In that he is said to pity them, it is as much as to say he condoleth, feeleth, and sympathizeth with them in all their afflictions and temptations. So that this is the happiness of him that feareth God, he has a God to pity him, and to be touched with all his miseries. It is said, that "his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel," Judges x. 16. And in the Hebrews, he is said to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, and can succour those that are tempted, Heb. iv. 15. دو But further, let us take notice of the comparison. "As a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Here is not only pity, but the pity of a relation, a father. It is said, in another place, "Can a woman (a mother) "forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee," Isa. xlix. 15. The pity of neighbours and acquaintance helpeth in times of distress, but the pity of a father and a mother is pity with an over and above. "The Lord," says James, "is very pitiful, and of tender mercy," James v. 11. Pharaoh called Joseph his tender father, because he provided for him against the famine; but how tender a father is God! how full of bowels, how full of pity! It is said that when Ephraim was afflicted, God's bowels were troubled for him, and turned within him towards him. Oh that the man that feareth the Lord did but believe the pity and compassion that are in the heart of God and his Father towards him. 10. Dost thou fear God? "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them," Psa. cxlv. 19. Almost all those places that make mention of the men that fear God, do intimate as if they still were under affliction, or in danger by reason of an enemy. But here is still their privilege, their God is their Father, and pities them. "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him." Where, now, is the man that feareth the Lord? let him hearken to this. What sayest thou, poor soul, will this content thee? The Lord will fulfil thy desires. It is intimated of Adonijah, that David his father did let him have his will in all things. "His father," says the text, "had not displeased him at any time in" so much as "saying, Why hast thou done so," 1 Kings i. 6. But here is more, here is a promise to grant thee the whole desire of thy heart, according to the prayer of holy David, the Lord 'grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfil all thy counsel." And again; "The Lord fulfil all thy petitions," Psa. xx. 4, 5. O thou that fearest the Lord, what is thy desire? "All my desire," says David, "is all my salvation." So sayest thou, all my salvation is all my desire. Well, the desire of thy soul is granted thee, yea, God himself hath engaged himself even to fulfil this thy desire. "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry, and will save them." Oh this desire, when it cometh, what a tree of life will it be to thee! Thou desirest to be rid of thy present trouble; the Lord shall rid thee out of trouble. Thou desirest to be delivered from temptation; the Lord shall deliver thee out of temptation. Thou desirest to be delivered from thy body of death; and the Lord shall change this thy vile body, that it may be like to his glorious body, Phil. iii. 21. Thou desirest to be in the presence of God, and among the angels in heaven. This thy desire also shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt be made equal to the angels. Oh! but it is long first. Well, learn first to live upon thy portion in the promise of it, and that will make thy expectation of it sweet. God will fulfil thy desires. God will do it: though it tarry long, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry, Hab. ii. 3. 11. Dost thou fear God? "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him," Psa. cxlvii. 11. Those that fear God are among his chief delights. He delights in his Son, he delights in his works, and takes pleasure in those that fear him. As a man takes pleasure in his wife, in his children, in his gold, in his jewels; so the man that fears the Lord is the object of his delight. He takes pleasure in their prosperity, and therefore sendeth them "health from the sanctuary," and makes them drink of the river of his pleasures. "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures," Psa. xxxvi. 8. That or those we take pleasure in, we love to beautify and adorn with many ornaments. We count no cost too much to be bestowed on those in whom we place our delight, and whom we make the object of our pleasure. And even thus it is with God; For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people :" and what follows? "He will beautify the meek with salvation," Psa. cxlix. 4. 66 Those in whom we delight, we take pleasure in their actions; yea, we teach them, and give them such rules and laws to walk by as may yet make those we love more pleasurable in our eyes. Therefore those that fear God, since they are the objects of his pleasure, are taught to know how to please him in every thing. And hence it is said, that he is ravished with their looks, that he delighteth in their cry, and that he is pleased with their walking. Those in whom we delight and take pleasure, many things we will bear and put up that they do, though they be not according to our minds. A man will suffer that in, and put up that at the hand of the child or wife of his pleasure, that he will not pass by nor put up in another. God, speaking of his people, says, "They shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him," Mal. iii. 17. Oh, how happy is the man that feareth God! His good thoughts, his good attempts to serve him, and his good life, please him, because he feareth God. You know how pleasing in our eyes the actions of our children are, when we know that they do what they do even of a reverential fear and awe of us; yea, though that which they do amounts but to little, we take it well at their hands, and are pleased therewith. The woman that cast in her two mites into the treasury cast in not much, for they did but make one farthing; yet how doth the Lord Jesus trumpet her up. He had pleasure in her and in her action. This, therefore, that the Lord taketh pleasure in those that fear him, is another of their great privileges. 12. Dost thou fear God? The least portion of that fear giveth the privilege to be blessed with the "He will bless them that fear the greatest saint. This (1.) For those that are small in esteem; for those that are but little accounted of, Judges vi. 15. Art thou small or little in this sense, yet, if thou fearest God, thou art sure to be blessed. "He will bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great." thou never so small in the world's eyes, in thine own eyes, in the saints' eyes, (as sometimes one saint is little in another saint's eye,) yet thou, because thou fearest God, art put among the blessed. Be (2.) By small, sometimes, is meant those that are but small of stature, or young in years, little children, that are easily passed by and looked over; as those that sang hosanna in the temple were, when the Pharisees deridingly said of them to Christ, "Hearest thou what these say?" Matt. xxi. 16. Well, but Christ would not despise those children that feared God, but preferred them, by the Scripture testimony, far before those that did contemn them. Little children, how small soever, and although of never so small esteem with men, shall also, if they fear the Lord, be blessed with the greatest saints. "He shall bless them that fear the Lord, both small and great.' دو (3.) By small may, sometimes, be meant those that are small in grace or gifts. These are said to be the least in the church, that is, under this consideration, and so are by it least esteemed. Thus also is that word of Christ to be understood, 66 Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me," Matt. xxv. 45. Art thou, in thine own thoughts, or in the thoughts of others, of these last small ones? small in grace, |