3. Those that would fathom these mysteries by the line and plum- met of their own reason, believe God's word, and the things contained in it, no further than they can see natural reason for it, these are not disciples of the doctrine of Christ, but judges, and set a prince at the subject's bar ; the scantling of their own private senses and reason is made the standard for the highest mysteries to be measured by. They come to judge the word rather than to be judged by it. Mysteries are to be admired, not curiously searched and discussed by mere human reason. Every light must keep its place ; sense, reason, faith, light of glory. If sense be made the judge of reason, there is wrong judgment. Some things we apprehend by reason that cannot be known by sense, as that the sun is bigger than the earth. So faith corrects reason. Shall we doubt of that to be true which droppeth from God's own mouth, because it exceedeth our own understanding ?
4. Those that prostitute their wonder to every paltry, carnal vanity. Oh, what trifles are these to the wonders of God's law ! If we see a fair building, we cry out. Oh wonderful ! as the disciples : Mark xiii. 1, ' Master, see what manner of stones, and what buildings are these.' Oh ! there are God's testimonies ; a more noble nature, the person of Christ : Col. ii. 9, ' In him dwelieth all the fulness of the Godhead
344 SERMONS UPON TSALii cxix. [Ser. CXLII,
bodily/ Oh, wonderful ! at an heap of money : what are these to the unsearchable riches of grace? Rare plot! ixe'ya /j,va-Ti)pLov : all in and about Christ is rare ; his name is Wonderful. He that ibund out the causes of things by philosophy could say, Nihil admirari ; but he that hath the most knowledge of religion as to divine things may say, Omnia admirari — the ti'anscendent goodness of God in the pardon of sins, riches of everlasting glory, purity of divine commands ; but as to the world, Nil admirari. You know better things in God's testi- monies.
5. Those that find more favour and more matter to wonder at in other books, in Plato, in Aristotle, or heathen writers, they have a savour there, a wonder there ; but are not alTected with those mysteries and those notions which are in the gospel. They like those books where they find flowers of rhetoric, chemical ex[)eriments, philosophi- cal notions, maxims of policy, but they slight the word.
6. Those that admire more what man puts into an ordinance than the word of God. The further off anything is from the niiijesty of the scriptures, the more it taketli with unregenerate men, taken with toys and baul)les of delight more than the substantial goodness of Christianity. We are apt to say of the labour of man, excellences of man, admirable ! but we little regard the truths of God ; as in a field of corn, prize the poppies and well-coloured weeds, but slight and overlook the more valuable corn.
Use 2. Instruction. To instruct us how to entertain the word of God. We never entertain it rightly till we entertain it with wonder. Considerations.
1. We have not a true sight and sense of the word if we admire it not. There is such transcendent love, admirable depths of wisdom, unsearchable treasures of happiness, raised strains of purity, a har- monious coincidence of all ])arts. What would we admire but that which is great and excellent? Why are not we then transported and ravished with those wonderful felicities, as the favour of and fellow- ship with God, everlasting enjoyment? Nothing is of such weight and importance as this is ; all is nothing to this : Phil. iii. 8, ' Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.' Would we admire what is rare and strange ? As the object of wonder is inauditum et ins2Jeratum, it could not enter into the heart of man to conceive what God hath done for us in Christ; unheard of, unlooked for : 2 Sam. vii. 19, 'And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, 0 Lord God ; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come ; and is this the manner of man, 0 Lord God ? ' If we wonder at what is wise and deep, the terms npon Avhich salvation is dispensed and propa- gated are with excellent wisdom : 1 Cor. ii. 2, ' We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world, to our glory.' These are mysteries that lie out of the road of vulgar understandings.
2. Upon every new looking, it argueth some distemper unless we wonder. Either carelesness of soul-necessities, or stu])idness, and in- attentiveness, or else carnal savour, prevailing too much.
3. It is a great lielp to practice. The more the word is admired,
VeR. 129.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 345
the more reverence it strike tli into the conscience ; the more it is snbmitted unto, the more should we frame our practice. In the text, ' Therefore doth my soul keep them.' The word must be kept ; not only affected with it, but our esteem must last, and we must ever bo tender of doing anything contrary to it. It must be kept by the soul ; there is the directive and commanding power ; it must be preserved or kept there, not confined there. If not kept there, it will not be kept elsewhere. There understanding is clear, conscience aweful, heart read}''. Human authority reacheth no further than to bind men to conform to order in the course of their practice ; but divine authority bringeth under the heart and thoughts to the obedience of Christ, 2 Cor. X. 5. It bindeth the conscience to approve of God's commanded will, to choose it v.'ith affection, to embrace it with t?he whole man, to follow on with strength and constant endeavours. Therefore wonder- ful, partly because a renewed esteem is the beginning of a pure and entire subjection to it. Why did any give up themselves to the dis- cipline of it ? Plato and Zeno's doctrine was admired. So to God ; reverence is the mother of obedience. If we have not a slight esteem of the word, we shall look more after keeping of it. And partly be- cause wonderfulness of promises evidenceth them to be of God ; it com- mendeth itself to the consciences of men. Means.