* Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy com- mandments, or, as the Hebrew hath it, ' Then shall I not blush when my eye is to all thy commandments/ The traveller, you know, hath his eye towards the place where he is going ; and though he be yet short of it, yet he is putting on and pressing forward all he can to reach it ; so when the eye of a saint is to all the commands of God, and he is still a-pressing forwards toward full obedience, such a soul shall never be put to shame ; it shall never be put to the blush, but it shall be able, living and dying, boldly to appear in the presence of the Lord. Mark, the psalmist doth not say, when I obey all thy commandments, but ' when I have respect to all thy commandments ;' and that implies an inward awe and reverential eye towards every duty God requires. You know, to have respect unto a thing is this, when that of all others sways most with us, as when a master commands such a business, the servant will do it, because he respects him ; and at his command he will go and come, though he will not at the command of any other. But I have respect unto all his commandments, therefore I shall never be ashamed.
[4.] Fourthly, A godly man may argue thus : He that loveth the brethren is passed from death to life, and consequently is in Christ, 1 John iii. 18, 19. But I love the brethren, therefore I am passed from death to life, and so consequently am in Christ.
[5.] Fifthly, A godly man may argue thus : He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall certainly find mercy, Pro v. xxviii. 13. But I confess and forsake my sins, 1, in respect of my sincere desires ; 2, in respect of my gracious purposes ; 3, in respect of my fixed resolu- tions ; 4, in respect of my faithful and constant endeavours ; therefore I shall certainly find mercy.
[6.] Sixthly, A godly man may argue thus : He that hath the testi- mony of a good conscience, he may rejoice in that testimony, 2 Cor. i. 12; Isa. xxxviii. 3. But I have the testimony of a good conscience, therefore I may rejoice in that testimony.
[7.] Seventhly, A godly man may argue thus, He over whom pre- sumptuous sins has not dominion is upright : Ps. xix. 13, ' Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins ; let them not have dominion oyer me ; then shall I be upright.' But presumptuous sins has not dominion over me ; therefore I am upright. Mark, unfeigned willingness to part with every sin, and to mortify every sin, is a sure sign of uprightness, a sure sign of saving grace. When a man is sincerely willing to leave every sin, and to indulge himself in none, no, not his darling sin, it is a most certain sign of his integrity and sincerity, as you may evidently see by comparing of these scriptures together, Ps. xvii. 1, 3, 4 ; cxix. 1, 2, 3, 6 ; Job i. 8, ii. 3 ; Ps. xviii. 23. 1 was upright before him. Oh ! but how do you know that 1 how do you prove that 1 how are you assured of that ? Why, by this, that ' I have kept myself from mine iniquity.' Doubtless there is as much of the power of God required, and as much strength of grace required, and as much of the presence and assistance of the Spirit required, to work a man off from his bosom sins, from his darling sins, from his beloved sins, as there is required to work him off from all other sins. A conquest here clearly speaks out uprightness of heart.
268 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. T.
[8.J Eighthly, A godly man may argue thus : He whose heart doth not condemn him, 1, of giving himself over to a voluntary serving of sin ; or, 2, of making a trade of sin ; or, 3, of allowing of himself in any course or way of sin ; or, -i, of sinning, as wicked men sin, who sin studiously, resolutely, affectionately, delightfully, customarily, wilfully, or with their whole will, or with the full consent and sway of their souls ; or, 5, of indulging, conniving or winking at any kno"\\Ti sin ; or, 6, of living in the daily neglect of any known positive duty against light and conscience, or of an ordinary shifting off of any known service that God requires of him in that place or station wherein God has set him, may have confidence, crass jjff/ay, boldness, liberty of speech towards God, 1 John iii. 21. But my heart does not condemn me, 1, of giving myself over to a voluntary serving of sin ; nor, 2, of making a trade of sin ; nor, 3, of allowing myself in any course or way of sin ; nor, 4, of sinning as wicked men sin, viz., studiously, resolutely, affectionately, delightfully, customarily, wilfully ; nor, 5, of indulging, conniving, or winking at any known sin ; nor, 6, of living in the daily neglect of any known duty against light and conscience ; therefore I may have con- fidence or boldness towards God ; I may use liberty of speech with God ; I may use the liberty and freedom of a favourite of heaven ; I may open my heart to God, as favourites do to their prince, viz., freely, familiarly, boldly. When Austin was converted, and his heart sincere with God, he could bless God* that he could think of his former evil ways, which were very bad, without fear. Oh to what a height of holy boldness and familiarity with God had this man of God arrived to ! But,
[9.] Ninthly, A godly man may argue thus, To such who are ' poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven belongs,' Mat. v. 3. By 2^oor in spimt is not meant poor in substance, that not being a thing praiseworthy in itself, but the broken and humble in heart, who hath no high thoughts or conceits of himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, as a young child.' ' Blessed are the poor in spirit ; ' that is, non hahentes injiantem sinritiiin, who hath no lofty or puffed up spirit. The poor in spirit are those that are lowly, being truly conscious of their own unworthi- ness. Nulli ixiuperes sinvitu nisi humiles; none are poor in spirit but the humble. ' Blessed are the poor in spirit ; ' that is, blessed are they whose spirits are brought into such an humble gracious frame, as willingly, quietly, and contentedly to lie down in a poor low condition, when it is the pleasure of the Lord to bring them into such a condition.* Blessed are the poor in spirit ; that is, blessed are they who are truly and kindly apprehensive and sensible of their spiritual wants, poverty, and misery f that see their need of God's free grace to pardon them ; that see their need of Christ's righteousness to clothe them ; that see their need of the Spirit of Christ to purge, change, and sanctify them ;
• Chrysostom in loc. * Augustine, Hilary, Tertullian.