1, From the excellency of God's law. The law of God deserves it : Dent. iv. G, ' Keep, therefore, and do them ; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say. Surely this great nation is a wise and un- derstanding people.' We should esteem the law, because it doth not infringe onr natures, but makes them perfect, puts an excellency upon us. But of tliis in other verses.
2. This esteem and approbation is the ground of practice. When we are convinced of the ways of God, and the excellency that is in them, the heart consenteth and embraceth them, and then followeth a ready practice ; we will observe what we do approve. Whereas, on the contrary, if we have no esteem for the ways of God, we shall take no care to walk in them, but could wish such laws expimged ; for still these two go together — hearty embracing and diligent practice. The will is the great master-wheel. Now esteem implieth the bent of the will or heart ; it implieth consent and election ; it is the act of the will, is the act of the man : Prov. xxiii. 26, ' My son, give me thy heart.' The man is never overcome till then. You may kill him, but you cannot conquer him till he give his consent. There may be a kind of force and violence offered to the other faculties ; the under-
VeR. 128.] SERMONS UrON PSALM CXIX. 329
standing may be overcome with light, which though it wonkl, it can- not keep out. The conscience may be awakened, though men en- deavour to lull it asleep ; but the will is free, and is not conquered, but by its own consent and choice. The Lord will not force himself upon any ; he dealeth with the reasonable creatures in a covenant way, to which our consent is required. It only bindeth as a law, till we consent to yield to it as a covenant: 2 Chron. xxx. 8, ' Yield your- {selves to the Lord.' Now bring 3'our hearts once to consent, and heartily approve of the ways of God, and the rest will succeed without difficulty. It will not be hard to give a law to the tongue, to restrain the hand, govern the body ; our affections will more easily come to liand if we have a will to the things of Grod. The smallest matters against our wills are grievous to us. It was no great matter for Haman to lead Mordecai's horse, but it was an unwelcome and un- pleasant service ; he had no mind to it. It is no great matter for men to do the things that God requireth ; but they have no mind to it, and therefore are off and on : James i. 8, ' The double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.'
3. This is some comfort to a child of God, that though he faileth in some part of his duty, yet he esteemeth all ; for where this appro- bation is, you may use the apostle's plea, " Not I, but sin that dwelleth in me ; ' Rom. vii. 15, ' For that which I do, I allow not ; for what I would, tliat I do not; but what I hate, that do I.' The allowance or approbation of the will is there spoken of ; he speaketh of willing and nilling, lovin^r, deli";hting, and hatins;'. Thoucrh you cannot do that good you would, in that purity and perfection which love re- quireth, and tlic renewed heart intendeth, yet your hearts are upon your work : ' The evil which I hate, I do.' The new nature hates and dislikes what the carnal part prompts to.
Use. Learn to approve the law of God in all things, as right and good for you.
1. Do not dispense with yourselves in anything. In two cases we arc apt to do so : — (1.) In small things ; it is nothing, we think ; it is but a little one. Nothing that cometh from God should be light and con- temptible ; though the matter be never so small, if God hath inter- posed, it should be regarded by us. There may be great obstinacy in small sins, as a slender line may be very crooked, or as in some cases the dye is more than the cloth. Will you break with God in a small matter ? If some great matter were required, would you not have done it? as 2 Kings v. 13 ; dare you offend this holy God for trifles ? (2.) Do not dispense with yourselves, though never so contrary to your humour and interest. This is to set up a toleration in your own hearts, or a court of faculties without God's leave : ' God be merciful to me, if I bow in the house of Rimmon.'
2. Do not so much as wish there were no such law. It is a contra- diction of the law when you could wish there were no law to put a restraint upon your beloved lusts and darling corruptions. Carnal men wish there were no God, not as a creator and preserver, but as a lawgiver. There may be much enmity in such a thought. Every tliought must be brought into subjection to Jesus Christ, 2 Cor. x. 5. Not a disallowing thought of God's government but doth much pre-