"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein ?" Romans vi. 1. David not only prays, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation," but he says, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Which leads me to consider,

III. IT IS GOD ALONE WHO CAN RESTORE THIS JOY OF

SALVATION.

God's comforts are a free gift, as well as a cordial. As it is God who first gives spiritual joy, so it is he alone that can restore it when it has been interrupted by sin. Therefore David says, " He restoreth my soul ;" and in another psalm, he prays, " Lead me to the rock that is higher than I:" it is not enough that I see it before me -that I am told there is safety on it-but, lead me to it! The joy of salvation is a pledge of something greater; and notwithstanding what experiences we may have had of it, we shall find, that we cannot recall them ; and that no living creature can help in this case: we can only, like David, cry, " Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, O Lord!"

IV. IT IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF A TRUE BELIEVER

THAT HE HAS NO REST TILL THIS JOY IS RESTORED.

Like the dove that went forth of the ark, he will find no rest for the sole of his foot while wandering from God. It is, therefore, a dispensation of mercy not to let a man rest till he returns to God. David could comfort himself in God when he was hunted like a partridge upon the mountains-when the people talked of stoning him. I had then, we may suppose him to say, one Friend and Comforter: but now I have lost

him! and what signifies telling me that I am a king?
Till He says, "Go in peace; thy sins are forgiven thee,"
HE
I can have no joy nor comfort.

I think we may understand this from what we may have felt if we have grieved a beloved friend, and especially if we have been ungrateful. Now David knew well enough how ungrateful he had been: and therefore he prays that God would, as an act of Almighty grace, restore unto him the joy of his salvation: I feel, he says, what a bitter thing it is to depart from the living God: I am a poor forlorn wretch while this separation lasts! David desires this restoration to God's favor from the best motives, "Open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise," ver. 15.

IMPROVEMENT. Since a man like David may thus fall, let us learn what a horrible deceiver sin is. It first blinds, and then infatuates and impoverishes. I would say to backsliders: take care of being prevented a return by unbelief. Are there no promises? no invitations?

If any here are not in the state of backsliders, then, take care that you do not grieve the Holy Spirit: the joy of salvation is a holy, delicate deposit. "Quench not the Spirit."

To such as know nothing of a state of spiritual desertion, I would say, Is not this your unhappiness? A beggar certainly is in no danger of being robbed: but it is because of his poverty. It is a miserable thing indeed to live without any spiritual intercourse with God. Have you a son, and does not that son care at all whether you smile or frown? Oh! say you, that pierces me to the heart! I have no hope! What, then, must God feel towards you? What sort of a son are you?

Some claim the privileges of a Christian, who have

no part or lot in the matter. Whatever rapturous expressions a man may make use of, inquire, What is his walk? If a Christian falls into sin, he loses his joy: his lips are closed: he feels himself, as it were, shut up in prison, and cries, "Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name." If a man talks of joy, let him ask, Is my rule the Scripture? Is the Holy Spirit my guide? Is Christ my way? and do I attend the ordinances as a means of grace? Can I say, sincerely "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I should not sin against thee?"

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL ENLARGEMENT.

Open thou my lips; and my mouth shall show forth thy praise. PSALM li. 15.

[1801.]

OUR Church uses these words in her Liturgy. Ob

serve

I. WHAT IS MEANT BY THIS REQUEST. It plainly implies that guilt will shut the mouth, as it did Adam's -as it did the man without a wedding garment: "Friend, how camest thou in hither? and he was speechless." It is probable he could talk to the guests very freely about the feast: but when the king came in to see the guests, he was dumb: he deceived men, but he seems to say, "I find I cannot deceive God!" This was the case with David when, upon a melancholy occasion, this psalm was penned: his lips had been closed by guilt; and therefore he here prays, "Open thou my lips," that I may praise thee as I used to do; let me come with holy boldness to "the blood of sprinkling," as I used to do. There is no man but knows, if

he comes to speak to his friend, and finds his face set against him, what it is to be struck dumb: on the other hand, if his friend smiles upon him, his tongue is loosed. We inquire,

II. HOW IS THIS TO BE OBTAINED?

Liberty of heart, and liberty of speech, (I mean in an honest man, for a hypocrite can talk at all times, but an honest man cannot talk of religion if his conscience upbraids him,) true liberty of heart and speech, can only proceed from the work of the Holy Spirit; the Lord only can again open the mouth which has been closed by guilt, by the application of pardon to the heart of the sinner, teaching him to exalt the Saviour, and then enlarging his heart, and implanting in it a love of holiness, so that the lips shall show forth his praise. Mark,

III. THE EFFECT OF THE LIPS BEING THUS OPENED.

If the lips have been closed by guilt, as was the case with Zacharias, Luke i. 10, and with David, when the joy of God's salvation is restored, the mouth will soon declare it. 66 Come, all ye that fear God," says David, "and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul:" "I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart." Then it is like Spring season, when the sun comes and gives life to the earth. It is like a resurrection from the dead. However dead and stupid a man has been, not able to speak a word except like a parrot, yet, if the Lord opens his mouth, you need not tell him that it is his duty to praise God, he cannot help it; you need not tell him that the Sabbath should be observed, it is his feast day: it is the same as respects the sacrament.

Do you find nothing like an opening of your lips?

or has guilt sealed and closed them? Take care not to conceal, much less extenuate your guilt, but bring the matter to Christ. Be not afraid to put the Lord Jesus upon working miracles now, as well as formerly: come to him. If, like David, you have to mourn over a wicked, treacherous heart, here is an example how you should act. Instead of despairing, remember, and endeavor to enter into, what St. John says: "These things write I unto you that ye sin not: but if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous :"-he does not lay the stress here; "if any man sin," there must be sorrow, and shame, and in the end, ruin !—but, if any man sin, "WE HAVE AN ADVOCATE:" let us, therefore, this day approach the table of the Lord, rejoicing in God our Saviour, and seeking the application of that atoning blood which cleanseth from all sin; and praying that he would put a new song of praise into our mouths; and sanctify us to himself, as "a peculiar people, zealous of good works."