[2.] A belief of his all-sufficiency : Gen xvii. 1, 'I am the almighty God ; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' A man that doth not trust God with his all can never be true to him. All defection and apostasy lieth hid in distrust : Heb. iii. 12, ' Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.'
2. Earthly affections must be mortified, and we must get a deadness to all things of a temporal interest. We fall into presumptuous sins out of an indulgence to some fleshly and worldly lusts ; for though there be an express knowledge of our duty, and time enough for mature deli- beration, yet, if a man be given to please the flesh or the world, he will make a breach upon his duty, and temptations will seem to have an irresistible force : James i. 14, ' But every man is drawn away by liis own lust and enticed.' Drawn away by the sensitive lure ; as the harlot, Prov. vii. 21 , 22, ' With much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the cor- rection of the stocks.' Some pleasure or profit which cometh in competition with our known duty carrieth us away. Thy conscience telleth thee thou oughtest not to yield, yet some sensual or worldly lust prevaileth. Therefore, if you would be upright and not yield, you must be mortified to the world, which is the bait which enticeth the rebelling flesh. When men dote on pleasures, honours, profits, they can never have a sincere spuit, but are crooked, perverse, and distorted. But when once we come to count honours small, as Paul, 1 Cor. iv. 3, ' With me it is a small thing to be judged of you ; ' and riches small matters, as 1 Cor. vi. 2, 'Are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matteis ? ' that is a sign of uprightness.
3. A tender, waking conscience. Without this vigilancy we can never keep right with God. David's heart smote him. The most upright are obnoxious to these heart-smitings when they go wrong, whereas others are not moved unless they commit some gross sins. Light and love keep it tender, and then lesser sins and daily imper- fections will be bewailed ; much more will they watch against raging passions and boisterous affections.
4. A clean heart, which is as irreconcilable with sin as filthiness, and is always working it out. Purity of heart is now seen in our hatred of sin, when that is kept lively : Ps. cxix. 104, ' Through thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way ; ' and love: Ps. xcvii. 10, ' Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.' Now this hath a great influence upon uprightness. Pure and upright are often joined together
390 SERMONS UPON PSALM XIX. 13. [SeR. VL
in scripture: Job viii. 6, 'If tliou wert pure and upright.' So Ps. li. 10, we read of ' a clean heart ' and ' a right spirit.' Tlie one respects the frame and disposition of the heart, and the other the conversation,
5. Use often recollection and search : Ps. iv. 4, ' Coramune with youi* hearts.' If men would discourse with themselves, they would better know themselves. If we suspect a servant, we call him to an account. Bankrupts cannot endure a reckoning. Offer yourselves also to God's trial : Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24, ' Search me, 0 God, and know ray heart ; try me, and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me.' Appeal to his all-seeing eye. Frauds, colours, disguises will not long hold out.
G. Look not only what you do, but upon what principles and aims : Prov, xvi. 2, ' All the ways of a man are right in his own eyes ; but God weigheth the spirits.' See if there be no carnal bias, and be not good by chance or by force or by craft ; as many follow a good way because of company, or because it is their present interest, or because of crosses lying upon them. Some are good by chance, as the man that taketh up religion barely on tradition, not from any sound con- viction of the truth : John iv. 20, ' Our fathers worshipped in this mountain;' 1 Peter i. 18, 'Christ redeemed you from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers.' Some by force or fear of men, because else they cannot be had in credit and security. Or else entertain a slavish religion. The evil they love they avoid, and the good they hate they do. Some out of craft and design ; there is a carnal bias ; they are not sincere in closing with Christ or rejecting what is wrong.
Lastly, Often renew your covenant with God, because of many breaches. Bind your resolutions afresh. It is one of the Lord's appointed means to keep us firm in the covenant. Things done long ago are soon forgotten, therefore we should revive them upon our memories.
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And innocent from the great transgression. — Ps. xix. 13.