Secondly, Positively. He that is upright may be known and tried
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386 SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. [SeR. V.
by these four things — (1.) His principles ; (2.) His conversation ; (3.) His ends ; (4.) The fruits and effects of his constant endeavours.
1. His principles, which are —
[1.] The new nature fitting and suiting his heart tO' the things of God, so that he loveth them not only out of interest, hut inclination : Ps. cxix. 140, ' Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it.' Surely he is upright that is thus naturally carried to the things of God. In some measure the man is restored to that frame of heart which mankind had in innocency ; his heart inclined him to God. God made man upright ; grace giveth somewhat of this : Heh. viii. 10, ' I will put my laws into their minds, and write them in their hearts.'
[2.] By his love to Christ : 2 Cor. v. 14, ' The love of Christ con- straineth us.' That cureth his self-love, which maketh us act crookedly and perversely. Self is his principle, self his business, self his end ; his own contentment and satisfaction is all that he looketh at. B\it the love of Christ maketh him readily go about those things which are- pleasing to Christ, and hath a mighty force and efficacy upon the soul to overrule our self-love, that we may not live to ourselves, but unto- God, and obey his will.
2. By his conversation, wherein he betrayeth a constant care —
[1.] To avoid all known sin ; to weaken the lusts, to suppress the- acts : 1 Peter ii. 11, 'Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.' But especially he is most careful to avoid his own personal sin: Ps. xviii. 23, ' I was upright before thee, and kept myself" from mine iniquity ; ' which the affections of his own heart might most transport him into. He can sacrifice his Isaac, cut off his right hand, pluck out his right eye, laboureth to subdue his particular corrupt inclinations, usetli no guile to cloak and extenuate them before God : Ps. xxxii. 2, ' Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.' This is the man who may comfort himself with God's acceptance, and the comforts and privileges of the- new covenant.
[2. J As to the other part of his conversation, his way and the constant tenor of his walk is to please God, and he maketh conscience of obeying the will of God in all his actions : Phil. i. 10, 11, ' That ye may approve- things that are excellent, and ye may be sincere and without offence' till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God.' His aim is at the constant practice of every thing that is good : ' And having learned' how to walk and to please God, sO you would abound therein more and more,' 1 Thes. iv. 1.
3. By his ends, which are the pleasing and glorifying of God. This- is his main fixed scope : 2 Cor. v. 9, ' Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him ; ' 1 Cor. x. 31, 'Whether y^ eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God ; ' Col. i. 10, * That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.' There is no corrupt design of vainglory, credit, or by-respect, but what- he doth for God it is to God.
4. The effects and fruits, which is not an exemption from sin alto- gether, but a growth of the contrary principle, and the flesh is brought
VeR. 13.] SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. 387
every day more and more into a subjection to the Spirit, and Christ'.s inteiest prevailetli in the soul. The Spirit gets above the flesli, and the prevailing bent of the heart is set and fixed towards God. Either sin reigneth or grace must reign ; something must be in solio, in the throne. That which is in the throne showeth the state of the heart, be it sin or grace, and that which generally and mostly commandetli and influenceth our conversations, that is in the throne. As the sun in the midst of heaven sendeth abroad his influences on every side, so doth that wiiicli is seated in the heart, as a sovereign governs all the parts of our lives. Well, then, here the mark must be fixed. There is no man so good and spiritual that hath not something in him bad and carnal, nor so fully addicted to God but the creature or some inferior good hath an interest in his heart. On the other side, there is no man so addicted to worldly and sensual lusts, that God hath no manner of interest in him at all. Carnal men, if they have not renounced all conscience, and outgrown the heart of a man, have some good thing in them, and a renewed man hath much of the old tang yet left. When, then, is a man sincere ? Why, when grace gets the upper hand ; not for a fit, but habitually. When the soul is more for God than against him ; more against sin than for it ; more for obeying, loving, serving, and pleasing God, than for gratifying and pleasing the flesh, and your in- clination and love to the ways of God is greater than your dislike. But on the other side, they that love any inferior thing above God are not sincere and upright with him ; as those that love pleasure more than God : 2 Tim. iii. 4 ; John xii. 43, ' They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God ; ' and the profits of the world more than grace: Luke xii. 21, 'So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God.' These are the great sins which do more directly fight against the sovereignty of God, Therefore these we must look after to see whether they get ground or strength, yea or no, and encroach upon Christ's interest in our hearts, or the interest of Christ gets ground upon them.