above gold, yea, above fine gold.' Ver. 159, ' Consider how I love thy precepts." Ver. 167, ' My soul hath kept thy testimonies ; and I love them exceedingly.' (5.) In respect of valuation or esteem, he highly values all the commands of God, he highly prizes all the commands of God, as you may see by comparing these scriptures together : Ps. cxix. 72, 127, 128, Ps. xix. 8-11, Job xxiii. 12. (6) In respect of his pur- pose and resolution ; he purposes and resolves, by divine assistance, to obey all, to keep all : Ps. cxix. 106, ' I have sworn, and will perform it, that 1 will keep thy righteous judgments.' Ps. xvii. 3, ' I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.' (7.) In respect of his inclination ; he has an habitual inclination in him to keep all the commands of God : 1 Kings viii. 57, 58, 2 Chron. xxx. 17-20 : Ps. cxix. 112, 'I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes always, even to the end.' (8.) In respect of endeavours ; they endeavour to keep all : Ps. cxix. 59, ' I turned my feet unto thy testimonies.' There is no man that obeys God truly, who doth not endeavour to obey God fully. And thus you see in what re- spect that obedience that flows from faith is a fall obedience, a univer- sal obedience. A child of God obeys all the commands of God in respect of his sincere desires, purposes, resolutions, and endeavours ; and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and complete obedience. This is the glory of the covenant of grace, that God accepts and esteems of sincere obedience as perfect obedience. Such who sincerely endeavour to keep the whole law of God, they do keep the whole law of God in an evan- gelical sense, though not in a legal sense. In the work of conversion, God infuseth all grace together, and writes not one particular law in the hearts of his children, but the whole law, which is a universal prin- ciple, inclining the soul impartially to all, Ezek. xi. 19, 20. The gra- cious soul sincerely falls in with every command of God, so far as he knows it, without prejudice or partiality ; he dares 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 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. All Sauls, Jehus, Judases ,Demases, scribes, pharisees, and temporaries,' they are still partial in their obedience ; for while they yield obedience to some commands, they live in the habitual breach of other commands. Mat. xxiii. 23. Jehu boastingly calls out, ' Come, see my zeal for the Lord of hosts,' 2 Kings x. 29, 30. But if Jehoshaphat had gone a little fur- ther, he might have seen his calves too, contrary to God's commands. Herod heard John Baptist gladly, and did many things ; but if John will be close and plain with him, he shall then first lose his liberty, and then his liead for his labour, Mark vi. 16, 17. A sincere Christian loves all the known commands of God, and prizes all the commands of God, and sees a divine image, majesty, and authority stamped upon all the com- mands of God. And therefore the main bent and disposition of his soul is to obey all, and to be subject to all the commands of God. Let me in a few particulars open this great truth a little more fully to you. And therefore take me thus.
' See Glossary, s. v. — G. VOL. IIL Y
.338 A CABINET OF JEWELS. [ChAP. II.
First, A sincere Christian tvill endeavour to obey God in suffering commands as well as in doing commands, in losing as luell as gaining commands. An unsound Christian, he loves cheap obedience ; he is wilHng to fall in with those commands that are not chargeable or costly ; he loves a cheap gospel, and a cheap ministry, and a cheap membership, and a cheap communion of saints, &c. But when his obedience comes to be chargeable, when his obedience to divine commands may cost him his health, his strength, his liberty, his riches, his estate, his friends, his credit, his name, &c., then he retires, then he cries out, Burus sermo, it is a hard saying, who can bear it ? John vi. 60. This is a hard com- mandment, who can obey it ? When religion is attended with freedom, honour, and safety, when religion is attended with riches, pleasures, and applause, then unsound hearts will put forwards ; but when these part, then they bid religion farewell. As you see in the young man in the Gospel, who was wilHng to follow Christ so long as he might be no loser in following of him, Mat. xix. 20-25 ; but when it came to this, that he must part with his riches or with Christ, then he falls off, and went away sorrowful, because he had great possessions. But now a sincere Christian will obey even the most chargeable and costly com- mands of God, as you may see in that little book of martyrs, tenth and eleventh chapters of the Hebrews ; and as you may see in the three children in Daniel, in the disciples, in the primitive Christians, and in the martyrs in the Marian days : Mat. xix. 27. But,