Use 3. Let us be exhorted to do what we can for the begetting, increasing, and cherishing this delight in our hearts. If you love God, you cannot but love his word, which is so perfect a representation of
YER. 143.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 23
him. If you love holiness, you must needs delight in the word ; this is the rule of it. If you love life and happiness, you must needs de- light in the word ; this is the way that leadeth us to so hlessed and glorious an estate. If you love Christ, you will love the word, which offereth him to you. If you love the new nature, you will delight in the word, which is the seed of it. If you would speed in prayer : ver. 77, ' Let thy tender mercies come unto me, for thy law is my delight.' If you would be supported in affliction : ver. 92, ' Unless thy law had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction.'
Doct. In the days of our trouble and anguish God's word will be a great delight and comfort to us.
Such a comfort as will overcome the bitterness of our affliction. So saith David here. When all comforts have spent their virtue, then God's word will be a comfort to us.
Here I shall show —
1. What comfort the word holds out to us.
2. Why afflictions do not diminish it. First, What comforts it holds forth.
1. The privileges of the afflicted: Kom. v. 1, 2, ' We glory in tribu- lations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience.' Such may rejoice in tribulations ; miseries are unstinged, his rods are not signs of his anger. They are in the favour of God, and his heart is with them, however his hand be smart upon them. The habitude and nature of afflictions is altered in themselves ; they are the punishments of sin, and so their natural tendency is to despair and bondage. God seemetli to put the old covenant in suit against unbelieving sinners ; but now they are trials, preventions, medicines to believers, that proceed from love, and are designed for their good.
2. The word holdeth forth the blessedness of another world : 2 Cor. iv. 17, 18, 'Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' Hope is not affrighted by affliction, but worketh. Before corn be ripened it needeth all kinds of weather. The husbandman is glad of showers as well as sunshine ; rainy weather is troublesome, but the season requireth it.
3. It assureth us of what is acceptable to God : Micali vi. 8, ' He hath showed thee, 0 man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?' So it yieldeth comfort through the conscience of our duty, and cheerful reflections on afflicted innocency. Are not these God's ways which we desire to walk in, and for which we are troubled ?
4. The word hath notable precepts that ease the heart : Phil. iv. 6, ' Be careful for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God : 1 Peter v. 7, ' Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you ; ' Prov. xvi. 3, ' Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.' It biddeth us cast all our cares upon God, and commit ourselves to the guidance of his providence.
5. It giveth us many promises of God's being with us, and strength- ening and delivering us, and giving us a gracious issue out of all our troubles : 1 Cor. x. 13, ' God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able, but will with the temptation also
24 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLXI.
make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.' Now it is a great ease to the soul to fly to these promises wliich are made to his afflicted servants.
6. It breedeth faith, which fixeth the heart: Ps. cxii. 7, 'Ho shall not be afraid of evil tidings, his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.' It breedeth fortitude, or cleaving to God under the greatest trials, 2 Sam. vi. 22; and Ps. xliv. 17, 18. Now this becometh a testimony and proof of our love to God, and so bringeth comfort. It breedeth obedience, and the doing of good leaveth a pleasure behind it. After sin a sting remaineth, Horn. ii. 14, 15. It breedeth waiting and patience when all hope is cut off: Micah vii. 7, ' Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation;' when such trouble is on us as no end appeareth of it. Most men's comfort holdeth out but whilst there is hope of turning the stream of things. They are not satisfied in their duty nor comforted with promises, but borne up with hopes of success.
Secondly, Why afflictions do rather increase than diminish this ?
1. They drive us to these comforts. Man liveth by sense more than by faith when he hath anything about him, but his sorrows drive him to God. Indeed, men that wholly forget God in prosperity will not find his word a delight in adversity : Ps. xxx. 6-8, ' In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved : Lord, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong : thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled: I cried unto thee, 0 Lord,' &c.