In the words observe David's grief is set out by —
\. Constancy and greatness of it, rivers of tears run down mine eyes.
2. The goodness of tlie cause or reason of it, because they keep not thy laic.
' Rivers of tears.' He compares his tears to a stream and river always running. The same expression is used Lam. ii. 18, ' Let tears run down like a river day and night ; let not the apples of thine eyes cease.' When affections are vehemently exercised, the scripture is wont to use such kind of expressions. The will of a godly man is above his performance ; it is wont to do much more than the body can furnish him with abilities to express. ■ He had such a large affec- tion that he could weep rivers. ' Because they.' Some refer it to eyes, ihe immediate antecedent; they are usually the inlets of sin; we are first taken by the eye, and then by the heart : ' She saw the fruit that it was good, and then did eat of it.' But I rather suppose it is to be referred to men. The Hebrews many times do not express a general antecedent. More particularly his enemies, Saul and his courtiers ; for so he saith, ver. 139, 'My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy word ;' and again, ver. 158, David saith, ' I beheld the transgressors, and was grieved because they keep not thy word.' I have brought these places, because parallel with the text ; and principally that you may not think David was troubled because of any injuries done to himself, but because of offences done to
VeR. 136.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 421
God. ' Keep not thy Inw.' Keeping of the law is to observe it dili- gently ; not only to maintain it, bnt to retain it in our eye and prac- tice. It might be matter of grief to David that they of wlioni he specially speaketh, being persons of power and place, did not maintain the law, and keep it from encroachment and violation, but suffered .abuses to pass unpunished ; but he speaketh here of retaining the law in their hearts and practice. For it is an expression equivalent with that which is used in ver. 139, ' Because they have forgotten thy word.' The point which I shall observe is this —
Doct. That it is the duty and property of a godly man to mourn bitterly, even for other men's sins.
Here we have David's instance ; and it may be suited with the prac- tice of all the saints. Jeremiah : see Jer. xiii. 17, ' But if ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore, and run down with tears.' There you have described the right temper of a good prophet, first to entreat earnestly for them, and in case of refusal to weep bitterly for their obstinacy. Mark, it was not an ordinary sorrow he speaks of there, but a bitter weeping, ' Mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears.' Not a slight, vanishing sigh, not a counterfeited sorrow; soul and eyes were both engaged ; and this in secret places, Avhere the privacy con- tributeth much to the measure and sincerity of it. Now this is a fit instance of a minister of the gospel. AVe cannot always prevail when we plead with you, and shall not be responsible for it. God never required it at the hands of any minister to work grace and to save souls, but to do their endeavours. But, alas ! we do not learn of Jeremiah to go and mourn over their ignorance, carelessness, and obstinacy of those committed to our charge. The next example that I shall pro- duce is that of Lot in Sodom, 2 Peter ii. 7, 8, ' Who vexed himself, and was vexed from day to day, in seeing and hearing their unlawful deeds.' Not with Sodom's injuries, but with Sodom's sins. It was mat- ter of constant grief to his soul ; the commonness did not take away the odiousness. My next instance shall be our Lord himself; we read very much of his compassion : I shall produce but two instances of it. One is in Mark iii. 5, ' Christ looked upon them with anger, and was grieved for the hardness of their hearts.' They gave him cause of offence, but it doth not only exercise his anger but grief. In our Saviour's anger there was more of compassion than passion. He was grieved to see men harden themselves to their own destruction. So when he came near to Jerusalem, a city not very friendly to him, yet it is said, Luke xix. 41, 'When he came near and beheld the city, he Avept over it, and said, If thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace ; but now they are hid from thine eyes.' Our Lord Jesus was made up of compassion ; he weepeth not only for his friends but his enemies. As a righteous God he inflicted the judgment, but as man he wept for the offences. First he shed liis tears, and then his blood. 0 foolish, careless city, that will not regard terms and offers of peace in this her day ! He bewailed them that knew not why they should be bewailed ; they rejoiced, and he mourned : Christ's eyes are the wetter because theirs were so dry. And now ]w is in heaven, how doth his free grace go a