Psalm 119:37
Veuse 37. — ‘Tun, thou away vi’me eyes from ln-hohinit; vanity .- ami (juickeTi thou me in thy way.
David still his requests to God for grace, and intituli-lh him to the whole work. He had praved before, that God would iiK line his heart; now that he would turn away his eyes from beholding worldly vanities. In this prayer there are two branches, the one coneerneth mortification, the other vilili(ation.
“‘i’lirn away.” then “(piieken,” ic. The lirst n (pnst is for the rcnloing the inqiedimenis of obedience, the other for addition of new degrees of grace. These two arc fitly joined, for they have a natural infiucncc
SEKMON XLir. — VERSE XXXVII. 361
upon one another; unless we turn away our eyes from vanity, we shall soon contract a deadness of heart. Nothing causeth it so much as an inordinate liberty in carnal vanities; when our ati’ections are alive to other things, they are dead to God, therefore the less we let loose our hearts to these things, the more lively and cheerful in the work of obedience. On the other side, the more the vigour of grace is renewed, and the habits of it quickened into actual exercise, the more is sin mortified and subdued. Sin dieth, and our senses are restored to their proper use. These two requests are fitly joined. Let us consider them asunder.
1. “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity.” There observe, (1.) The object, ‘’vanity.” (2.) The faculty, “mine eyes.” (3.) The act of grace desired, — the removing of this faculty from this object.
1st, The object, “vanity.” Thereby is meant carnal and worldly things, worldly pleasures, worldly honour, worldly profits, all these are called “vanity,” because they have no solid happiness in them, and do so easily fade and perish. Thus it is said, “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain” (Prov. xxxi. 30). The same is true of any other transporting object: “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” (Eccl. i. 2); and, “Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity; for vanity shall be his recompence” (Job XV. 31). “The creature was made subject to vanity” (Rom. viii. 20). By vanity there is understood the vain things of the world, which do so often deceive us as to the happiness they promise.
2ndly, The faculty is mentioned, “the eye;” it is employed and commanded by the heart; but this enkindleth new flames there, and as it is set a work by it, so it sets the heart a work again. It is the instrument of increasing sin in us.
3rdly, The act, “turn away.” Our evil delight is too apt to fix it, and become a snare to us, till God cureth both heart and sense by grace. He prayeth not from beholding it altogether, but from beholding as a snare.
Doctrine. — It concerneth those that would walk with God, to have their eyes turned away from worldly things. I shall give you the meaning in these propositions.
1. He that would be quickened, carried out with life and vigour in the ways of God, must first be mortified, die unto sin. The Apostle there speaks of the fruit of Chrisfs death; being dead unto sin before he can live to God (1 Pet. ii. 24), David first maketh it his request, “Turn away mine eyes,” then “quicken.” Many would fain live with Christ, but first they must learn to die unto sin. It is impossible for sin and grace to live in the same subject.
2. One great means of mortification is guarding the senses; eves, and ears, and taste, and touch, that they may not betray the heart.” I put it so general because the man of God that is so solicitous about his eyes, would not be careless of his ears and other senses. We must watch on all sides: when an assault is made on all sides, if one gate open it is as good as all were. The senses are the cinque-ports by which sin is let out and taken in. The ingress and egress of sin is by the senses, and much of our danger lieth there, partly because there are so many objects that suit with our distempers, that do by them insinuate themselves into the soul, and therefore things long since seemingly dead will soon revive again, and recover life and strength. There is no means to keep the heart unless we keep the eye; and partly because in every creature Satan bath laid a snare for us, to steal away our hearts and affections from God:
partly because the senses are po ready to receive these objects from without to wound the heart, for they are as the heart is; if the heart be poisoned with suj, and become a servant to it, so are the senses of oiu’ bodies weapons of unrighteousness (Koin. vi. 13). Objects have an impression upon them answerable to the temper and the affections of the soul, anil what it desirt’th they pitch upon, and therefore if we let the senses wander, the heart will take tire j)resently; and if we do not stop evil at the be^inning, but let it alone to take head, we cannot stop it when we would, nor repress the motions of it from tiying abroad.
3. Above all senses the eye must be truarded: —
(1.) Because it is the noblest sense ti’iven us for high uses. There is not only a natural use to inform us of thintfs protitablc. and hurtful for the outward man. but a spiritual use to set before us those objects that may Btir us and raise our minds to heavenly thous;hts and meditations. For, by beholdiny: the jierfection of the creatures, we may admire the more eminent perfection of him that made them. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handy work“’ (Psalm xix. 1). And, ‘’ When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained” (Psalm viii. 3). David, when he walked abroad in a moon-shining night, he admires the glory of the moon and stars: the moon and stars are mentioned because it was a night meditation, his heart was set a work byjiis eyes. ‘” For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and godhead,” &cc. (Rom. i. 20.) The perfections of the creatures are to draw us to God, and their imperfections and defects to drive us from themselves. The eye as it is vised will either be a help or a snare, either it will let in the sparks of temptation, or enkindle the fire of true devotion. These are the windows which God hath placed in the top of the building, that man from thence may contemplate Ciod’s works, and take a prospect of Heaven, the place of our eternal residence. Os hoitihn suhlnne df’d’it ,• God made man with an erect countenance, not grovelintr on the earth, but looking up to Heaven, and viewing the glorious mansions above.
(2.) Because they have a great infiucnce upon the heart, either as to good or evil, but chiefly to evil. In this corrupt state of man, ‘k rS opMv y/x’trfri TO 6pdi>, by looking we come to liking, and are brought inordinately to effect what we do behold: “That ye seek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring” (Numb. XV. 3.0).” If my steps hath turned out of the way, and my heart walked after mine eyes’’ (Job xxxi. 7). These are the spies of the heart, brokers to bring it and the temptation together; the eye seeth and then by gazing the heart lusteth, and the body acteth the transgression. It is mt)re dajigerous to sec evil than to hear it, the impression is gi’catcr; the relation of anything doth not affect us so nuich as the sight of it. Those that hear of the fury of wars, and firing of houses; ravishing of virgins; killing and wounding of men, and the like, cannot hale so deep a sense of those thini.’-s as they that see it. The sight of Healen works more than the report of it, as in Paul, when he had a sight of these thinys he was in an extasy. The look (loth iinmi-diately work on the heart. Well then, it is dangerous to fix the eye on enticini; ol)jects; for it exciteth more than hearsay.
(3.) The eye must be looked lo, because it hath been the window b which Satan hath crept in, and all manner of poison conleyed to the soul.
I shall prove it, (1.) Doctrinally. (2.) Historically. First, I shall give you doctrinal assertions; the eye hath been the inlet of all sin; as uncleanness: “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls” &c. (2 Peter iii. 4); in the original it is “eyes full of the adulteress,” and the eye enkindles impure Hames in the heart. “Lust not after her beauty in thy heart, neither let her take thee with her eye-lids” (Prov.vi. 25). Gazing on the beauty of women enkindleth foul Hames within the breast, and we feel strange transports of soul when we give way to it. The evil heart is in its element when it is thus. Then coveteousness gets into the heart by the eye: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the woi’ld, if any man love the word, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John ii. 15). And therefore the Apostle, when he maketh a division of sin, he saith: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world.” Because the mind is so secretly enchanted with the love of those things it beholds, and are represented to it by the external senses; and: “There is no end of all his labour” (Eccl. iv. 8), neither is his eye satisfied with riches; that insatiable thirst is enkindled in the soul by beholding the splendour of outwai’d things, it is born and bred, and fed by it, and the heart is secretly enchanted with a love to it, and therefore we must have more of it. Again, driuikenness: “Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when itgiveth its colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright” (Prov. xxiii. 3); that is so as to entice the heart to crave more and more till it cometh to excess. So envy: “Is thine eye evil, because I am good?” (Matt. xx. 15.) The more they see and wishly behold the flourishing of others, the more is their evil disposition nourished. Secondly, historical instances. Let me begin with the first transgression. It is said: “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof,” &.c. (Gen. iii. 6). She was first corrupted in her sense; gazing on the fruit with delight that was the first sin, before eating. The Devil tempted Christ, when he sought to corrupt the second Adam. “He taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth bun all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them” (Matt. iv. 8). He knew the best way to work was by sight, and though he could not prevail against Christ, he took that way that was most accommodate to his purpose, and afterward what an account have we in Scripture how many were wounded by their eyes? The Devil knoweth that is the next way to work upon the heart. So Potiphar’s wife: “And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, lie with me” (Gen. xxxix. 7). There the mischief began, she pleased herself with looking on the Hebrew servant. So Achan: “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them,” &c. (Josh. vii. 21). First saw, then coveted, then took, and then hid, and then Israel falls before the Philistines, and he is attached by loss and brought to judgment. So Shechem and Dinah: “And when Shechem, the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her” (Gen. xxxiv. 2). Seeing always cometh between the sense and the heart. So of Sampson: “Sampson went to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her” (Judges xvi. 1). So David was ensnared by looking on Bathsheba:” And it came to pass in
364 SKBMONS OX rsALM ex IX.
an cvciiinff-tide, that David arose fiuin oH’ his bed, and walked upon the root” of the kinsj’s house; and iVom the roof he saw a woman washing: Ihtseli”; and the woman was very beautifid to look upon” (2 Sam. xi. 2). That fired his heart, and bniusrht surli misehiefs upon him. Naboth’s vineyard was hard by Ahab’s palace ’ 1 Kintr. xxi. 1 ); it was ever in his eye, and therefore he is troubled and falls sick for it. So, how manv may thus complain ihat their souls have been by their eyes betrayed. As Jacob’s sheep, by looking on the rods, brought forth young ones coloured by the rods, so our actions receive that from the objects, we take in by the senses.
Use I. — The first use is to reprove those that are so careless of their senses. When they are left at random, they soon prove the ruin of the soul. Solomon yiveth us the reason of his folly and warpint; from God: “Whatsoever mine eyes desired, I kept not from them” (Eccles. iv. 10). I kei)t not mine eyes from any toy: those men lie under the power of sin that let the boat run with the stream, and never use any restraint, they are wafted down apace into the yvdf of destruction. Those oj)en the gates to the enemy, and give them free entertainment. A man that is careless of his senses is like a city without walls, that lies open to all comers. The heart is a thorougiifare lor sin and temptations, but because most men, vca, good men, have and may miscarry this way, whereby great mischiefs mav come upon them, let me produce some considerations that they may see their folly that let their hearts run at random.
1. Foul sinners are awakened, which we thought long since laid asleej), when we let the ol)ject strike too freely upon the soul. Who would have thought that David’s heart should have b(pen fired by a look? It is dangerous to dally with temj)tations, and to think no great harm will come of it, stones running down hill are not easily stopped, so here when we yield a little to Satan’s temptations, he carries us away by force, we caimot stop when we please.
2. Evil thoughts will be begotten in us, and they make us culpable before God, thou<jh they break not out into sinful acts. Looking causeth lusfiny, and that is adultery before God: “But I say unto you, whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matt. v. 28). Christ came to restore the law to its spiritual eensc. The Pharisees did not think the law broken but by outward, gross acts, and actual defilement, but Christ showeth that a wanton look is adultery, an envious look nmrders the heart, consenteth to sin thouixh the body acts it not.
3. IJy leaving the senses without a <ruard, evil disipositioMs are impress(>(l upon us secretly, though we are not aware of any sensible disorder for the present, the heart gi’oweth vain and carnal by letting loose the eye to vanity. Job doth not only lake notice of his eyes when they did stir u]) carnal thoughts for the |)resent, but saith: “If my step hath turned out of the Why, and mine heart walked after my eyes” (Job. xxxi. 7”): he speaks twice of the disorders of his eyes: the heart may be” corrupted by the eye, and therefore it concerns you to set a truard upon the senses: “Let thine eves look right on, and let thine eyelids look slraitriit before thec”(Prov. i. 25). Let UR mind our business, which is to go to Heaven, whereas. b gazing and wandering, the heart comes to be enchanted with earthlv thingn.
‘1. By wandrring and Idling loose the eye, the heart is distracted in duty. Distraction in duty, it is a great and usual evil, and one cause of it is the curiosity of the senses; how often do we mingle sulphur with our incense, and come to worship God having our hearts to the ends of the earth? Men let loose their eyes, and then away goes their hearts, and therefore, as Solomon saith: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God” (Eccl. V. 1). Many come hither merely to see and to be seen, and to display their vanity by their vain attire. How many are there that let loose their eyes to anity when they should give up their ears to the counsel of God? Some dress up themselves in such vain attire and indecent fashions to draw the eyes of others to gaze upon them, this is a great affront to God’s worship. Solomon saith: “The eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth” (Prov. xvii. 24). One cause of distraction is the curiosity of the senses, our eyes run to and fro, and then our hearts wander and rove from the business we are about; it is a strange constancy and fixedness that is spoken of the priests at Jerusalem, that when Faustus, Cornelius, and Furius, and Fabius, broke into the city with their troops, and rushed into the temple ready to kill them, yet they went on with the rites of the temple, as if there had been no such things. And strange is that other instance of the Spartan youth, that held the censer to Alexander, while he offered sacrifice, a coal lighting upon his arm, he suffered it to burn there rather than by any crying out of his would disturb that worship: these instances are a shame to Christians that we do no more fix our hearts when -sve are in the service of God.
Use II. — The second use is to press us to this piece of mortification, even “to turn away your eyes from beholding vanity.” To help you in it you must, —
1. Take Job’s course: “I made a covenant with my eyes” (Job. xxxi. 1). Job and his eyes were in covenant, there was a covenant between heart and eyes; eyes be you faithful to my soul, that there be nothing that may stir up carnal and impure thoughts, that there be no unclean objects that may fire my heart. Oh, the foolhardiness of this age! Some will smile at this kind of discipline, to be so strict and precise. Why! is sin grown less dangerous, or is man’s nature more wise and strong, or are we better fortified against temptations? Are our hearts in a better posture than the servants of God of old? Surely not, and therefore set a watch upon your eyes that sin break not in upon your heart.
2. Consider the vanity of the things we dote upon and take in by the eyes. So saith David: “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity,” they are poor, vain, perishing things, yet they suit too well with our senses. And consider what Solomon saith of these things: ““Wilt thou set thine heart upon that which is not?” We inflame our heart with these things, and lust putteth a lovely face upon the objects, that suiteth with it, but alas! what are they, whatever they seem to the beholder? It is but vanity: man flattereth himself” in a vain show” (Psalm xxxix. 6). All the splendour and beauty of it is but vain: “The fashion of this world passeth away” (1 Cor. vii. 31), it is but an empty thing, flying bubbles; though the world is of some use to us in our pilgrimage, yet poor things they are, as that for them we should neglect our duty to God, and grow less lively therein, or have our hearts withdrawn from God. It is the temptation that maketh them seem comely. When these alluring vanities are before our eyes, lust puts a gloss upon them, but consider what they are indeed, and
366 SERMONS OX PSALM CXlX.
in comparison of lliosf things from wliicli tlicy U-m. you, namely, Hoavrn and fttnial bli’sscdni’ss.
3. Consider the cursed issue of these thintfs, of letting loose thy eve and heart to vanity. When you please the eye you wound the heart, and make you untit for your great account: “Rejoice, O young man in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these thiiiys, God will bring thee into judgment” (Eccl. xi. 9). Go, drench and steep thy soul in carnal delights. When thy wandering and wanton eye dolh iuHiience the lusts of thy heart, and they begin to boil up, when thou hast not denied thyself anything thy heart can wish, and thine eye look upon; put in a little cool water to stop the boiling and ragintr of thy lust, remember that God will bring thee to judgment: though thou dost now smother thy convictions, and drown thy reason in these sensual delights, yet God will call thee to an account for all thy time and parts, and strength, and wit, and talents entrusted with thee.
4. Pray, as David doth here: ‘• Turn away mine eyes:’’ he calleth upon God for the assistance of his grace; and ‘• Set a watch. O Lord, before my mouth; keep thou the door of my lips” (Psalm cxli. 3). He that bendetli and inelineth the heart by bis grace, to look after better things, must also bridle the senses: it is lust sets the eye a work, and causeth a deep complacency and delight in carnal things, and that is cured only by God’s grace (Slark x. 27); therefore, go and beg this mercy of him.
5. Constant watchfulness; alas! we cannot ojjcn our eyes but we meet with a temptation, a door open for Satan to enter by, and therefore we had need diligently and constantly to watch, especially when lusts arc like to be stirred. Lot’s wife might not look towards Sodom, but Abraham was bidden to look upon it: it was no temptation to him, but it was to her, she had her heart hankering after it (Gen xix. 17, compared with verse 28). When we are in danger of a temptation, we should keep a st’vere and strict hand upon the senses, that they may not dwell uinieccssarily uj)on alluring objects.
6. We have renounced the pomps and vanities of the world in baptism, and shall our eye? and hearts rim after them? this is implied in our baptism, for baptism is called ‘* the answer of a good conscience towards God” (1 Peter iii. 21). It is an answer to God’s demand in the covenant. God puts us to the question, whether we will renounce the world, and the vanities and pleasures thereof? Now, when we have renounced these things, shall our eyes and our hearts run after them r Shall we turn the senses against God who gave us the use of them? Yea, against our souls. To shame you that have been no more faithful to your baptismal vow, consider what Heathens have done. Basil relateth of Alexander, a young man. in the heat of blood and in the Hower of his age. refused to see Darius’s daughter. It is a shame, saith he, for him that hath conquered so many men to be con(picred by a woman. It is said of some Heathen, that he put out his eyes that they might not be a snare to him. We have grace that we may not use such violence to our nature. but certainlv the eves of our lusts should be put out; your see our baptism engageth us. If Heathens, thosi- that never came under such an emragement with fiod, if they. by the light of nature saw that the iuardinjf of the senses was a help to the soul, it concerns us much more to renounce the pomps and vanitiewofthe world.
SecomU)^ We come to the request: “Quicken thou me m thy way.” By quickening is meant the actuation of the spiritual life, he beggeth grace to perform his duty to God, with cheerfulness, liveliness, and zeal.
Doctrine. — Quickening is very necessary for them that would walk in God’s ways.
I shall not consider it here as a prayer to God, or as it is a blessing to be asked of God, but as it is necessary to obedience; and here I shall inquire, —
1. What quickening is,
2. Show the necessity of it.
1st, What quickening is; it is put for two things. (1.) It is put for regeneration or the infusion of grace. (2.) For the renewing the vigour of the life of grace, the renewed influence of God whereby this grace is stirred up in our hearts. First, for regeneration or the infusion of grace: “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. ii. 1 ); then we are quickened or made alive to God when we are new born, when there is an habitual principle of grace put into our hearts. Secondly, Quickening is put for the renewed excitation of grace, when the life that we have received is carried on to some further increase, and so it is twofold, either by way of comfort in our afflictions, or enlivening in a way of holiness.
1. Comfort in afflictions; and so it is opposed to fainting, which is occasioned by too deep a sense of present troubles, and distrust of God and the supplies of his grace; when the affliction is heavy upon us, we are like birds dead in the nest, and are so overcome that we have no spirit nor courage in the service of God: “This is my comfort in my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me” (Psalm cxix. 50). Then we are said to be quickened, when he raiseth up our hearts above the trouble, by refining our suffering graces, as faith, hope, and patience. Thus he is said to “revive the heart of the contrite ones’’ (Psalm xxxvii. 15); to restore comfort to us, and to refresh us with the sense of his love.
2. There is a quickening in duty, which is opposed to deadness of spirit, which is apt to creep upon us, that is occasioned by negligence and slothfulness in the business of the spiritual life. Now, to quicken us, God exciteth his grace in us. An instrument, though never so well in tune, soon grows out of order. A key seldom turned rusts in the lock, so graces that are not kept a work, lose then- exercise, and grow lukewarm; or else it is occasioned by carnal liberty, or intermeddling with worldly things. These bring a brawn and deadness upon the heart, and the soul is depressed by the cares of this world (Luke xxi. 34). Now% when you are under this temper of soul, desire the Lord to quicken you by new influences of grace.
2ndly, Let me show the necessity of this quickening, how needful it is.
1. It is needful, for without it our general standing is questionable, whether we belong to God or not: “Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house” (I Peter ii. 5): it is not enough to be a stone in Christ’s buildhig, but we must be living stones; not only members of his body, but living members: I cannot say such a one hath no grace, but when they have it not it renders their condition very questionable, a man may be living when he is not lively.
2. Without it we cannot perform our duties aright: religion to a dead heart is a very irksome thing. When we are dead-hearted we do our duties as if we did them not; in our general course of obedience, we must go
368 SEHWoxs ox rsALM cxix.
to God: “Quicken me after thy loving kindness, so shall I keep the testimonies of thy mouth” (^Psalin cxix. <SN). Then we do good to good purpose indeed; it is not enough for us to i)ray, but we must pray with life and vigour: “Quicken us, and we will call upon thy name” (Psalm lxxx. 18); so we should hear with life, not in a dull, careless fashion (Matt, xiii. 15).
3. All the graces that are planted in us, tend to beget (juiekening: as faith, ho])e, and love, these are the graces that set us a work, and make us lively in the exercise of the spiritual life. “Faith which worketh by love” (Gal. V. 6). It sets the soul a work by apprehending the sense of God’s love, whereas otherwise it is but a dead faith (James ii. 17). Then for love, what is the influence of that; it constrains the soul, it takes the soul along with it (2 Cor. v. 14 — Rom. xii. 1). And then hope it is called “a lively hope” (1 Peter i. 3), all grace is put into us, to make us lively; not only the grace of sanctification, but the grace of justification is bestowed upon us for this end, that we may be cheerful in God’s service: “How much more shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God?” (Heb. ix. 14.) Sui and guilt make us dead and heavy hearted, but now the blood of Christ is sprinkled upon the conscience, and the sentence of death taken away, then we are made cheerful to serve the living God. Attributes are suited to the case in hand, he is called the living God; because he must be served in a living manner.
4. All the ordinances which God hath appointed are to get and increase this liveliness in us. Wherefore hath God appointed the word? “Hear and your soul shall live” (Psalm Iv. 3); it is to promote the life of grace, and that we may hale new encouragement to go on in the ways of God. Moses, when he received the law, is said to receive “the lively oracles” of God (Acts vii. 38). So the doctrines of Christ, they are all spirit and life, and serve to beget life in us. As the redemption of the world by Christ, the joys of Heaven, the torments of Hell, they are all quickening truths, and propounded to us, to keep us in life and vigour. The Lord’s supper, why was that appointed? There we come to taste the Hesh of Christ, who was given for tiu- life of the world (John vi.). That we might sensibly exercise our faith upon Christ, that we might be more sensible of our obligrjitions to him, that we might be the more excited in the diligent pursuit of things to come.
UsK I. — For reproof. David considereth the dulnessand deadnessof his spirit, which many do not, but go on in a cold track of duties, and never regard the frame of their hearts. It is a good sign to observe f)ur spiritual temper, and accordingly go to God. Most observe their bodies, but very few their souls. If the body be ill at ease or out of order; they complain presently, hut love waxeth cold, and their zeal for God and delight in him is abated, yet they never lay it to heart.
UsK II. — To exhort us to get and keep this lively frame of heart.
1. Get it. Pray for it, liveliness in obedience doth depend u]um God’s blessing; unless he put life and keep life in our souls, all cometh to nothing. Come to CJod upon the account of his glory: “Quii ken me. O Lord, for thy name’s sake, for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble” (Psalm cxiiii. I I). His tender mercies: “Great are thy tender mercies, O Lord: quicken me a<eonling to thy judgment” (Psalm cxix. ].’>6^. Come to him upon the account of Christ:” I am come that they might
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have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John x. 10). And, “He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (John vii. 38). Every new act of faith draweth from Christ some increase of spiritual life.
2. Stir up yourselves. “There is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee” (Isa. lxiv. 7). “Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands” (2 Tim. i. 6).” Why art thou cast down
0 my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for
1 shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance” (Psalm xlii. 1 1). We have liveliness enough in all businesses of secular concernment: consider what the business is that we are about. It is about our everlasting estate, whether we shall live for ever in Heaven or Hell; and shall we trifle here? you had life in a way of sin: worldly men are lively. How dishonourable a thing is it to serve the living God with a dead heart? a lukewai ni frame is hateful to God: “Because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Rev. iii. 16). Take heed you do not lose quickening, and that —
(1.) By our corruption, by any heinous sin. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit” (Psalm li. 10 — 12). The spirit is a tender thing. A wound in the body lets out the life blood.
(2.) By an inordinate liberty in worldly pleasures: “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth” (1 Tim. v. 6). Vain company, vain speeches, and the like, these things shun and avoid. But “Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Heb. x. 24); let us follow good examples. We grow formal and slight by imitation, others profess religion and yet are dead-hearted, and vain, and so are we. The idolaters encouraged one another: “They helped every one his neighbour, and every one said to his brother, be of good courage; so the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil” (Isa. xli. 6, 7). We should encourage one another in the way of godliness, and keep up a hvely frame of heart towai’ds God, and pray with the Psalmist in the text: “Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way.”