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SERMON IV.

PSALM LXXIII. 23.

Nevertheless 1 am continually with thee, thou hast holden me by my right-hand.

T

HESE are the words

of the holy Pfalmist just recovering out of a very fore and deep distress, which in the foregoing verses he at large describes, with the occafion of it.

Before he mentions any thing of his trial, he lays down this as an undoubted principle, Truly God is good to Ifrael, even to fuch as are of a clean heart. However such as these may seem neglected, or severely dealt withal by him ; whatever hard thoughts they may be tempted to give way to, they have reason to believe, and will be brought to own at last, that truly God is good to his Ifrael; peculiarly, savingly, everlastingly good to fuch as are of a clean beart.

Having laid down this as his ground upon which to justify God, he declares how forely he had been shaken, from observing the unequal distributions of providence, in the outward prosperity of finners, and the affliction of God's faints. But as for me, my feet were almost gone, my steps had well nigh flipt; ver. 2. My faith and hope in God's promises and providence were staggered, and I could scarce keep my ground: feeing the enemies of heaven in the most flourishing condition upon earth, I was ready to throw up all religion, as standing in the way of my happiness. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked, ver. 3. The instances of this he fets down, with the effect they had upon him. There are no bands in their death; but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men : neither are they plagued like other men, ver. 4, 5. They are often strong and healthful while they live, and then are removed by a natural and easy death; have their days filled with plenty and pleasure, though by all, they grow worse and worse, and give themselves a greater scope in finning, even to the blafpheming of God, as well as abusing of his fervants: Behold these are the ungodly who profper in the world, they increase in riches. These are the men, and this is their condition, a prosperous one. Upon which, he was tempted to make this strange conclufion, viz. That all that he had done in religion was loft labour. Verily, I have cleanfed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency; i. e. there being no difference made in my cafe, unless for the worse: For all the day long have I been plagued, and chaftened every morning, ver. 13, 14.

And though he does not allow himself to break out in such language as this, lest he should condemn the people of God; yet he could not get over the difficulty, or obtain fatisfaction why God God should deal thus, from any reason of his own. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me. Until I went into the fanctuary of

God; then understood 1 their end, ver. 16. If ever we would have our fcruples answered, and our doubts effectually removed, it must be by God's teaching; and for this we are to wait where he is wont to be found, viz. in the fanctuary. There consulting the oracles, and attending the ordinances of God, the Pfalmist had his mind calmed: as being taught,

1. That this world is only a state of trial and preparation in order to another : whence, no wonder that seemingly unequal diftributions are made to faints and sinners, as if God had crossed hands, and mistook his enemies for his fervants; but it is nothing lefs.

2. Sinners are not presently punished, nor the righteous rewarded; because God hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world in righteoufnefs, and would train up his people in the faith and expectation of it, and leave those inexcusable who live as if it would never be.

3. The time is short both of the wicked's triumph, and the saints sufferings, and will foon be over. The scene shall be e'er long changed, and in the next state things shall be put into better order, and all that set right which here seems so much amiss.

4. What finners have in hand is their portion. They have their good things here; all that ever they are like to have. Upon their leaving the present world, they must leave their happiness too; and how foon, how fuddenly

may they be snatched away into a world, where nothing remains to them but endless torments ? Surely thou didst fet them in lippery places; where, Who would defire to stand? Thou caftedft them down into destruction: upon which he that here looked upon them with envy, could not but look after them with horror, and cry out, How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment? They are utterly confumed with terrors. And how little reason is there to repine at their empty short-lived happiness upon earth, in their way to an everlasting hell ?

or Nor need faints to fink under their present sufferings, or think themselves hardly used; the fufferings of the present time, not being worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed: and the light afflictions of the present life, working for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, Rom. viii. 18. 2 Cor, iv. 17.

5. How little appearance soever there is of this, or of preparation for it at present, The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of temptation, and to referve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, 2 Peter ii. 9... And then their imaginary felicity will all vanish, and be exchanged for real misery. As a dream when one awaketh, fo, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

Having learned such things as these by beling in the sanctuary, the Pfalmist looks back, and bewails his folly in being so far borne down, and almost overset. Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. So foolish was I,

:

and

and ignorant: I was as a beaft before thee, i. e. I looked no farther than present things, and was ready to judge by flesh and sense; and fo was unreasonably disquieted, if all things went not as I would have had them in the present life; as if there were no after state, with reference to which all might be well accounted for.

This having been his cafe and carriage, he comes to shew in the result of all, how kindly he had been dealt with by God, in this his address to him in the text. Nevertheless I am continually with thee : thou hast holden me by my right band.

To make way for what I design: in the words are confiderable,

1. The state and character of the perfon speaking: one related to God, of the generation of his children; but forely shaken by a temptation, and almost overcome.

2. The temper he discovers upon his coming out of his distress, and the happiness he acknowledges he had enjoyed, by this his address to God, I am continually with thee.

3. When this was uttered, and upon what occasion : viz. after a fore temptation, and a deal of weakness betrayed under it. Nevertheless, O Lord, I am continually with thee. And how deeply does he appear affected in speaking thus? Nevertheless, i. e. after all that has past, and notwithstanding all, when I was pressed so hard, and made to stagger to that degree, that I was just overthrown, and my feet almost gone; when I was in the utmost danger, and upon the brink