2. We are already obliged by God's command, so that whether you resolve or no, you are bound. There are some things that are left free in our own power before the vow passeth upon us ; as, Acts v. 4, ' Was it not in thy power ? ' Ay ! but there are other things that are not in our power. God's right over the creature is valid, whether he consent to it or no ; as the natural relation doth infer and enforce duty without consent. This is the difference between voluntary and natural rela- tions. Look, as a father is a father, whether the child own him or no in that quality and relation, and without his consent ; a father as a father hath a right to command the child. But there are duties that depend upon our consent, as in the choice of a husband or master. So here is a natural relation between God and us, he our creator, we his creatures, he our superior, and we his inferiors, by reason of his autho- rity and eternal right; and God may urge this, ' I am the Lord,' though he do not urge that, ' I am the Lord thy God.' Sometimes, ' I am the Lord,' Lev. xviii. 5, his own sovereignty ; sometimes, ' The Lord thy God,' ver. 2 ; which argues our choice and consent to choose him for our God ; therefore thou art not free.
3. Actual consent and resolution on our part is required, that the sense of our duty may be more explicit upon our heart : 2 Chron. xxx. 8, 'Yield yourselves to the Lord.' In the original, Give the Lord the hand ; that is, strike hands with him, enter into covenant with him, say, Lord, I will be for thee, and thou for me ; choose him for your
VeR. 106.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 91
portion, and give up yourselves to be tlie Lord's people : Rom. xii. 1, ' Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.' He alludes to the eucharistical sacrifices. All our off"erings must not be sin-offerings, but thank-oiTer- ings ; so present yourselves. Under the law, a man he brought his thank-offering, and laid his hand upon it, ' Lord, I am thine.^ It was implied in your baptism, and it is but reason that you should own your baptismal vow when you come to years of discretion. A bargain that is made for an heir during his nonage, it is confirmed by him when he comes to age. You were dedicated to Grod's service when you were young, and knew not what you did ; now when yoii come to choose your own way, and at years of discretion, you should stand to what was done in your name to God ; therefore there must be a serious and solemn consent of your heart.
4. It is for your profit to choose the strictest engagements ; not only to approve the ways of God, but purpose ; not only purpose, but put it into a promise or declared resolution ; and not only resolve, but bind this resolution by an oath. Why ? For you have more reason to expect God's assistance this way than any other, because this is the appointed means practised by all the i^eople of God when they expected the grace of the covenant. Surely God's blessing is best expected in his own way, and the grcjatest engagement to God the more apt to hold us to our duty than a looser engagement.
5. Consider the necessity as well as the profit.
[1.] Laziness is the cause of our backwardness and hanging off from God. We are loath to come to God, are off and on, hang between heaven and hell ; we have many loose and wavering thoughts, until we come to a firm purpose and determination ; but that engageth the heart — Jer. xxx. 21, ' Who is this that engageth his heart to draw nigh tome?' — when you lay a command upon yourselves. We are weak and wavering in our purposes and wishes, but it puts an end to this when we come once to a full and firm purpose : Acts xi. 23, ' He exhorted them all, that, with purpose of heart, they would cleave unto the Lord.' Austin, in his Confessions, tells us how he would dally with God, and how long he struck i in the new birth, until he was re- solved, until he bound himself firmly to shake off all his carnal courses, and mind the business of religion.
[2.] Because of our fickleness, and the strength of temptations that will draw us off from God. He that is not resolved cannot be con- stant : James i. 8, ' The double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.' Christians ! when an unconstant and I'ebelling heart meets with temptation without, all our wishes and cold purposes will come to nothing, but we shall give out at the first assault, and be unstable in all our ways ; but when we are firmly and habitually resolved, then Satan is discouraged. While Ave are thinking and deliberating what we shall do, the devil hath some hope of us, we lie open to temptation ; but when he seeth the bent of the heart is fixed and settled, and we have firmly bovmd ourselves to God, his hopes are gone. He that is in a wavering condition is easily overborne when temptation comes, but a fixed man is safe. Papers, feathers, and things that lie loose