YeR. 140.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 479
or else how should they know his will ? and then it was meet he should honour his rule by ownin_<^ it above all other doctrines, by the con- comitant operation of his Spirit, that this might be a constant authentic ])roof of its divine authority. The efficacy of the word is a pledge of the truth of it.
[2.] It is a commodious instrument for this end and purpose, for there is a wisdom in all God's institutions. He that looketh upon an axe will say, This is an instrument made to cut ; so he that looketh upon tlie scriptures must needs say, This is a means to purify. The word is more morally accommodated to work upon the heart of man then any other instrument, means, or doctrine in the world. Now the word doth so commodiously serve for this purpose because there are — (1.) Such pure precepts ; (2.) Such pure examples ; (3.) Such great helps to purity ; (4.) Great encouragements to purity ; (5.) Such great terrors to dissuade men from sin.
(1.) There are pure precepts, setting forth the nature of that purity that is pleasing to God ; and so, on the one hand, they serve to humble us for our natural filthiness ; for verum est index sui et obliqui — truth showeth itself, and discovereth error also, James i. 34. It is such a pure doctrine that it showeth a man his natural face, and discovers soul-spots. And, on the other side, by these precepts and doctrines we are urged and enjoined to seek after true purity and holiness of the right constitution : 1 Tim. i. 5, ' The end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith un- feigned.' The word telleth us God will be served, and that he will be served with a pure heart. The right end and scope of the whole law, as it is a gospel rule, is love to God and man, flowing from a sincere and renewed heart, and a good conscience rightly informed of God's will, and faith unfeigned, apprehending the grace of God towards us in Christ our Redeemer. So that you see there is required of us not only good actions, but good principles and ends.
The apostle telleth us €p<yov vofiov, the work of the law, was written upon man's heart, Rom. ii. 14. Natural conscience will take notice of some gross acts, urge to some external conformity and show of duty ; but the word of God taketh notice not only of acts, but the frame of the heart ; not only of sins, but also of lusts. If ever there were an instrument fitted to do a thing, the word is fitted to make men pure and holy. Briefly, then, the word requireth purity of heart and life. That we should be pure in heart : Mat. v. 8, ' Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God ;' and pure in life : ' Blessed are the undefiled in the way,' Ps. cxix. 1. You have both in one place : James iv. 8, ' Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye double- minded ;' both must be cleansed, both heart and hands. But we must first begin with the heart. The heart is that polluted fountain from whence floweth all the pollution of life : Mat. xv. 19, ' Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, blasphemies,' &c. It is in vain to cleanse the outside, unless the heart be cleansed ; and therefore the scripture presseth us to wash our hearts from wickedness, Jer. iv. 14. There is the difficulty. It is more easy to heal an out- ward wound than to stanch an inward bleeding ; and the cause is within. The purity of the outside is loathsome to God unless the
480 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CLVII.
heart he cleansed ; it is more easy to prevent disorders ia our con- versnilons than to cleanse our hearts ; and therefore the scripture mainly calleth upon you to purge sin out of the heart, Mat. xxiii.
26, 27. Therefore the great design of the word of God, with which it travaileth, is to get the heart clean ; as Elislia when he would cure the hrackishness of the waters, cast salt into the fountain, so doth the word of God seek to cleanse the hearts of men, and all its wooings and pleadings and entreaties tend to this.
(2.) There are pure examples and patterns. We miscai-ry by low examples, and grow loose and careless seeing others to be so ; there- fore the word is still to keep us humble under our defects, unsatisfied with our present measure, always contending, and striving towards the mark : it propoundeth all manner of examples to us. It pro- poundeth the example of God : 1 Peter i. 15, 'Be ye holy, as he that hath called you is holy, in all manner of conversation.' God is holy in all his ways, and righteous in all his works ; and so should we be. And the scripture presseth us to be holy as Christ is holy : 1 John iii, 3, ' He that hath this hope in him, puritieth himself, as Christ is pure.' It is impossible there should be an exact equality, yet some answerable conformity there should be. God is essentially, immutably, infinitely holy : he loveth himself so much as he can be loved. His essence and his being is the same with his holiness. Our holiness is a super- added quality. God's holiness is like a vessel of pure gold, where the substance is the same with the lustre ; but our holiness is like a vessel of earth gilded with gold ; the substance is one thing, the varnish another. But yet this God and Christ must ever be before our eyes ; we must be holy as he is holy ; we must always be increasing in holi- ness. We must come into an abiding state of holiness. There must be some kind of conformity between God and us, and Christ and us ; and head and members must be all of a piece. He will shoot farther that aimeth at a star, than he that aimeth at a shrub ; so he will be more holy that doth as God doth, than he that doth as sinful creatures do, like himself. Nay, the scripture propoundeth the example of the saints, Heb. vi. 12. We need all kinds of examples. As we need high and glorious examples, that we may not rest in any low degrees and beginnings of purity, so lower examples, that we may not be discou- raged, and think it impossible. And therefore the saints of God are propounded to us, men and women of like affections with us, the same natural interests, and we the same grace with them ; the way to heaven is a trodden path all along ; you may see the footsteps of the saints before you.