5Q SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SePw. VII.
dandle it, and have a regard to it, he is one whom Grod \Yill not ac- cept. His desire is not to offend God, and it is his trouble when cor- ruption gets the start of grace. If a king warneth a city of traitors, and calleth upon them to search them out, and send them away, and they never regard the message, but willingly give them harbour and entertainment, then it is a sign they are disaffected to him : to cherish a sin after warning is an open rebellion against God.
[3.] Conatu, in endeavour. We must keep all, conatu, licet non evenfic; it is our labour, though not our success. Those that dispense with any commandment voluntarily and willingly, have never yet learned the way of true obedience to God : 2 Kings v. 18, ' In this- thing the Lord pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worsliip there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon : when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon thy servant in this thing.' This is to set up a toleration in our hearts, and to make Satan some allow- ance, to part stakes between God and the devil. There is something wherein Ave would be excused, and expect favour in fashions, customs, ways of profit and advantage. The endeavour must be to keep all, though the success be not answerable. A mariner that is beaten back by the winds, yet proveth^ to hold on his course to make his port. A man that would sit warm shutteth the door and windows, yet the wind will creej) in, though he doth not leave any open passage for it.
Now, the reasons why we are to have respect to all the command- ments are these following : —
1 . Because they are all ratified by the same authority. Tliere is a connection between them, as there is between links in a chain ; take away one, and all falleth to pieces : James ii. 10, ' For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.' The authority of the law is lost if men may pick and choose as they please. He that said, ' Thou shalt do no murder,' hath also said,. ' Thou shalt keep my Sabbaths.' A quatenus ad omne, the argument holds. Do one thing as a duty, and that will enforce the practice of all duties that we are convinced of: Col. i. 10, ' Walk worthy of God in all well-pleasing." He that seeketh not to please God in all things, seeketh not to please God in anything.
2. Because in conversion grace is given to observe all. There is a universal principle to incline the heart impartially to all. God infuseth all grace together ; not one particular only in the hearts of his children, but the whole law. There is a form of grace introduced into the soul that suits with every point of the law. The heart is framed to resist every sin, to observe all that God hath commanded. A new-born infant hath all the parts of a man, tliough not the strength and bulk ; so every Christian in regeneration. Men may be born without hands or feet, but the new creature never cometh out maimed and imperfect. It is small and weak at first, but it groweth and gathereth strength. There is no commandment to which it is not suited. Well, then, not to have respect to all were to hide our talent in a napkin, and to receive one of God's best gifts in vain. The apostle inferreth it out of
1 Qu. ' striveth ' ?— Ed.
VeR. 6.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 57
tlieir calling: 1 Peter i. 15, ' But as he whicli hath called you is holy, so be ye holy, eV •mia-rj dvaaTpo(f)f], in all manner of conversation,' at home and abroad, among infidels and wiih their fellow Christians, in prosperity and in adversity, walk worthy of your calling. As the sun is placed in heaven, and spreadeth his beams everywhere, nothing is hidden from his light ; or as the lines run from the centre to every part of the circumference, so doth grace distil itself in a uniform obedience.
3. A Christian can never be perfect in degrees if he be not perfect in parts. What is defective in the parts cannot be made up by any growth. If a man should be born without an arm or a leg, this cannot be supplied by future growth, he is a maimed man still ; so if a man be not perfect in parts, hath not respect to all the command- ments, he can never be perfect in heaven. You cannot be ' presented as perfect in Christ Jesus,' Col. i. 28.
4. They that do not obey all, will not long obey any ; but where profit or lust requireth it, they will break all, as Mark vi. 20, ' Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man, and an holy, and observed him ; and when he beared him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.' But one command stuck with him ; being pleased with Herodias and the dancing damsel, that bringeth him to murder, &c. Keep but your passion a-foot, or your lust a-foot, or your Avorldliness a-foot, and it will carry you farther. One sin keepeth possession for Satan ; allow but one lust and corruption in the heart, and that will under- mine all, and become thine eternal ruin ; as one leak may sink a ship. A bird tied by the leg, may make some show of escajjc. You never totally renounced Satan's government, and wholly gave up yourselves to God. By keeping a part, the whole falleth to his share.