lower any command to the standard of man's opinion, or of our own wishes, is seen to be the most horrible infatuation : for, if we can deceive man, we cannot deceive God : " to him all things are naked and open/' As he knows the extent of his own com- mands, so he knows the precise measure of obedience which we pay to them: "He weighs," not our actions only, but "our spirits" also.
Hence a partial obedience is the same kind of folly as if a man should request permission to take a poisoned cup, because it was sweet ; or as if he should shut his eyes, and say, that no man can see him. Convinced of this, he begs of God to "put truth in his inward parts," and desires to be " an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."]
As from a root which is acknowledged to be good we may anticipate a corresponding produce, so from fruit that is excellent we may infer with certainty the goodness of the root. In proof of this we will proceed to shew,
II. Wherein its operation will approve itself to every reflecting mind — The observing of God's law with our whole hearts necessarily evinces the existence of true wisdom in the soul ; because,
1 . It is consonant with right reason —
[What is disobedience, but a preferring of the creature to God, the body to the soul, and time to eternity ? And will any one say that this is reasonable, or that it has even a shadow of reason in it ? Reason requires the very reverse of this : and the yielding up of our soul and body to God as a living sacrifice is expressly called " a reasonable service S" If we consider ourselves only as the work of God's hands, this kind of service is reasonable : but, if we consider ourselves as redeemed by the blood of God's only dear Son, it is infinitely more reasonable : for, " having been bought with a price, we are not our own, but are bound to glorify God with our bodies and our spirits, which are God's."]
2. It is conducive to our best interests —
[We will concede, for argument sake, all that the slaves of pleasure can say in its behalf; yea, we will concede ten times more than its most infatuated votary ever ventured to assert: but, having done this, we will ask, What good will it all do you in a dying hour, and at the bar of judgment? " Godliness," we are told, " is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." But of
ungodliness
* Rom. xii. 1.
'404 PSALMS, cxix. 34. [420.
ungodliness no such thing can be asserted. Granting, that the ungodliness may be of the least offensive kind ; yea, that it shall be so specious, as to assume the appearance, and to gain from many the applause, of piety ; still we ask. What will it avail in the day that God shall judge the world? But it is not true, that the pleasures of sin are so great or so satisfactory. On the contrary, there is no comparison between the peace that flows from piety, and the gratifications that result from any criminal indulgence. '^ The work of righteousness is peace ;" but '* the way of trans- gressors is hard." And, as to the eternal world, there can be no
doubt Inasmuch then as piety is most consonant with
right reason, and most conducive to our best interests, it approves itself, beyond a possibility of doubt, the genuine offspring of true wisdom.]
AddeesSj
1 . Those who live in the allowed violation of any one commandment —
[The world may count you wise: yea, "if you are doing well unto yourselves, (that is, are advancing your own temporal interests,) all men will speak well of you^" But what does God say of you ? " They have forsaken the word of the Lord ; and what wisdom is in them^?" Ah! what indeed? To the rich man, whose heart was elated with his temporal prospects, God said, " Thou fool :" and no better character will he assign to you. Think only with what an eye the heart- searching God beholds you ; or what the angels think of your conduct ; or what you yourselves will think of it in a little time ; and you will be at no loss to form a right estimate of it. If you would be truly wise in God's estimation, your obedience to him must be uniform and unreserved ''.J