One Hundred and Ninety Sermons on Psalm 119

1. There is a broad difference in the things themselves, and therefore there should be in our affections to them; for our affections should be carried out according to the worth of things, otherwise if an object of less worth have more of our hearts than an object of more value, they are like members out of joint, they are not in their proper place. There is a great distance between the things themselves, as much as there is between the enjoyment of God and the creature; and therefore there must be a considerable difference in our affections to them. If the difference be so nice that thou canst hardly distinguish which thy heart is more affected with, the enjoyment of God in the way of his Testimonies, or the enjoyment of wealth and worldly accommodations; or if the disproportion be on the worlds side, that hath more of thy esteem and complacency, then God is not thy chiefest good, thou lovest the creature more than God, which is inconsistent with Grace: for this is the prime act of grace, to choose God for our chiefest good.

1. There is a broad difference in the things themselves, and therefore there should be in our affections to them; for our affections should be carryed out according to the worth of things, otherwise if an object of less worth have more of our hearts than an object of more value, they are like members out of joynt, they are not in their proper place. There is a great distance between the things themselves, as much as there is between the enjoyment of God and the creature; and therefore there must be a considerable difference in our affections to them. If the difference be so nice that thou canst hardly distinguish which thy heart is more affected with, the enjoyment of God in the way of his Testimonies, or the enjoyment of wealth and worldly accommodations; or if the disproportion be on the worlds side, that hath more of thy esteem and complacency, then God is not thy chiefest good, thou lovest the creature more than God, which is inconsistent with Grace: for this is the prime act of grace, to chuse God for our chiefest good.

2. We must distinguish between the sensitive stirring of the affections, and the solid complacency of the soul. It is possible a child of God may be more sensibly moved by temporal things, as they do more strike upon the senses; but the supreme and prevailing delight of the soul is in spiritual things, in the way of Gods testimonies. To exemplify this by the contrary affection, as in Sorrow; a temporal loss may to sense more stir the affections, as to bodily expression of them, than a spiritual; as the drawing of a tooth or any present pain, may make us cry out more than the languishings of a Consumption; whereas the other may go nearer to the heart, and causeth a more lasting trouble. So in Joy, a man may be pleased with earthly conveniences, and yet his solid esteem is more in spiritual things. As a Trifle may provoke laughter more than a solid benefit that accrueth to us. Therefore the case is not to be decided by the intensiveness of the sensitive expression, so much as by the appreciation of the soul. In this sense the point is to be understood, he would lose all the world rather than dispense with his obedience to God. This is selling all for the pearl of price, spoken of