Reason 2. Because of the perfect contrariety between the temper of wicked men and this salvation, so that they are wholly incapable of it.
1. They care not for God, who is the author of this salvation ; he is not in all their thoughts, words, and ways : Ps. x. 1, ' The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God ; God is not in all his thoughts.' They are far from him, though he be not far from every one of them ; he is within them, and round about them, in the effects of his power and goodness ; but they never think of him, nor take care to serve and please him ; that is the reason in the text, ' They seek not thy statutes.' If they seem to draw nigh to him at any time in some cold and customary duties, they do but draw nigh to him with their lips, but their hearts are far from him : Isa. xxix. 13, ' This people draw near to me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me ; and their fear toward me is taught by the precepts of men.' Or as it is in another prophet, Jer. xii. 2, ' Thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins.' They profess to honour God with a little outward and bodily service, but have no love and affection at all to him.
2. They slight Christ who is the procurer of this salvation ; however they could like him as their Saviour, they like him not as their guide and governor. So he complaineth, Ps. Ixxxi. 11, ' My people would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would none of me;' and Luke xix. 14, ov Oekofxev tovtov (3aai\ev(rat e'<£' ?7/ia9, ' His citizens hated him, and sent a messenger after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.' Men cannot endure his bonds and yokes : Ps. ii. 3, ' Let us break his bands asunder, and cast away his cords from us ; ' that they should deny themselves their own wisdom and will, and wholly give up themselves to the conduct and will of Christ. It is his spiritual kingdom that is most contrary to our carnal affections, for if there were no king in Israel, then every man might do what is
152 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Sek. CLXXIII.
best in his own eyes. They would not be crossed in their licentious- ness of life, and therefore when Christ bringeth his bonds and cords with him, they set him at nought.
3. They despise the word, in which we have the offer of this salva- tion, and counsel and direction given us how to obtain it. There God calleth upon us to be saved : 1 Tim. ii. 4, ' He will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.' But most slight his voice, and thereby put all hope far away from themselves. See Acts xvi. 26, compared with the 48th verse ; in the 26th verse. ' To you is the word of this salvation sent.' Mark first, he calleth the gospel the word of salvation, because there we have the way and means set forth how it was procured for us ; there we have counsel given us what we must do on our parts that we may be interested in it ; there also we have the promise and assurance on God's part, that, so doing, we shall obtain it. Mark again, he saith this word of salvation was sent to them ; he doth not say brought, but sent. The preaching of the gospel is governed by God's special providence. When salvation is offered according to his mind and in his name, we must look upon it as a message from heaven, directed to us for our good ; not by the charity or good-will of men, but by the grace of God. Now if you despise this, what will be the issue ? See ver. 46, ' Since ye put away the word of God from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlast- ing life' (that is, by this obstinacy and perverseness), you become in- capable of receiving benefit of it. That phrase, ' ye judge yourselves,' is very notable. There is a judging ourselves unworthy that maketh way for the applying of the gospel unto us, rather than taking it from us, as the publican judged himself, and went home justified; but a humble self-judging is not meant here, but an obstinate, contemptuous refusal of eternal life. All unconverted men are unworthy of eternal life, but they that refuse grace offered judge themselves unworthy of eternal life ; put it out of all question, clear God, if he thus judge them by their fact, declare their condemnation just.
4. They refuse the beginnings of this salvation and foregoing pledges, which God vouchsafeth in this world by way of taste and earnest. Grace is the beginning and pledge of glory ; to be turned from sin is a great part of our salvation : Mark i. 21, ' He shall save his people from their sins.' It is not only salvation when freed from misery, but salvation when freed from sin ; not only from evil after sin, hell, and punishment, but from the evil of sin ; from a proud, lazy, self-loving heart : ' He hath saved us by the washing of water,' Titus iii. 5. When the power of sin is broken, and the life of grace is begun in the soul, then do we begin to be saved. The spirit of holiness is the earnest of our inheritance, and an earnest is part of the sum : Eph. i. 13, 14, ' In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise ; which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.' Therefore holiness is a part of eternal salva- tion. Now without this we cannot have the other part ; they that slight holiness shall never see God.