ence ! Oh what a good Master do saints serve ? You that are re- miss and unconstant in your obedience, you that are heartless and cold in duties; hear how your God expostulates with you, Jer. ii. 31. " Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of dark- " ness ?" q. d. Have I been a hard Master to you ? Have you any reason to complain of me? To whomsoever I have been strait- handed, surely I have not been so to you. Are fruits of sin like fruits of obedience ? Do you know where to find a better Master ? "Why then are you so shuffling and unconstant, so sluggish and re- miss in my work? Surely God is not behind-hand with any of you. May you not say with David, Psal. cxix. 56. " This I had, " because I kept thy precepts." There are fruits in holiness, even present fruit. It is a high favour to be employed for God. Reward enough that he will accept any thing thou dost. But to return every duty thou representest to him with such comforts, such quickenings, such inward and outward blessings into thy bosom, so that thou mayest open the treasury of thine own experiences, view the variety of encouragements and tokens of his love, at se- veral times received in duties ; and say, this I had, and that I had, by waiting on God, and serving him. Oh what an engagement is this upon thee to be ever abounding in the work of the Lord ! Though thou must not work for wages ; yet God will not let thy work go unrewarded. For he is not unrighteous to forget your tcork and labour of love.
Thirdly, Your Father hath further obliged you to holiness and purity of life, by signifying to you (as he hath frequently done) the great delight and pleasure he hath therein. He hath told vou, " that such as are upright in the way are his delight,'1 Prov. xi. 20. That he would not have you " forget to do good, and t6 " communicate, for with such sacrifices he is well pleased,'1 Heb. xiii. 16. You know you cannot " walk worthy of the Lord to all " pleasing, [except] ye be fruitful in every good word and work,1' Col. i. 10. And oh what a bond is this upon you to live holy lives ! Can you please yourselves in displeasing your Father ? If you have the hearts of children in you, sure you cannot. O you can- not grieve his Spirit by loose and careless walking, but you must grieve your own spirits too. How many times hath God pleased you, gratified and contented you, and will you not please and con- tent him ? This mercy you have asked of him, and he gave it, that mercy and you were not denied ; in many things the Lord hath wonderfully condescended to please you, and now there is but one thing that he desires of you, and that most reasonable, yea, bene- ficial for you, as well as pleasing to him, Phil. i. 27. " Only let " your conversation be as becometh the gospel of Jesus Christ/* This is the one thing, the great and main thing he expects from you in this world, and will not you do it ? Can you expect he
540 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE, SERM. XLIl,
should o-ratify your desires, when you make no more of grieving and displeasing him ? Well, if you know what will please God, and vet resolve not to do it, but will rather please your flesh, and gratify the devil than him ; pray pull off your vizards, fall into your own rank among hypocrites, and appear as indeed you are.
Fourthly, The Father liatli further obliged you to strictness and purity of conversation, by his gracious promises made to such as so walk. He hath promised to do great things for you, if you will bat do this one thing for him. If you will " order your conversa- " tion aright,''1 Psal. 1. ult. He will be your sun and shield, if you walk before him and be upright, Gen. xv. 1. "He will give grace " and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from him that " walketh uprightly," Psal. lxxxiv. 11. And he promises no more to you, than he hath made good to others, that have thus walked, and stands ready to perform to you also. If you look to enjoy the o-ood of the promise, you are obliged by all your expectations and hopes to order your lives purely and uprightly. This hope will set you on work to purge your lives, as well as your hearts, from all pollutions, 2 Cor. vii. 1. " Having these promises, let us cleanse " ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holi- u ness in the fear of God."
Fifthly, Yea, He hath yet more obliged you to strict and holy lives > by his confidence in you, that you will thus walk and please him. He expresseth himself in scripture, as one that dares trust you with his glory, knowing that you will be tender of it, and dare do no otherwise. But if a man repose confidence in you, and trust you with his concerns, it greatly obliges you to be faithful. What an engagement was that upon* Abraham to walk uprightly, when God said of him, Gen. xviii. 19. " I know him, that he will com- " mand his children, and his household after him, and they shall " keep the way of the Lord," q. d. as for this wicked generation, whom I will speedily consume in my wrath, I know they regard not my laws, they will trample my commands under their feet, they care not how they provoke me, but I expect other things from Abraham, and I am confident he will not fail me. / know him, he is a man of another spirit, and what I promise myself from him, he will make good. And to the like purpose is that in Isa. lxiii. 7. " I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the " praises of the Lord ; according to all that the Lord hath bestow- " ed on us, and the great goodness towards the house of Israel, " which he hath bestowed on them, according to his mercies, " and according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses. For " he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie, " (or fail me :) so he was their Saviour." Here you have an ample account of the endearing mercies of God to that people^
SERM. XLH. THE FOUNTAIN* OF LIFE. 541