[2.] Kext to peace of conscience there is joy in the Holy Ghost; this is the fruit of peace, as peace is the fruit of righteousness : Rom. xiv. 17, ' The kingdom of God consisteth not in meat and drink, but in righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' First right- eousness, and then peace, and then joy in the Holy Ghost. As joy of heart and gladness is the fruit of temporal or civil peace, when every man may sit under his own vine and his own fig-tree, and reap the fruit of his labour without the danger of annoyance ; so now, when a man can enjoy himself as being reconciled to God, or being at peace with him, and hath tasted of the clusters of Canaan, he can ' rejoice in hope of the glory of God,' Eom. v. 11. This is that joy in the Holy Ghost which God doth graciously dispense to those that obey his word and hearken to the motions of his Spirit. Oh ! how may a be- liever triumph and say, ' This I had because I kept thy precepts ! ' Joy is the fruit of holiness, and the oil of grace maketh way for the oil of gladness : Ps. cxix, 14, ' I rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies moie than in all riches.' David experienced the joys of obedience, and the joys of a crown : now saith David, ' I rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies more than in all riches ; ' not in the contemplation, but in the way. This was a joy that did result from practical obedience, which is more than the possessions and treasures of the world. Many picture religion in their fancies with a sour and austere face, and think it inviteth men to nothing but harsh and unpleasant courses. Oh, no ! It inviteth you to the highest contentment the creature is capable of, the joy in the Holy Ghost, which is ' unspeakable and glorious.' A sensualist, that runs after the dreggy delights of the flesh, is the veriest fool in the world ; for he can never have any true joy, it is but frisks of mirth (while conscience is asleep), but when it is gone, it leaveth a sting behind it.
[8.] Increase of grace. This is another benefit we get by keeping God's precepts : ' They go from strength to strength,' Fs. Ixxxiv. 7 ; as they that went to the feast at Jerusalem ; they went from troop to troop ; so they are brought forward in their way to heaven. God, that punisheth sin with sin, rewardeth also grace with grace. The one is the most dreadful dispensation that God can use. When men have gone on in a course of sin, God often punisheth one sin with another, BO that they are plunged deeper and deeper every day in llie gulf of profaneness. But it is most comfortable when godliness increaseth upon our hands, and God is still perfecting his own work in us : lloni. vi. 19, 'As you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.' It standeth us upon to observe the growth of grace, as we were formerlv conscious of the growth of sin. IShall
100 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXIII.
we be more earneet to damn ourselves than to save ourselves ? There is no man but in his carnal estate might observe how he departed from God by degrees, and his heart was hardened by degrees. At first he had some light and conscience, till he sinned it away and turned his back upon the ordinances, which might revive it and keep it awake; and then his sin betrayed him further and further into a customary course of profaneness. I say, a carnal man may trace the growth of sin in his own heart step by step, and say, ' This I had be- cause I slighted such a check of conscience, despised such an ordin- ance, fell into such an enormous practice;' for God forsaketh none till they first forsake him. So may a child of God trace his gradual in- crease in holiness: this I had by hearkening to the counsel of God at such a time against the reluctancy of my flesh. There is no duty recovered out of the hands of difficulty but bringeth in a considerable profit to the soul: Prov. iv. 18, 'The way of the just is a shining light, which shineth more and more to the perfect day.' Look, as the day decreaseth the night increaseth, till it cometh to thick darkness ; so by every sin men grow worse and worse, till at last they stumble into utter darkness. But the way of the just is a growing light; it increaseth always into more durable resolutions and exact practice of godliness, till it come to the high noon of perfection. David taketh. notice of the fruit of obedience : Ps. xviii. 24, ' The Lord accept of me according to the cleanness of my hands.'
[4.] Another benefit that we have is many gracious experiences and manifestations of God vouchsafed to us in the way of obedience. In the present world God and believers are not strange to one another ; a man that walketh close with him will meet him at every turn : Ps. xvii. 15, ' As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness.^ The Psalmist there preferreth his present condition before the greatest happiness of carnal men. Why ? Because he had opportunity of beholding the face of God, or enjoying the comforts of liis presence. But how ? In righteousness, in a strict course of obedience. If God be a stranger to others, they may thank themselves: John xiv. 21, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me is loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him.' Holiness is the only way to clear up our right to these great comforts of the gospel ; and if you would get experience of them, make conscience of obedience, and be exact and punctual with God, and you will not want your refreshments and visits of love, and expressions of his grace and favour to you : those sensible proofs and manifestations God will not give to us but in a way of obedience ; so the promise runneth, ' He that hath my com- mandments, and keepeth them, to him will I manifest myself ; ' so ver. 23, ' If a man love me, and keep my commandments, my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and take up our abode with him.' These are taken into sweet fellowship and communion with God, and the blessed Trinity will take up their abode in his heart. But pray, mark, Christ, that is so tender and willing to communicate the influences of his grace, yet standeth upon liis sovereignty, and therefore still insisteth wpon keejDing his precepts, if they would par- take of his comforts.