Sixthly, It is but a little while, before this, with all other diseases bred by it in thy soul, shall be perfectly healed ; sanctification is a cure begun ; glorification is a cure performed and completed : The former hath destroyed the dominion, the latter will destroy the ex- istence of it in thy soul : When you come to heaven, and never till then, will you find yourselves well, ajid at ease in every part,
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And thus much of the second point.
There are some general observations arising from both parts of my text considered together, viz. the thankful acknowledgment of his faith, and the sorrowful sense of his unbelief It shall suffice, for a conclusion to this meditation, only to note them ; and they are these ;
First, That the deepest sense of sin must not exclude an humble and thankful acknowledgment of the grace of God in his people. It is the fault of most, to hide their sins ; and the fault of some to hide their graces.
Secondly^ Acceptance of our persons and duties, is a pure act of grace: There is no duty performed in a perfect act of faith ; all is mixed with unbelief in some degree, the honey and the comb are mixed together. Cant. ii. 8. No duty as it comes from us is pure.
Thirdly, Justly may we suspect that faith for a false faith, which boasts of its own strength, but never mourns in the sense of unbe- lief Where there are no conflicts with sin, there can be no sound evidence of sincerity.
Fourthly, Believers must not wonder to find strange vicissitudes and alterations in the state of their souls : Sometimes a clear, and sometimes a cloudy day : Sometimes they have their songs in the night, and sometimes their bitter lamentations. If you ask, why is it thus.? the answer is, there are within you contrary principles struggling in your souls ; and it is no wonder at all to find peace and trouble, hope and fear, hght and darkness taking their turns, and sharing your time betwixt them.
/ delight to do thy will, O my God ; yea^ thy law is within my heart.
VyASTINGr my eye upon this precious text, I find it perplexed and darkened with variety, yea, contrariety of expositions. The Jews and Socinians generally refer all to David, denying Christ to be the person here spoken of Others refer the whole Psalm to Christ ; but the best expositorj refer it partly to David, and partly to Christ. That this paragraph in which my text lies, refers to Christ, is plain from the apostle s allegation of it in Heb, x. $, 6, 7. In this
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and the two former verses there lie three great points of truth, which you may take up in this order.
Firsts The insufficiency and rejection of all legal sacrifices, as things of no virtue in themselves to satisfy God, or save men, ver. 6. These thou wouldest not ; i. e. thou never didst appoint them to be the means of salvation, farther than they signified and pointed at me, and now must vanish when I come in a body of flesh ; according to that. Col. ii. 17.
Secondly^ The introduction of a complete and sufficient means of redemption, ver. 7. Lo, I come.
Thirdly, The suitableness and agrceableness of this work of re- demption to the heart and will of Jesus Christ, ver. 8. « 1 delight to do thy will, O my God ; yea, thy law is within my heart ;' or, as it is in the Hebrew, in the midst of my boiccls.
In the words we are to note two things, viz. 1,9/, The rise and spring of man's redemption. SrZ/y, The acceptableness and suitable- ness of it to the heart of Christ.
1st, The rise and first spring of man's redemption, the will and pleasure of God. So it pleased the Lord to appoint and order it, that a remnant of poor lost sinners should be saved.
The execution and accomplishment of this good pleasure of God, was that part which by agreement and consent was committed to the Son, and is here called a law, or command laid upon him ; and, an- swerably, the death of Christ is represented as an act of obedience, Phil. ii. 8. and respected God's command for it ; John x. 18. ' This commandment have I received from my Father ;' referring to the covenant of redemption vvhich was betwixt them from everlasting : And this was the rise and first spring of our redemption by Christ. ^dly, You have here the gratefulness and suitableness of this work to the heart of Christ, I delight to do it ; it is in my heart: Lo, I come. The Hebrew words note not simple consent or willingness, but the highest pleasure and complacency that can be; a work which ravishes his soul with the delights of it, / delight to do thy will ; and that other expression. Thy law is within my heart, or bowels, hath as deep i sense and signification as the former ; it notes the greatest care, soli- citude, and intention of mind, in keeping the most precious treasure that was committed to him ! for so the phrase is used in Prov. iv. 21. and so did our Redeemer esteem and reckon this work, which was by the Father demandated and committed to him. Hence the note is,
Doct. That the will of God to redeem sinners by the incarnation and death of Jesus Christ, was most grateful and pleasing to the very heart of Christ.
It is said, Prov. viii. 31. When he was solacing himself in the sweetest enjoyment of his Father, whilst he lay in that blessed bosom of delights, yet the very prospect of this work gave him pleasure. Then were his delights with the sons of men. And when he was come into the world, and had endured many abuses and injuries, and was Vol, VI, E e
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even now come to the most difficult part of the work ; yet, kow am I straitened^ or pained, (saith he) till it he accomplished, Lukexii. 50.
Two things call our thoughts to stay upon them in this point. . First, The decency of it, why it ought to be so.
Secondly, The reasons of it, whence it came to be so.
First, Why it ought to be a pleasant and grateful thing to Christ to take a body of flesh, and lay it down by death again for the re- demption of sinners.
1. It became Christ to go about this work with cheerfulness and delight, that thereby he might give his death the nature and forma- lity of a sacrifice.
In all sacrifices you shall find that God had still a regard, a special respect to the will of the offerer. See Exod. xxxv. 5, 21. and Lev. i. 3. the voluntariness and cheerfulness with which it is given, is of great regard with God.
9.. It ought to be so, in regard of the unity of Christ's will, with the Father's. The work of our redemption is called the pleasure of the Lord, Isa. liii. 10. and what was the Father's pleasure, could not be displeasing to him who is one with the Father. It is impos- sible their wills can clash, whose nature is one.