First, Their author is God, who is the self-same God, and needs not say and unsay ; for he has wisdom enough to foresee all events ; power enough to answer all difficulties that may stand in the way of his promises ; authority supreme, and so is above all controlment.
VER. 152.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 115
Sometimes men command, but without reason ; sometimes they pro- mise, but without performance ; sometimes they threaten, but without effect : therefore the word of man dieth and may come to nothing ; they forget their promises, or may be cast into such circumstances as to be unable to perform them : but these are God's testimonies, and therefore are pillars that cannot be shaken ; they are laid by God him- self, who hath ordained them to stand firm for ever. His people shall find more in his performance than they could perceive in his promise, and his enemies shall find more weight in his judgments than they could apprehend in his threatenings : 2 Tim. ii. 19, ' The foundation of God standeth sure ;' O^ixekla, his obligation, not a foundation in the builder's sense, but in the lawyer's sense. His obligation or bill of contract, that is, his promise or covenant with us in Christ, remaineth unchangeable. A bill or bond is called drj/^eXla. God will own his ser- vants if they will be faithful to him. See Hammond.
Secondly, They are founded ; the testimonies of God, if taken for the promises of the gospel, as they ought to be, are built on two foundations : —
1. One foundation is the unchangeableness of God's nature : Heb. vi. 18, ' That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation.' God cannot change, cannot lie. God can no more break his promise than cease to be God ; his love, truth, power is all unchangeable.
2. The other foundation is the blood of Christ ; in him they are Yea and Amen. The things promised are purchased with a great price ; surely that blood was not shed in vain : ' Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ,' 1 Cor. iii. 11.
Thirdly, Their use.
1. To be testimonies or declarations of God's mind and will to the creature ; not only for the regulation of our actions, but the measure of God's dealings. God's covenant in respect of the commands is the rule of man's duty ; in respect of the promises and threatenings, they are the rule of God's judgment or process with us. Now, it is for the honour of God and satisfaction of man that this should be stated and held good in all ages and cases ; therefore God hath established a process and rule of dealing with his creatures that shall never be changed. If your cause will hold good according to God's testimonies, it will hold good before his tribunal. Otherwise we could not know certainly that we do please or maintain any commerce with him, or know what to expect from him.
2. To be props and pillars of our confidence ; so the scriptures, as they are founded themselves, so they are a foundation for us to build upon : Eph. ii. 20, ' And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the corner-stone ; ' they sup- port the weight of the building. Now, foundation-stones must not be movable, or laid loosely and carelessly, for then all the building will be weak and tottering ; therefore there is a sure word and sure pro- mises for poor creatures to build upon. The apostle calls it fieftaio- repov \6yov, 2 Peter i. 19, ' A more sure word of prophecy,' comparing it to the voice from heaven, whereof he spoke immediately before. We are upon more certain terms, now God guideth us by scripture,
116 SERMONS UPON PSALBI CXIX. [SER. CLXX.
than if he guided us by oracle : quoad nos, it is so, though every declaration of God be alike evident and certain in itself. A transient voice is more easily mistaken and forgotten than a standing authentic record. Consider it as subject to jealousies, forgetful ness, mistakes ; it is so. The general voice of the gospel gives more encouragement to sell-undoing sinners than a voice from heaven calling us by name.
Use 1. To humble us for our uncertainty and inconstancy, when the testimonies of God are so stable and unchangeable. The scriptures are as firm as a rock ; but, alas ! we are unstable as water, both as to faith and obedience. There should be a proportion inter regulam et regulation, between the rule and the thing ruled, the measure and what is measured, the stamp and the impression. We carry it so as if the word spake one thing to-day, and another to-morrow ; as if God would sometimes maintain the cause of his people, and at other times forsake them ; as if he sometimes loved sin, and hated righteousness ; would sometimes be good to penitent sinners, at other times turn away from them. We profess to walk by his rule, and yet live so disproportionable.
1. In faith, like waves of the sea rolled hither and thither, our de- pendence and trust now and anon changing with the posture of our affairs, not suited to the eternal verity of the promises. In crosses, confusions, and difficulties, we are at an utter loss : James i. 6, ' But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering ; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed.' If we believe it to-day, why not to-morrow ? Do difficulties abate anything of the certainty of God's word, and make it questionable ? Then it would be in the power of man to disannul the promise, and God could never lay a sure ground of hope.