makes to his own people, and of their near fear and trembling, i. e. in the more hum. relation to, and communion with himself, ble obedience to God, and dependence on him, and upon these he enlarges, and raises the not obstructing the influences of his grace, exhortation to the universal endeavour of all and, by sloth and negligence, provoking him holiness, and that as aiming at the very top to withdraw or abate it. Certainly many in and high degree of it. whom there is truth of grace, are kept low

In the words are, 1. The thing to which in the growth of it, by their own slothfulness, he would persuade. 2. The motive. The sitting still, and not bestirring themselves, thing-holiness in its full extension and and exercising the proper actions of that spiintension; 66 purging ourselves from all fil-ritual life, by which it is entertained and adthiness of the flesh and spirit, aud perfecting vanced. holiness in the fear of God "

The purging out of filthiness, and perfect ing holiness, express those two parts of renewing grace, mortification and vivification, as usually they are distinguished. But I conceive they are not so truly different parts, as a different notion of the same thing; the decrease of sin and increase of grace being truly one thing, as the dispelling of darkness and augmenting of light. So here the one is rendered, as the necessary result, yea, as the equivalent of the other; the same thing indeed; purging from filthiness, and in so doing perfecting holiness; perfecting holiness, and in so doing purging from filthi-straints of outward committing sin, it may ness that perfection, by which is meant a growing, progressive advance towards perfection.

Perfecting holiness. Not content with God to go in before him, and to lead them low measures, so much as keeps from hell, into themselves, as the prophet had in the but aspiring towards perfection; aiming high discovery of idolatries at Jerusalem. Oh ! at self-victory, self-denial, and the love of that we could once see what heaps of abomi. God, purer and hotter, as a fire growing and nations lies hid in us, one behind another. flaming up, and consuming the earth. Though men fall short of their aim, yet it is good to aim high; they shall shoot so much the higher, though not full so high as they aim. Thus we ought to be setting the state of perfection in our eye, resolving not to rest content below that, and to come as near it as we can, even before we come at it, Phil. iii. 11, 12. This is to act as one that hath such hope, such a state in view, and is still advancing towards it.

Then having searched out, we must follow on to purge out; not to pass over, nor spare any, but to delight most in casting out the best-beloved sin, the choicest idol, that hath had most of our services and sacrifices, to make room for Jesus Christ.

And never cease in this work, for still there is need of more purging: one day's work in this disposes for and engages to a further, to the next; for, as sin is purged out, light comes in, and more clear discoveries are made of remaining pollutions. So, then, still there must be progress, less of the world and more of God in the heart every day. Oh! this is a sweet course of

In the fear of God. No working but on firm ground, no solid endeavours in holiness where it is not founded in a deep heart, a reverence of God, a desire to please him and to be like him, which springs from love. life what gain, what preferment to be com This most men are either strangers to whol-pared to it? ly, or but slight and shallow in it, and there- And in this it is good to have our ambifore make so little true progress in holiness. tion growing; the higher we arise, to aspire Then there is the motive-having these still the higher, looking farther than before, promises; being called to so fair an estate, even toward the perfection of holiness. It so excellent a condition, to be the people, is not much we can here attain to, but sure yea, the sons and daughters of God. There- it is commonly far less than we might; fore they are called to the coming forth from we improve not our condition and advantaBabel, and the separating themselves from ges as we might do. The world is busy sin, and purging it out. Holiness is his driving forward their designs. Men of spirit image in his children; the more of it, the are animated, both by better and worse more suitable to that blessed relation and dignity, and the firmer are the hopes of the inheritance of glory.

Consider sin as a filthiness, hate it. Oh, how ugly and vile is lust, how deformed is swelling pride! And all sin is an aversion from God, a casting the noble soul into the mire, the defacing all its beauty. Turning to present things, it pollutes itself with them, that he who was clad in scarlet embraces the dunghill, as Jeremiah in another sense laments.

Purity of things is an unmixture and simplicity corresponding with their own being; and so is the soul when elevated above the earth and sense, and united unto God, contemplating him, and delighting in him: all inordinate bent to the creatures, or to itself, (which is the first and main disorder,) doth defile and debase it; and the more it is sublimed and freed from itself, the purer and more heavenly it grows, and partakes the more of God, and resembles him the more.

success: if any thing miscarry, it sets them on the more eagerly to make it up, in the right management of some other design; and when they prosper in one thing, that enables and encourages them to attempt further. Shall all things seem worth our pains? Are only grace and glory so cheap in our account, that the least diligence of all goes that way? Oh, strange delusion!

Now, our cleansing is to be managed by all holy means: word and sacrament more wisely and spiritually used than commonly with us; and private prayer, that purifies and elevates the soul, takes it up into the mount, and makes it shine; and particularly supplicating for the spirit of holiness, and victory over sin, is not in vain, it obtains its desires of God, the soul becoming that which it is fixedly set upon. Holy resolution: Christians much wanting in this, faint and lose in their purposes; the consideration of divine truths, the mysteries of the kingdom, the hope of Christians, yea, rich and great This, then, should be our main study, promises, that is particularly here the motive. first to search out our iniquities, the particu-These are all the means, holy means they lar defilements of our nature; not only gross are, as their end is the perfection of holiness. filthiness, drunkenness, lasciviousness, &c., Having these promises. Now consider but our love of this earth, or of air or vanity whether it is better to be the slaves of Satan of mind, our self-will and self-seeking. or the sons of God; measure delight in God Most, even of Christians, are short-sighted with the low, base pleasures of sense. Blessin their own secret evils, the filthiness of ed are the pure in heart, for they shall see spirit especially, and use little diligence in God; these gradually go on together, and this inquiry. They do not seek light from are perfected together.

Why then is there such an invincible love [honour, Oh! the blessed choice of that soul of sin in the hearts of men? At least, why that is still seeking more love to God, more so little love of holiness, and endeavour affection, and more ability to do him service; after it, so mean thoughts of it, as a thing that counts all days and hours for lost that either indecent or unpleasant, when it is the are not employed to this improvement; that only noble and the only delightful thing in hears the word in public, and reads it in private the world? The soul by other things is for this purpose, to kindle this love, or to drawn below itself, but by holiness it is blow the sparkle, if any there be in the heart, raised above itself, and made divine. Plea-to raise it to a clear flame, and from a little sures of sin for a season, the pleasure of a flame to make it burn yet hotter and purer, moment, exchanged for those of eternity! and rise higher; but, above all means, is But even in the mean time, in this season, often presenting this in prayer to Him on the soul is fed with communion with God, whose influence all depends, in whose hand one hour of which is more worth than the our hearts are, much more than in our own. longest life of the highest of the world's It follows him with this desire, and works

delights.

SERMON XV.

PSALM CXix. 32.

I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.

on him by his own interest. Though there. can be really no accession of gain to him by our services, yet he is pleased so to account with us as if there were. Therefore we may urge this: "Lord, give more, and receive more; I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart."

We have here in the words a required disposition, and a suitable resolution. The disposition relates to the resolution, as the means of fulfilling it, and the resolution relates to the disposition, both as the end of desiring it, and as the motive of obtaining it. The resolution occurs first in the words.

To desire ease and happiness, under a general representation of it, is a thing of I will run, &c. The way resolved on is more easy and general persuasion; there is that of God's commandments, not the road somewhat in nature to help the argument; of the polluted world, not the crooked way but to find beauty in, and be taken with the of his own heart, but the highway, the very way of holiness that leads to it, is more royal way, the straight way of the kingdom, rare, and depends on a higher principle. and that in the notion of subjection and obe Self-love inclines a man to desire the rest of dience the way of thy commandments. love; but to love and desire the labour of This man naturally struggles against and love, 18 love of a higher and purer strain. repines at. To be limited and bounded by To delight and he cheerful in obedience, law is a restraint, and a vain man could argues much love as the spring of it. That possibly find in his heart to do many of the is the thing the holy Psalmist doth so plen- same things that are commanded; but he tifully express in this Psalın, and he is still would not be tied, would have his liberty, desiring more of that sweet and lively affec- and do it of his own choice. This is the tion that might make him yet more abun- enmity of the carnal mind against God, dant in action. Thus, here, I will run, as the apostle expresses it" it is not sub&c. He presents his desire and purpose ject to the law of God, neither can it together: "The more of this grace thou be;" it breaks these bonds, and casts away bestowest on me, the more service shall I be the cords of his authority. This is sin, the able to do thee." transgression of a law, and this made the This is the top of his ambition, while first sin so great, though in a matter one others are seeking to enlarge their barns, would think small-the eating of the fruit their lands, or estates, or titles; kings to of a tree; it was rebellion against the maenlarge their territories or authority, to en-jesty of God, casting off his law and authocroach on neighbouring kingdoms, or be rity, and aspiring to an imagined self-deity. more absolute in their own; instead of all And this is still the treasonable pride, or insuch enlargements, this is David's great dependency, and wickedness of our nature, desire, an enlarged heart, to run the way rising up against God that formed us of of God's commandments. nothing.

And these other (how big soever they And this is the power and substance of sound) are poor, narrow desires; this one is religion, the new impress of God upon the larger and higher than them all, and gives heart, and obedience and resignment to him, evidence of a heart already large: but as it is to be given up to him as entirely his, to be miserable in those, it is happy in this moulded and ordered as he will, to be subMuch would still have more. ject to his laws and appointments in all things, Let others seek more money or more to have every action, and every word, under

a rule and law, and the penalty to be so high, to deny ourselves our own humour and pride, eternal death! All this to a carnal or haugh- our passions and pleasures, to have all those ty mind is hard; not only every action and subdued and brought under by the power of word, but even every thought too, must be the law of love within us. This, and nothing subject; not so much as thought-free, (2) below this, is the end of religion. Alas! Cor. x. 5,)" Every thought is brought into amongst multitudes that are called Chriscaptivity," (as the apostle speaks, and so tians, some there may be that speak and apthe licentious mind accounts it,)-not only pear like it, yet how few are there that make the affections and desires, but the very rea- this their business and aspire to this-The soning and imaginations are brought under way of God's commandments ! this law.

His intended course in this way he exNow, to yield this as reasonable and due presses by running; it is good to be in this to God, to own his sovereignty, and to ac- way even in the slowest motions; love will knowledge the law to be holy, just, and good; creep where it cannot go. But if thou art to approve, yea, to love it, even there where so indeed, then thou wilt long for a swifter it most contradicts and controuls our own motion; if thou do but creep, be doing, creep corrupt will, and the law of sin in our flesh, on, yet desire to be enabled to go; if thou this is true spiritual obedience; to study goest, but yet halting and lamely, desire to and inquire after the will of God in all our be strengthened to walk straight; and if thou ways, what will please him, and having found walkest, let not that satisfy thee, desire to it, to follow that which is here called the way run. So here, David did walk in this way; of his commandments; to make this our but he earnestly wishes to mend his pace; way and our business in the world, and all he would willingly run, and for that end he other things but accessaries and by-works; desires an enlarged heart. even those lawful things that may be taken Some dispute and descant too much whether in, and used as helps in our way: as the dis- they go or no, and childishly tell their steps, ciples passing through the corn plucked the and would know at every pace whether they ears, and did eat in passing, as a by-work, advance or no, and how much they advance, but their business was to follow their master. and thus amuse themselves, and spend the And whatsoever would hinder us in this time of doing and going in questioning and way must be watched and guarded against. doubting. Thus it is with many Christians, To effect that, we must either remove and but it were a more wise and comfortable way thrust it aside, or if we cannot do that, yet to be endeavouring onwards, and if thou we must go over it, and trample it under foot, were it the thing or the person that is dearest to us in the world. Till the heart be brought to this state and purpose, it is either wholly void of, or very low and weak in the truth of religion.

make little progress, at least to be desiring to make more; to be praying and walking, and praying that thou mayest walk faster, and that in the end thou mayest run; not satisfied with any thing attained, but yet by that unsatisfiedness not to be so dejected as We place religion much in our accustom-to sit down, or stand still, but rather excited ed performances, in coming to church, hear- to go on. So it was with St. Paul, Phil. iii. ing and repeating of sermons, and praying 13. "Forgetting those things which are beat home, keeping a road of such and such hind, and reaching forth unto those things duties. The way of God's commandments which are before, I press forward." If any is more in doing than in discourse. In many, one thinks that he hath done well and run religion evaporates itself too much out by far, and will take a pause, the great apostle the tongue, while it appears too little in their is of another mind-Not as if I had attainways. Oh! but this is the main; one acted. Oh, tio! far from that; he still sets forof charity, meekness, or humility, speaks ward as if nothing were done, as a runner, more than a day's discourse. All the means we use in religion are intended for a further end, which, if they attain not, they are nothing. This end is to mortify and purify the heart, to mould it to the way of God's commandments in the whole tract of our lives; in our private converse one with another, and our retired secret converse with ourselves; to have God still before us, and his law our rule in all we do; that he may be our meditation day and night, and that his law may be our counsellor, as this Psalm hath it, to regulate all our designs, and the works of our callings by it. To walk soberly, and godly, and righteously in this present world; to curb and cross our own wills where they cross God's;

not still looking back how much he hath run, but forward to what he is to run, stretching forth to that, inflamed with frequent looks at the mark and end. Some are retarded by looking on what is past, as not satisfied; they have done nothing, as they think, and so stand still discontented; but even in that way, it is not good to look too much to things behind; we must forget them rather, and press onwards.

Some, if they have gone on well, and possibly run a while, yet if they fall, then they are ready, in a desperate mal-content, to lie still and think all is lost; and in this peevish fretting at their falls, some men please them. selves and take it for repentance, whereas,

indeed, it is not that, but rather pride and then look beyond them, above that cloud humour; repentance is a more submissive, of witnesses, to the Sun, the Sun of rightehumble thing. But this is that which ousness; looking off from all things here, troubles some men at their new falls, (especially that would either entangle thee or discourage if after a long time of even walking or run- thee, taking thine eye off from them, and ning,) they think their project is now spoil- looking to him that will powerfully draw ed; their thoughts are broken off, they would thee and animate thee. Look to Jesus, not have had somewhat to have rejoiced in, if they as thy forerunner in this race, but also as had still gone on to the end, but being disap- thy undertaker in it; the author and finishpointed of that, they think they had as good er of our faith. His attaining the end of let alone, and give over. Oh! but the the race is the pledge of thy attaining, if humble Christian is better taught; his falls thou follow him cheerfully on the same enteach him indeed to abhor himself, they dis-couragements that he looked to; "who, for cover his own weakness to him, and empty the joy that was set before him, endured the him of self-trust, but they do not dismay cross and despised the shame, and is now him to get up and go on, not boldly and set down at the right hand of God." carelessly forgetting his fall, but in the hum- When thou shalt enlarge my heart. In ble sense of it walking the more warily, but all beings the heart is the principle of motion, not the less swiftly; yea, the more swiftly and according as it is more or less perfect too, making the more haste to regain the in its kind, those motions that flow from it time lost by the fall. So, then, if you would are more or less vigorous. Therefore hath run in this way, depend on the strength of the Psalmist good reason, to the end his God, and on his Spirit leading thee, that spiritual course may be the stedfaster, and so thou mayest not fall, and yet if thou dost the faster, to desire that the principle of it, fall, arise; and if thou art plunged in the the heart, may be more enabled and dismire, go to the fountain opened for sin and posed, which here he expresses by its being uncleanness, and wash there; bemoan thyself enlarged. before thy Lord; and if hurt, and bleeding What this enlargement of the heart is, a by thy fall, yet look on him, desire Jesus man's own inward sense should easily explain to pity thee, and bind up and cure thy to him. Sure it would, did men reflect on wound, washing off thy blood" and pouring in of his own.

it, and were they acquainted with their own hearts; but the most are not. They would find the carnal, natural heart, a narrow, contracted, hampered thing, bound with cords and chains of its own twisting and forging, and so incapable of walking, much less of running in this way of God's commandments, till it be freed and enlarged.

The heart is taken generally in scripture, for the whole soul, the understanding and will, in its several affections and motions; and the speech being here of an enlarged heart, it seems very congruous to take it in the most enlarged sense.

However it is with thee, give not over, faint not, run on; and that thou mayest run the more easily and expeditely, make thyself as light as may be; "lay aside every weight," Heb. xii. 1, 2. Clog not thyself with unnecessary burdens of earth, and especially lay aside that, that of all other things weighs the heaviest, and cleaves the closest, the sin that so easily besets us, and is so hardly put off us, that folds so connaturally to us, and we therefore think will not hinder us much. And not only the sins that are more outward, but the inner, close-cleaving It is said of Solomon, that he hath a large sins, the sin that most of all sits easily to heart, (the same word that is here,) as the us, not only our cloak, but our inner coat, sand of the sea shore; that is, a vast, comaway with that too, as our Saviour says in prehensive spirit, that could fathom much of another case, and run the race set before us, nature, both its greater and lesser things. our appointed stage, and that with patience," He spoke of trees, from the cedar in Leunder all oppositions and discouragements banon to the hyssop in the wall, and of great from the world without and sin within. And beasts, and small creeping things." to encourage thee in this, look to such a Thus, I conceive, the enlargement of the cloud of witnesses that compasseth us about heart compriseth the enlightening of the unto further us; as troubles, temptations, and derstanding. There arises a clearer light sin, do to hinder us. They encountered the there to discern spiritual things in a more like sufferings, and were encountered with spiritual manner; to see the vast difference the like sins, and yet they run on and got home. Alexander would have run in the Olympic Games if he had had kings to run with; now, in this race, kings and prophets and righteous persons run; yea, all are indeed a kingly generation, each one heir to a crown as the prize of this race.

And if these encourage thee but little,

betwixt the vain things the world goes after, and the true, solid delight that is in the way of God's commandments; to know the false blush of the pleasures of sin, and what deformity is under that painted mask, and not be allured by it; to have enlarged apprehensions of God, his excellency, and greatness, and goodness; how worthy he is to be obey