2. We cannot be happy soon enough, for the state we make after is the arms of God, the bosom of Jesus, the hope of eternal life; we can- not soon enough get within the compass of such privileges. Oh ! shall Christ lie by as a dead commodity or breaded ^ ware ? It shows we know not the gift of God, John iv. If we had a due sense and value of his excellency, we would take the morning market, and let not Christ Jesus, with all his benefits, lie by as a commodity that may be had at the last, at any time of the day ; we would look upon him as the quickest ware in the market, and flock to him ' as doves to the windows,' Isa. Ix. 8. You w^ould force your way that you might get into his heart ; you would count all things but dross and dung that you might gain him. It will be sweet to be encircled in the embraces of Jesus Christ, to have ' his left hand under your head, and his right hand to embrace you,' Cant. ii. 6 ; and will you delay when he stands offer- ing himself, and stretching out his hand all the day long to receive you ?
^ Qii. 'braided,' that is, scorned, reproached ; whence, upbraid 1 — Ed.
144 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXVIII.
SERMON LXYIIL / made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments. — Yer. 60.
I COME now to tlie application.
Use 1. To reprove tlie dallying with God which we are conscious to in the work of conversion, which is so common and natural to us. We are apt to put off God from time to time, from childhood to youth, from youth to man's age, from man's age to old age, and from old age to death-bed ; and so the devil steals away one hour after another till all time be past.
I shall — (1.) Speak of the causes of this delay ; (2.) Eepresent the heinousness of it, that you may not stroke this sin with a gentle cen- sure, and think lightly of the matter.
First, Of the causes of this delay.
1. Unbelief, or want of a due sense or sight of things to come. If men were persuaded of eternal life and eternal death, they would not stand hovering so long between heaven and hell, but presently engage their hearts to draw nigh to God. But we ' cannot see afar off,' 2 Peter i. 9. Nature is purblind : to carnal hearts there is a mist upon eter- nity, they have no prospective whereby to look into another world, therefore it hath no influence upon them to quicken them to more speed and earnestness. If we had a due sense of eternal death, surely we would be fleeing from wrath to come ; no motion should be earnest and swift enough to get from such a danger. If we had a due sense of eternal life, we would be ' running to take hold of the hope that is before us,' Heb. vi. 18.
2. Security. If men have a cold belief of heaven and hell, if they take up the current opinions of the countrj'-, yet do not take it into their serious thoughts, they ' put far away the evil day,' Amos vi. 3. Things at a distance do not startle us, as a clap of thunder afar off doth not fright us so much as when it is just over our heads in our own zenith. We look upon these things as to come, so put ofi" the thought of them. Next to a want of sound belief, the want of a serious consideration is the cause why men dally with God. If we had the same thoughts living and dying, our motions would be more earnest and ready. When death and eternity is near, we are otherwise affected than when we look upon it as afar off. One said of a zealous preacher, He preacheth as if death were at my back. Oh, could we look upon death as at our back or heels ! If men did but consider that wilhin a few days they must go to heaven or hell, that there is but the slender thread of a frail life upon which they depend, that is soon fretted asun- der, they would not venture any longer to be out of a state of grace, nor dally with God. But we think we may live long, and time enough to repent by leisure ; we put far off the day of our change, and so are undone by our own security.
3. Averseness of heart from God. That which makes us desirous to stay longer in a way of sin, doth indeed make us loath to turn at all ; and what is that ? Obstinacy and unsubjection of heart to God : ' The carnal mind is enmity to the law of God,' Eom. viii. 7. We
YeR. 60.] SERMONS UPON rSAL:M CXIX. 145
manifest our enmity to the law of God hy delays as well as by a down- riojht opposition. Neb. iv. 6, it is said the work went on speedily. Why ? ' For the people had a mind to the work.' "Where there is an earnest bent of heart, there we cannot linger and dally any longer. But men have no love nor affection to God, therefore do they delay and keep off from him.