26 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CVII.
But liow could David say this in truth of heart, because of his offence in the matter of Uriah ? Ans. This was the usual frame and temper of his soul, and the course of his life ; and such kind of assertions concerning the saints are to be interpreted voce ^ et conatu, licet non semper cveniu. This was his errand and drift, his purpose and endea- vour, his usual course, though he had his failings.
2. What was his motive and end in this ? ' That I might keep thy word ; ' that I might be exact and ininctual with God in a course of obedience, and adhere to his word uniformly, universally, impartially.
Doci. He that would keep the word must refrain his feet ; that is, stand at a great distance in heart and practice from all sin.
For the illustration of the point observe —
1-. A Christian must do both ; he must stand at a distance from sin, and he must keep the word. There is a negative and an affirmative part in every commandment, precepts and prohibitions ; we need both the bridle and the spur ; the bridle, to refrain the feet from sin ; and the spur, to quicken us to walk closely with God, according to the direction of his holy word. A simple abstinence from sin, without exercising ourselves unto godliness, Avill not serve the turn : Ps. xxxiv. 15, ' Dej^art from evil, and do good.' So Ps. xxxvii. 27. There is a double principle in every renewed man, flesh and spirit, Gal. v. 17; and his work is to restrain the one, to keep in the flesh that would fain break out, and range abroad in unseemly actions ; and to encourage and put forth the other, the spirit in its necessary operation, with vigour and life. There is a double estate laid before us, heaven and hell ; there- fore we are not only to forbear sin, which is walking to hell, but we must walk wgrthy of God in all well-pleasing, and be fruitful in good works, which is our way to heaven, Eph. ii. 10, ' Forbearing evil, and doing good.' The Pharisee's religion ran upon negatives : ' I am not an adulterer, an extortioner,' &c., Luke xviii. 11. Many are not vicious rather than godly, they keep themselves in a middle lukewarm estate ; and though they be not defiled with foul sins, yet do not set themselves seriously to serve the Lord.
2. Both must be done with the whole man, or regarded both in heart and practice. It is not enough to leave off evil, but to hate it, nor to do good, but we must do it with a love and an affection. Com- pare three places : Isa. i. 16, ' Cease to do evil, learn to do well ;' Amos V. 15, * Hate the evil, love the good.' And it is expressed with a fur- ther emphasis, Rom. xii. 9, ' Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.' Tliese places compared together will show that the outward act is not only to be regarded, but the frame of the heart. There should not only be an abstinence from the act of sin, but morti- fying of the love of it ; for there are many that outwardly forbear sin, but yet do not inwardly hate it. On the other side, we are not only to do good, but there must be a love to good ; for many may externally do good when the heart abhors it. And on the other side, if there be a love to good, God passeth by many failings ; it should not be a bare hatred, or a cold love, but such as hath life and vehemency in it, abhorring that which is evil, and cleaving to that which is good — the soul of Jonathan cleaved to David — it must be a knitting love. There is Haman's refraining, Esther v. 10, and David's refraining. It is said
1 Qu. ' voto ' ?— Ed.
VeR. 101.] SERMONS UPON TSALM CXIX. 27
Haraan refrained himself, when his heart boiled with rancour and malice against Mordecai ; and there is David's refraining in the text, ' I refrained my heart from every evil way.' His heart is engaged, when the heart cleaves to him, not easily to separate.
3. Both are regarded, and botli with the whole man. Now the one is required in order to the other ; we must refrain from evil that we may do good, and do good that we may refrain from evil ; mortifica- tion and vivification do mutually help each other. The more lively grace is the more sin droopeth, the more lively sin is the more is the new nature oppressed. Without refraining our feet from evil there is no doing of good, for vivification is increased according to the degree of mortification: 1 Peter ii. 24, ' That we, being dead to sin, might be alive to righteousness.' As long as we are alive to sin, active and delighting in the commission thereof, we are dead to righteousness. But now, as the love and life of sin is weakened in our hearts, so is grace introduced, and we are quickened and carried on witli more strength in holy duties ; the strength and fervour of the soul is diverted, and runs in another channel ; the same affections that are carried out to sin, the same current and stream of soul that ran out towards our- selves, then is carried in a way of grace, the same affections, but carried out to other objects. And so on the other side, wherever there is an affection to good, there will be a cordial detestation to evil ; the affection to the one will awaken and increase the hatred of the other ; for still the soul draws that way which our affections carry them.