EXPOSITORY LECTURES ON PSALM XXXIX. LECTURA I VER. 1. I said, I will take heed to my ways, that sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me. kind of language, of reflecting or discoursing with itself. It is a wonderful brutality in the greatest part of men, who are so little conCERTAINLY it is a high dignity that is versant in this kind of speech, being framed conferred upon man, that he may, as freely and disposed for it, and which is not only and frequently as he will, converse with Him of itself excellent, but of continual use and that made him, the great King of Heaven advantage; but it is a common evil among and Earth. It is indeed a wonder that God men, to go abroad, and out of themselves, should honour poor creatures so much; but which is a madness and true distraction. it is indeed no less strange that men having It is true a man hath need of a well set mind, so great privileges, the most part of them do when he speaks to himself; for otherwise he use them so little. Seldom do we come to may be worse company to himself than if he him in times of ease. And when we are were with others; but he ought to endeaspurred to it by afflictions and pains, com-vour to have a better with him, to call in monly we try all other means rather than God to his heart to dwell with him. If thus this, that is the alone true and unfailing we did, we should find how sweet this were comfort. But such as have this way of lay-to speak to ourselves, by now and then intering their pained head and heart in his bo-mixing our speech with discourses unto God, som, they are truly happy, though in the For want of this, the most part not only lose world's language they be never so miserable. their time in vanity, and their converse This is the resource of this holy man in abroad with others, but do carry in heaps of the time of his affliction, whatever it was, that vanity to the stock which is in their own prayer and tears, bemoaning himself before hearts, and do converse with that in secret, his God and Father, and that the more fer- which is the greatest and the deepest folly in vently, in that he finds his speaking to men the world. so unprofitable; and therefore he refrains Other solitary employments, as reading the disputes and controversies that are among from it. The Psalm consists of two parts; his men, are things not unuseful, yet all turns silence to men, and his speech to God; and to waste, if we read not our own heart, and both of them are set with such sweet notes study that: this is the study of every holy of music, though they be sad, that they man, and between this and the consideration deserve well to be committed to the Chief of God, he spends his hours and endeavours. Musician. Some have recommended the reading of men I said, I will take heed to my ways.] It more than books: but what is in the one, was to himself that he said it; and it is im- or both of them, or all the world beside, possible for any other to prove a good or a without this? a man shall find himself out wise man, without much of this kind of of his proper business, if he acquaint not speech to himself. It is one of the most ex- himself with this, to speak much with God cellent and distinguishing faculties of a rea- and with himself, concerning the ordering of sonable creature, much beyond vocal speech, his own ways. for in that some birds may imitate us; but It is true, it is necessary for some men, in neither bird nor beast have any thing of this some particular charges and stations, to re gard the ways of others; and besides, some- | sumption, and pride; and in converse of one thing also there may be of a wise observing Christian with another, where spiritual affecothers, to improve the good and evil we see tion hath been stirred, it turns often to carin them, to our own advantage, and better-nal passions, as the Apostle says of the Gaing our own ways, looking on them to make latians, They begin in the Spirit, and end the repercussion the stronger on ourselves in the flesh, Gal. iii. 3. but except it be out of charity and wisdom, This observing and watching, as it is needit flows either from uncharitable malice or ful, so it is a very delightful thing, though else a curious and vain spirit, to look much it will be hard and painful to the unexperienand narrowly into the ways of others, and to ced, to have a man's actions and words know the manner of living of persons about continually curbed; so that he cannot speak us, and so to know every thing but ourselves; or do what he would: these are fetters and like travellers that are well seen in foreign bonds, yet to those that know it, it is a and remote parts, but strangers in the affairs pleasure to gain experience, and to be more of their own country at home. The check skilled in preventing the surprises of our enethat Christ gave to Peter is due to such, mies, and upon that to have something added What is that to thee? follow thou me, to our own art, and to be more able to resist John xxi. 22, "Look thou to thine own upon new occasions, and to find ourselves feet, that they be set in the right way." It every day outstripping ourselves; that is the is a strange thing that men should lay out sweetest life in the world; the soul to be their diligence abroad to their loss, when dressing itself for the espousals of the Great their pains might be bestowed to their advan- King, putting on more of the ornaments and tage nearer at hand, at home within them-beauties of holiness; that is our glory, to be selves. made conformable to the image of God and This, that the Psalmist speaks here of, of Jesus Christ. If an image had sense, it taking heed to his ways, as it imports his would desire nothing so much as to look on present diligence, so also it hath in it a re- the original whence it received its name, and flection on his ways past, and these two do to become more and more like it: so it is mutually assist one another; for he shall the pleasure of renewed souls to be looking never regulate his own ways before him, on him, and so growing daily more like him, that has not wisely considered his ways past; whose living image they are, and to be fitting for there is wisdom gathered from the obser- themselves for that day of glory, wherein vation of what is gone to the choosing where they shall be like him in the perfection they to walk in time to come, to see where he is are capable of; and this makes death more weakest, and lies exposed to the greatest pleasant than life to the believer: that, hazard, and there to guard. Thus David which seems so bitter to the most of men, is expresses it in another Psalm, I thought on sweetened to them most wonderfully; the my ways, and turned my feet unto thy tes- continual observance of a man's ways, keeptimonies, Psal. cxix. 59. And this would ing a watch continually over them, this not be done only in the great change of one's casts a light upon the dark passage of death, first conversion from sin, but this double ob- which is at the end of that walk, and conservance still continued every day, looking veys him through to the fulness of life: so to his rule, and laying that rule to his way, that man, who observes himself and his ways and observing where the balk and nonconfor- through his life, hath little to do in examinmity to the rule is, and renewing his repen- ing them when he comes to die. That is a tance for that, and amending it the next piece of strange folly, that we defer the whole, day, that still the present day may be the or a great part of our day's work to the twi better for yesterday's error. light of the evening, and are so cruel to ourAnd surely there is much need of this, if selves, as to keep the great load of our life we consider how we are encompassed about for a few hours or days, and for a pained with hazards and snares, and a variety of temp- sickly body. He who makes it his daily tations, and how little we have, either of work to observe his ways, is not astonished strength to overcome, or wisdom to avoid when that day comes, which long before was them, especially they being secretly set and familiar to him every day. unseen (which makes them the more dangerous) everywhere in the way in which we must walk, and even in those ways where we least think. Everywhere does the enemy of our souls lay traps and snares for us; in our table, in our bed, in our company and alone. If the heart be earthly and carnal, there is the spare of riches and gains, or pleasures, present, to think upon; and if they delight in spiritual things, that walk is not exempted neither; there are snares of doubtings, pre That I sin not with my tongue.] It is the wise man's advice, keep thy heart with all diligence, or above all keeping, and he gives the satisfying reason of it, for out of it are the issues of life, Prov. iv. 23. Such as the spring is, so will the streams be; the heart is the spring from whence all the natural life and vital spirits flow through the body, and, in the Scripture sense, it is the spring of all our actions and conversation; for it sends out emissaries through all, through the eye, hand, and all the senses and organs tinually. A Christian must labour to have of the body, but through none more con- his speech as contracted as can be, in the stantly and abundantly than the tongue : things of this earth; and even in divine things and therefore Solomon, after these words, our words should be few and wary. In immediately adds, Put away from thee a speaking of the greatest things, it is a great froward mouth, and perverse lips put far point of wisdom not to speak much; that from thee. The great current of the heart is David's resolution, to keep silence, esperuns in that channel: for it is the organ cially before the wicked, who came to visit of societies, and is commonly employed in him, probably, when he was sick; while all the converse of men; and we can still, they were there, he held a watch before his when all the other members are useless, use lips, to speak nothing of God's hand on our tongues in regretting their unfitness for him, lest they should have mistaken him; their offices; so sick and old persons: thus and a man may have some thoughts of divine David here, as it seems under some bodily things, that were very impertinent to speak sickness, labours to refrain his tongue; and, out indifferently to all sorts, even of good lest it should prove too strong for him, he persons. This is a talkative age, and people puts a curb upon it; though it did not free contract a faculty to speak much in matters him from inward frettings of his heart, yet of religion, though their words for the most he lays a restraint upon his tongue, to stay part be only the productions of their own the progress of sin, that grows in vigour by brain, little of these things in their hearts. going out, and produces and begets sin of Surely these kind of speeches are as bad as the same kind in the hearts and mouths of any, when holy things are spoken of with a others, when it passes from the heart to the national freedom, where there is nothing but tongue. The Apostle James does amply and empty words. They who take themselves excellently teach the great importance of to solitude, choose the best and easiest part, ordering the tongue in all a Christian's if they have a warrant so to do: for this world life; but we are ever learning and never is a tempestuous sea, in which there are taught. We hear how excellent a guard many rocks, and a great difficulty it is to this is to our lives, to keep a watch over steer this little helm aright amidst them: our tongue; but I fear few of us gain the however, the Apostle James makes it a great real advantage of this rule, and are far from character of a Christian's perfection, If any the serious thoughts that a religious person man offend not in word, the same is a perhad of this Scripture, who, when he heard fect man, chap. iii. ver. 2. But where is it read, retired himself for many years to the that man? Seeing we find men generally, study of this precept, and made very good and most of all ourselves, so far from this, proficiency in it. it cannot choose but work this, to stir up In all the disorders of the world, the ardent desires in us, to be removed to that tongue hath a great share; to let pass those blessed society, where there shall be never irruptions of infernal furies, blasphemies, and a word amiss, nor a word too much. LECTURE II. VER. 2. I was dumb with silence; I held my peace cursing, lying and uncharitable speeches; how much have we to account for unprofitable talking! It is a lamentable thing, that there is nothing, for the most part, in common entertainments and societies of men together, but refuse and trash, as if their tongues were given them for no other end but to be their shame, by discovering their folly and weakness. As likewise that of impatient speech in trouble and affliction, which certainly springs from an unmortified spirit,| It is a very useful and profitable thing to that hath learned nothing of that great lesson observe the motions and deportments of the of submission to the will of God; but for spirits of wise and holy men, in all the va all the disorders of the tongue, the remedy rious postures and conditions they are in; must begin at the heart; purge the fountain, it is for that purpose they are drawn out to and then the streams will be clean; keep thy us in the Scriptures. There are some graces heart, and then it will be easy to keep thy that are more proper, and come more in actongue. It is a great help in the quality of tion in times of ease and prosperity, such as speech, to abate in the quantity; not to speak temperance, moderation of mind, humility, rashly, but to ponder what we are going to and compassion. Others are more proper say, Set a watch before the door of thy lips, for times of distress, as faith, fortitude, Psal. cxli. 3. He bids us not build it up patience, and resignation. It is very exlike a stone wall, that nothing go in or come pedient, if not necessary, that affliction have out but he speaks of a door, which may its turns, and frequently in the lives of the be sometimes open, oft-times shut, but children of God: it is the tempest that gives withal to have a watch standing before it con- evidence of the pilot's skill; and as the |