seems to be a foolish thing to a carnal heart. To give up ourselves to God, and all our interest, and to wait upon the reversion of a happiness in another world, which is doubtful whether there will be any such thing or not, is a folly to him. To deny present lusts and interests, to be much in prayer, and be often in communion with God, is esteemed a like folly. When the Apostle came to preach the Gospel to the wits at Athens, they "scoffed" at him; they entertained his doctrine as fire is entertained in wet wood, with hissing and scorn. To do all, and suffer all, and that upon the account of a happiness to come, to a carnal heart this is but a fancy and a mere imagination.

3. As blind and obstinate, so we are apt to abuse truth. Carnal hearts turn all to a carnal purpose. As spiders assimilate and turn all they suck into their own substance, so doth a carnal heart turn all, even the counsels and comforts of the word, to a carnal purpose. Or as the sea, whatever comes into it, the sweet rivers or the droppings of the clouds, turns all into salt water. "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things; prudent, and he shall know them :-but the transgressors shall stumble therein" (Hos. xiv. 9). As right excellent and as notable as the doctrines of the word are, yet a carnal heart finds matter in them to stumble at; he picks that which is an occasion of ruin and eternal perdition from the Scripture; therefore the Apostle saith, "If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus" (Eph. iv. 21). We are never right, and truth never works as to regeneration, but it is only fuel for our lusts, until we have learned it as it is in Jesus. Carnal men undo themselves by their own apprehensions of the truths of God. Luther calls some promises, "bloody promises," because of the mistakes of carnal men by their perverse application. Therefore that we may maintain an awe of God in our souls, we need to be taught of God.

4. We are apt to abuse our knowledge. Saving knowledge makes us more humble; but carnal knowledge more proud. Where it is in gift rather than in grace, there men are puffed up. The more we know God or ourselves by a divine light, the more humble we shall be: "When I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth" (Jer. xxxi. 18, 19). The more light we have from God, the more we look into a vile heart. When Adam's eyes were opened he ran into the bushes, he was ashamed: so when God openeth the eyes, and teacheth a Christian, this makes him more humble.

5. There needs God's teaching, because we are so apt to forsake, when we have known the things of God: "The proud do err from thy commandments" (Psalm cxix. 21). What is the reason David was so steadfast in the truth? He did not take it up from the teachings of man, but from the teachings of God. When one man leads us into any truth, another man may lead us out again. But now when God hath taught us, and impressed a truth upon the heart, then it is durable. What is the reason believers are not as fickle as others, and not led away by the impure Gnostics, and like those libertines now among us? "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things" (1 John ii. 20). They had an unction which came down from Jesus Christ upon their hearts; and then a man is not led away by every fancy, but begins to grow stable in spirit.

6. We cannot tell how to master our corruptions, nor restore reason to its dominion again. It is not enough to bring light into the soul, but we must have power and efficacy, or true conversion will not follow. Man's reason was to govern his actions. Now all literal instruction is weak; like a March sun, which draweth up the vapours, but cannot scatter them, it can discover sins, but cannot quell them: "When the commandment came, sin revived, and I died" (Rom. vii. 12). Paul could not tell how to bridle his lusts, he found them more outrageous: "The good that I would do, I do not and the evil which I would not, that I do."

3rdly, The benefit and utility of God's teaching. When God teacheth, truth cometh upon us with more conviction and demonstration (1 Cor. ii. 6), and so hath a greater awe and sovereignty. Those that have made

any trial can judge between being taught of God and men. Those that are taught of men, the charms of rhetoric may sometimes stir up some loose affection, but it doth soon vanish and wear away again; but the work of God makes deep impression upon the soul, and truths are then more affective. Man's knowledge is sapless, dry, and unsavoury: "For if these things be in you and abound, they make you so that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Pet. i. 8). There may be an empty belief, and a naked and an unactive apprehension of Christ which stirs up no affection; but the light which comes from God, enters upon the heart, it affects the whole soul (Prov. ii. 10). It doth not only stay in the fancy, float in the brain, but affect the heart. And then it is renewing. Man's light may make us more learned, but God's light more holy. We are changed by beholding the glory of God, into the same image (2 Cor. iii. 18).

SERMON XIV.

VERSE 13.-With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth.

For the coherence of these words, you may refer them either to the 11th or 12th verse. If to the 11th verse, there he speaks of hiding the word in his heart, and now it breaks out in his tongue. First it must be in the heart, and next in the tongue. First in the heart. It is but hypocrisy to be speaking and talking of good things, when we have not been refreshed and warmed by them ourselves. Christianity is not a religion to talk of, but to live by. There are many rotten-hearted hypocrites that are all talkers; like the moon, dark in themselves, whatever light they give out to others; or like negroes, that dig in rich mines, and bring up gold for others, when themselves are poor. The power of grace in the heart, is a good foundation for grace in the lips. This is the method and order wherein David expresseth it, "I have hidden thy word in my heart;" and then, "with my lips have I declared," &c. And as it must be first in the heart, so next in the tongue; Christ speaks of him that believeth in him, that out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John vii. 28). By the belly is meant the heart; when there is true grace in the heart, the sweet influences thereof will flow forth in their common discourse for the refreshing of others; as a spring sendeth the streams to water the ground about it. If the heart be full, the tongue will drop what is savoury. I say, certainly if it be within, it will break out. The word is to be hid, not like a talent in a napkin, but like gold in a treasury,

to be laid out upon all meet occasions. Thus referring it to the 11th verse, there may be a fair connexion.

Or if you refer it to the 12th verse, "Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes;" teach me, that I may teach others. Our requests for knowledge are like to speed, when we are willing to exercise this knowledge for the glory of God, and the good of others. Talents thrive by their use: "To him that hath shall be given" (Matt. xxv. 29), that is, to him that useth his talents. Trading brings increase; and so it may be used as an argument to back that petition, Lord teach me: for I have been ever declaring with my lips all the judgments of thy mouth.'

Again, none can speak of God with such favour and affection as he that is taught of God: Teach me, and I have or will declare (it may be read either way,) all the judgments of thy mouth.' A Heathen could say, Non loquendum de Deo sine lumine, we must not speak of God without light. The things of God are best represented with the light of his own grace. David shows that he would perform the duty of a good disciple; that he would teach others, if God should teach him. In the words two things are to be explained :

I. What he will declare, "All the judgments of thy mouth."
II. In what sense he will declare them.

First, What he will declare. God's will revealed in the Scripture, is called the "judgments of his mouth." His judgments, I have showed that (verse 7) at large. Briefly now I will add two reasons: first, because it is the rule according to which we must judge of all spiritual truth: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" (Isa. viii. 20). Secondly, it is the rule according to which we must look to be judged both here and hereafter: Here, "I will chastise them (or judge them) as their congregation hath heard." According to the sentence of the word, so will the course of his providence be; and according to which we shall be judged hereafter. "The word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John xii. 48). God's providences are a comment upon the Scriptures. The Scripture is not only a record of what is past, but a calendar and prognostication of what is to come; you may read your doom, your judgment there; for the statutes of the Lord are called judgments, because of an answerable proceeding in the course of God's providence; if men escape here, they will not escape the judgment of the last day, when the sentence of that God shall infallibly be made good. Now the verdict of the word, it is called the judgments of "his mouth," as if God himself had pronounced by oracle, and judged from Heaven in the case; and these judgments of his mouth the Psalmist saith, shall be the matter of his discourse and conference with others.

Secondly, In what sense is it said that he will declare all the judgments of his mouth? In this speech David may be considered as a king, as a prophet, or as a private believer.

1. As a king, so some conceive, that whenever he judged or gave sentence upon the throne, he would declare the judgments of God's mouth; that is, decree in the case according to the sentence of the law. In favour of this sense it may be alleged,

(1.) That certainly the king was bound to study the law of God, as you shall see: "When he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before

the priests the Levites and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life" (Deut. xvii. 18, 19). Every king was bound to have a copy of the law, the Rabbies say, written with his own hand, carried about with him wheresoever he went in city or camp.

(2.) That the kings of Judah were bound up by the judicials of Moses, (out of that which is before the priests and Levites) that is, according to thy judicial laws, so will I pass sentence upon malefactors.

(3.) That proceeding according to this rule, their declarations in court were the judgments of God's mouth. "He said to the judges, Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment" (2 Chron. xix. 6). If this sense did prevail, we might observe, hence, That a godly man useth the word to season the duties of all his relations. And again, that a good magistrate is so to judge upon the throne, that his sentences there may be as the judgments of God's own mouth. But that which caused this misconceit was the word (judgments), which is not of such a limited import and signification, as those that pitched upon this interpretation did conceive; and therefore mistook the meaning of this place.

2. David may be considered here as a prophet, and so as a pattern of all teachers. He asserts his sincerity in two respects: (1.) As to the matter of his doctrine, it should be the "judgments of God's mouth," such as he had received from God. (2.) As to the extent, that he would "declare all the judgments of his mouth."

(1.) As to the matter of his doctrine, it should be the judgments of his mouth. That which should be declared and taught in the church, should not be our own opinions and fancies, but the pure word of God; not the vanity of our thoughts, but the verity of his revelations ; otherwise we neither discharge our duty to God, nor to the children of God. Not to God, when we come in his name without his message. "Ah, Lord! thou hast greatly deceived this people" (Jer. iv. 10), saith the prophet Jeremiah to God: "thou hast done it," because the false prophets had done it in his name. The dishonour reflects upon him when his ordinance is abused to countenance the fancies of our own brain. to the children of God, whose appetite carrieth them to pure, unmixed milk: "As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" (1 Peter ii. 2); λoyikòλ ädoλov yála unmixed milk. The more natural the milk is, and without any mixture, the more kindly to a gracious appetite. To mix it with sugar, and the luscious strains of a human wit, doth but disguise it, and hide it from a spiritual taste. But to mix it with lime, (as Hierome saith of heretics,) makes it baneful and noxious. Thus he speaks of his faithfulness as a prophet, a public teacher in the church.

Nor

(2.) As to the extent, all the judgments of thy mouth, without adding or diminishing. No part of God's counsel must be forborne, either out of fear or favour. Our work is not to look what will please or displease, but what is commanded: "I have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God" (Acts xx. 27). If it be the counsel of God, let it succeed how it will, it must be spoken; so David here, "all the judgments of thy mouth."

3. David may be considered as a private Christian; and so I would declare all the judgments of thy mouth in a way of conference and gracious

discourse: this is the sense I shall manage. The consideration I shall insist upon is this:

DOCTRINE.-It concerns all that fear God to declare, upon meet occasions, the judgments of his mouth.

How? In the way of public teaching? Shall every one that hath knowledge and parts teach?

I answer, No: there are some separate for that work: Separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work whereunto I have called them" (Acts. xiii. 2). Paul and Barnabas were gifted and called by the Spirit, yet were to be solemnly authorised by prophets and teachers at Antioch, by officers of the Church.

Was it not enough they were called by the Holy Ghost? man add more ?

What can

There must be order in the church: though they were called, yet they were to be ordained, and to have a solemn commission. It is true, all Christians are prophets, yet they are not to invade the office ministerial: as they are also all kings, yet they are not to usurp the magistracy, or to disturb the ruler in his government. If Christians would but meditate more, and see how much they have to do to preach to their own hearts; if they would but regard the unquestionable duty that they owe to their families more, this itch of public preaching would be much abated, and many other confusions and disorders among us would be prevented; and they would sooner find the Lord's blessing upon interchangeable discourse, gracious conferences, than this affectation of sermoning and set discourses.

Well then, we are to declare the judgments of his mouth, not by way of public teaching, but by way of private conference, edifying others, and glorifying God by the knowledge and experience that we have,—

1st, In our own families.

2ndly, In our converses.

1. In our own families, in training up children and servants in the way of the Lord, and inculcating the doctrine of God upon them. This is a commanded duty, as you may see: "And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart." What then?" And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deut. vi. 6, 7). Morning and evening, rising up and lying down, at home and abroad, they should be instructing their families. When the word of God is in the heart, thus it will break out. And, chapter ii. verse 19, you have the same again. This is a duty God reckoneth upon, that you will not omit such a necessary piece of service: "I know Abraham, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord” (Gen. xviii. 19). God promiseth himself, that from Abraham and his family he should have respect. God hath made many great promises to Abraham, as he doth now to all believers; but if you would have him bring upon you that which he hath spoken, you must not disappoint him. The seasoning of youth betimes in your families, is a very great advantage. The family is the seminary of the church and state; and usually those that are bred ill in the family, they prove ill when they go abroad. A fault in the first concoction is not mended in the second; and therefore here you should be declaring the mind and counsel of God to them. Many that afterwards prove eminent instruments of God's glory, will bless you for it to all eter