Use. Let us encourage ourselves, rouse up our heavy hearts, and wait for God's quickening ; let us not give God cause by our negli- gence to deny support to us.
SERMON CLXXIII.
Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes.
— Ver. 155.
David had begged his own deliverance, as one of God's servants or clients, in the former verse ; now he illustrateth his petition by show- ing the opposite state of the wicked. They could not with such con- fidence go to God, or put in such a plea for deliverance : ' Salvation is far from the wicked.' Some read it prayer-wise, Let salvation be far from the wicked ; for in the original the verb is understood, and it is only there, Salvation far from the wicked; but most translations read it better proposition- wise ; for as the man of God comforts himself in his own interest and hopes, so also in this, that God would not take part with the wicked enemies against him, who had no interest at all in his salvation and protecting providence, and therefore would keep him from their rage. In the words —
1. An assertion.
2. The reason of it.
1. In the assertion we have the miserable condition of wicked men, salvation is far from them.
2. In the reason we have the evil disposition of wicked men, ' They seek not thy law ; ' which will give us the true notion and description of them, who are wicked men ; such as seek not God's statutes, busy not themselves about religion, study not to please God.
VOL. IX. k
146 SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. CSeR. CLXXIII.
In the words two propositions : —
Doct. 1. That salvation is far from the wicked.
JDoct. 2. They are wicked who keep not God's statutes.
Doct. 1. That salvation is far from the wicked. Salvation is of two sorts — temporal and eternal. The proposition is true in both senses ; they are far from salvation, and salvation is far from them. To be for from salvation is to be in a dangerous case, as to be far from light is to be in extreme darkness. To be far from God's law, ver. 150, is to be extremely wicked ; to be far from oppression, Ps. liv. 14, is to be in a most safe condition. So that the point is —
That the wicked are in a very dangerous case, both as to their tem- poral and eternal estate.
First, Temporal salvation is far from them, and they are in a dangerous condition as to their outward happiness. This seemeth to be the harder part, and to have most of paradox in it ; but this will appear to you if you consider —
1. That all these outward things are at God's disposal, to give and take according to his own pleasure: Job. i. 21, ' The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; ' not the Sabeans and the Chaldeans : 1 Sam. ii. 7, 'The Lord maketli poor, and maketh rich ; he bringeth low, and lifteth up/ He that cast the world into hills and valleys disposeth of the several conditions of men, that some shall be high and some low, some exalted, some dejected. All things that fall out in the world are not left to the dominion of fortune or blind chance, but governed by the wise providence of God : ' Their good is not in their hands,' Job xxi. 16.
2. That it belongeth to God, as the judge of the world, to see ut malts male sit, et bonis bene. Gen. xviii. 25, ' That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked : and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee. Shall not the judge of all; the earth do right V Eom. iii. 5, ' But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say ? Is God unrighteous that taketh vengeance ? (I speak as a man.) God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world?' Job xxxiv. 17, ' Shall even he that hateth right govern ? and wilt thou condemn him that is most just ? ' Job xxxiv. 11, ' For the work of a man shall he render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways/ He is not indifferent to good and evil, and alike affected to the godly and the wicked ; but hateth the one, and loveth the other. He hateth the wicked : Ps. v. 5, ' Thou hatest all the workers of iniquity ; ' and, on the other part, he loveth the good and the holy : Ps. xxxv. 27, ' He hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants ; ' it is his delight to see them happy and nourishing. This different respect is often spoken of in scripture: Ps. xxxi. 23, 'The Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.' That he will uphold and main- tain those that are faithful to him, and avenge himself upon the pride and oppression of the wicked ; though all the world be against the godly, God will preserve them and ruin the wicked, though all the world should let them alone. So 1 Peter iii. 12, ' For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers ; but the face of the "Lord is against them that do evil.' There is a