Use 1. Information, to show us how we should make sin odious to us, both by way of caution and humiliation ; caution against the admission of sin, and humiliation because of the commission of it.
1. Caution. When thou art sinning, remember it is against thy God, who hath made thee, who hath kept thee, who hath bought thee, whom thou hast owned in covenant, who never showed any backward- ness to thy good. Is this thy kindness to thy friend, as he said, to sin against God, thy best friend ? See, the covenant interest is produced to stir up indignation against the offences of others : Jude 4, ' They turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness.' There is very much in that, that the grace of our God should be abused. So Isa. vii. 13, 'Is it nothing to weary men, but will ye weary my God also ? ' Wilt thou grieve the spirit of thy God, and violate his holy law ? If we cannot endure an offence in another, much less in ourselves.
2. For humiliation. This should wound us to the quick, to sin
180 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXXVI.
against ilie Lord our God, Jer. iii. 25. Every sin is a breach of covenant. What is simple fornication in others, is adultery in you, or hreach of marriage vow: Luke xv., 'I have sinned against heaven, and before thee.'
Use 2. To press us to behave ourselves to God, as he is the Lord our God. Why?
1. Otherwise you do but mock him : Luke vi. 4G, ' Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things wliich 1 say ?' Cui res nominl suh- jccta negatur, nomini illuditur, saith Tertullian — it is but a mockery of God to give him the title, and deny him the duty included in that title. As the soldiers which saluted Christ with, Hail, king of the Jews, yet at the same time spat in his face and buft'eted him ; so for us to say, My God : Mai. i. G, ' If I be a lord, where is my fear ? If I be a father, where is mine honour ? '
2. Consider, God will not be mocked, but will avenge the quarrel of his covenant. Lev. xxvi. 25. A people that profess God to be their God, all the judgments that shall come upon them, they come in pur- suance of God's quarrel, because they give God the covenant title, and do irot perform the covenant duty. There is hypocrisy in them, in that they call him Our God, and make a show to be his peculiar people, and in the meantime do neither serve him, love him, nor obey him as our God. And there is plain treachery, in that we set up another god, the lust and sin which we would gratify with the displeasure of God ; so that we are not a people for him according to the covenant.
3. This God will bear us out in our work : Dan. iii. 17,. ' Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us.' You may promise yourselves all that a God can do for you ; therefore let this persuade you to do as David, firmly to resolve, and exactly to observe, all that he hath required of us. First, Firmly to resolve upon a strict course of obed- ience. I will, saith David in the text ; I am resolved of it, whatever cometli on it, or whatsoever temptations I meet with to the contrary. Many are convinced of their evil courses, and that there is a necessity to leave them, but want resolution, therefore are inconstant in all their ways. Secondly, Exactly to obsei've ; I will keep the commandments of my God. Ho that is our God, it is fit he should be obeyed in all things: Micah vi. 8, 'Walk humbly with thy God.' You deny his sovereignty by interpretation, if you stick at any precept of his.
Doct. 2. They that Avould keep the commandments of God must avoid the company of the wicked.
1. I shall show how far the company of the wicked is to be avoided.
2. Why they that would keep the commandments of God are to do so.
First, How far the company of the wicked is to be avoided. On the one hand —
1. There is necessary civil converse allowed; for otherwise, as the apostle saith, we must needs go out of the world, 1 Coi-. v. 10. Neces- saiy converse in buying, selling, trading, performing the duties of our relations, it is allowed.
2. We must not forsake the church because of some wicked men therein. In God's floor there is wheat and chaff. Saith Augustine, Fugio palcam, ne hoc sim ; non aream, ne nildl sim — I fly from the
VeR. 115.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 181
cliafF that I may not be it ; but I may not, I do not fly from the floor, iest I be nothing. Christ maintained communion witli the church wherein there were men corrupt in manners, and bids us to hear those that sit in Moses' chair, though they say and do not, Mat. xxiii. 1, 2.
3. We are not hindered from endeavouring the good of tlieir souls ; whilst there is hope and opportunity to gain them, we may converse with them for their good. Thus Jesus Cln-ist did converse with sin- ners to gain them : Luke xv. 2, ' The Pharisees murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.' It is one thing to converse with sinners to harden them in their sins, another thing to converse with them to gain them to God ; as physicians to heal the sick, not as their associates to delight in their company. So we may converse with them with all gentleness, remembering that we ourselves were sometime foolish, disobedient, deceived, &c. Thus we must not avoid them.