2. He expresseth his vehemency of affection. Those that are deeply affected with anything are wont to express themselves as largely as they can. As Paul, that bad a deep sense of God's power : Eph. i. 19,
VeR. 44.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 471
* Exceeding greatness of his power,' ' according to the working of his mighty power/ He heaps up several words, because his sense of them was so great. So David here doth heap up words, continually, and
for ever, and /or ever and ever.
3. Some think the words are so many, tliat they may express not only this life but that which is to come. I will keep them ' continually, and for ever and ever ; ' that is, all the days of my life, and in the other world. So Chrysostom, ' I will keep them continually,' &c., points out the other life, where there will be pure and exact keeping of the law of God. Here we are every hour in danger, but then we shall be put out of all danger ; and without fear of sinning, we shall remain in a full and perfect righteousness. We hope for that which we have not attained unto, and this doth encourage us for the present ; so would he make David express himself,
4. If we must distinguish these words, I suppose they imply the continuity and perpetuity of obedience : the continuity of obedience, that he would serve God continually without intermission; and the perpetuity of obedience, that he would serve God for ever and ever, without defection and revolt, at all times, and to the end.
Doct. Constancy and perseverance in obedience is the commendation of it.
When David promiseth to obey, he saith he would do it ' continually for ever and ever.' This is the obedience God longs for : Deut. v. 29,
* Oh, that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all tny commandments always ! ' Here we find all things which are requisite to God's service : the sincerity of it, that they had a heart ; the gracious principle which works in obedience, a heart to fear me ; the universality of it, to keep all my commands ; and the
perpetuity of it, to keep them alivays. They are in a good mood now. As if God had said. Oh, that they had a heart to do it always ! Christ redeemed us to this end: Luke i. 74, 75, 'Delivered us out of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve him without fear in holi- ness and righteousness before him ;' not for a while only, but ' all the days of our life.'
I shall distinguish of a double constancy and perseverance, and under each branch give some reasons, with their applications.
1. A perseverance without intermission.
2. Without defection. Both are necessary.
First, A perseverance without intermission. We should at all times and in all places serve God, and not by fits and starts ; as it is said of the twelve tribes, Acts xxvi. 12, they ' served God instantly day and night;' alone and in company, in all conditions, adverse and pros- perous. In all actions, common and sacred, God must be served and obeyed.
Let me give some considerations to enforce it, to serve God con- tinually.
1. The law of God doth universally bind, and the obligation thereof never ceaseth, so as there can be no truce with sin for a while, nor any intermission of grace for a moment: Prov. vi. 21, 22, '0 my sou, keep thy father's commandments, and forsake not tiie law of thy mother ; bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about
472 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. L.
thy neck.* The commandments of God, he calls them the law of the father pnd mother ; for Solomon speaks as to young ones and children, as those that had been trained np by their parents, Now these must be looked upon as having a perpetual obligation to direct us and keep us r sleeping and waking we must have them always in our sight. Every motion and every operation of ours is under a law ; our thoughts and words are under a law, and our actions are under a law ; all that we speak and all that we do, it is still under a rule. The law of God is of perpetual use to show us what we must do and what we must leave undone. Oh, how exact should we be if we did regard this, and were mindful of the perpetual obligation of the law !
2. Grace planted in the heart should be always working. The fire on the altar was never to go out ; and so grace should be always work- ing, and influence all our actions, civil and sacred: 1 Peter i. 15, ' Be ye holy, as he that hath called you is holy, in all manner of conversation.' There is no part of a Christian's conversation which should not savour of holiness ; not only his religious, but his common and civil actions. The pots in Jerusalem and the horses' bells were to bear God's impress, as well as the vessels and utensils of the temple, Zech. xiv. As the sun is placed in the middle of the heavens to diffuse his influence and scatter his beams up and down the world, and nothing is hid from his light, so is grace planted in the heart to diffuse its influence into every part of his conversation ; and therefore grace, where it is true, it is always at work. There are some parts of the body that are never out of action, as the heart and lungs ; wherever a man goes, and whatever he goes about, yet they always do their office. So some graces are of continual exercise ; as the fear of God : Prov. xxiii. 17, ' Be thou in the fear of God all the day long.' A Christian doth not only pray in the fear of God, but eat, cli-ink, and trade in the fear of God. So the love of God, in referring all things to his glory, whether they be acts of worship, or acts of charity, or of our callings, or recreations : grace hath an influence upon these, and is still to be at work upon these, 1 Cor. x. 31. And so faith is always at work in depending upon God and looking up to him ; it is our life, ' That which I live in the flesh :' Gal. ii. 20, ' All that I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God.' Well, then, the law of God is always binding, and every operation of ours is under a law, and grace should always be working.