VeR. 34.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 357
ranee, faith without imbehef, hope without despair, love without defect and mixture of carnal inchnations, all good motions without distraction. Here is folly and confusion ; here ' flesh lusteth against the spirit ' in the best, Gal. v. 17. They have a double principle, though not a double heart.
[2.] In an evangelical sense, according to the moderation of the second covenant ; and so God, out of his love and mercy in Christ Jesus, accepts of such a measure of love and obedience as answereth to the measure of sanctification received. When God sanctifieth a man he sanctifieth him as to all the parts and faculties of body and soul, enlighteneth the understanding with the knowledge of his will, inclineth the heart to obedience, circumciseth the affection, fiUetli us with the love of God himself and holy things. But being a voluntary agent, he doth not this as to perfection of degrees all at once, but suc- cessivel}'', and by little and little. Therefore, as long as we are in the world there is somewhat of ignorance in the understanding, perversity in the will, fleshliness and impurity in the affections, flesh and spirit in every faculty, like water and wine in the same cup ; but so as the gift of grace doth more and more prevail over the corruption of nature, light upon darkness, holiness upon sin, and heavenliness upon our inclinations to worldly vanities ; as the sun upon the shadow of the night till it groweth into perfect day : Prov. iv. 18, ' The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the per- fect day.' Therefore, when a man doth heartily apply himself to the things of God, and, acknowledging his defects, doth go on ' from faith to faith,' Rom. i. 17, from love to love, and from obedience to obed- ience, Heb. vi. 10, and doth study to bring his heart into a further conformity to God, not looking back to Sodom or turning back to Egypt, God accepteth of these desires and constant and uniform endeavours, and will ' spare us as a man spareth his only son that serveth him,' Mai, iii. 17 — as a son, an only son, that is obsequious for the main, though he hath his failings and escapes. There is in them integrity, but not perfection ; all parts of holiness, though not degrees : as in the body every muscle and vein and artery hath its use. Thus all Israel is said to seek the Lord with their whole desire : 2 Chron. xv. 15, ' And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire.' It is said of Asa, that ' he sought the Lord with his whole heart, yet the high places w^ere not taken away.'
2. Now, the reasons why we must keep the law with our whole heart are these following : —
[1.] He that giveth a part only to God giveth nothing to God, for that part that is reserved will in time draw the whole after it. The devil keepeth an interest in us as long as any one lust remaineth unmortified ; as Pharaoh stood bucking ; he would f;iin have a pawn of their return ; first their children, then their flocks and herds, must be left behhid them. He knew this was the way to bring them back again. So Satan hath a pawn, and knoweth that all will fall to him at last : Hosea x. 2, ' Their heart is divided, now shall they be found faulty ;' halting between God and idols. When men are not wholly and solely for God, but divided between him and other things, God
358 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXVIII.
will be jostled out at last. G-race is but a stranger, sin is a native, and therefore most likely to prevail, and by long use and custom is most strongly rooted. Herod did many things, but his Herodias drew him back into Satan's snare. A bird tied by the leg may flutter up and down and make some show of escape, but he is under command still. So may men have a conscience for God, and some affections for God, but the world and the flesh have the greater share in them. Therefore, though they do many things, yet still God hath no supreme interest in their souls ; and therefore, when their darling lusts inter- pose, all God's interest in them signitieth nothing. As for instance, a mnn that is given to ])lease the flesh, but in all other things findeth no difficulty, can worship, give alms, findeth no reluctancy to these duties, unless when they cross his living after the flesh, which in time swalloweth up his conscience and all his profession and practice. A man addicted to the world can deny his appetite, seem very serious in holy duties, but the world prevaileth, and in time maketh him weary of all other things.
[2.] The whole man is God's by every kind of right and title ; and therefore, when he requireth the whole heart, he doth but require that which is his own. God gave us the whole by creation, preserveth the whole, redeemetb the whole, and promiseth to glorify the whole. If we had been mangled in creation, we would have been troubled — if born without hands or feet. If God should turn us ofi' to ourselves to keep that part to ourselves which we reserved from him, or if he should make such a division at death, take a part to heaven, or if Christ had bought part — 1 Cor. vi. 20, ' Ye are bought with a jirice, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's ' — if you have had any good work upon you, God hath sanctified the whole in a gospel sense, that is every part : 1 Thes. v. 23, ' And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ; ' not only conscience, but will and affections, appetite and body. And you have given all to him for his use : ' I am my beloved's ;' not a part, but the whole. He could not endure Ananias, that kei)t back part of the price ; all is his due. When the world, pleasure, ambition, pride, desire of riches, unchaste love, desire a part in us, we may remember we have no affections to dispose of without God's leave. It is all his, and it is sacrilege to rob or detain any part from God. Shall I alienate that which is God's, to satisfy the world, the flesh, and the devil ? It is his by creation, redemption, donation. When our flesh, or the world, or Satan, detain any part, this is, with Keuben, to go up unto our father's bed.