490 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CLVIIL
of the sons of Jesse to be king, and the ekler chibh-en were brought forth, wlio were taller, and more likely too ; and they said of them, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him ; and when Samuel inquired lor another, they told him, 1 Sam. xvi. 7, ' That there remainelh the youngest, and he kee})cth sheep ; ' then, when he was but a youth, and a despised stripling, his heart was with God, and God favoured him. Or else they refer it to the time when Eliab his eldest brother despised him, 1 Sam. xvii. 28. Others think this was verified when the elders of Israel forsook him, and clave to Absalom. Kather I think it general to any afHicted condition, when he was little in estate and reputation, rather than in years ; elsewhere so is this word ' small ' taken : Amos vii. 2-5, ' Jacob is small ; by whom shall he arise P ' when his condition was helpless and hopeless, and interest inconsider- able in the world. So here : ' I am small and despised ; ' I am looked upon as a man of no value and interest.
2. David's carriage under this condition, ' Yet do I not forget thy precepts.' First, here is a /j,6Lcoai,<i ; less is said, more is intended : I do earnestly remember them. Again, a man maybe said to rememberer forget two ways — notionally or affectively. Notionally, a man forgets when the notions of things formerly known are quite vanished out of liis mind ; affectively, when, though he retaineth the notions, yet he is not answerably affected, he doth not act suitably. So it is taken here, and implieth as much as I am steadfast in the profession of this truth : as they say in a like case, Ps. xliv. 17, ' We have not forgotten thee, nor dealt falsely in thy covenant ; ' not parted with any point of truth, or neglected and dispensed with any part of duty. ' Precepts ' is put for the whole word of God : ' I do not forget thy word,' the comforts and duties of it. None do so far forget God and his precepts as those that make defection from him. The sum of all is. My mean and despicable condition doth not make a breach upon my constancy, but still I keep the credit of being a faithful servant to thee. His temptation was double. His faithfulness had made him small (God seemeth to forget us in our low estate, yet we should not forget him), and had made him despised. Though we lose esteem with men by sticking to the word of God, yet the word of God should lose no esteem with us.
Doct. They that love God may be reduced to a mean, low, and afflicted condition. 'I am small,' saith David. The Lord seeth it meet for divers reasons.
1. That they may know their happiness is not in this world, and so the more long for heaven and delight in heavenly things : Ps. xvii. 14, 15, ' From men of the world, which have their portion in this life : as for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness ; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.' Christ gave his Spirit to the rest of the disciples, and the ])urse to Judas ; he had the keeping of the bag, that was the worst. God's dearest children usually have the least in this world, that they may look higher ; as Levi had no portion among his brethren, because God would be his portion. Others have more plentiful accommodations for back and belly ; they are better clad, their tables more plentifully furnished and supplied, larger portions for their cluldren. They that look to save anything or get anything
VeR. 141 .] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 491
by religion but the saving of their souls are foully mistaken ; if we have more than others, religion calleth for more disbursements. Charity and liberal distributions exposeth to troubles ; religion moderateth our desires, and forbids all unjust ways of acquiring wealth, calleth upon us to forsake all for a good conscience. There- fore they that follow Christ out of a design to be rich in this world, lose their aim. Not but that hypocrites sometimes make a market of religion, but then God is angry, and they, and the church too, pay for it at last : not but that religion bringeth in temporal supplies : Mat. vi. 33, ' First seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, <md all these things shall be added unto you,' ravra ttuvtu TrpoareOi')- a-erai ; food and raiment it bringeth in. God may give some a more plentiful allowance ; especially if they be faithful stewards, then they are intrusted with more ; but generally they are mean and small, or if they have more of this world's goods, they have their afflictions in other kinds.
2. It is necessary to cut off the provisions of the flesh and the fuel of their lusts. A rank soil breedeth weeds, and when we sail with a full stream we are apt to be carried away with it. We either glut our- selves with the pleasures of the flesh, or grow proud, and hanker and linger after the pomp and vanities of the world, and neglect God. And therefore God is fain to diet us, and to keep us bare and low ; as he is said to cut Israel short, 2 Kings x. 32, when he straitened their coasts and borders. So for our cure we need not only internal grace to abate the lust, but external providence to catch away the prey and bait by which it is fed. The wise man saith not only. Give me grace, but ' Give me neither poverty nor riches,' Prov. xxx. 8, 9 ; and Gal. vi. 14, ' By whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world.' Both parts are necessary. Kiches are a great temptation; we would root here, and grow sensual, worldly, and proud, if God did not snatch our comforts from us, when we are apt to surfeit of them. A plentiful portion of temporal things is spiritually dangerous.