Secondly, As we should choose the way of truth, so cleave to it with all firmness and perseverance, without seeking out any other way, John vi. 67, G8. If you turn away from Christ, where will you get a better master ? Change where you will, you will change for the worse ; you will turn your back upon true comfort and true happiness, for he hath all this. So much for the first part, the rightness of David's choice, ' I have chosen the way of truth.^
In the latter clause, there you have his diligence and accuracy in walking according to the tenor of the true religion, ' Thy judgments have I laid before me.' Ijy judgments is meant the precepts and direc- tions of the word, as invested with threatenings and promises ; for so the word contains every man's doom : not only the execution of God's providence, but the word, shows Avhat will become of a man. Now these ' I have laid before me ; ' that is, propounded them as the rule of my life ; as the king was to have the book of the law always before him. Deut. xvii. 19.
Doct. When we have chosen the way of truth, or taken up the profession of true religion, the rules of it should be ever before us.
Three reasons for this: —
1. To have a holy rule and not a holy life is altogether inconsis-
312 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXII.
tent. A Christian should be a lively transcript of that religion he doth profess. A Christian should be Christ's epistle, 2 Cor. iii. ; a walking Bible: Phil. ii. 15, 16, 'shining as lights, holding forth the Avord of life.' How ? Not in doctrine, but in practice. A suitable practice joined with profession puts a majesty and splendour upon the truth. If there are many doubts about the true religion, why they are occa- sioned by the scandalous lives of professors ; we reason from the artist to the art itself. Look, as there is a correspondence between the stamp and the impress, the seal and the thing sealed, so should there be be- tween a Christian's life and a Christian's belief ; the stamp should be upon his own heart, upon his life and actions ; his action should dis- cover his opinion, otherwise he loseth the glory and the benefit of his religion ; he is but a pagan in God's account/ Jer. ix. 25 ; he makes his religion to be called in question ; and therefore he that walks unsuitably, he is said to ' deny the faith,' 1 Tim, v. 8. To be a Christian in doctrine and a pagan in life is a temptation to atheism to others ; when the one destroys the other, practice confutes their pro- fession, and profession confutes their practice ; therefore both these must be matched together. Thus the way of truth must be the rule, and a holy life must be suited.
2. As to this holy life, a general good intention sufficetli not, but there must be accurate walking. Why ? For God dotk not judge of us by the lump, or by a general intention. It is not enough to plead at the day of judgment, you had a good scope and a good meaning; for every action must be brought to judgment, whether it be good or evil, Eccles. xii. 14. When we reckon with our servants, we do not expect an account by heap, but by parcels ; so a general good mean- ing, giving our account by heap, will not suffice, but we must be strict in all our ways, and keep close to the rule in every action, in your eat- ing, trading, worship: Eph. v. 15, 'See that you walk circumspectly,' &c. See that you do not turn aside from the line and narrow ridge that you are to walk upon.
3. Accurate walking will never be, unless our rule be diligently re- garded and set before us. AVhy ?
[1.] So accurate and exact is the rule in itself, that you may easily swerve from it ; therefore it must always be heeded and kept in your eye, Ps. xix. David admired the perfections of the law for the purity of it, and for the dominion of it over conscience. What was the issue of that contemplation ? See ver. 12, ' Who can understand his errors ? cleanse thou me from secret faults.' Thus the best man, when he compares himself with the law, will be forced to blush, and acknow- ledge more faults than ever he took notice of before. When we see the laAv reacheth not only to the act but the aim, not only to the words but the thoughts and secret motions of the heart, then, Lord ! whO' knows his errors ? The law of God sometimes is said to be broad and sometimes narrow; a broad law: Ps. cxix. 96, ' Thy commandment is exceeding broad.' Why broad ? Because it reacheth to every motion, every human action ; the words, the thoughts, the desires, are under a law. Nay, yet more, the imperfect and indeliberate motions of the soul are under a law ; therefore the commandment is exceeding broad. On the other side it is said to be narrow, ' A strait gate, and a narrow way,'