YeR. 125.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 293
these matters beyond their weight, let not us ; it is not a pin to choose what i)arty a man is of, if he doth not mind righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost : as if a servant should provide sauce for his master, and neglect to provide meat.
[i.] Oar great end and scope must be to please God. They are true servants that make it their business to please their master : Isa. Ivi. 6, ' They choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant ;' John viii. 29, ' The Father hath not left me alone, for I do always the things that please him ;' 1 Thes. iv. 1, ' I exhort you all by the Lord Jesus Christ, that as you have received of us how to walk and please God, so ye would abound more and more ;' and 1 John iii. 22, ' And whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things which please him.' So Heb. xi. 5, ' Enoch had this testimony, that he pleased God.' The property of a servant is not to please himself. They that set tliemselves to please God observe his will in all things. There is a great pleasing in the world, but few make it their business to please God. All inferiors please their superiors on whom they depend ; and shall not we please God, who is infinitely greater than man, and on whom we depend every moment for all that we enjoy ?
Use. Are we God's servants ? We all say so ; but we spealc out of conviction of conscience rather than out of inclination of heart ; not what de facto is, but what de Jure should be ; and it is well that we come so far as to own God's right. Professio ipsa, saith Hilary, hahet conscientia: necessitaiem, non hahet covfcssionis veritattm.
1, If it be so, then God is our chiefest good and highest lord, whom v/e study to please and gratify. It is certain that is our master which hath the greatest part in us, and power and influence over us : Mat. vi. 24, ' Ko man can serve two masters : ye cannot serve God and mammon ; ' Eom. xvi. 18, ' They serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly ; ' Phil. iii. 19, 'Whose god is their belly.' It was a speech of Luther, Venter in onini religione est 'potentissimum idolinn. It doth all with men. Where the belly is served, Christ is neglected. So far as his service will comply with the interest of the belly, or a quiet, pleasureful life, so far they can be zealous : their religion must feed them and maintain them, or else they care not for it — John vi. 2G, they followed Christ for the loaves — mind religion for outward
.advantages. When our interest and Christ's service go contrary ways, we can dispense with our duty to God for the sake of this. It is clear, to be servants is to want a power and right to dispose of ourselves, our actions, and employments. While any other thing hath an interest in us to dispose of us, we are not God's servants ; but that thing that hath such a power with us is our master.
2. A servant is chiefly known by obedience : Rom. vi. IG, 'To whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey -, ' Luke xii. 47, 48, 'And that servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not liimself, neither did according to his will,' &c. Men may talk liigh for God, know much ; but whom do we ordinarily obey ? When the flesh bids us go, we go ; come, we come. If pride bids us display the pomp of wit in our duties, or to hangout the ensigns of our vanity, we yield straight. If lust bid us pamper the flesh ; we pre-
294 SERMONS UPON TSALM cxix, [Ser. CXXXVII.
sently obey ; if coveteousiiess bid take the wedge of gold, we do it. But Avhen a man knoweth anything to be the mind of God, and prepareth his heart to do it, lie is one of God's servants.
3. A servant of God is one that the sight of God's will is reason enough to him : 1 Thes. v. 18, ' This is the will of God.' The will of God must be the prime and prevalent motive with a Christian ; they are servants, not to do their own will, but his whose servants they are; they do nothing but Avhat their master commandeth, and what he com- mandeth they see reason to obey.
Second branch, ' Give me understanding, that I may know thy tes- timonies/ This is subjoined to the former plea. — (1.) Because David would not be a servant in name and title only, but in deed and in truth ; and therefore would fain know his duty. (2.) To show the difference between God's servants and the servants of other lords who command us : Prov. xiv. 25, ' The king's favour is towards a wise servant ; ' they see them wise, find them wise, and then love them : but God must begin Avith us ; his favour maketh us wise.