[2.] For the manner how. We must seek to God, first, with sab- mission, not prescribing to God, nor making a snare to ourselves. We, that have short and revengeful spirits, cannot judge aright of God's patience, which is infinite, out of fleshliness and affection to our own ease. And so our times, John vii. 6. Your time is always ready ; if none of these be, yet we are limited creatures, and great is the wisdom of God and his power admirable ; it doth not belong to us to guide the affairs of the world, Ps. Ixxviii. 41. We must not prescribe opportu- nity to him, fixing times. Besides that, it argueth a spirit too much addicted to, and eyeing of, temporal happiness. It doth much unsettle us and harden others. The devil maketh advantage of our disap- pointment. Therefore not only when it seemeth seasonable to us we may seek to him for deliverance. Once more, there are other things
VeK. 127.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 307
concur besides the enemies' ripeness for judgment, — preparino- his people's hearts, fitting those instruments for his work ; therefore all is left to God's will, and let him take his time. Use of all is —
1. To teach us how to behave ourselves in these times with patience, and yet with hope and waiting. It is the time of Jacob's trouble, but there will be a time of deliverance, Jer. xxx. 7. With patience ; God will have a time to chastise his people. We must bear it patiently ; it will make crosses sit easy ; they may be greater and longer than our joys : Ps. xc. 15, ' Make us glad, according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.'
2. With hope let us expect it. Certainly it will not exceed the time limited by God. That time is not long : Isa. xiii. 22, ' Her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged;' Ezek, xii. 21-28, ' And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth ? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord, I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel ; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the Lord : I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass ; it shall be no more prolonged.' Faith should see it as present, approaching ; and then let us wait his leisure, minding God in prayer.
SEEMON CXXXIX.
Tlierefore I love thy commandments above gold ; yea, above jine gold.—YER. 127.
In the words we have —
1. A note of inference, therefore.
2. The duty inferred, I love thy commandments.
3. The degree of that love, ahove gold ; amplified by the repetition, with some advantage, in the expression, yea, ahove fine gold.
Gold, by a synecdoche, is put for all worldly things, the comforts and profits of this life, as in many other places ; as Fs. xix. 10, ' More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold ; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.' The two bastard goods with which the world is enchanted are pleasure and profit. Old people are all for profit, young people are all for pleasure. Now both these, truly so called, are found in the word of God. So in Prov. viii. 10, 11, ' Eeceive my instruction, and not silver ; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies ; and all the things that are to be desired are not to be compared to it.' So Prov. viii. 19, ' My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold ; and my revenues than choice silver.' So Prov. iii. 14, ' For the merchandise thereof is better than gold ; and the gain thereof than fine gold,' So Prov. xvi. 16, ' How much better is it to get wisdom than gold? and to get
308 SERMONS UPON TSALIM CXIX. [SeR. CXXXIX.
understanding rather to be chosen tlian silver?' This comparison is used so often for two reasons : —
1. Because it is more prized in the worhh All things that have a goodi;eKs in them have a certain bait suitable to t^e several appetites of men ; but in most men's opinions gold seemeth chiefly to be desired, partly for its beauty, but chiefly foi- its use, it being the great instru- ment of commerce that doth all things in the world. The corj'uption of man's heart adtleth a greater price to it, and therefore is the thirst of it so unsatisfied, Now the word, and that wisdom and godliness which it teacheth, is far above gold and fine gold,
2. Because it is the usual temptation to draw off men from the love and study and obedience of the word. Babylon's abominations are offered to the world in a golden cup : Rev. xvii. 4, * And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication.' Preferments arc the baits of that black religion. True Christianity consists in sound graces ; pseudo-Christianity in pomp and state and worldly advantages; and the apostle telleth us, 1 Tim. vi. 10, ' That tlie love of money is the root of all evil ; which while some have coveted after, they have erred from the faith.' Therefore doth the Spirit of God so often com- pare spiritual things to gold ; and here David preferreth his love to the word before the worldling's love to gold, yea, fine gold. For mark, it is not, More than I love gold, but, More tlian any man. Some have an ardent desire of it, however it be mortified in God's children.