3. Let me reason from the utility and benefit. A man that takes up the ways of God upon choice —
[1.] He is able to justify the ways of God, for he seeth a reason for what he chooseth. When temptations come strong, there will be many misgiving thoughts. Ay ! but then wisdom should be justified of all her children, Mat. xi. 19. A blind accidental love is the fruit of chance, but a love that is grounded upon knowledge and judgment, that is choice. This is so grounded, therefore he seeth reason for what he doth : Phil. i. 9, 10, ' I pray God that your love may abound in all wisdom and understanding, that ye may approve things that are excellent' They see a reason, for they took it upon choice. The Lord hath showed them the worth and excellency of his ways, there- fore they can better justify God against all their prejudices.
[2.] Such will be more firm and steadfast. The cause of all halting in religion is the want of a choice, of a purpose resolutely set. A wavering double-minded man, that is half off and half on, will be unstable in all his ways, James i. 8, Styvxos a/cardo-Taro*;, a two- soul man, a man that seems to have a soul for God and a soul for earthly things, and the heart hangs sometimes for one, and some- times for another. A scoff or scorn, or a little inconvenience, a little fear, a little enticement or stirring of the rebelling flesh within, will make him turn out of the way ; and how can such a one hold out with God, when his way to heaven is a continual warfare ? But on the other side, a man that is a Christian, and a servant of God by choice, his course is likely according to his choice, because he is fixed upon evidence, he knows he is upon sure ground ; and depending upon God, he will not miscarry. And therefore Joshua, when he would engage the Israelites to continue faithful with God, he draws them on
270 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXXVI.
to a choice, and then saith, Josh. xxiv. 22, ' Ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye have chosen the Lord to serve him, and they said, We are witnesses.' It much strengthens the bond when a man binds himself freely and willingly, and he makes himself the more culpable and the more inexcusable if he do not observe it.
[3.] They will carry on the work of their heavenly calling with the more ease and delight, because a choice is nothing else but the incli- nation of the soul guided by reason, strengthened by a purpose, and quickened and actuated by our love. This reason justifies our choice. Purpose binds it, makes it firm ; but now here comes love, which makes it easy and sweet to do what we have resolved upon. A reso- lute traveller will go through his journey, and overcome the tedious- ness of it ; his mind is set to finish it, let him have what way or weather he will. So a Christian will overcome his difficulties when his heart is inclined to this course ; it is his own choice, and he will hold to it. It is a hard heart that makes the work hard, but when the will is engaged, a firm resolution of the will is the life of our affections, and to affection all is easy.
Use 1. To show that they act upon a wrong principle who are not good, and yet do good out of chance. To this end I shall show you — (1.) That a man may do good by chance, and not be good. (2.) A man may do good by force, and yet not be good. (3.) That some do good out of craft and design ; but to do good out of choice doth only discover the truth and sincerity of religion. 1. Some do good by chance. As —
[1.] The man that taketh up religion by example barely, and tradi- tion ; not out of any sound conviction of the truth and worth of it. Thus many are Christians by the chance of their birth in those countries where the name of Christ is professed and had in honour ; and the main reason into which their religion is resolved is not any excellence in itself, but the custom and tradition of their forefathers : John iv. 20, ' Our fathers worshipped in this mountain ;' and 1 Peter i. 18, ' Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with cor- ruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers.' It was hard to reclaim them from their inveterate customs ; this is the religion in which they have been born and bred. It is true that tradition from father to son is a duty, and a means to bring us to the knowledge of the truth, and that Christianity is such an institution as doth so clearly evidence itself to be of God, and speaketh to us of such necessary and weighty matters, that it cannot but a little rouse and affect the mind of him that receiveth it, however he receiveth it. But most men do but blindly and pertinaciously adhere to it as that religion wherein they have been born and bred, without any distinct knowledge of the worth of it ; so that if there be any goodness in their Christianity (as their profession is good in itself), they are but good by chance ; for upon the same reasons they are Christians, if they had been born elsewhere, they would have been Mahometans or idolaters.