2. It is a great help in reading and hearing : Acts x. 33, ' Now therefore we are all present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God/
3. A great help in humiliation and suing out our pardon : Ps. cxxx. 3, 4, ' If thou shouldest mark iniquity, who could stand ? but there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.'
For means to get this aweful frame of heart.
1. Faith is necessary. Sundry articles of religion have influence upon it. God's power : Mat. x. 28, ' Fear not them that can kill the body, but fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell-fire.' God's providence, that he observeth human affairs, and accordingly doth reward and punish : Hosea vii. 2, ' And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness, now their doings have
176 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SER. CLXXV.
beset them about, before my face ; ' and Heb. ii. 2, ' And every trans- gression and every disobedience received a just recompense of reward.' A day of judgment: Eom. ii. 5, ' But after thy hardness and impeni- tent heart, treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath, and the reve- lation of the righteous judgment of God;' eternal recompenses of heaven and hell, or the state of the world to come. Those who believe not these things are bold and venturous, and out of a daring confidence will put it to the trial whose word shall stand, God's or theirs : Jer. xliv. 28, ' And all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, mine or theirs ; ' which shall be fulfilled or made good : Heb. xi. 8, ' By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, being moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house.'
2. Love is necessary, for reverence ariseth from love. David was afraid to displease so good a God, to whom bound by so many ties. Surely love breedeth a greater tenderness than a bare sense of danger : Hosea iii. 5, ' Fear the Lord and his goodness.' That which maketh a wicked man presumptuous maketh a child of God aweful ; he hath to do with a good God, and therefore would not offend him, nor cross his will.
3. A humble penitent spirit is necessary for this frame of heart. Josiah, when he heard the words of the law, he rent his clothes: 2 Kings xxii. 19. ' Because thy heart was tender, and thou humbledst thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, I have heard thee, saith the Lord ; ' and 2 Chron. xxxiv. 27, ' Because thy heart was tender,' &c. ; troubled at God's anger. To some, nothing is of less consideration with them.
4. A good stock of knowledge, or frame of divine truths : Ps. cxix. 11, ' Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee ; ' Prov. vi. 21, 22, ' Bind them continually upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck ; when thou goest, it shall lead thee ; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee ; and when thou wakest, it shall talk with thee.' A treasure of knowledge not only got by heart, but im- pressed on us by his Spirit. The great new-covenant blessing, Heb. viii. 10, is God's law written upon the heart by the finger of the Spirit, as before on tables of stone, on the directive and imperative powers, the heart and mind ; and this maketh us conformable to it in heart and life. God's law is said to be in the heart of the godly, that maketh them willing to obey : Ps. xl. 8, ' His law is in my heart ; ' tender to offend : Ps. xxxvii. 31, ' The law of God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide.' He loveth what is commanded, and hateth what is forbidden ; he hath a sense of it, to keep from usual guilt.
5. Advised consideration and watchfulness : ' Let thine eyes look right on, and thine eyelids straight before thee ; ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.' When you are about to do anything, examine and consider it, whether God alloweth it, yea or no. Will it please or displease, honour or dishonour God ? If he disallow, forbear, how safe, profitable, or comfortable soever it be ; if he allow it, then engage : this holy fear must never be laid aside : Phil. ii. 12, 'Work out your salvation with fear and trembling;' 1 Peter i. 17, 'Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.'
VER. 162.] BERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 177
SERMON CLXXVI.
I rejoice at thy word, as one that jhideth great spoil. — Ver. 162.
In the text —
1. An assertion or declaration of his delight in the word, ' I rejoice at thy word.'
2. An illustration of it by a similitude, taken from those who have gotten some notable prey and booty, 'As one that findeth great spoil.'
First, The similitude is very expressive, taken from the joy which a conqueror in battle doth find in the spoil of his defeated enemies. The same similitude is used Isa. ix. 3, ' They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.' He speaketh there of the highest joy; in a time of peace, joy of the harvest is the greatest joy ; in a time of war, victory obtained after a hazardous fight, and rich spoil and booty gotten. To heighten that joy, several circumstances concur : —