VeR. 124.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 281
Reason 2. Because the danger of sin is a greater inconvenience than the danger of trouble. In times of trials and troubles we are in danger of soul-losing and sinning, as well as bodily danger ; therefore we have need to beg wisdom of God to carry it well under trouble, because we are so apt to miscarry, unless God guide us continually in our dark condition, and take us by the hand, and help us over our stumbling- blocks. There are many sins incident to our condition.
1. Uncomely passion and unadvised speeches ; therefore David prayeth in his trouble, Ps. cxli. 3, ' Set a watch before my mouth, keep the door of my lips.' In our oppression, we are under a temptation to hurt our own cause by unadvised and passionate speeches. When we have too great a sense of the temptation, something or other breakelh out to God's dishonour.
2. Some indirect course to come out of trouble, Ps. cxxv. 3. Men that make haste out of trouble carve for themselves, break prison before they are brought out. Necessity is an ill counsellor, and will soon tempt us to some evil way for our own ease, some sinful compliance or confederacy. The devil tempted Christ when he was an hungry. Mat. iv. 3, hoping to work upon his necessity.
o. Private revenge, or meeting injury with injuries. We are apt to retaliate : 2 Sam. xvi. 9, ' Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head.' Revenge is soon up. No man is troubled if a shower of rain falleth upon us ; but if any cast a bucket or bason of water upon us, we are in a rage presently. We can better bear any trouble from God than injuries from men : ' Oppression maketh a wise man mad.' A revengeful spirit is conti'ary to our heavenly calling.
4. Waxing weary of our duty, and quite tired and discoiu'aged in God's service: Heb. xii. 3, 'Consider him that endured such conti-a- diction of sinners, lest you be weary and faint in your minds.' Weari- ness and fainting belong properly to the body, and they differ gradually. Weariness is a lesser, and tainting a higher degree of deHciency ; as when a man laboureth, hungers, or ti'avelleth, it abateth his strengtii, and abateth the active powers, or toileth the spirits, the principle of motion. And from the body it is translated to the mind, to a less or higher degree of defection ; and it is thus, when troubles are many and long continued, we begin to grow faint, and wax weary of the faith nn<l service of Christ, and sitdc under the burden. It is the devil's design to make us weary, and tire us out in the service of God.
5. Another evil is despairing and distrustful thoughts of God. David, alter all his experiences of God, though he had conducted him up and down : 1 Sam. xxvii. 1, ' I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul.' He had a particular promise and assurance of the kingdom, and had seen much of God's care over him ; yet, after all this, David doubteth of the word of God : Ps. xxxi. 22, ' i said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes ; nevertheless thou heardest me.' As if he should say, God hath no care of me, nor thoughts of me; and at that instant deliverance was coming.
6. Questioning our interest in God by reason of the cross. Our Lord hath taught us to say, ' My God, my God,' in the bitterest agonies when he was upon the cross , but few learn this lesson : Judges vi.
282 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. [SeU. CXXXVI.
23, * If God be wiili lis, why hath all this evil befallen ns ? ' Some- times we question the love of God because we have no affliction, and anon because we have nothing but affliction ; as if God were not the God of the valleys as well as of the mountains. Well, then, seeing all these distempers are incident to an afflicted estate, we should tlie more carefully watch against them.
Bcason 3. Because our enemies make a great advantage of our fail- ings, and harden themselves in their prejudices if we carry not a holy good cause in a holy religious way, and will take the least occasion given from a questionable practice to slander the truth : Neh. v. 9, ' Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?' If you should trip in anything, you shall soon hear of it, to the reproach of religion A holy and wise carriage in afflictions is very honourable to the gospel, otherwise your testimony is rejected and blasted.
Use. Well, then, desire the Lord to guide thee in all thy troubles ; yea, if God doth guide you. let this satisfy you before the deliverance Cometh about. It is a mercy if you have direction, though you have not deliverance ; for a godly man should not so much regard the ease of the flesh as the performance of his duty to God. If you carry your cross regulaily with faith and ])atience, God may have more honour and you more profit by your affliction than your deliverance. Yea, to be instructed in the word, and be taught your duty, is in itself a greater mercy than a deliverance : Ps. xciv. 12, ' Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, and teachest him out of thy law/ It is a blessed thing, yea, it is a deliverance itself ; for it delivereth you from the spiritual evil of the rod, which is the curse. Suffering doth not come as a curse when instruction goeth along with it ; yea, it is the means of our great deliverance from the present evil world, 1 Cor. xi. 32, as it is a i)ledge of our future deliverance in due time ; for God is not unmindful of us, and will not leave us without the conduct of his Sjiirit.