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Thus in the 63d Psalm, at the beginning, My sout thirsteth for thee in a dry land where there is no water; not for water where there is none, but for thee where there is no water. Therefore he adds in verse 3d, thy loving kindness is better than life: and all that be truly wise, and of this mind, will subscribe to his choice. Let them enjoy this loving kindness and prize it, because whatever befals them, their happiness and joy is above the reach of all calamities. Let them be derided and reproached abroad, yet still this inward persuasion makes them glad and contented as a rich man said, Though the people hated and taunted him, yet when he came home and looked upon his chests, Egomet mihi plaudo domi.” With how much better reason do believers bear out external injuries? What inward contentment, when they consider themselves truly enriched with the favour of God! And as this makes them con-. temn the contempts that the world puts upon them, so likewise it breeds in them a neglect and disdain of those poor trifles that the world admires. The sum of their desires is (as that Cynick's was of the sun-shine) that the rays of the love of God may shine constantly upon them. The favourable aspect and large proffers of kings and princes would be unwelcome to them, if they should stand betwixt them and the sight of that sun and truly they have reason. What are the highest things the world affords? What are great honours and great estates, but great cares and griefs well drest and coloured over with a shew of pleasure, that promise contentment, and perform nothing but vexation? That they are not satisfying, is evident; for the obtaining of much of them doth but stretch the appetite, and teach men to desire more. They are not solid neither. Will not the pains of a gout, of a strangury, or some such malady (to say nothing of the worst, the pains of a guilty conscience) blast all these delights? What relish finds a man in large revenues and stately buildings, in high preferment

and honourable titles, when either his body or mind is in anguish? And besides the emptiness of all these things, you know they want one main point, continuance. But the loving kindness of God hath all requisites to make the soul happy. O satisfy us early with thy goodness, (or mercy) says Moses, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days*. There is fulness in that for the vastest desires of the soul, satisfy us; there is solid, contentment that begets true joy and gladness; and there is permanency, all our days. It is the only comfort of this life, and assurance of a better. This were a large subject to insist on, but certainly the naming of his loving kindness should beget in each heart an high esteem of it, an ardent desire after it. And if it do so with you, then know that it is only to be found in the way of holiness. He is a holy God, and can love nothing that's altogether unlike himself. There must always be some similitude and conformity of nature to ground kindness and friendship, and to maintain it. That saying is true, Idem velle & idem nolle, firma amicitia. What gross self-flattery is it, to think that God's loving kindness can be towards you, while you are in love with sin, which He so perfectly hates ? How can the profane swearer or voluptuous person, or the oppressor and covetous, or the close hypocrite, (worse than any of them) rest upon the loving kindness of the Lord in the day of troubles? No sure. But the terror of his wrath shall be added to all their other calamities; and they shall find it heavier than all the rest. God will not pour this precious oil of gladness, this persuasion of his love, into filthy vessels. Even his own children, when they grieve and sadden his holy spirit by unholiness, shall be sadly punished by the withdrawing of these comforting and sensible expressions of his love.

Labour then you, that as yet never tasted of this love, to know what it means. Forsake and hate that k Psalm. xc. 14.

which hitherto has made you strangers to it; for if you obtain this, it shall comfort you when these things cannot, but would rather prove your greatest torment. And you that have received any testimonies of it, entertain it carefully, for it is your best comfort both in your best days, and in your worst days too.

You would all gladly be delivered from these many evils that threaten you; for many they be indeed, and peace is a great blessing. But suppose you were secured from all these fears, and he should command a sudden calm, (which truly he can do) would you then think yourselves happy? That life of yours which you so fear to lose by fire or sword, though you had peace, would ere long fall into the hands of some ague, or fever, or consumption, and perish by them, or at the longest, a few years will end it it is a lighted candle, that though no body blow out, will quickly burn out of itself. But this loving kindness is not so short-lived, it shall last as long as your souls; and so long as it lasts, they shall be happy. Those goods that you fear shall be pillaged and spoiled in war, how many hazards are they subject to even in peace? Solomon tells you, that riches oftentimes (though no body take them away) make themselves wings, and fly away. And truly many times the undue sparing of them is but the letting of their wings grow, which makes them readier to fly away; and the contributing a part of them to do good, only clips their wings a little, and makes them stay the longer with their owner: but this by the way. Howsocver, in the day of death, and in the day of wrath, as Solomon says, they profit nothing at all. So then though you may desire that God would command deliverance for you; yet, if you would be truly happy, your greater and more earnest suit would be, that he command his loving kindness to appear to your souls. And having once obtained this, you may possibly be persecuted, and endure hard trials, but one thing is made sure, you

1 Prov. xi. 4.

cannot be miserable: nor shall you want temporal mercies and preservation too, so far as they are good for you. The inward assurance of this love shall carry you strangely and sweetly through all outward vicissitudes; and when the day shall come, that all other comforts shall look pale upon you, then shall you find the worth and happiness of this more than ever before.

Command] Make it appear to me.

Sometimes

God is said to shut up and hide his love from his children, and that is a mournful time with them. But we read not that he shuts out love, and ceaseth altogether to have affection to those whom once he loved. And therefore when he shews himself again in the gracious manifestations of his mercy, he is not said to begin anew to love them, but only to command his love, which ere while he had countermanded to appear.

In the day If you have a mind to take the day and night figuratively, for prosperous and adverse times, it would lead you, in that sense, to observe David's constancy in God's praises, that not only in the day of deliverance, but even in the night of distress, he resolved a song for God. And truly many times God gives his children in an afflicted condition, more sweetness of spirit, and aptitude, not only to pray, but to praise; and more spiritual delight in himself, than in times of outward peace and prosperity. He giveth songs in the night, saith Job; and you know the sound of musick is most delightful in the night. But to take it properly, he is confident that in the several actions and occurrences of the day he should find the goodness and favourable assistance of the Lord, and then he resolves. Which leads to the other part of the text, In the night time to meditate on that goodness, and frame a song of praise to the author of it.

And indeed what is the whole thread of our life but a checkered twist, black and white, of delights and dangers interwoven? And the happiest passing

of it, is constantly to enjoy, and to observe the experiences of God's goodness, and to praise him for them. David was a wise king, and withal a valiant soldier, and yet we see he thought not this experience inconsonant with either of these two conditions. This precious Book of Psalms (a great part thereof being his) testifies clearly, that prayer and praises were his great employment. A religious disposition of mind may not only consist with fortitude and magnanimity, but is indeed the best principle and cause of both, contrary to the wicked and foolish opinion of profane persons. Whether of the two, do you think, might welcome a day of battle with most courage and resolution, he that had past the preceding night in revelling aed carousing, or he that had spent it in prayer, and obtained some assurance of a better life? Truly if they went on with equal forwardness, there is no man, except he were an atheist, but would judge the one to be brutish fury and precipitation, and the other true valour.

His song.] In the worst estate there is ever some matter of praise to be mixed with request; and truly we may justly suspect that our neglect of praises makes our prayers unacceptable.

And my prayer.] In the best estate here below, praise must be accompanied with prayer. Our wants and necessities, and straits, return daily upon us, and require new supplies of mercy; and prayer, if we know how to use it right, is the way to obtain them all.

To the God of my life] Or the God that is my life. This word is added, as the reason of all that went before. If you ask David, why he reposeth so much upon the loving kindness of God? what he means to spend so much pains in praises and prayer to God? He answers, "Because he is my life. He is the author and preserver of my temporal life; and all the passages and accidents of it are in his hand alone: he hath also given me, and he maintains in me a spiritual life, yea he is the life of my soul;