(2.) In putting on the heart upon duties that are against the hair and bent of corruption. Such acts of obedience as are most troublesome and burdensome to the flesh, as are laborious, costly, dangerous. Laborious, as private worship, wrestling with God in prayer, holding the heart to meditation and self-examination ; sluggish nature is apt to shrink, but ' love constraineth,' 2 Cor. v. 14. Spiritual worsliip, and such as is altogether without secular encouragement, that is tedious ; to work truth into the heart, to commune with God, to ransack conscience, it is troublesome, but thy striving will overcome it. So there is costly and chargeable work, as alms, contributions to public good ; there must be a striving to bring the heart to it. Then for actions dangerous, as public contests for God's glory, or keeping a good conscience, though with cost to ourselves. Our great work is to keep the will afoot, nature is slow to what is good. A coachman in his journey is always quickening his horses, and stirring them up ; so must we quicken a sluggish will, do what we can, though we cannot do all that we should ; the will must hold up still. A prisoner escaped would go as far as he can, but his bolts will not suffer to make long journeys, but yet he thinketh he can never get far enough ; so this will is a disposition that puts us upon striving to do our utmost for God.
Secondly, Tiie matter resolved on, to ' perform thy statutes always unto the end.' Uniform obedience, always, or all his days. As long- as life lasteth we must be always ready to observe all God's commands, which notes the continuity of our obedience, sincerity, and perpetuity of it. We are to engage our hearts by a serious resolution to serve him, and that not ])y fits and starts, but always ; not for a time, but to the end. Eesolve to cleave to him, to hold him fast that he mny not go, to keep our hold fast that we may not go. Take notice of the first decays, and let us keep our hold fast, and bewail often the incon- stancy of our hearts, that we are so inconstant in that which is good. Every hour our hearts are changed in a duty. What a Proteus would man be, if his thoughts were visible, in the best duty that ever he per- formed ! Eom. vii. 18, 'Evil is ])rescnt with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.' Our devotion comes by pangs and fits,
VeR. 113.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX, 155
now humble, anon proud ; now meek, anon passionate ; not the same men in a duty and act of a duty, unstable as water. Compare it with God's constancy, his unchangeable nature, his love to us, that we may be ashamed of our levity. From everlasting to everlasting, God is where he was, the same ; the same to those that believe in hina. Secondly, This ' to the end.' God's grace holdeth out to the end ; so should our obedience : ' He that hath begun a good work will perfect it,' &c. Consider how unreasonable it is to desire God to be ours unto the end, if we are not his : Ps. xlviii. 14, ' He is our God for ever and ever ; he will be our guide till death.' He doth not lay down the conduct of his providence. So Ps. Ixxiii. 2i, ' Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory.' We can give nothing to God, our obedience is but a profession of homage. If God be always in our eye, we shall be always in his. We receive life, breath, and motion from him every moment ; he sustaineth us, every day and hour yieldeth new mercy. God watcheth over us when we are asleep, yet how much of our time passeth away when we do not perform one act of love to God ! The devil is awake when we sleep, to do us a mischief, but the God of Israel never slumbereth nor sleepeth. How can we offend him? Let us then take up this serious resolution, to perform God's statutes always to the end.
SERMON CXXIV.
/ hate vain ihougJds : hut thy laio do I love. — Ver. 113,
There are in men two great influencing affections — love and hatred ; one serves for choice and pursuit, the other for flight and aversation. The great work of grace is to fix these upon their proper objects. If we could but set our love and hatred right, we should do well enough in the spiritual life. Man fallen is but the anagram of man in inno- cency ; we have the same affections, but they are misplaced ; we love where we should hate, and hate where we should love ; our affections are like a member out of joint, out of its proper place, as if the arms should hang backward. If men knew how to bestow their love and hatred, they would be other manner of persons than now they are. In the text we are taught what to do in both by David's example. See how he bestowed his love and hatred : ' I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.' Love was made for God, and for all that is of God's side, his law, his ordinances, his image, &c. ; but hatred was made for sin. All sin must be hated, of what kind and degree soever it be. Every drop of water is water, and every spark of fire is fire ; so the least degree of sin is sin. Thoughts are but a partial act, a tendency towards an action, and yet thoughts are sin. Of all the operations of the soul, the world thinketh a man should be least troubled about his thoughts ; of all actual breaches of the law these are most secret ; therefore we think thoughts are free, and subject to no tribunal. Most of the religion that is in the world is but man's observance, and therefore we let thoughts go without dis- like or remorse, because they do not betray us to shame or punishment.