believe ! Some count these vain words, and the comforts thence deduced fanatical illusions or fantastical impressions ; nothing so ridiculous in the world's eye as trust and dependence on unseen comforts : Ps. xxii. 8, ' He trusted on the Lord, that he should deliver him ; let him de- liver him, seeing he delighted in him.' Ungodly wits make the life of faith a sport or matter of laughter. Some have more modesty, but as little faith ; they are all for the present world, 2 Tim. iv. 9. Pre- sent delights please them, but present temptations altogether unsettle them, Hel). xii. 11 ; cannot bear present smart, nor despise the present world, Eom. viii. 19. Anything in hand is more than the greatest promise, of better things to come. They do not deal equally with God and man. If man promise, they reckon much of that ; but cannot tarry upon God's security, count his promise little worth. They can trade with a factor beyond sea, and trust all their estate in a man's hand whom they have never seen ; and yet the word of the infallible God is of little respect with them. The best build too weakly upon the promise, as appeareth by the prevalency of our cares and fears, Heb. xii. 4-6. If you did take God at his word, you would not be so soon mated with every difficulty ; there would be more resolution in trials, more hardiness against troubles. A man may boldly say, ' The Lord is my helper ; I will not fear what man can do unto me.' If we had faith to believe it, it would more effectually quiet our hearts and minds in all our straits, necessities, and perplexities, it would calm our desires and fears : we would not desire the best things of the world, nor fear the worst.
SERMON CLXXXVIII.
I have longed for thy salvation, 0 Lord; and thy law is my delight.
— Ver. 174.
We now come to the second acceptation of the word salvation, as it implieth eternal salvation ; and so the points are two : —
JDoct. 1. That we should vehemently long and earnestly wait for eternal life.
Doct. 2. That we should not only long for salvation, but delight in the way which leadeth us to it.
For the first point, that longing for salvation is the duty and property of God's children —
The reasons are taken from — (1.) The object of these desires ; (2.) The subject of these desires ; (3.) The use of these desires ; (4.) The state and condition of the present world.
1. The object. The object of desire is good, considered as absent and not yet obtained good. All desire that it should be well with themselves. This desire is confused and general ; not the hundredth part longeth after the true good : Ps. iv. 6, ' Who will show us any good ?' Some are carried by ambition, others by covetousness, others by sensuality: 1 John ii. 16, ' All that is in the world is either the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or pride of life ;' and Isa. liii. 6, ' All we like sheep have gone astray ; we have every one turned to his
286 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXXVIII.
own way.' As the channel is cut, so corrupt nature finds a vent. But now God's salvation is the true good, and ought to be desired, and will be desired by all his children. It importeth a freedom from all misery, and an enjoyment of all good. A freedom from all misery : There sin and sorrow shall be no more, and all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, Rev. xxi. 4. The blessed spirits above have none of our cares, and fears, and sorrows. Here we are sighing, and they are praising ; we sinning, and they pleasing God ; we full of infirmities, and they are perfect and without blemish, and in the full enjoyment of all good : Ps. xvi. 11, 'At thy right hand is fulness of joy, and in thy presence pleasures for evermore ;' Ps. xvii. 15, ' As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness ; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.' Alas ! the preparations to this estate in the world are far above the vain delights of the flesh ; much more the pleasures there ; these the soul longeth for ; though they are thankful for a refreshment by the way, yet they long to be at home.
2. The second reason is taken from the subject of these desires ; and there we have — (1.) The suitableness ; (2.) The experience ; (3.) Our pressures.
[1.] The suitableness ; they are suited to this happiness, wrought for this very thing, 2 Cor. v. 5. Everything hath a prepension to the place for winch God framed it ; it is the wisdom of God to put all things in their proper places, as every creature is placed in that element which is suitable and answerable to its composition and frame, as fishes in water, fowls in the air. God's children are framed for this very thing, therefore have an inclination and a tendency thither. As heaven is prepared for them, so in some measure they for it, Rom. ix. 24 ; aforehand prepared unto glory ; and Col. i. 12, ' Made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.' They grow more dead every day to the interests and concernments of the animal life, and have a greater agreeableness to this happiness.