Secondly, The act, ' Keep ; ' that noteth two things — (1.) The in- ward respect which we have to God's laws ; (2.) The outward action or course of life which results from this.
1. The inward respect which we have to God's laws in our memories, consciences, and afi'ections : Prov. iii. 1, ' Let thine heart keep my com- mandments.' The heart keepeth them when we keep them in mind so as to understand them ; in memory, so as not to neglect them, but have them ready at eveiy turn ; in heart and affection, so as to stand
204 SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN III. [SeR. XXIX.
in awe of tliem : Prov. xiii. 13, 'Whosoever feareth the command- ment, shall be rewarded ; ' Ps. cxix. 161, ' My heart standeth in awe of thy word.' I dare not do anything against it, yea, do delight in it : I*s, cxix. 14, ' I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies more than in all riches ; ' Ps. xl. 8, ' I delight to do thy will, 0 God ; thy law is in my heart.' The great new covenant blessing is to write the law in the heart and mind : Heb. viii. 10, ' I will put my laws into their mind, and write them upon their hearts.' Not only a simple approba- tion, but a delight, or a ready inclination to do them. Now if we shall rise up in rebellion against our convictions, and offer violence to incli- nation and conscience, we grossly break God's law, as in all heinous sins we do : 2 Sam. xii. 9, ' Wherefore hast thou despised the com- mandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight ? ' An inward contempt or disrespect of the commandment maketh the sin more heinous.
2. The outward observance of them : Ps. cxix. 5, ' Oh, that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes ! ' It is the business of our lives to live according to this direction : John xiv. 21, ' He that hath my com- mandments and keepeth them ; ' where keeping is distinguished from having. The commands of God were not given us to talk of or think on, but to do them : Deut. xii. 32, ' Whatsoever I command you, ob- serve to do it.' Do not gaze on it, think it an excellent thing to do so, but set about the practice.
Secondly, The next notion whereby the good conscience is expressed is this, ' And do those things which are pleasing in his sight.' This implieth many things.
1. That it be our design and scope to approve ourselves to God : 2 Cor. V. 9, ' Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.' This is the end that we propound to our- selves, what is your mind principally set upon ? The end which you design and endeavour, the pleasing and glorifying of God, and the everlasting fruition of him, or the pleasing of your fleshly minds in the fruition of any inferior things? That is your end which you love most, which pleases you best, and would do most for, and can least want. The people of God are described to be those that ' choose the things which please him, and take hold of his covenant,' Isa. Ivi. 4. They do not live at random without an aim, nor do good by chance, but by choice. He that is false at first setting out can never hold out with God.
2. This is not only their choice, butthe tenor and course of their lives, Enoch, that walked with God, is said tojiave this testimony, that he pleased God, Heb. xi. 5, with Gen. v. 24. The Septuagint read it, they are sincere and uniform in their obedience to him. Every day you must reckon with yourselves. Have you complied with your great end ? What have I done, or what have I been doing ? have I pleased or dis- pleased God ?
3. It is not in a few things, but in all: Col. i. 10, ' Walk worthy of the Lord to all pleasing ; ' not in with one duty and out with another, for that is to please ourselves, not to please God; or to please men, not to obey our rule.
4. We must every day be more exact in our walking and care to please God, and that no offence or breach may arise between him
VeR. 22.] SERMONS UPON 1 JOHN IIT. 205
and us : 1 Thes. iv. 1, ' As you have received of us how to walk and to please God, so you would abound therein more and more.' You never please God so much but you may please him better, and he ex- pecteth more from you the more you are acquainted with him. One that is newly put to service is raw at first, but afterwards he groweth more handy and fit for his work; so you must first outgrow your weaknesses if you think to please God, and grow more exact in the spiritual life.
5. If there be anything more pleasing to God than another, your main care must be about those things ; as, for instance, it is mighty ])leasing to God that you should seek grace rather than greatness, and direction in your duty rather than worldly honour : 1 Kings iii. 10, the speech ' pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.' Surely it is more pleasing to God that we should pray from the spirit than from the flesh, not seeking great things for ourselves, but that we may have grace to discharge our duties to God. So that in our duty we should mind the substantials of religion rather than rituals : Rom. xiv. 17, 18, ' For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but right- eousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost ; for he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men.' That in the substantials of religion we should not leave out the duties of the second table, as faithfulness in our relations. The scripture instanceth in the duties of parents and children ; of children's duty to parents : Col. iii. 20, ' For this is well-pleasing unto God.' Duties of liberality and mercy to all men : Heb. xiii. 16, ' For to do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.' Not only careful of justice, but also of mercy. Now it is a shame that, when christians hear these things are so pleasing to God, they should not set about them. Esau took his bow to seek savoury meat for his father when he desired it.