2. It presseth us to keep his precepts ; that is the only evidence that the fear of God is rooted in our hearts. The heart must be pre- pared to keep all ; they are all equally good, and they are all equally necessary ; not one of them is in vain ; and they are all joined together, like rings in a chain, and we are not sincere till we regard all : Ps. cxix. 6, ' Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have res]:)ect unto all thy commandments.' The judgment must a23prove all : Ps. cxix. 128, * Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way.' The will must be set and fixed in a serious purpose to keep all, making conscience of the least as well as the greatest, the difficult as well as the easy : Heb. xiii. 18, ' I trust we have a good conscience in all things, willing to live honestly.' Earnest endeavours must be used to grow up to a more exact con- formity to all : Phil. iii. 14, ' I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.' Some corruption may remain after all our endeavours, but none must be reserved or cherished in the heart : Ps. Ixvi. 18, ' If I regard iniquity in my heart.' There will be a secret love to some sins more than others, but it must not be in- dulged, but checked and striven against, and prayed against : Ps. cxix. 133, 'Let not any iniquity have dominion over me.* And this pray- ing and striving must produce some effect, that in some measure it may be said of us what was said of Zachary and Elizabeth : Luke i. 6, ' They were both righteous before God, walking in all the command- ments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.' And we must increase and grow in this more and more: Col. i. 11, ' Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long- suffering with joyfulness ;' and 1 Thes. iv. 1, ' As ye have received of us how to walk, and to please God, so do you abound more and more.' The entertaining of some bosom sin, which we are loath to part withal, darkeneth our whole comfort.
Secondly, David's professed respect to these sort of men, ' I am a companion of them that fear thee,' of them, and of all them.
Doct. 2. That we should associate ourselves and keep communion with those who are truly gracious. Consider —
1. In what sense we are to be companions of them that fear the Lord.
2. Why it must be so, or the reasons.
1. In what sense may David or any other be said to be a companion •of those that fear the Lord, or what it importeth.
[1.] We must join with them, or be engaged in the profession of the same faith and obedience unto God. The faith of all Christians is a ' common faith,' and their salvation a ' common salvation' to them .all : Titus i. 4, ' Titus, my own son, after the common fliith ;' Jude 3,
VeR. 63.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 177
' I gave diligence to write to you of the common salvation.' The com- munion with the saints which we believe in the Creed is in the first and chiefest place a communion in faith and charity, and this kind of communion all the members and parties of the catholic church have one with another. They are all quickened by the same Spirit, live by the same faith, wait for the hope of the same glory, and so they are companions in the same religion.
[2.] As many as cohabit and live in a convenient nearness must often meet together to join in the same worship ; for God hath insti- tuted the assemblies of the faithful that we may openly and with mutual consent worship God in Christ, in prayer, thanksgiving, praises, word, sacraments, &c. ; and the assembling of ourselves for these ends must not be forsaken for negligence or fear : Heb. x. 25, ' Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is ; but ex- hort one another, and so much the more as you see the day approach- ing.' Now in this sense we are companions of those that fear God, as we join in worship with them : Ps. xlii. 4, ' I had gone with the multi- tude ; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with the multitude of them that kept holy-day.' To make one in the public assemblies and societies of the godly, whereby God may be publicly honoured, and souls converted, comforted, and saved, is to be a companion of them that fear God and keep his precepts.
[3.] To love them, and prize them, and converse with them inti- mately upon all occasions, that by this society ye may excite one another to further proficiency in obedience. This is to be a companion with them that fear God : so the prophet kept company with those good men that he had described, that he himself might be confirmed by them, and that he might aid and confirm them. David said, Ps. xvi. 2, 3, ' My goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the saints on the earth, and the excellent, in whom is all my delight,' that is, his love and kindness was towards the godly, esteeming them more excellent and precious, how mean soever in condition, above the ungodly world, how great soever their rank and quality be, and taking pleasure in their society ; them he valued, and them he esteemed above all the greatest men in the world, and in them was all his joy and delight. iSo Ps. XV. 4, ' In whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord.' Mark these two opposite ex- pressions, 'the excellent of the earth,' and 'a vile person.' Thus it is to look on things, not with the eye of sense, but faith and grace. So Paul longed to see the Romans, to be comforted by the mutual faith of him and them, Rom. i. 12. Well, then, to be a companion is to love tenderly, to prize and esteem one another for the grace of God which is in them, desiring one another's good, especially spiritual : ' Rejoicing with them that do rejoice, and mourning with them that mourn,' Rom. xii. 15 ; praying for one another, giving thanks for one another, pre- venting the evil, endeavouring the good of one another, by counsel, help, and mutual assistance. So that, ' 1 am a companion,' is that I contract a friendship with them that fear God.