comfort and support than all the arguments that can be produced by reason: "This is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me" (Psalm cxix. 50); he had a word to support him. Therefore let us treasure up all the promises; all will be little enough when we need comforts. That we may not have them to seek in a time of distress, it is good they should be familiar. As you read the word, collect for your comfort and profit; happy is the man that hath his garner full of them. And so for threatenings, especially against the sins we are most inclinable to: "Who among you will give ear, and hear for the time to come?" (Isa. xlii. 23). You should think of what will come afterward; it is well with you for the present, but matters to come are put off, little cared for (Amos vi. 3).

2. In hearing. Do not hear slightly, but hide the word in your heart, that it be not embezzled by thy own negligence, forgetfulness, running into carnal distractions; that it be not purloined by Satan, that he may not snatch away the good seed out of thy soul. When the word is preached, there is more company present than is visible; there are angels and devils in the assembly. Whenever the sons of God meet together, Satan is present with them. The Devil is present to divert the mind by wandering thoughts, by raising prejudices, that we may cast out the word; or by excuses, delays, evasions, putting it off to others when we begin to have some sensibleness of our sin and danger. The Devil is loth to let us go too far, lest Christ get a subject into his kingdom. Oh, therefore, labour to get something into thy heart by every sermon; some fresh notion or consideration is given out to set you a work in the spiritual life. A conscientious waiting upon God will find something every time. It is sad to consider how many have heard much, and laid up little or nothing at all, it may be they have laid it up in their note-books, but not laid up the word in their hearts.

3. For meditation. Meditate upon the word; do not study the word in a cursory manner, or content yourselves with a slight taste, or a little volatile affection, but ponder it seriously, that it may enter into your very heart. Hasty and perfunctory thoughts work nothing; meat must be well chewed and digested, if you would have it turn into good blood and spirits: you must follow it close till it settle into some affection.

So much for David's practice: "I have hid thy word in my heart." The Second thing is the aim and end of it, "That I may not sin against thee."

DOCTRINE II.-In hiding the word in our hearts there must be a right end; our knowledge of it, and delight in it, must be directed to practice.

1. We must not study the word merely out of curiosity, that we may know what is said there; as men will pry into civil art and discipline; so the Athenians flocked about Paul (Acts xvii. 18-21); so, for novelty sake, men may have an affection and a delight in the word: "Ye rejoiced in his light for a season" (John v. 35). There are certain adulterous affections we have to the word when it is new and fresh, but when it grows stale we loathe it. This affection to the word is soon spent.

2. We must not hide the word in our heart merely that we may be able to teach others,-that we may make a gainful trade of it. Alas! a man may teach others, and be himself a castaway. Look! as in coining of money, an iron stamp may impress the character and print upon a

piece of gold and silver; so God may use the gifts and knowledge of some men to beget faith in others, and perish themselves: "We have prophesied in thy name;" yet, "depart from me, I know you not" (Matt. vii. 21).

3. This must not be our end neither, not merely for delight. Largeness of knowledge brings a content with it, as it is an addition to our perfection. Truth is the object of our understanding, and may please an unsanctified mind, not merely out of subserviency to some base and inferior ends, that we may get esteem in the world, or the repute of knowing persons, but as it is an elevation of the understanding. Every delight in truth is not a delight in God. There is a natural oblectation we have in the contemplation of any sublime truth; this is merely a delight in the work of our own faculties, when the affections are terminated in bare knowledge; as it is a high and mysterious truth; as it is a delectation to the understanding.

4. We are not merely to study the word for the comfortableness of it, and the suitableness to the conscience. As man is a reasonable creature he will delight in knowledge, and as he hath a conscience presageous of death and judgment to come, he may delight in the comfort of it. Many search out promises, that do not affect precepts. The stony ground seemed to have a joy. They may delight in the comfortable part of religion, but this joy comes to nothing; this gladsome, forward spring is no sure prognostication of a plentiful harvest. Then do we receive the word aright, when we look to the holy part, and mortify our natural desires and affections. Many deal with the word as great men do with fleshly companions; are willing to entertain them at their tables to hear their discourse, because of the pleasantness of their mirth; but to enter into bonds for them, and discharge them from debt, or better their fortunes, that they will not do: so many will give Christ and the word, and the comfortable part of it entertainment; but they are loth to take the duty of the gospel upon themselves. Therefore it is not enough to study the word merely that we may cherish our own persons with the comfortable part of it, but we must also study the holy part of it, and that which doth require our duty. Let us labour to hide the word in our hearts, as David did, “I have hid thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee."

SERMON XIII.

VERSE 12.-Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes.

In these words you have :

I. A compellation, "Blessed art thou, O Lord.”

II. A supplication, "Teach me thy statutes."

The compellation carrieth the force of an argument; because thou art blessed, O Lord, therefore teach me.' And therefore I shall open the sense of this title that is here given to God, so as I may still make good the argument.

For the sense. God may be said to be blessed, objectively or subjectively. 1st, Objectively, as he is the object of our blessedness. It is our blessedness to enjoy God, "Happy is that people whose God is the Lord" (Psalm cxliv. 15). That is our blessedness, to have God for our portion. As soon as we are admitted into covenant with God, we have a right to

him, "I am thy God;" and we have the full consummation of it when we enter into Heaven: there we have the highest enjoyment of God that we are capable of. We have many fruitless and unquiet cares to enjoy the creatures, which are neither blessed in themselves, nor can they make us blessed. But now God is our summum bonum, our chief good. The enjoyment of him is the chiefest good. Still we are capable of a higher happiness, until we enjoy God. In other things we can neither have satisfaction nor security; the creature cannot satisfy, nor yet secure us in the enjoyment of itself. In this sense the argument will hold good, "Blessed art thou, O Lord;" that is, thou art the object of my blessedness, my blessedness lieth in the enjoyment of thee; therefore "teach me thy statutes." If God be our chiefest good, and our utmost end, it concerns us nearly to learn out the way how we may enjoy him: "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent" (John xvii. 3). It concerns believers to study that wherein their eternal happiness consisteth, and what is the way to get it: "Thou art blessed," and therefore "teach me thy statutes.”

2ndly, Subjectively; and so again God is blessed either in an active, or in a passive sense.

1. In an active sense. And here we must distinguish again; for so God is blessed, either with respect to himself, or with respect to us.

(1.) Blessed in himself, as he hath the fulness of perfection and contentment. Blessedness is often ascribed to God, "The glorious gospel of the blessed God" (1 Tim. i. 11). I will open that place, by-and-bye. "Who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and lord of Lords" (1 Tim. vi. 15). Now how is God blessed in himself? God's blessedness is that attribute by which the Lord from himself, and in his own being, is free from all misery, and enjoyeth all good, and is sufficient to himself, and contented with himself, and doth neither need nor desire the creature for any good that can accrue to him by us. Or, more shortly, God's blessedness is the fruition of himself, and his delighting in himself. Mark, it lieth not in the enjoyment of the creature, but in the enjoyment of himself. God useth us, but dcth not enjoy us. As we enjoy a thing for itself, but we use it for another, so uti and frui differ: we use the means, but enjoy the end. God useth the creature in subserviency to his own glory. So it is said, "The Lord hath made all things for himself" (Prov. xvi. 4). His happiness lieth in knowing himself, in loving himself, in delighting in himself.

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But how is this used as an argument, "Blessed art thou, O Lord: therefore teach me thy statutes ?" Either thus: God that is blessed hath enough for himself, surely then there is enough in him for us too: “I am God, all-sufficient, walk before me, and be thou perfect" (Gen. xvii. 1). I say, if God finds satisfaction enough in himself, our souls surely will find satisfaction in him. That which will fill a pottle or greater measure will fill a pint, or a lesser measure. That which will satisfy a prince, and be enough for him in that estate, will satisfy a beggar, and supply his wants. God hath an infinite fulness of knowledge, comfort, and holiness, therefore surely enough to satisfy us, empty as we are. Therefore we should desire to receive of this fulness in God's way. Or, again, thus: If God be blessed, we had need to inquire after his statutes, for these teach us the way how we may be blessed in God's blessedness; how we may be conformed to the nature of God, and live

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the life of God, and then surely we shall be happy enough. (1.) How may we be conformed to the nature of God, "that we may be partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter i. 4.) according to our measure, that ours may be such as his is? The promises, or the word, have an influence that way. If we see a man hath a rich trade, and secret ways of gain, every one would be acquainted with the mysteries and art of his getting, and desirous to know it. God is eternally blessed, therefore we should study to be like him. (2.) That we may live the life of God. Surely if we can learn to live such a life as God doth, we should be happy. However our prejudices darken it, yet the life of God cannot be a gloomy life. Now, ignorance of God's statutes is a great hindrance to the life of God. Being alienated (or estranged) from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" (Eph. iv. 18). Well, then, the consideration of this, that God is blessed, will certainly make us prize his statutes, prize his word, for by that we are conformed to the nature of God, and to the life of God; we are engaged in the same design wherein God himself is engaged. God loves himself, and acts for himself, and pursueth his own glory. Now when the word of God breaks in upon the heart, we pursue the same design with God. Men are prejudiced against a course of holiness; it seems to look upon them with a sour and austere face. Surely God loves a pleasant life; whoever is miserable, he hath a full contentment. Doth he that made all things want true joy and contentment? Who should have happiness if God hath not? Now when we learn God's statutes, we come to be conformed to the nature of God; we love what he loves, and hate what he hates, and then we begin to live the life of God. The happiness of God lieth in loving himself, enjoying himself, and acting for his own glory; and this is the fruit of grace, to teach us to live as God lives, to do as God doth; to love him and enjoy him, as our chiefest good; and to glorify him as our utmost end. This is the first sense, wherein God may be said to be actively blessed, as he hath infinite complacency in himself.

(2.) God is actively blessed with respect to us, as he is the fountain of all blessedness. He is not only blessedness itself, but willing to communicate and give it out to the creature, especially to his saints. He fills all created things with his blessedness: "Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing" (Psalm cxlv. 16). There is not a creature in the world but has tasted of God's bounty, but especially the saints: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ" (Eph. i. 3). These are vessels into which God is still pouring more, until they be completely filled up. Now this communicativeness that is in God, without any irking of mind is a certain argument or encouragement to move us to seek of God grace to keep his statutes. This is often urged in this case, his communicativeness to all his creatures: "The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy; teach me thy statutes" (verse 64). Thou art bountiful to all creatures, and O Lord shew thy bounty to me. The same again: "Thou art good, and doest good, teach me thy statutes" (verse 68). Every good, the better it is, the more it is diffusive of itself; and it is a part of God's blessedness that he is still of the giving hand: "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts xx. 35). It was a maxim

which Christ commended to his disciples: "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus;" that which he often inculcated, "That it is more blessed to give than to receive." The words formally indeed are not found in any Evangelist; only there we may see the whole drift of Christ's doctrine was to press men to give; it is a more blessed thing. This is the happiness of God, that he gives to all, and receives of none; that he is so ready to communicate of his own fulness upon such free terms, "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace" (John i. 16). That is, grace for grace's sake. Thus we have seen how God is actively blessed.

2. God is passively blessed, as he is blessed by us, or as worthy of all praise from us, for his goodness, righteousness, and mercy, and the communications of his grace. There are two words by which our thanksgiving is expressed, "praise" and "blessing;" you have both in Psalm cxlv. 10: "All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord: and thy saints shall bless thee." Praise relateth to God's excellency, and blessing to his benefits; his works declare his excellency, but his saints (which are sensible to his benefits) they bless him; they count him worthy of all honour and praise; and are ever ascribing "Blessing, honour, glory, and power unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Rev. v. 13). Why blessing? As for other things, so it was for opening the book which was sealed with seven seals, and revealing his mind to his people, as you may see, verse 9. David here," Blessed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy statutes." he had said, 'Lord, thou art, and thou shalt be blessed; I bless thee that thou hast taught me; and I desire thou wouldst teach me still, that I may ever bless thee.' Thus it may be taken in a passive sense, as he is the object of our blessedness.

So

As if

Well then, all that I have said upon this compellation, it may be reduced to these six propositions:

I. That God is over all, and above all; blessed enough in himself, and needeth nothing from us to add to his happiness and perfection.

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That he is blessed enough in himself: "God over all, blessed for ever (Rom. ix. 5). That he needs nothing from us to add to his happiness and perfection : My righteousness,-my goodness, extendeth not to thee" (Psalm xvi. 2). He is above our benefits and injuries. If there could result any one happiness to God from the creature, surely then he would have made the world sooner. What hindered him? For why should he keep himself out of his own happiness? And, therefore, he made the world, not that he might be happy, but that he might be liberal. Before ever there was hill or mountain, man or angels, God was happy enough in himself. The Divine Persons took infinite delight and complacency in each other, as their rejoicing is expressed: "I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him" (Prov. viii. 30). God had infinite complacency in Christ, and Christ in God, both in the Spirit; all in each, and each in all, before ever there was hill or mountain. The world is upheld as stones are in an arch, by a mutual dependence, by a combination of interests. We need one another, but God doth not stand in need of us. "The head cannot say to the foot, I have no need of thee;" the greatest stand in need of the meanest, of their labours, their service; the meanest parts have their use in the body. But now, God standeth in no need of us, for he giveth all, and he receiveth nothing back again; as the fountain hath no