Section 168

Vers. 168. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.

Vers. 168. I haue kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my wayes are before thee.

WE have heard the man of God speaking of his faith and love, whereunto now he joineth his fear, which moved him to keep both the testimonies of the Lord and his precepts. So that if we will grow to this measure of obedience, we must first labour for faith to believe, faith must work by love, & love breed in us a reverent fear of God his majesty, which fear must engender in us a care to please God, and a grief to displease him: so that we may thus show the prophet his meaning. Lord, I set all my doings open in thy sight, wherefore I am careful to do any thing which thou commandest, and afraid to do any thing thou forbiddest. So that we learn for our instruction, that as the very motions of his heart were laid open before the Lord, whereby he was armed with this care and fear; so if we will be beautified with the like affections we must use the like means. True it is that God seeth all mens ways, and gageth the hearts of all, as well of the wicked, as of his children, howbeit all believe not, all see not this in themselves The wicked may confess it so to be in outward things, but doubtless they are not in truth persuaded that God doth see their hearts. For if they were, how durst they do that in the sight of God and his Angels which they dare not do in the sight of the day-light and of a little child? Bu