Object. But you will say. How, then, shall we take comfort in the new covenant, who are so many ways faulty ?
Ans. We must consider — (1.) What it exacts; (2.) What it accepteth.
1. What it exacts. To quicken us to more earnest endeavours and humble confession of failings, it exacteth perfect obedience, admits of no imperfection either of parts or degrees.
2. It accepteth a perfection of parts, there being truth of godhness, and a single-hearted inclination to observe the whole will of God; then our defects and weaknesses are covered by Christ's perfect righteousness. The unregenerate lie under the rule of exaction, but being out of Christ, are denied the benefit of acceptation.
Use 1. To inform us that petitions of mercy and the plea for new obedience are very consistent : ' Let thy tender mercies come unto me ;' and his argument is, ' For I delight in thy word.' Mercy is neverthe- less free, though the creature mind his duty ; for when we have done all we are but unprofitable servants, Luke xvii. 10; and grace helpeth us to do what we do : Luke xix. IS, ' Thy pound,' not my industry ; and 1 Cor. xv. 10, * By the grace of God I am what I am : and his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain : but I laboured more abundantly than they all ; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.' It was grace to appoint such reasonable terms, to accept of them, though done in that sorry fashion which our frailty permitteth us to tender to God.
Use 2. To quicken us to a delightful course of obedience, if we
320 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIS. [SeR. LXXXV.
would have the sense of mercy. The same spirit that urgeth us to obey, a sense of God's love, urgeth us also to delight in his law. The same spirit that urgeth us to sue out the promise urgeth also to obey the precept.
1. Consider how Grod hath twisted his honour with our interest, and ordered both for his own glory. God's interest and honour is to be considered as well as our salvation. We must never look for such mercy and grace from God as shall discharge us from our duty and subjection to God, or give you liberty to dishonour and disobey him. No; 'Christ redeemed us to God,' Eev. v., and Luke i. 74, 75. Salvation is our benefit, obedience is God's right and interest. Happi- ness man is not averse from, but he sticketh at the terms. Some part of this happiness suiteth well enough with our natural desires, as pardon and life ; but we care not for his law and the obedience we owe by virtue of it. "We are naturally more willing of what maketh for ourselves, for our comfort, than what maketh for the honour of God.
2. Consider, a great part of God's first mercy is expressed in healing our natures and preparing us for this delightful course of holiness, Heb. X. 16, 17 ; 1 Cor. i. 30 ; Titus iii. 4, 5.
3. Consider, this comfortable sense of God's mercy should induce us to this by way of argument : 1 John iv. 19, ' We love him because he first loved us ;' 2 Cor. v. 14, 15, ' For the love of Christ constraineth us ; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead ; and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which ' died for them, and rose again ; ' and Gal. v. 6, ' In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love.' And then, by way of gratitude, we ought to bend all the powers of our souls to holiness and obedience, and lay out our care and labour upon it.
4. Consider, the more holiness and obedience any one hath, the more acceptable to God. A holy soul is an object capable of God's love ; the holy God delighteth in holiness, as well as the merciful God piti- eth misery. The more holy we are, the more God loves us. Let us not make wounds for God to cure. As we increase in holiness we increase in favour with God. This is true of Christ, who never had any defect of holiness, but only was to increase in the exercise of it.
5. Consider how just it is with God to refuse our cries for mercy when we despised his precepts for duty. Besiege your hearts with these considerations, and press them daily upon you. We are marvel- lous apt to please ourselves with some loose apprehensions of mercy, without bending ourselves to our duty.
6. Consider how reasonable it is that, when mercy hath taken us, with all our faults, at our first entrance into covenant with God, we should afterwards study to please and make it our delight so to do,
7. Consider how impossible it is to cherish a sense of his mercy and love to us while we neglect duty. The soul hath two sentiments of religion which can never be defaced — a desire of happiness, and sub- jection to God — ut anima sit siihjecta Deo et pacata in se. As we love our own comfort, so we will be troubled about our duty ; the soul will not