3. There are the effects of this choice. What are they ? Delight, diligence, and patience.
[1.] Delight : Ps. xl. 8, ' I delight to do thy will, 0 my God ; yea, thy law is within my heart.' When the law is not only written in the book but written in the heart, then there is a delight, a ready and willing obedience. It is spoken first of Christ ; of David it was said in type. It is true also of all believers, for they have the Spirit of Christ ; and the same also is expressed of the people of God : Ps. cxii. 1, ' Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.' When a man hath chosen the precepts of God, and bound himself in this way, then his heart is taken with a delight.
[2.] Diligeace. God's precepts are the great business and employ- ment of our lives, and then there is a constant study to please him : Col. i. 9, 10, ' Filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.' We must do God's will and precepts, that we may order our practice accordingly. There must be a habitual aim and purpose to please God.
[3.] Patience ; a resolute continuance till our service be over. This is the way I have chosen, and here will I stick until the great reward come in hand : Rom. ii. 7, ' To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for honour, and glory, and immortality, eternal life.' And Luke viii. 15, ' The good ground brought forth fruit with patience.' That distinguished the good ground from all other grounds ; they had some little liking of it, but never came to a serious choice.
276 sermons upon tsalm cxix. [Ser. CLXXXVI.
But the good ground, though there be several weathers between sow- ing and reaping, it cherisheth the seed that it is ready at harvest time ; so we pass through many weathers before we come to our har- vest of happiness and rest.
Doct. 2. That man which makes conscience of God's commands is encouraged to seek help from him in straits.
Such a one may be in great straits ; as David, his own hand could not help him, therefore he flies to God. The Lord permits it that he may be trusted alone in his own hands ; he will break our carnal dependences ; and that his ways may be chosen for their own sakes, and not for temporal reward, and that his love to his own people may not be shown too sensibly, that the mysteriousness of providence may leave a room and place for faith ; therefore doth God darken the glory of the godly with afflictions, and put them into straits that their own hand cannot help them.
Now in these straits, those that make conscience of God's precepts they are encouraged to seek help from God's hand. Why ? Partly because integrity breeds a confidence, so that a man which hath been faithful with God can look him in the face. It breeds a confidence in life, 2 Cor. i. 12, and in death, Isa. xxxviii. 3 ; when they are sick, weak, and know not what to do, they can fly to God. And then integrity also ; it entitles to God's protection all that heartily and sin- cerely depend upon God : Prov. x. 9, ' He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely.' An upright, plain-hearted man, that trusts himself under the shadow and protection of God's providence, he hath no shifts and tricks ; this man shall walk safely, God is engaged to defend him. But the perverse, that fly to their shifts, God will disappoint them and show them their folly: Gen. xvii. 1, ' I am God all-suffi- cient ; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' Do you uprightly serve God, and study to please him, and you need not seek elsewhere for a patron, or for one to defend you and plead your cause. And partly, too, because they are exposed to the greater difficulties, because they are faithful with God, and trust themselves alone with his protection ; for so the apostle, 1 Tim. iv. 10, ' For therefore we labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God.' Faith begets faithful- ness ; their dependence is upon God, and their faithfulness costs them dear, and so they suffer reproach because they did trust themselves in God's ways by God's providence. As you stand in need of God's pro- tection, you shall have it. God will not forsake us in our greatest needs, as the world will ; but in our greatest extremities, when all carnal dependences foil us, he will not ; then is the time for God to show himself. He hath still a providence and a fatherly care over thee, but his power is especially engaged at such a time. If you will take care of your duty, he will take care of your safety, for he will either keep you out of troubles, or sustain you under troubles.
VER. 174.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 277
SERMON CLXXXVII.
I have longed for thy salvation, 0 Lord ; and thy law is my delight.