2. Do you heartily take Christ's yoke upon you, and frame your- selves to practise what he hath required of you ? They that love the law cannot rest in mere speculations, and be careless in the duties required of them. Love cannot be hidden, but it will break forth into action. If it be in your hearts, it will break out in your lives : Ps. xl. 8, ' The law of God is in my heart.' You will make conscience
206 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXIX.
of duty, 1 John ii. 4. Love is found to be solid and real when we are tender of Christ's laws ; in vain else do we talk of the new birth, of the work of grace, or having an interest in Christ, and the like, unless we keep his law.
3. Do you practise it willingly, and without grudging ? 1 John v. 3, ' His commandments are not grievous.' They that love the law will not count the work tedious. God doth not look to the work, praying, hearing, strict observing his ordinances, or Lord's day ; but minds the will for the deed, not the deed for the will, whether willingly or unwillingly. God dealeth with us as rational creatures. If your ox draw your plough, and your ass carry his burden, you care not much whether it be done willingly or unwillingly ; but God dealeth with us as obliged, and looketh that love should constrain us, and influence our actions ; and God dealeth with us as renewed creatures, that have a suitableness to their work, Heb. viii. 10 ; Ps. xl. 2, when rather from him than with him he delights greatly in God's command- ments ; Ps. cxii. 1, delights to know, believe, and obey God's word; and God expects it from us, because of the pleasures that do accom- pany wrell-doing, Pro v. iii. 17. The speculation of a worthy truth affects the mind, but practice doth more, as more intimately accquainted with it.
Use 2. It shows —
1. How far they are from the temper of God's people that dispute away duties rather than practise them, cavil at their work rather than readily accept it.
2. They do not love the law that are always full of excuses, and pretend occasions to neglect the service of God ; excuses are always a sign of a naughty heart. The sinner's non vacat is indeed non placet: Luke xiv. 18, ' They all began to make excuses.' If we did not want a heart, we should not want an occasion to manifest our respects to God.
3. It shows how far they are from the temper of God's people that are easily discouraged with difficulties; love will make us break through all, 2 Cor. v. 14. Love hath a constraining force, counts nothing too dear to be parted with for God's sake ; they that are weary of well-doing, they are out of their element; as they in Malachi1 inquired, When will the sabbath be over ? They that brought but a sorry lamb, cried out, Oh, what a weariness ! Again, they that love the law are not troubled about the strictness of the law, but the unsuitableness of their own hearts. God's children are grieved for that weariness and uncomfortableness they find in God's service; glad of any enlargement of heart. Lust is grievous, but not the command- ment : Kom. vii. 24, ' 0 wretched man that I am ! who shall deliver me (not from the law, but) from the body of this death ?' But others, when the truth shineth round about them, they receive it not in the love thereof.
Doct. 2. Those that love the law shall have great peace. Let me prove this.
1. They shall have peace.
2. Great peace.
First, They shall have peace.
- Amos. — Ed.
VEE. 165.] SERMONS UPON PSALM. CXIX. 207
1. Because the God of peace is their God ; they are assured of his love and favourable acceptance. Tranquillus Deus tranquillat omnia — if God be with us, who can be against us ? If he smileth on us, it is enough, though all the world should be against us ; for it is God's wrath that niaketh us miserable, and God's love that ruaketh us happy.
2. Jesus Christ, who is the Prince of peace, is their Saviour, Isa. ix. 9. He hath made articles of peace between God the Father and us, and drawn them into a covenant of grace, called the covenant of his peace, Isa. liv. 10 ; and this founded upon his blood, which is the price given to purchase our peace, and to set all things at rights between God and us, Col. i. 20 ; Isa. liii. 5. Having made peace between God and us. No less would serve the turn completely to satisfy the justice of God for our wrong, and to purchase his favour for us.
3. The Spirit, who is a Spirit of peace, Gal. v. 22 ; it is one of his fruits ; he worketh it in us as a sanctifier and as a comforter.
[1.] As a spirit of sanctification he doth dispossess Satan, and sub- clueth that rebellious disposition that is naturally in us against God, and maketh us accept the offer of friendship and reconciliation with God, and to yield up ourselves servants to righteousness, unto holiness, and then accordingly to walk as people that are at amity with God.