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may fear ourselves. We are bound up in the same community, and when God judgeth them, how shall we escape? The Jews have a proverb, that two dry sticks may set a green one on fire. The mean- ing is, the godly man may fall in tlie common calamity : wheat is plucked up with the tares. God saith in Dent. vii. 22, that they should not destroy all the Canaanites, ' lest the beasts of the field should increase upon tliem/ The safety of his people are involved in the safety of their sinning and persecuting enemies. A hedge of thorns may serve for a fence to a garden of roses, and all the relief we have is, The Lord can make a distinction : 2 Peter ii. 9, ' The Lord knoweth liow to deliver tlie godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.'
3. Why doth God take this time ? (1.) For his own glory. His justice is more discovered when men have filled up their measure : Ps. li. 4, ' That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.' It justifieth God's proceedings, and maketli us the more inexcusable. So also his power ; it is God's time to send help and remedy, v/hen all things are gone to utter confusion ; when things are at the most desperate pass, Ps. cxxiv. 3-5, in our low estate, then is God seen. (2.) Herel)y God's work upon Mount Zion is pro- moted. His people are humbled when their adversaries are chief, and rage against them : Ps. cxxiii. 4, ' Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with contempt of the proud.' When things come to extremity their prayers are quickened : Ps. cxxx. 1, ' Out of the depths I cried unto thee, 0 Lord.' They arc fitted to prize mercy, Ps. cii. 13, 14. They that thought it no great matter to have a standing tem})le, delight in the dust of a ruinous lieap. Then shepherds' tents look lovely, we set a higher rate on despised ordinances. In short, they are waiting and praying, and humbling their souls before God.
Fourth consideration. AVhen a flood of wickedness is thus broken (lat, we may mind God of the deliverance of his people. But what needs that ? Doth not God know his seasons, and will not he exactly observe them ? In the answer I sliall show you why and how.
1. AVhy ? (1.) Because God lovethto be awakened by the prayers of his people ; and when he hath a mind to work, he sets the spirit of prayer a-work : Jer. xxix. 11, 12, 'I know the thoughts that 1 think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.' So thus and thus will I do : Ezek. xxxvi. 37, ' Yet for this will I be inquired of by the house of Israel.' We are to give a lift by our prayers ; it is a time of finding, Ps. xxxii. 6. (2.) He hath jjut an office upon us. God acts the part of a judge, we as solicitors and remembrancers : Isa. Ixii. 6,7, 'I have set watchmen upon thy walls, 0 Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace night nor day. Ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest till lie make Jeru- salem a praise in the earth.' We are to put God in mind, so that we but do our duty.
2. How ? The principle and manner must be right.
[1.] The principle ; be sure it be not the impatiency of the flesh, or
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306 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CXXXVIII.
love to our own ease, or a mere tediousness and irksomeness of the cross. Be sure it be not passion and a principle of revenge, but a de- sire of promoting his honour and vindicating his glory. David doth not say how troublesome they were to himself, but, They make void thy law ; as if he had said. Lord, if my own interest were only con- cerned, I would not open my mouth, nor ever call upon thee to revenge my private quarrels ; but it is my zeal for thy honour and ordinances ; not that I have received injury, but thy worship is corrupted. Work, else what will become of thy name and poor people ? Offences done against God should grieve us more than our own injuries, and we should rather regard the general interest of religion than any personal offence done to us. There is often a carnal s}Hrit breathing in our prayers, and our zeal is fleshly ; the people of God beat it back : Ps. cxv. 1, ' Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory ;' and Ps. Ixxiv. 10, ' 0 Lord, how long shall the adversary reproach, and the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever ? ' The godly can endure their own troubles better than they can bear the open dishonouring and blaspheming of God. This is the true sense, but because the heart is deceitful — (1.) Be sure your cause be good, your adversaries evil, that ye may say, Ps. Ixxiv. 22, ' Arise, 0 Lord, plead thine own cause.' It is not for your sins, but your righteousness ; the hatred is not against the body. Indeed they pretend some little faults. It is as if a leper should hate a man because he hath some pimples in his face. Some- thing they would lay to their charge. (2.) That we use all means with God and men to reclaim them, praying for them : Mat. vi. 44, ' Pray for them that despitefully use you.' Mourning for their sins: Jer. xxiii. 19, ' My soul shall weep in secret for your pride.' Heaping coals of fire upon their heads by all acts of kindness, condescending to them as far as possibly we can, Eom. xii. 18. These arts become his king- dom, that is not to be planted by force, but consent, them that would have the zeal of God, not of a party. (3.) Be sure your principle be zeal for God's glory, not a desire to establish your own interest, and to see revenge on a party that differeth from you : Luke ix. 54, 55, ' You know not what spirit you are of.' Pteligious affections overset us, and fleshly zeal puts on a holy spiritual guise and mask, and we think it is for the honour of Christ. (4.) Not against particular persons, but the opposite faction to godliness. In general, destroy all the enemies of Christ, &c.