4. 3 his " ears hearing a word behind him, saying— This is the way, walk ye in it '—when he is turning to the right hand or to the left."1 And if the pardon of sin, imputation of righteousness, the communion of saints, and a sense of acceptance with God; 3-if protection in providence and grace, and finally and for ever the beatific vision,5 are connected in the promises of God and the experience of his people with such a "way" as is here referred to; then there can be no doubt that "blessed are the undefiled in the way." And if temporal prosperity, 6 spiritual renovation and fruitfulness,7 increasing illumination, intercourse with the Saviour, 9 peace within, 10 and throughout eternity a right to the tree of life, 11 are privileges of incalculable value; then surely "the walk in the law of the Lord" is "the path of pleasantness and peace." "Truly " —indeed may we say-" God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart." 12 But let each of us ask-What is the " way" of my heart with God? Is it always an "undefiled way?" Is " iniquity" never "regarded in the heart?" Is all that God hates habitually lamented, abhorred, forsaken? "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked in way me, and lead me in the way everlasting." 13 "walk?" Is it from the This is the Again-What is my living principle of union with Christ? direct-the only source of spiritual life. quickened in him. Then we walk in him and after 1 Isa. xxx. 21. 31 John i, 7. 6 Joshua i. 7, 8. 7 Psalm i. 2, 3. 10 Verse 165. 4 We are first 2 Psalm xxxii. 1, 2, with Rom. iv. 6-8. 2 Chron. xvi. 9. Job i. 8, 10. 1 Tim. iv. 8. 2 Chron. xvii. 4, 5. 8 John vii. 5 Matt. v. 8. 17. 9 Ibid. xiv. 23; xv. 14, 15. Isa. xxxii. 17. 11 Rev. xxii. 14. 13 Ibid. cxxxix. 23, 24. him. Oh! that this my walk may be steady, consistent, advancing! O that I may be ever listening to my Father's voice-" I am the Almighty God; walk before me and be thou perfect!"1 Surely there is enough of defilement in the most "undefiled way," and enough of inconsistency in the most consistent "walk," to endear to us the gracious declaration of the gospel-" If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous."2 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 3 THE "testimony," in the singular number, usually denotes the whole canon of the inspired writings-the revelation of the will of God to mankind-the standard of the faith of his people. 66 Testimonies appear chiefly to mark the preceptive part of Scripture 4— that part, in which this man of God always found his spiritual delight and perfect freedom. Mark his language; "I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart."5 Not however that this blessedness belongs to the mere outward act of obedience; 6 but rather to that practical habit of mind, which seeks to know the will of God in order to "keep" it. This habit is under the influence of the promise of God-" I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do 1 Gen. xviii. 1. 3 Compare Isa. viii. 20. 5 Verses 14, 111. 21 John ii. 1. 4 Verse 138. Treasure up his Testimonies Bp. Horsley. them.' 1 And in thus " keeping the testimonies of God," the believer maintains the character of one that "seeks him with the whole heart." 4 Oh! how many seek, and seek in vain, for no other reason, than because they do not "seek him with the whole heart." The worldling's "heart is divided; now shall he be found faulty." The professor "with his mouth shews much love; but his heart goeth after his covetousness." 3 The backslider" hath not turned unto me with his whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord." The faithful, upright believer alone brings his heart, his whole heart, to the Lord- -"When thou saidst-Seek ye my face, my heart said unto theeThy face, Lord, will I seek." 5 For he only has found an object that attracts and fills his whole heart--and, if he had a thousand hearts, would attract and fill them all. He has found his way to God by faith in Jesus. In that way he continues to seek. His whole heart is engaged to know and love more and more. Here alone the blessing is enjoyed, and the promise made good-" Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." 6 O let me not shrink from the question-Do I "keep his testimonies" from constraint or from love? Surely when I consider my own natural aversion and enmity to the law of God, and the danger of self-deception in the external service of the Lord, I have much need to pray-" Incline my heart to thy testimonies. Give me understanding—save me and I shall keep thy testimonies."7 And if they are blessed, who seek the Lord with their whole heart, how am I seeking him? Alas! with how much distraction! with how little 1 Ezek. xxxvi. 27. 4 Jer. iii. 10. Jer. xxix. 13. 2 Hos. x. 2. 3 Ezek. xxxiii. 31. 5 Psalm xxvii. 8. 7 Verses 36, 125, 146. heart-work! Am I "seeking his strength to "seek his face?" 1 " in order Lord! search-teach-incline-uphold me. Help me to plead thy gracious promise-" I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." 2 3. They also do no iniquity; they walk in his ways. 66 THIS was not their character from their birth. Once they were doing nothing but iniquity. It was without mixture, without cessation-from the fountain-head.3 Now it is written of them-" They do no iniquity." Once they walked, even as others, in the way of their own hearts-" enemies to God by wicked works." Now" they walk in his ways." They are new creatures in Christ; old things are passed away; behold! all things are become new." This is their highly privileged state-"Sin shall not have dominion over them; for they are not under the law, but under grace."6 They are "born of God, and they cannot commit sin; for their seed remaineth in them, and they cannot sin, because they are born of God.” 7 Their hatred and resistance to sin are therefore now as instinctive, as was their former enmity and opposition 2 Jer. xxiv. 7. 1 Psalm cv. 4.' 3 "Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart is evilonly evil-continually." And this "God saw"-before whom "all things are naked and open "-who searcheth the heart, and therefore cannot be mistaken. Gen. vi. 5. But lest we should conceive this to be the picture of some generation of so peculiarly aggravated character, that the awful demonstration of his wrath could no longer be restrained, this testimony is repeated by the same Omniscient Judge, immediately subsequent to the flood, (Gen. viii. 21) and confirmed by him in many express declarations. Jer. xvii. 9, 10. 4 Eph. ii. 2, 3. Col. i. 21. Matt. xv. 19. to God. We do not, however, mean that the people of God are as "the saints made perfect," who “do no iniquity." The unceasing Advocacy of their Heavenly Friend evidently supposes the indwelling power of sin, to the termination of their earthly pilgrimage. The supplication also in the prayer of their Lord teaches them to ask for daily pardon and deliverance from "temptation," as for "daily bread." No-They are sinners still yet not " walking after the course,' not fulfilling the desires," of sin. The acting of sin is now like the motion of a stone upward, violent and unnatural. If it is not cast out, it is dethroned. They are not, as before, "its willing people," but its reluctant, struggling captives. It is not "the day of its power." 66 But are we always able to say, that we sin against our better will, so that "it is not we that do it, but sin that dwelleth in us?" 2 Is the gospel promise of deliverance from sin "sweet to us?" 3 And does our successful resistance in the spiritual conflict realize the earnest of its complete fulfilment ? Blessed Jesus! what do we owe to thy cross for the present redemption from its guilt and curse, and much more for the blissful prospect of the glorified state, when this hated guest shall be an inmate no more! 4 O let us take the very print of thy death into our souls in the daily crucifixion of sin.5 Let us know the " power of an habitual "walk in newness "" thy resurrection in of life." 6 1 Matt. vi. 11-13. 3 Ibid. vi. 14. 5 Rom. vi. 6. 2 Rom. vii. 17, 20. 4 Rev. xxi. 27. 6 Phil. iii. 10. Rom. vi. 4, 5, |