4. That maxim of our Lord striketh at the root of worldly affection: Luke xii. 15, ' Man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.' Superfluity of wealth is not able to prolong life, or to make it more happy and comfortable to us. You can enjoy no more than you need and use, and you enjoy that by God's blessing ; and therefore, without so much ado, man may live comfortably.
5. The opposite maxim, Ps. xxxvii. 16, 'A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.' Usually there is an emptiness and want of satisfaction in wealth that is ill-gotten. They have it, but it doeth them no good. They have neither the temporal nor the spiritual use, for the glory of God and the benefit of others ; and within a while there is a visible curse and blast that attendeth it. The meanest pittance, well acquired and holily improved, is more contentedly enjoyed, and doth more good, than all those riches.
6. Kemember the ends of this life, and wherefore it was given us ; to glorify God and save our souls. Mind this thoroughly, and it will check aspiring projects.
[1.] To glorify God. You were not made for your own glory, but for his. Now God may be glorified though you be not exalted. It is more for our glory to shine in a glorious orb and sphere, but oftentimes not for God's. The mean glorify him as well as the honourable, and sometimes much more ; the afilicted as well as the prosperous. He requireth no more of you than to finish the work he hath given you to do, John xvii. 4 ; and that may be in any state of life.
VeR. 1.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. 437
[2.] This life was given us to seek a better ; and let the seeking of heavenly glory be your work and scope, and you will have a double advantage.
(1.) Worldly glory will be darkened and lessened in your eyes ; for what is greatness here to that glory we expect as coming from God ? Mat. xvi. 27.
(2.) You are entitled to God's protection and provision. Earth necessaries are given us to preserve this life. All, besides food and raiment, is not necessary. Necessaries God will care for : ' He knoweth that we have need of these things,' Mat. vi. 32. They may comfortably expect it who first seek his kingdom ; he hath bound himself to give them these things, Mat. vi. 33.
SERMON IV.
Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even as a iveaned child. — Ps. cxxxi. 2.
It is not enough to avoid pride, but we must study to excel in humility. The rooting out of sin is never thoroughly done till the heart be planted with the contrary grace. Of many it may be said that they are rather not vicious than virtuous. We may say of a sensual man that he is not proud, but we cannot say that he is humble.
In the former verse, he had told us of his avoiding pride ; now he telleth us of his endeavours after humility. There, ' My heart is not haughty ; ' Here, ' My soul is even as a weaned child.' He declaretli his humility by his quiet submission to God's providence.
This is here represented —
1. By a vehement asseveration, 'Verily.'
2. By a sincere endeavour, ' I have behaved and quieted myself.'
3. By an apt comparison, taken from a child that is ' weaned of his mother.'
And it is doubled and repeated for the greater emphasis, 'My soul,' &c.
I. Here is a vehement asseveration, ' Surely.' He is the more earnest in it, to remove the suspicion of ambition, which some were apt to impute to him, as if he sought to wrest the kingdom from Saul. Therefore he prefixeth this ' Surely ' to show the truth of what he spoke. In the original it runneth in the form of an oath ; Septuagint, el /jli]. Such a form of speech as you have Ps. xcv. 11, 'To whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.' Heb. marg., *If they enter into my rest.' Half the speech is expressed, verba mali ominis supprimenda sunt, to teach us we should not use our mouths to imprecations ; therefore that part is not mentioned. There is a horrible boldness in some men, who are ever and anon wishing great plagues and curses and damnation unto themselves, and inter- larding their speech with these imprecations, as if it were a glory or a
438 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. [SeR. IV.
sport to them ; whereas holy men upon weighty occasions suppress words of cursing or of a direful sound. Yet sometimes, in weighty cases, the imprecation may be expressed ; as Ps. vii. 3-5, ' 0 Lord my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity in my hands, if I have lewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me ; let the enemy persecute my soul and take it ; let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust.' So here, ' If I have not behaved and quieted my soul as a child, that is weaned of his mother,' then let me be accounted as a liar, or suffer as a proud person ; or let me miss of my hope, dispeream, or the like. But the imprecative part is concealed, as in many like cases. Well, then, the quiet submission of God's children to providence is sometimes so great that it seemeth incredible to the world, and needeth sometimes to be confirmed with an oath.