heart : try me and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.' '^ The psalmist knew that God had an eye upon him, both at home and abroad, both at bed and at board, both in public and in private, both in his family and in his closet ; he knew that God had an eye in every corner of his house, and in every corner of his heart, and therefore he appeals to God, and he approves his heart to God, and nobly ventures upon the trial of God, ' Search me, 0 God, and know my heart,' &c. This frequent repetition and doubling of words, ' Search me, 0 God, and know my heart, try me and know my thoughts,' &c., doth not only note the earnestness and seriousness of David's spirit in prayer, but also the soundness, the uprightness, the plainness, and the unfeignedness of David's heart, in that he was very willing and ready to submit him- self to the search, trial, examination, and approbation of God. And so Peter, that great apostle of the Gentiles,^ makes it his great business to approve himself to Christ thrice together, ' Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. Lord, thou that knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee,' John xxi. 15-17. Christ best knew the reality and sincerity of Peter s love, and therefore Peter appeals to him, as to a judge that would be sure to judge righteous judgment, ' Thou knowest that I love thee.' And so the apostle Paul, speaking in the name of his fellow-apostles, saith, ' Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him,' 2 Cor. v. 9. The Greek word that is here rendered labour, is a very emphatical word, [(f)cXoTtfji>ov/jLe6a.'\ It signifies to labour and endeavour with all earnestness and might, to endeavour with a high and holy ambition, to be approved of by God, and to be accepted of God, judging it to be the greatest honour and the most desirable happiness in all the world to be graciously owned, approved, and accepted of the Lord. As ambitious, industrious, and laborious as Haman was to be highly accepted with king Ahasuerus, yet he was not more ambitious to be accepted with the king, than the apostles were ambitious to be accepted of the King of kings. 0 sirs, when in every sermon you hear, and in every prayer you make, and in every fast you keep, and in every action you do, and in every way that you walk, and in every mercy that you enjoy, and in every cross that you bear, &c., you make it your great business and work to approve your- selves to the Lord, and that though the world should discountenance you, and friends hate you, and near and dear relations reject you, that yet you may find blessed acceptance with God, this argues holiness to be upon the throne. When in all your dealings and tradings with God you make it your heaven to approve yourselves to God, and when in all your transactions with men you make it your happiness to ap- prove yourselves to God, it is an argument that the springs of holi- ness are risen high in your souls. But,
[11.] Eleventhly, TAe more a man lives by the rule of expediency, as ivell as by the rule of laiofulness, the greater measure of holiness that person hath attained to, John xvi. 7 ; 2 Cor. viii. 10. Weak holiness hath only an eye upon the rule of lawfulness, but raised
^ The Hebrew word, ''^"IprT, chakreni, signifies a very strict, careful, diligent search and inquisition, &c. * Qu. ' Of the Jews' ? — G.
410 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [Heb. XII. 14.
holiness hatli one eye upon the rule of lawfulness, and the other upon the rule of expediency. Weak holiness saith, Oh, this is lawful, and that is lawful ! Oh, but faith-raised holiness, is it expedient ? is it expedient as well as lawful ? That angelical apostle, Paul, had still his eye upon the law of expediency : 1 Cor. vi. 12, ' All things are law- ful unto me, but all things are not expedient ; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.' And so chap. X, 23, ' All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient ; all things are lawful for me, but aU things edify not.' And so in that 2 Cor. xii. 1, ' It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.' Many things may be lawful, that yet may be very inexpedient for our place, state, calling, and condition in the world. It was lawful for the apostle to eat meat, but it was not expedient for him to eat meat ; when his eating of meat would make his weak brother to offend, or grieve, or stumble, or fall, Rom. xiv. 21. And therefore he resolves that, rather than he will eat meat to offend, he will never eat meat whilst the world stands, 1 Cor. viii. 13, The more unchangeably resolved any person is to eye the rule of expediency, and to live by the rule of expediency, the greater measure of holiness that person hath certainly attained to. The streams of holiness runs low in that Christian's heart, that hath two eyes to behold the rule of lawfulness, but never an eye to see the rule of expediency. It argues a very great height of holiness for a man to make as much conscience of living by the rule of expediency, as he doth of living by the rule of lawful- ness. For a man to be often a-looking over his natural actions, his moral actions, and his religious actions, and to be still a-putting this question to himself, 0 my soul ! dost thou eye what is expedient ? dost thou eye as well what is expedient as what is lawful ? such a frame and temper of spirit speaks out much of Christ and holiness within. Oh the sins ! oh the sorrows ! oh the shame ! oh the reproach ! oh the troubles ! oh the travails ! oh the trials, &c. , that might have been prevented, had the law, had the rule of expedi- ency been more minded and followed by Christians in these days, &c. But,
[12.] Twelfthly and lastly. The more a man can deny himself, when he hath an opportunity, 'power, and authority to raise himself, to greaten himself to seek himself, and to lift up himself, the greater measure of holiness that man hath attained to. Providence often puts many a rare and fair opportunity into Moses his hand, whereby he might have raised himself, and have greatened himself in the world, and yet then, even then, he denies himself ; and Nehemiah was a man of the same mind and mettle. He stood upon the advantage ground, to have greatened himself, and to have lifted up himself as others had done before him ; but instead of this he lessens himself, he denies himself, he degrades himself, and being of a very noble, generous, public spirit, he turns his back upon his own worldly interest, and keeps a very free and bountiful table, upon the account of his own particular revenue, and not upon the account of a public purse, l And so Daniel was one in spirit with the former: Dan. i. 8-11, ' When God had brought him into high favour with the prince of ' Exod. sxxii. 9-15 ; Deut. ix. 13, 14, 18-20 ; Heb. xii. 24, 25; Neh. v. 14, ««g'.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 411