[2.] Whatever the event be, certainly he will not be wholly wanting to us, nor leave us utterly destitute : Heb. xiii. 5, ' For he hath said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you;' a negative gradation, where the
VeR. 3.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXXXI. 449
least is first denied. He will be so far from forsaking us, that he will not leave us: 1 Cor. x. 13, ' God is faitlif'al, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able to bear; but will with the tempta- tion also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear.' Two things are promised there —
(1.) The gentleness and wisdom of his conduct.
(2.) A comfortable issue. For the present, when our condition is at worst, if it be not comfortable, it will be tolerable ; for the future, a way to escape ; you are not cast into the deep ocean, where no banks nor bottom. As long as a man can look to the end of an evil, he is not quite discouraged ; as a man in the waters hath hope as long as he can see banks. So that the afflictions are qualified, both as to the grievousness and as to the continuance, by the support and by the issue.
[4.] We must not resign ourselves to God in name and pretence, but in deed and reality ; and when our resignation is tried, it must be veri- fied for its constancy. The reality is tried by acknowledging God in all our ways, Prov. iii. 5, 6 ; and you must still fetch the rise and reason of your desires and resolutions from the will of God. We must know what is his will before we give way to any will of our own particularly. Many resign all to God, but it is with a secret hope God will never put them to trial. If God taketh anything from them, they are troubled. When Jonah's gourd was blasted, nothing would please him but death. Desires pettishly solicited and finally disappointed breed vexation. Any overvalued comfort will soon prove our trouble. Therefore we must sit loose from the creature : Jonah iv, 9, ' Dost thou well to be angry? ' He requested for himself that he might die, A man that savoureth the things of the flesh will think himself undone when his pleasure, honour, and plenty is taken away. It is the over- loving of worldly things which maketh us grieve for the loss and abatement of them. That love that maketh you eager when you are in expectation, to delight so immoderately when you are in possession, the same love maketh you mourn inordinately when you are in want and loss of these things. The loss will tear those hearts which stuck so inordinately to them.
SERMON V.
Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever. — Ps. cxxxi. 3.
This verse showeth the use of the whole psalm. David did not pen it to praise himself, or to extol and set forth his own humility, but to in- struct the people of God, that they might learn the right way of trust- ing or hoping in God.
This way is intimated in the two former verses, wherein he repre- scnteth his humility and resignation to God.' . VOL. XXL 2 F
450 SERMONS UPON I'SALM CXXXI. [SeR. V.
First, Humility, in the first verse, ' My heart is not haughty, nor do I exercise myself in great matters,' &c. He did not speak great things of himself, nor seek great things for himself. If we would learn to trust God, we must learn to have mean thoughts of ourselves, desiring no- thing, attempting nothing, but what God approveth and inviteth us unto ; for then we can best depend upon God's grace and providence ; for otherwise we depend upon our own strength, or look for such an assis- tance from heaven as shall gratify and serve our lusts.
Secondly, His resignation and quiet submission of all events to God, waiting for the issues of his providence without carkiug, without mur- muring. This is to be observed in David, who was in himself a worthy man, provoked by Saul, and one that had assurance of the kingdom by God's own promise ; yet, though the accomplishment were delayed, he would not step one foot forward further than God directed him. This humble temper and abrenunciation of self-trust and secular confidence will stand you in more stead than all your shifts and contrivances ; for God will never be wanting to such as do so submissively devolve themselves upon him. Therefore ' let Israel hope in the Lord,' &c.
In the words we have four things — (1.) Who exhorteth, David, by his own example ; (2.) The persons who are exhorted, Israel ; (3.) The duty to which they are exhorted, trust or hope in the Lord ; (4.) The constancy and perseverance required in this duty, ' From hence- forth and for ever.'
From hence three points of doctrine.
Doct. 1. That those who have found peace, rest, and satisfaction in their own souls by trusting in God may best invite and encourage others to take the same course.
So doth David here, who had such comfort, quiet, and peace by sub- mitting his affairs to God, that he could not but encourage others to follow that way with confidence. As if he had said. If you can be but meek, humble, and trust the Lord, he will take care of you, and give you those things which belong to your peace and salvation. So else- where : Ps. xxxiv. 8, ' Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good ; blessed 18 the man that trusteth in him.' As God is very communicative of his goodness, so gracious souls do invite others to share with them in whatsoever grace the Lord doth bestow upon them. They would have others come and make the experiment, and by obedience to him and reliance on him they shall soon find that God is a gracious master.