William Huntington

XI. - The Gain of Godliness, or the Beggar's Profit

"A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled," Proverbs, xviii. 20.

BY the belly, here, I presume, is meant the heart or the soul. It is said that the "prodigal would fain have filled his belly with husks:" but a better banquet was provided for him; namely, the fatted calf and best robe, which is Christ crucified and his imputed righteousness; neither of which are food for the bowels, but for the soul. Again, Elihu, who declares that he was inspired, and that the Spirit of God had given him understanding, finding the Spirit to operate strongly upon him, says that "his belly is as wine which hath no vent, it is ready to burst like new bottles," Job, xxxii. 19. And so the Saviour says, "If any man come unto me and drink, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; but this spake he of the Spirit," John, vii. 38. But it must mean the heart, for it is the heart, and not the bowels, that is the seat of divine inspiration. "I will give them a new heart and a new spirit."

This heavenly merchant in my text, whose belly is to be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and to be filled with the increase of his lips, cannot be the person that the wise man calls a prating fool that shall fall; for a fool is not a praying man, and he that falls can never be said to be satisfied; nor can this merchant be a man employed in temporal concerns, for it is not by talking, but by working with the hands, that the generality of men are fed and filled in a temporal sense. "He that laboureth, laboureth for himself, for his mouth craveth it of him," Prov. vi. 26. This is working for the belly, not talking. Hence it appears that this trader in my text is not an earthly trader, for in the general they live by labour, not by talk; no, nor a prating fool about religion, "for the kingdom is not in word; in all labour there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury." But this man that I am describing hath his belly satisfied by the fruit of his mouth, and filled by the increase of his lips.

Again, This trader must be an hungry man, a man that hath an appetite, for he cannot be said to be filled if he is not in some measure empty; for "God filleth the hungry with good things, but, as for the rich, he sends them empty away:" it is they that hunger and thirst after righteousness that are blessed, and they shall be filled: "But woe to them that are full, for they shall hunger." Furthermore, this empty man is one that is empty of good, empty of righteousness, of the bread of life, and of the satisfying grace of God in Christ: and he must be in a good measure emptied of self, of self-sufficiency, of self-righteousness, of human confidence, and of all satisfaction in and from dead works and a form of godliness: for the worldly wise sinner is too proud to hear the gospel, and the self-righteous too rich to beg a covering, and the full soul loatheth the honey-comb, and therefore will hardly beg for that which his soul hateth.

This man in my text is a praying soul, not a hearer of the word only; for, if his belly be filled by hearing only, and not by praying, his belly must be satisfied with the fruit of another's mouth, and not with his own: but my text says that "a man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth;" that is, his own belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his own mouth. I know that there is no satisfaction, nor fullness, for a sensible sinner, but in Christ Jesus. I know that in him pardon and peace, regeneration and adoption, are promised, a new heart and a new spirit is to be given, and every thing else, both spiritual and temporal; but then it is added, "For all these things I will be inquired of by the house of Israel, that I may do these things for them." So that without prayer nothing can be expected. The prodigal wanted bread, and he begged it; the publican wanted mercy, and he craved it by prayer; Hannah wanted a son, and she begged for one and got him; David wanted pardon, and he prayed and obtained it: the belly of all these were satisfied by the fruit of their mouth. And how can a man's belly be filled without it, when God declares that "he will pour out his fury upon the heathen that know him not, and upon the families of the earth that call not upon his name?"

Besides, can a man belong to "the house of David," and not have "the spirit of grace and supplication poured out upon him," which is promised to all the royal Family? No, by no means. Again, can I conclude that I belong to God if I have no communion with him in prayer, or that I am a believer, if my prayer brings nothing in from him? "Verily, God hath heard my prayer," saith the psalmist, "and not turned away my petitions, nor his mercy from me." "This is the confidence that we have in him (says John), that, if we ask any thing agreeable to his will, we know that he heareth us; and, if we know that he hears us in whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him."

An hungry man's belly is to be satisfied by the fruit of his mouth, for he draws this conclusion � If I am an enemy to God, he will not regard me; if I worship him not in the spirit, I cannot be accepted; if I pray not in faith, I cannot expect an answer: but God hath heard me, and therefore regards me, respects me, relieves me, and accepts me in his dear Son; and therefore he must be my friend, not my enemy; my father, and not my angry judge; my God in covenant, and not a consuming fire to me. "The apostles prayed till the place was shook where they were assembled, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost." And thus Cornelius prayed till he was ordered to send for Peter, through whose ministry the word of life and Spirit of God came upon him and his. "Ask (saith the Lord), and you shall receive, that your joy may be full;" for a man's belly shall he satisfied with the fruit of his mouth. David prayed for pardon, peace, and life; Jabez to be kept from evil; Jacob for a blessing; and Paul for the removal of Satan's buffetings. And all of them preveiled; they got their doubts and fears removed, their minds settled, their evidences brightened, and their interests in the Lord made clear and plain to them; and these things satisfied them, "and they found quietness in their belly," Job, xx. 20.

"By the increase of his lips shall he be filled." Godliness with contentment is great gain, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Solomon prayed for wisdom, and he got riches and honour into the bargain, which is what he did not ask for. This increase of the lips mentioned in my text is answers to prayer; which consists in an increase of knowledge, of experience, of faith, of life, of peace, and of love, comfort, joy, and strength. Some folks make many long prayers, and think that they shall be heard for their much speaking; but, if God gives no answer, there is no increase; and, it no increase, how can they be filled? Great is the delight of the Lord in the prayers of the faithful. "Let me hear thy voice, let me see thy face; sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." The prayer of the upright is the Lord's delight. "Ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you; for he that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth," &c. &c. And again, "Call upon me in the time of trouble, I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." O how great is the condescension of God to listen to the prayers of such poor rebels! and how sweet and savoury are those blessings and gracious answers, that are obtained by much importunity in prayer! Reader, as long as one doubt remains touching the goodness and safety of thy state, if suspicions are working, if any fears are cherished, if any pro and con in the court of conscience, if any jealousies; let these things be manifested, let them be sifted to the bottom, let them be canvassed over, and set to rights; make straight paths for thy feet; remember that thy belly is to be filled, and thou art to be satisfied with the fruit of thy lips; there is a great gain in godliness, a choice revenue in wisdom, and a blessed increase in prayer. Begging is the most profitable branch of all the heavenly trade. "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory," 1 Samuel, ii. 8. But without prayer what can be expected, when God hath said that, for all the spiritual and temporal blessings promised, he will be inquired of by the house of Israel to do these things for them? Read Ezekiel, xxxvi.