Psalm 119:148
Verse 14 S. — Mine eijes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy icord.
We hear before of David’s diligence in prayer, now in meditation. His prayer was encouraged ly his hope, his hope was fed by the word, and the word improved by meditation; for he saith, “I hoped in thy word,” and then, “Mine eyes prevent the night watches,” &c.
In the words we have —
First, an account of his vigilancy and diligence, “Mine eyes prevent the night watches.”
Secondly, the duty wherein he was exercised, “That I might medltato in thy word.”
The first branch needeth a little illustration, what is meant by” night watches,’’ and what by preventing these night watches.
1. What is meant by “night watches?“‘Drusius telleth us, that the night among the Hebrews was divided into three watches; the first watch was called the head or beginning of the watches:” Arise, cry out in the night; in the beginning of the watches, pour out thine heart like water before the Lord “(Lamentations ii. 19). The second was called the middle watch. Gideon” came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch “(Judges vii. 19). The third and last was called the morning watch:” In the morning watch, the Lord, &;c., troubled the host of the Egyptians “(Exod. xiv. 24). This was the first division of the. night among the Hebrews into three watches; but it seemeth afterwards, when they were acquainted wdth the Romans, they had four watches; as,” In the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the
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sea” (Matt. xiv. 25). For every three hours they had a new watch; and, according to this bitter division, they were called, the evening, and the midnight, and the cock-crowing, and the dawning (Mark xiii. 35). Now, whether we reckon by the first or second division, it cannot be inaaginod that David should be wholly without sleep. Rabbi David Kinachi thinketh he gave the first watch to sleep, and the other two to the meditation of the word, and that he did this often when the nights were long. I think it is mexint of the third and last watch; and so it agreeth with the dawning of the morning, mentioned in the former verse; and this watch, which is called the morning watch, did David prevent, getting up early to entertain himself with delightful meditations on the word of God. The Septuagint reads it, early in the morning.
2. What is meant by preventing the night watches? Either that he was more carefid to awake at several times of the night to meditate on God’s word, than they to keep their watches who were appointed thereunto; or that he did not need to be called upon by them; for the watchmen were wont to tell them the seasons and watches of the night. But he needed not that help, his own desires and delights awakened him; so that, in effect, he saith, when others are so fast asleep that either they do not wake in the night, or, if they do, it is because they are interrupted in their sleep by the noises of the watch or guard; but I need no such excitation; “for mine eyes prevent the night watches;” sleep flyeth from them of its own accord, that my mind may be delighted with the meditation of God’s word. The points are, —
First, from the duty wherein David was exercised.
Doctrine. — That meditation on the word of God is one duty that Christians should take care to perform.
Secondly, from the season; his eyes prevented the night watches.
Doctrine. — A gracious heart will take all occasions to set itself a work on holy things, and sometimes in the night.
Thirdly, from the condition wherein he was; in some distress: for he saith. Save me; and his prayers not yet heard, I cried, I cried, I cried.
Doctrine. — That it is needful to meditate on God’s promises at such a time as our suit hangeth at the throne of grace, without grant and effect.
The first will give us occasion to speak of the duty of meditation, and the necessity and yrofit of it.
1st, What the duty of meditation is, see Sermon upon the 15tli verse of this psalm.
2ndly, It is a necessary duty because it is recommended (o us by God, among other things enjoined in his word. He complaineth of the neglect of it: “Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider” (Isa i. 3); they will not think upon God, nor consider what great things he hath done for them. It is recommendfed to us in the practice of the saints, they sometimes meditate upon God: “I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches “(Psalm lxiii. 6). AMicn David could not sleep, and had his night’s rest broken, his thoughts ran upon God presently. Sometimes upon the works of God:” I meditate on ail thy works, I muse on the work of thine hands “(Psalm cxliii. 5); on his creation and providence. Sometimes on the word of God, either that part which set a forth their duty:” But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night “(Psalm i. 2). To make the Christian’s life more orderly and comely, the Apostle commands us to” think on these things “(Phil. iv. 8). Sometimes on the promises and grounds of faith, for the support of their souls in a fainting time, as in the text; especially that part of the word which is brought unto them by the providence of God; and so we meditate upon what we read and hear:” Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart” (Luke ii. 19). We ponder things, when we consider the weight and moment of them, that our hearts may be affected with them. So Moses, “And he said unto them, Set your hearts unto all the Vv’ords which I testify among you this day “(Deut. xxxii. 46). Let these sayings sink down into your ears” (Luke ix. 44); be seriously considered and thought of by you, not be lost or vanish uato the air, or stay in the brain.
3rdly, It is a profitable duty; it is a help, —
L To our natural faculties.
2. To our graces.
3. To our duties.
1. To our natural faculties, to our memories. We complain of weak memories; but we do not take a right course to cure them. Good thuigs slip from us, as water doth through a sieve; and whj’? Because we do not weigh them, and meditate upon them by deep and serious thought. Truths would stay with us longer, if we did oftener think on them. So many a conviction is lost: “For, if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was” (James i. 23, 24). Many a comfort is lost by neglect: “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children” (Heb. xii. 5). A weak impression is soon defaced. Many a pressing motion is lost for want of a little diligence to fasten it upon Uie heart: “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip” (Heb. ii. 1). Meditation and serious consideration fastens a truth upon the mind and memory. Deliberate thoughts stick by us, as a lesson well conned is not easily forgotten. Civet long kept in a box, the scent remaineth when the civet is taken out; sermons meditated upon, are remembered long after they are delivered. So for understanding; we have weak understandings, slow to conceive of anything that is spiritual and heavenly. Why? Because we are so little exercised in the study and contemplation of these things: whereas our judgments would ripen, and we should grow more skilful in the word of righteousness, if we did often meditate on it: “I have more understanding than all my teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditation” (Psalm cxix. 99). We see things in transitu, and know them only by hearsay, without meditation. To move the will, we had need deal seriously with our own hearts, ere we can gain them to a consent. Thoughts are the spokesmen that make up the maich between the soul and the temptation: they were given for the like office in good things, they are the first acts of the soul to set a work all the rest. Things lie by, till we take them into our thoughts and consideration at leisure, that we may know what is their tendency, and how they concern us. You cannot imagine the Gospel should work as a charm, and convert us we know not how, before consent and choice. There is a propounding and debating of terms; the greatest matters will not work on him that doth not think of them: God, and Christ, and Heaven, and salvation, are looked upon in a cold and remiss manner, without this serious consideration. And to excite, and quicken, and stir our affections, meditation is useful. We complain of deadness, and we ourselves are the cause, because we do not rouse up ourselves, excite and compel ourselves, expostulate with ourselves: “And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee” (Isa. lxiv. 7). Man hath a power to whet truths upon his own heart; and, if we will not make use of it, and reason for God with ourselves, we are justly left under the power of deadness and stupidness of spirit,
2. It is a great help to our graces. (1.) Faith takes root by meditation. Matt. xiii. 5, the seed forthwith sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth. A careless, slight heart is no fit soil for faith to grow in (2.) Hope is made lively by consideration of the thing hoped for. (3.) Charity is inflamed by the sight and frequent view of Divine objects in their beauty and amiableness.
3. The duties of religion, reading and hearing, are effectual by meditation.
Use. — Is for exhortation, to press you to meditation; it is the mother and nurse of knowledge and godliness, the great instrument in all the offices of grace; otherwise, we take up things by hearsay: this digests them, and maketh them our own.
1. It preventeth vain thoughts; both as it stocketh the heart with truth, for good seed thick set and well rooted, destroyeth the weeds; and as it seasoneth the heart with a gracious disposition, and inureth it more to holy thoughts; whereas those that do not use to meditate, how are their minds pestered with swarms of vain thoughts, which wholly divert them and turn them aside from God! iSIan is mindless of holy things; and, if they turn into the heart by accident, their entertainment is cold and careless, as a man would be used that cometh into a house full of enemies.
2. How great an affront is it to God to omit this part of communion with him; it is irksome to think of him. Saints find it otherwise: “My meditation of him shall be sweet” (Psalm civ. 34). Some, God is said to be near in their mouth, and far from their reins (Jer. xii. 2); frequently spoken of, but seldom considered by them. That soul that hath a sincere and unfeigned love to him, will take some time to solace itself with him alone; to be sure God taketh it kindly at our hands: “A book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name” (Mai. iii. 16); that have frequent and high thoughts of God in their hearts, without which love will presently languish and grow cold.
3. What a neglect it is of God’s messages of love that you will not consider them! “But they made light of it” (Matt. xxii. 5); and, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb. ii. 3.) He hath laid out all his eternal thoughts upon a way of salvation, and manifested it to you; and you entertain it with so much scorn, that you will not set your minds to it, and think it worthy a few sad and sober thoughts. What! is it so tedious to think a thought of your own greatest concernments? Surely man is strangely depraved to refuse this.
4. What a likely means meditation is to do you good! I know it is the Lord inclineth the heart, and our thoughts work no further than God is in them; yea, he giveth us to think (2 Cor. iii. 5). But, as it is our duty, so it is a verj’ proper means to improve our graces and our comfort; for a constant, steady, continued view of truth, surely will work more than a glance. A transient view cannot leave such an impression upon us as a steady view. We taste things better when they are chewed than when they are swallowed whole. Meditation goeth over things again and again, and pryeth into every part. And as it is a constant light, so it is an argumentative consideration of things. When one scale is not heavy enough, we put in weight after weight till we gain our point, bring off the heart from such a vanity, engage it to such a pursuit by our own arguings with ourselves: “A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth ‘” (Prov. xii. 14); “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts xvii. 11, 12). Therefore many believed, because they had searched with all readiness of mind.
5. This is an argument which should prevail with God’s children, that Ave may know our growth in grace, by the frequency, continuance, and efficacy of holy thoughts. At first, good thoughts are few and rare. The heart is so crowded with vanity, that there is no room for God or his word; for these things keep their interest in the heart and draw the mind after them, so that days pass over our heads and we forget God (Psalm x. 11). Or, if they arise in our minds, they find little entertainment there, but are gone as soon as they come. It is the policy of the enemy of our salvation to draw our minds from one thing to another, that good thoughts may pass over without fruit and benefit. Or, if we force ourselves to continue, they do not warm the heart, only weary the brain. But now, when truths are ever with us, they improve us: “Thou, through thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me” (Psalm cxix. 98); “When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou wakest, it shall talk with thee” (Prov. vi. 22). We have them always ready and at hand. They that are sound at heart, can pause with delight on heavenly things. It is a good note of some progress, it is a sign the heart is heavenly, carried out with a strong and prevailing love to heavenly things, that earthly profits and vain pleasures have not such a hand over us as they were wont to have. You have gotten the mastery over your thoughts, that the best and dearest of them you can employ for God with great fervency and continuance; other matters do not find better welcome, nor so easily justle them out of doors. By all this, it appears it is a most profitable duty.
Doctrine II. — That a gracious heart will take all occasions to set itself a work on holy things, and sometimes in the night.
David did frequently rouse up himself in the night to solace his soul with thoughts of God; this was a frequent and cheerful exercise and employment to him.
First, I shall prove this argueth a gracious frame of spirit.
Secondly, Show you some reasons why we should meditate sometimes in the night.
First, It argueth a gracious frame of heart, to take all occasions to set our minds a-work on holy things; for there are three things in it: —
1. Plenty of Divine knowledge; the heai’t is well stocked, and can entertain itself without help from abroad: “I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel, my reins also instruct me in the night seasons” (Psalm xvi, 7). He had laid up a great deal of truth in his reins or inward parts; and, when sleep fled from his eyes, out it came. So, *’ Bind them continually
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upon thy heart, and tie them about thy neck” (Prov. vi, 21); to bo always ready and present with us. It is an excellent thing to have a good treasure in our hearts: “A good man, out of the good treasure of the heart, bringeth forth good things ‘” (Matt. xii. 35). Many a man’s heart is stuffed with vanity; and then he is vain in his thoughts, and vain in his discourses, and vain in his actions; yea, the word of God doth not dwell in him richly (Col. iii. 16). Then your thoughts are very scant and barren, as he that hath more brass farthings in his pocket than gold or silver, will more easily pull them out at every turn. Our leanness of soul and difficulty to meditate cometh from the want of a stock of knowledge.
2. It argueth spiritual delight and strong love: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law dolh he meditate day and night” (Psalm i. 2). Did we find such comfort as David did, we should break our sleep for that end. He that delights in the word is much conversant in it; for iihi amor ibi animus. All the time his necessities can spare, he will spend it in these private and spiritual exercises. Manj’ men’s time hangs upon their hands, they do not know how to spend the summer-day, nor the winter-night; but one that hath a strong affection to holy things, he rather wants time, such is his solace and delight in God. He beginneth his Heaven upon earth, and all the time he can get, he is spending this way; but, if we find no such comfort and repose of soul in meditation, no wonder that we are so averse from it. Our thoughts follow our affections, delight will set the mind a work; when others are sleeping securely, he mindeth his salvation.
3. It argueth sincerity: “Thou hast proved mine heart, thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing” (Psalm xvii. 3). In the night, when darkness concealeth me from the eyes of men, then I exercise myself in spiritual thoughts. INIany put on religion as a disguise in the day, in public actions they personate a zeal, and act a devout part: but that is to be sincere, when God hath a great share in our closet privacies and retirement.
Secondly, Sometimes take the night as a special occasion: “When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches” (Psalm lxiii. 6); “I call to remembrance my song in the night” (Psalm lxxvii. 6). There is a double help for meditation in the night: —
1. Solitude; then we are alone, and therefore fittest to meditate, when nobody disturbs us.
2. The silence of the night is also a help, when nothing is heard or seen to distract attention.
Use. — What use shall we make of this .^ We cannot lay a burden upon your consciences, and by way of absolute necessity, exact these nocturnal meditations from you: only, in the general, —
1. As much as our strength and natural necessities will permit, we should be meditating night and day: it may be a shame to us that many tradesmen are up afore day to follow their callings, and that they should excel us. The Christians had their morning hymns to Christ, in the times of persecution,
2. We may press you to the affection, though not to the season; to be stored with good matter, and to have a strong delight in this work, and sincerity to make conscience of private duties.
3. If we wake in the night and our rest is broken off, then to exercise ourselves in holy thoughts. Many times it falleth out that we cannot sleep; now, we should spend the time in meditation and prayer, not in vain thoughts, or entertaining ourselves with carnal musings, or perplexing and anxious thoughts about the troubles that we are under.
4. If David waked in the night, how much are they to blame that snort and sleep in the day, even in the time of worship, when others are entertaining communion with God. Surely, if they had earnest affections, this could not always be. The example of Eutychus should deter these: “And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep; and, as Paul was long preaching, he sank down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead” (Acts XX. 9); “What! could not ye watch with me one hour?” (Matt. xxvi. 40.)
Doctrine III. — That meditation on the promises is very seasonable when the answer of our prayers is denied.
For this is very powerful to support our fainting hopes, and to cheer and revive our drooping spirits. There is support in the word, and comfort in the word; theiefore we should much meditate on the promises at such a time. The best holdfast that we have of God is by his promise. Whatsoever his dispensations be, this will give satisfaction enough: though )-ou cannot find what yon would, his word is certain; though no appearance of performance, his word is sure enough to fasten upon. The grounds of faith are more sweet and satisfactory, the more they are examined and looked upon.