2. There is a different carriage mentioned, and ascribed to these two parties ; on the one side, oblivion and forgetfulness of God's law ; on the other side, zeal.
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[1.] On the enemies' part, oblivion and forgetful ness of God's word. The word of God is not effectual usually, but where it is hid in recent memory. They ' have forgotten thy word ; ' a proper phrase to set forth them in the bosom of the visible church who do not wholly deny and reject the word and rule of scripture, but yet live as though they had forgotten it ; they do not observe it, as if God had never spoken any such thing, or given them any such rule. They that reject and contemn such things as thy word enforceth, surely do not remember to do them.
[2.] On David's part here is mentioned zeal, or a flagrant affection, which is set forth — (1.) By the vehemency of it ; (2.) By the cause of it.
(1.) By the vehemency of it, ' My zeal hath consumed me.' It was no small zeal that David had, but a consuming zeal. Vehement affec- tions exhaust and consume the vital spirits, and waste the body. The like expression is used, Ps. Ixviii. 9, 'The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up.' Strength of holy affection works many times upon the body as well as the soul, especially zeal, which is a high degree of love, and vents itself by a mixture of grief and anger. What a man loves, he would have it respected, and is grieved when it is dishonoured and xmder disrepute. Both have an influence upon this consuming, this wasting of the spirits that is spoken of in the text, because they had lessened and obscured the glory of God, and violated his law ; and there was in him a holy care, ardour, and earnest endeavour to rectify this abuse, and awaken them out of their security, and reduce them to their duty.
(2.) Here was the cause of it. Why was David so much wasted, pined, consumed, and troubled ? Because they ' have forgotten thy word ; ' the contempt of God, and the offence of God sat nearest his heart; as if he had said, I should more patiently bear the injury done to myself, but I cannot be coldly affected where thy glory, 0 Lord, is concerned ; since I have had a taste of thy grace, and felt the benefit of thy word, I cannot endure it should be contemned, and it much moves me to see creatures so mad upon their own destruction, and to make so light of thy salvation. Thus was David consumed, not at the sight of his own, but at other men's sins ; and not at others in general, but them, his enemies, that they should make void the law of God. Such was his love to the word, that he could not endure the contempt and violation of it ; and such was his compassion to the souls of men, that it grieved him exceedingly to see any of the workmanship of God to perish, to be captivated to the world, to be made factors for the devil, and fuel for hell-fire, and to be so violent for their own destruction.
Doct. That great and pure zeal becomes those that have any affec- tion for the word and for the ways of God.
Here is a great zeal ; for David saith, ' My zeal hath consumed me;' it preyed upon his spirit. And here is a pure zeal, for he mentions not personal injuries, but disrespect to God's word. When the same men are our enemies and God's enemies, we should be more zealous for God's cause than our own. Now botli the greatness and purity of his zeal did arise from his love to the word, as appears from the pre- cedent and subsequent verses. In the precedent verses he had told
VeR. 139.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 467
them, * Just and upright are tliy testimonies, and very faithful,' tliere- fore'my zeal hath consumed me,' because this word should be slighted and contemned. And it appears also from the following verse, ' Thy word is very pure : therefore thy servant loveth it.^ He was troubled to see such a holy and pure word to be trampled under foot, and especially that those seem to disown it (he doth not say they deny it) who had generally professed to live under this rule ; that they made light and disregarded the precepts, in which I found so much comfort and delight. In the prosecution of this point I shall —
1. Show what is true zeal.
2. Wliy all that love the word should have this great and pure zeal. First, What is true zeal ? There is a carnal zeal and there is a
spiritual zeal.
1. The carnal zeal (to begin with that) is threefold : — [1.] That which comes from an ill cause, and produceth ill effects. An ill cause, as hatred of men's persons, or envy at their gifts and excellences, or their success and happiness in the world : James iii. 14, ' If ye have bitter envying in your hearts.' It is TrcKpov ^ifKov, if you have bitter zeal in your hearts. There is a kind of bitter zeal, and malignity at their excellency, whether gifts, graces, rank, dignity in the world. And in ver. 16 he tells us this bitter zeal produceth con- fusion and every evil work. To be consumed and eaten out with envy is little commendable. This is not the zeal of the text. With this zeal were the chief priests filled when they saw that the gospel came into some reputation, and that the people, do what they could, did haunt and frequent it. We read, Acts v. 17, €7rXi]adr]aav ^rfkov. We render it. They were filled with indignation ; it is in the Greek and in the margin. They were filled with zeal ; with this bitter zeal, malignity, envy, indignation, they would bestir themselves to suppress the grow- ing gospel by all the means that possibly they could.