03 - Chapter 03

CHAPTER III.

Whence the Saint’s Spiritual Delight springeth. THE saint’s delight in the law of God proceeds,

1. From soundness of judgment. The mind apprehends a beauty in God’s law; now the judgment draws the affections, like so many orbs after it; ’The law of God is perfect,’ Psalms 19:7. it needs not be eked out with tradition. The Hebrew word for perfect, seems to allude to a perfect, entire body, that wants none of the members or lineaments; God’s law must needs be perfect, for it is able to make us wise to salvation, 2 Timothy 3:15. The Septuagint renders it, the law of the Lord is pure, like beauty that hath no stain, or wine that is clarified and refined. The soul that looks into this law, seeing so much lustre and perfection cannot but delight in it; the middle lamp of the sanctuary being lighted from the fire of the altar, gave light to all the other lamps: So the judgment being lighted from the word, it sets on fire the lamps of the affections.

2. This holy delight ariseth from the predominancy of grace. When grace comes with authority and majesty upon the heart, it fills it with delight; naturally we have no delight in God; ’Therefore they say unto God depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways;’ nay, there is not only a dislike, but antipathy; sinners are called haters of God, Romans 1:30. but when grace comes into the heart, O what a change is there! Grace preponderates, it files off the rebellion of the will, it makes a man of another spirit. It turns the lion-like fierceness into a dove-like sweetness, it changeth hatred into delight; grace puts a new bias into the will, it works a spontaneity and cheerfulness in God’s service. ’Thy people shall be a willing people in the day of thy power,’ Psalm 110.8.

3. This holy delight in religion is from the sweetness of the end. Well may we with cheerfulness let down the net of our endeavour when we have so excellent a draught. Heaven at the end of duty causeth delight in the way of duty.