Secondly. Let us explain the reason, ' For they have made void thy law.' The law is made void two ways, formed itej' et interijretative.
1. Formally, when any deny the authority of God, as Pliaraoh : Exod. V. 5, ' AVho is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?' Or those rebels, Ps. xii. 4, ' Our lips are our own ; who is lord over us ?' Or we make void the law when we deny it to be given of God, as Marcion and his followers, that the law was given by an evil god. Many now question the scriptures themselves, or deny the obligation of the moral law to believers, as the antinomians and libertines, as the apostle telleth us, Fiom. iii. 31, that we ' do not make void the law by faith ; yea, we establish the law.' It was the greatest ratification to it that could be. Or, finally, those that take upon them to enact things contrary to the law of God, or besides the law, as necessary to salvation, and enforce their own traditions beyond and before the law of God. These make void the law, as Christ telleth the })harisees that they ' made the commandments of God of no effect by their tra- ditions,' Mat. XV. 6. Especially when they obtrude these things upon the consciences of others under the highest penalties.
2. Interpretatively, when men by consequence take away the honour and authority that is due to the law, by their wickedness and rebellion against God. Though in words they acknowledge the authority of God and the obligation of his law, yet they have no respect to it in their carriage and practice, doing whatever pleaseth themselves, stand in no awe of God and his word, reject it as a thing of nought. Obedi- ence to the law is a ratifying and confirming the law by our consent : Deut. xxvii. 26, ' Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.' Our words do not confirm the law so much as our works. So, on the contrary, they repeal or make void the law that observe it not in their practice. Finis operis is made //?ii"s operaniis, as if they intended to abolish, whilst they make no reckoning of the law. Where observe, that this is a notion to make sin odious to us ;
298 SERMONS UPON PSALM cxix. [Ser. CXXXVIII.
it is not only avofjila, a transgression of the law, 1 John iii. 4 ; but a despising the law, 2 Sam. xii. 9 ; a judging or censuring the law, James iv. 11 ; yea, a repealing and disannulling the law, which is the notion of the text.
Doct That when a flood of wickedness is broken out, we may put God in mind of doing his work of punishing the wicked and delivering his peo])le.
I shall give you the sum of this doctrine in these four considerations.
1. That God doth for a while hold his hand, and bear with the wickedness of his enemies.
2. Though he doth for a while bear with them, yet he hath his times to punish and proceed to execution.
3. This time is usually when the impiety and insolency of wicked men is come to a height.
4. When it is come to a height, we may and must mind God of doing his work, or arising to judgment.
The first consideration is implied in the doctrine and the text ; the other three are express.
First, It is implied that God doth for a while hold his hand, and not seem to mind his work. Though the least sin deserveth the greatest plagues, even when it is first committed, yet such is God's patience and long-suffering, that he will not at first punish even the sins of his enemies, but will let them ripen and come to a height before he smite. This he doth —
1. To show his bounty and goodness to all his creatures. He will not easily destroy the workmanship of his hands, even the provoking wicked ; but giveth them time to repent and change their course ; Kev. ii. 21, ' I gave her space to repent of her fornications, and she repented not.' The worst have leave to repent, means to repent, time to repent ; and if they have not the grace to repent, they may blame themselves : Rom. ix. 22, ' He endured with nuicli long-suffer- ing the vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction,' ev iroWy /j^aKpodu/xLa. The reprobate taste of God's common goodness as they are members of the world, are forborne for a long time, till they be sear and rotten through, fit for the burning. Nay, let me observe this : God, that is very quick with his people, is very patient towards them that perish. God is quick with his own people ; he will visit their iniquities with scourges, and will not suffer sin to lie upon them ; and therefore they are chastened every morning. Yet this God is very patient to them that know no better, profess no better, have had no experience of his ways ; and though they finally perish, it is long first, till their sins do even extort vengeance out of his hands.
2. To chastise, exercise, and prove his own people, he beareth with the wickedness of their enemies,