witli him/ Psalm Ixxviii. 34, 35. They feared God, and loved their lusts; and therefore they betrayed his glory at every turn into their hands ; as Herod did John's head, whom he feared, into her hands whom he loved. And truly there is too much of this slavish fear to be found in the saints' bosoms, or else the whip should not be so often in God's hand. We find God checking his people for this, and making their servile spirit the reason of his severity towards them. ' Is Israel a servant, a home-born slave? Why is he sjjoiled?' Jer. ii. 14. As if God had said, What is the reason that I must use thee, who art my dear child, as coarsely as if thoii wert a servant, a slave, laying on blow after blow upon thy back with such heavy judgments ? Wouldst thou know ? read ver. 17: ' Hast thou not procured this to thyself, in that thou hast for- saken the Lord thy God, when tie led thee by the way?' Thou mayest thank thyself for this my unusual dealing with thee. If the child will forget his own ingenuity, and nothing but blows will work with him, then the father must deal with his child according to his servile spirit. When God led Israel by the way, as a fatlier his child, lovingly, he flung from him ; and if they would not lead by love, then no wonder he makes them diive by fear. O Christian, act more by love, and thou wilt save God's putting thee into fear with his whip ; love will keep thee close and true to him. The very character of love is, ' it seeks not her own,' 1 Cor. xiii. 5. And what is it to be sincere, but when the Christian seeks Christ's interest, and not his own? Jonathan loved David dearly ; this made him incin- his father's wrath, trample on the hopes of a kingdom, which he had for him and his posterity, rather than be false to his friend. Lot delivers up his daughters to the lusts of the Sodomites, rather than his guests. Samson could not conceal that great secret from Delilah, whom he loved, wherein his strength lay, though it was as much as his life was worth to blab it to her. Love is the great conqueror of the world. Thus will thy soul, being inflamed with love to Christ, set all thy worldly interest adrift, rather than put his honoin- to the least hazard. Abraham did not more wil- lingly put his sacrificing knife to the ram's throat to save his dear Isaac's life, than thou wilt be to sacrifice thy life to keep thy sincerity alive. Love is com- pared to fire, the nature of which is, to assimilate to itself all that comes near it, or to consume them; it turns all into fire or ashes; nothing that is heterogeneous can long dwell with its own simple, pure nature. Thus love to Chi-ist vv^ill not suffer the near neighbourhood of any thing in its bosom that is derogatory to Christ ; either it will reduce or abandon it, be it pleasure, profit, or what- ever else. Abraham, who loved Hagar and Ishmael in their due place, when the one began to justle with her mistress, and the other jeer and mock at Isaac, he packs them both out of doors. Love to Christ will not suffer thee to side with any thing against Christ, but take his part with him against any that oppose him, and so long thy sincerity is out of danger.
Section III. — Thirdly, Meditate often on the simplicity and sincerity of God's heart to his saints. What more powerful consideration can be thought on to make us true to God, than the faithfulness and truth of God to us ? Absalom, though as vile a dissembler as lived, yet when Ilushai came out to him, he suspected him, 2 Sam. xvi. 17 : ' And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not out to thy friend?' His own conscience told him that it was horrible baseness for him, that had found David such a true friend, now to join in rebellious armies against liim ; and though Absalom, that said this, did offer greater violence to this law of love, yet he questioned, it seems, whether any din\st be so wicked besides himself When, therefore, Christian, thou findcst thy heart warping into any insincere practice, lay it under this consideration, and if anything of God and his grace be in thee, it will imbend thee, and bring thee to rights again. Ask thy soul, ' Is this thy kindness to thy friend ?' Such a friend as God hath been, is, and surely will be to thee for ever? (Jod, when his people sin, to put them to the blush, asks them whether he gives them any cause for their unkind and undutiful carriages to him. ' Thus saith the Lord What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me?' Jer. ii. .5. So Moses, intending to pay Israel home (l)efore he goes up and dies on Nebo) for all their hypocrisy, nuninuring, and horrible rebellions against God, all along, from first setting out of Egypt to that day, he brings in their
2Qg HAVING YOUR LOINS