ANSWER I.-David doth not boast of his merits, but observeth God's mercy and faithfulness in the fruits of obedience. There is mercy in appointing a reward for such slender services: "As many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them and mercy" (Gal. vi. 16). All the comfort we have is from mercy; yea, undeserved mercy. Those that walk according to this rule, stand in need of mercy. Their peace and comfort flow from mercy. They need mercy to cover the failings they are conscious to in their walkings. And then, consider his truth and faithfulness the reward of well-doing cometh, not by the worthiness of the work, but by virtue of God's promise. His word doth good to them that walk uprightly (Mic. ii. 7). God hath made himself a debtor by his promise, and oweth us no thanks for what he can do; it is only his gracious promise.

ANSWER II.-David speaketh not this to vaunt it above other men, but to commend obedience, and to encourage himself, and invite others, by remembering the fruits of it. There is a great deal of difference between carnal boasting and gracious observation. Carnal boasting is when we vaunt of our personal worth; gracious observation is when, for God's glory and our profit, we observe the fruits of obedience, and the benefits it bringeth along with it; that God never gave us cause to leave, but to commend, his service, and by what we have found, to invite others to come, and taste that the Lord is gracious.

USE I. The use is, to encourage us in the ways of the Lord and keeping of his precepts. It is no unprofitable thing: before we have done, we shall be able to say, "This I had, because I kept thy precepts." Two

things God usually bestoweth upon his people, a tolerable passage through the world, and a comfortable going out of the world; which is all a Christian needeth to care for here is only the place of his service, not of his rest.

1. He shall have a tolerable passage through the world. A child of God may have a hard, toilsome life of it; but he hath his mixtures of comfort in his deepest afflictions: he hath peace with God that keeps his heart and mind, and this maketh his passage through the world tolerable, because God is engaged with him: "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able" (1 Cor. x. 13). He is freed from wrath, and hath his discharge from the curse of the old covenant: he is taken into favour with God, and hath as much of temporal relief as is necessary for him: his condition is made comfortable to him.

2. A comfortable passing out of the world: "Remember now, O Lord, I beseech thee," saith Hezekiah, "how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart" (Isa. xxxviii. 3). When you lie upon your death-beds, and in a dying hour, how comfortable will this be, the remembrance of a well-spent and well-employed life in God's service! They that wonder at the zeal and niceness of God's children, when they are entering into the other world, they cry out then, Oh! that they had been more exact and watchful! Oh! that they might die the death of the righteous! They should live so. Men then have other notions of holiness than ever they had before. But, Christians, here is your comfort: the word of God, that hath been your rule, is now your comfort and cordial, and stands by you to the very last.

USE II-Is to persuade us to observe the difference between the ways of God and the ways of sin. When a man cometh to cast up his account

on the one side and on the other, oh! what a difference is there! Certainly there will a time come, when you must cast up your account and use this recollection, either when your eyes are opened by grace in conversion, or when your eyes are opened by punishment. On sin's side consider, when you look back to what is past (the Lord grant you may make this reflection!) "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed?" (Rom. vi. 21 :) you cannot look back without horror of conscience; as the unclean person, when he looketh back, and considereth that his flesh and body are consumed by sin: Prov. v. 11-13, he speaketh there of some noisome disease that hath gotten into his body. But then, on the other side, the side of godliness, "This I had, because I kept thy precepts." Oh! what peace, what serenity of mind, what hopes of eternal life, what comfortable entertainment, shall you have in Heaven! Determine beforehand what it will come to. Thus you see the difference between a sinful and a godly course.

SERMON LXIV.

VERSE 57.-Thou art my portion, O Lord: I have said that I would keep thy words.

David doth in this place make out his right and title: "Thou art my portion, O Lord," &c. Here is,

I. David's protestation, "Thou art my portion, O Lord."

II. David's resolution, "I have said that I would keep thy words." First, In the first of these, in David's protestation, you may take notice of his claim, and of the sincerity of it.

1st, Of his claim to God, "Thou art my portion." A part or portion, in the original use of the word, signifies a less quantity taken from a greater; a part is used in opposition to the whole. But, with respect to the matter in hand, it is not used in such a sense, but for our lot or happiness: not sensu mathematico, not with reference to a whole; but politico et forensi, with respect to choice, interest, and possession; and the allusion is taken, either from the distribution of the land of Canaan, where every one had his portion appointed to him by lot, and measured to him by rod and lines; therefore it is said, "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage:" or else it is an allusion to the partage of an ordinary estate, where every child hath his portion assigned him to live upon. Thus he lays claim to God himself.

2ndly, The sincerity of this claim may be gathered, because he speaks by way of address to God. He doth not say barely, 'He is my portion,' but challengeth God to his face, "Thou art my portion, O Lord." Elsewhere it is said, "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul" (Lam. iii. 24). There he doth not speak it by way of address to God, but he adds, "saith my soul;" but here to God himself, who knows the secrets of the heart. To speak thus of God to God, argues our sincerity, when to God's face we avow our trust and choice; as Peter, "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee" (John xxi. 17); he appeals to God's omnisciency: such an appeal is there to God for the truth of this assertion; as, in that other place, when the believing soul lays claim to God, the integrity of that claim is also asserted, not only by the lips or mouth, but also

"my soul." There is oratio mentalis, vocalis, vitalis: there is the speech of the heart, in the real inclination of it; and the speech of the tongue, in outward profession; and the speech of the life, by answerable practice. All three must be joined together: what the tongue utters, the heart and life must consent to. All will say God is their portion; but it is not what the tongue says, but what the heart saith; and what the heart saith, will appear in the course of your actions: there is the real proof and evidence of it. Thus much for David's protestation, "Thou art my portion, O Lord;" he speaks to God himself.

Secondly, Take notice of David's resolution, "I have said that I would keep thy words." It is good to see what kind of inference the saints draw from this principle, that God is their portion. Sometimes they infer theuce dependence upon God; sometimes, subjection and obedience to him; for this principle doth not only establish our comfort, but our duty. Sometimes to establish dependence: The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him" (Lam iii. 24): I will look for all from him, live upon him as a man doth upon his portion. But here David infers duty and obedience, "I have said that I would keep thy words."

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In this resolution, we may observe,

1. The formality or manner of making, "I have said:" it is by way of practical decree.

2. The matter of it, "I will keep thy words."

1st, For the formality or manner of it, "I have said;" I decreed within myself, I have fully concluded. Here was not a light or inconsiderate purpose, but such as was deliberate, fixed; a practical decree upon a debate. Whoever would enter upon a strict course displeasing to flesh and blood, must seriously consider, and then fixedly determine: deliberation and determination are both necessary. There must be consultation or deliberation, that he may sit down and count the charges: otherwise, if profession of godliness be lightly taken up, it will be as lightly left. Then there must be determination, or binding the heart by firm purpose; and, if we join the next verse, supplication or begging God's strength: then all is done. Now, this firm purpose, I have said, will help against inconstancy, or against backwardness, or unreadiness of heart. Against inconstancy many good motions we start; but they die away for want of coming to a resolution, or issuing forth a practical decree for God: "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James i. 8). But David, when he had considered all things, then, "I have said that I will keep thy words:" he was fully resolved. Then it will help against laziness, listlessness, and backwardness of heart. David, when he was grown shy of God, and his heart hung off from him; some great distemper was upon his soul, and he was loath to look God in the face; what course did he take then? He issues forth a practical decree: "I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord” (Psalm xxxii. 5). He thrusts himself forward, and charges himself to go to God, I am resolved I will break off silence, and open my case to God.' Thus we must excite ourselves by renewing a decree in the soul; determine, 'I will do thus and thus for God, whatever comes of it.'

2ndly, For the matter, "I will keep thy words." Keeping God's word notes an exact and tender respect; when a man keeps it as a jewel, as a precious treasure, that it may not be hazarded; or keeps it as the apple of

his eye (Prov. vii. 2).

The eye is soon offended with the least dust: so, when we are chary of the word of God, loath to offend God in anything, then are we said to keep his word.

Two points lie clear in the text :

I. That God alone is the godly man's portion.

II. That those which have chosen God for their portion, will manifest it by a fixed resolution and strict care of obedience.

It must needs be so: if God be his portion, his great business will be to keep in with him.

DOCTRINE I.-That God alone is the godly man's portion.

This will appear by Scripture and by reason. By Scripture: "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup" (Psalm xvi. 5). There is a double metaphor; first an allusion to the shares of the land of Canaan, so God is "the portion of mine inheritance," saith David; and an allusion to the manner of a feast, where every man had his allowance of meat set by his cup; but snares and brimstone are said to be the portion of a wicked man's cup. As every man had his allowance set by his flagon of wine, especially in a solemn feast, so God is the portion of my cup. So, "God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever," when "my flesh and my heart faileth" (Psalm lxxiii. 26); that is, when my body yields to the decay of nature; yea, when all our courage seems to be lost, borne down by difficulties that we endure in the flesh, God is a portion that will never fail.

To give some reasons of it: it will appear to be so,

1. By considering what is requisite to a man's portion.

2. Why a godly man looks upon God under this notion.

First, If a man were left to his free choice, what he would choose to take for his portion; not what is his portion in his strait, when he can have no better, but if he were left to his free choice,

1. He would require that it be something good, or apprehended to

be so.

2. That it be something to which he hath a title and interest, to which he can lay claim, or is in possession or expectation of according to right. 3. He would choose that which is suitable to the capacities, necessities, and desires of him whose portion it is.

it.

4. That it be sufficient to supply all his wants, so as he may live upon

5. That it be such a thing wherein he may find satisfaction and acquiescence, so that he needs seek no more and ask no more.

6. Such a thing wherein he may take complacency and great delight, where he may be well pleased and rejoiced.

Now, all these things are to be found in God; and with good reason the saints make this choice, and say, "Thou art my portion, O Lord." 1st, That which is to be chosen for our portion, must be God. "There is none good but one; that is God" (Matt. xix. 17): it is Christ's own proposition. He is good of himself, good in himself, yea, good itself. There is no good above him, besides him, or beyond him; but, if anything else be good, it is either from him or with him. But, that I may more distinctly speak to this,

1. God is primitively and originally good; the creature is but derivatively good. He is good of himself, which nothing else is; the fountain good, and therefore is called "the fountain of living waters" (Jer. ii. 13).

The creatures are but dry pits, or broken cisterns. Other things, what good they have, it is of him.

God must needs be infinitely better and greater than they; for all things which are good, they have it from God.

2. God is the chiefest good; and other things are only good in subordination. All creature-goodness is but a stricture of that perfect good which is in God; and therefore, if we find any good in them, that should lead us to the greater good, even to the Creator. Who would leave the substance, to follow the shadow; or desire the picture, to the dishonour and neglect of the person whom it represents? Certainly so they do that run after the creature, and neglect God; that seek happiness in sublunary enjoyments, to the wrong and neglect of God. That small good which the creatures have, is not to hold us on them; but to lead us to him, as the streams will direct us to the fountain; and the steps of the ladder are not to stand still upon, but to ascend higher. If your affections be detained in the creature, you set the creature in God's stead; you pervert it from its natural use, which is to set forth the invisible things of God, his excellency, his goodness, his godhead, and his power to do you good, and to send you to him that made them. But how usually doth that which should carry us to God, divert and detain us from him! If a prince should woo a virgin by a messenger, and she should leave him, and cleave to the messenger and those he sent as spokesmen and servants, this were an extreme folly. By the beauty and sweetness of the creatures, God's end is to draw us to himself as the chiefest good; for that which we love in other things, is but a shadow and an obscure resemblance of that which is in him. There is sweetness in the creature, mixed with imperfection: the sweetness is to draw us to God; but the imperfection is to drive us from setting our hearts on them. There is somewhat good in them, look up to the Creator; but there is vanity and vexation of spirit, and this is to drive us off from these sublunary things.

3. He is infinitely good. In this portion, one hath not the less because another enjoys it with him. Here is a sharing without division, a partaking without prejudice of a copartner; for every man hath his portion whole and entire it is no less to us because others enjoy it too. We straiten others in worldly things so much as we are enlarged ourselves; for these things are finite, and cannot be divided but they must be lessened, and therefore are not large enough. But this good is infinite, and sufficeth the whole world; and every one possesseth it entire. As the same speech may be heard of all, yet no man heareth less because another heareth it with him; or, as the same sun shines upon all, I have not the less light because it shines upon another as well as me: so God is all in all; if there be any difference, the more we possess him the better; as, in a choir of voices, every one is not only solaced with his own voice, but with the harmony of those that sing in concert with him. Worldly inheritance is lessened by a multitude of coheirs in outward estates, many a fair stream is drawn dry or runs low, by being parted and dispersed in several channels; but God, that is infinite, cannot be lessened.

4. He is an eternal good, and so the most durable portion: he is "my portion for ever" (Psalm lxxiii. 26). The good things of this life are but like flowers: they be for a season, and then they wither: they are perishing, and of a short continuance. We carry away nothing of it in our