sciences, what will the good word of the world do ? 'A Cor. x. 18, ' He is approved whom the Lord commendeth.' A sense of Grod's love in Christ is the sweetest thing that ever we felt, and is able to sweeten the bitterest cnp that ever believer drank of : Rom. v. 3, ' We glory in tribulation.' It will be a blessed thing when we cannot only bear tribulations, but rejoice in them ; but how come we to rejoice in them ? Why, because ' the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us ; ' so he goes on. If we would know the value of things, the best way is to know what is our greatest comfort and our greatest trouble in distress; for when we are drunk with worldly prosperity and happiness, we are incompe- tent judges of the worth of things ; but when God rebukes a man for sin, what is our greatest trouble then ? that we may take heed of pro- viding sorrow to ourselves another time ; then we find sin and trans- gression the greatest burden when any notable affliction is upon us, Job xxxvi. 9 ; and what will be your greatest comfort then ? for then your comforts are put to the proof. One evidence of an interest in Ohrist, a little sense of the love of God, how precious is it ! Ps. xciv. 19, ' In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts de- light my soul.' His thoughts were entangled and interwoven one with another, as branches of a crooked tree ; for so the word signifies there. When his thoughts were thus intricate and perplexed, then 'thy comforts delight my soul.' Oh! then, what should Ave labour for, but to be most clear in this, that God loves us. This will be our greatest comfort and rejoicing in all conditions. It is good for us in prosperity, then our comforts are sweet ; and in adversity and deep affliction, to see God is not angry with us. Though we feel some smart of his afflicting hand, yet his heart is with us.
2. They deal with God as worldly men do with sensible things ; for as others live by sense, so they by faith. Now worldly men are cheered with the good- will of men, and troubled with the displeasure of men upon whom they depend. The down-look of Ahasuerus confounded Haman, and put him to great trouble : ' He was afraid,' Esther vii. 8. Absalom professes it were better for him to be banished than to live in Jerusalem and not see the king's face, 2 Sam. xiv. 32. Surely it is death to God's children to want his face and favour upon whom they depend. Their business lies mainly with God, and their dependence and hope and comfort is in God ; they live by faith. Poor worldlings walk by sense, therefore their souls run out upon other comforts, in the smiling face of some great potentate, or some friend of the world : this is their life, peace, and joy. But they that live by faith see him that is invisible, and value their happiness by his favour, and misery by his displeasure.
3. The children of God have tasted the sweetness of it, therefore they know it by experience. The best demonstration of anything is from sense. Description cannot give me such a demonstration as when I taste and feel it myself : 1 Peter ii. 3, ' If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' They have an experimental feeling of that which others know only by guess and hearsay. Carnal men know no other good but that of the creature. The spouse did so languish after her beloved, being sick of love ; when her desires were disappointed, it
414 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CK
made her faint, Cant. v. (J. They that have not seen and known him, know not what to make of those spiritual and lively affections that carry us out after the favour of God with such earnestness and impor- tunity ; but they that have tasted and know what their beloved is^ their hearts are more excited and stirred up towards him : John iv. 10, ' If thou knewest the gift of God,' &c. You would more admire the favour of God if you knew it, especially by experience ; you would find it is a better good than ever you have yet tasted.
Use. Is this our temper and frame of our hearts ? Can we live contentedly and satisfiedly without the light of his countenance ? A child of God may be without the light of his countenance, but cannot live contentedly without it. Are we troubled about it, ever seeking after it? Surely this is the disposition of the children of God, they are ever seeking after the favour of God. I shall press to this by this argument.
1. God bespeaks it from you : Ps. xxvii. 8, ' Thou saidst, Seek ye my face.' There is a dialogue between God and a gracious heart. The Lord saith, * Seek ;' he saith it in his word, and speaks by the injection of holy thoughts, by the inspiration of his grace ; and the renewed heart, like a quick echo, takes hold of this, ' Lord, thy face will I seek,' Ps. cvi. 4. You should ever be seeking after God in his ordinances, seek his favour and face.