most men ; they mind
VeR. 120.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 237
none of tliese things. The Giheonites were more wise and cautious, Josh. ix. 3,4. When they saw the cities of Jericho and Ai destroyed, and their inhahitants cut off by the sword, they did not expect the coming of Joshua, but sent messengers to him, and by a wile struck up a covenant with him, before he came any further. Or as that captain, when two before him with their fifties were destroyed by fire, lie fell upon his knees before the prophet, 2 Kinq;s i. 13, 14, saying, ' 0 man of God, let my life and the life of these fifty thy servants be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties, with their fifties ; there- fore let my life be precious in thy sight.' But oh ! our blindness and stupidness ! though others fall under the judgment of God, we are as immovable as rocks, and do not fall down before the Lord to depre- cate his anger. Certainly if we had a due sense of our condition, we are as worthy as they ; it is by the mercy of God that yet we stand. Therefore we should fear with a holy fear, that we may bridle the flesh, humble ourselves before the Lord, be thankful for our safety, and be earnest in prayer : this we should do when we see any others in afflictions. Again, when judgments are on ourselves, when God Cometh nearer to us, and beginneth to touch us with his hand, we should relent presently. To be sinning and suffering is the condition of the damned in hell. The Holy Ghost sets a brand upon Ahaz : 2 Chron. xxviii. 22, ' That in the time of his distress he did yet trespass more and more against the Lord ; this is that king Ahaz.' If we keep our pride, luxury, vanity, wantonness still, our avarice, coldness in religion, Sabbath profanation, if we be not brought by all our afflic- tions to fear God the more, such a brand will he put upon us, yea, our judgments will be increased, and the furnace heated seven times liotter ; as when the child is stubborn and obstinate, the father re- doubleth his strokes. Therefore we are to beg his Spirit with his rod, that we may be the better by all his corrections : Numb. xii. 14, ' If her father had spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days?' So if our heavenly Father be displeased and casts contempt upon us, &c.
Use 2. It reproveth those that triumph over the fallen, and declaim and inveigh against their sins, but do not consider their own. AYe should rather tremble and learn to fear from every judgment executed, though upon the worst of men, and say. Well, God is a righteous God, and whosoever provoketh him to wrath shall not escape unpunished. But this eVi^ai/aeATaAr/a, this insulting over and upbraiding others with their evil and afflicted condition, is a sin which God cannot endure, and will certainly punish : Prov. xvii. 5, ' And he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.' If God hath stricken them, and the hand of justice found them out, we should be tender to them : Prov. xxiv. 17, 18, 'Kejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth ; lest the Lord see it and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.' Some read it, Et converted iram suam in ie — he turn his wrath upon thee. Thine enemy is not he that thou hatest, for a Christian should hate nobody, but he that hateth thee. If we rejoice in their evil, certainly it is a sign we hate them, however we please ourselves with the thoughts of