5. God can only be sought by the help of his own Spirit. As our access to God we have it by Christ, so we have it by the Spirit, "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father (Eph. ii. 18). As Christ gives us the leave, so the Spirit gives us the help. Bernard speaks fitly to this purpose, None can be aforehand with God; we cannot seek him till we find him in some sense; he will be sought that he may be found, and he is found that he may be sought. It is his preventing grace which makes us restless in the use of means; and when we are brought home to God, when we seek after God, it is by his own grace. The spouse was

listless and careless until she could take God by the scent of his own grace; when he put his finger upon the handle of the lock, and dropped myrrh; by the sweet and powerful influences of his grace she was carried on in seeking after God. Thus much for the first part of the duty, "seek." Now the manner, "with the whole heart."

DOCTRINE.-Whoever would seek God aright, they must seek him with their whole heart.

Here I shall inquire,

1. What doth this imply?

2. Why God will be sought with the whole heart.

First, What doth this imply? It implies sincerity and integrity; for it is not to be taken in the legal sense with respect to absolute perfection, but in opposition to deceit. "Judah has not turned to me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord" (Jer. iii. 10). It is spoken of the time of Josiah's reformation, when many men whirled about with the times, and were forced by preternatural motions. The Father of spirits above all things requireth the spirit, and he that is the searcher and judge of the heart requireth the heart should be consecrated to him. Integrity opposeth partiality. There are indeed two things in this expression, the "whole heart;" it notes extension of parts, and intention of degrees.

1. The extension of parts, with the understanding, will, and affections. Some seek God with a piece of their hearts: to explain it, either in the work of faith, or love. In the work of faith, as "If thou believest with all thine heart" (Acts, viii. 37). There is a believing with a piece, and a believing with all the heart. There is an unactive knowledge, a naked assent, which may be real, yet it is not a true faith; the Devil may have this (Matt. xvi. 16); the Devil makes an orthodox confession there," Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. This is only a conviction upon the understanding, without any bent upon the heart. It is not enough to own Christ to be the true Messiah, but we must embrace him, put our whole trust in him. There may be an assent joined with some sense and conscience, and some vanishing sweetness and taste by the reasonableness of salvation by Christ (Heb. vi. 4), but this is not believing with all the heart; it is but a taste, a lighter work upon the affections, and therefore bringeth in little experience. There may be some assent, such as may engage to profession, and partial reformation, but the whole heart is not subdued to God. Then do we believe with the whole heart, when the heart is warmed with the things we know and assent to, when there is a full and free consent to take Christ upon God's terms to all the uses and purposes for which God hath appointed him, "Know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind" (1 Chron. xxviii. 9). When there is an effective, and an affective knowledge; when we cannot only discourse of God and Christ, and are inclined to believe; but when these truths soak into the

heart to frame it to the obedience of his will. When the Lord had spoken of practical obedience, "Was not this to know me, saith the Lord?" (Jer. xxii. 16). And this is to believe. So for love. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might " (Deut. vi. 5). Every faculty must express love to God. Many will be content to give God a part; God hath their consciences, but the world their affections. Their heart is divided, and the evidence of it is plainly this; in their troubles and extremities they will seek after God, but this is not their constant work and delight. We are welcome to God when we are compelled to come into his presence: God will not say as men, you come in your necessity. But we must then be sincere in our addresses, and rest in him as our portion, and all-sufficient good.

2. For intention of degrees. To seek God with the whole heart, it is to seek him with the highest elevation of our hearts. The whole heart must be carried out to God, and to other things for God's sake. As harbingers when they go to take up room for a prince, they take up the whole house, (none else must have place there,) so God, he will have the whole heart.

Again, it may be considered as to the exaction of the law, and as a rule of the Gospel.

1. As an exaction of the law: and so Christ urged it to the young man that was of a Pharisaical institution to abate his pride and confidence, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind" (Matt. xxii. 37). Certainly these words. there have a legal importance and signification, for in another Evangelist it is added, "do this, and thou shalt live," which is the tenor of the law. And Christ's intent was to abate the Pharisee's pride, by propounding the rigour of the first covenant. The law requireth complete love without the least defect, according to the terms of it; a grain wanting would make the whole unacceptable. As a hard landlord, when all the rent is not brought to the full, he accepteth none. It is good to consider it under this sense, that we may seek God in Christ, to quicken us that we may value our deliverance by him from this burden which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear; a straggling thought, a wandering glance, the least out-running of the heart had rendered us accursed for ever.

2. It may be considered as a rule of the Gospel, which requireth our utmost endeavours, our bewailing infirmities and defects, but accepts of sincerity. There will be a double principle in us to the last, but there should not be a double heart. So that this expression, of seeking the Lord with the whole heart, is reconcileable enough with the weaknesses of the present state. For instance, "My servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, and did that only which was right in mine eyes" (1 Kings, xiv. 8). David had many failings and some that left an indelible brand upon him, such as the matter of Uriah; yet because of his sincerity, and habitual purpose, God saith "He hath kept all my commandments,' So in Josiah, "Like to him there was no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might" (2 Kings, xxiii. 25). Yet he also had his imperfections; against the warning of the Lord he goes out with a wicked king, and dies in battle. So Asa, "The high places were not taken away (it was a failing in that holy king), yet it is said, "the heart of Asa was perfect all his days" (2 Chron. xv. 17). Well then, when the whole heart is engaged in this work, when we do not only study to know

God, but make it our work to enjoy him, to rest in him as our all-sufficient portion, though there will be many defects, yet then are we said to seek him with the whole heart.

Secondly, The reasons why God will be sought with the whole heart,

are,

1. He that gives but part to God doth indeed give nothing. The Devil keeps an interest as long as one lust remains unmortified, and one corner of the soul is kept for him. As Pharaoh stood hucking, he would fain have some pawn of their return: either leave your children behind; no, no, they must go and see the sacrifices, and be trained up in the way of the Lord; or he would have their flocks and herds left behind; he knew that would draw their hearts back again. So Satan must have either this lust or that; he knows by keeping part all will fall to his share in the end. A bird that is tied in a string seems to have more liberty than a bird in a cage; it flutters up and down though it be held fast: so many seem to flutter up and down and do many things, as Herod; but his Herodias drew him back again into the fowler's net. Thus, because of a sinner's danger.

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2. Because of God's right. By creation he made the whole, therefore requires the whole; the Father of spirits must have the whole spirit. We were not mangled in our creation, God that made the whole must have the whole. He preserves the whole. Christ hath bought the whole. rify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. vi. 20). And God promiseth to glorify the whole. Christians, it would be uncomfortable to us if God should only take a part to Heaven. All that you have is to be glorified in the day of Christ; all that you are and have must be given to him, the whole spirit, soul and body. Let us not deprive him of any part.

USE.-Well, do we serve God, and seek after God with the whole heart? The natural mother had rather part with the whole, than to see the child divided (1 Kings, iii. 26). God had rather part with the whole than take a piece. Either he will have the whole of your love, or leave the whole to Satan. The Lord complains, "Their heart is divided " (Hos. x. 2). Men have some affections for God many times, but they have affections for their lusts too, the world hath a great share and portion of their heart.

But when, in a Gospel-sense, may we be said to seek God with the whole heart? Take it in these short propositions :

1. When the settled purpose of our souls is to cleave to God, to love and serve him with an entire obedience both in the inward and outward man, when this is the full determination and consent of our hearts.

2. When we do what we can by all good means to maintain this purpose; for otherwise it is but a fruit of conviction, a free-will pang. "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men (Acts xxiv. 16).

3. When we search out our defects, and are ever bewailing them with kindly remorse. “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death" (Rom. vii. 24).

4. When we run by faith to Christ Jesus, and sue out our pardon and peace in Christ's name, until we come to be complete in him. "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God" (Col. i. 10),

SERMON IV.

VERSE 3.-They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. STILL the Psalmist continues the description of a blessed man. In the two first verses holiness (which is the way to, and evidence of, blessedness) is considered with respect to the subject and the object of it, the life and the heart of man. The life of man, "Blessed are the undefiled in the way;" the heart of man, "They seek him with the whole heart."

Now holiness is considered in the parts of it, negatively and positively. The two parts of holiness are an eschewing of sin, and studying to please God. You have both in this verse, "They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways."

I. You have the blessed man described negatively. "They do no iniquity." Upon hearing the words, presently there occurs a doubt, How then can any man be blessed? for "there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not" (Eccles. vii. 20), and "In many things we offend all" (James iii. 2). To deny it, is a flat lie against the truth, and against our own experience. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John i. 8). The expression may be abused on the one side to establish the impeccability and perfection of the saints; on the other side it may be abused by persons of a weak and tender conscience, to the hindrance of their comfort and rejoicing in God. When they shall hear this is the character of a blessed man, "they do no iniquity," they are very apt to conclude against their own regeneration, because of their daily failings.

To avoid these difficulties, I shall inquire,

1. What it is to do iniquity.

2. Who are the persons among the sons of men that may be said to do no iniquity.

First, What it is to do iniquity. If we make it our trade and practice to continue in wilful disobedience. To sin is one thing, but to make sin our work, is another, "He that is born of God, doth not commit sin (1 John iii. 9); he doth not work sin. And, "Depart from me ye that work iniquity" (Matt. vii. 23). That is the character of the reprobate, "workers of iniquity. So, "Whosoever committeth sin, is the servant of sin" (John viii. 34). Sin is their constant trade. "See if there be any wicked way in me" (Psa. cxxxix. 24). None are absolutely freed from sin, but it is not their trade, their way, their work. When a man makes it his study and business to carry on a course of sin, then he is said to do iniquity.

Secondly, Who are those that are said to do no iniquity in God's account, though they fail often through weakness of the flesh, and violence of temptation? Answer,

1. All such as are renewed by grace, and reconciled to God by Christ Jesus; to these God imputeth no sin to condemnation, and in his account they do no iniquity. Notable is that, it is said of David, "He kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, and did that only which was right in mine eyes" (1 Kings xiv. 8). How can that be? We may trace David by his failings, they are upon record everywhere in the word; yet here a veil is drawn upon them; God laid them not to his charge. There is a double reason why their failings are not laid to their charge;

partly, because of their general state, they are in Christ, taken into favour through him, and "there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ" (Rom. viii. 1), therefore particular errors and escapes do not alter their condition; which is not to be understood as if a man should not be humbled, and ask God pardon for his infirmities; no, for then they prove iniquities, they will lie upon record against us. It was a gross fancy of the Valentinians, that held they were not defiled with sin, whatsoever they committed; though base and obscene persons, yet still they were as gold in the dirt. No, no, we are to recover ourselves by repentance, to sue out the favour of God. When David humbled himself, and had repented, then saith Nathan, "The Lord hath put away thy sin," (2 Sam. xii. 13). Partly too, because their bent and habitual inclination is to do otherwise. They set themselves to comply with God's will, to seek and serve the Lord, though they are clogged with many infirmities. A wicked man sinneth with deliberation and delight, his bent is to do evil, he makes "provision for lusts," (Rom. xiii. 14), and "serves" them by a voluntary subjection, (Titus iii. 3). But those that are renewed by grace, are not "debtors" to the flesh, they have taken another debt and obligation upon them, which is to serve the Lord (Rom. viii. 12). Partly too, because their general course and way is to do otherwise. Unumquodque operatur secundum suam formam; everything works according to its form; the constant actions of nature are according to the kind. So the new creature, his constant operations, are according to grace. A man is known by his custom, and the course of his endeavours, what is his business. If a man be constantly, easily, frequently carried away to sin, it discovers a habit of soul, and the temper of his heart. Meadows may be overflowed, but marish ground is drowned with the return of every tide. A child of God may be carried away, and act contrary to the bent and inclination of the new nature; but when men are drowned and overcome with the return of every temptation, and carried away, it argues a habit of sin. And partly, because sin never carries it away clearly, but with some dislikes and resistances of the new nature. The children of God make it their business to avoid all sin, by watching, praying, mortifying: "I said I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue" (Psalm xxxix. 1). And then there is a resistance of the sin. God hath planted graces in their hearts, the fear of his Majesty, that works a resistance; and therefore there is not a full allowance of what they do. This resistance sometimes is more strong, then the temptation is overcome : "How can I do this wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. xxxix. 9). Sometimes it is more weak, and then sin carries it, though against the will of a holy man : "The evil which I hate, that do I" (Rom. vii. 15, 18). It is the evil which they hate; they protest against it; they are like men which are oppressed by the power of the enemy. And then there is a remorse after the sin; David's heart smote him. It grieves and shames them that they do evil. There is tenderness goes with the new nature; Peter sinned foully, but he went out and wept bitterly.

Well then the point is this:

DOCTRINE I. They that are and shall be blessed are such as make it their business to avoid all sin.

I may illustrate it by these reasons.

1. Surely they shall be blessed, for they take care to remove the makebate, the wall of partition between God and them. It is sin which separates,