But why is it called great peace ? It noteth the excellency of this kind of peace ; it is not only peace, but great peace, such as is rich and glorious: Phil. iv. 7, ' A peace that passeth all understanding ;' or it may note the degree and quantity of it, abundance of peace, as it is, Ps. xxix. 11, and Ps. Ixxii. 3 ; I speak peace to them that are afar off; or peace like a river, Isa. xlviii. 18, or pure peace.
Three points I shall handle —
Doct. 1. That it is the property of God's children to love his law.
Doct. 2. Those that love the law shall have great peace.
Doct. 3. This blessed peace niaketh a man hold on in the way of obedience, whatever impediments, stumbling-blocks, or discourage- ments he meets withal.
First point, That it is the property of God's children, not only to keep his law, but to love his law.
This is often spoken of in this psalm ; now I prove it thus : —
Reason 1. They love God, and therefore they love his law : how doth that follow? The love that passeth between God and us is not an arbitrary love of equals, but the necessary dutiful respect that inferiors owe to their superiors, such as children owe to their father, servants to their master, subjects to their prince and governor. Therefore it is not a fellow-like familiarity, but a dutiful submission
202 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXIX.
and subjection to God's authority ; and therefore, if we love God, we will love his law. It is God's condescension that he will use us like friends in regard of communion, and converse with us, as Abraham was called God's friend, James ii. 23 ; yet we are but servants, though we are used like friends, and there is a debt and bond of duty lying upon us ; and so if we bear any respect to God, it must be determined by our respect to his laws, and demonstrated by our obedience to them, not by acts of ordinary courtesy and kindness. This is often spoken of : John xiv. 15, ' If ye love me, keep my commandments ; ' and ver. 21, ' He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; ' John xv. 14, ' Ye are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you.' Though none condescendeth to such acts of kindness and friendship as God in Christ hath done, yet still he standeth upon his sovereignty : ' If ye love me, keep my commandments.' God's love to us is indeed a love of bounty, but our love is a love of duty and service. I have not yet done with this reason. It necessarily follows from the love of God, though you abstract him from the notion of a sovereign and lawgiver, and should love him only because of the excellency of his nature. Now thus I argue : The same reasons that carry us to love God, do carry us also to love his law ; for he that loveth God, will love anything of God, wherever he finds it. He will love his word, he will love his saints ; but chiefly his word, for that is most to be loved, because that hath most of God in it. The law is a copy of his holiness ; the tract of God is in the creatures, there is his vestigium. His image is in his saints, they resemble his divine qualities, but his most lively print and character is upon his word. The image of God in his saints is obscured by their infirmities, but the law of God is perfect, there is no blemish there ; this is the fairest copy and draught of his holiness. Nay, once more, in this argument abstract the consideration of his authority and the perfection of his being, yet our obligations to God as our benefactor will enforce this love to his word, and make it sweet to us, because it is the letter of our friend and benefactor, and the signification of his will to whom we owe life and breath and all things; and therefore, though the law did not deserve to be loved for its own sake, yet it should be sweet for his sake from whom it cometh. He hath evidenced much love to us, as we are creatures ; but much more love in Christ, as we are sinners ; and it should be acceptable to us upon his account. Love and gratitude will constrain us to do his will and regard his commands, 2 Cor. v. 14. If we have any sense of our great obligations to him, it must needs be so.
Beason 2. God's children find such an excellency in his law that they must needs love it. As it is —
1. A plain clear word, that doth fully discover the will of God, and not leave duty to our own uncertain guesses. It puts duty into a plain stated course, how we may come to be blessed for ever more ; Ps. cxix. 105, ' Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.' Light is pleasant, but darkness is uncomfortable. When Aristotle was asked why all men do love the light, his answer was, That was the ques- tion of a blind man ; sense discovereth sufficiently why we should love the light. Certainly if you ask why men do not love the word of God, it is because the god of this world hath blinded their eyes, 2 Cor. iv. 4.