Surely, since it is God in Christ that is the entire object of this delight or love, it is a fearful penalty that is determined upon them that do not so place it, when it is said, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maranatha ;" and when also it is said, "Grace be upon all them that love the Lord,"b it is plainly implied, that the penalty belongs to all them who do not love him in sincerity.

Of the sincerity of delight in God it is necessary we be well informed. 1. That we delight in him supremely, viz. with our highest and deepest complacency of will. For it is not necessary, nor ordinarily possible, that our delight in him should be ever accompanied with such sensible agitation of the corporeal spirits, as we find in reference to merely sensible objects. But it is necessary, there be that practical estimation of him, and propensity towards him, as the best and most excellent good, that we be in a preparation of mind and heart to forego for his sake whatever can come into any competition with him. 2. That we continue herein,—that this be the constant habitual temper of our spirits towards him, that we cleave to him with purpose of heart, as not only the most excellent but the most permanent object of our delight, having settled the resolution with ourselves, "This God shall be our God for ever and ever; He shall be our God and guide even to death." We give this account of sincerity of delight in God, not b Eph. vi. 24. c Psalm xlviii. 14.

a 1 Cor. xvi. 22.

to encourage any to take up with the lowest degree of that sincerity, but that none may be encouraged, upon their own mistake in this matter, to take up with any thing short of it; and that we may see whence to take our rise, in aiming at the highest pitch thereof.

In reference to our gradual defects and intermissions herein, we ought to be deeply humbled, as being faulty. We need continual pardon upon these accounts; we owe it to the blood of the Redeemer, that such things can be pardoned. We are not to reckon or ever to expect, that blood should stand us in stead, to obtain our pardon for never delighting in God sincerely at all; but only-supposing we do it sincerelythat we do it not perfectly. For most certainly, they whose hearts are never turned to him as their best and most sovereign good or portion, and ruler or Lord, but who still remain alienated in their minds, and enemies through wicked works, will notwithstanding perish.

Thus, we have in some measure shewn the import of the direction in the text, that we delight ourselves in the Lord.

OF

DELIGHTING IN GOD.

Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.-Psalm xxxvii. 4.

PART II.

CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF DELIGHTING

IN GOD.

CHAPTER I.

Of Religion as matter of delight. Of a Religion without practice. Of a Religion merely of Opinions. Of a Religion of mere form. Of a well principled vital Religion. Remonstrance to false Professors.

WE have, in the former Part, extended the meaning of the words, delight thyself in the Lord, beyond what they seem at first sight literally to signify: so as not to understand them merely as requiring that very single act of delight to be immediately and directly terminated on God himself, but to take them as comprehending also the sum of all holy and religious converse with God, i. e. as it is delightful or seasoned with delight, and, upon the same account, the sum of all our other converse, so far as it is influenced by religion. And I doubt not, by such as shall attentively have considered what has been said, it will be thought very reasonable to take them in that latitude; whereof the very

letter of the text is most fitly capable. For the particle which we read, in the Lord, has not that signification alone, but signifies also with, or by, or before, or in presence of,—as if it had been said, Come and sit down with God, retire thyself to him, and solace thyself in the delights which are to be found in his presence and converse, in walking with him, and transacting thy course as before him and in his sight: as a man may be said to delight himself with a friend, who puts himself under his roof, and, besides personal converse with himself, freely enjoys the pleasure of all the entertainments, accommodations, and provisions which he is freely willing to communicate, and has the satisfaction, which a sober person would take, in observing the rules and order of a well governed house.

According to this diverse import of the precept enjoining this duty, it will be requisite to speak diversely of the practice of the duty itself: that is, to treat of the practice and exercise of delight; 1. As a thing adherent to the other duties of religion; 2. As it is a distinct duty of itself.

1. As to the former, our business will be, to treat of the exercise of religion as delightful. Now religion is delightful naturally and in itself, and makes a man's other actions, even such as are not in themselves acts of religion, delightful also, so far as they are governed and influenced by it, if that religion be true, i. e. if it be living, or such as proceeds from a principle of divine life. Being therefore now to treat of the practice of this duty, our discourse must aim at and en

deavour these two things,-the former as leading and subservient to the latter,-viz. that we may not take up and rest in, or let our practice terminate in a religion, which is not naturally and in itself delightful; and that we seek after and improve in that which is so.

We have great reason not to acquiesce in or be content with that which is not so; for it is plainly such as will not bear its own charges, as having only burden in it, and no use or end-I mean the dead formality of religion only. We find it natural and pleasant to carry about with us our own living body; but who could endure, -how wearisome and loathsome a task were it,-to lug to and fro a dead carcase. It will be, upon this account, needful to insist upon shewing more distinctly, what sort of religion it is that is in itself wholly undelightful, and to propound some things for consideration concerning it, that may tend to beget a dislike of it, and so incline us to look farther.

Because our present subject confines us to this one measure of religion, that it be delightful, it will be proper to limit our discourse to this character only of the religion, which we are to pass from as vain and worthless, viz. that which is without delight,-which it will be sufficient to insist on, for our present purpose. Since the delightfulness of the religion, which is true and living, is intrinsical and most natural to it, it will therefore be certainly consequent, that the religion, which is not delightful, is dead and can serve for nothing.