(2d.) With more certainty. There is a great deal of difference between taking up religion out of inspiration, and out of opinion or tradition. Faith is the gift of God, but credulity is received by the report of men. Men may guess at the truth by their own wit, they may talk of it by rote, and according to what they read and hear from others ; but divine knowledge is the fruit of the Spirit : Mat. xvi. 17, ' Flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven;' John iv. 42, ' Now we believe, not because of thy saying, but we have heard him ourselves, and know indeed that this is the Christ, the Saviour of the world ; ' and 1 Thes. i. 5, 'For our gospel came to you, not in word only, but in power and the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.' We never apprehend the truth with any certainty, nor can we discern God's impress on the word, but in the light of the Spirit. God's illumination maketh our knowledge of things certain and infallible : ' Know acr<£a\.ok, assuredly,' Acts ii. 36 ; John xvii. 8, uXrjdai^. It is not a may be, a bare possibility, or likely to be, a probability ; but it is sure to be, and will be so, a certainty that belongeth to faith.
(3d.) For efficacy and power : 1 Thes. i. 5, ' For our gospel came to you not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost ; ' ' Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost/ Acts vi. 5. We are affected with the truths we know, yea, transformed and changed by them, 2 Cor. iii. 18 ; changed into a divine nature, 1 Peter i. 4. Our hearts are moulded and fitted for God, and for every good work ; so that this is a benefit should be much acknowledged.
Use 1. To inform us how the saints do and should esteem this benefit of divine illumination. In this psalm they esteem it more than if God should bestow a great deal of wealth upon them. See Ps. cxix. 14, ' I rejoice in the way of thy testimonies more than in all riches ; ; and ver. 72, ' More than thousands of gold and silver.' Once more, they think themselves well paid if they get it by sharp afflictions, though by loss of health or wealth : ver. 71, ' It is good
VEK. 171.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 253
for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.' The reason is, because they value it as a mercy, for which they can never enough be thankful : Phil. iii. 8, 'Yea, doubtless, and I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.' The people of God have no reason to envy others that live in the ponip of the world and the splendour of outward accommodations, if he give them the saving knowledge of himself : Prov. iii. 31, 32, ' Envy not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways ; for the froward is an abomination to the Lord, but his secret is with the righteous.' If God will teach us his statutes, though he keepeth us low, it is more to be one of God's disci|)les, to be owned by him in an ordinance, than to live a life of pomp and ease.
Secondly, None are fit to praise God but those whom God hath taught: Ps. 1. 10, ' What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant into thy mouth ? ' The new song and the old heart do ill agree together ; but when God hath framed our hearts to obedience, then is praise comely in our mouths.
Use 2. To direct us —
1. How to pray for spiritual grace if we would obtain it. The glory of God is the end of all grace vouchsafed to us ; with this end, we must pray to God for it. The end of our petitions and requests to God should be, that we may be enabled to praise God ; then we seek God for God, much more when we ask spiritual grace. To ask temporal benefits to consume upon our lusts is very bad, and the ready way to bespeak ourselves a denial : James iv. 3, ' Ye ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts.' Much more to ask spiritual gifts for our lusts' sake ; to beg God to open our mouths, to show forth our own praises rather than his; or knowledge to advance ourselves : as it is a greater indignity to void our excrements in a cup of gold for a prince's own drinking, than in a common utensil. Besides, it showeth our value of the benefit to think of praise before we have obtained it : Eph. i. 6", ' To the praise of his glorious grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved.'
2. It must be used and improved to that end ; when we have obtained, we must not be proud of any spiritual gift, but lay our crown at God's feet : 1 Cor. iv. 7, ' Who made thee to differ ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received?' We pervert the end of the end when we are puffed up, and give shrewd suspicion that it is a common gift, not saving grace, when we are puffed up with it.