The Saints Delight, Chapter 7 – Treatise
CHAP. VII. A ſuaſive to this holy delight in Religion.
Uſe. 3 LEt me perſwade Chriſtians to labour for this holy delight; Exhort.Comment upon the Text. Let your delight be in the Law duplicate page duplicate page of the Lord *Plurimum refert, utrū ex voluntate agas an neceſſitate, Ambroſe ſup. beat. immacul.; And that I may the better enforce the Exhortation, I ſhall lay before you ſeveral weighty conſiderations.
1. There is, that in the Law of God which may cauſe delight; as will appeare in two things.Conſiderat.
There is in it,Verum.
1. Truth.
2. Goodneſſe.
1. Truth, the Law of God is a ſeries of truth, Pſalm 119.160. Thy word is true from the beginning *Quid acrius deſiderat anima quam veritatem. Auſtin. tom. 26. in John 4.. The two Teſtaments are the two lips by which the God of Truth hath ſpoken to us. Here is a firm baſis for faith.
2. Goodneſſe, Nehem. 9.13. Thou gaveſt them true Laws, good Statutes. Bonum.Here is Truth and Goodneſſe; the one adequate to the underſtanding, the other to the will. Now this goodneſſe and excellency of the Law of God ſhines forth in nine particulars.
1. This bleſſed Law of God is a letter *Eſt quaedam Epiſtola omnipotentis Dei ad creaturam. Greg.ſent to us from heaven, indighted by the Holy Ghoſt, and ſealed with the blood of Chriſt *Fertur de Carolo Borromaeo quod Scripturam ſolebat aſſidue volvere, & populo exp…are, idque tanto ſtudio, devotione, & reverentia, ut ultimis vitae ſuae annis, velut ipſiſſimas Deo ad homines literas, non niſi capite, & flexis Genibus venerabundus lectitaret. Julius Nigr. Tract. aſcetico. c. 3. n. 9.; See ſome paſſages in the letter, Iſa. 62.5. As the bridegroom rejoyceth over the bride, ſo ſhall thy God rejoyce over thee; and Hoſea 2.19. I will betroth thee unto me foreign for ever in righteouſneſſe and in loving kindneſſe, and in mercies. Is it not delightful reading over this loveletter?
2. The Law of God is a light that ſhines in a dark place, 2 Pet. 1.19. *2 Pet. 1.19it is our pole-ſtar to guide us to heaven; 'twas Davids candle and lanthorn to walk with, Pſ. 119.105 now, light is ſweet, Eccleſ. 11.7. 'tis ſad to want this light; thoſe heathen who have not the knowledge of Gods Law, muſt needs ſtumble to hell in the dark. Hierom brings in Tully with his Oratory, and Aristotle with his Syllogiſmes, crying out in hell; they that leave the light of the Word, following the light within them, (as ſome ſpeak) prefer the ſhining of the glo-worm before the Sun.
3. The Law of God is a ſpiritual glaſse to dreſſe our ſouls by. David oft looked himſelfe in this glaſſe, and got much wiſdome, Pſal. 119.104. through thy precepts I get underſtanding. This glaſſe both ſhews us our ſpots, and takes them away; it may be compar'd to the Lavor which was made of the womens looking-glaſſes, Exod. 38.8. it was both a glaſse and a Lavor; a glaſſe to look in, and a Lavor to waſh in; ſo the Law of God is a glaſſe to ſhew us our faces, and a Lavor to waſh away our ſpots.
4. This Law of God contains in it our evidences for heaven; would we know whether we are heires of the promiſe, whether our names are written in heaven; we muſt find it in this Law-book, 2 Theſ. 2.13. He hath choſen us to ſalvation through ſanctification, 1 John 2.14. We know that we have paſſed from death unto life, becauſe we love the brethren, and is it not comfortable reading over our evidences?
5. The Law of God is a place of ammunition, out of which we muſt fetch our ſpiritual artillery to fight againſt Satan. *Sanctus Paulus in omnire & tentatione Scriptura ſe armabat. Hierom. in ejus epitaph.It may be compar'd to the Tower of David, builded for an armory, whereon there bang a thouſand bucklers; all ſhields of mighty men, Cant. 4.4. It is called the ſword of the Spirit, Epheſ. 6.16. 'Tis obſervable, when the devil tempted our Saviour, he runnes to Scripture for armour, 'tis written *Mat. 4.4; three times Chriſt wounds the Serpent with this ſword, Mat. 4. ver. 4, 7, 10. Is it not good having our armour about us when the enemy is in the field?
6. The Law of God is our ſpiritual phyſick-book, or book of receits. Baſil compares the Word of God to an Apothecaries ſhop which hath its foreign *Baſil epiſt prima ad Gregor. Nazian.; when there is any diſeaſe growing in the ſoul, here is a recipe to take; if we find our ſelvs dead in duty, here is a recipe, Pſ. 119 50. Thy Word hath quickned me; If our hearts be hard, here is a recipe; Is not my Word as fire, Jer. 23.29. This is able to melt the rock into tenderneſſe. If we grow proud, here is a recipe, 1 Pet. 5.5. God reſiſts the proud; if there be any freſh guilt contracted, here we have a ſovereign medicine to take, John 17.17. Sanctifie them through thy Truth. The Law of God is like a Phyſick-garden, where we may walk and gather any herb to expel the poiſor of ſin.
7. The Law of God is a divine treaſury to enrich us; here are the riches of knowledge, and the riches of aſſurance to be found, Col. 2.2. in this Law of God are ſcattered many truths as precious diamonds to adorn the hidden man of the heart. David took the Law of God as his heritage, Pſalme 119.111. in this bleſſed Mine is hid the true pearle *In uno ſalvatore omnes florent gemmae ad ſalutem.; Here we digge till we finde heaven.
8. The Law of God is our cordial in fainting times; and it is a ſtrong cordial, Heb. 6.18. That we might have a ſtrong conſolation *foreign.. They are ſtrong conſolations indeed that can ſweeten affliction, that can turn water into wine, that can ſtand againſt the firy trial. This is my comfort in affliction, for thy Word hath quickned me, Pſal. 119.50. The comforts of the world are weak conſolations; A man hath comfort in health, but let ſickneſſe come, where is his comfort then? He hath comfort in an eſtate, but let poverty come, where is his comfort then? theſe are weak conſolations, they cannot beare up againſt trouble; but the comforts of the Word are ſtrong Conſolations; they can ſweeten the waters of Marah. Let ſickneſs come, the comforts of the Word can alay and ſtupifie it. The inhabitant of the land ſhall not ſay I am ſick, Iſa. 33.24. Let death come, a Chriſtian can out-brave it: O death where is thy ſting, 1 Cor. 15.55. and is it not comfortable to have ſuch a julip lying by, as can expel the venome of death.
9. The Law of God is Manna cujuſlibet ſaporis *foreign. Theophil. in Mat.; an heavenly Manna that ſuits it ſelf to every Chriſtians pallat. What doth the ſoul deſire? is it quickning, ſtrengthning? he may finde all in this Manna. But I refer the Reader to the learned Origen, who hath written fully to this *Si tu verbum Dei tota fide, & devotione ſuceperis fiet tibi ipſum verbum quaecunque deſideras; ſi tribularis conſolatur te dicens; cor contritum, & humiliatum Deus non deſpicies; ſi laetaris, pro ſpe futura cumulat tibi gaudium, dicent, laetamini in domino, & exultate juſti. Si iracundus es, mitigat te, dicens deſine ab ira, & derelinque furorem. Si in doloribus es, ſanat te, dicens, dominus ſanat omnes languores tuos; ſi in paupertate, erigit te, dicens, dominus allevat de terra inopem. Sic ergo Manna Dei reddit in ore tuo ſaporem quemcunque volueris, &c. Origen hom, 7. in Exod. And this is the firſt weighty conſideration to make us delight in the Law of the Lord, there is that in it may render it delightful. I will ſhut up this with that divine ſaying of Auſtin. Tanta eſt Chriſtianarum litcrarum profunditas, ut in cis quotidie proficerem ſi cas ſolas ab incunte pueritià uſque ad decrepitam ſenectutem maximo otio ſummo ſtudio, meliore ingenio conarcr addiſcere. Aug. Epiſt. 3. ad voluſianum..
Conſiderat. 2 2. Delight in Religion crowns all our ſervices *Delectatio perficit operationem Thom. 1. ae queſt. 4. art. 2.. Therefore David counſels his ſon Solomon, not only to ſerve God, but to ſerve him with a willing minde, 1 Chron. 28.9. *Illud Deo foreign quod ex viva cordic radice proficiſcitur. Calvin.Delight in duty is better than duty it ſelf; as it is worſe for a man to delight in ſinne, than to commit it, becauſe there is more of the will in the ſinne *Gravius eſt peceatū diligere quā perpetrare. Hier.: ſo delight in duty is to be preferred before duty; O how love I thy Law; Pſalme 119.97. it is not how much we do, but how much we love; hypocrites may obey Gods Law, but the Saints love his Law; This carries away the garland *Juvenal. Satyr. 12..
Conſiderat. 3 3. Delight in ſpiritual things evidenceth grace; 'Tis a ſigne we have received the Spirit of adoption. An ingenuous childe delights to obey his father; he that is born of God is enobled by grace, and acts from a principle of ingenuity; grace alters the byas of the heart, and makes it of unwilling, willing. The Spirit of grace is call'd a free Spirit, Pſal. 51. not only becauſe it works freely, but becauſe it makes the heart free and cheerful in obedience; a gracious heart doth not act by pure conſtraint, but free conſent.
Conſiderat. 4 4. Delight in Religion will make the buſineſſe of Religion more facil to us. Delectatio conſervat operantem in opere ſuo A quinas Ariſt Eth. lib. 10.Delight makes every thing eaſie; there's nothing hard to a willing minde; Trahit ſua quemque voluptas; — delight turnes Religion into recreation; 'tis like fire to the ſacrifice, like oyle to the wheeles, like winde to the ſailes, it carries us full ſaile in duty; he that delights in Gods way, will never complaine of the ruggedneſſe of the way; a childe that is going to his fathers houſe, doth not complain of bad way. A Chriſtian is going to heaven in the way of duty; every prayer, every Sacrament, he is a ſtep nearer his Fathers houſe; ſure he is ſo full of joy he is going home, that he will not complain of bad way. Get then this holy delight. Beloved, we have not many miles to go, death will ſhorten our way, let delight ſweeten it.
Conſiderat. 5 5. All the duties in Religion are for our good. We ſhall have the benefit; If thou be wiſe, thou ſhalt be wiſe for thy ſelf, Prov. 9.12. God hath twiſted his glory and our good together. I gave them my ſtatutes, which if a man do, he ſhall even live in them, Ezek. 20.11. There is nothing the Lord requires, but it tends to ſelf-preſervation. God bids us read his Word, and why? this Word is his Will and Teſtament wherein he makes over a fair eſtate to be ſettled upon us, Col. 1.12. 1 Joh. 2.25. And this is the promiſe that he hath promiſed us, even eternal life; he bids us pray, and this duty carries meat in the mouth of it, 1 John 5.14. This is the confidence we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. Ask what you will, he will ſigne your petitions; if you had a friend that ſhould ſay, come to me when you will, I will furniſh you with money, would you not delight to viſit that friend? God will give to more than half the kingdom, and ſhall we not delight in prayer? God bids us beleeve, and there is … a honey-comb to be found in this precept? Beleeve & you ſhal be ſaved. Salvation is the crown that is ſet upon the head of faith. Well may the Apoſtle ſay, his Commandments are not grievous, O then! if Religion be ſo beneficial, if there be ſuch gold to be digg'd out of this mine, it may make us delight in the wayes of God. What wil tempt, if not ſelf-intereſt?
Conſiderat. 6 6. How did Chriſt delight in the work of our redemption? Lo I come, I delight to do thy will, O my God, Pſ. 40.7, 8. 'Tis by Expoſitors agreed that it is ſpoken myſtically of Chriſt *Ecce venio videl. Ego Meſſias ad ſum promiſſus ſalvator, qui tanquam vadis ſe ſiſtit ad ſolvendum dobitum, me tibi offero tau quam ſacrificium foreign Mollerus.; when he came into the world to ſacrifice his life for us, it was a free will-offering. I have a baptiſme to be baptiſed with, Luke 12.50. Chriſt was to be (as it were) baptiz'd in his own blood, and how did he thirſt for that time? How am I ſtraitned *foreigntill it be accompliſhed? Did Chriſt ſo delight in the work of our redemption, and ſhall not we delight in his ſervice? Did he ſuffer willingly, and do we pray unwillingly? Did he ſo cheerfully lay down his life for us, and ſhall nor we give up our lives to him? Certainly if any thing could make Chriſt repent of ſhedding his blood, it would be this, to ſee Chriſtians come off ſo hardly in duty, bringing it rather as a pennance, then a ſacrifice.
Conſiderat. 7 7. Delight in Gods ſervice makes us reſemble the Angels in heaven. They ſerve God with chearfulneſſe as ſoon as God ſpeaks the Word, they are ambitious to obey. How are they raviſh'd with delight while they are praiſing God; in heaven we ſhall be as the Angels; ſpiritual delight would make us like them here; to ſerve God by conſtraint, is to be like the devil, all the devils in hell obey God, but it is againſt their will, they yeeld a paſſive obedience *foreign. Theophil.; but ſervice which comes off with delight is angelical: This is that we pray for, that Gods will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; is it not done with delight there?
Conſiderat. 8 8. This delight in Gods Law will not breed ſurfeit. Carnal objects do oft cauſe a loathing and nauſeating; we ſoone grow weary of our delights *Rerum juvenilium velox tranſmutatio. Thom. Aqu. Eth.; hence it is we change from one ſenſe to another; from colours to muſick, from muſick to ſmell, &c. Too much pleaſure is a paine; but ſpiritual objects do not cloy, or tyre the ſoul; the more we ſtudy in the Law of God, ſtill the more delight we finde. And in this regard David might ſay, the Words of Gods mouth were ſweeter to his taſte than honey, Pſal. 119.103. becauſe one may ſoon ſurfeit upon honey, but he can never ſurfeit with the Word of God. He that hath once with Jeremy, found the Word and ate it, Jer. 15.16. will not be cloyd with it *Augent ſpirituales delitiae deſiderium in mente dum ſatiant. Greg. hom.; There's that ſavourineſſe in the Word that a Chriſtian cries out, Lord evermore give me this bread *Joh. 6.34. There is that ſweetneſſe in communion with God that the ſoul ſaith with Saint Bernard, O ſi duraret. — O that it might be always thus; O that what I now feel, I might ever feel. He that delights in God doth not complaine he hath too much of God, but rather too little; he opens and ſpreads the ſailes of his ſoul to take in more of thoſe heavenly gales, he longs for that time when he ſhall be ever delighting himſelf in the ſweet and bleſſed viſion of God.
Conſider. 9 9. Without this holy delight we weary our ſelves, and we weary God too, Iſa. 7.13. Will ye weary my God alſo? our delighting in God would make him delight in us; but when we begin to ſay what a wearineſſe is it to ſerve the Lord, Mal. 1.13? God is as weary as we are; he is even ſick of ſuch ſervices. When duties are a burden to us, they are a burden to God, and what ſhould he do with them? when a man is weary of a burden, he will caſt it off. Let all this quicken delight in Gods ſervice.
CHAP. VIII. Shewing how a Christian may arive at this delight in Gods Law.
Uſe 4 Direct. FOr the attaining this bleſſed delight in the Law of God, three things are requiſite.
1. Set an high eſtimate upon the Word; what the judgement prizeth, the affections embrace; he that values gold, will delight in it; we are apt (through a principle of Atheiſme) to entertaine ſlight thoughts of Religion, therefore our affections are ſo ſlight. David prized Gods Statutes at a high rate; more to be deſired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold, Pſal. 19.10. and hence grew that enflamed love to them; I will delight my ſelfe in thy Statutes, Pſal. 119.16.
2. Pray for a ſpiritual heart; an earthly heart will not delight in ſpiritual myſteries; the earth puts out the fire. Earthlineſſe deſtroys holy delight, get a ſpiritual pallate that you may relliſh the ſweetneſſe of the Word. He that taſtes the ſweetneſs of honey, will delight in it. If ſo be ye have taſted that the Lord is gracious, 1 Pet. 2.3. 'Tis not enough to hear a Sermon, but you muſt taſte a Sermon; 'tis not enough to read a promiſe, but you muſt taſte a promiſe; when you have gotten this ſpiritual pallate, then Gods Word will be to you the joy and rejoycing of your heart *Jer. 15.16.
3. If you would delight in the Law of God, purge out the delight of ſinne; ſinne will poyſon this ſpiritual delight: If you would have Gods Law ſweet, let not wickedneſſe be ſweet in your mouth, Job 20.12. When ſinne is your burden, Chriſt will be your delight.
CHAP. IX. Holy delight ſhould cauſe thankfulneſſe.
Uſe. 5 WHat cauſe have they to be thankful who can find this ſpiritual delight in God? Thankfulneſſe.How did David bleſſe God that he gave the people hearts to offer ſo chearfully to the building of the Temple? Who am I, and what is my people, that we ſhould be able to offer ſo willingly after this ſort, 2 Chron. 29.14? Their willingneſſe was more than their offering; ſo ſhould a Chriſtian ſay, Lord, when there are ſo many preſt ſouldiers; who am I, that I ſhould offer ſo willingly. Who am I that I ſhould have thy free Spirit, & ſhould ſerve thee rather out of choice, than conſtraint; 'tis a great bleſſing to have this foreign, this promptitude and alacrity in Gods ſervice; Delight doth animate and ſpirit duty; now we act to purpoſe in Religion. Chriſtians are never drawn ſo powerfully and ſweetly, as when the chaine of delight is faſtened to their heart *foreign. Chryſoſt.. Without this all is loſt; our praying and hearing is like water ſpilt upon the ground. It loſeth both its beauty and reward; then bleſſe God (Chriſtian) who hath oyl'd the wheeles of thy ſoule with delight, and now thou canſt run and not be weary. For thy comfort, be aſſur'd thou ſhalt not want any thing thy heart can deſire, Pſal. 37.4. Delight thy ſelf in the Lord, and he ſhall give thee the deſires of thine heart.
A CHRISTIAN On the Mount: OR, A TEATISE concerning MEDITATION. Wherein the neceſſity, uſefulneſſe, excellency of Meditation is at large diſcuſſed.
By THOMAS WATSON, Miniſter of Stephens Walbrook in the City of LONDON.
Meditate upon theſe things, 1 Tim. 4.15.
I thought on my wayes, and turned my feet unto thy Teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59.
Amans Deum ſublimia petit ſumptis alis, & relicta terra in coelum volat. Philo. lib. de victimis.
LONDON, Printed by T. R. & E. M. for Ralph Smith at the Bible in Corn-hill, near the Royal Exchauge. 1657.
PSAL. 1.2.
And in his Law doth he meditate day and night.
HAving led you through the chamber of delight, I will now bring you into the withdrawing room of Meditation. In his Law doth he meditate day and night.