the labours to which, in the course of providence, they have been called, but to implore of God such a measure of spiritual strength as may enable them to combine the duties which they have been wont to separate : nor can we doubt, but that, if they be upright in heart, they shall have imparted to them grace sufficient for the conscientious discharge of all their duties. The point for them especially to attend to, is, that they guard against every inordinate desire: for it is from their inward desires, rather than their outward duties, that they are in any danger of being drawn from God.]
The conduct of the Psalmist, in relation to such
" work," shews,
II. The disposition which we also should manifest
towards it —
1. We should abhor it in principle —
[There should be in us an attraction towards God, resem- bling that of the needle to the pole. A needle may, by force, be turned from its proper direction : but it will never cease from a tremulous motion, till it has returned again to its proper rest. So it may be with us. We know not what deviations a sudden impulse of temptation may cause for a moment : but the very instant we perceive that we have departed, even in thought, from the perfect line of duty, we should give neither sleep to our eyes nor slumber to our eye-lids, till we have returned with penitential sorrow to our God. The direction given to us by God is, " Abhor that which is evil ; cleave to that which is goodd." And, whether in relation to morals or religion, this must be the constant habit of our minds. We must be " Israelites indeed, in whom there is no guile e."
2. We should avoid it in practice —
[We never can be too observant of our own ways. As, at sea, the mariner is often drawn from his course by currents of which he was not aware, and only finds his deviation from his appointed course by the observations which he makes ; so it is possible for a Christian to be drawn aside by a corrupt bias, till he has carefully compared his ways with the unerring standard of the word of God. Hence the need of attending to that divine counsel, " Prove all things ; and hold fast that which is goodf." It is not without extreme care that we shall be able to " keep a conscience void of offence towards both God and man." We are passing through a polluted world ; and it is very difficult to " keep our garments altogether undefiledg." But if we come in contact with evil, we must take care that it does "not cleave
d Rom. xii. 9. e John i. 47.
f I Thess. v. 21. e Rev. iii. 4.