4. Ex debito. We owe so much love to God, that everything that he requireth should be welcome to us for God's sake : they are his testimonies, therefore your souls should love them, and bind them upon your hearts, and the rather because we are to do our duty not as servants but as friends : John xv. 14, ' Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.' Not, Ye are my servants. Between friends there is a perfect harmony and agreement in mind and will. To do a thing for love's sake to his friend, this is an act of friendship. Not by servile constraint, but to keep them as they are his. We are to do Avhat Christ commandeth because he commandeth it ; and that is to do it in love ; otherwise we break the commands when we keep them. Besides the outward act, there must be a ready inclination and delight in our work. Carnal men, the good they do they would not do. That obedience is not worthy the name of obedience that is extorted from us. Men had rather live ungodly if they durst for fear of punishment. It is but a slight kind of religion when fear prevaileth more than love ; they do somewhat God willeth, but they had rather leave it undone. A man is never firmly gained to God, till he prefer service before liberty, and loveth holiness as holiness.
But how must we show this love ? By two things. By being aweful and cheerful ; grieved when we offend him, glad when we please him ; aweful in avoiding what he forbiddeth, and cheerful in performing what he requireth.
[1.] Aweful ; you dare not break with God in any one point, but are very chary and tender of the commandments ; keep them as the apple of the eye, Prov. vii. 2, that is offended with the least dust ; or keeping of jewels: Prov. vi. 21, 'Bind them continually upon thy heart, tie them upon thy neck ' as jewels ; choice of them.
[2.] By being cheerful, ready, and forward to every good work : Ps. ex. 3, ' A willing people.' You need not stand urging and pressing; the inclination of their hearts swayeth them. A man is hardly kept from that he loveth : 1 John ii. 5, ' He that ke'epeth my word, in him is the love of God perfected.'
Secondly, The degree, ' I love them exceedingly.'
Doct. Our love to the law must be an exceeding love.
1. In the general, it noteth the height and intensiveness of our love ; not a cold love, as children love things, but are soon put out of the humour ; but a high strong love, that will not easily be broken or diverted, such as doth deeply affect the heart : Ps. cxix. 97, ' Oh, how I love thy law ! it is my meditation all the day.' We that are
236 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. OLXXXIII.
so coldly affected to spiritual things do not understand the force of these expressions. A high and strong love will break forth into meditation, operation ; make us sedulous and serious in obeying God: Ps. cxix. 48, 'My hands will I lift up to thy commandments, which I have loved ; ' 1 John ii. 5, ' He that keepeth my word, in him is the love of God perfected.' Lift up our eyes to the receiving, our ears to the hearing, our hands to the doing of thy commandments ; this argueth love.
2. The prevalency ; not only high and strong, hut to a prevailing degree.
[1.] Such as prevaileth over things without us. This is such a love as is greater than our love to all other things, wealth, honour, credit, estate ; yea, life itself : for if anything be loved above our duty to God, it will soon prove a snare to us : Mat. xiii. 44, ' Sold all to buy the field wherein the treasure was hid.' All for the pearl of price. A believer seeth such a treasure in the word of God ; that he maketh no reckon- ing of any worldly thing in comparison of it, but will part with what- ever is pleasant and profitable to him to enjoy it, rather than be deprived of his grace. If any fleshly sensitive good or interest lieth closer to the heart than the word of God, it will in time prevail so as to make God's will and glory stoop to it, rather than this interest shall be renounced or contradicted. There is no talking of serving God till you have this prevailing love, and hate all things in com- parison of your duty to God : Luke xiv. 26, 'If any man hate not father and mother.'
[2.] Such as doth prevail over carnal desires and evil affections within us ; if it be not a love that doth eat up and devour our lusts within us, if the bent of your hearts be not more for God than for sin. See Baxter, pp. 273-279, in his directions about conversion. There will be evil in the best, and some good in the worst. The critical difference lieth in the prevalent bent of the heart. When your dislike of sin is greater than your love, then you may say, Eom. vii. 20, ' It is not I, but sin that dwelleth in me.' There must be a renewed self that prevaileth above corrupt self.