(5.) Here are terrible threatenings ; the word is impatient of being denied ; it would have holiness and purity upon any terms ; there is something propounded to our fear as well as to our hope. Sometimes the word of God threatens with the loss of happiness : Heb. xii. 14, ' Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.' If there were no more but this, this were enough to terrify us (to be shut out from the pre- sence of the Lord !) if it wei'e rightly considered. But oh ! how miser- able will the poor creature be that the word threatens with the loss of the vision of God, supposing the soul subsists ! This is enough to over- whelm us, that we shall never enter into the place where God is : Eev. xxi. 17, ' There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth or worketh abomination.' But we hear of a worm that shall never die, a pit without a bottom, a fire that shall never be quenched, and tor- ments that are without end and without ease. God shall say, I would have purged you, but you would not be purged. Whose heart doth not tremble at the mention of these things ? Oh ! then you see the word is very pure.
The second consideration, that this pure word must be valued and esteemed and loved by us. Here I shall show you what it is to love the word, and then why.
1. What it is to love the word.
[1.] Negatively.
(1.) It is not an outward receiving, or a loose owning of the scripture as the word of God. Many carnal men may so receive it, or rather not contradict it: they receive the word of God, not upon any divine testimony and evidence of the Spirit of God, but upon the authority and credit of men, the practice and profession of the nation where they live, and the injunctions of the civil state, or the tradition of the church. This is the just account of most men's faith and love to the word, and therefore they never feel the power of it. It cometh with power when it is the evidence of the Si)irit, 1 Cor. ii. 4 ; human credulity breedeth no true love to the word of God.
Veu. 140.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 483
(2.) This love is not a bare approbation of purity and holiness ; many approve that which they never choose and follow. Xone in the face of the church can be sucli a wretch as not to think that it is a good thing to be holy, that strictness is commendable. Mark vi. 26, Herod reverenced John. There is an excellency in holiness, and it winnetli esteem, even there where it is not embraced. Purity is a stricture of God's majesty, and so it is feared. Where it is not loved, it breedeth an aweful respect in wicked men. Natural conscience so far doth homage to the image of God, and doth incline men to think well of holiness, and to show some respect to it.
(3.) It is not a pang or passionate delight ; as some, when the word falls upon them, they may be stirred a little; it is not a love that is controllable, or easily overcome by other loves : John v. 45, ' How can ye believe, that seek honour one of anotlier?' As Herod rejoiced in John's light for a season, and, Mark vi. 20, he loved John's preaching, but he loved his Herodias better ; and therefore off goes Jolm's head. The love that he had, it was controllable by a higher love. Unless we be so addicted to the word that it prevaileth over all contrary inclina- tions, we do not love the word. Whether it be sensuality, or pride, or covetousness, it will be casting off the dominion of the word : John viii. 37, ' My word hath no place in you ; ' it doth not sink down into their hearts that it may bring forth fruit in their lives.
[2] Positively, what is it then ?
(1.) It is such a love as causeth us to wait at wisdom's gates, to consult with the word upon all occasions, to read it, hear it, meditate on it as the great instrument of sanctification. You will take it for your counsel, Ps. cxix. 4. That we love we will be thinking on often, and exercising our minds in it : Ps. i. 2, ' But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.' Oh, how few love the word thus ! Few read and delight in the scriptures because of the purity and holiness that is in them. They read them for dispute's sake, or to know the mystery, or to be able to hold up an argument ; but as they serve to make us pure and heavenly, who loves them so ? as they forewarn us of sin, and quicken to grace and love to God? Ps. xix. 10, 11, ' Thy word is sweeter than honey or the honey- comb,' because by * them thy servant is forewarned.' Then we love the word when we love it for this reason.
(2.) We love the word when we are chary of transgressing it, or doing anything contrary to the tenor of it. We are bidden to keep the commandment as the apple of the eye, Prov, vii. 2. The eye is a tender thing, offended with the least dust. Oh, take heed of offending the word of God ! Fear of offending is a sure note and effect of love. So he that loves God, he fears the commandment: Prov. xiii. 13, ' Whoso despiseth the word, shall be destroyed ; but whoso feareth the commandment, shall be rewarded.' A wicked man maketh no bones of a commandment, regardeth not what the word saith, but doth according to the bent of his own will. Those that will turn their back upon a commandment for the least temptation, they have no true love to the word of God. But now a godly man is one that feareth a com- mandment ; he is afraid to do anything against the express will of God. If a commandment stands in his way, it is as mucli as if an angel with