Proposition 3

PROP. III.

The judgments of God are to be sought and used by us as our help in those praises of God which are the end of our life.

There are blessed helps, which God has provided for us, by which we may be both assisted in and excited to, the work of our lives.

Behold a double help, both implied in the judgments of God. And he that shall consult other passages in this Hundred-and-nineteenth Psalm, will find both under this notion insisted on. The Scriptures of Truth, and the troubles of life.

First, the Word of God is to be sought as the help of our praising Him. The Prophet of old could say as in Micah 6:8, the Lord has showed you, O man, the thing that good is. Thus, the Lord has showed us how to be praising of Him, by living to Him. But where has he showed it? Truly in the sacred Bible. The Bible is the directory given to us. Every child is well taught to say, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the rule which God has given to instruct us how we are to glorify Him. To order a life in a dark world, is as hard as to manage a ship in a dark night, we are in the dark about the practices which our lives are to be employed in. What shall we then do that we may leave no part of our due homage to God unperformed? The Apostle speaks fully to this case in (2 Peter 1:18), we have a sure word of prophecy, whereto you do well to take heed, as to a light shining in a dark place. There, there it is: our Bible is our Pole-Star: keep an eye to that and we shall shape a course right. All the directions, all the promises, all the threatenings of God, will be so many helps of our obedience. If any man ask, how do the Scriptures of God help men in the praises of God? Know, the Scriptures themselves give an answer thereunto, in (Psalm 19:7-8), the law of the Lord converts the soul, the testimonies of the Lord make wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord rejoice the heart; the commandments of the Lord enlighten the eyes. That conversion, that instruction, that joy and that light which the Word of God affords to us, will be no little help in the praise of God.

Secondly, the rod of God is to be used as the help of our praising Him. The Lord sends many afflictions upon us. A Haman is afflicted in his mind; a Job is afflicted in his estate; a Gaius is afflicted in his body, a Paul in his credit, and a David in his children, they live ill and they die worse before him. What is the use we are now to make of these things? Truly our afflictions are to be the help of our devotions. It is the call of God in (Micah 6:9), hear the rod. As we should hear the voice of the rod, so we should use the help of the rod. By our afflictions we should be helped to more seriousness, more watchfulness, more fruitfulness. Now those things are to the praise of the glory of the grace of God. Our afflictions are the purgings and the prunings bestowed by our God upon us. What are they for? But, that we may bring forth more fruit: and we are told in (John 15:8), herein is my father glorified, if you bring forth much fruit. Observe it: a learning the statutes of God, is a rendering of praises to God; those two things are one. Now see what the Psalmist says, in (Psalm 119:97), it is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes. This then is incumbent on us under every affliction; our study should be, what advantage, what engagement to be more holy, is now put into my hands! Every afflicted man should ask, how may the sorrows of my life promote the praises of my God?