[2.] There is a sweetness found in the way of God's testimonies which arisetli from the conscienceof practical obedience,notfrom contemplation
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 131
ouly : and it is best to be found when we come to practise and perform what we know. It is said of wisdom, Prov. iii. 17, 'All her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.' There is not only a sweetness in our privileges, but in our duties. No man knoweth the contentment of walking closely with God but he that hatli tried. So Micah ii. 7, ' Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly ?' not only speah good, but do good. There is a certain performance of what the word saith, when it is said : it may be accounted done ; but to whom ? To them that know it, and are able to talk of it ? No ; but to them that walk. And will every slight endeavour and tlie pre- sumption of conformity to the rule serve the turn ? No ; to them that tualk uprkjhily, that sincerely frame themselves to obey God's will with the greatest exactness and care they can use. Oh, what good, what reviving of heart and cheerfulness do they find in this work ! Briefly, this delight in the way of God's testimonies (that you may not be mis- taken) differeth from that contentment and serenity of mind which is the fruit of integrity or moral sincerity. There is some degree of com- fort that accompanieth any good action, as heat dotli fire ; the con- science, so far as he doth good, hath some kind of peace in it. The heathens by God's general bounty and goodness had a conscience excus- ing when they did good, as well as accusing when they did evil : Eom. ii. 15, 'Their thoughts in the meantime accusing, or else excusing one another,' fiera^v dWriXcov — ' by turns,' and this excusing cannot be without some sweetness and contentment of mind. Sacer rutin nos spiritus sedet honorum malorumque nostrorum ohservator et custos; hie p)rout a nobis iractatus est, ita nos ipse tractat, saith Seneca. This may be without faith ; whereas w^e speak of such a joy as is founded in faith, though found in the ways of obedience in Christ's service : Mat. xi. 29, ' Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls.' In short, there is delight in the duty and the dispensation ; for it is both pro- mised and required. Delight in God's ways is promised as a gift of God, and as the result of our obedience : Isa. Iviii. 13, 14, ' If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the sabbath a delight, &c., then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord,' &c.; and Cant. ii. 3, ' I sat down under his sha- dow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my laste.' There is sweetness God bestoweth, or sensible consolation, wdiich must be dis- tinguished from that delight which is a fruit of our gracious esteem. I can exclude neither, though that delight which is the fruit of our esteem of the word is principally here intended ; the one is more durable than the other. A gracious affection to the word and ways of God should ever remain with us; but we are not always feasted Avith spiritual suavities. Now and then we have them, and when they have done their work they return to God. As in the vision made to Peter, the slieet that was showed him was received up again into heaven. Acts x. IG, when Peter was informed of God's will ; so this comfort returneth to the giver when it hath done its work, refreshed our hearts, and en- gaged us to wait upon God.
2. How a gracious heart rcjoicetli more in the way of God's testi- monies than in all riches.
132 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XV.
[1.] There is a broad difference in the things themselves, and there- fore there should be in our aifections to them ; for our affections should be carried out according to the worth of things ; otherwise, if an object of less worth have more of our hearts than an object of more value, the}' are like members out of joint, the}' are not in their proper place. There is a great distance between the things themselves, as much as there is between the eujoj-ment of God and the creature, and there- fore there must be a considerable difference in our affections to them. If the difference be so nice that thou canst hardly distinguish which th}' heart is more affected with, the enjoyment of God in the way of his testimonies, or the enjoyment of wealth and worldly accommodations, or if the dispropoi'tiou be on the world's side, that hath more of thy esteem and complacency, then God is not thy chiefest good ; thou lovest the creature more than God, which is inconsistent with grace : for this is the prime act of grace, to choose God for our chiefest good. [2.] We must distinguish between the sensitive stirring of the affec- tions and the solid complacency of the soul. It is possible a child of God may be more sensibl}' moved by temporal things, as they do more strike upon the senses ; but the supreme and prevailing delight of the soul is in spiritual things, in the way of God's testimonies. To exemplify this by the contrary affection, as in sorrow ; a temporal loss may to sense more stir the affections, as to bodily expression of them, than a spiritual ; as the drawing of a tooth or any present pain, may make us cry out more than the languishings of a consumption ; whereas the other may go nearer to the heart, and causeth a more lasting trouble. So in joy ; a man may be pleased with earthly conveniences, and yet his solid esteem is more in spiritual things ; as a trifle may j^rovoke laughter more than a solid benefit that accrueth to us. Therefore the case is not to be decided by the intensiveness of the sensitive expres- sion so much as by the appreciation of the soul. In this sense the point is to be understood ; he would lose all the world rather than. dispense with his obedience to God. This is selling all for the pearl of price spoken of, Mat. xiii. 46. All other things are trampled upon and renounced for this one's sake, that we may enjoy God in Christ. And truly this affection to the word is not easily to be found ; for we often see that men for a little gain will break all the commandments of God, as things not to be stood upon when any temporal commodity is in chase, and in the pursuit of worldly riches care not how they neglect Christ and heavenly things.