3. More profitable —
[Temporal advancement a man may gain by attending on earthly courts : but how many miss their aim ! and, after all,
e See the marginal translation.
what does the most successful gain ? what can he possess, more than food and raiment ? Let the most favoured courtier in the universe say, whether that which he has so assiduously followed be not a delusive shadow, an unsubstantial vanity ? But the humble worshipper is in no danger of disappointment ; and every particle of what he gains is " durable riches." What can be put in competition with " a new heart," " a right spirit," " a divine nature," a transformation of soul into the very image of God, a meetness for heaven, and a title to an everlasting inhe- ritance ? Yet these are the certain portion of those who wait on God in his appointed ordinances : not one can fail, if only he seek these things in the way that God has ordained, namely, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and by an entire sur- render of the soul to him. Take notice, I speak not here of those who may be supposed to occupy the highest seats in the Lord's house, as prophets and Apostles : I speak of" the door- keeper, the man upon the threshold," whose conscious unwor- thiness suffers him " not so much as to lift up his eyes" to his Redeemer's throne : it is of him I say, that he has a better portion than the whole world can bestow ; and that " happy is the man that is in such a case ; yea, happy is the man who has the Lord for his God."]
Having given what I conceive to be ample grounds for David's judgment, I now come to mark,
II. The wisdom of his decision —
Certainly the whole world of the ungodly are at issue with him on this point. They have no taste for spiritual exercises or spiritual enjoyments. They observe, indeed, the outward forms of religion, for the sake of setting an example to others ; but of felicity to be enjoyed in the worship of God they have no idea. If they see persons much interested about the worship of God, they are ready to account them superstitious, and scrupulous, and " righteous over- much ;" and all the delight which they perceive to be derived from that source they impute to vanity or enthusiasm. But, however the multitude may prefer the pleasures of sense, we have no hesitation in saying that David's decision was wise,
1. On his side are ranged all the Inspired Men from the foundation of the world —
[There is not a shadow of difference among them in rela- tion to this matter. One common testimony pervades the whole Scriptures. The things of time and sense are invariably
640.1 god's ordinances precious. 75
represented as of no value, in comparison of the things which are invisible and eternal ; and the possession of the whole world as of no account in exchange for the soul. Now, when there are so many witnesses, all unconnected with each other, and living at times and places so distant from each other, and all inspired by an unerring God, must we not conclude that their testimony is true, and that David, in according with them, was true also ? The whole Inspired Volume must be set aside as an imposture and a delusion, if David's preference was not such as wisdom dictated, and God approved.]
2. On his side are even the ungodly, in their hours
of more serious reflection —
[Giddy as the world are, and ready to pour contempt on all serious religion, there is not one who does not sometimes say in his heart, " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." The consciences of men will sometimes speak ; and they will acknowledge that they have never found that satisfaction in earthly things which they had once hoped to find : and that religion alone can bring solid peace into the soul. And here I will venture to appeal to every indi- vidual, whether on some particular occasions, perhaps on the death of a friend or in a time of sickness, or after some faithful discourse, he have not felt the vanity of this present world, and the need of securing a portion beyond the grave ? and whether, on such occasions, he have not envied the state of those, whom, in his more thoughtless seasons, he has ridiculed ? Yes, Herod revered John, because he knew him to be a just and holy man : and Felix trembled, because he could not controvert the state- ments of Paul : and scarcely is there an ungodly man to be found, who has not, on some occasion or other, justified in his mind, if not in his words, the sentiment avowed by David in our text.]