1. That there is continual occasion of praising God. God is con- tinually beneficial to us, blessing and delivering his people every day, and by new mercies giveth new matter of praise and thanksgiving. And there are some standing mercies which should never be forgotten, but be remembered before God every day, as redemption by Christ, with all the abundant benefits ; and therefore the gospel church is represented by four beasts, or four living wights, together with fonr- and-twenty elders, who ' rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty,' Rev. iv. 8. This is spoken to show that matter doth still continue of lauding and blessing God ; and David saith, Ps. lxxi. 8, ' Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, and with thine honour all the day.' There is no moment of time wherein we are not obliged to praise and glorify God.
2. This must be understood of the preparation of the heart without intermission. We must cherish that disposition of heart which is necessary for it. A habit of thankfulness, a heart deeply affected with the Lord's excellences and mercies, should ever be found in us, and never laid aside ; the instrument must be kept in tune, though it be not always played upon. David saith, Ps. lvii. 7, ' My heart is fixed, 0 God, my heart is fixed ; I will sing, and give praise.' There must be a prepared heart, or a fixed purpose to praise the Lord. A renewed sense of God's favour, and fresh experience of his goodness to us, do
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194 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXVIII.
draw forth this preparation into act ; yet the preparation must still remain with us, and we are to watch against dulness and indisposed- ness for this holy work. This preparation is more or less at times, for special mercies do raise, enliven, and inspirit the heart ; but some measure of a thankful disposition, or bent and inclination to praise God, must never be wanting. As the Vestal fire among the Komans was ever kept in, on special occasions it was blown up ; so there should be a habitual frame of heart to praise God at all times, but upon some special occasions it must more especially be excited and stirred up to it.
3. We must keep a constant course, and certain order of worship- ping and praising God, both in public and private. In scripture they are said to do a thing always who do it upon stated occasions ; as Mephibosheth did eat continually at David's table, 2 Sam. ix. 13 ; not as if always eating, but at the eating times ; and the disciples are said to be continually in the temple, praising and blessing God, Luke xxiv. 53 ; that is, at the appointed times of worship. So we are to set forth certain times to bless and praise the Lord, who is continually good to us ; especially on the sabbath. See the 92d psalm, the title, with the first verse, ' It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, 0 Most High ! ' We are not to omit any occasion of formal and direct thanksgiving ; acknowledge mercy and faithfulness, the two pillars of our confidence ; as it is to be done con- stantly, which the former head called for, so frequently, that is, we must take every just occasion to perform it, let no special opportunity pass. The Lord's mercies are new every moment, Lam. iii. 21, and he loadeth us with his benefits daily, Ps. lxviii. 19. Therefore as God's hand is ever open to bless, so should our mouths be ever open to praise; and we should never go from this exercise nisi cum ammo revertendi, but with a purpose to return to it again. We have poor temporary affections towards God, and are very rare and infrequent in these duties ; though we are daily receiving more and more bene- fits, yet we are slow and backward to this work. Every hour, every minute, every moment, God is obliging us to it anew ; therefore we should say, ' I will praise him more and more.'
Thirdly, The ground of praising mentioned in the text, ' Because of thy righteous judgments.' Here observe —
1. The term is one of the notions by which the word of God is ex- pressed. Surely all kind of mercies are the matter of praise, especially spiritual mercies ; and among these, his word, for this is a great favour in itself ; the church can as ill be without it as the world without the sun. Ps. xix., he compareth the sun and the law together. This is a peculiar favour : Ps. cxlvii. 19, 20, ' He hath given his word to Jacob ; he hath not dealt so with every nation ; praise ye the Lord.' The benefit of the scriptures is a precious gift of God to the church, and so it should be valued and esteemed; not counted a burden, as it is to them who are wholly earthly, and mind not heavenly things.. Alas ! what should we do without this help to ease our burdened minds, to understand God's providences, and learn the way to happiness, without these pure precepts and heavenly promises ? What is it that raiseth in us the joy of faith, the patience of hope, that directcth us to a