[3.] This disposition cometli from the antipathy and zealous dis- pleasure that is in their hearts against sin. They know what sin is, the greatest enemy that God and Christ and their own souls have in the world. It was sin that made angels become devils ; it was sin that blew up the sparks of hell-fire ; it was sin that opposed God, that 'Crucified Christ ; it is sin that grieves the Spirit of God ; and there- fore they mourn when sin gets proselytes. A man cannot endure to see a toad or viper near him ; your hearts rise when you see them creep upon another ; so do the hearts of the children of God rise, that their enemy and God's should find such respect and entertainment in the world. It is said of the church of Ephesus : Ptev. ii. 2, ' That she could not bear those which were wicked.' And David saith, Ps. ci. 3, ' I hate the works of them that turn aside.' They know this will grieve the Spirit of God, that this will press him as a cart is pressed with sheaves ; and shall God be pressed and burdened, and they not troubled ? It cannot be. They that love the Lord will hate evil, Ps. xcvii. 10, both in themselves and others.
[4.] This disposition comes out of a ^gacity of faith, and serious
430 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLl.
foresight of the effects of sin. They know what sin will come to, and what is the danger of it ; therefore, when they see sin in- creasing, ' Elvers of water run down their eyes.' Wicked men tremble only at the judgment of God, but good men tremble at his word ; and therefore they mourn when others fall into danger of the threatening. When Ezra plucked his beard, and was in such a zeal- ous indignation against the sins of the people, bewailing them before the Lord, Ezra ix. 4, * Then were assembled unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel.' At fasts others are slight and obdurate ; they look on threatening as a little mock thunder ; they are not sensible of the danger. I may set forth this by that allusion,. 2 Kings viii. 11, the prophet Elisha wept when he saw Hazael, that he looked wishly on his face till he blushed : ' The man of God wept, and Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil thou wilt do unto the children of Israel ; their strong- liolds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay witli the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child : and Hazael said, But what ! is thy servant a dog ? ' &c. So when the children of God look upon sin, they know by the complexion of it what will be the dreadful effects. This will be bitterness in the issue, in time this will produce pestilences, famine, fire, sword, and all other mischiefs and judgments, and expressions of the angry indignation of the Lord. They foresee a storm when the clouds are but a-gathering,. therefore they tremble when they see them. This is the sagacity of faith. Now carnal men, on the other side, look upon the threatenings of scripture but as words of course, used as in way of policy, that God only would awe and scare them, but doth not purpose to condemn them. But faith is sagacious. Look, as to the promises, ' Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.' So as to the threatenings, the same evidence of things not seen. The apostle doth not only instance when he had given the general descrip- tion of the objects of hope for the recompense of reward, but he instances in the threatenings, ' Noah, being moved with fear, prepared an ark,' &c. They know, however men slight the word of God, one day it will be found true ; and therefore, when they see men add sin to sin, they are troubled. The word is as sure as execution, and works upon them accordingly. They have all things in a near view ; the nearer the objects of our faith are in our view, the more they stir up our affections. Dangers and death, when in hand and in present expectation, work far otherwise than they do when they are considered at a distance. So when the effects of sin are looked upon as near at hand, when faith makes them present, then they stir up these affections in the soul.
[5.] A fifth clause is from their public spirit and tender respect to the common good. When they wisely foresee approaching dangers, they are moved with the love and care of their country, and this meltetli them. They know sin is of a destroying nature, that ' one sinner de- stroyeth much good,' Eccles. ix. 18. One sinner may do his country a great deal of mischief, an open bold-faced sinner — Aclian troubled tlie whole camp, Josh. vii. 11, 12 — much more when a multitude of sinners are increased ; therefore they sigh and mourn. Godly men are
VeR. 136.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 431