Chapter 3. Where the Saint's Spiritual Delight springs from.
Chapter 3.
Where the Saint's Spiritual Delight springs from.
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," Psa 19.7. It does not need be eked out with traditions. The Hebrew word for perfect, seems to allude to a perfect, entire body that lacks none of the members or lineaments.18 God's law must necessarily be perfect, for it is able to make us wise to salvation, 2Tim 3.15. The Septuagint renders it, "the law of the Lord is pure," like beauty that has no stain, or wine that is clarified and refined. The soul that looks into this law, seeing so much lustre and perfection cannot help 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 arises from the predominance 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 to God, depart from us, for we do not desire the knowledge of your ways" (Job 21.14). Indeed, there is not only a dislike, but an antipathy; sinners are called haters of God, Rom 1.30. But when grace comes into the heart, O what a change there is! Grace preponderates; it files off the rebellion of the will; it makes a man of another spirit, Num 14.24.19 It turns the lion-like fierceness into a dove-like sweetness; it changes hatred into delight. Grace puts a new bias into the will; it works a willingness and cheerfulness in God's service. "Your people shall be a willing people in the day of your power," Psa 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 causes delight in the way of duty.