VeR. 36.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 371
sweetly. Then are we inclined, when our affections have a proneness and propension to that which is good. Now these affections must be more to holiness than to worldly things ; for by the prevalency is grace determined, if the preponderating part of the soul be for God. It is not an equal poise ; we are always standing between two parties. There is God and the world ; a sensitive good drawing one way, and there is a spiritual good draws us another way. Now grace prevails when the scales are cast on grace's side. I say it is the habitual bent, not for a pang ; the heart must be set to seek the Lord : 1 Chron. xxii. 19, ' Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God ;' and the course of our endeavours, the strength and stream of our souls runs out this way ; then is the heart said to be inclined to God's testimonies.
2. How is it brought to pass ? or how doth God thus reduce and frame our hearts to the obedience of his will ? There are two ways which God useth — by the word and by his Spirit, by persuasion and by power; they shall be ' taught of God,' and they are ' drawn of God : ' John vi. 44, * The Lord will allure Japheth;' so he works by persuasion. Gen. ix. 27 ; and then by power, Ezek, xxxvi. 26, 27, ' I will cause you to walk in my waj's,' &c. God tempers an irresistible strength and sweetness together, fortUer pro te, Domine, suaviter pro me. He worketh as God, therefore he works strongly and invincibly ; but he persuades men as men, therefore he propounds reasons and arguments, goes to work by way of persuasion ; strongly according to his own nature, sweetly according to man's, by persuasions accompanied by the secret efficacy of his own grace. First he gives weighty reasons, he casts in weight after weight till the scales be turned ; then he makes all effectual by his Spirit. Morally he works, because God will preserve man's nature and the principles thereof ; therefore he doth not work by violence, but by a sweet inclination, alluring and speaking comfortably unto us : Hosea xi. 4, ' I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.' God knows all the wards of man's heart, and what kind of keys will fit the lock ; therefore he suits such arguments as may work upon us, and take us in our month, and then really and prevailingly, so as the effect may follow. Surely God hath more hand in good than Satan hath in evil; otherwise man were as praiseworthy for doing good as reprovablefor doing evil. God inclines the heart to that which is good, and persuades it by his grace. God knows how to alter the course of our affections by his secret power, therefore doth not only lead, but draw, works in- timately upon the heart.
Unto ihy testimonies, so the word of God is called, for it testifieth of his will. There we have a clear proof and testimony how God stands affected to every man, what kind of affection God hath to him.
And not to covetousness. Mark the phrase 'incline," &c. Doth God incline us to covetousness ? No ; but he permits us to the inclinations of our own hearts, justly denying his grace to those that do offend him, and upon the suspension of his grace nature is left to her own sway : the presence of the master or pilot saves the ship, his absence is the cause of the shipwreck. And so the schools say, God inclines to good eficienter, working it in us ; and to evil deficienter, withdrawing his grace from us. A like expression you have Ps. cxli. 4, ' Incline not my heart to any evil thing.' God may as a lord do what he pleaseth
372 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. XL.
with his own ; and as a just judge may give over our hearts to their own natural wicked inclination ; therefore David deprecates it as a judicial act.
' Not to covetousness.' This is mentioned because our too much love to worldly things is the special hindrance of obedience ; it takes off our hearts from the love and care of it. And then, when he saith ' Not to covetousness,' he herein implies his own esteem and choice, as preferring God's testimonies above all riches ; and possibly intimates the sincerity of his aims, that he would not serve God for temporal advantages and worldly respects. Satan accuseth Job for such a perverse respect : Job i. 9, ' Doth Job serve God for nought ? ' David, to prevent such a surmise, that he was not led by any thought of gain to desire godli- ness, saith, ' To thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.'
Two points offer themselves from these words: —
1 . That it is God alone that sets our hearts right, or inclines them from their carnal bent to his own testimonies.
2. That covetousness, or the flagrant desire of worldly things, is a great let or hindrance from complying with God's testimonies.