SERIOUS AND Sl>EEDY CONVERSION TO GOD RECOM- MENDED.
Ps. cxix. 59, 60. I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies. I made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.
AT what period of David's life these words were written, we are not informed : if in his early youth, they relate to his first conversion to God ; but if in middle or more advanced life, they declare the daily habit of his soul. Under any circumstances they are very instructive. To young people they shew, that it is never too early to begin a life of entire devoted- ness to God. To those engaged in business of any kind, they manifest, that, whilst in the world, they should not be of the world, but in the midst of all their cares they should preserve their minds spiritual and heavenly. To the great and noble, yea, to princes and kings, they hold forth a solemn admoni- tion to imitate the Jewish monarch, and to be as eminent in piety, as they are elevated above others in state and dignity. This all may learn from, that if ever we would find acceptance with God in the great day, we must turn to him,
I. With care and diligence —
Inconsideration is the source of almost all the evil that exists —
[Men will not give themselves the trouble to look back upon their past conduct. They take for granted, that all has been right, or at least not materially wrong ; and that they have done nothing that calls for any particular humiliation before God. Of this the prophet Jeremiah complains^; as does our Lord also of the Jews in his day**. Nor will men take much pains to ascertain the path of duty in reference to what is future : they love rather to act from the impulse of the moment ; nor have they any ap- prehensions that they shall otfend God by any thing that they may do. " They do what is right in their own eyes," without inquiring whether it be right in God's sight, or not j or whether HE remembers it, or nof^.]
But
* Jer. viii. Q. ^ John iii. I9, 20. " Hos. vii. 2.
410 PSALMS, cxix. 59, 60. [422.
But we should compare our actions carefully with the word of God —
[The Sacred Volume is the only adequate standard of truth and virtue. If we satisfy ourselves with the opinions of men and the customs of the world, we shall be sure to err. We should take " God's testimonies," and try our ways by them. In parti- cular, we should notice what God has testified to us in his Gospel; and see whether in our spirit and conduct we are such as he re- quires us to be. In this lies the vast difference between the standard of the world, and .that of God : the world regards no- thing but our outward conduct, and that chiefly in reference to the welfare of society; whereas God has respect to all our dispo- sitions towards him and his Christ, and to all our motives and principles of action towards men. We should take the Scripture then as our touchstone ; and see how far the whole habit of our minds accords with what is required of us there, and what we see
exemplified in the primitive saints — Yea, we should set
Christ himself before us, and try ourselves by the standard of his perfection ]
And, having ascertained what God's word requires, we should rectify our lives according to it —
[We must " turn," not our thoughts only, but " our feet" also, unto his testimonies. Having found out our past errors, we should humble ourselves for them, and determine, through grace, to run into them no more : and having discovered " the good old way," we should determine, through grace, to " walk in it." As for obstacles of any kind, we should not regard them. We should have it settled in our minds, that ^'the high-way of holiness" is the only road that will lead to heaven ; and we should resolve, that, however narrow and unfrequented it may be, we will walk in it, even though earth and hell should conspire to obstruct our progress*^ This is the advice given us by the voice of in- spiration^: and to follow it is the duty, the interest, the happi- ness, of every human being ^]