The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant, Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 13

The Bowels of Tender Mercy Sealed in the Everlasting Covenant · Religious treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 13

p. 643CHAP. XIII.

1. Doctr. THat an obediential obſervation of the Law or Commandements of The obſervation of Gods Laws belongs to all that are in Covenant with him.God belongs to all people in Covenant with God: He ſaith here of the people in Covenant with himſelf, I will cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes, and you ſhall keep my judgements, and do them.

You read two things of the Saints or people of God.

1. One is, that they make a Covenant with God: Pſal. 50. 5. Gather my Gods people make a Covenant with …im.Saints together unto me, thoſe that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice.

p. 6442. The other is, that they keep Covenant: Pſal. 103. 18. To ſuch as keep They keep Covenant with God.his Covenant; and this he expounds in the following words, to thoſe that remember his Commandements to do them.

When we enter into Covenant with God, what is it that we do? I ſuppoſe (if we do underſtand our ſelves) that we do then take him to be our God; 1. In his Gracious Mercy. 2ly In his Righteous Society; that he, and he alone ſhall be our Lord, our King to Rule and guide, and preſcribe us laws, and we will be his people to hearken unto him, to be at his command, to obey his voice and will. Is any man ſo wild to make ſuch a Covenant with God, or to think that God will make ſuch a Covenant as this with him? I will have mercy and bleſſing from God, but I will not obey him; he ſhall be none of my Lord nor King. or that God will yield to theſe termes, I will be yours for all bleſſings, but live as you liſt, do what you pleaſe, walk how you will, ſerve your luſts, regard not my Law? Did God ever make ſuch a Covenant as this! Saith God to Abraham, Gen. 15. 1. I am tby ſhield and thy exceeding great reward. And Chap. 17. 1. I am the Almighty God, I am able to do thee good, and will do ſo; but then he addes, walk before mee and be thou perfect, q. d. I will be a God to you for bleſſing, and alſo a God over you for Ruling; I expect that you ſhould walk uprightly before me (i. e.) obſerve my wayes, my Commandements, and act them with ſincerity of heart, not willingly diſobey and prevaricate: So Exod. 19. 5. If ye will obey my voice in doing and keeping my Covenant, then ye ſhall be a peculiar treaſure unto me above all people. And (Verſe 6.) Ye ſhall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests, and an holy Nation.

But a little more to demonſtrate this truth unto you, be pleaſed to conſider theſe five particulars.

Firſt, Thoſe ſeveral Relations which fall upon all people who come to be in The relations betwixt God and his people in Covenant require obedience.Covenant with God, and they are all ſuch as lay obligations upon them to obedience, to walking in his Statutes: They are the children of God, and have God to be their Father: Now ſaith God to them that pretend to ſtand in this Relation, but walk diſobediently, A ſon honoureth his Father, Mal. 1. 6. And if I be a father, where is mine honour?

They are the ſervants of God, and God is their Lord and Maſter: Now ſaith he in the ſame place, a ſervant honoureth his Maſter; And if I be a Maſter, where is my fear? ſhould not a Lord and Maſter be feared? and what is it to fear God, but to have an awful reſpect to his Commandements, and a tender care to do his will? They are his ſubjects, and he is their King; he is the Lord that Reigneth over them, gives Laws unto them; and are not his Subjects a willing people in the day of his power? Do not his Saints humble themſelves, ſit down at his feet, and receive of his words? doth not the fiery Law proceed from his right hand for them whom he calls his Saints? Deut. 33. 2, 3.

Secondly, The Covenant mercies and bleſſings, as their ſcope is to expreſs the Rich bounty of God to his people; ſo likewiſe the end of them is to quicken conſtrain, And ſo do the Covenant merciesand indear them unto duty and obedience; Pſal. 86 12. I will praiſe thee O Lord my God with all my heart, I will glorifie thy Name for evermore. Ver. 13. for great is thy mercy towards me. Pſal. 130. 4. There is forgiveneſs with thee that thou mayeſt be feared. Deut. 10. 12. And now Iſrael, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in his wayes, and to love him, and to ſerve the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul? Luke 1. 74. That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might ſerve him without fear. Ver. 75. In holineſs and righteouſneſs. Rom. 12. 1. I beſeech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye preſent your bodies a living ſacrific…, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reaſonable ſervice. p. 645Nothing more uſual in the Scripture, than to preſs the people in Covenant to obedience by and from the mercies of the Covenant: The full and clear Revelation of the New Covenant takes in with it an expreſs inſtitution of obedience: Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God which bringeth ſalvation hath appeared to all men. Ver. 12. Teaching us that denying ungodlineſſe, and worldly luſts, we ſhould live ſoberly, and righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world. The full and cleareſt Revelation of the new Covenant, was when Jeſus Chriſt him…elf appeared in the world, and taught, and dyed, and roſe again, and aſcended into heaven; and even thence is obedience chiefly urged: the Goſpel all along preſſing duties upon the people of God, to love the Lord their God, and to love their neighbour, and to walk as children of the light, Epheſ. 5. And to be obedient children▪ 1 Pet. 1. 14. And to be holy in all manner of converſation. Ver. 15. And to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called, with all lowlineſs and meekneſs, Epheſ. 4. 1, 2. And to put off concerning the former converſation which is corrupt according to the deceitful luſts, Ver. 22. And to put on the new man which after God is created in righteouſneſs and true holineſs. Ver. 24. And to walk circumſpectly, Epheſ. 5. 15. or exactly unto the higheſt pitch of holineſs and obedience.

Fourthly, The Mediatour of the Covenant, concerning whom, you And the Mediatour of the Covenant.finde

1. That he profeſſeth that he came not to deſtroy the Law, but to fulfil it.

2. That he explicated the Law in the true and ſpiritual ſenſe of it, vindicating it from the falſe gloſſes of the Phariſees, and preſſing it in many branches upon us, as you may ſee in Matth. 5. from ver. 21. to the end.

3. Himſelf to be under the Law, and making ſpecial uſe of it in ſeveral parts aginſt the temptations of Satan: It is written, thou ſhalt not tempt the Lord thy God, Matth. 4. 7. And it is written, thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve, ver. 10.

4. That he makes obedience the diſcovery of our real love unto him: Joh. 14. 15. If you love me, keep my Commandements. Ver. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. Ver. 24. If a man love me, he will keep my words.

5. That it was one end of the giving of himſelf to deth for us: Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himſelf for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie unto himſelf a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own ſelf bare our ſins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead unto ſin, ſhould live unto righteouſneſs▪

6. That his obedience unto the Law, is propounded as a pattern for us to imitate: 1 Joh. 2. 6. He that ſaith he abideth in him, ought himſel to walk even as he walked.

Laſtly, The Covenant-Faith which is in every one of the people of God, as it And ſo doth the Coven…nt faith.carries them out to an election of God to be their God, ſo it carries them out unto ſubjection to God, unto obedience: Heb. 11. 4. By faith Abel offered up a more excellent ſacrifice than Cain. Ver. 8. By faith Abraham obeyed God. Faith eyes the Word of God for a Rule and warrant, and faith propounds unto us the encouragements of the word to quicken our obedience, and faith fetches ſtrength from Chriſt to enable us in all our works of obedience. Having ſpoken theſe things for the demonſtration of the Aſſertion, I ſhall now ſpeak unto three Queſtions.

1. How this walking in Gods ſtatutes, and keeping of his judgements, and doing of them, may be fixed upon the people of Gods Covenant, ſeeing they are all of them believers, and being ſo are no longer under the Law, but are freed and delivered from it.

2. What manner of obedience, or kind of obedience that is which is required, p. 646and to be performed by the people of Gods Covenant?

3. Why theſe are in ſuch a ſpecial manner thus charged with walking in Gods ſtatutes, &c.

1. Queſt. How this walking in Gods ſtatutes, &c. may be forced upon the people of Gods Covenant, ſeeing they are all under grace, and believers, and not under How Gods people being not under the Law, are bound to obedience.the Law, as the Apoſtle expreſſeth it, Rom. 6. 14. Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace?

Sol. For a clear Anſwer unto this Queſtion, I will briefly deliver my thoughts in theſe diſtinctions.

Firſt, Concerning the Law of God, you know there were ſome of them

1. Ceremonial, which conſiſted in Rites, and Ordinances, and Shadows, typifying Jeſus Chriſt in his ſufferings, unto which there was a full period put by the death of Chriſt.

2. Judicial, which reſpecteth the Jews as a peculiar Nation and Common-wealth, being made and fitted for them, as in ſuch a particular polity: And all thoſe Judicial Laws (eſpecially theſe de jure particulari) are ceaſed by the ceſſation of that Nation and polity.

3. Moral; which are theſe ſet down in the Decalogue, and are called the ten words (or Commandements) which God ſpake and delivered. Of the ten Commandements (which we call the Moral Law) is the queſtion to be underſtood, whether believers, or the people in the New Covenant are bound unto them.

Secondly, This Moral Law may be conſidered either 1. In the Subſtance of it; Or 2ly in the circumſtances of it.

If you conſider the Moral Law in the ſubſtance of it; ſo it is

1. An eternal manifeſtation of the mind and will of God, declaring what is good, and what is evil; what we are to do, and what we are not to do; what duties we How the Moral Law never ceaſeth.do owe to God, and what duties we do owe to our neighbours; what worſhip God requires, and what worſhip God forbids: In this conſideration the Moral Law never ceaſeth in reſpect of any perſon whaſoever.

2. It diſcovers ſinne: For, Rom. 3. 19. By the Law cometh the knowledge of ſin: And the Apoſtle in Rom. 7. 7. I had not known ſin but by the Law; for I had not known luſt except the Law had ſaid, Thou ſhalt not covet.

In this reſpect likewiſe, the Law is ſtill in force even unto the people of God; it is the glaſs which ſhews them unto themſelves, and the light which manifeſts the hidden things and works of darkneſs in them.

3. The Rule of life: For as the Goſpel is the Rule of faith, teaching us what to believe; ſo the Moral Law is the Rule of manners, teaching us how to live; and as to this directing power, it is ſtill of force and uſe unto believers: Pſal. 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Ver. 133. Order my ſteps in thy Word.

But then ſecondly, the Law may be conſidered in reſpect of its circumſtances, not as it is a Rule of obedience, but as it is a condition of life; and as thus conſidered,How it ceaſeth.

1. It requires a perſonal and perfect obedience, and that under a curſe: Gal. 3. 10. Curſed is every one that continueth not in all that is written to do it: Here now it ceaſeth unto the people of God, the curſing and condemning power is abrogated; Chriſt hath redeemed us from the curſe of the Law, being made a curſe for us, Gal. 3. 13.

2. It requires an exact obedience as a reaſon of Juſtification: Do this and live: Here likewiſe the people of God are freed from it; who (as Luther well ſpeaks) ſhall not be damned for their evil works, nor yet ſhall be juſtified for their good works: but are juſtified by faith in Chriſt; and the matter of their juſtification, being not inherent righteouſneſs in themſelves, but only the imputed righteouſneſs p. 647of Chriſt: Thus you ſee in what reſpects the people of God are freed from, and in what reſpects they are ſtill obliged by the Law: The Law hath not power to condem or juſtifie them, and yet it hath a power to direct and inſtruct them.

And that it hath ſuch a power unto which we are to conform our ſelves in obedience, may appear thus;

Firſt, By that forementioned place in Matth. 5. 17. Think not that I am come to deſtroy the Law or the Prophets; I am not come to deſtroy, but to fulfill: And in Why the Law hath ſtill a power to command us.that Chapter he doth both interpret the Law, and commend and command unto his Diſciples the duties of the Law. And ſurely it is no way probable that Chriſt would by his own authority ſo have confirmed the Law, had it been his purpoſe and buſineſs to have cancelled the Law.

Secondly, Paul in Rom. 13. 8. that he might ſhew and clear that in that one precept of love, He that loveth another, hath fulfilled the Law; produceth ſeveral precepts of the Law in ver. 9. For this Thou ſhalt not commit adultery; Thou ſhalt not kill; Thou ſhalt not ſteal; Thou ſhalt not bear falſe witneſs; Thou ſhalt not covet: And if there be any other Commandement, it is briefly comprehended in this ſaying, namely, Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf. All which were a fruitleſs proof, if the Law had nothing to do with the people of God; but utterly ceaſed to them as to point of obedience. In like manner in that place of James 2. 8. If ye fulfill the royal Law according to the Scripture, Thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf, ye do well; but if the Royal Law were abrogated, certainly they ſhould not have done well to have obſerved it.

Thirdly, If the Moral Precepts were ceaſed as to the people of God, then God would have expreſſed in the delivery of them, a purpoſe after ſome time to have revoked them, and to have exempted his people from further obedience unto them, or elſe Jeſus Chriſt would himſelf have abrogated them as now unuſeful; but neither of theſe do we find.

Object. Yes, Christ ſaith in Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were untill John.

Sol. The Law here ſpoken of is not to be underſtood de Lege Morali, of the direct and commanding Law of the Moral Law preſcribing obedience, ſed de lege Prophetante per figur as, as Rivet well obſerves.

Fourthly, What ſhall we ſay to that of Paul? Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inner man. And Ver. 25. So then with the mind I my ſelf ſerve the Law of God. And Chap. 8. 4. That the righteouſneſſe of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the fleſh, but after the Spirit. What ſhall we ſay to that of David? Pſal. 119. 1. Bleſſed are the undefiled who walk in the Law of the Lord?

Object. But the Apoſtle ſaith, we are not under the Law, in Rom. 6 14. &c.

Sol. Firſt, One may be ſaid to be under the Law in ſeveral reſpects.How we are ſaid to be under the law.

1. For juſtification by the Law.

2. For condemnation by the Law.

3. For perfect and perſonal obedience to the Law.

4. For a ſlaviſh and ſervile conſtraint: In theſe reſpects the people of God are not under the Law; nevertheleſs for direction and inſtruction to frame their lives unto the precepts of the Law, thus they are under the Law.

But ſecondly, the place to me expounds it ſelf beſt of all: The Apoſtle there ſaith, We are not under the Law, but under grace; and this he gives as a reaſon why ſin ſhould not have dominion over them. We are not under the Law (i. e.) in ſuch a ſtate where there is only a command given againſt, but no power; but we are under grace, which is ſuch a condition or eſtate where beſides a command againſt ſin, we have alſo a power given with that command which pulls down the p. 648dominion of ſin: And verily all that can be concluded here, is, the comfortab…e eſtate of believers and regenerate perſons, not in this, that they are utterly freed from the commanding Law of God, but in that they are now under ſuch a gracious Covenant, vvhere there is not only a Law to command, but grace alſo given to obey.

2. Queſt. The next Queſtion is, what manner of obediential obſervation of God commands that is which concerns the people of God in Covenant.

Sol. It is an Evangelical manner of obedience or obſervation, which hath four What obedience is required of Gods people. It comes from Goſpel-Principles.ingredients in it.

Firſt, It muſt come from Goſpel Principles, even from the life and ſtrength of Chriſt; no man can walk without a Principle of life within him: It is a living work which poceeds from a living Principle: All the obediential work… of the people of God are performed in the vertue of their union and communion with Chriſt; without me you can do nothing: Chriſt doth not only give the Law unto the people of God, but alſo he gives the Spirit unto them: Heb. 8. 10. I will write my Law in their minds: He doth by his Spirit write them in their hearts, and makes them complying and willing to obey.

Secondly, It muſt come from Goſpel motives, even from the mercy and love of God; the people of God do obey him rather as a Father then as a Judge, looking From Goſpel-motives.more at his goodneſs than at his ſeverity: They ſhall fear the Lord and his goodneſs, Hoſea. 3. 5. And Pſal. 130. 5. There is mercy with thee that thou mayeſt be feared. 2 Cor. 5. 14. The love of Chriſt conſtrains them. And Ver. 15. He died for all, that they who live ſhould not hence forth live unto themſelves, but unto him which died for them. The great love which God hath ſhewed unto his people in Chriſt, inflames and ſwells their heart, and moves cares and endeavours to walk before him in all well pleaſing.

Thirdly, It muſt come from Goſpel-affections, eſpecially from love and delight: From Goſpel-affections.O how love I thy Law! Pſal. 119. If a man love me, he will keep my cemmand…ments, Joh. 14. 23. The love of God (which the people of God enjoy) carries out their ſoules in all holy obedience unto the will of God; and ſo likewiſe they ſerve him with delight: I delight to do thy will O God, Pſal. 40. 8. And thy Law is within my heart, Pſal. 101. 1. Serve the Lord with gladneſs: The Commandements of God are not grievous unto his people; they ſay not What a wearineſs it is to ſerve the Lord! no, but as David, I rejoyce in thy teſtimonies, and I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou ſhalt enlarge my heart. It was Chriſts meat and drink to do the will of his Father: O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ſtatutes! &c. There is a ſervile ſerving of God, which ariſeth from a ſlaviſh Spirit, unwilling, backward, conſtrained by threats and blows; and there is an ingenuous, free, chearful, delightful ſerving of God: As the people of God are volunteers, Pſal. 110. 3. of a princely ſpirit, as the word ſignifies; their duties though as to the rule are under a command, yet as to their hearts and manner of performance, they are a free-will-offering, they find ſo much ſweetneſs and happineſs in communion with God, and with a holy fervency of ſpirit; they are not indifferent, cold, ſlothful, but fervent in Spirit, (boyling hot) ſerving the Lord, Rom. 12. 11. their hearts are conjoyned, and united in the duties of obedience, intent and intenſive.

Fourthly, It looks at a Goſpel-end, at the glory of God and Chriſt: Phil. It looks at a Goſpel-end.1. 20. Chriſt ſhall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or death. Ver. 21. For to me to live is Chriſt. Rom. 14. 7. None of us liveth unto himſelf: for ver. 8. Whether we live we live unto the Lord. Natural men do act from themſelves, and for themſelves; but the people of God do act from Chriſt, and for Chriſt.

3. Queſt. Why the people of Gods Covenant are in a more ſpecial manner charged to walk in his ſtatutes, keep his judgements, and do them?

p. 649Sol. I will not inſiſt on this, but briefly thus; the people of God ſhould walk in his ſtatutes, keep his judgements, and do them,Why Gods people ſhould walk in his ſtatutes.

Firſt, In reſpect of God; and here are three Reaſons.

1. His Will: Pſal. 119. 4. Thou haſt commanded us to keep thy preceps diligently. 1 Theſ. 4. 3. It is the will of God, even your ſanctification.

2. His Glory: They are called to ſhew forth his praiſes: 1 Pet. 2. 9 Let your light ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good works, and glorifie your Father, &c. Matth. 5. 16. You are bought with a price to glorifie God in, &c. 1 Cor. 6. 20.

3. His gracious diſpoſition towards his ſervants and people, which appears in four particulars.

Firſt, In his concurrence; he paſſeth by many a failing in the performance of our duties: Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his heritage! Mal. 3. 17. I will ſpate them as a man ſpareth his own ſon that ſerveth him.

Secondly, In his acceptance; he will accept of a willing mind, 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath, and not cording to that a man hath not: The ſervant that gained two talents; and the poor widow that caſt in two farthings, were accepted.

Thirdly, In his aſſiſtance; as he commands us to walk in his ſtatutes, ſo he puts his Spirit within us, to cauſe us to walk in them; underneath are the everlaſting arms, ſaid Moſes: Deut. 33. 27. And I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me, ſaid Paul, Phil. 4. 13.

Fourthly, In the recompence; Pſal. 19. 11. In keeping of thy Commandements there is great reward. Iſa. 1. 19. If ye be willing and obedient, ye ſhall eat the good of the Land. Rom. 2. 10. Glory, honour, and peace unto every man that worketh good.

Secondly, In reſpect of the Statutes themſelves; they are holy, and righteous, and good: The beſt way, and the ſafeſt way to walk in, are thoſe which are pleaſant to us, well-pleaſing to God. The walking in the ſtatutes of God, is the beſt way that any man can walk in, which appears thus.

Firſt, It is the way which the only wiſe and good God hath conſecrated: It is not a way of mans invention; it is not a way of Satans deluſion; it is the way of God which he himſelf commands, commends, approves, and likes.

Secondly, It is the beſt way to walk in for our ſelves.The benefit which comes by walking in Gods wayes.

1. For a mans comfort and peace: Great peace have they which keep thy Law, Pſal. 119. 165. To him that ordereth his converſation aright, will I ſhew the ſalvation of God, Pſal 50. 23. Our rejoycing is this, the teſtimony of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity and ſincerity we have …ad our converſation, 2 Cor. 1. 12. The people of God do find his paths paths of pleaſure and never meet with ſorrow, but when they are wandring from them: Prov. 19. 16. He that keepeth the Commandements, keepeth his own ſoul, but he that deſpiſeth his wayes ſhall dye.

2. For a mans ſafety; you are ſure of Gods protection whiles you are in his ſervice, and in his wayes: Gen. 17. 1. I am God Almighty, walk before me and …e thou perfect; q d. keep thou my wayes, and I will keep thy ſafety.

3. For a mans honour: The ſervice of God is our greateſt liberty, and our It… our honor.greateſt dignity: Deut. 4. 6. Keep therefore and do theſe ſtatutes; for this is your wiſdom and underſtanding in the fight of the Nations which ſhall hear of theſe ſtatutes, and ſay, Surely this Nation is a wiſe and underſtanding people.

3ly. In reſpect of the people of God themſelves, which have ſo many obligations In reſpect of Gods peopleupon them from their God; 1. His Truth. 2ly His Mercy. 3ly Giving Chriſt for, & to them. 4ly Giving his Spirit to them. 5ly Shedding his love in their hearts. 6ly Daily p. 650and hourly bleſſings. 7ly The many ſweet experiences found by them in the wayes of obedience. 8ly The bitterneſs met with when ſtarting aſide and wandring, &c.

Fourthly, Bleſſed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the way of the Lord, Holy obedience.bleſſed are they that keep his teſtimonies, Pſal. 119. 1, 2. Holy obedience or walking in Gods ſtatutes, is a teſtimony of our effectual calling to Chriſt, of our ſalvation with him: Rom. 6. 4. We are buried with him by baptiſm into death, that as Chriſt was raiſed up from the dead by the glory of the Father, ſo we ſhould walk in newneſs of Life. Epheſ. 4. 21. If ſo be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jeſus. Ver. 22. Put off the old man, &c. Ver. 24. And put on the new man which after God is created in righteouſneſs and true holineſs. Chap. 5. 8. Ye were ſometimes dark, but now are ye light in the Lord; walk as children of that light.

SECT. I.

1. Uſe. ARe the people of God charged and bound to walk in the ſtatues of God, and to keep his judgements, and to do them? O how few people then Few are Gods people.hath God? where is the man that doth obey his voice? who doth indeed take any heed to walk with God in his ſtatutes? who orders his ſteps according to his Word? Some there are that inſtead of giving an ear unto all the Scriptures, and to all the Ordinances, and to all the Statutes and Commandments of God, they are beyond the Scriptures, and beyond Ordinances, and beyond the Law, or Statutes of God, and they cry out againſt men as Legaliſts who preſs obedience, and as Antichriſtian and favouring of works: I do indeed believe that there are many Antichriſts, amongſt us, and fear the foreign that great Antichriſt is too much amongſt us, foreign, The Apoſtle deſcribing the great Antichriſt, 2 Theſ. 2 3. ſaith that he is foreign, an Exlex ſine lege, one who doth trample down the Law of God, &c. Many others there are, who though they be not Antinomians in opinion, yet are ſo in their practice; like thoſe in Pſal. 2. 3. Let us break their bonds aſunder, and caſt away their cords from us: Particular Libertines, who will have no Lord over them, and will walk after the luſts of their own hearts, and deſpiſe the ſtatutes of God: Hoſe. 8. 12. I have written unto them (concerning Ephraim) the great things of my Law, but they were counted a ſtrange thing. Beloved, take but a ſhort view of Gods ſtatutes, and of mens walking, and we ſhall confeſs that few there are that walk in his ſtatutes.

The ſtatutes of God reſpect 1. Himſelf. 2ly Our Neighbour.Who they be that walk not after Gods Commanments.

1. Himſelf, in the glory of his Nature, of his Worſhip, of his Name, and of his Day; O but how few walk in theſe ſtatutes!

1. The ignorant, that know not God.

2. The Atheiſts, that acknowledge not God.

3. Unbelievers, that truſt not God.

4. The profane that love not God, nor fear him.

5. The ſuperſtitious, and idolatrous worſhippers.

6. The curſed ſwearers, and forſwearers.

7. The rabble of Sabbath-breakers, who make the day of God the day of their idleſt recreation, or profaneſs, &c.

2. Our Neighbour, requiring honour, and ſubjection, preſervation of their names, and goods, bodies, lifes; who walk in theſe ſtatutes?

We rail againſt thoſe above us; and deſpiſe and oppreſs thoſe beneath us: It is the common trade to traduce, reproach, bely, and ſlander one another; and for theft, and adulteries, and murders, &c.

p. 651Nay, ſtep down to the Evangelical commands of Faith in Chriſt, of repentance from dead works, of newneſs of obedience, of regeneration, who walks in the paths of faith? &c. Nay look upon the paths that moſt men walk in, and we may verily conjecture that men (generally) are turned Atheiſts. One walks in the path of Blaſpheming, another in the path of Hereſie, another in the path of idolatry, another in the path of Drunkenneſs, and Whoredom, &c. as if there were no God that ever did appoint Laws and Statutes for the ſons of men, or as if it were at our pleaſure to obſerve them or to reject them. Simile. If one of us ſhould come into a Country and behold every man walking after the light of his own eyes, doing what ſeems good unto himſelf; we would ſay there is no King, and there are no good laws, or there is none that acknowledgeth and regardeth them. And ſo when we ſee the generality of men amongſt our ſelves, kindling ſparks of their own, and walking in the light of them; and as for Gods ſtatutes, to ſay as they in Jeremiah, as for the word which thou haſt ſpoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto it; why! certainly men are turned Atheiſts, they acknowledge not God in his Soveraignty, nor in his Laws: Now what ſhall I ſay to theſe men?

Here two queſtions.

1. Whence is it that men (generally) walk not in Gods ſtatutes?

2. What is the miſerie of ſuch?

Firſt, they are wicked and ungodly; they have nothing of Chriſt, or grace, Such as walk not in Gods ſtatutes, are wicked.or ſpiritual life in them; the Law of God was never witten in their hearts; children of diſobedience are children of wickedneſs; Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity againſt God, for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: They were the vileſt of the Gentiles who walked in the vanity of their mind, and were alienated from the life God, Epheſ. 4. 17, 18.

Secondly, They are children of wrath; they that walk according to the courſe of the world, are children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 2. 2. And of wrath, Ver. 3. Let no man deceive you with vain words, for becauſe of theſe things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of diſobedience, Epheſ. 5. 6. Conſider that paſſage in Amos 2. 4. Thus ſaith the Lord, for three tranſgreſſions of Judah and for four, I will not turn away the puniſhment thereof, becauſe they have deſpiſed the Law of the Lord, and have not kept his Commandements, and their lyes cauſed them to erre, after which their Fathers have walked. But Ver. 5. I will ſend a fire upon Judah, and it ſhall devoure the Pallaces of Jeruſalem. Read at your leaſure the dreadful judgements and plagues which God threatens for diſobedience: Levit. 26. from ver. 14. to ver. 40. But if you will not hearken unto me, and will not do all theſe Commandements. And Ver. 15. If ye ſhall deſpiſe my ſtatutes, or if your ſoul abhor my judgements, &c. I will, ver. 26. appoint over you terror, and conſumption, and the burning ague that ſhall conſume the eyes, and cauſe ſorrow of heart, &c. And ver. 17. I will ſet my face againſt you, and ye ſhall be ſlain before yo…r enemies; they that hate you ſhall reign over you, &c. yea and the diſobedient ſhall be puniſhed with everlaſting destruction from the preſence of the Lord, and they that forget God ſhall be caſt into hell.

Object. But you will ſay, this is dreadful indeed.God is righteous to puniſh ſinners.

Sol. I anſwer, be not deceived, God will not be mocked; he is righteous thus to recompence the ſinner and diſobedient: For

Firſt, They that refuſe to walk in his wayes, do go againſt the very light of nature: A natural light will yield unto theſe Principles.What the light of nature ſuggeſts.

1. That there is a God.

2. That a God may give Laws.

3. That the Laws of a God are juſt and holy.

4. That juſt and holy Laws ought to be obeyed: God challengeth and requires nothing from his creatures which unbefits a God to command, or beſeems his creatures to regard.

p. 652Secondly, They that refuſe to walk in his ſtatutes, they are proud, and ſcornful, and daring ſinners; it is one of, the higheſt expreſſions of pride, and affront done to God, to turn our backs from him, and to ſet our ſelves againſt him, renouncing his authority over us, and denying all honour unto him.

Thirdly, It is an inſufferable provocation for any creature to refuſe to walk in the ſtatutes of God, and yet at the ſame time to walk after the commands of the Divel, and his own wicked heart.

Object. But it is impoſſible for any man in the world to walk in the ſtatutes of God, and to keep them.

Sol. To this I anſwer.

Impoſſible is not the very reaſon why wicked men walk not in Gods ſtatutes; Why wicked men walk not in Gods ſtatutes.but the true reaſon in them, is, enmity againſt them; they have a nature which cannot endure to be ſubjected to the Law of God, but is at defiance with it, q. d. of the holineſs and righteouſneſs in it: Indeed in diſputation, to caſt a blinde, and to gainſay, and to flatter, upon an excuſe for profaneſs or ſlothfulneſs, this is pretended and urged; O it is impoſſible, and in many things we ſin all: But that is not a reaſon or ground, why wicked men walk not in Gods ſtatutes or wayes, but in their ſinful wayes; the very reaſon indeed is this, thier wicked hearts do hate Gods holy and righteous ſtatutes, and do love darkneſs rather then light, Joh. 3.

Secondly, If it were abſolutely impoſſible, how is it that we read of all the people of God that they have walked in his ſtatutes and wayes? Enoch did ſo, ſo did Noah, ſo did Abraham, ſo did David, ſo did Zacharias, and Elizabeth, ſo did Hezekiah, ſo did Paul, Acts 23. 1. I have lived in all good conſcience before God untill this day.

Thirdly, There is a twofold walking in Gods ſtatutes; viz.

1. Legal; which is ſuch an exactneſs of obediential conformity, that there is What is legal obedience.not the leaſt deviation from the rule, not the leaſt obliquity, or tranſgreſſion, or failing, or ſhortneſs, but the full tale of duty for matter and for manner is performed; this I confeſs is actually impoſſible for any man, yea for the beſt on earth.

2. Evangelical; which conſiſts. 1. In the application of all the ſtatutes of God as holy and good. 2ly In the exaltation of them; as the Rule to guide our lives, What is Evangelical obedience.and the Paths wherein we will walk. 3ly In the love of them, delighting our ſelves in them. 4ly In an humble and ſincere endeavour to keep them all: This walking in Gods ſtatutes, and keeping of his judgements, is not impoſſible; and there is not a godly man on earth who riſeth not to this: Heb. 13. 18. We truſt we have a good conſcience in all things, willing to live honeſtly.

Fourthly, If this Evangelical walking in Gods ſtatutes be impoſſible to any man, this ariſeth not from the nature of the ſtatutes of God, but from the wickedneſs of mans own nature, which he ſhould beſeech the Lord to heal, and change, and renew by his grace, and then the ſtatutes of God would not be grievous unto him, much leſs would they be impoſſible; he ſhould quickly find that of Chriſt to be true: Math. 30. My yoke is eaſie, and my burden is light.

p. 653Ezek. 36. 27.

And cauſe you to walk in my Statutes, and ye ſhall keep my Judgements, and do them.

SECT. II.

2. Ʋſe. THe ſecond Uſe which I would make of this Point, that the people of How to prove our ſelves to be of the number of Gods people.God under the Covenant of grace, are to walk in his ſtatutes, and to do them, is this, That as we are to approve our ſelves to be the people of God, that we make it our care and buſineſs to order our converſations according to his Word, to walk in his Statutes, to conform our ſelves in all our wayes to the obedience of his will: And for the better carrying on of this Uſe, I deſire to ſpeak unto three Queſtions.

1. How a man muſt be qualified, that ſo he may be willing, … and in ſome meaſure able to walk in the ſtatutes of God, and do them?

2. What miſtakes a man muſt take heed of in the performances of duties of obedience to Gods Laws and ſtatutes?

3. What rules are to be obſerved in walking in Gods ſtatutes, and how one may perform acts of obedience, or ſpiritual duties in ſuch a manner as God will accept of them?

1. Queſt. How a man muſt be qualified, that ſo he may be willing, and in ſome meaſure able to walk in the ſtatutes of God, and do them?How we may be enabled to walk in Gods ſtatutes.

Sol. There are ſix Qualifications as to this.

1. A Credence, that there is a God who hath given Laws unto men, which every man is enjoyned to obey.

2. A Knowledge of the Laws of God which do concern him to keep or obey.

3. A Sanctified will, or renewed heart.

4. An Evangelical faith.

5. An Ʋnfeigned love of God.

6. An Humble ſpirit.

1. A Credence that there is a God who hath given Laws unto all the ſons of men, and they are bound to keep and obey them.

If this Principle (as I have expreſſed it) be not granted, it is in vain to offer any thing concerning walking in Gods ſtatutes, and keeping, and doing of them. If a perſon denies

1. That there is a God, unqueſtionably he doth therein deny all the Lawes or ſtatutes of God, and likewiſe all obedience unto his laws: and holdThree Atheiſtical Poſitions.

2. That God hath no authority to preſcribe Laws unto his creatures, or that he never did conſtitute any Laws preſcribing and limiting his creatures, but hath left every man to walk in the wayes of his own heart.

3. Though he hath ſet Laws and Rules of life, yet his creatures are at their own liberty to obey them, or not obey them, if he obey them it is well; and if they pleaſe not to obey them, there is no ſin or danger.

p. 654I ſay ſuch Atheiſtical Poſitions as theſe do utterly void all the ſoveraignty of God, and obligations of man, and are the foundations of all wickedneſs and diſobedience; therefore of neceſſity if any perſon would walk in the ſtatutes of God, and do them, he muſt be really and fully convinced of theſe three Principles.

1. That there is a God, a true and living God, the Maker and poſſeſſor of Heaven and Earth, who is the Lord and Soveraign of all men; to whom the authority of making laws for them doth of right belong; for he indeed hath the Soveraignty and higheſt power.

2. That he hath given Laws or ſtatutes unto all the ſons of men, in which he reveals his mind, will, and pleaſure concerning them, what he would have them to do, and what he would have them to avoid.

3. That thoſe Laws or ſtatutes of his, are Obligations upon men; they do not only teach what is good and evil, but bind us alſo to do that good, and to decline that evil: The Lord God being bound to uphold his own will and glory, and having threatned all tranſgreſſors of his Laws, and revealed his wrath againſt them, and hath puniſhed them, and ſtill hath in readineſs to avenge the diſobedience of men.

Secondly, When you do believe that there is a God who hath authority to preſcribe Laws unto you, and that he hath enacted and publiſhed them for all men to take notice of them; then muſt you give diligence to know what his Laws are concerning you, and to underſtand them, that you may be able to ſay concerning your ſelves what the Apoſtle ſpake of others, This is the will of God concerning you. Pſal. 119. 27. Make me to underſtand the way of thy precepts. Ver. 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law. Ver. 12. Bleſſed art thou, O Lord, teach me thy ſtatutes. Iſa. 2. 3. Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the houſe of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his wayes.

Now here briefly are two Queſtions.

1. Queſt. What kind of knowledge of Gods ſtatutes is requiſite towards our A threefold knowledge of Gods ſtatutes.walking in them?

There is a threefold knowledge of them.

Firſt, A knowledge of apprehenſion, which is partly

1. Literal; this is the leaſt and weakeſt part of our knowledge, when a man A …iteral knowledge.can ſay, or read, or hear the words of Gods Laws, and recite them word by word, yet without underſtanding the hiddenneſs of the Laws themſelves; as many ſay the words of the Lords Prayer, who yet underſtand not the meaning of that prayer: So do many ſay the words of Gods Laws or Commandements, who yet, &c.

2. Spiritual; and this is of that Law which is in the Law; it is a knowledge of Spiritual knowledgethe true meaning and purpoſe of any Law or ſtatute of God: Many know literally, who yet know not ſpiritually, ſo a… to dive into, and reach the meaning of God. e. g. Thou ſhalt have none other Gods but me, Exod. 20. 3. Theſe letters and words are known by many, and yet the ſenſe of them is known only to a few, namely that we muſt ſet up the true God only for our God, and make him the only object of our truſt, and love, and fear: Now look on this Law in the true ſenſe and ſpiritual interpretation thereof, as particularly binding our ſouls.

Secondly, A knowledge of approbation: Though a man doth know the ſpiritual part and intent of Gods Laws, yet if his ſoul riſes up againſt them as A knowledge of approbation.cruel, as unjuſt, as vain, and unprofitable, ſuch a knowledge as this (conjoyned with diſlike and exception) will never conduce to our obedience or walking in them, but rather to diſobedience; to the knowledge of apprehenſion joyn the knowledge p. 655of approbation; our judgements muſt comply with, and acknowledge that Divine Excellency and equity in the ſtatutes of God: Rom. 7. 12. The Law is holy, and the Commandement holy, and juſt, and good. Pſal. 119. 138. Thy teſtimonies which thou haſt commanded us are righteous, and very faithful.

Thirdly, A knowledge of Application; we muſt know the ſtatutes of God, A knowledge of Applicatio…and approve of them as righteous and good, and alſo we muſt apply the righteouſneſs and goodneſs of them to our ſelves (i. e.) that they do concern every of us in particular, as obliging of us, and good for us.

As Eliphas ſpake to Job; Job. 5. 27. Lo this we have ſearched, ſo it is, hear thou i…, and know thou it for thy good: So ſay I, you muſt hear and know the ſtatutes of God, how righteous they are, how good they are, how bleſſed they are, what a command and power they have, and this you muſt apply unto your ſelves, not only as belonging to others, and ſpeaking to others, but as belonging alſo to your ſelves, to order your lives by them: Pſal. 119. 4. Thou haſt commanded to keep thy precepts diligently. Ver. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ſtatutes! When you know that Commandement, Thou ſhalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain; or that Commandement, Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day, &c. You muſt know theſe Commandements as reſpecting you, and obliging you, that you muſt not ſwear, and that you muſt not break the Sabbath, but that you muſt know the Name of God, and ſanctifie the day of God, &c.

2. Queſt. What can knowledge contribute towards a walking in Gods ſtatutes, &c? for many know them, and yet do not, &c.

Sol. To this, take briefly theſe Anſwers.

Firſt, Though poſſibly a man may know the ſtatutes of God, and yet not walk How knowledge contributes to obedience.in them, yet that knowledge is no cauſe of it: Knowledge is in itſelf a help and furtherance to walking (as the light is to working) it is not any hinderance at all; that which hinders knowing perſons from obedience, is not the light of their knowledge, but the luſt of their corrupt affections which bear down their knowledge.

Secondly, Without knowledge of the ſtatutes of God, that which we call duty or obedience, is neither practical nor acceptable.

1. It is not practical: Knowledge is a neceſſary previous quality unto acts Without knowledge obedience is not practical.of duty. It is impoſſible to obey the will of God, if we know not the will of God: Can a ſervant do the will of his Maſter who knows not the will of his Maſter? our obedience (in Rom. 12. 1.) is called a reaſonable ſervice; and rational it cannot be without knowledge; without knowledge it is rather brutiſh than reaſonable.

2. It cannot be acceptable: The Apoſtle ſaith in Heb. 11. 6. That without Nor acceptable.Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God; for he that cometh to God, muſt believe that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him: But faith there cannot be without knowledge, there cannot be Faith for the acceptance of duty, unleſſe firſt there be a knowledge of Gods Command of that duty.

Thirdly, There is an aptitude of knowledge of things to be done, to put us upon the doing of thoſe things: For knowledge is a Spiritual light, and ſpiritual light it is not only Repreſentative, but alſo operative; it will work upon the conſcience, and will, and affections to draw them up to that performance of what is known: This you ſee in enlightned ſinners, who are made to ſee the will or commands of God, that the light hath an influence upon their hearts and conſciences and ſervices, to excuſe or condemn them, and ſo ſtill it doth untill they do impriſon or extinguiſh that light.

4. At leaſt knowledge may ſerve your thus far, to put you upon prayer, to ſeek the Lord to give you an heart to walk in his ſtatutes: If it be not able to make you to walk in his ſtatutes, yet it is in ſome meaſure conducing to lead out p. 656your deſires to the Lord to write his Laws in your hearts, and to cauſe you to walk in his ſtatutes.

Thirdly, As you muſt get the knowledge of Gods ſtatutes if you would walk in We muſt have our hearts and wills ſanctified, if we will keep Gods Commandments.them; ſo likewiſe you muſt get your hearts and wills ſanctified. Our walking in Gods ſtatutes, is ſtiled newneſs of life: Rom. 6. 4. That we ſhould walk in newneſs of life; and a ſervice in newneſs of Spirit, Rom. 7. 6. implying the neceſſity of a new ſpirit towards a new life: You know that to the walking in Gods ſtatutes, there muſt be 1. A ſubordination of our wills to Gods will; Gods will muſt not go one way, and our wills run another way: If our wlls be contrary to his, this is a plain diſobedience: But now to reduce our will to the way of God; this requires holineſs or renovation in our wills, foraſmuch as the carnal will is enmity to the Law of God, Rom. 8. 7. 2ly A conformity or ſimilitude; our walking and Gods▪ Precepts muſt agree; what is to be found in Gods Commands, that muſt be found in our practice, elſe it is not a walking in his ſtattutes; you do not ſet them up as your Rule, as your Copy, if you do not commenſurate your actions by them, and to both theſe, holineſs of heart is required: For the heart muſt be ſanctified and renewed, or elſe it can neither yield up it ſelf, nor conform itſelf to that holy will of God; conſider that paſſage of the Apoſtle, 1 Pet. 1. …. 2. Through ſanctification of the Spirit unto obedience: why doth not the Apoſtle ſay, election to obedience, but through ſanctification of the Spirit unto obedience? not that we are not elected unto obedience, but that there can be no obedience without the ſanctification of the Spirit; As there can be no action of life without a principle of life; ſo there can be no actions of Spiritual life, without the great principle of holineſs in the heart; and when God puts that holy diſpoſition into our hearts, this will as ſweetly incline us to walk in the ſtatutes of God, as we were wont to be enclined to walk in ways of wickedneſs when we were under the power of an unholy and ſinful diſpoſition.

Four things a man ſhall find when once his heart is indeed ſanctified by the Spirit of God.What we ſhall find when our hearts are ſanctified.

1. An abhorring of every evil way contrary to Gods ſtatutes: I hate all falſe ways, ſaith David, Pſal. 119. 104. A way of wickedneſs is no way for an holy heart.

2. A Complyance with every good way, and path appointed by God for us to walk in: I eſteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, Pſal. 119. 128. And ver. 173. I have choſen thy precepts.

3. A ſingular propenſion of his heart to walk in the wayes of God: I have enclined my heart to perform thy ſtatutes alwayes, even unto the end, Pſal. 119. 112.

4. A ſpecial delight in th…ſe ſtatu…es of God, and in walking in them. My ſoul hath kept thy Teſtim…s, and … love them exceedingly, Pſal. 119. 1…7. Thy teſtimonies are my delig…t, and my counſellers. Ver. 24 I will delight my ſelf in thy ſtatutes. Ver. 16. I have rejoyced in the way of thy teſtimonies as much as in all riches, Ver. 14.

O ſirs, the Law of God is againſt a wicked heart, and a wicked heart is againſt the Law of God! that is holy, but his heart is unholy; for that there is no agreement between them, but a perpetual enmity and contrariety; the Law threatens his ſinful luſts and wayes, and his heart deſpiſeth and oppoſeth the Law q. d. it is holy, and therefore contrary to his unholy heart. And therefore of neceſſity this unholineſs muſt be taken away (and no other way can it be removed but by the ſanctifying of the heart) before a man can or will walk in Gods ſtatutes.

Fourthly, If you would walk in the ſtatutes of God, then you muſt get an Evangelical ſaith, as Chriſt ſpake in another caſe unto that troubled man, Mark. 19. 23. If thou canſt believe, all things are poſſible to him that believeth: p. 657that ſay I concerning walking in Gods ſtatutes; if we could believe, had we faith, and could we act it aright, our obedience would be poſſible to us, and acceptable unto God.

That there is a neceſſity of this faith, and likewiſe an efficacy, for our walking The neceſſity of faith, if we will walk in Gods wayes.in Gods ſtatutes, may thus appear.

1. It is that grace which unites us unto Chriſt, in whom there is a fulneſs of grace, and likewiſe a fulneſs of ſtrength: As we have no grace but what comes from Chriſt, ſo we have no ſtrength but what comes from him; without me (ſaith Chriſt: Joh. 15. 5.) ye can do nothing; if we can do nothing without Chriſt, then certainly we cannot obey, we cannot walk in Gods ſtatutes without him; and therefore faith is neceſſary for this obediential walking, becauſe without Chriſt we can do nothing, and becauſe without faith we have nothing to do with Chriſt.

2. It is the grace of life: I live (ſaith Paul, Gal. 2. 20.) yet not I, but Chriſt liveth in me, and the life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God: We never live (Spiritually) untill we do believe; for Chriſt is our life by faith; upon this account faith is neceſſary to our obediential walking, becauſe ſuch a walking is impoſſible without a ſpiritually vital principle.

3. It is that grace by which we do receive the Spirit: We receive the promiſe of the Spirit through Faith, Gal. 3. 14. But without the Spirit there is no poſſible walking in God ſtatutes; becauſe all the power and might that we have to do any good (as you may ſhortly hear) comes from the preſence and aſſiſtance of the Spirit, who is in a ſoule all in all, in all the good which we do perform.

4. It is the grace which applies all the promiſes of help and ſtrength, and which brings in all your aſſiſtance from Chriſt: You know that God doth promiſe his help for our work: Zech. 10. 12. I will ſtrengthen them in the Lord, and they ſhall walk up and down in his Name, ſaith the Lord; and ſo here in the Text, I will cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes, Ezek. 36. What have you to draw without of theſe wells but faith? here is your work, there is your help, and it is yours upon believing: And ſo for the aſſiſting power of Chriſt, you can do nothing without it, as you have heard; and therefore Paul ſpeaking of his abundant labour in the Goſpel, ſaith, Yet not I, but the grace of God which is with me, 1 Cor. 15. 10. this likewiſe becomes yours upon believing; it is faith which engageth Chriſt, and draws him in to aſſiſt and enable you for every work which you are to do.

5. It is the grace which doth encourage our hearts to walk in Gods ſtatutes: Gen. 4. 7. If thou doſt well, ſhalt thou not be accepted? Iſa. 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my houſe of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their ſacrifices ſhall be accepted upon mine Altar. What an encouragement is this to be walking in the ſtatutes of God, to be obeying of his will, to be much in duties, when we know by faith that our prayers, and tears, and weak duties ſhall be accepted upon the altar for Chriſts ſake! Mal. 3. 16. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his Name. By all this you may ſee how neceſſary faith is for to enable us to walk in Gods ſtatutes; therefore pray much for faith.

If you would walk in Gods ſtatutes, then you muſt get an unfeigned love of God: Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumciſe thy heart, and the heart of thy ſeed to love the Lord thy God with all their heart, and with all their ſoul. Ver. 8. And thou ſhalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandements which I command thee this day. Exod. 20. 6. Shewing mercy unto thouſands of them that love me and keep my Commandements. Paul reduceth all obedience unto love, when he calls love the fulfilling of the Law, Rom. 13. 8. And p. 658ſo doth Jeſus Chriſt, who reduceth all the Commandements to love, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God, and thou ſhalt love thy neighbour as thy ſelf. Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me, he will keep my words. Men grumble at the keeping of God… Laws, and at walking according to his ſtatutes; they look at them as grievo…s and burthenſome to them, and undelightful; are weary of praying, weary of reading and hearing the Word, weary of the Sabbath, when will it be at an end▪ weary of every good work, though never weary of ſinning. What is the reaſon of this? the reaſon is, becauſe they do not love the Lord, and therefore they … weary of his ſtatutes and obedience; whereas did they love the Lord, all comm… nion with him, and all ſervices done unto him, would be pleaſing and delightful; our works of duty would not ſeem unto us a ſervile burden, but a gracious priviledge, and ſpecial favour, that we might freely approach to God, and be imployed as ſervants unto him.

Object. OnelyOnly here take heed of a miſtake that you do not look on love to God as the rule of your obedience, but only as a ſweet inward ſpring or principle of it?

Sol. Some (who would cancel the Law as to believers) would make our Love is not the only rule of our obedience.love to God the rule of all our obedience to God; but this is not ſound doctrine: For

1. That which is a part of our obedience, cannot be the rule of our obedience: Now love is a part of a mans obedience as well as faith and fear, &c.Antinomians confuted.

2. No rule of mans obedience muſt be imperfect, but perfect and full; now our love is imperfect, and therefore it cannot be the rule of our obedience.

Get humble and tender hearts.Sixthly, If you would walk in Gods ſtatutes and do them, then you m…ſt g… humble hearts, and tender hearts: Simile. It is with our hearts as with mettals digged out of the earth, which are impure and hard, and as ſo, of little or no uſe, but when they are melted and purged, they are then capable of being uſeful and being ſerviceable veſſels. Thus it is with our hearts, whiles they are unbroken, and hard, and proud, they are rebellious, diſobedient, reprobate to every good work: Exod. 5. 2. Pharaoh ſaid, Who is the Lord that I ſhould obey his voice to le… Iſrael go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Iſrael go. Pſal. 119. 21▪ Tho… haſt rebuked the proud that are curſed which do erre from thy Commandements. Jer. 44. 16. The proud men (Chap. 43. 2.) spake, As for the word that thou haſt ſpoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But when the Lord gives unto men humble and tender hearts, now they will cloſe with, and ſubmit unto Gods ſtatutes, and to a walking in them: Deut. 33. 3. All his Saints are in thy hand, and they ſate down at thy feet; every one ſhall receive of thy word. Lord, ſaid Paul (when the pride and rage of his ſpirit was off, and himſelf himſelf) what wilt thou have me to do? Acts. 9. 6. You read in James 4. 6. that God gives grace to the humble. And Pſal. 25. 9. The meek will he teach his way, &c. Hence ſaith Chriſt, Matth. 11. 29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; intimating unto us that there is no taking upon us the yoke of obedience, untill we firſt learn of him the leſſon of lowlineſs of heart: An humble and tender heart is wholly at Gods diſpoſing, and ready for his ſervice, moſt affraid to offend and diſhonour him, and moſt ready to give audience to every part of his will, and to to do it, and to bring him honour and glory in the whole courſe of a mans life: Beſeech the Lord to give you this humble and tender heart without which you will neither regard God nor his ſtatutes.

2. Queſt. What miſtakes are we to take heed of in walking in Gods ſtatutes? or What we muſt take heed of in walking in Gods wayes.in the performance of our duties of obedience unto him?

Sol. There are theſe things which you muſt take heed of in your walking, and in your performance of duties.

Firſt, You muſt take heed of formality, and reſting in the opus operatum, in the meere doing of duties commanded. There are two parts of duties; there is p. 659Of Formality.the body of it, and there is the ſoul of it; there is the work, and there is the manner of working. As in Prayer, there are the words of prayer, and there is the Spirit of Prayer; and in hearing of the Word, there is the meer hearing, and there is the right hearing, or the ſpiritual hearing of the Word. Now we muſt take heed that we content not our ſelves with the meer outward doing of any duty, becauſe

1. God requires more then the meer outward work: My ſon (ſaith he) give God requires the heartme thy heart, Prov. 23. 26. And Chriſt ſaith that God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in truth, Joh. 4. 4▪

2. God Abhors and rejects the meer outward ſervice: Iſa. 29. 13. Foraſmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, and have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by precepts of men: Ver. 14. therefore behold I will proceed to do a marvellous worke amongſt this people, a marvellous work, and a wonder; for the wiſdom of the wiſe men ſhall periſh, &c.

Now there are four things which demonſtrate that men do perform duties in a formal manner, and content themſelves with the meer opus operatum.Why do men reſt in the work done. Its an eaſie ſervice.

1. One is the facility of their obedience: To perform any one duty, to make any one prayer in a ſpiritual manner, will coſt us much care and watchfulneſs, many workings of heart, many workings of faith, and fear; but to perform duties in a carnal, formal way coſts a man nothing; if he can but read, or ſay his prayers, this is all, and there he reſts.

2. A ſecond is, the deadneſs of the ſervices: It is a ſervice without any heart Its a dead ſervice.at all; the underſtanding acts not, and the will acts not, and the affections act not in it; the man confeſſeth ſin without any grief of heart for ſin, and even prays for grace and mercy without any longing deſires, or faith in Chriſt or the promiſes to obtain it.

3. A careleſneſs of ſervice: The formal man minds not God, nor any communion A careleſs ſervice.with him, and minds not prayer, and minds nothing beyond prayer, whether his own heart be right or no, and whether God regards him, and anſwers him, this he minds not.

4. A fruitleſneſs of doing: Nothing comes of the formal work of duty; the man ſaith a prayer, but no good comes of it, and he hears, but no good comes of it, A fruitleſs ſervice.ſtill he prayes, and ſtill he hears, and ſtill he reads, and ſtill he is drunk, and ſtill he ſwears, &c.

Secondly, You muſt take heed of neutrality in walking in Gods ſtatutes; neutrality Take heed of neutrality.is an indifferent participation of both extreams; it hath ſomething of the one, and ſomething of the other, as luke-warm water, hath ſomething of heat, and ſomething of cold: So the man who is guilty of neutrality in walking in Gods ſtatutes, he hath one foot in the wayes of God, and another foot in the wayes of wickedneſs, he halts between two Opinions; he is not only for God, nor only for Baal, 1 King. 18. 21. he is not altogether for Gods commands, nor altogether for ſins commands, but he devides himſelf betwixt God and his ſinful luſts; he will pray, but withall he will ſwear; and he will hear the Word, but withall he will be drunk; he will do many things that are good, but withall he will do many things that are wicked. Now take heed of this; God cannot endure it. If God be God, follow him: 1 King. 18. 21. You ſhall walk in my ſtatutes, ſaith God here (i. e.) you ſhall ſet me up alone, and my commands alone, and my wayes alone. Zeph. 1. 5. I will cut off them that ſwear by the Lord, and that ſwear by Malcham. Rev. 3. 16. Becauſe thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will ſpew thee out of my mouth. Matth. 4. 10. It is written thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him only ſhalt thou ſerve.

Thirdly, You muſt take heed of partiality in walking in Gods ſtatutes: We ſay Take heed of partiality.that Lex eſt copulativa; God doth not ſay you ſhall do this, or do that, you ſhall p. 660fear me, or you ſhall love me, you ſhall keep my Sabbath, or you ſhall not take my Name in vain; no ſuch matter, but the Law is conjunctive, and doth require obedience to every commandement of God: Jam. 2. 11. For he that ſaid do not commit adultery, ſaid alſo do not kill; now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a tranſgreſſer of the Law. We read that Jehu did many things which God commanded in order to the deſtruction of the houſe of Ahab; but yet he diſobeyed God in following the ſin of Jeroboam, which tended to the deſtruction of his own ſoul: And ſo Herod heard John Baptiſt, and did many things, but yet he kept Herodias his brother Philips wife. Right obedience is impartial obedience, and he who regards one Commandement of God out of Conſcience; he doth likewiſe regard every Commandement of God; for there is the ſame authority ſtamped on all the Commandements: Therefore it is but hypocriſie to regard ſome of Gods ſtatutes, and to diſregard others: Some men ſtand much for obedience or duties to the ſecond Table, but they mind not the duties o… the firſt Table; they ſeem to make conſcience of lying, and ſtealing, and killing, and adultery; but they make no conſcience of ſwearing, and taking the Name of God in vain, and breaking the ſabb…th; ſome ſeem to make conſcience of leſſer duties, but they make no conſcience of greater duties, and ſo others & … contrà: But God hath not given unto us ſuch a liberty to pick and chuſe our work; if the Lord commands us the ſmalleſt or the greateſt duties, we are to yield obedience to the one and to the other, not neglecting the leaſt, nor laying aſide the greateſt: He that is unfaithful in the leaſt, will be unfaithful alſo in the greateſt; and he that is faithful in the greateſt, will be alſo faithful in the leaſt; it is a truth that ſins of omiſſion will damn a man as well as ſins of commiſſion; therefore take heed of partiality in keeping of Gods ſtatutes.

Fourthly, You muſt take heed of reſting or relying upon any of your works or Take heed of reſting upon duties.duties; you muſt endeavour obedience unto Gods Law, but you muſt beware of placing your confidence upon that obedience: You muſt pray, and read, and hear, and mourn, and repent, and walk holily and humbly with your God; and you muſt live ſoberly, and righteouſly, and godly, and fear the Lord, and love the Lord, and obey his voice, and when you have done ſo to your utmoſt, and to your beſt, then muſt you caſt your Crowns to the ground, and weep that you have ſerved your God no more, and no better, and cry out with the Publican, God be merciful to me a ſinner! and with David, Enter not into judgement with thy ſervant, for in thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified, Pſal. 143. 2. And with him, Domine lava, quaeſ…, lachrymas meas! If you advance your duties or works of obedience unto a condition of life, to be the matter and reaſon of your juſtification before God, and ſay, Lord, theſe are my righteouſneſſes, and for theſe I look to be juſtified and ſaved, why! now as Peter ſaid to Simon Magus, Thou and thy money periſh with thee; So ſay I, now thou and all thy duties will periſh together: For

1. God commands not works of duty from his people, that they ſhould Gods Commands not duties that we ſhould be juſtified thereby. To ſet up works, puls down Chriſt and faith in him.thereby be juſtified, but that thereby himſelf might be glorified; not as reaſons of life, but as teſtimonies of love and thankfulneſs.

2. You pull down Jeſus Chriſt▪ and faith in him, if you ſet up any works of yours for life or juſtification; Chriſt is no Chriſt unto you and his righteouſneſs is no righteouſneſs unto you, if you ſeek to ſet up your own works and put confidence in them: Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of n…ne effect unto you, whoſoever of you are juſtified by the Law, ye are fallen from grace.

3. It is fool…ſh and damnable ſo to do: For when you have done all that you can do, you are but unprofitable ſervants: The leaſt duties that ever you have performed I…s fooliſh and damnable.have enough in them to damn you: There is much ſinfulneſs, and much weakneſs, and much ſhortneſs in them, which if God ſhould mark, you could never p. 661ſtand before him: Remember this for a certain truth, that he who would come to heaven, muſt take heed of his good works, as well as of his evil works; they will damn him; and if he place his confidence upon his good works, they will deſtroy him: Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteouſneſs which we have done, but according to his mercy he ſaved us.

Fifthly, You muſt take heed of performing duties, or obeying Gods ſtatutes Take heed of falſe ends.for falſe ends; As 1. To recompence God. 2ly To give him ſatisfaction for the evil that you have done. 3ly To offer them up as purchaſers of mercies and bleſſings. 4ly To look on them as your propitiation and peace-makers. 5ly Only to quiet and ſtill your conſciences. 6ly Out of vain-glory and to pleaſe men.

Firſt, You muſt not perform duties, nor preſent them to God as compenſations Duties muſt not be performed by way of compenſation.or recompence unto God for the bleſſings and benefits which God hath vouchſafed unto you: There is a difference between thankfulneſs for bleſſings, and requitals for bleſſings; we ought to be thankful unto God, and to return praiſes and obedience after the receit of his mercies; offer unto God thanſgiving, Pſal. 50. 14. And praiſe is comely for the upright, Pſal. 33. 1. But to recompence God again by any good that we can do, for any good that he hath done, this may not be, and this cannot be: Job 35. 7. ſaid Eliphaz to Job, If thou be righteous, what giveſt thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? v. 8. Thy wickedneſs may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteouſneſs may profit the ſon of man. Pſal. 16. 2. My goodneſs extendeth not to thee; q. d. Thou art not benefited by any good works of ours, &c. I cannot add any thing thereby unto thee, we receive all from thee, but can give nothing unto thee by which thou mayeſt be bettered; for thou art an infinite being, and therefore we can add nothing to thee.

Secondly, You muſt not do any good work, thinking thereby to ſatisfie God for your evil works: Many people when they have committed ſin, and injured Nor to ſatisfie God for our ſins.and diſhonoured God, then they fall a praying, and a reading, and a hearing, and put on to works of piety, and charity, and their intention or end in doing of theſe duties is to make God amends, and to make up the wrong which they have done him, ſuppoſing that the good which now they do, will ballance the evil which they have done, and ſatisfie God: Now though this be true, that our ſinnings do injure God, and therefore its reaſon that after our ſinnings we ſhould be much humbled, and be more circumſpect in our walking, and more diligent and upright: Yet to act all theſe as ſatisfactions to God for the ſinful injurious workes which we have done againſt him, This is 1. Fooliſh. 2ly Sinful.

Firſt, It is fooliſh, foraſmuch as nothing that we can do, can amount unto Its fooliſh.a ſatisfaction for the evil that we can do; Becauſe

1. All the good which we now do, we ought ſtill to have done; and that which Reaſons of it.was ſtill a duty, can never be a ſatisfaction.

2. There is more evil in the evil that we have done, than there is good in the good which we do; our ſinful evil is perfectly evil, and our beſt good is but imperfect good: The evil that we do againſt God, deſerves hell; and the good which we do, deſerves nothing; the evil which is done needs infinite mercies to pardon it; and the good which we do, is ſo mixt with our ſinfulneſs, that that alſo needs mercy to pardon and accept it; and that which needs mercy cannot be a ſatisfaction.

Secondly, It is ſinful: For this is to take upon us the work of a Mediatour, to whom alone that work of ſatisfaction doth pertain; and he muſt be both God and Its ſinful.man, or elſe he could not have ſatisfied for our ſins: Now to preſume that our own imperfect obedience is able to ſatisfie God for our ſins, and to clear all our accounts and reckonings between him and us, what is this but to lay aſide the perfect ſatisfactions of Christ the only Mediatour, and to ſet up our own weak p. 662righteouſneſs as ſufficient to compenſate the Juſtice of God.

Thirdly, You muſt not offer up any performances of yours as cauſes of mercy and Nor as cauſes of mercies and bleſſings.bleſſings; you muſt pray, and you muſt mourn, and you muſt repent, and you muſt obey the voice of the Lord your God, and you muſt walk in his ſtatutes and do them: and if you do ſo with upright hearts, God will meet you with mercy and bleſſings: Nevertheleſs you may not look on any performance of yours as cauſes meriting and purchaſing any bleſſing unto you; remember that excellent paſſage in Pſal. 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto ſuch as keep his Commandements and his teſtimonies. Yet Ver. 11. For thy Name ſake pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. Here is mercy and truth for them that keep his Commandements; and then here is not our obedience, but his Name the cauſe of our mercy; not for my obedience ſake, but for thy Name ſake pardon mine iniquity, &c. So when Daniel faſted and prayed in an extraordinary way for mercy and for deliverance out of the Babylonian captivity, he impleads not thoſe works as cauſes of them, nay as ſo he rejects them: Dan. 9. 17. Now therefore O our God, he…r the prayer of thy ſervant and his ſupplications, and cauſe thy face to ſhine upon thy ſanctuary that is deſolate, for the Lords ſake. Ver. 18. O my God, encline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes and behold our deſolations, and the City that is called by thy Name; for we do not preſent our ſupplications before thee for our righteouſneſs, but for thy great mercies.

There are four things to be obſerved about mercies and bleſſings.What is to be obſerved about mercies and bleſſings.

1. The Efficient Cauſe; and that is only Gods own love, and grace, and mercy; his own glorious love is the only efficient cauſe of all our bleſſings whether ſpiritual or temporal.

2. The Final Cauſe; and that is only Gods own glory; all is from his mercy, and all is for his glory; he is the firſt, and he is the laſt; out of the ſea of his mercy they come, and into the ſea of his glory they do return.

3. The Meritorious Cauſe; and that is Jeſus Chriſt, who by his blood hath purchaſed all things for us pertaining to life and godlineſs.

4. The means by which, not cauſes for which they are obtained and enjoyed, They are means whereby bleſſings are obtained.and ſuch are our holy performances and walkings, unto which God hath promiſed abundance of mercies and bleſſings, and we ſhall enjoy them, not Ratione facti, for the worthineſs of our doings, but Ratione promiſſionis, for the goodneſs and faithfulneſs of his promiſe unto our upright doing and walking.

Therefore take heed of looking on any doing, and walking as meritorious cauſes of mercies and bleſſings: For

1. All the good we can do, is but what we ought to do; and no duty of man can Why they cannot merit mercies.be meritorious with God.

2. All the good we do, is done by the ſtrength of Chriſt; therefore it cannot merit, ſeeing it is done not by our own ſtrength, but Chriſts.

3. All the good we do, finds acceptance only in and for Chriſt; our prayers are accepted in him, and our ſervices are accepted in him; and therefore they merit nothing of themſelves.

4. All good ſervices muſt be done in faith, or elſe they cannot be pleaſing to God, Heb. 11. 16. Now, Faith and the merit of mans works are utterly inconſiſtent.

5. Laſtly, All the bleſſings which you ſhall ever enjoy, you muſt take them out of Gods promiſes, or Covenant of grace; and no gift flowing from that Covenant of grace but it is freely given unto us.

Fourthly, You muſt not look upon any performances, ſervices, acts of obedience They cannot make peace with God.done by you, as propitiations, as able to make peace with God for the ſins which you have committed againſt God. When we have ſinned againſt God, we muſt humble our ſouls, and repent, and pray unto the Lord to pardon us, and to be reconciled unto us, and to take away iniquity, and to be at peace with us: But p. 663theſe works done by us (though never ſo penitential and holy) they cannot take off our ſins, and they cannot be our peace. O no! the provocations raiſed by our ſins are too high, and too great for any work of ours to compaſs: Though God will not pardon your ſins, nor be reconciled unto you, unleſs you do repent, pray, and ſeek his face, and believe; yet 'ti… not rep… tance, and 'tis not prayer, and 'tis not faith, that takes up the differences, that reconciles you to God. It is only Jeſus Chriſt, He is our peace, Epheſ. 2. 14. And he is the propitiation for our ſins, 1 Joh. 2. 2. The chastiſement of our peace was laid on him, Iſa. 53. 5. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world unto himſelf, 2 Cor. 5. 19. We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, Rom. 5. 10. And by him we receive the atonement, Ver. 11.

Object. But do we not read that God hath pardoned the ſinnes of his people, and hath ſpoken peace unto them upon their humblings, and returnings, a… prayers?

Sol. Yes, we do upon theſe works, but never for theſe works; theſe did no… make peace, but Chriſt it was who made peace; theſe did not purchaſe forgiveneſs of ſins, but the blood of Chriſt it was which did purchaſe that; therefore take heed you ſet up none of your obediential performances in the pla…e of Chriſt; perform them you muſt if you would have mercy and peace; but do not rely on them, but on the merits of Chriſt only to procure your peace.

Fifthly, You muſt not walk in Gods ſtatutes, or perform holy duties only to We muſt not perform duties to ſtill our conſciences. How men ſet up works to quiet conſcience.ſtill and quiet your conſcience; you muſt perform them out of conſcience, but you muſt not perform them only to quiet conſcience.

In two caſes ſome men ſet upon works of obedience only to ſtill and quiet conſcience.

1. One is the caſe of education and custome: They have been brought up religiouſly, and have been accuſtomed to read, and pray; and if at any time they do neglect and omit theſe duties, conſcience is upon them and upbraids and diſquiets them; and they are afraid to neglect them, leſt conſcience will queſtion and trouble them.

2. Another is the caſe of tranſgreſſion; when men have committed ſome great ſin againſt God, thereupon conſcience becomes impatient, and accuſeth, and condemns, and terrifies them; and now they fall a praying, and mourning, and confeſſing, and reforming, but all this is to quiet conſcience, and they do find ſometimes that under theſe performances, their conſciences are a little allayed and quieted, and for that end do thoſe take them up as a charm to allay their conſciences; and when their conſciences are quieted, then they lay aſide ſtrictneſs of walking in Gods ſtatutes, and all ſincere care of obedience, and are ready to tranſgreſs again. O take heed of this; this is but hypocriſie, and this will end in hardneſs of heart at the laſt: He that performs duties only to quiet conſcience that it ſhall not accuſe him for ſin, will at length venture upon a courſe of high tranſgreſſions againſt conſcience, and will turn his troubled conſcience into a ſeared conſcience.

Sixthly, You muſt not perform your duties for any ſelf or vain-glorious end; We muſt not perform duties for ſelf en….It was Ephraims folly that he brought forth fruit unto himſelf, Hoſe. 10. 1▪ It was Jehu's ſin that he ſought himſelf rather than God in what he did; and it was the Phariſees hypocriſie that in their faſting and preaching and abundances, they looked at the praiſe of men; verily ſaith Chriſt, ye have your reward, Matth. 6 5. all that you look at is the praiſe of men; and all that ever you ſhall receive, is but the praiſe of men; for their ſakes you did theſe things, and from them take your reward; you did them not with a reſpect to Gods glory; for his ſake, and therefore you ſhall have no acceptance, and no recompe…ce from him at all.

3. Queſt. Now follows the third Queſtion, viz. What Rules we muſt obſerve p. 664in our walking in Gods ſtatutes, ſo that we may pleaſe him, and our obedience may be accepted of him?

Sol. Beloved! This queſtion is of very great uſe unto us: It is not enough that How to pleaſe God in our obedience.we do the things which God requires, but we muſt have a care to do them ſo as that God may be pleaſed, and ſo as what we do may be accepted: Col. 1. 10. Walk worthy of the Lord in all ple…ſing. Heb. 12. 28. Let us have grace that we may ſerve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear. Chap. 13. 24. Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleaſing in his ſight. Chap. 15. 5. Enoch before his tranſlation had this teſtimony that he pleaſed God.

Remember (by the way) theſe three hints.

Firſt, Many men do not mind the pleaſing of God, nor his acceptance in what Some mind not the pleaſing of God.they do; they bring their gift to the Altar and there they leave it, but whether God accepts it at their hands, and be well-pleaſed with what they have done, they mind it not.

Secondly, Many think that if a good work be done, God muſt needs be pleaſed with it. What! God commands Prayer, and yet not accepts of it, nor be Others think that God muſt needs be pleaſed with their works.pleaſed with it!

I anſwer, God requires the manner as well as the matter; and the work done is not accepted if it be not done aright; did not the Lord command ſacrifice, and did not Cain ſacrifice? yet God had no reſpect to him nor his offering, Gen. 4. 5. Did not God command prayer unto the Jews? yet ſaith, Iſa. 1. 15. When you ſpread forth your hearts I will hide mine eyes from you; yea when you make many prayers I will not hear; why ſo? for your hands are full of blood; therefore David ſaith (Pſal. 66. 18.) If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

Thirdly, it is a great judgement, when neither a perſon nor his works are accepted with God and pleaſe him not; when the Lord ſaith, my ſoul hath no Its a great judgement not to be accepted with God.pleaſure in him, and I regard not his prayings, nor his faſtings, nor readings, nor hearings, nor any good he doth: If God regards not thee nor thy good works, how doth he abhor thee and thy wicked works; if he will condemn thee for them, what will he do unto thee for theſe? Many ignorant ſuperſtitious creatures have high thoughts of their good meanings, and of their devout ſerving of God, and place all their confidence upon them: But when they give up their accounts, they will find that none of theſe were pleaſing to God, nor accepted of him: Depart from me ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you, ſaith Chriſt.

Theſe things being thus premiſed, I will now ſhew unto you

1. How a man may ſo perform his obediential works, that he may pleaſe God, and they may be accepted.How we may ſo perform duties as to pleaſe God.

2. How he is to walk in Gods Statutes, ſo, &c.

1. Caſe. How a man muſt perform obediential works, ſo that he may pleaſe God, and that they may be accepted of God.

Sol. For this, take theſe anſwers.

Firſt, He muſt be in Chriſt; It is a ſure rule, That the perſon must be accepted The perſon muſt be in Chriſt.before his works can be accepted: Now no perſons are accepted, but ſo far only as they are in Chriſt: He hath made us accepted in his beloved, ſaith the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 1. 6. If the Lord looks on any perſon as out of Chriſt, what ſhall he find him? what ſhall he behold in him? nothing but a ſinful curſed enemy, an object of his juſtice and wrath; an offending and offenſive, diſpleaſing and provoking creature, and he cannot but loath him, and what comes from him; only in and by Chriſt doth he look upon uw with grace and favour.

Secondly, He muſt have the Spirit of Chriſt: For, they that are in the fleſh, cannot He muſt have the Spirit of Chriſt.pleaſe God, Rom. 8. 8. The Apoſtle in the precedent verſe ſaith, That the p. 665carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be: whence he inſtances in this verſe, That they that are in the fleſh cannot pleaſe God: A wicked unregenerate man defiles every good work which he takes in hand: Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thiſtles? ſaith Chriſt, Matth. 7. 16. Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit, ver. 17. That of Solomon is pertinent to our purpoſe, Prov. 15. 8. The ſacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. And ver. 29. The Lord is far from the wicked, but he heareth prayer of the Righteous. By all which you plainly ſee that a perſon muſt be ſanctified by the Spirit of Chriſt, if he would have ſervices or performances pleaſing to God, and accepted of him; if God ſees not ſomething of his own work in our works, he accepts them not; but that cannot be unleſs our work comes from his Spirit within us, &c.

Thirdly, He muſt worſhip God in Spirit and in truth; this our Saviour delivers He muſt worſhip God in ſpirit and in truth.in Joh. 4. 23. The true worſhippers ſhall worſhip the Father in Spirit and in truth, for the Father ſeeketh ſuch to worſhip him. And ver. 24. God is a Spirit, and they that worſhip him, muſt worſhip him in Spirit and in truth. A bare external bodily ſervice the Lord utterly diſlikes; if the ſoul and heart come not within our duties, they are of no account to God; Spiritual ſervice is proper for God who is a Spirit, and this pleaſeth him: Rom. 1. 9. God is my witneſs whom I ſerve with my ſpirit. Epheſ. 6. 18. Pray alwayes with all prayer and ſupplication in the Spirit.

Fourthly, He muſt perform all his duties of obedience in Faith; For without He muſt perform them in fa…th.Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God, Heb. 11. 6. Now to perform our duties in faith, implies

1. That we know and diſcern the will and command of God, concerning the duties which we do perform unto him: This is a certain truth, That what God requires not, that God accepts not: He appoints all the paths of obedience unto the ſons of men, and will not be obeyed according to our mind, but according to his own mind; and whatſoever we do, if we do it not with faith (i. e.) being not perſwaded that this is that which God requires of us, it ſhall not be accepted; For Rom. 14. 23. Whatſoever is not of Faith, is ſinne.

2. That we rely upon the grace and ſtrength of Chriſt, to walk and perform the duties commanded: For without him we can do nothing, Joh. 15. 5. It was a good ſpeech of Bernard (upon that paſſage in Cant. 8. 5. Who is this that cometh up from the wilderneſs leaning upon his beloved?) Fruſtra nititur, qui non innititur; no good can be done, but by leaning on Chriſt; from him is the ſtrength of your ſufficiency, and not from your ſelves.

3. That we offer them up to God in the Name of Chriſt, reſting on his merits, and not on our own duties; on his doings, not on our own doings, and expecting acceptance for his ſake: Joh. 14. 13. Whatſoever ye ſhall ask in my Name, that will I do. Ver. 14. If ye ſhall ask any thing in my Name, I will do it. Col. 3. 17. Whatſoever ye ſhall do in word or deed, do all in the Name of the Lord Jeſus. The prayers that were offered up with the incenſe upon the Altar were pleaſing, Rev. 8. 3. and came up with acceptance, Ver. 4. The brethren were kindly uſed for Benjamins ſake; and David ſhewed reſpect to lame Mephiboſheth for Jonathans ſake: Simile. All our ſervices and duties are pleaſing to God, and accepted of him, not for their own ſakes, but for Chriſts ſake.

4. That whatſoever we do in the way of obedience, let it be done to the glory of God: 1 Cor. 10. 31. Do all to the glory of God. For Rom. 11. 36. Of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen.

p. 6662. Caſe. Now I come to ſhew you the choice Rules which do concern us Rules concerning our walking in Gods ſtatutes.in walking in Gods ſtatutes; or the manner how we muſt walk in them, if, &c.

Sol. The Rules which I will propound, all of them ſhall be taken from the VVord of God, and they are theſe.

Firſt, VVe are to walk in them willingly: As Ephraim is ſaid in a contrary We muſt walk in …hem willingly.ſenſe to walk willingly after the command, he was not compelled o… forced, but freely of his own accord gave up himſelf un…o idolatrous worſhip: So ſhould we in a true ſpiritual ſenſe, willingly walk after the commands of God: The willingneſs of our hearts is all in all in the duties of obedience; and the more of that, the more precious and acceptable is our obedience to Gods ſtatutes: 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my ſon, know thou the God of thy Father, and ſerve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; for the Lord ſearcheth all hearts, and underſtandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. q. d. Look well to this, for God takes ſpecial notice of this, and looks more at this than any thing elſe: Pſal. 110. 3. Thy people ſhall be willing in the day of thy power. This is the choice Character of the people of Chriſt, they ſhall be a willing people; the word ſignifies they ſhall be voluntaries, freely offering themſelves, and freely ſerving without hire and pay; people of a princely ſpirit, and magnificent, as if all their acts of obedience were their own free willofferings. Carnal men are but ſo many hirelings, they are coacti & ſerviles; not ſervi but ſerviles; men of a ſlaviſh ſpirit, they are forced and driven to their duties out of fear of wrath and puniſhment, and out of terror of conſcience; their hearts like not God, nor his ſtatutes, nor doing of them, they look on ſpiritual duties as their grievances and burdens: But the people of God are a willing people, they obey and ſerve him with a willing mind, with a readineſs and freeneſs of Spirit; and well they may, for they do diſcern and find that in their duties and obedience they have communion with God through Chriſt; they ſpeak to their God, and their God ſpeaks to them.

Object. How may one know that he willingly walks in Gods ſtatutes?When do we willingly walk in Gods ſtatutes? When we make them our choice.

Sol, Thus;

1. When he rather chuſeth them, than any other wayes to walk in; election is an act of the will: Joſh. 2. 4, 15. Chuſe ye this day whom ye will ſerve; but I and my houſe will ſerve the Lord. Pſal. 119. 173. I have choſen thy precepts.

2. VVhen our obedience unto them ſprings from a love of them: Pſal. When our obedience ſprings from love. When we find a ſweetneſſe in them.119. 167. My ſoul hath kept thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly; all the ſervice of love is a will…ng ſervice.

3. VVhen we find a ſweetneſs in them, and in our walking in them: Pſal. 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thouſands of gold and ſilver. And ver. 127. I love thy Commandement above gold, yea above fine gold. And ver. 14. I have rejoyced in the way of thy teſtimonies as much as in all riches.

4. VVhen the great deſires and requeſts of his ſoul are, that God would enable When we pray for ability to walk in them.and enlarge his heart to walk in them: O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ſtatutes! Pſal. 119. 5. And teach me O Lord the way of thy ſtatutes, and I ſhall keep it unto the end, Ver. 33. And give me underſtanding and I ſhall keep thy Law, yea I ſhall obſerve it with my whole heart, Ver. 24. Make me to go in the paths of thy Commandements, Ver. 35. Incline my heart to thy teſtimonies, Ver. 36. I will run the way of thy Commandements, when thou ſhalt enlarge my heart, Ver. 32.When we are not weary of well doing. We muſt walk in them ſeriouſly.

5. VVhen he is not weary of well-doing; but his heart ſtill holds …ut and is in its element when walking with God, and accounts it a ſpecial favour and happineſs to main…ain commu…ion with God.

Secondly, VVe ſhould walk in Gods ſtatutes ſeriouſly, carefully marking p. 667what they require of us, and conſcientiouſly endeavouring to conform our lives and actions unto them; David calls this an ordering of our converſations aright, Pſal. 50. 23. And an ordering his ſteps in the word; Order my ſteps in thy word, Pſal. 119. 133. As an Artificer puts every ſtone in the building according to rule and line: Simile. Or as one who goes in a narrow path 'twixt dangers on either ſide, he hath a care how he ſets his feet: So a Chriſtian ſhould take heed unto his wayes, and direct them by the VVord; he ſhould ſet and ſquare them by the rule: Solomon calls this a pondering of our path; Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy wayes be eſtabliſhed; turn not to the right hand nor to the left, Pro. 4. 26, 27. To ponder, is to weigh and to conſider well of what we are about to do, whether it be agreeable or diſagreeable to the will of God; what the work or way is, for the nature of it, and ſcope, and end of it. Thus ſhould we ponder the path of our feet (i. e.) the wayes wherein we walk, and all the works we have to do; and have a care that they be eſtabliſhed (i. e.) ſet upon a good foundation, and really allowed by God, and commanded in his VVord; and then we ſhould go on in thoſe wayes without ſwerving to the right hand or to the left: A ſeriouſneſs of conſideration how God would have us to walk, what his will is concerning us, and then a ſeriouſneſs of obſervation, conſcientiouſly to do what God would have us to do, and to walk as God would have us to walk; this is the right and acceptable walking in Gods ſtatutes.

Now there are four Reaſons why we ſhould thus ſeriouſly and conſcientiouſly Why we ſhould be ſo ſerious. Becauſe God hath honour or diſhonour by every action.conſider the ſtatutes of God, and every ſtep of our walking;

1. Becauſe there is not any ſtep, not any one action or work which we do, but God hath either honour or diſhonour by it; for either it is good, or it is evil; either it is conformed unto his will, or it diſagrees with his will; if it agrees with his will, this conduceth to his honour; if it doth … diſagree, then it is evil, and brings diſhonour upon him: And ſhould we be ſerious and conſcientious in every thing wherein the honour or diſhonour of God are concerned?

2. Becauſe there is not one moral work of ours, but it hath our peace, or comfort, It b…ings either comfort or diſcomfort.or our trouble and diſcomfort in its hand: Let the good we are bound to do be greater or leſſer, if we do conſcientiouſly obſerve and act it, there will enſue peace of conſcience upon the right acting of it; Great peace have they that keep thy Law, ſaith David, Pſal. 119. 165. And this is our rejoycing, … the teſtimony of our conſcience, that we have had our converſation in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, ſaith Paul, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And ſo on the contrary, let our vvandering or ſwerving from Gods ſtatutes by ſinning be never ſo little, there is enough in that little to diſquiet conſcience, and to cauſe trouble unto us: Simile. If the foot tread awry but one ſtep (though a man fall not into the dirt) yet the ſmall irregular motion doth cauſe much pain: So the irregularity or inconformity of any one action may diſquiet conſcience, and may coſt us a great deal of ſorrovv and trouble; Ergo.

Every work is a ſtep to eternity.3. Becauſe every individual vvork vvhichwhich vve do, it is a ſtep to eternity, either to a bleſſed, or to … curſed eternity: Simile. Though men think not of it, yet every motion or action done by them is a ſtep tovvards eternity: as every ſtep that a traveller takes, brings him forvvard to his journeyes end: VVhen a man vvalks in paths of righteouſneſs, or in Gods ſtatutes, the further he goes, every nevv ſtep that he takes, brings him nearer to a bleſſed eternity. And vvhen a man vvalks in vvayes of vvickedneſs, every ſtep that he takes, every nevv commiſſion of ſin carries him nearer to a curſed eternity; the more he ſins, the … he is to hell.

4. Becauſe we muſt be accountable to God in the day of judgement, even for We … accou… … every …every work which we do. Eccleſ. 12. 13. Fear God and keep his Commandements. Ver. 14. for God ſhall bring every work into judgement, with every ſecret thing, p. 668whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Mark, every … work, whether it be good, or whether it be evil, ſhall be brought to judgement; there is not any one good work which a godly man doth, but it ſhall be brought into judgement, and God will recompence and requite it; even the giving of a cup of cold water, ſhall not loſe its reward: And there is not any one evil work which the ungodly man doth, but it ſhall be brought to judgement, and he ſhall be puniſhed for it; and God will execute judgement upon all, and convince all that are ungodly, of all their ungodly deeds, Jude ver. 15. Therefore it doth exceedingly concern us, ſeriouſly to walk in Gods ſtatutes; ſeriouſly to conſider what he would have us to do, and how we ſhould walk, and conſcienciouſly to obſerve, and conform all and every one of our ſteps and actions of life unto his Word.

Thirdly, We ſhould walk in the ſtatutes of God fully (i. e.) in all wayes of We muſt walk in them fully.obedience commanded us of God; there ſhould be a commenſuration t'wixt our walking and Gods commands: Deut. 5. 35. Ye ſhall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you. Joſh. 22. 5. Take diligent heed to do the commandements, and the Law which Moſes the ſervant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his wayes, and to keep his Commandements, and to cleave unto him, and to ſerve him with all your heart, and with all your ſoul. Jer. 7. 23. But this thing commanded I them, ſaying, obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye ſhall be my people, and walk ye in all the wayes that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you. Pſal. 119. 6. Then ſhall I not be aſhamed when I have reſpect unto all thy Commandements. Luke 1. 6. Zechary and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameleſs: 1 Tim. 2. 12. That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlineſs and honeſty.

Object. But ſome will object, This is a hard ſaying; what, walk up to every ſtatute of God! they are very many, and do require ſo many duties to God and to man; it would make our lives grievous unto us to be thus ſtrictly bound; in ſome things we could be content, but to walk in all is too ſtrict.

Sol. I confeſs it is ſtrict, eſpecially to our corrupt hearts; nay any one Commandement The carnal heart counts any one command burthenſome.of God, and any one part of obedience thereunto is too grievous and ſtrict for a carnal heart. Put the carnal man (who thus complaines, and excepts againſt full obedience unto all Gods ſtatutes) I ſay put him upon walking in any one ſtatute or Law of God, and he will grumble againſt that one as much as againſt all. e. g.

Put him upon the ſanctifying of the Sabbath, tell him he muſt reſt upon that day from all his labours, and that he muſt ſet that day appart for God alone, and wholly ſpend it in holy religious duties publick and private; now he cries out, O what a burden and weariſomneſs is this! what, no recreations, and no viſitings, and no worldly and vain diſcourſe on that day! what, nothing but praying, and hearing, and reading of the Word, and ſinging of Pſalmes, and heavenly meditations, and diſcourſes in our families! Fleſh and blood cannot bear this, indeed it cannot; nor ſhall fleſh and blood ever inherit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 15. 50. Again, put a man of a carnal heart but to exerciſe religious duties in his family, to pray daily, and to read the Word, and to inſtruct thoſe that do belong to him, and for whom he muſt give an account to God, the mans heart preſently riſeth againſt this, and this is grievous, and he ſhuffles; it ſhould be done indeed, but I have no leaſure, and I have no gifts, or parts to do theſe works. Beloved, it is a ſure truth, that whatſoever a carnal man pretends againſt univerſal obedience to all Gods ſtatutes, his heart is for no obedience at all, but hath an univerſal enmity unto all and every Commandement of God.

But now more diſtinctly to anſwer the Cavil for partial obedience, and to confirm p. 669the Truth for full and U…iverſal obedience, conſider theſe ſix Particulars.

Firſt, They that are for a partial obedience to Gods Commands, and for a Partial obedience breaks the bond of all obedience.walking in ſome of his ſtatutes only, they do break aſunder the Bond and Reaſon of all obedience: All obedience is to be founded upon the Authority and will of God, becauſe God (who hath authority over all his creatures) doth will and command us to obey his voice, to walk in his ſtatutes; for this very reaſon do we ſtand bound to obey him: And if we do obey him upon this reaſon, then muſt we walk in all his ſtatutes, for ſo hath he commanded us; and if we will not come up to this, but will walk in what ſtatutes of his we pleaſe, then do we renounce his will as the obliging reaſon of our obedience, and do ſet up our own liking and pleaſure as the reaſon thereof.

Secondly, Nay ſecondly it tends to plain Atheiſme: For by the ſame reaſon It tends to Atheiſme.that you ſlight the will of God in any Commandement; by the ſame reaſon you may deſpiſe his will in every Commandement, for every Commandement of God is his will, and it is holy and ſpiritual, and contrary to our ſinful luſts, and if this be the reaſon why ſuch and ſuch Commandements of God will not down with you, then by the ſamereaſon none of them muſt be of authority with you.

Thirdly, It is an audacious charge againſt God himſelf, as to his wiſdome, or Its an audacious charge againſt God himſelf.power, or goodneſs; thoſe ſtatutes of God which you will not come up unto, either they are righteous as the reſt, and are good as the reſt, or they are not: If they be alſo righteous and good, why ſhould we not walk in them as in the reſt? If they be not righteous and good, O what a blaſphemous charge is given againſt God in preſcribing unto him any thing that is not righteous and good? and likewiſe in making his will (which is the rule of righteouſneſs and goodneſs) to be partly righteous, and partly unrighteous, to be partly good, and partly bad?

Fourthly, There is not any one ſtatute of God, but it is good, and for our All the Commandements are good, and for our good.good; Ergo we ſhould walk in all his ſtatutes: Deut. 5. 25. Ye ſhall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that you may live, and that it may be well with you. What one path hath the Lord commanded us to walk in, but as it concerns his own glory, ſo likewiſe it concerns our good? Is it not good for us to love and fear the Lord, and to put our truſt in him, and to worſhip and ſerve him after his own mind and will, and to honour his glorious Name, and to ſanctifie his day? how many bleſſings hath God promiſed unto ſuch? and to honour our Parents, and forſake all thoſe ſinnes mentioned in the Negative Precepts, &c.

Fifthly, Our hearts muſt be perfect with the Lord our God: Deut. 18. 13. Our hearts ſhould be perfect with the Lord.Thou ſhalt be perfect with the Lord thy God. And Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me, and be thou perfect. Now how can our hearts be ſaid to be perfect with God, if we do prevaricate with him? if in ſome things we will obey him, and in other things we will not obey him; if we walk in ſome of his ſtatutes, but will not walk in all his ſtatutes; if in ſome part we will be his ſervants, and in other parts of our lives we will be the ſervants of ſin.

Sixthly, Laſtly, Either we muſt endeavour to walk in all the ſtatutes of God, or elſe we muſt find ſome diſpenſation and toleration from God, to free God hath exempted us from none.us, and excuſe us, and hold us indemnified, though we do not walk in all of them; now what one Commandement is there from obedience whereunto God excuſeth any man? or will not puniſh him for the neglect of obedience unto it: The Apoſtle ſaith, That whoſoever ſhall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, Jam. 2. 10. (i. e.) If he prevaricates with God as to any one particular Commandement of his, his heart is naught, he is guilty of all, he hath really no regard of any of the reſt of Gods Laws. Therefore for the Lords ſake, conſider of this all of you that hear me this day, and let p. 670your ſouls be humbled within you for your looſe and unfaithful walking in Gods ſtatutes: One will not pray, another will ſwear, another will not ſet up religious duties in his family, another will not keep the Sabbath day holy, another will cheat and over-reach his neighbor, another will lye and ſpeak evil, and back-bite, &c. Is this to walk in all the ſtatutes of God? is this fully to walk in all his wayes▪ &c.

Object. But it is impoſſible for any man on earth to walk in all Gods ſtatutes, Its impoſſible.and fully to do his will.

Sol. I anſwer, there is a twofold walking in all the ſtatutes of God;

Firſt, One is Legal, when all is done which God requireth; and all is done as God requireth; There is not any one path of duty, but we do walk in it A Legal obedience is indeed impoſſible.perfectly and continually; thus no man on earth doth, or can walk in all Gods ſtatutes, or fully do what he commandeth; for in many things we offend all: it was but a proud, vain ſelf-deluſion in that young man who ſaid, All theſe things have I kept from my youth.

Secondly, Another is Evangelical; which is ſuch a walking in all the ſtatutes of God, and keeping of them, as is in Chriſt accepted of, and accounted of But Evangelical is poſſible.as if we did keep them all, (this walking in all Gods ſtatutes, and keeping of them all, and doing of them all, it is not only poſſible, but it is alſo actual in every freely believing and repenting perſon) and it doth conſiſt in theſe Particulars.

1. In the approbation of all the ſtatutes and Commandements of God: A believer approves of all.Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy, and juſt, and good. Ver. 16. I conſent unto the Law that it is good. Pſal. 119. 128. I eſteem all thy precepts concerning all thinhs to be right.

2. In a conſciencious ſubmiſſion unto the authority of all the ſtatutes of God: Every one of them hath an authority within his heart, and over his heart, he Conſcientiouſly ſubmits to all.ſtands in awe of every one of them, and hath a ſpiritual regard unto them all: Pſal. 119. 6. I have reſpect unto all thy Commandements.

3. In a real delight in all the ſtatutes or Commandements of God: Pſal. Really delights in all.119. 47. I will delight my ſelf in thy Commandements which I have loved.

4. In a cordial deſire to walk in them all: Pſal. 119. 8. I will keep thy ſtatutes; and O that my wayes were, &c. the deſire of our ſoul is to thy Name, and Cordially deſires to obey all.to the remembrance of thee.

5. In a ſincere endeavour to keep them all; a man doth put out himſelf in all the wayes and parts of obedience; he doth not willingly and wittingly ſlight or Sincerely endeavours it.neglect any Commandment, but is ſtriving to conform himſelf thereunto: Simile. As a dutiful ſon doth to all his Fathers commands, ſo your right Chriſtian makes conſcience, &c.

Queſt. But here it may be demanded, Whether we muſt ſhew an equal reſpect unto all Gods ſtatutes and precepts; and do ſin, if we do ſhew more reſpect to ſome Whether an equal reſpect muſt be ſhewed unto all. It muſt not.of Gods Commandements, than unto others of them?

Note. Sol. This being granted that we muſt ſhew reſpect unto all Gods ſtatutes; I anſwer, that it is not neceſſary, nor are we bound to expreſs the ſame equal reſpect to all Gods Commandements. For although all the Commandements of God be equal in reſpect of authority and Soveraignty of the commands, yet in reſpect of the things commanded or forbidden, and in reſpect of the ſtrictneſs of the charge laid upon us for the doing or not doing of them, ſome are greater than others: Matth. 22. 36. Maſter (ſaid the Lawyer to Chriſt) which is the great Commandement in the Law? Ver. 37. Jeſus ſaid unto him, Thou ſhalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy mind. Ver. 38. This is the firſt and great Commandement. 1 Sam. 15. 22. And Samuel ſaid, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and ſacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than to ſacrifice, p. 671and to hearken than the fat of Rams. Matth. 9. 13. Go ye and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice.

Queſt. Which of Gods Commandements ſhould we have moſt ſpecial care to walk Which are principally to be reſpected. Such as moſt reſpect Gods glory. As as are moſt neceſſary to our ſalvation. As are the ſinews of all Religion. As moſt concern our ſelves and families. That concern righteouſneſſe and mercy. That concern the avoiding of greater ſins. We ſhould do all affectionately.in, or to obſerve?

Sol. I humbly conceive, that our ſpecial care ſhould be

Firſt, Of thoſe which do principally and immediately reſpect Gods Glory: Summa ratio in ſummo fine.

Secondly, Of thoſe which do moſt abſolutely and neceſſarily reſpect our own ſalvation; as Regeneration, Repentance, Holineſs, Faith.

Thirdly, Of thoſe which are the bond and ſinews of all Religion, upholding it in the power and practice of it; as the ſanctifying of the Sabbath.

Fourthly, Of thoſe which do moſt concern our ſelves, and ſuch as are under our charge; as family-duties.

Fifthly, Of thoſe which do require and enjoyn righteouſneſs and mercy unto others, and preſerve publick ſociety.

Sixthly, Of thoſe which do concern the greater ſins which ſhould be moſt carefully avoided.

Fourthly, we ſhould walk in Gods ſtatutes, and keep, and do them affectionately; we ſhould affect the acts of obedience, and be affected in them; Suppoſe that a man did walk up to every ſtatute of God, yet if this were not done affectionately, all were nothing. Now there are four affections with which we ſhould perform every ſervice or duty that we do unto God.

1. Love and delight. 2ly Joy. 3ly Fear. 4ly Zeal.

Firſt, With Love and Delight: We muſt love the Lord and his ſtatutes, and the With love and delight.duties which he requires from us, and take delight in obeying, and doing his will: Pſal. 119. 97. O how I love thy Law! Ver. 167. My ſoul hath kept thy teſtimonies, and I love them exceedingly. Pſal. 40 8. I delight to do thy will O my God, yea thy Law is within my heart.

Secondly, With joy and alacrity: Pſal. 119. I have rejoyced in the way of With joy and alacrity.thy teſtimonies as much as in all riches. Pſal. 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladneſs. Our walking in Gods ſtatutes ſhould be our meat and drink; we ſhould find more ſatisfaction, and ſoul contentment, and refreſhing when we are doing the will of God, and are enjoying communion with him, than we do find or take in any earthly enjoyment whatſoever.

Thirdly, With fear: Serve the Lord with fear, Pſal. 2. 11. when ye are a performing With fear.any duty to God, ye muſt do it with a

1. Reverential fear: Thou ſhalt fear this glorious and fearful Name, the Lord A reverential fear.thy God, Deut. 28. 58. God is greatly to be feared in the aſſembly of the Saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him, Pſal. 89. 7. Pray and hear with fear and trembling.

2. Humble fear of our own ſufficiency, and of our own performance, left Humble fear.any thing ſhould fall in with our duties by which God may be offended, and our ſervice of him may miſcarry, &c.

Fourthly, With zeal, or fervor of ſpirit: The people of God muſt be zealous With zeal.of good works, and zealous in good works; fervent in ſpirit ſerving the Lord, Rom. 12. 11. It was ſaid of Jehoſhaphat, that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord, 2 Chron. 17. 6. And of Joſiah that he made a Covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his Commandements, and his teſtimonies, and his ſtatutes with all his heart, and with all his ſoul, &c. 2 Chron. 34. 31. See alſo 2 King. 23. 25. Wreſtling and ſtriving in Prayer, attend earneſtly in hearing: We muſt not walk in Gods ſtatutes with careleſs, ſloathful, indifferent ſpirits, but with heightned, and lively, and enlarged ſpirits, doing his will with all our might and ſtrength, bringing out all the might and power that we have in his ſervice, ſtir up our graces and our hearts.

p. 672Fifthly, We ſhould walk in Gods ſtatutes uprightly and ſincerely: Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou upright. And 1 Kin. 3. 6. David my Father walked Walk in them uprightly.before thee in truth and in righteouſneſs, and in uprightneſs of heart with thee. Iſa. 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beſeech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth, and with a perfect heart, &c. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this, the teſtimony of our conſcience, that in ſimplicity and godly ſincerity, we have had our converſation in the world.

Queſt. But here now is the great Queſtion, how one may know that he walks Signs of ſincerity.uprightly in Gods ſtatutes?

Sol. There are … diſcoveries of this.

Firſt, The prevalent motive which alone ſufficeth to his obedience, and that If we obey becauſe God commands.is the will or command of God; if a man be upright, and walk with an unright heart, then he will, and doth act and move upon the ſole account of Gods command; that alone is reaſon enough and will prevail with him for obedience. There are ſeveral Motives which induce men to do good works; ſome do reſpect our ſelves, and are drawn from a reſpect to our credit, and profit, as do ſuch a work, and perform ſuch a duty, and you ſhall have honour amongſt men by it, and you ſhall gain much by it; theſe conſiderations are the prevailing Motives which men of unſound hearts to ſome things which God requires, as it was with Jehu, &c. And ſome are drawn from God himſelf, only from his Commandement, and this is ſufficient, and this prevails with men of upright heart: Pſal. 119. 4. Thou haſt commanded us to keep thy precepts dilgently. Ver. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy ſtatutes! Mark how his heart is drawn out to obedience upon the meer command of God: Thou haſt commanded us, &c. Iſa. 2. 3. He will teach us of his wayes, and we will walk in his paths. Mark, there is no more conſidered to move to walk in his paths than this, he will teach us of his wayes (i. e.) he will make us to know that this or that is his will and command concerning us. Paul relates that it was the earneſt prayer of Epaphras for the Coloſſians, that they might ſtand perfect, and be filled with all the will of God, Col. 4. 12. It is not Compleri, but Repleri, foreign: Some look upon that word as Metaphorical (to be filled with the will of God) as the ſails of a ſhip are filled with wind, which is enough to carry the ſhip in voyage; ſo it is enough when the will of God fills our hearts, and that carries them out to duty; and David hath a ſingular expreſſion in Pſal. 119. 6. When I have reſpect unto all thy Commandements; you know that to have a reſpect unto a thing, is this, when that of all other ſwayes moſt with us, as when a Maſter commands a ſervant, he will do ſuch a buſineſs, becauſe he reſpects him, and at his command he will go and come, though he will not at the command of any other; this was Davids temper, he had reſpect to Gods Commandements; they had authority over him, he had a regard to them; therefore conſider well what is the Motive which induces you to pray, to hear, to do any other good duty; is it Gods will or Commandement alone? if it be not ſo, you walk not, you act not uprightly.

Object. But will ſome reply, This is ſomething difficult to diſcern, foraſmuch How to know whether we act upon Gods command alone.as Gods command and our own intereſts may meet, they may concur ſometimes in ſome actions to be done; and now it will be hard to know whether we act upon the command of God alone.

Sol. There are two things which ſhew that it is Gods command alone which ſets us on to our duties.

1. When there is no reward or external encouragement preſented to ſet us on When we are not ſet on by reward. When dangers diſcourage not.to the performance of duties.

2. When our hearts hold on and ſet upon the duties amidſt all dangers and diſcouragements, and to our own external prejudice, as Moſes was obedient with afflictions.

p. 673Secondly, The ſimplicity of the end; when a man doth ſincerely ſerve the Lord, or walk uprightly in his ſtatutes, he doth (in all the good actions done by hi…) look If our ends be ſincere.at Gods glory; he doth them not for ſelf ends, to advance or exalt himſelf; but he doth them with a ſingle reſpect to Gods glory, to exalt and lift … his Name: A… Paul ſpake, We preach not out our ſelves, but Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, 2 Cor. 4. 5. we propound not, we intend not the honour of our gifts, and abilities, and pains, but the honour of Jeſus Chriſt; and as he ſpake in Phil. 1. 20. That Chriſt may be magnified: Thus is it with every man who walks uprightly, and does things with an upright heart; he doth in all his wayes ſeek and intend the praiſe and honour of God, and not himſelf; I ſeek not my ſelf ſaith the Apoſtle, I ſeek not my own profit: 1 Cor. 10 33. And none of us liveth to himſelf, and … of us dieth unto himſelf; for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord, Rom. 14. 7.

On the contrary, they that walk hypocritically with a falſe heart, they do ſet up themſelves and not God, Hoſe. 10. 1. Iſrael is an empty vine bringing ſorth fruit unto himſelf, Matth. 6. 1. &c. They gave alms, prayed, faſted to be ſeen of men. A carnal man, ſo that he may enjoy his own ſafety, liberty, eaſe, profit, he cares not what becomes of Gods glory; let the Goſpel ſink or ſwim, let the Miniſtry periſh, let a Nation be brought to confuſion, let the Ordinances of Chriſt, and truth of Chriſt be contemned and deſtroyed, let all wherein Gods honor or glory are concerned, be trod under foot, he cares not, for he reſpects himſelf and not God, &c.

Thirdly, The ſingleneſs of the path: when a man walks in Gods ſtatutes uprightly, If the Word be your Ri…e.his path of walking is only the way of Gods Commandements; he hath no other path but that, but one God, and but one mercy, and but one heart: Iſa. 26. 7. The way of the juſt is uprightneſs. Pſal. 139. 23. Search me O Lord, and know my heart, try me, and know my thoughts▪ Ver. 24. and ſee if there be any way of wickedneſs in me, and lead me in the way everlaſting. The way or path of every man is not that particular action or work, but it is his general and habitual courſe of life, and that is (to him that walks uprightly) the courſe of holineſs and righteouſneſs.

Fourthly, I might add other Characters, but I ſhall paſs them over; only take one more, and that is Diligence; He who walks uprightly in Gods ſtatutes, If we walk diligently.doth walk in them heartily and diligently; he gives up his heart, and life, and deſire, and care, and ſtrength to do the will of God, to ſerve him, to obey him: this is his great buſineſs, the main work that he hath to do, and he doth it with all his heart, and with all his ſoul; not negligently, and careleſly, as a ſervant doth ey-ſervice: he doth not ſlubber over duties, as if any were good enough for God; he knows that curſed is the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently, Jer. 47. 10. He is very intent, and taken up with the work which God commands, not only to do, but ſo to do it, as may be moſt pleaſing to God, and conducing to his glory, when he prayes, hears, receives the Sacrament, &c.

p. 674Ezek. 36. 27.

And cauſe you to walk in my ſtatutes, and ye ſhall keep my judgements and do them.

I Have finiſhed the firſt Propoſition from theſe Words, viz. That even the people of God within his Covenant of grace are to walk in Gods ſtatutes, &c. I now come unto the ſecond Propoſition, viz.