pardon in a repenting way, the guilt continues.

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"If we confess"

(he

speaks to believers), then sin is forgiven, not otherwise.

3. There is the macula, the blot, by which the schoolmen understand an inclination to sin again; the evil influence of the sin continueth until we When we have been use serious endeavours to mortify the root of it. foiled by any lust, that lust must be more mortified. For instance, Jonah, he repented for forsaking his call, when he was cast into the whale's belly; but the sin broke out again, because he did not mortify the root; what was that? his pride. So that it is not enough to bewail the sin, but but we must lance the sore, and discover the root and core of it, before all will be well. A man may repent of the eruption of sin, the former act, the inclination to sin again is not taken off. Sampson loves a woman of Gaza, and she hath betrayed him; but by carrying away the gates of the city, he saves his life; possibly upon that experience he might repent of his folly and inordinate love to that woman; ay, but the root remains ; therefore he falls in love with another woman, with Delilah (Judges xvi.). Therefore, if you would do what is your duty, you must look to the fault, that that be not renewed; the guilt, that that be not continued by omission of repentance; and that the blot also do not remain upon you, by not searching to the root of the distemper, the cause of that sin by which we have been foiled. So much for the first part of the text: "They do no iniquity."

II. The Second note is: "They walk in his ways." This is the positive part, not only avoiding of sin, but practice of holiness, is implied. Ob

serve,

DOCTRINE II.-It is not enough only to avoid evil, but we must do good. command "They do no iniquity;" then "they walk in his ways." Why? every 1. The law of God is positive, as well as negative. In there are precepts and prohibitions, that we might own God, as well as renounce the Devil; and maintain communion with him, as well as avoid our "Hate the evil, and love the good" (Amos, v. 15): “Abown misery: hor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good" (Rom. xii. 9).

2. The mercies of God, they are positive as well as privative. Our obedience should correspond with God's mercies. Now God doth not only deliver us from Hell, but he hath called us to glory. The end of Christ's coming, is, "that we should not perish," there is the privative part; "but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16), there is the positive. In the covenant, God hath undertaken to be "a sun" and "a shield" (Psalm lxxxiv. 11): not only "a sun," which is the fountain of life, and vegetation, and blessing; but " a shield " to defend us from danger in the world; therefore our obedience should be positive as well as privative.

USE. It reproves those that rest in negatives. As it was said of the emperor, he was rather not vicious than virtuous. Many men, all their religion runs upon nots: "I am not as this publican" (Luke, xviii. 11). That ground is naught, though it brings not forth briars and thorns, if it yields Not only the unruly servant is cast into Hell, that beat not good increase. his fellow-servant that ate and drank with the drunken; but the idle servant that wrapped up his talent in a napkin. Meroz is cursed, not for opposing and fighting, but for not helping (Judges v. 23). Dives did not take away food from Lazarus, but he did not give him of his crumbs. Many will say, I set up no other gods; ay, but dost thou love, reverence,

and obey the true God? In the second commandment, I abhor idols; but dost thou delight in ordinances? I do not swear and rend the name of God by cursed oaths; ay, but dost thou glorify God, and honour him? I do not profane the Sabbath; but dost thou sanctify it? Thou dost not plough and dance; but thou art idle, toyest away the Sabbath. Thou dost not wrong thy parents; but dost thou reverence them? Thou dost not murder; but dost thou do good to thy neighbour? Thou art no adulterer; but dost thou study temperance and a holy sobriety in all things? Thou art no slanderer; but art thou tender of thy neighbour's honour and credit, as of thy own? Usually men cut off half their bill, as the unjust steward, when he owed a hundred, bade his Lord's debtor set down fifty. We do not think of sins of omission. If we are not drunkards, adulterers, and profane persons, we do not think what it is to omit respects to God, and want of reverence to his holy Majesty; to delight in him and his ways.

In the next place, take notice of the notion by which the precepts of God are expressed, here they are called ways, "that walk in his ways;" how is that? not as he hath given us an example, to be holy as he is holy, just as he is just; but his ways are his precepts. Why are they his ways? Because they are appointed by God, and prescribed by him. Which shows the evil of defection, and going astray from him. It is a despising God's wisdom and authority. The great and wise God hath found out a way" for the creature to walk in, that he may attain true happiness; and we must still be running out into by-paths; yea, it is a despising of his goodness: "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good;" how to walk step by step. Then they are God's ways, as they lead to the enjoyment of him. Thence we may learn, that many that wish to be where he is, shall never come there, because they do not walk in the way that leads to him. A man can never arrive at a place, that will not go in the way that will bring him thither so they will never come to the enjoyment of God in a blessed estate, that will not take the Lord's way to blessedness, that follow not the course God hath prescribed to them in his word.

SERMON V.

VERSE 4.-Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.

The Psalmist having laid down the description of the blessed man, by the frame of his heart, and the course of his life, and the integrity of his obedience; he comes now to another argument, whereby to inforce the entire observation of God's law. The argument in the text is taken from God's authority enjoining this course, and he propounds it by way of address and appeal to God for the greater emphasis and force: "Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently."

In the words take notice of two things:

1. The fundamental ground and reason of our obedience, which is God's "command" or "will" declared in his word.

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2. The manner of this obedience. God will not be put off with any thing, but served with the greatest diligence and exactness, to keep thy precepts diligently." The Septuagint renders it, "That thy commands should be kept exceeding much."

In the First part take notice :

1st, Of the law-giver, "Thou."

the

2ndly, His authority interposed, or positive injunction, "Hast com manded us." It is not left to our arbitrament whether we will take up course which leads to true happiness yea or nay.

3rdly, The thing commanded, "To keep thy precepts."

DOCTRINE.-To gain the heart to a full obedience it is good to consider the authority of God in his word.

There are many courses we must use to draw the heart to an obedience to God. We may urge:—

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1. The reasonableness of obedience, so that if we are left at our liberty, we should take up the ways of God rather than any other: The commandment is holy, just, and good" (Rom. vii. 12). All that God hath required, it carrieth a great suitableness to the reasonable nature, so that if a man were well in his. wits, and were to choose a law, he would, of his own accord, prefer the laws of God before liberty, and any other service. Certainly, there is an excellency in them, which is in part discerned by carnal men; they admire those that practice the duties which God hath required, though they are loth to submit to them themselves. It is no heavy burthen to live chastely, humbly, soberly, and to maintain a communion and correspondence with God; and whosoever doth so hath much the sweeter life of him that liveth sinfully. We may urge,

2. The profitableness of obedience, and how much it conduceth to our good: "The statutes which I command thee for thy good" (Deut. x. 13). Our labour in the work of obedience is not lost, or mis-spent. A godly course is refreshed with many sweet experiences for the present, and will bring in a full reward for the future.

3. The next motive is that of the text, to urge the command of God. It is a course enjoined and imposed upon us by our sovereign law-giver. It is not in our choice, as if it were an indifferent thing, whether we will walk in the laws of God, or not; but of absolute necessity, unless we renounce the authority of God. This is the argument in the text, therefore let us see how it is laid down here.

1st, Take notice of the law-giver, "Thou." It is not thy equal, or one that will be baffled, but the great God, upon whom thou dependest every moment. Men are easily carried away to please those that have power over them, even sometimes to the wrong of God and conscience: "Ephraim walked willingly after the commandment" (Hos. v. 11); meaning Jeroboam's law, for the worshipping the calves in Dan and Bethel. When we depend upon men, we consent to their commands, and study a compliance, though contrary to our own inclinations. And is not God's authority to be regarded? Surely he hath the greatest right to command us, for he made us; there is none hath such a dominion and lordship over us as God hath; and our dependence upon him is more than can be upon any created being, "for in him we live, and move, and have our being ;" and therefore, "Thou hast commanded;" this should be a powerful argument. And mark, none can enforce his command with such threatenings and rewards as he can. Not with such threats: "Fear not him that can kill the body, and after that hath no more," &c. (Matt. x. 28). Men can threaten us with strapadoes, dungeons, halters, and other instruments of persecution; but God, with a pit without a bottom, with a worm that never dies, with a fire that shall never be quenched, with torments without end and without ease. Then for rewards. As Saul said, Can the son of Jesse give you vineyards, and make you captains of fifties, of hundreds, and of thousands? The

world takes him to have most right to command that can bid most for our obedience. Who can promise more than God: "Who is a plentiful rewarder of them that diligently seek him " (Heb. xi. 6). Who hath told us of a kingdom prepared for us; of a body glorious like unto Christ's body; of a soul enlarged to the greatest capacities of a creature; and yet filled up with God, and satisfied with the fruition of himself. This is the person spoken of in the text, to whom the Psalmist saith: "Thou hast commanded us." And surely if we would willingly walk after any commandment, we should after the commandment of the great God. The

2nd circumstance is, "Hast commanded," he hath interposed his authority. Besides the particular precept and rule of duty, there are general commands or significations of God's authority to bind all the rest: "Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts." If the word of God, or rule of obedience, were only given us as a direction, we should regard it as coming from the wisdom of God; but now it is an injunction as coming from the authority of God; therefore in his name we may charge you as you will answer it another day, that these precepts be dear and precious to you. Unless you mean to renounce the sovereign majesty of God, and put him beside the throne, and break out into open rebellion against him, you must do what he hath commanded: "Charge them that be rich in the world," &c. (1 Tim. vi. 17); not only advise, but charge them. And, "These things exhort and rebuke with all authority" (Titus ii. 15). God will have the creatures know that he expects this duty and homage from them. 3rdly, Here is the nature of this obedience, or the thing commanded, "To keep thy precepts." What is that? To observe the whole rule of faith and manners. Believing in Christ; that falls under a command: "This is his command that we should believe in him whom he hath sent" (1 John iii. 23). Repentance is under a command: "He hath commanded all men everywhere to repent" (Acts xvii. 30). Upon your peril be it, if you refuse his grace. So, Gospel obedience falls under a command; the great God hath charged us to keep all his precepts; to make conscience of all duties that we owe to God and man (Acts xxiv. 16); the smaller as well as the greater (Matt. v. 19). God counts his authority to be despised and laid aside, and the command and obligatory power of his law to be made void, if a man shall, either in doctrine or practice, count any transgression of his laws so light and venial, as not to be stood upon as if it were but a trifle. Christians, if we had the awe of God's authority upon our hearts, what kind of persons would we be at all times, in all places, and in all company? What a check would this be to a proud thought, a light word, or a passionate speech? What exactness would we study in our conversations, had we but serious thoughts of the sovereign majesty of God, and of his authority forbidding these things in the word.

To offer some reasons of the point, why it is of such profit to consider the authority of God in the command.

1. Because then the heart would not be so loose, off and on in point of duty. When a thing is counted arbitrary (as generally we count so of strictness), the heart hangs off more from God. When we press men to pray in secret, to be full of good works, to meditate of God, to examine conscience, to redeem time, to be watchful; they think these are counsels of perfection, not rules of duty, enforced by the positive command of God; therefore are men so slight and careless in them. But now, when a man hath learned to urge a naughty heart with the authority of God, and charge

them in the name of God, he lies more under the awe of duty. Hath God said, I must search and try my ways, and shall I live in a constant neglect of it? Hath God bidden me to redeem my time, and shall I make no conscience how I waste away my precious hours? Hath God bidden me keep my heart with all keepings, and shall I let it run at large without any restraint and regard? It is my debt, and I must pay it, or I shall answer it at my peril in the great day of accounts; it is not only commended, but commanded : 46 If the Prophet had bidden thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it; how much rather, then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean ?" (2 Kings v. 13.)

2. We cannot be so bold and venturous in sinning, when we remember how the authority of God stands in the way," he that fears the commandment, he shall be blessed" (Prov. xii. 13), not only the penalty but the command. The heart is never right until we are brought to fear a commandment more than any inconveniences whatsoever. To a wicked man, there seems to be nothing so light as a command, and therefore he breaks through against checks of conscience. But a man that hath the awe of God upon him, when mindful of God's authority, he fears a command. It is said of Michael, the archangel, "he durst not bring a railing accusation" (Jude 9); he had not the boldness, when the commandment of God was in his way.

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3. Many times we are doubtful of success, and so our hands are weakened thereby; we forbear duty because we do not know what will come of it. Now a sense of God's authority and command, doth fortify the heart against these discouragements: Master, we have toiled all the night, howbeit at thy command we will cast down the net" (Luke v. 5). A poor soul that hath long lain at the pool, that hath been labouring, following God from one duty to another, and nothing comes sensibly of it, "yet at thy command," &c.; they will keep up their endeavours still. This is the very case in the text, "Blessed is the man that keeps his precepts, and that seeks him with the whole heart;" then presently, Thou hast commanded;" that is, though our obedience had no promise of reward, and our felicity were not proposed as the fruit of it; yet the command itself, and the authority of God is a reason sufficient.

4. In some duties that are not evident by natural light,-as believing and owning of Christ-the heart is more bound to them by the sense of a command, than by any other encouragement. It is God's pleasure it should be so: "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6. 29). "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John iii. 23). It is enough to set a servant about his work, in that it is his master's pleasure. Thou dost not stand disputing whether thou shouldst repent or not, obey or not, abstain from fleshly idols, yea or nay, or from fornication; and why should you stand aloof from the work of faith, and doubt whether you should believe or not? We have many natural prejudices, but this his command is a mighty relief to the soul, it is his command we should believe in his Son, It is not only a matter of comfort and privilege, but also a matter of duty and obedience; and therefore, though we have discouragements upon us; 'I am unworthy to be received to mercy;' yet this will bend the heart to the work, God is worthy to be obeyed, it is his commandment. Thou dost not question whether thou shouldest grieve for thy sins, why should you question whether you believe in Christ? If God had only