blood of the new covenant. To return therefore to the thought which made way for these reflections: we have all imaginable reason to join with all our hearts, and all our minds, in thefe exalted forms of prayer and praise: we on whom the bleffings of heaven have been doubled, who have been made the children of God by the Spirit of adoption, who have had the charter of God's pardon granted to us by his bleffed Son, and have received the promises of a kingdom, which fhall remain as long as time endureth. As our theme has been thus exalted, fo should our praises be likewife; fo fhould the affections of our fouls be raised to acknowledge and adore the giver of these good and perfect gifts. We need not fear being too lavish upon this occafion: let the tide of joy run ever so high, it cannot swell beyond the dignity of the fubject: our praises are but a poor tribute for what we have received; our prayers a price of no value for what we afk: and even those too have their imperfections, when performed in the best manner; that were we not in the hands of a merciful God, who is not extreme to mark what is done amifs, we should not dare to open our mouths before him, either in prayer or in praife. And this reflection seems to have led the holy Pfalmift to that petition which is contained in the words read to you for the text, and with which this excellent compofure is closed up, Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be always acceptable in thy fight, O Lord, my ftrength and my redeemer. If we confider these words with a retrospect upon what went before, and fuppofe the holy Pfalmift here to reflect upon what he had been doing, the 1 meaning of them then must be that which I have fuggefted: he had been praifing God for all his goodness to the children of men; had been by fervent prayer imploring his protection against the fnares and allurements of fin: but what were his prayers or his praises to God? or what valuable facrifice could duft and ashes offer up to the Almighty? Struck with this juft fense of humility, he ftirs not from the place or fubject of his devotion, till he had first begged pardon for the lameness of his facrifice, for the imperfections even of his prayers and praises, and implored God's acceptance of the poor tribute he was able to pay him. He knew how imperfect the beft of his actions were; how unworthy his praises were of God; and how dangerous a fubject prayer is, fince we know not what we should pray for as we ought. Prayer, if not directed by the Spirit, will be influenced by the pasfions, and taught the unworthy language of selflove: far therefore from being exalted with his performance, the faint retires excufing his devotion, and begging one farther mercy of God, that he would accept the service he was able to offer. An example worthy of our imitation! and which yet we are hardly worthy enough to imitate: for if we confider with what coldness we pass through our prayers and praises, with what inattention we are prefent at the service of God, how our thoughts wander, and our hearts are surprised into the pursuit of vain and idle conceits, or are poffeffed with worldly thoughts and care, we must needs think it an act of the higheft presumption to defire God to receive fuch devotion, or to accept the meditation of fuch idle roving hearts. This was not the Pfalmift's cafe: when he began the praises of God, he launched out into his course with the life and vigour of the fun, which he describes, like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoicing as a frong man to run his race: when his fubject naturally changed upon his hand, and prayer took place of praise, his mind followed his fubject, and the petitions themselves fhew with what zeal and fervour of spirit they were offered up. And if fuch devotion as this was to beg admittance to the presence of God, and not to appear without an excuse, what must become of ours? fince, without injuring our own merit, many of us have reason to fay when we leave the Church, Lord, lay not this fin to our charge! For furely to approach the throne of God with indevotion, with hearts not difposed to seriousness, to fit out the prayers of the Church as if fomething were doing in which we have no concern, is one of thofe offences which are noted down in the book, and for which God will call the fons of men into judgment. But fecondly, The words of the text are capable of a more enlarged fenfe: the Pfalmift had begged for mercy for his fecret faults; had implored the affiftance of God to preserve him from prefumptuous fin; and if you continue the thought to the words of the text, in them he befeeches God to take under his direction likewife the words of his mouth, and the thoughts of his heart, that he might be continued innocent and blameless in thought, word, and deed. This fenfe expreffes the greatest regard to virtue and innocence, and the fulleft dependence upon the grace and protection of God: he knew that God not only faw all his actions, his open and notorious fins, but that he spied out all his ways, and knew his thoughts long before; and that it was in vain for him to wash his hands in innocence, unless he purged his heart likewife from all filthiness of fpirit: to him therefore he applies, that he would guard the paffages of his heart, and fet a watch upon the door of his lips, that nothing unclean might enter into one, or proceed out of the other. Our Lord has told us, That for every idle word men fhall give an account in the day of judgment: and his Apostle St. Paul has taught us, That there will be a day in which God will judge the fecrets of all men by Chrift Jefus: which are fufficient cautions to us to be watchful over our tongues and our hearts, that they rob us not of the fruit of all our labour and hope. Unchafte thoughts and loose defires are the beginning of lewd and impure actions; and if they are generated and conceived in the heart, that fruitful womb of iniquity, they will foon be born into the world, and grow up to the full ftature of fin. To fecure the heart is therefore the ground-work of virtue: it is almoft the one thing neceffary, fince without it no other care can be effectual: it is that only which can render our praises or prayers acceptable to God, and give us courage to offer up our imperfect devotions before his throne. The best of men have their failings, and an honeft Chriftian may be a weak one; but weak as he may be, the goodness and fincerity of his heart will entitle him to put up the petition of the text, which no hypocrite or cunning deceiver |