2. How unspeakable is the blessedness of knowing Christ !
[If we could conceive ourselves in a region where a win- ter's midnight was perpetuated ; and then be transported in idea to a climate, where noontide light, and vernal beauty, were uninterruptedly enjoyed, we might have some faint image of the change effected by the knowledge of Christ^. Truly the Christian is in Goshen^ : or if, for a little moment he be in darkness, there ariseth up a light unto him in the midst of it*^, and his darkness becomes as the noon-day'^. And, in a little time " his sun shall no more go down ; but his Lord shall be unto him an everlasting light, and his God his glory '^." O that this may be the constant pursuit, and the happy attain- ment of us all !]
a 1 Pet. ii. 9. b Exod. ix. 26. and x. 22, 23.
c Ps. cxii. 4. ^ Isai. Iviii. 10. e isai. Ik. 19, 20.
god's continued care implored.
Ps. xxxvi. 10. 0 continue thou thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee, and thy righteousness to the upright in heart !
DAVID, in all his troubles, '' encouraged himself in the Lord his God." He was in great trouble at the time he wrote this psalm ; but whether from the persecutions of Saul, or the rebellion of Absalom, is not certain. But his views of the Deity were ex- ceeding grand : " Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the hea- vens ; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains ; thy judgments are a great deep : O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy loving-kind- ness, O God ! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." To this God he commits his cause ; and, in behalf of himself and all his persecuted associates, prays, '' O continue thou thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee, and thy righteousness unto the upright in heart ! " The same petition will every faithful minister urge in behalf of himself and his people, under a full assurance that *' all their fresh springs are in God'' ;"
a Ps. Ixxxvii. 7.
5f)f>.] god's continued care implored. 289
and that God himself, if ever they be saved at all, must " work all their works in them''." In this view, I will endeavour to shew you,
I. What need we all have of the blessing here im- plored—
The term " righteousness," in the Old Testament, is of very extensive meaning. In my text it imports " goodness," and, as joined with " loving-kindness," must be understood to mean, a continuance of God's tender and watchful care even to the end. And
Of this, all, whatever be their attainments, stand in need —
[Of the ignorant and ungodly I am not at present called to speak ; but rather of " those who know God, and are upright before him." Now all of these, without any exception, " oflend God in many things," and, " if God were extreme to mark what is done amiss, must perish." From gross and wilful transgres- sions they may be free: but " who can say. His heart is clean?" How many sins are committed there, which no eye but God's
beholds! But, waving sins of commission, how greatly
do we offend in a way of omission! See how *' exceeding broad are the demands of God's Law." Our duties to God, our neigh- bour, and ourselves, who can be said perfectly to knoiv them
all ; and much less to do them But, waving these also,
let us mark only our sins of defect. Be it so : We do really love God: but do we love him " with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength?" We love our neighbour, too : but do we love him with the same in tenseness, and constancy, and activity "as ourselves?" We believe in Christ also : but is our habit of dependence on him, and com- munion with him, like that of " a branch united to the vine?" We devote ourselves to his service : but are all our faculties and powers, both of mind and body, put forth into action, as if we were running a race, or fighting for our lives ? Let us look at our very best services, whether in public or in private; our prayers, for instance : Are our confessions accompanied with that brokenness of heart which we ought to feel ? or our petitions urged with that importunity which God requires ? or our thanksgivings presented with that ardent gratitude which God's mercies, and especially the great blessings of redemption, call for at our hands ? I must say, that the grossest iniquities of the ungodly do not, in my apprehension, more strongly mark our alienation from God, than do the very prayers and praises