of his own labour and skill, as though he possessed something whereof he might glory before God, but what he gratefully acknowledges to be the doing of the Lord; a heart in some measure renewed after his image, and panting after a nearer and still more perfect resemblance.

I shall therefore consider this account, which, in the form of a solemn address to God, the Psalmist here gives of his own temper and conduct, as an approved model or pattern for our imitation. What this holy man was, that ought we to be; and such we shall certainly endeavour to be, if we aspire to the character whereby David was distinguished by the Supreme Judge himself, when he dignified him with the most honourable of all appellations, even that of the man after his own heart. The passage contains,

I. The distinguishing character. And,

II. The leading requests of a truly godly man. Each of these I shall briefly illustrate and improve; the one for the present trial, and the other for the future direction, of those who have this day made a public profession of their faith in Christ, over the sacred symbols of his broken body and shed blood, in the holy sacrament of his supper.

I BEGIN with the distinguishing character of a truly godly man; and you will observe the following particulars distinctly marked, viz. The matter of his choiceThe object of his desires-and, The source of his joy.

The godly man's choice-is the precepts of God. David had said, (verse 3.) That he had chosen the testimonies of God for his heritage; by which he probably meant the promises of that everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, to which he afterwards resorted in the immediate prospect of death, as all his salvation, and all his desire. These promises are indeed exceed

ing great and precious, suited to all the necessities of the saints, and extending to every blessing that can be denoted by these two significant and most comprehensive words, GRACE and GLORY. But one may choose, or rather covet, the heritage of a child, who hath an aversion to the duties that result from that relation: and therefore the choosing the law or precepts of God, for regulating the heart and life, is, of all others, the most discriminating character of a true child of God; for there can be no doubt, that one who sincerely devotes himself to the service of God, will most sincerely and ardently wish to be happy in the possession of the promised inheritance.

Let us next attend to the object of the godly man's desire. "I have longed," said David, " for thy salvation;" a present salvation from the guilt and power of sin; and future salvation, in the full and everlasting enjoyment of God in heaven. David was already possessed of the first of these; for he spake from his own experience, when he said, "blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered, unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." He had the happiness to be a partaker both of pardoning mercy and of sanctifying grace; yet still he longed for more of this salvation, that is, for a more assured faith of pardoning mercy, and larger measures of sanctifying grace. It is a just observation, with respect to earthly things, that NATURE is contented with a little, and GRACE with less. But it is quite the reverse as to spiritual things. Here grace is not contented with a little; on the contrary, it is insatiable; the more it hath received, the more it desires to receive. Enjoyment, instead of surfeiting, sharpens the appetite. Nay, so sweet is their relish, that every renewed taste of it abates and quenches the thirst for other things. "There be many

that say, who will shew us any good?" This is the voice of the mere child of Adam. But what saith the new man in Christ? "One thing have I desired of the Lord, and that will I seek after.-As the hart panteth for the brooks of water, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. -Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee."

This leads us forward to the source of the godly man's joy. "Thy law," saith David, " is my delight." Here he chooses the term law for denoting the whole revelation of God's will, to remind us of the inseparable con. nexion between privilege and duty, faith and obedience, holiness and comfort; and to teach us, that we ought to be thankful to God for the direction he hath given us in the road to heaven, no less than for the promises by which we are assured of the possession of it. But what I would chiefly observe is, that the joy of a saint is not extracted from such base and perishing materials as corn, and wine, and oil; it flows spontaneously from the fountain of living water, from the pure source of that word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Nay, so little is it dependant upon, or even connected with, any thing that belongs to a present world, that "although the fig. tree should not blossom, neither should fruit be in the vine; the labour of the olive should fail, and the fields should yield no meat; the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there should be no herd in the stall;" yet still the saint can rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of his salvation. Nay, when the heaven shall be shriv elled up like a scrawl when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island shall be moved out of their places; he can look at the universal desolation, and say, when these materials are consumed, I shall have lost nothing. "All things are mine, for I am Christ's, and Christ is

God's.-God lives, blessed be my rock-The Lord is the portion of my inheritance," and in him I possess and enjoy all things.

These three particulars, respecting the matter of the godly man's choice, the object of his desire, and the source of his joy, may help us to form a just estimate of ourselves; and this is the improvement I would have you to make of this branch of the subject.

How are your hearts affected towards the precepts of God's word? an outward reluctant obedience there may be, compelled by the slavish fear of wrath: but do you serve God from choice, with a free and liberal mind? Doth the Lord Jesus appear as amiable with the crown upon his head, and the sceptre in his hand, as when clad with his garments rolled in blood?

Is salvation, in all its extent, the chief object of your desire? even the present salvation of an inward growing light, and love, and purity; as well as the future salvation of deliverance from the fire that is not quenched, and the enjoyment of those positive pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore.

Do you know what it is to hunger and thirst after righteousness? "They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit.-If you be risen with Christ, you will seek the things that are above." You will never think you have already attained, either are already perfect; but forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth to those things which are before, you will press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Once more, From whence do you derive your comfort and joy; from the wells of salvation, that issue forth from beneath the throne of God and the Lamb, or from

the polluted streams that spring out of this footstool upon which we tread?

By this unerring touchstone of God's word let us examine and prove ourselves; and if the Spirit bears witness with our spirits, that these lineaments of the new creature, though too much blended and marred with the features of the old man, are nevertheless legible on the fleshy tables of our hearts, let us give glory to God, who hath thus far formed us for himself, and trust, that he who hath begun a good work in us will carry it on till it be perfected in the heavenly glory. And let the many blemishes we must unavoidably discover, while they humble us in the presence of a holy God, urge us forward, at the same time, to a throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy for the pardon of past offences, and find grace to help us in every future time of need.

HAVING thus endeavoured to illustrate, and to improve, for self-examination, the distinguishing character of the godly man, as it lies before us in this passage, let us now attend, for our direction, to his leading requests. 1st. He prays for strengthening and upholding grace, "Let thine hand help me."

Dependance upon the Creator belongs to the essence of every creature. None of them subsist by themselves, neither do they possess any thing that they can claim as their property. The highest seraph that ministers before the throne, must adopt the language of the apostle Paul, and say as he did, "By the grace of God, I am what I am." We read of "angels who kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, being reserved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." Adam created after the image of God, and furnished with every advantage suited to his rank, seduced by an apostate spirit, forfeited at once both his in