1. God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Father, as a lawgiver ; Son, as a redeemer and head of the renewed estate ; Holy Ghost, as our sanctifier.
[1.] God the Father, who in the mystery of redemption is repre- sented as our lawgiver and sovereign lord, and will be not only known and worshipped, but served by a full and entire obedience : 1 Chrou. xxviii. 9, ' And thou, Solomon, my son, know the God of thy father, and serve him with, a perfect heart and a willing mind.' He hath given us a law not to be trampled upon or despised, but observed and kept; and that not by fear or force, but of a ready mind. Though there be an after provision of grace for those that break his law because of the frailty of the creature, yet if we presume upon that indulgence, and sin much that God may pardon much, we may render
16 SEEMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LIV.
ourselves incapable of that grace ; for the more presuniptuously wicked we are, the less pleasing unto God. The governor of the world should not be affronted upon the pretence of a remedy which the gospel offered ; for this is to sin that grace may abound, than which wicked imagination nothing is more contrary to gospel grace : Rom. vi. 1, 'What shall we say then? shall we continue in sin that grace may abound ? God forbid.' To check this conceit, God deterreth men from greater sins, as more difficult to be pardoned than less ; they shall not have so quick and easy a pardon of them as of others ; nay, he deterreth men from going on far in sin, either as to the intensive increase or the continuance in time, lest he cut them off and withdraw his grace, and pardon them not at all. Therefore he biddeth them to call upon him while he is near,' Isa. Iv. 6 ; not to ' harden their hearts, while it is called to-day,' Heb. iii. 7, 8. Therefore, if we should only consider God as our lord and lawgiver, we should earnestly betake ourselves to obedience.
[2.] If we consider the Son as redeemer and head of the renewed estate, he standeth upon obedience : Heb. v. 9, he is ' the author of eternal life to them that obey him.' As he hath taken the command- ments into his own hand, he insisteth upon practice, if his people will enjoy his favour : John xv. 10, ' If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my father's commandments, and abide in his love.' He hatli imposed a yoke upon his disciples, and hath service for them to do : he, being a pattern and mirror of obedience, expects the like from his people. He fully performed what was enjoined him to do as the surety of believers, and therefore expecteth we should be as faithful to him as he hath been to God. So John xiv, 21, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.' No love of Christ should encourage us to cast off duty, but continue it. He taketh himself to be honoured when his people obey: 2 Thes. i. 11, 12, 'Wherefore also^ we pray always for you, that God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you.' The work of faith is obedience, and Christ is dishonoured and re- proached when they disobey : Luke vi. 46, ' Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say ? '
[3.] The Spirit is given to make graces operative, to flow forth: John iv. 14, ' Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing np unto everlasting life ; ' and John vii. 38, ' He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water : this spake he of his Spirit, which they that believe in him should receive.' Therefore, if we have an inward approbation of the ways of God, unless we lift up our hands, we resist his work.
2. With respect to ordinances : They are all means, and means are imperfect without their end. Things Trpo? aX\o are of no use, unless that other thing be accomplished for which they serve : as he is a foolish workman that contents himself with having tools, and never worketh ; for tools are in order to work, and all the means of grace are in order to practice. We read, hear, meditate, to understand our duty.
VeR. 48.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 17
Now if we never put ic in practice, we use means to no end and pur- pose : ' Hear and live ; ' ' Hear and do.' The word layeth out work for us ; it was not ordained for speculation only, but as a rule of duty to the creatures : therefore, if we are to hear, read, meditate, we must also lift up our hands.