VeK. 1.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. f)
pleasure without remorse ; easy to prove the uncertainty of riches, and what unstable foutidations they are for the soul to rest on ; but to draw off the heart from these things to God is the work of the Holy Ghost : Ps. xlix. 13, ' This their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve their sayings.* Many a man who stands over the grave of his ances- tors will say. Ah ! how foolish were they to waste their time and strength in pleasure, and in hunting after worldly greatness and esteem and favour with men ; what doth it profit them now ? And yet their posterity approve the same — that is, they live by the same principles, are as greedy upon worldly satisfactions as ever those were that have gone before, that neglected God and heavenly things, and went down to the grave, and their honour was laid in the dust. Until l\ie Lord take off our heart by the light and power of his grace, we remain as sottish and foolish and worldly as they. Thus you see how nnuch it concerns you to be right in the notion of true blessedness.
Boct. 2. That sincere, constant, uniform obedience to God's law is the only way to true blessedness.
This is called a iva^, and this way is said to be God's laiu, and in this way we must be undejiled; which implies not absolute purity and legal perfection, but gospel sincerity; and in this way we must wall:, which notes both uniformity and constancy ; it must be our course, and we must persevere therein.
Three things need to be opened : —
1. Speak to the rule.
2. Of conformity to the rule ; that it must be sincere, uniform, and constant.
3. How this is the way to true happiness ; what respect it hath to true blessedness.
First, The rule is the law of God. All created beings have a rule. Christ's human nature was the highest of all creatures, and yet it is to be in subjection to God ; he is under a rule : Gal. iv. 4, ' Made of a woman, made under the law.' The angels they have many immunities above man ; they are freed from death, from the necessities of meat and drink ; but they are not free from the law ; they are not suijicris, at their own dispose ; they ' obey his commands, hearkening unto the voice of his word,^ Ps. ciii. 20. Inanimate creatures, sun, moon, stars, are under a law of providence, under a covenant of night and day : Ps. cxlix. 6, ' He has also stablished them for ever ; he hath made a decree which shall not pass.' They have their courses and appointed motions, and keep to the just points of their compass. All creatures are under a law, according to which they move and act. Much more now is man under a law, because he hath election and choice. But if the law were not a rule to a Christian (as some Antino- mians have that opinion), if it w-ere not in force, then there should be no sin or duty ; for ' where there is no law, there is no transgression ; ' for the nature of ' sin is the transgression of the law,' 1 John iii. 4 ; Rom. iv. 15. Certainly the law as a rule is a very great privilege ; and surely Christ did not come to lessen or abolish tlie privileges of his people : Deut. iv. 4, ' There is no nation hath such statutes ; ' Ps. cxlvii. 20, ' He hath made known his statutes to Israel,' was their prerogative. If the law might be disannulled as to new creatures,
10 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR, I.
then why cloth the Spirit of God write it with such legible characters in their hearts ? This is promised as the great blessing of the cove- nant of grace, Heb. viii. 10. Now, that which the Spirit engraves upon the heart, would Christ come to deface and abolish ? The law was written upon tables of stone, and the great work of the Spirit is to write it upon the table of the heart ; and the ark was a chest where the law was kept, and with allusion to it God saith, ' I will put my law into their heart.' Clearly, then, there is a rule, and this rule is the law of God. Now, this rule must be consulted with upon all occasions, if we would obtain true blessedness, both to inform us, and to awe us.
First, To inform us, that we may not act sJiort or over.
1. Not short. There are many false rules with which men please themselves, and are but so many byways that lead us off from our own happiness. For instance, good meaning, that is a false rule ; the world lives by guess and devout aims. But if good meaning were a rule, a man may oppose the interest of Christ, destroy his servants, and all upon good meaning : John xvi. 2, ' Those that kill you will think they do Qod good service.' Men may grossly err that follow a blind con- science. Custom, tliat is another. It is no matter what others have done before us, but what Christ did before them all. If custom carried it, most of Christ's institutions would be out of doors. Example of others ; that is no good rule. It is not for us to go where others have gone before ; but what is the true way : Mat. vii. 14, ' The broad way, that leads to destruction, and many walk therein.' The path to hell is most beaten ; we are not always to follow the track ; they are dead fishes which swim down the stream : we are not to be led away with custom and example, and do as others do. Our own desires and inclinations are not our rule. Oh, how miserable should we be if our lust were our law, if the bent of our hearts were our rule ! Jude 16,