It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins before solemn duties, but with a purpose to return to them again, as the serpent layeth aside his poison when he goeth to drink, and when he hath drunk, he returns to it again, as they fable it. It is sad when men say to their lusts, as Abraham said to his servants, ' Abide you here, and I will go and worship, and return again to you,' Gen. xxii. 5. Verily such souls are far off from that repentance that accompanies salvation, for that makes a final and everlasting separation between sin and the soul. It makes such a divorce between sin and the soul, and puts them so far asunder, that all the world can never bring them to meet as two lovers together. The penitent soul looks upon sin and deals with sin, not as a friend, but as an enemy. It deals with sin as Amnon dealt with Tamar : 2 Sam. xiii. 15, ' And Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her. Arise, begone.' Just thus doth the penitent soul carry itself towards sin.
And thus you see what repentance that is that accompanies salvation.
The fourth thing I am to shew is, what obedience that is that doth accompany salvation. That obedience doth accompany salvation, I have formerly proved. Now what this obedience is that doth accompany or comprehend salvation, I shall shew you in these following particulars :
[1.] The first property. First, That obedience that accompanies sal- vation is cordial and hearty. The heart, the inward man, doth answer and echo to the word and will of God. The believer knows that no obedience but hearty obedience is acceptable to Christ. He knows that nothing takes Christ's heart but what comes from the heart. Christ was hearty in his obedience for me, says the believer ; and shall not I be hearty in my obedience to him ? Christ will lay his hand of love, his hand of acceptance, upon no obedience but what flows from the heart : Rom. vi. 17, * Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doc- triae which was delivered you.' So in Rom. vii. 25, 'So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God.' My heart, says Paul, is in my obsdience. So in Rom. I 9, ' God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son.' Many serve God with their bodies, but 1 serve him with my spirit ; many serve him with the outward man, but I serve him with my inward man,' Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27. God hath
' I.oa. xxix. 13; Mat. xv. 7-9. The heart is Camera omnipofeniis Rrgis, i.e. the prescnce-chamher of the King of heaven, and that upon which his eye, hia hand, his heart, is most set.
Rom. VIII. 32-34<.] heaven on earth. 469
written his law in believers' hearts, and therefore they cannot but obey it from the heart : ' I delight to do thy will, O my God.' How so ? Why, ' thy law is within my heart,' or, in the midst of my bowels, as the Hebrew hath it, *yD 1103, Ps. xl. 8. The heart within echoes and answers to the commandments without, as a book written answers to his mind that writes" it ; as face answers to face ; as the impression on the wax answers to the character engraven on the seal. The scribes and Pharisees were much in the outward obedience of the law, but their hearts were not in their obedience ; and therefore all they did signified nothing in the account of Christ, who is only taken with outward actions as they flow from the heart and affections. Their souls were not in their services, and therefore all their services were lost services. They were very glorious in their outward profession, but their hearts were as filthy sepulchres. Their outsides shined as the sun, but their insides were as black as hell, Mat. xxiii. They were like the Egyptians' temples, beautiful without, but filthy within. Well ! remember this : No action, no service, goes for current in heaven, but that which is sealed up with integrity of heart. God will not be put off with the shell, when we give the devil the kernel.
(2.) The second property. Secondly, That obedience that accom- panies salvation is universal as vjell as cordial. The soul falls in with every part and point of God's will, so far as he knows it, without pre- judice or partiality, without tilting the balance on one side or another. A soul sincerely obedient, will not pick and choose what commands to obey and what to reject, as hypocrites do ; he hath an eye to see, an ear to hear, and a heart to obey the first table as well as the second, and the second table as well as the first ; he doth not adhere to the first and neglect the second, as hypocrites do ; neither doth he adhere to the second and contemn the first, as profane men do ; he obeys not out of humour but out of duty, he obeys not out of choice but out of con- science : Ps. cxix. 6, * Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto aU thy commandments.' Look, as faith never singles out his object, but lays hold on every object God holds forth for it to close with, faith doth not choose this truth and reject that, it doth not close with one and reject another.^ Faith doth not say, I will trust God in this case but not in that, I will trust him for this mercy but not for that mercy, I will trust him in this way but not in that way. Faith doth not choose its object. Faith knows that he is powerful and faith- ful that hath promised, and therefore faith closes with one object as well as another. So a true obedient soul singles not out the commands of God, as to obey one and rebel against another ; it dares not, it can- not say, I will serve God in this command but not in that. No ; in an evangelical sense it obeys all : Luke i. 5, 6, ' Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.'* They walked not only in com-
^ Ifon elicit mandata, he doth not pick and choose. He obeys all, in respect of bis sincere purpose, desire, and endeavour ; and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and complete obedience, &c.
^ '^ifi^Tot, without complaint An obedient soul is like a crystal glass with a light in the midst, which shines forth through every part thereof. So that royal law that is written upon his heart shines forth into every parcel of his life ; his outward works do echo to a law within.
470 HEAVEN ON EARTH. [ROM. VIII. 32-34.