2. The children of God do know that this is the cause of God's aversion from them, that his statutes are not observed ; and therefore, when they beg a greater experience of God's special favour, they also beg direction to keep his statutes. They cannot maintain and keep up a sense of the love of God unless they be punctual in their duty. He knows nothing of religion that knows not that the comfort of a Christian depends upon sanctification as well as justification ; and the greater sense of obedience the fuller sense of the love of God ; and the degrees of manifesting his favour are according to the degrees of our profiting in obedience, for these go along still. Jesus Christ is king of righteousness and king of peace. He is Melchisedec, king of Salem ; he pours out the oil of grace that he may pour out the oil of gladness, Heb. vii. 2. But especially see one place, John xiv. 21, ' He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that lovetli me ; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father ; and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.' Christ was then most sweetly comforting his people, but it was not his mind that they should be emboldened thereby to cast off duty. No ; he says, the only way to assure them that they were not delusions, and to clear their right to these comforts, was this, ' He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and wall manifest myself to him.' That is the way to get confirmation and evidence of the love of God.
3. This is a notable effect and evidence of God's favour, to guide jou in his ways ; therefore it is a branch of the former, for whom the Lord loveth he teacheth and guides : Eom. viii. 14, ' As many as are the children of God, they are led by the Spirit.' Others are left to their own heart's counsels. And Ps. xxv. 14, ' The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him ; and he will show them his covenant.' The communication of secrets is a note of friendship. Now the secret of the Lord, the knowledge of his covenant, and what belongs thereto, it is to those that fear God. There is the qualification.
4. He showeth that he does not desire a greater proof of God's love. He would chiefly experience the good-will of God to him in beino- taught the mind of God. The most slight that which David prizeth. But if our hearts were as they should be, we would prefer this before all other good things, sanctification, to be taught of God. For —
[1.] It is a better evidence of God's favour than worldly comforts. Pardon freeth us from punishment, sanctification from sin and pollu- VOL. VIII. 2 D
418 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CL^
tion ; sin is worse than misery, and holiness is to be preferred before- impunity, Christ in the work of redemption considered the Father's interest and honour as well as your salvation. The taking away of worldly comforts doth not infringe our blessedness ; yea, when it is accompanied with this benefit, it makcth way for the increase of it : Ps. xciv. 12, 'Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, 0 Lord, and teachest him out of thy law.' All the comforts of the world are not worth one dram of grace. The loss of them may be supplied with grace, and man be happy, comfortable, and blessed for all that ; but the loss of grace cannot be supplied with temporal things. We can- not say, Blessed is the man that hath lost grace for the world's sake. Again, all the riches and honours heaped upon a man cannot make him better, they may easily make him worse ; but grace can never make us worse, but always better, more amiable in the eyes of God, and fitter for communion with him. These may be given to those whom God hateth, Ps. xvii. 14 ; but this is the favour of his people. Grace is never given but to those whom he entirely loveth. These may be given in wrath, but sanctifying grace never in wrath. The more we have of these things, the more wanton and vain, Deut. xxxii. 15. They are often used as an occasion to the flesh, Gal. v. 13, prove fuel to our lusts, increase our snares, temptations, difflcidties in heaven's way, Luke xviii. 25. Our table becometh a snare, Ps. Ixix. 22. But the saving graces of the Spirit make all easy, and help u& towards our own happiness.
[2.] Profiting in obedience or sanctification is a greater effect of God's favour. Sanctification is a greater privilege than justification. Perfect and complete holiness and conformity to God is the great thing which God designed, as the glory of God is holiness, Exod. xv. 11. Moral perfections exceed natural; and of all moral perfections lioliness is the greatest. It is better to be wise than strong, to be holy than wise. Beasts have strength, man hath reason, but holy angels, a holy God. Sanctification is a real perfection, but justifica- tion is but a relative. It rendereth us amiable in the eyes of God, God hateth sin more than misery. Sin is against God's very nature. God can inflict punisliment, but he cannot infuse sin. God's interest and honour is to be preferred before our comfort and personal benefit. In sanctification, besides our personal benefit, which is the perfection of our natures, God's honour and interest is concerned in our subjec- tion to him. Justification is a pledge, but sanctification is not only a pledge but a beginning ; it is removens prohibens. We love him for pardoning, but he delighteth in holiness : he delighteth in us rather as sanctified than pardoned. We love much because much is for- given, Luke vii. 47. But God delighteth in the pure and upright : Prov. xi. 20, ' Such as are upright in their way are his delight.'