One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on the Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm, Volume 2

Verse 60. — made haste, and delayed not to keep thy commandments.

In the verse immediately preceding, the man of God speaks of repentance as the fruit of consideration and self-examining: “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” But when did he turn? for, though we see the evil of our ways, we are naturally slow to get it redressed. Therefore David did not only turn to God, but he did it speedily: we have an account of that in this verse, “I made haste,” &c. This readiness in the work of obedience is doubly expressed, affirmatively and negatively. Affirmatively, “I made haste;” negatively, “I delayed not.” This double expression increaseth the sense according to the manner of the Hebrews; as, “I shall not die, but live” (Psalm cxviii. 17); that is, surely live; so here, “I made haste and delayed not; that is, I verily delayed not a moment; as soon as he had thought of his ways, and taken up resolutions of walking closely with God, he did put it into practice. The Septuagint read the words thus, ‘I was ready, and was not troubled or diverted by fear of danger.’ Indeed, besides our natural slowness to good, this is one usual ground of delays: we distract ourselves with fears; and, when God hath made known his will to us in many duties, we think of tarrying till the times are more quiet, and favour our practice, and our affairs are in a better posture. A good improvement may be made of that translation; but the words run better, as they run more generally, with us, “I made haste, and delayed not,” &c.; and from thence observe, —

Doctrine.- — That the call of God, whether to amendment and newness of life or to any particular duty, must be without delay obeyed.

To illustrate the point by reasons: —

Reason I. — Ready obedience is a good evidence of a sound impression of grace left upon our hearts. There is a slighter conviction which breedeth a sense of duty, but doth not urge us thoroughly to the performance of it; and so men stand reasoning instead of running, debating the case with God: and there is a more sound conviction, which is accompanied with a prevailing efficacy; and, when we have this upon our spirits, then all excuses and delays are laid aside, and we come off readily and kindly in the way of compliance with God’s call. This is doctrinally spoken, of: “Draw me, we will run after thee” (Cant. i. 4). Running is an earnest and speedy motion, from whence comes it? From drawing: it is a fruit of

VOL. II. B drawing, or the sweet and powerful attraction which the Spirit of God useth in the hearts of the elect. Instances I might give you in several calls and conversions spoken of in Scripture. When Christ called Andrew and Peter, they left their father, and went after him (Mark i. 20). So when Christ called Zaccheus, “he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully” (Luke xix. 6). So Christ to Matthew, “Follow me. And he arose and followed him” (Matt. ix. 9). Julian the apostate scoffs at these passages, as if it were irrational to conceive such a thing could be, that men should so soon leave their course of gain and their calling; or else, that Christ’s followers were a kind of sots and fools, weak and poor-spirited creatures, that, upon a word speaking, they would come oft’ presently all of a sudden; but impulsions of the spirit carry their own reason with them, and draw the heart without any more ado. But such as be were not acquainted with the workings of the Holy Ghost in conversion, therefore scoff at these things. So, “Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Gal. i. 16): when our call is clear, there needs no debate. When men stand reasoning instead of running, there is not a thorough work upon them.

Reason II. — The sooner we turn to the ways of God, the better we speed. How so?

1. Partly in this, that the work goes on the more kindly, as being carried forth in the strength of the present influence and impulsion of grace; whereas, if the heart grow cold again, it will be the more difficult. A blow while the iron is hot, doth more than ten at another time when it grows cold again: so, when thy heart grows cold, thou wilt not have that advantage as when thou art under a warm conviction. And indeed, that is the Devil’s cheat to speak of hereafter, to elude the importunity of the present conviction that is upon you. You know, when the waters were stirred, then was the time to put in: he that stepped in first had experience of the sanative virtue of the waters (John v. 4): so, when the heart is stirred, we should not lose this advantage, but come on upon that call. There are several metaphors in Scripture that do express this: sometimes, we must open when God knocks (Cant, v.); we must enter when God opens, lest the door be shut against us (Matt, xxv.); we must come forth when he bids us, as Lot out of Sodom, lest we perish: when a thing is done speedily and in season, it is a great advantage.

2. The more welcome to God, the sooner we turn to him. We value a gift, not only by its own worth, but by the readiness of him that gives; if we have it at first asking, we count it a greater kindness, and give the more thanks: so the less we stand bucking with God, and demm-ring upon his call, the more acceptable is our obedience. Pharaoh did at length let Israel go, but was forced to it, and with much ado; no thanks to him. It is true, indeed, if we turn at length seriously, heartily, we are accepted with God, but not so accepted as when we come in at first. Surely, the fewer calls we withstand, the less we provoke God, and the more ready entertainment do we find. The spouse that would not open at the first knock, but only at length when her bowels were troubled, when she thought of her unkindness, then she went out to open to her beloved; but then, her beloved was gone. You will not find God at your beck, when you dally with him. Your comforts will cost you longer waiting for, when you make God wait for entrance, and would not give way to the work of his grace.

SERMOX LXA’ir. VERSE LX. 3

3. You speed better, because your personal benefit is the greater, the sooner you turn to the Lord. You have more knowledge, more experience; you get more comfort; you would be more profitable to others, more useful to God. If ever God touch your hearts, and once you come to experience what an excellent thing it is to live in communion with God, you will be sorry you began no sooner. Paul complains that he was a man “born out of due time” (1 Cor xv. 8), and so had not the advantage of seeing Christ in the flesh, until he showed himself to him from Heaven in the vision upon his conversion. You lose many a comfortable sight of Christ, because you were so late acquainted with him. And it is said of Andronicus and Junia, they “were in Christ before me” (Rom. xvi. 7). Certainly, he that is first in Christ, and sooner called to grace, hath the advantage of us. An early acquaintance with God gives us advantages, both in point of enjoyment and service.

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