grace, as the nurse seemeth to let the child fall, that it may clasp the more strongly about her. (2.) It is fit the world should know that a zealous defence of the truth comes not from natural stubbornness and pertinacity, but from Divine assistance; therefore God showeth what the flesh would do, how it would shrink in the confession of truth, if it were permitted to prevail. (3.) It is fit we should see the necessity of continual dependence: after grace received, we have not always the same presence of mind, so as to plead for God, but only as he is pleased to influence us; our case doth change and alter, ebb and flow, as it pleaseth God.

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USE. Not to be severe against those that fail out of infirmity, nor to cast them off; for God doth pity them, rather than censure them; let us help them out of the mire. Unhumbled hearts, that are puffed up with pride and confidence in their own strength when out of the temptation, may judge it a task of no great difficulty to carry it with courage, and will readily condemn others of cowardice and backsliding, who ride not out the storm with as much courage, and cheerfulness, and resolution as they conceive themselves would do: Now it is come upon thee thou faintest, it toucheth thee and thou art troubled; is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?" (Job iv. 5, 6.) But an humble heart acquainted with sufferings will not judge so, he is sensible of weakness, and how hard it is for flesh and blood to deny itself, and to prefer a good conscience before safety and worldly increase; how ready it is to faint under a continued cross, how crafty to find out evasions to beguile itself into a way of sin, that they pity the poor tempted man. In the primitive times, Novatus and his followers denied that those that had fallen to be received into the communion of the church, though upon repentance. DOCTRINE V. They will not be utterly overcome in their trials that hope in God's judgments. Why?

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1. Because this hope will teach us to wait upon the Lord until he show us better things: My soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation" (Psalm lxii. 1); they can tarry a little while, and so are not carried away with the violence of the present temptation. It is an inclination to present things that undoeth us. Demas hath forsaken us and loved this present world. Now, when we can wait for future things, the soul is stayed and kept from apostasy. We read of the "patience of hope" (1 Thes. i. 3). And the Apostle saith, "If we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it" (Rom. viii. 15). He that believeth a better condition, is not dejected with present evils.

2. It fortifieth the soul against present difficulties, so as they do not unsettle, but quicken us; it hath an apprehension that the good is hard to be obtained, therefore it gathereth all the force and strength of the soul to resist it.

For the nature of hope, see the sermon on the 114th verse.

Well then, hope in God's judgments. Consider who hath made the promises. Is it not God, whose word cannot fail of its effect?" He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God: and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was also able to perform" (Rom. iv. 20, 21). And then consider how he standeth affected to us, doth not he love us? And also in what relation he is obliged to us; as a father? And then consider, what doth the promise say? And how it maketh for his glory to accomplish it? what plentiful means he hath in store to bring to pass what he hath spoken? And what a

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potent and wise intercessor we have to plead our cause at the right hand of the father, and to mind him still of whatever concerns our comfort!

of a vow,

SERMON L.

VERSE 44.-So shall I keep thy law continually, for ever and ever. First, David prays for deliverance: "Let thy mercies come," &c. (verse 41). Next he prays, if he might not have deliverance, yet a little liberty to own God in the time of his trouble: "Take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth;" and with what argument doth he enforce it? In the close of the former verse he had pleaded, "I have hoped in thy judgments." Now he pleads his steadfast purpose to serve God, conceived in the form "So shall I keep thy law," &c. They that hope in God's promises must have a tender regard to his precepts. First he saith: "I hope in thy judgments," then, "I shall keep thy law." The tender regard of God's precepts; how? what to talk of them only? No. As in the former verse he speaks of the worth of truth in his mouth, so here he speaks of keeping and observing the law in his practice, to show we should not own God in word only, but in deed also. He spoke of profession there, and now we are to fill up our profession with answerable practice. I keep thy law continually, for ever and ever."

The text contains a promise of obedience.

I. The matter promised, "I shall keep thy law."

"So shall

II. The manner and constancy of that obedience, "Continually, for ever and ever."

Mark, the promise of obedience is brought in by way of argument; "So shall I keep,' 66 so," that is, this will encourage me, this will enable me. 1st, The granting of his requests would give him encouragement, when God answers our hope and expectation, gratitude should excite and quicken us to give him all manner of obedience. If he will give us a heart, and a little liberty to confess his name, and serve him, we should not be backward or uncertain, but walk closely with him.

2ndly, This would give him assistance and strength. If God do daily give assistance, we shall stand, if not we fall and faulter, this will be a means of his perseverance, not only engage and oblige him, but help him to hold out to the end.

Then mark the constancy of this obedience, "Continually, and for ever and ever." David would not keep it for a fit, or for a few days, or a year, but always, even to the end of his life.

Here are three words to the same sense: continually, for ever, and ever. And the Septuagint expresseth it thus: "I shall keep thy law always, and for ever, and for ever, and ever;" four words there. This heaping of words is not in vain.

1. It shows the difficulty of perseverance: unless believers do strongly persist in the resistance of temptation, they will soon be turned out of the way; therefore David binds his heart firmly: we must do it now, yea always, unto the end.

2. He expresseth his vehemency of affection: those that are deeply affected with anything, are wont to express themselves as largely as they As Paul, that had a deep sense of God's power: "Exceeding greatness of his power, according to the working of his mighty power" (Eph. i.

can.

19). He heaps up several words, because his sense of them was so great: so David here doth heap up words continually, and for ever, and for ever, and ever.

3. Some think the words are so many, that they may express not only this life, but that which is to come. I will keep them continually, and for ever, and ever; that is, all the days of my life, and in the other world. So Chrysostom, I will keep them continually, &c., points out the other life, where there will be pure and exact keeping of the law of God. Here we are every hour in danger, but then we shall be put out of all danger, and without fear of sinning, we shall remain in a full and perfect righteousness; we hope for that which we have not attained unto, and this doth encourage us for the present, so would he make David express himself.

4. If we must distinguish these words, I suppose they imply the continuity and perpetuity of obedience; the continuity of obedience, that he would serve God continually without intermission; and the perpetuity of obedience, that he would serve God for ever and ever, without defection and revolt, at all times, and to the end.

DOCTRINE. Constancy and perseverance in obedience, is the commendation of it.

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When David promiseth to obey, he saith he would do it continually, for ever and ever. This is the obedience God longs for: "O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always" (Deut. v. 29). Here we find all things which are requisite to God's service, the sincerity of it, "that they had a heart;" the gracious principle which works in obedience, a heart to fear me;" the universality of it, "to keep all my commands ;" and the perpetuity of it, "to keep them always." They are in a good mood now," as if God had said, "O that they had a heart to do it always." Christ redeemed us to this end: "Delivered us out of the hands of our enemies, that we might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him," not for a while only, but "all the days of our life" (Luke i. 74, 75).

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I shall distinguish of a double constancy and perseverance, and under each branch give some reasons, with their applications.

1st, A perseverance without intermission.

2ndly, without defection. Both are necessary.

First, a perseverence without intermission. We should at all times and in all places serve God, and not by fits and starts; as it is said of the twelve tribes, "They served God instantly day and night" (Acts xxvi. 12); alone and in company, in all conditions, adverse and prosperous; in all actions, common and sacred, God must be served and obeyed.

Let me give some considerations to enforce it, to serve God continually. 1. The law of God doth universally bind, and the obligation thereof never ceaseth; so as there can be no truce with sin for a while, nor any intermission of grace for a moment: "My son, keep thy father's commandments, and forsake not the law of thy mother. Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck" (Prov. vi. 21, 22). The commandments of God, he calls them the law of the father and mother, for Solomon speaks as to young ones and children, as those that had been trained up by their parents. Now, these must be looked upon as having a perpetual obligation to direct us and keep us; sleeping and walking we must have them always in our sight. Every motion and every operation

of ours is under a law, our thoughts and words are under a law, and our actions are under a law, all that we speak and all that we do it is still under a rule. The law of God is of perpetual use to show us what we must do and what we must leave undone. Oh, how exact should we be if we did regard this, and were mindful of the perpetual obligation of the law.

2. Grace planted in the heart should be always working. The fire on the altar was never to go out, and so grace should be always working, and influence all our actions, civil and sacred: "But as he which hath called you is holy; so be ye holy in all manner of conversation" (1 Peter i. 15), There is no part of a Christian's conversation which should not savour of holiness; not only his religious, but his common and civil actions. The pots in Jerusalem, and the horse-bells, were to bear God's impress as well as the vessels and utensils of the temple (Zech, xiv. 20). As the sun is placed in the middle of the heavens to diffuse his influence, and scatter his beams up and down the world, and nothing is hid from his light; so is grace planted in the heart, to diffuse its influence into every part of his conversation; and therefore grace were it is true it is always at work. There are some parts of the body that are never out of action; as the heart and lungs: wherever a man goes, and whatever he goes about, yet they always do their office; so some graces are of continual exercise, as the fear of God: "Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long" (Prov. xxiii. 17). A Christian doth not only pray in the fear of God, but eat, drink, and trade in the fear of God: so the love of God in referring all things to his glory, whether they be acts of worship, or acts of charity, or of our callings, or recreations; grace hath an influence upon these, and is still to be at work upon these (1 Cor. x. 31). And so faith is always at work in depending upon God, and looking up to him, it is our life; that which I live in the flesh: "And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God" (Gal. ii. 20); well then, the law of God is always binding, and every operation of ours is under a law, and grace should be always working.

3. God's eye is always upon us, he is alike everywhere, therefore a Christian should be alike everywhere; always like himself, at home and abroad, alone and in company: 66 As ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but much more in my absence (Phil. ii. 12). Many are devout abroad, but carnal, careless, profane, if you follow them home to their families. When you are alone you are not alone, God is there; wę have a heavenly Father that seeth in secret (Matt. vi. 4). What you do in your closets, the doors made fast, and all company shut out. might allow himself in carnal liberty, if he could go anywhere, where God doth not see him; but his eye is still upon us, and therefore we should say with David, "I will keep thy law continually." Will he force the queen before my face, saith Ahasuerus? We break God's laws before his face, his eye is always upon us, and all our ways are before him.

A man

4. God is always at work for us: "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John v. 17). He sustains us every day, hour, moment, and waketh for us, watcheth over us by night and by day. When we sleep, the Devil is awake to do us mischief. Ay, but the God of Israel, he that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth, but watcheth for our good, As soon as we arise, "his compassions are new every morning" (Lam. iii, 22, 23). Now, can we offend him from whom we receive life and breath

every moment. If God should intermit his care but for one day, nay, but suspend it for one hour, what would become of thee?

5. All our actions concern eternity: this life is compared to a walk (Eph. ii. 10). Everything we do or speak is a step either to Heaven or Hell, therefore to have an influence or tendency on that action. The more good we do, the more we are acted with a fear of God, and love of God, to do all things to his glory, the nearer Heaven; and the more evil, the nearer Hell. We should not stand still or go back, but always be getting ground in our journey.

6. To be off and on with God will cost us much sorrow, it will be bitterness in the end; either it will cost us the bitterness of repentance here, or of weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth for ever; either holy compunction, or everlasting horror. When you straggle from God, there is no returning to your former husband but by weeping cross; and who would provide matter of sorrow for himself? I say, when you thrust your hand into Satan's dish, there is some sauce mingled with his meat, and then everlasting horror if not compunction, for that will be the end of them that are always unstable in all their ways (James ii. 8). God will not always bear with them, he may at first, while they are children, poor, weak novices, but will not always (Eph. iv. 14). God expects that at length we should grow more constant, and grow up to a radicated state of grace, therefore if we are always children, off and on with God, then he will cast us off.

7. By every intermission we may lose ground, and possibly may never wholly, if we recover in part again. We may lose ground, for "the way of the Lord is strength to the upright" (Prov. x. 29). The more we continue in it, the fitter we are to walk in it. A bell when once up, is kept up with a greater ease than if we were to raise it anew. A horse warm in his geers is more fit for his journey, than at first setting forth, and therefore keep up while you are in the way of God. If it be hard to keep in with God, it will be harder to recover when you are out of the way. The only way to make religion easy is to be still in it, and to have our hearts still upon it; and therefore you lose by your intermission. And if you recover yourselves after intermission, it is not always to that degree of largeness of heart, and fulness of spiritual comfort. A prodigal that hath rioted away his estate, if set up again is not trusted with the like stock. And after a great disease, though a man recovers, yet it is not to the degree of his former health many times. Therefore we should without intermission persevere in our duty to God,

To apply this part.

USE I-It should humble us all that we are so fickle and inconstant in that which is good. Our hearts are unstable as water. In the space

of an hour, how are our thoughts changed from good to evil, and from evil to good in a moment? What a monster would man seem if his heart were visible in the best duty that ever he performed? Our devotion and goodness come by pangs and fits; now humble, anon proud; now meek, anon passionate; now confident, then full of fear and anguish; like men sick of an ague, sometimes well, sometimes ill; we do not seem to be the same men in a duty, and out of a duty; nay, sometimes in the same duty, we do not seem to be the same men, are not carried on with the same largeness of heart, and confidence in God, and savouriness, and