Use 2. To persuade you to be upright. There are many arguments which the scripture useth to press us to it.
1. This will be your safety in all times of danger. They that are upright betake themselves to God, look to God as their paymaster, and God thinketh himself concerned more for them than others. They are under his special protection: Ps. xxv, 21, ' Let integrity and upright- ness preserve me ; ' and Ps. xviii. 25, ' With the upright thou wilt show thyself upright.' God will defend the sincere; he will either deliver or support them in all their troubles.
2. This will be your safety, not only from temporal danger, but spiritual. The upright do avoid presumptuous sins, and the dominion and reign of sin hath no place in them. An hypocrite is one that dotli partially obey God ; he is divided between God and the world, therefore uncertain and unstable in all his ways, James i. 8. He that is false-hearted at first setting out can never hold on with God, nor carry on the business of his salvation to any good purpose; for when his lusts or interests entice or invite him, he voluntarily dis- penseth with his duty, and either falleth wholly off, or at least very foully. The young man came forwardly on with Christ, but he had a
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carnal bias in liis heart, and therefore when his privy sore was touched he went away grieved, Mark x. 22.
3. It will be a sweet cordial to you in all exigencies.
[1.] In reproaches from men, when they question and tax your sincerity : Job xii. 4, ' I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who callelh upon God, and he answereth him ; the just, upright man is laughed to scorn.' It is a grievous sore trial. The church complains of it : Ps. cxxiii. 4, ' Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.' Now in such a case it is a mighty help and support to consider that God will accept us though men scorn us. Though God's children want not their failings, yet God looketh more to their good than ill, though he know more of their failings than any ; therefore none that are truly sincere will be rejected by him, though they be scorned by men. If we find acceptance with God, why should we be troubled ? Job often fled to this : chap. xvi. 19, 20, ' But, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. My friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears to God.' Upright men are comforted in his testi- mony, which is the witness and observer of all men's ways.
[2.] In the midst of many infirmities and imperfections, when our hearts condemn us, not for any wilful or allowed sin, 1 John iii. 21. It is a mighty comfort to be sincere, and yieldeth advantages that cannot be easily told. Believers find it when condemned by others, when God's dispensations and their own inward temptations make them ready to question their condition.
■ 4. Eternal happiness will be the portion of the upright : Ps. cxl. 13, * The upright shall dwell in thy presence.' Besides all the testimonies of God's love in this world granted to the believer, he shall have ever- lasting fellowship with God in the world to come. David propoundeth the question, Ps. xv. 1, 2, ' Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle ? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill ? ' That is, If I should take the boldness to interrogate thee, who art the Lord of heaven and earth, Who shall be rewarded with eternal bliss hereafter ? the answer will be certainly thus, ' He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteous- ness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.' He, and none but he, that goeth on in a course of uniform and steady obedience, and doeth all things sincerely, and as in his sight. A sincere endeavour of universal obedience is the only sure mark. He asketh the question of God, because God can best interpret our sincerity.
Means,
1. Beg it of God to renew a right spirit within you, Ps. li. 10. The new man, which inferreth true holiness, is created, Eph. iv. 24. Keno- vation cometh from the same power from which creation came ; for this is a second creation, a thing to be done by an omnipotent hand, the work of his grace upon our hearts.
2. Something is to be done by ourselves.
[1.] In the performance of our duty we must take God for party, not only as our witness and approver, but also our defender and rewarder : Ps. xvi. 8, ' I have set the Lord always before me.' Before me in point of reverence and in point of dependence ; both are necessary to sincerity ; to do all things as in his sight, who is our witness, and
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approver, and judge, and who searclieth the heart and trieth the reins. Remember you have to do with God. You may carry the matter fairly before men, but God is not deceived with a false appearance : Prov. V. 21, ' For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.' What a shame is it to be convicted of evil before men ? As a thief is ashamed when he is found ; and is it not a greater shame to be convicted of evil before God ? This hath a great influence upon uprightness : ' I was upright before him.' A serious apprehension of his omnipresence and all-seeing eye, doing all things as in his sight.