Lectures Upon Psalm 51
And that you may the better see what a perfect, and absolute pattern and rule this is that God hath given us, in his written Word, and what necessity there is that we should follow the direction of it, in everything wherein we desire to please God. I will manifest it unto you in six points which I must desire you to attend unto.
First, There is no good work any man can do, no good thing at all that any [ 1] man can take in hand to please God with, whether it concern the worship of God or his conversation with men, or the carriage of himself any manner of way; no duty either of holiness towards God or righteousness towards men, or sobriety towards himself but he may have clear direction for it in the Word of God. I grant that this clear direction in everything is not easily found in the Word, (much diligence in reading and studying of the Word, in attending upon God's ordinance in the Ministry of his servants, and in humble, and fervent prayer is required hereunto) yet may we certainly (if the fault be not in ourselves) find clear, and certain direction in the Word for all these things. As there was nothing to be done about the Tabernacle, not so much as the snuffers or curtains, or rings, or pins that were to be used about it, but they were all set down in the pattern that God gave to Moses in the mount. See this plainly proved, Pro. 2.1.9. My son if thou wilt receive my words (saith the wisdom of God) and hide my commandments with thee, then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment, & equity; yea, every good path. And indeed how else could the holy Scripture be • o profitable and sufficient not only to teach and convince (in all matters of Doctrine) but also to correct, and instruct in righteousness that by it the man of God may become perfect, thoroughly furnished unto every good work (as the Apostle saith it is, 2 Tim. 3.16, 17.) if there were any one good duty which the Minister of God might not be able out of the holy Scripture to give God's people clear direction in? Therefore the Lord giveth this testimony of David, 1 King. 14.8. that he kept his commandments, and followed him with all his heart, to do that only that was right in God's eyes. As we do that which is right in God's eyes then only, when we keep his commandments and follow the direction of his Word; so then only do we follow the Lord with all our hearts (we serve him with honest, & upright hearts) when we do that only that is right in his eyes, that only that we have the direction of his Word for.
Secondly, Nothing that God hath commanded or approved in his Word can [ 2] be a sin, but must needs be lawful, and good, how unreasonable, or inconvenient, or void of good success soever it may seem unto flesh and blood. Every creature of God is good (saith the Apostle, 1 Tim. 4.4, 5.) for it is sanctified by the Word and prayer. As if he should say, Whatsoever God hath allowed and sanctified in his Word, that must needs be good. Nay to account anything evil, or to make scruple of doing anything that God in his Word hath approved, is (doubtless) a great error and sin. Be not righteous overmuch (saith the Holy Ghost. Eccl. 7.16.) neither make thyself over wise. As if he had said, Be not holier then God; make no more sins then God hath made. Our Savior calleth the Ruler of the Synagogue hypocrite, Luke 13.14, 15. for holding it unlawful to do works of mercy on the Sabbath day. Why? Was it not a good thing in him to be so zealous for the observation of the Sabbath; or was it a good thing to do such cures upon the Sabbath? Yes verily, because God had not in his Word forbidden but allowed and commanded works of mercy to be done then, & at all times; & this man in being so hot & zealous against it, shown himself to be no better then an hypocrite. See in a notable example what the danger of this is, 1 King. 20.35, 36. A Prophet said to his neighbor in the word of the Lord (and his neighbor knew him to be a Prophet and that it was the word and commandment of the Lord which he spake) smite me I pray thee, and the man refused to smite him ; he made scruple to do it, because he thought it unjust and unreasonable to do it. But what saith the Prophet to him? Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord (but wilt be more righteous and merciful then God would have thee) as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee. And so it fell out. He had not sinned in smiting and wounding the Prophet (as verse 37. you shall find another upon the same warrant, and commandment did) yea he sinned in not doing it in making a scruple of it, when he had God's Word and commandment for it. So it was no sin in the Disciples that were eye-witnesses of Christ's transfiguration to be so silent as they were. They kept it close (saith the Text, Luk. 9.36.) and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen. Was this well done, to conceal such things as might have tended so much to the glory of God and to the confirming of the faith of God's people? To say nothing of that glory they saw Christ's body in, of the voice they heard from heaven, of Moses and Elias appearing and conferring with him? Yes verily this silence was lawful, they did well to say nothing then of those things because Christ had commanded them to be silent, Matth. 17.9. Jesus charged them, saying, tell the vision to no man, until the son of man be risen again from the dead. We may not take upon us to judge what is spiritually good and what may tend to God's glory, the Word of God only must be judge of that. You see then we may account nothing unlawful or unfit to be done, that God in his Word hath commanded or allowed us to do.
Thirdly, Whatsoever God in his Word hath commanded or appointed [ 3] us to do (although the thing may seem unto us never so small a trifle) yet the doing of it is a good work in God's account, and our preciseness in making conscience of it is a thing highly pleasing unto God. The Church in Ezraes time is commended, Ezra 3.4. because they kept the feast of the tabernacles, as it is written. And Moses is praised for this by the Holy Ghost, Heb. 3.2. that he was faithful in all God's house, because in the least thing that was done about the making of God's house, he precisely followed the direction that God had given him, as it is expressly noted of him, Exod. 40.16.19.21.23.25.27.29.32. Yea we read, Exod. 39.43. that when Bezaleel and Aholiab and the rest had finished the making of the Tabernacle, Moses did look upon all the work ; and when he saw they had done everything just as the Lord had commanded; then he blessed them. Why? What if they had missed in a cord, or a pin, or in some other such like trifle? Surely he blessed them for making everything, even these small trifles, according to their pattern. So the Holy Ghost praiseth Daniel for this as for a thing wherein his piety and the uprightness of his heart did greatly appear, and wherein he highly pleased God, Dan. 1.8. that he purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the portion of the Kings meat, nor with the wine which he drank ; nay though this his strictness was likely to endanger the life of the prince of the Eunuchs his noble friend, verse 10. Why how could this have defiled him? Surely either for this cause because the portion of the Kings meat was of such things as God in his law had forbidden his people, to eat of Levite. 11. or rather (for it is not likely that all the Kings meat was of such creatures as were by that law prohibited; and if all the meat were, yet the Kings wine certainly was not) because they were things offered unto Idols, and used to the honor of them, as we may see, Dan. 5.4. Certainly if flesh and blood might have had the censuring of this fact of Daniel, they would have counted him a precise fool for standing upon such a trifle as this (specially in a case of so great danger) yet doth the Lord (you see) commend him for it.
Fourthly, No worship we can do unto God (though it carry never so great [ 4] a show of devotion and zeal) no good work we can do (though it seem to tend never so much to the profit and benefit of men) can be acceptable unto God, unless it be done by the direction of the Word. See this confirmed by the direction the Apostle giveth the Corinthians touching the esteem they should have the Ministers of the Gospel in, 1 Cor. 4.6. Learn (saith he) not to think of men, above that which is written. As if he should say. Though this carry a great show of zeal in it yet know that even in this point you must follow your rule, or you may sin dangerously. See one notable instance for this which may serve instead of many. The building of a Temple, for God to be solemnly worshipped in, was as good a work (one would have thought) as it was possible for any man to do. David (it appeareth by the vow he made in his affliction, Psalm 132, 1—5. and by his speech to Nathan, 2 Sam. 7.2.) thought he could not do a better work then this, nor honor God any way more. Nay Nathan himself thought so too, as appeareth by the encouragement he gave to David in it, 2 Sam. 7.3. And yet if any of the Judges or if David himself should have done it, this had not been a good work, they had not pleased God in it. Shalt thou build me a house (saith the Lord to David, 2 Sam. 7.5.) for me to dwell in? And why had not this been a good work? Why would God have rejected it? Surely because they had no Word of God, that required or directed them to do it, and the Temple was to be built by special warrant. For this reason the Lord himself giveth for it, 1 Chron. 17.6. Spake I one word to any one of the Judges, saying, Why have ye not built me an house?
Fifthly, Admit the work it self be such as God hath commanded, and we [ 5] do it also with a good mind, yet if in the least circumstance of it, we swerve from this pattern, the work is not good in God's strict account, nor fully acceptable unto him. See a plain instance of this, 2 Chron. 30.18- • 0. because they did eat the Passover otherwise then it was written (though they did for the substance of it do an excellent service unto God, and such as he had commanded yet) was God not pleased with them nor their service, for it is said Hezekiah prayed earnestly to God to pardon them, and that upon his prayer God healed the people.
Sixthly and lastly, God is so far from accounting anything we do a good [ 6] work (though we have never so good a meaning and intent in it) if it be not done by direction of his Word, that he is highly provoked by it, and cannot endure it. If a subject should lend or give to his Prince a great sum of money, yet if either all, or any part of it did appear to his prince, to be of his own coining, he would be so far from thanking him, that he would rather araigne him as a Traitor for it. And even so it is with the Lord, he cannot abide, but is highly provoked with our will worship, and when we think to please him by doing of that which is good in our own eyes, without direction of his Word. Take two notable examples for this, The one in Nadab and Abihu who because they offered incense unto God with strange fire that God had not commanded were suddenly consumed with fire from heaven, Levite. 10.1, 2. The other is in Uzzah who because (in a right good intent) he put forth his hand to stay the ark from falling (which he had no calling nor warrant from God's Word to do) the anger of the Lord was kindled against him and struck him dead suddenly, 2 Sam 6.6.7.
And thus have we seen what is the rule and pattern of all true righteousness, and that nothing can be a good work, that is not done by the direction of God's Word; which is the first general poi • t I propounded in handling the first property of true goodness. Let us proceed now to the second of them. That the cleaving unto the word and following the direction of it in all that we do, is a good note of an upright heart. To make God's Word the only guide of our life, to make conscience of nothing as in it self sinful or holy but only of that which God hath commanded or forbidden in his Word, is a singular note of an upright heart. See the proof of this, first in the description the Holy Ghost maketh of the man that hath an upright heart, Psal. 119.1. Blessed are the undefiled (or the perfect and sincere) in the way. Yea but how shall we know who are such? Who walk in the law of the Lord, saith he. As if he should have said; that is the note to know them by. So verse 7. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. And Psal. 112.1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Yea but how shall we know him? That delighteth greatly in his commandments. That is the way to know who truly feareth God. Secondly, See the proof of this in four notable examples. 1. Job was an upright hearted man, Job 1.1. Yea himself was very confident of the uprightness of his heart, as you may see, Job 23.10. He knoweth the way that I take, when he hath tried me, I shall come forth like gold. And what made him so confident of this? That he telleth you in the next words, verse 11, 12. My foot hath held his steps, his way have I kept, and not declined, neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips, I have esteemed the words of his mouth, more then my necessary food. 2. Of David likewise God himself giveth testimony, 1 King. 9.4. that he had walked before him in integrity and uprightness of heart. But how did that appear? That he telleth you in the next words, by doing according to all that I have commanded. 3. Of Jehoshaphat God giveth testimony, 2 Chron. 19.3. that he prepared his heart to seek God ; he had an upright heart. How did it appear? Surely when he shown most frailty in taking part first with Ahab, then with his son Joram, yet even then the uprightness of his heart appeared in his dependence upon the direction of God's Word, and the high account he made of it, 1 King, 22.5. Enquire I pray thee at the word of the Lord, saith he to Ahab. And verse 7. Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord, besides, that we may inquire of him? And the same you shall see noted of him also when he went with Joram, 2 King. 3.11. Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And when he heard that Elisha was there. The word of the Lord is with him, (saith he, ver. 12.) so he (and by his means the other two Kings likewise, sent not for the Prophet, though that they might well have done but) went down to him. The fourth and last example is Josiah of whose goodness the Holy Ghost makes honorable mention even after his death, 2 Chron. 35.26. Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness. As if he should say, There was goodness indeed and truth of grace in him. But how is that proved? According to all that is written in the Law of the Lord, saith the Text, As if he had said, His goodness appeared in making God's written Word, the only rule of his life.
Now let us make some application of all this that we have heard touching this first property of true goodness and righteousness; and that 1 by way of exhortation, 2 by way of trial and examination of our own hearts.
[ 1] For the first, If this be so, that the written Word of God is the only rule of true righteousness, if it be so perfect a rule and pattern as we have heard; if the following of the direction of it in all things, be so sure a note of an upright heart, then what a necessity is there laid upon everyone of us that desire to please God, to exercise ourselves with all diligence in the reading and hearing and meditating of it? What marvel is it, though not only Kings and Magistrates, Deut. 17.18.19. Josh. 1.8. be commanded daily to read, and meditate in it, but that the Holy Ghost describeth the blessed and good man, Psal. 1.2. by this that his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in it he doth meditate day and night. O with what certainty and security and comfort, might we walk in all our ways, if we had that knowledge in the Word and were so well acquainted with it as in these days wherein we live, and under such means as we enjoy we might be?
Secondly, Let us all examine the uprightness of our hearts by this note. [ 2] 1. Certainly if we make no reckoning of the Word, delight not in it, desire not the knowledge of it. but have other rules to guide our lives and consciences by beside the Word, how much devotion so ever seemeth to be in us, how good so ever our lives are, there is no truth nor uprightness in our hearts. If either we make the commandments, and customs of men, or our own heart, and good meaning, the rule of our spiritual life; or if we make conscience of and be religiously strict in the observation of such things as God in his Word hath given us no direction for, we are no better then hypocrites. See how bitter our Savior is against the Pharisees for the great conscience they made themselves, and for the great zeal they shown, in pressing others to the observation of their purifyings as a point of holiness which they had no other warrant for, but the tradition of their elders and the commandments of men, Mar. 7.6, and so forward. For this he calleth them hypocrites and saith they did worship God in vain. And the Apostle likewise against such as did forbid marriage, and the eating of meats that God's Word did allow, 1 Tim. 4.1—3. he saith this was a doctrine of devils, that they that taught it taught lies through hypocrisy, and had their consciences seared with a hot iron. Mark well I say the vehemency and bitterness of them both against these men, and you will see cause to wonder at it. For (admit this was an error and blind devotion in both these, yet) what great hurt was there in them? Had they not a show of holiness and mortification? Surely if you weigh the matter well (for as much as you may be sure that neither Christ nor the Apostle could be thus vehement without just cause) you will find that to be strict and precise in the observation of anything as a part of God's worship, that God in his Word hath given us no direction for though it seem to tend never so much unto holiness and mortification is a most heinous sin. For 1 it is gross Idolatry and high-Treason against God, to give to ourselves or to any creature this divine authority as to make him a law-giver to our conscience. For this is the Lord's royal prerogative in which he will endure no partner. There is one law-giver who is able to save and to destroy, saith the Apostle, I am. 4.12. I am the Lord (saith he, Esa 42.8.) that is my name, and I will not give my glory to another. 2 This will quite steal and turn away the heart from God and his Word, and breed a light account of the Word, of the commandments and ordinances of God. This is one reason our Savior giveth for his vehemency against the Pharisaical purifyings, Mat. 15.6. Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect, by your traditions. And Mar. 7.9. Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Ahaz we know 1 brought his altar into God's house, and offered on it, 2 King. 16.12, 13. 2 He set it cheek by jowle (as we say) by the Lord's own altar, verse 14. 3 He brought it in further, and placed it above God's altar, verse 14. 4 He used it only, in the ordinary offerings and sacrifices with neglect of God's altar, verse 15. The more zealous any are for the religious observation of such things as God never commanded, the less conscience we shall find they make of any commandment of God, the less account they make of God's Word. When Ephraim had multiplied altars (in a will worship being more abundant in sacrifices then God required, Hos. 8.11, 12.) the great things of God's written law were counted by him as a strange thing, not belonging unto him. Yea this will-worship will breed in the heart a hatred of God, and his ordinances, which is the cause why the Lord calleth the transgressors of the second commandment such as hate him, Exod. • 0.5. And the Apostle saith, Tit. 1.14. that the giving heed to the commandments of men (in this case) will turn men from the truth. This experience hath proved most true not only in the Papists, but in too many other fondly superstitious. 2 Can any of you find in yourselves a high and reverend esteem of God's Word, do you love it, and delight in it, do you depend upon it only for direction in all your ways, despising and rejecting all other rules besides it? Canst thou say with David, Psal. 119 113. I hate vain inventions, but thy law do I love? Certainly (how ever thou mayest be slouted and hated for this in the world) this will one day (even when thou shalt have most need of it) yield a comfortable testimony to thee, that thy heart is upright with God. Remember as thou hast now heard what comfort Job found in this, Job 33.10-12. Remember how oft David calleth him a blessed man that can do thus, Ps. 1. • .112 1.128.1. Remember that our blessed Savior accounteth such, Luke 8.21. (in respect of his dear and tender affection and respect unto them) as his brethren, and sisters and mother. And that for this cause he professeth of Mary, Luke 10.42. that she had chosen the good part, which should not be taken away from her.
Lecture LXXVIII. On Psalm 51.6. January 22. 1627.
IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second property that is necessarily required in true goodness and righteousness, it must have a good root. We must therefore know, that nothing that we can do is truly good and pleasing unto God, unless the inward principle, the root that produceth it, and moveth us to do it, be good. We read of holy Job. 9 28. that he comforteth himself against the censures of his friends that judged him to be an hypocrite by this that the root of the matter was found in him, he knew he had in him the root of true righteousness and goodness, and therefore he was no hypocrite, therefore his heart was upright. And on the other side in the parable of the sower, our Savior giveth this for the reason, why the hearer that is resembled to the stony ground, fell quite away and so shown himself to be an hypocrite, and that his heart was never upright, Matth. 13.21. because he had no root in himself. Now if you ask me what is this root of true righteousness and goodness, that a man must have in himself, or else his heart cannot be upright? I answer it is that, which the Apostle speaketh of, Gal. 5.6. In Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith that worketh by love. Faith that worketh by love, is that root from whence all true goodness and righteousness doth spring. Here are (you see) two graces grow together in this root, faith and love. 1. Nothing that we do is truly good and pleasing unto God, neither will the doing of it argue the uprightness of our hearts, unless we do it out of love to God. 2. The love that we bear to God is not sound, nor such as will argue the uprightness of our hearts, unless it proceed from faith, that assureth us of God's special love to us in Christ.
For the first, The love of God is the root of all true obedience, and that heart that truly loveth God, is certainly an upright and true heart. Two branches you see there are of this point which I will severally and distinctly consider of. 1. The love of God is the root of all true obedience. 2. The heart that truly loveth God, is an upright heart.
First, Nothing that we do is good in God's sight, unless we do it out of love unto him. This is the root of all true obedience. God hath chosen us (saith the Apostle, Ephes. 1.4.) in Christ, before the foundation of the world that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love. When our Savior giveth the sum of all the four commandments of the first table he giveth it us in these terms, Matth. 22.37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Then only we pray well, and and hear well, and preach well, and receive the Sacrament well, and keep the Sabbath well, yea then only we put our trust in him aright and serve him aright, when we do all this, out of love to the Lord our God. So for the duties of the second table then only we perform the duties of righteousness and love and mercy towards men aright, when the thing that moveth us to do them, is the love we bear unto God. So speaketh the Apostle of the works of mercy, Heb. 6.10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work, and labor of love, which you have shown towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the Saints, and do minister. It was their love to God that moved them to minister to the Saints; and such works of mercy as proceed from that root God will never forget to reward. So speaketh the Apostle John likewise, 1 John 5.2. By this we know we love the children of God, when we love God Before we can love the children of God, we must first love God, and for that cause love his children. In a word (to conclude the confirmation of this first branch) this is made the root of all obedience in general, to any commandment of God, of all good works, Deut. 7.9. He keepeth covenant, and mercy with them that love him, and keep his commandments. First, We must love him, before we can keep any of his commandments well. In which respect the Apostle, Rom. 13.10. calleth love the fulfilling of the law. He that hath not this love can keep no part of God's law well, he cannot fulfill it, he that hath it, keepeth the whole law yea fulfilleth it; keepeth it so as God in Christ accepteth of it, as if he had perfectly kept it.
Now before I pass from this branch, an objection must here be answered. Is nothing well done unless it be done, out of love to God? Is nothing well done, that is done out of fear of God's judgments? If a man abstain from sin and perform good duties out of fear of wrath, even out of the fear of hell, will God in no case be pleased with this?
I answer, First. Yes verily. The fear of God's wrath, kept Job from sundry sins. It kept him from uncleanness. For he professing, Job 31.1. that he durst not give himself liberty in wanton looks, nor in wanton thoughts, he telleth us, verse 3. what moved him to it. Is not destruction (saith he) to the wicked, and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? And professing, verse 21. that he durst not oppress or wrong any poor man, he giveth this for the reason whereby he was kept from it, verse 23. For destruction from God was a terror to me (saith he) and by reason of his highness, I could not endure. As though he should say, I was not able to bear the wrath, and fury of that high and mighty God. And the Apostle speaking of Noah's obedience unto that strange commandment that God gave him to prepare the ark one hundred, and twenty years before the flood came (wherein doubtless he made himself a scorn and laughing stock, to all that knew him) telleth us, Heb. 11.7. that he was moved by fear to do it. And the same Apostle professeth of himself, 2 Cor. 5.11. that he had not been so diligent and conscionable in his ministry, as he was; if the fear of God's wrath against all idle, and unconscionable, and unprofitable Ministers had not moved him unto it. Knowing (saith he) the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men. So that it is (certainly) lawful and pleasing unto God, that we should both think oft of God's wrath due to sin, yea even of the torments prepared in hell for sinners, where the worm never dieth, and the fire never goeth out; and to abstain and restrain ourselves from evil, even out of that fear. Nay our Savior commandeth us so to do, Luke 12.5. Fear him, that after he hath killed, (and taken away your life) hath power to cast you into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him.
But then I answer secondly, That no godly man doth abstain from sin or do good duties only out of this fear of God's wrath, but out of the love he beareth to God for his goodness, as well, nay more out of that, then out of the fear of his wrath. This is evident in the Apostle even in that very Chapter, 2 Cor. 5. wherein (as we have heard) he professed what force there was in the terrors of the Lord, to move him unto his duty, he telleth us of this other motive, verse 14. and saith it was more forcible with him then fear. For the love of Christ constraineth us saith he. And of Noah it is said, Heb. • 1.7. By faith he prepared an Ark. There is in the obedience of the godly, a holy mixture of fear and love. As their love to God is not a fellow-like familiarity, as is among equals but is (out of an apprehension of his greatness and holiness, and justice) tempered with fear, and a dreadful awe of him; so neither is that fear of God that is in them, a servile fear, like that of the slave, that hath nothing to move him unto duty but the fear of the whip, but is (out of an apprehension and assurance of his goodness) mixed with love. Like the fear that ought to be in every good child, towards his parents, Lev. 9.3. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father. Yea the love they bear to God for his goodness, is the chief root of that fear they have of him; according to that, Hos. 3.5. They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness in the latter days. The fear they have of God is not such a tormenting fear as wicked men have, but there is joy and comfort mixed with their fear. They rejoice even in their trembling, as David speaketh, Psal. 2.11. Yea they have confidence in their fear, Psal. 56.3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. The fear of wicked men is like that of the soldiers that kept Christ Sepulcher when the Angel that rolled away the stone appeared unto them. For fear of him (saith the Text, Matth. 28.4.) the keepers did shake, and became as dead men ; they had no comfort, no hope. But the fear of the godly is like that of the two Mary's of whom we read, verse 8. that when they had both seen the Angel and heard his glorious voice also they departed from the Sepulcher with fear and great joy. And thus have I finished the first branch of the Doctrine, and shown you that we can do nothing well, we cannot please God in anything we do unless it proceed from the love we bear to God, unless it grow from that root, Cant. 1.4. The upright love thee.
Now let us proceed unto the second branch, That the true love of God wheresoever it is, is an infallible sign of a true and upright heart. This you shall hear confirmed unto you by three sorts of proofs.
[ 1] First, This is oft made in the Word a proper note and character of the elect, and upright hearted man, that he is such a one as loveth the Lord. Yea these two properties are made convertible terms; every good man, every upright hearted man loveth the Lord, Cant. 1.4. The upright love thee. And everyone that loveth the Lord is a good man, a sound elect Christian, an upright hearted man. Let them that love thy name (all good men, all sound hearted men, saith David, Psal. 5.11.) be joyful in thee. So Psal. 119.132. Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me; as thou usest to do to those that love thy name. If any man love God (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 8.3.) the same is known of him. As if he had said, Whatsoever men may think of such, howsoever men may account many of such to be no better then hypocrites, yea howsoever they may oft times think so of themselves also, yet God approveth, and highly esteemeth of them.
[ 2] Secondly, All God's promises are appropriated unto such as love the Lord, and therefore all such must needs be upright in heart. See this first in heavenly and eternal blessings, James 1.12. He shall receive the crown of li •• , which the Lord hath promised to them that love him ; and 2.5. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised to them that love him? All that love the Lord shall go to heaven and none but they. See this secondly in spiritual blessings. All the comforts of the Gospel (righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, the fatness of God's house, comfort in the Word and Sacraments) are promised to them that love the Lord, and to none but them, 1 Cor. 2.9. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. See this thirdly in temporal blessings. Because he hath set his love upon me (saith the Lord, Psal. 91.14.) therefore will I deliver him. Rom. 8.28. We know that all things work together for the good of such as love God. They that love God, may be sure to be made the better by their prosperity and by their adversity, by their sickness and by their health, everything that befalleth them shall be sanctified unto them; and to none but such. And on the other side he that loveth not the Lord, hath no right to any blessing of God, no promise of God belongeth unto him, but a certain looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 10.27. If any man love not the Lord Jesus (saith the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 16.22.) let him be Anathema, Maranatha ; as if he had said, let him be accursed even unto the coming of Christ to judgment.
Thirdly and lastly, See this confirmed by a practical experiment. When [ 3] Peter was so dejected in the sense of his fearful sin, that he thought himself unworthy ever to be employed or to meddle anymore in the work of his Apostleship and ministry; see how, and by what argument our Savior seeketh to raise him, and comfort him, John 21.15. Simon thou son of Jonah lovest thou me? As if he had said, If this be in thee, be of good comfort thou art not quite fallen from God, thy heart is upright for all thy fall. And thus may we comfort any poor Christian, in their greatest distress of Conscience. You see then that that we do out of true love to God, will give us a comfortable testimony that our hearts are upright; so will not that do, that is done merely out of such a fear of God's wrath, as hath no mixture of love in it. See an instance for this in those false hearted Jews that perished in the wilderness, as we shall find it set down, Psal. 78.34 36, 37. When he slew them (sometimes by fiery serpents, sometimes by strange pestilence and other judgments) then they sought him, and returned, and inquired early after God, They made great shows of repentance, great protestations of amendment, as you have known many lewd men in extreme sicknesses do. But what came all these shows unto? That you shall find, verse 36, 37. They did but flatter him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues, for their hearts were not right with him. There is no truth of heart in those shows of repentance and goodness, that are extorted from us only by the judgments of God, and sense of his wrath, that grow out of that fear that hath no mixture of love in it.
Now let us make some application of this that we have heard. And seeing whatsoever good thing we do out of love to God, is pleasing to him and nothing else; if we truly love the Lord our hearts are upright; if the love of God be not in us, there is no truth in our hearts, but we shall be sure to have our portion with hypocrites. Let us therefore try our own hearts by this note. Let us everyone of us seriously bethink ourselves, if the Lord should speak to everyone of us particularly and by name, and ask us that question that he did Peter, John 21.15. Simon thou son of Jonah lovest thou me? what answer we would be able to make unto him. Certainly your answer to this question would be very indifferent. Some of you that have no love of God in you at all, but hate him in your hearts, would be ready to answer him most confidently; and some others of you that do indeed entirely and unfeignedly love him, would make a very doubtful and fearful answer unto this question. Let me direct my speech to you both severally and apart.
[ 1] For the first of you, I know you will be ready to say, Is there any man so ungracious, so lewd that he doth not love the Lord, that he doth hate the Lord? Yes yes; alas there be many such in the world, and in the Church too. They hate the Lord not as he is their Creator and preserver (for in those respects they will seem to love him) but as he is a law-giver, and hath given them such laws as do curb them, and are most cross and contrary to their nature, as he is their Sovereign Lord and King, that requireth obedience of them unto those laws; as he is God the avenger (as the Prophet calleth him, Psal. 94.1.) that will take vengeance of them, for their sins; in these respects they hate him. His Citizens hated him, (saith our Savior in the Parable, Luke 19.14.) we will not have him to reign over us. Yea they hate him with a mortal hatred, Their soul abhorred me, saith the Lord, Zach. 11.8. and wish with all their hearts as to their most mortal enemy (a fearful thing to be spoken or thought) that he had no being, that he were quite rid out of the world. Many such wretches I say there be in the world and even in the Church too; and if thou knewest thyself well, thou wouldst find thyself to be of that wretched number. But though thou knowest not thyself, the Lord knoweth thee well, and will one day say to thee as he said to a great number, that were members of the true Church as thou art, professors of the true religion as thou art, John 5.42. But I know you that ye have not the love of God in you. 1. If thou be a profane person and goest on in a course of sin, thou canst not leave thy drinking, nor thy swearing, nor thy whoring, then the Holy Ghost pronounceth of thee, that thou lovest not God, thou hatest him, and art an enemy unto him, Psal. 68.21. God shall wound the head of his enemies (hath God any enemies? So it appeareth. Why who are they? That he telleth you in the next words) and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses. 2. If thou be a superstitious person, and such a one as dotest upon any will worship that is of thine own or of any other man's devising, whatsoever thou thinkest of thyself, then the Holy Ghost pronounceth of thee, that thou lovest not God, but thou hatest him in thy heart. For so the Lord speaketh of the transgressors of the second commandment, Exod. 20.5. Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, to the third, and fourth generation of them that hate me. 3. Nay if thou be but a mere natural man unregenerated, unconverted, there is no love of God in thee, but thou hatest him in thy heart. For so saith our Savior, John 15.18. of the whole world, of all men in their natural estate, Ye know that the world hated me, before it hated you. And verse 23. He that hateth me, hateth my father also. Neither is this the state of the reprobate in the world only, but even of God's elect also, while they are of the world before they be regenerated, they cannot love the Lord, but hate him in their hearts. This is plain by that promise God maketh to his elect, Deut. 30.6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Till God circumcise our hearts, and take away the hard fore-skin that is upon them, we can never love the Lord with all our heart, that is, unfeignedly. And the Apostle speaking to the elect Colosians putteth them in mind of this, Col. 1.21. You were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your minds. As if he had said, you were not only void of the love of God, but you were quite alienated from him, and enemies in your mind, you hated him in your hearts.
[ 1] Six evident demonstrations there be that may convince every natural man that there is no true love of God in his heart. First, He loveth not God because he loveth other things more then God. For so speaketh the spirit of God expressly, 1 John 2.15. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not [ 2] in him. Secondly, He loveth not God, because he doth not desire to enjoy him, to be where he is, to have any communion with him neither in heaven, nor in the assembly of his Saints, and use of his ordinances. For this hath been the voice of such as have loved God, 2 Cor. 5.8. We are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. And Psal. 42.1, 2. As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee ô God; my soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? And 26.8. Lord I have loved the habitation of thy houses, and the place where thine honor dwelleth. And can he then have any love to God that cannot abide to think of death, that if he might have his will, would never go to God? Can he have any love to God that careth not how seldom he cometh to God's Sanctuary, where (of all places in the world) the Lord showeth himself to be present with his people, in the most gracious and comfortable manner. Thirdly, He loveth not God, because he hath no delight to do that that [ 3] might please him, nor feareth to do that that he knoweth will offend, and displease and dishonor him. The carnal mind is enmity against God, (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.7.) For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them (saith our Savior, John. 14.21.) is he that loveth me, and none but he. Fourthly, He loveth not God because [ 4] when he knoweth he hath offended him, and lost his favor, he is not troubled with it, nor seeketh (in any good earnest) to be reconciled to him again. I love them that love me (saith the Lord, Pro. 8.17. But how shall that be known? That he telleth you in the next words) and those that seek me early shall find me. As if he had said, Those that love me, will seek peace with me when they have offended me, yea they will do it early, they cannot rest, they cannot sleep, till they have made their peace with me; and thus will I show my love to them again, I will be found of them, I will be easy to be entreated by them. Fifthly, They love not God, because they love not them that [ 5] fear God. Everyone that loveth him that begat (saith the Apostle, 1 John 5.1.) loveth him also that is begotten of him. Nay there is a certain sign they hate God, because they bear a mortal hatred to all such as in whom they see any life or power of religion, for that cause only because they bear the image of God, they reproach them, nickname them, slander them, use them with all the despite they can. He that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked, saith Solomon, Pro. 29.27. Like the Leopard, and Tiger of whom we read that they do so hate man that they will express their hatred, to the very picture of a man, wheresoever they see it. Sixthly and lastly, They love not God, because [ 6] they have no assurance of his love to them in Christ, and of the forgiveness of their sins. We love him: (saith the Apostle, 1 John 4.19.) because he loved us first. And it is no more possible there should be any true love in the heart of man towards God till then; then it is possible there should be, heat in the pavement before the sun in his strength, have shown upon it.
Now then to conclude this first part of my application; let no man be too confident that he loveth the Lord, but let everyone examine himself by these six arguments; and if thou find by them (as I dare say many of you may) that there is no love of God in thee but that thou bearest in thy breast such a canckered and malicious heart against God; 1 Bewaile thine estate; 2 Think not so well of thyself as thou hast done; but loath, and abhor thyself for it; 3 Admire the patience and goodness of God towards thee; 4 Let this drive thee to Christ who is our only peace (as the Apostle calleth him, Ephes. 2.14) and who by his cross hath slain the enmity that was between God and us, as he saith, verse 16. 5 Let This patience and bountifullnesse of his move thee to turn to him; and cry to him that is the God of love, 2 Cor. 13.11. that by that blessed spirit of his which is the spirit of love, 2 Tim. 1.7. he would give thee an heart to love him; And if thou canst seek to him this way, thou hast no cause to despair, For he that commandeth us, Matth. 5.44, 45. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, &c. will (doubtless) love thee if in truth of heart thou desire to love him.
Lecture LXXIX. On Psalm 51.6. January 29. 1627.
[ 2] NOw it followeth that we proceed unto the second part of this application; and so unto the second grace whereof the right root of all true righteousness and goodness doth consist, namely a lively faith.
I told you the last day, that if God should move to everyone of you particularly that that was moved unto Peter, John 21.15. (as who knoweth how soon it may be moved to us, either by the Lord himself when he shall wrestle with us, as he did with Jacob, Gen. • 2. or by Satan our adversary) there is many a one among you, that do unfeignedly love the Lord would make a very doubtful and fearful answer unto this question, because though you do indeed love him, yet you do not feel or perceive in yourselves that you do so. But you are ready (upon the hearing of the former Doctrine) to say. Have none upright hearts but such only as do love the Lord? Alas then I fear I am no better then an hypocrite, for I am exceedingly subject unto slavish fear. I cannot think of death but I tremble; I cannot hear of any danger of an invasion or such like troubles, but I am ready to quake for fear; I cannot hear or see any great thunder or lightning but I am exceedingly distempered with slavish fear. And can there be any true love of God in such a heart?
Now to these poor souls that object thus against themselves I have three things to say. 1. Thou mayest have the true love of God in thy heart, though thou be subject unto these fears. 2. Thou hast in thee evident signs that thou hast the true love of God in thy heart, though thou be so subject unto these fears. 3. Yet thou must strive against these fears and labor to rid thy heart of them.
[ 1] For the first, I say, It is possible for one that truly loveth the Lord and that hath an upright heart, to be much subject to these fears. This I will make evident to you 1 by some instances and examples that will make it plain unto you, that it may be so; 2 by certain reasons that will show you, why it may be and is so. For examples we read Job was subject to these fears, even before the time of his great affliction, while he enjoyed much prosperity and outward peace. For whereas he saith of himself, Job 3.26. that in those days I was not in peace, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet, he telleth us in the former verse 25. that it was fear that did thus disquiet him. David also oft complaineth of this, Psal. 119.120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee: and I am afraid of thy judgments. This may seem to be more then a childlike fear to offend God, that he could not see nor hear of any strange judgments of God but his flesh trembled at it, And Psal. •• .4. • . My heart is • ore pained within me (with what? with fear as appeareth by the next words) and the terrors of death are fallen upon me; fearefullnesse and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. What poor Christian is there in the world, can say more of his fears. And yet Heman the Prophet goeth further, Psal. 88.15. While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted ; and verse 16. Thy terrors have cut me off. As if he had said, For fear and terror I know not what to do, I have no use of my understanding, I am become even as a dead man. Take another example for this in the Apostle Paul who professeth of himself, 2 Cor. 7.5. that while he was in Macedonia he found no rest in his flesh, but that as he had fightings without (much opposition and trouble raised against him by men) so he had terrors within. Certainly he was much subject to these fears we speak of. But what speak I of particular examples? this is the condition of most Christians, that at one time or other they are subject unto them. Yea they are more subject unto them a great deal then the lewdest men are, who have much more just cause to fear then they have; as we see the trees that have life and sap in them are shaken too and fro with the winds, when those that are dry and dead are not moved at all but strand stone-still. In which respect the Lord speaking to them to whom the promises of the Gospel do belong, calleth them Esa. 35.4. such as are of a fearful heart ; and chideth them for this, Esa. 51.13. Thou hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor.
Now if you would know the reasons why God's most faithful and upright-hearted servants may be so subject to these fears, and why they are so, I find two principal causes of this.
First, Their own weakness. When the Apostle speaketh of those fears [ 1] he was subject to among the Corinthians he imputeth them to his own weakness. I was with you (saith he, 1 Cor. 2.3.) in weakness, and in fear and in much trembling. And there is a double weakness in the best of God's servants, a natural weakness, and a sinful weakness; and so there is a natural fear, and a sinful fear in them. Our blessed Savior that had no sin in him yet when he was in the garden was sore afraid, and (being to pray) durst not be alone, but got three of his Disciples to be by him, yea charged them to keep themselves awake too, as you shall find, Mar. 14.32—34. Through this natural weakness it is, that the best man that is, may feel in himself some fear of death; and when he seriously thinketh of his appearing before God, or when the Lord doth by any extraordinary work as thundering and lightning and earth-quakes &c. manifest unto him his glorious power, he cannot choose but fear, and tremble. I remembered God, and was troubled, saith the Prophet, Psal. 77.3. and that hath oft been the case of many a good soul. When God shown his glory in the delivering of the law by darkness and tempest, by thunder and lightning, it is said by the Apostle, Heb. 12.21. that the sight was so terrible, that Moses himself said, I exceedingly fear and quake. Yea when Christ did show his divine and glorious power even in goodness, by bringing such a multitude of fish to the net that it brake withal, it is said, Luk. 5.8, 9. that Peter was so astonished with fear that he fell down at Jesus knees, saying, depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord. But besides this natural weakness, there is a sinful weakness also in the best of God's children; even weakness of faith which maketh them subject not to natural fears only, but to sinful fears also. There is much lacking in their faith as the Apostle said of the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 3.10. And this is a chief cause of all their fears; Why are ye fearful, ô ye of little faith, saith our Savior to his Disciples, Mat. 8.16. pointing at the chief cause of all our fear. When are apt to doubt of God's favor, and of the pardon of our sins; and who can choose but be much disquieted in his heart, with • ear when he doubteth of God's favor? When the Prophet complained, Psal. 88.15. While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted : he telleth us, verse 14. what was the cause of those terrors he felt in himself, Lord why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? He could not be persuaded of God's love, he thought God had cast him of. And can you wonder then though his heart were full of terror?
The second cause of these fears is the Lord himself. Certainly his holy [ 2] hand is to be acknowledged in this kind of affliction, as well as in any other. These fears are therefore called the Lord's terrors, Psal. 88.15. and 2 Cor. 5.11. because they come from him. And the Lord seeth it to be good, and profitable many ways, for sundry of his servants to be much exercised by them. 1. This maketh them careful by repentance to purge themselves from all their known sins. So the Lord speaketh of the fear which they that travel by sea are in, when they see the strange breaches which the whale by his rising doth make in the sea, Job 4 • .25. When he raiseth up himself, the mighty (and most stout hearted) are afraid, by reason of his breakings they purify themselves. As we see the mariners that carried Jonah did, Jonah 1.5. The mariners were afraid and cried every man to his God. Everyone sought to make his peace with God in the best manner that he could. This effect we know fear usually hath even in all men; but much more certainly in God's children. 2. This keepeth them humble, fearful to sin, tractable and willing to obey God in all things. This is also a natural effect of fear to abate the pride of man's heart, and to make it humble and tractible. Put them in fear, ô Lord: (saith David, Psal. 9.20.) that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Certainly if the Lord should not now and then visit them with inward terrors and gripes, there be many in the world would even forget themselves to be men. But this effect it hath in God's children especially, O that there were such a heart in them, (saith the Lord of his people, Deut. 5.29.) that they would fear me, & keep my commandments always. As if he had said, Now they are fearful to offend me in anything, now they are willing to do anything I would have them; as they protested, verse 27. But when was that? Surely when by seeing the law delivered in that terrible manner, they were brought into a wonderful fear. 3. Lastly, This prepareth them, and maketh them fit to receive comfort from God. Thus the Lord hath been wont to prepare his servants, whom he meant to give most comfort unto. Before the Lord delivevered that large and comfortable promise unto Abram, Gen. 15.13—21. it is said verse 12. Loe an horror of great darkness fell upon him. Before Elijah could hear that still and small voice that spake so much comfort unto him, concerning himself and the whole Church, the Lord first affrighted him with a great and strong wind that rent the mountains and brake the rocks in pieces, and then by an earthquake, and after that by a fire, 1 King. 19.11, 12. he deeply humbled him by fear and terror first, that he might prepare and make him fit to receive that comfort. You see then, that this may be the case of them that are most upright hearted, and such as truly love the Lord they may be much subject to these fears. And this is the first thing I told you I had to say, for the comfort of such poor souls.
[ 2] The second is this, That it is not only possible that thou mayest love God unfeignedly though thou be so subject to these terrors, but even while thou art in this case, thou hast evident signs in thee that thou dost so, and if thou couldst observe thine own heart well, thou wouldst be able to discern, that thou dost love God indeed. For
[ 1] First, Thou desirest God's favor above all things in the world, and no cross afflicteth thy heart so much as this, that thou thinkest thou hast lost it, thou canst not be assured of it, this is a certain sign thou lovest him. When the Churches diligence in seeking after Christ when she had lost him is described, Cant. 2.1—4. she expresseth the cause that moved her so to seek after him, by calling him him whom her soul loved ; and this title she repeateth in everyone of those verses. Certainly if her soul had not dearly loved him, she could not in that manner have sought after him. So that this grief and trouble thy heart is in, because thou canst not be assured of God's favor, argueth plainly that thou art sick of love as the Church saith she was, Cant. 2.5. and 5.8. Thy love to God is the cause of thy sickness and grief. O how happy a thing would it be, with many if they were sick of this disease?
[ 2] Secondly, Thou darest not do anything that thou thinkest would offend God, but makest conscience to do his will, therefore thou lovest God. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them. (saith our Savior, John. 14.21.) is he that loveth me. And 1 John 5.3. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments ; we could not else do it constantly nor conscionably.
Thirdly, When thou hast through infirmity done anything to offend God, [ 3] thou grievest unfeignedly, and art troubled with it. This argueth that thou lovest the Lord. It was love that made Mary Magdalene to weep so abundantly for her sins, as our Savior testifieth of her, Luke 7.47. And this was the only thing whereby Peter did express that though he ha • so shamefully denied Christ, yet he loved him above all things; when he had so offended, he went out and wept bitterly, Mat. 26.75.
Fourthly, Thou lovest the Word and ordinances of God and the sincerity [ 4] of his worship. Therefore thou lovest God. For the Lord calleth them that keep the second commandment (specially and above all others) such as love him, Exod. 20.6. And David professing himself▪ Psal. 119 132. to be one of those that did love God's name; declareth it by no argument so much as by this throughout that Psalm, even by that love he bare unto, and that delight he took in the Word of God.
Fifthly, thou lovest the children of God, even because of the goodness thou [ 5] seest in them; therefore thou lovest God. If we love one another (saith the Apostle, 1 John 4.12.) God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. As if he had said, That is a sign of a sound and perfect love of God. So Christ will acknowledge at the last day that the love that was shown to the least of his brethren, was shown unto him, Matth. 25.40. If thou lovest the brethren thou lovest the Lord.
Sixthly and lastly, Thou dost unfeignedly desire to love the Lord and strivest [ 6] against these fears that trouble thee, and wouldst fain do God service out of love, and not out of fear. Therefore thou lovest him. For even as he that doth unfeignedly desire to fear God, doth fear God, Neh. 1.11. And he that mourneth for his infidelity and striveth against it, hath true faith; as it appeareth in that example of the poor man mentioned, Mar. 9.24. So hath he the true love of God in his heart, that doth unfeignedly desire to love the Lord.
But how can this be, will you say? Could I be so afrraid of God as I am, if I did truly love him? Is it possible for a man to be so afraid of him, whom he doth love? Doth not the Apostle say, 1 John 4.18. That there is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear.
I answer, 1. It is true that in love there is no such fear, nothing is more contrary unto the nature of love, then these fears are. But in the person that hath true love these fears may be. As though there is no infidelity or doubting of God's favor in faith (nothing more contrary unto faith then doubting and infidelity) yet in the person of a true believer there may be much infidelity, as we have heard out of Mar. 9.24. 2. Perfect love will cast out all these fears; and the perfecter our love to God is, the more it will cast out these fears and deliver us from them. But the love of the best of God's servants is imperfect and will be till we come to heaven; for there and there only are the spirits of just men made perfect, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 12.23.
The third and last thing I have to say unto these poor souls that are so much [ 3] disquieted with fear is this, They must strive against these fears and labor to rid their hearts of them; as David did, Psal. 56.3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. For 1 A trembling heart is in it self a judgment of God, and part of that curse that God hath threatened in his law against sin; as you shall find Deut. 28.65. And Job 18.11. Terrors shall make him afraid on every side. Yea it is the greatest tormentor of the heart, and enemy to the peace and tranquility of it, that can be. Fear hath torment, saith the Apostle, 1 John 4.18. He that is afraid to die must needs live in continual and extreme bondage, as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 2.15. 2. It is not only a judgment but a sin also. For it is oft forbidden and condemned in the Word, Esa 8.12. Fear not their fear, nor be afraid. And Matth. 8.26. Why are ye fearful, ô ye of little faith? Yea it is a cause of many other sins. The fear of man bringeth a snare, saith Solomon, Pro. 29.25. 1. It maketh a man apt to hide himself from God and run away from him. I was afraid (saith Adam, Gen. 3.10.) because I was naked, and I hid myself. 2. It maketh a man unprofitable and heartless to every good duty. I was afraid (saith the unprofitable servant, Matth. 25.25.) and went, and hid thy talent in the earth. 3. It keepeth a man from loving God as he should. The more servile fear of God is in the heart, the less love of God must needs be in it. These are so contrary that they do mutually diminish and expel one another as the Apostle hath taught us, 1 John 4.18.
All this is true will you say, but by what means may I rid my heart of this servile fear?
[ 1] First, Consider wherein thou hast offended him, and seek peace with him, seek his favor, seeing thou canst not flee nor hide thyself from him. It is the course Solomon would have us take when a great man is offended with us, Eccle. 8.3. Be not hasty to go out of his sight. It is good for me (saith David, Psal. 73.28.) to draw near unto God ; to get within him, when he is most angry, and to fall down at his feet. If thou return to the Almighty (saith Eliphaz, John 22.23.26.) then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.
[ 2] Secondly, Nourish in thy heart a childlike fear to offend God and it will banish out of it, these slavish fears. Fear not their fear, nor be afraid (saith the Lord, Esa. 8.12, 13) Alas how should we help that, might they say? He answereth. Sanctify the Lord of • osts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. In the fear of the Lord (saith Solomon, Pro. 14.26.) is strong confidence.
[ 3] Thirdly, Pray earnestly unto God against these fears. This was David's practice, Psal. 34.4. I sought the Lord and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears, Pray as Ier. 17.17. Be not thou a terror unto me, thou art my hope in the day of evil. As if he had said. If I be afraid of thee, what hope can I have in the evil day.
[ 4] Fourthly, Frequent God's Sanctuary, and in his ordinances there behold oft, and meditate of the beauty of the Lord, how amiable he is, and worthy to be loved. One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, saith David, Psal. 27.4.
[ 5] Fifthly, Seek assurance by faith, that Christ is thine; and give thyself no rest till thou canst be able to say as Psal. 48.14. This God is my God forever and ever, he will be my guide even unto death. In him (saith the Apostle, Ephes. 3.12.) we have boldness, and access with confidence by faith in him.
[ 6] Sixthly and lastly, Acquaint thyself with the promises God hath so oft made his people to free them from these fears, Job 11.15. Thou shalt lift up thy face without spot, yea thou shalt be steadfast, and shalt not fear. Psal. 112.7, 8. He shall not be afraid of evil ridings, his heart is fixed, his heart is established, he shall not be afraid. And Pro. 1.33. Who so hearkeneth unto me shall dwelt safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. These and such promises thou shouldst by faith give undoubted credit unto; and apply them to thyself; and rest upon them; and make claim and challenge unto them. Remembering how able the Lord is to perform them, how faithful also, and true of his word.
Lecture LXXX. On Psalm 51.6. February 5. 1627.
IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second grace whereof the right root of all true righteousness, and goodness doth consist; and that is a lively faith. The point then that we are now to learn is this
That all true love unto God, and (consequently) all true godliness and uprightness of heart, springeth from a lively faith even such a faith, as maketh known to a man God's love to him in Christ, and maketh him able to receive Christ, and to rest upon him.
See the proof of this in four degrees. First, Without faith it is not possible [ 1] for a man to repent and forsake sin in a right manner. Sin shall not have dominion over you (saith the Apostle, Rom. 6.14.) for ye are not under the law, but under grace. As if he had said, Till you be under grace, till by faith ye be assured of God's gracious disposition towards you, sin will have dominion over you, ye cannot help it, ye cannot avoid it. It is the blood of Christ only (applied by faith) that purgeth the conscience from dead works, as the Apostle teacheth, Heb. 9.14. Secondly, Without faith it is not possible for a man to [ 2] lead a godly life, or to do anything that may please God, Heb. 1 • .6. Without saith it is impossible to please God. The life that I now live (saith the Apostle, Gal. 2.20. that is, my spiritual life) I live by the faith of the son of God. Thirdly, [ 3] Without faith it is not possible for a man to have an honest, and upright heart, all he doth will be in hypocrisy till he have a lively faith. For it is faith that purifieth the heart, Acts 15.9. and that sanctifieth it, Acts 26. • 8. Fourthly and [ 4] lastly, Without a lively faith it is impossible to love the Lord. It is saith that worketh by love saith the Apostle, Gal. 5.6. As if he had said, faith is that that setteth love on working, that giveth life and motion unto it. This is that which the Apostle also teacheth, 1 Tim. 1.5. The end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and faith unfeigned. As if he had said, The true love of God (which is the very end and perfection, the fulfilling of every commandment of God; which maketh us able to keep the commandments and to account them no burden, nothing grievous to us, which giveth the price and value in God's sight to all our obedience) springeth from a pure and upright heart, and that from a good conscience, and that from faith, yea from faith unfeigned. So that is the main root of all. The reasons hereof are two.
First, Because faith is the only thing that knitteth us to Christ and maketh him ours. Christ dwelleth in our hearts by saith, Ephes. 3.17. And till we be knit to him and he be made ours there can be no goodness in us. Of his fullness have we all received, John. 1.16. Without me ye can do nothing, saith our Savior, John 15.4.
Secondly, Because faith, and faith only maketh known to us that love of God, as is effectual to to breed in us a true love unto God. It is an old and true proverb (and the truth of it is not so certain in any case as in this) magnes omoris amor, Love is of an attractive nature, like the load-stone, to draw love unto it. We love God (saith the Apostle, 1 John 4.19.) because he loved us first. We can never love him, till we be first persuaded of his love to us. When the Sun in his full strength & heat hath shined much upon it, the stony pavement itself will reflect, and send up an heat towards the sun, yea a greater heat then either the softer earth, or the air will: but till the sun hath shined, and shined much upon it, it can send up no heat nor have any in it at all. And even so it is with our cold and stony hearts, when the knowledge and sense of God's love hath warmed them, then will they reflect love to God again, but till then they cannot. But to handle this second reason more plainly, and profitably two things are to be observed, which I will distinctly speak of. 1. Nothing but a lively faith can so assure us of God's love to us, as to kindle in our hearts a true [ 1] love to God. 2. A lively faith is able to do this.
For the first. It may be objected, that a man may be sufficiently persuaded of God's love to him, though he have not a lively faith. For, 1 Experience doth now, and in all ages hath proved, that many a most wicked man that is utterly void of true faith, is fully persuaded that God loveth him, and glorieth in nothing more then in that. He maketh his boast of God, as the Apostle speaketh of the wicked Jews, Rom. 2.17. The Lord speaking of some that did both in word and deed, commit as much wickedness as they were able, Ier. 3.5. yet saith of them, ver 4. that these men would cry unto him, My God, thou art the guide of my youth. And our Savior saith, that those cursed Jews, of whom he pronounceth that the devil was their father. John 8.44. yet were themselves fully persuaded of God's fatherly love unto them, and could say of themselves, verse 41, We have one father, even God. And what child of God know you upon earth, that hath this word (I thank my God) so much in his mouth, as many a most wicked man hath? 2 A man that hath no faith, may yet have just cause to be persuaded of God's love towards him, for God doth indeed love him, and showeth it many ways that he doth love him. The Lord is good to all (saith David, Ps. 145.9.) and his tender mercies are over all his works. He is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil, saith our Savior, Luke 6.25. Loe he is good and kind, and tenderly merciful unto all, even unto the worst men. And upon whom doth not his light arise? saith Bildad, Job 25.3. What man is there in the world that hath not sensible and comfortable experience of God's love every day? And why should not all men then be persuaded that God loveth them?
[ 1] Now to this objection, I have four things to answer.
First. It is very true, that even these outward, and common favors of God, that all men enjoy, are evident testimonies of God's love and goodness, In that he giveth life and health, and seasonable times; in that he causeth us to prosper, yea, in that he feedeth us, and clotheth us, it is a sign he loveth us. God loveth the stranger (saith Moses, Deutere. 10.18.) in giving him food and raiment.
[ 2] Secondly. To them that are in Christ, these temporal and common favors of God, are signs and pledges of his special love; even by them the faithful are confirmed in the assurance of his eternal love. When Jacob saw that God had changed Esau's heart so, that he looked, and spake kindly to him, he saw God's face, and loving countenance toward him, even in that. I have seen thy face (saith he Genes. 33.10.) as though I had seen the face of God. By this I know (saith David, Psal. 41.11.) that thou favourest me because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.
[ 3] Thirdly. These common favors and fruits of God's love, may work in all men (even in them that have no faith) a kind of love unto God, a common, and an ordinary, and a superficial love.
[ 4] But then I say fourthly. A sound and true love to God can never be wrought in any man's heart (that hath not faith) by these outward and temporal blessings of God, nor by any knowledge he can have by them, of God's love to him. The unsoundness of that love that is wrought in men towards God, by these common favors of his, will appear in three points.
[ 1] First. It is but a mercenary love, they love the gifts of God, rather then the Lord himself; and when God giveth over giving to them, they give over loving of him. This is like the love that harlots bear to their lovers. When the Prodigal had to give, and spend upon those harlots upon whom it is said he wi • t • d his goods, Luke 15.30. no doubt but they shown a great deal of kindness unto him, but when he could give them no more, their love was at an end Satan knew well, that this is the love of most men unto God, though he falsely and maliciously charged Job with it, Job 1.10, 11. While God m ••• th in hedge about them, and about all that they have, while he blesseth the work of their hands, and their substance is increased, they will love the Lord, but let th • Lord put forth his hand, and touch all that they have, they will be ready to curse him to his face. Whereas he that soundly and truly loveth the Lord, loveth him for himself, and those perfections, and excellencies that are in him, and not for his gifts, nor for his own advantage only. He loveth him as a good child doth his parents (1 Tim. 5 4) though they be poor, and have nothing to give him. And as Paul declaring the truth of his love to the Corinthians professeth, 2 Cor. 12.14. he sought not theirs, but them ; so doth he that truly loveth the Lord desire to enjoy him and his favor, more then he doth desire any of God's blessings, anything that the Lord can do for him. His soul saith unto God, as David did, Psal. 119.57. Thou art my portion ô Lord. If I have thee, I have enough, I desire no more. There are many will say (saith David, Psalm. 4.6, 7.) who will show us any good? God's goods and benefits every man desireth, every man is enamored with But Lord (saith he) lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. As if he had said; We have enough if we have thee and thy favor. And so speaketh he also, Psalm. 73.25. There is nothing upon earth that I desire besides thee. And from hence also it cometh, that as he that truly and entirely loveth any man, will love him at all times, even then, when his friend doth not, nor can requite his love, yea, therein principally the truth of his love appeareth, as Solomon saith, Prov. 17.17. A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is borne for adversity. And as our Savior teacheth us, that no man hath any true charity in him towards his neighbor, that loveth him only while he dealeth kindly with him, but ca • love no man that hath dealt unkindly with him, or done him wrong. If you do good to them that do good to you (saith he Luk. 6.33) what thanks h •• e you? for sinners also will do so much : So he that truly loveth the Lord, will love him at all times, even when he with-holdeth his hand, and with-draweth his bounty when he carrieth himself towards him, even as if he were his enemy. Though he slay me (saith Job 13▪ 15.) yet will • trust in him ; which he could never have done, if he had not loved him.
Secondly. The love that is bred in men towards God, by his temporal [ 2] blessings without faith, is no sound or true love, because there be many other things that all such men love as much, or more then God. He that loveth father or mother, more then me (saith our Savior, Matth. 10.37. he that to please them dare offend me) he that loveth sun, or daughter more then me, (he that to scrap • and provide for them, dare sin against me; or through fondness (like Eli ) can bear with any profaneness, or lewdness in them) is not worthy of me ; his love is of no worth at all in my account. If a man be a lover of pleasures, more then a lover of God, as the Apostle telleth us, 2 Tim. 3.4. many in these last days shall be; if a man love any lust of his better then God, and rather then he will forsake it, he will adventure the lost of God's favor, certainly he hath no true love of God in him. He that truly loveth God, giveth him the highest seat in his heart, loveth him more then anything else in the world, and can say with Paul, Phil. • .8. For Christ I have suffered (that is, in will and affection) the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ. And this Christ required in Peters love, John 21.15. he saith not only Simon thou son of Jonah, lovest thou me? (that had not been enough to prove his love true and sincere) but lovest thou me more then these? then thy nets, then thy fish, then thy friends that are here about thee. And though Peter (in the depth of his humility) saith nothing in his answer to that term of comparison, yet is it evident by Christ's question, that he knew his love was so unfeigned towards him, that there was nothing in the world that he loved more, or so much as him.
[ 3] Thirdly and lastly. The love that is bred in men towards God by that general bounty and goodness that all men taste of, is no true love, because it hath no force and strength to restrain them from sin, and draw them unto obedience. The Apostle speaking of a commandment that hath some difficulty in it; that is, the parting with our goods for the relief of our brother, whom we see in necessity, saith of him that sticketh at this, 1 John 3.17. How dwelleth the love of God in him? And thereupon inferreth in the next words, verse 18. My little children, let us not love (he meaneth, let us not love God) in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. As if he had said, no man doth love God in deed, and in truth, if his love to God will not make him willing to do anything that he would have him to do, and that may please him. True love we know, is a most forcible thing to make one serviceable, and willing to do anything for such as they love. What pains will the mother take, what offices will she perform to her little infant? yea, how will • ingly and cheerfully? The seven years wherein Jacob did service to Laban, a very hard master, seemed to him but a very few d • yes (saith Moses, Genes. 29.20.) because he loved Rachel. And surely our love to God is no less forcible this way, if it be true, it will make us willing to obey him, even in his hardest commandments. Of this her love to God, it is that the Church speaketh when she saith, Cant. 8.6. Love is strong (and irresistable) as death. And this is that which the Apostle meaneth, 1 John 5.3, 4. This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous. As if he had said, the love of God will make us careful to keep God's commandments, yea it will make those commandments easy to us, that are most cross to our nature, they will be nothing grievous to us, if we love the Lord. And thus have I finished the first point I propounded, Nothing but faith can so assure us of God's love to us, as may kindle in our hearts a true love to God.
The second followeth. A lively faith is able to do this. Faith assureth us of such a love that God hath borne to us, so special, so marvelous a love, above that that he hath done to the greatest part of the world, as we cannot choose but love him again, and love him unfeignedly, that is, love him for himself, love him better then anything else, love him so, as we can be content to go through thick and thin to please him. Observe the proof of this in three degrees.
[ 1] First. There is a marvelous love of God, that far surpasseth all other of his loves. If you ask me wherein God hath declared this his special and marvelous love to his people. I answer, in giving them his only Son to ransom them from hell, and to purchase heaven for them. Herein is love (saith the Apostle, 1 John 4.10.) that God loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. And Rom. 5.8. God commendeth his love towards us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This was a marvelous love of God, all the fruits of God's favor that worldlings do enjoy, are but shells and husks in comparison of this.
[ 2] Secondly. Whereas this love of God is not alike to all men, but peculiar to a few in comparison. Fear not little flock (saith our Savior, Luke 12.32.) Whereas God in sending his son, had not such respect to the greatest part of the world, I pray not for the world, saith Christ. John 17.9. Faith assureth every true believer, that this wonderful love of God belongeth to him. That God in special love to him, sent his Son to do and endure all that he did. It maketh him able to say with the Apostle, Galat. 2.20. He loved me, and gave himself for me. And with David, Ps. 31.21. Blessed be the Lord, for he hath shown me his marvelous kindness. He hath made me able to see that this marvelous love of his belongeth to me.
Thirdly and lastly. When the heart of a man is once by faith assured, that [ 3] God hath so loved him, as to send his Son to die for him, this must needs breed in him a love unfeigned unto God, and care to please him; and proportionable to the assurance we have of this love of God, shall our love to God be. Mary Magdalene because she knew by faith, that God's love to her had been so abundant, as to forgive her so many sins, therefore did she love Christ abundantly, Luk 7.47. Thus David professeth of himself, Psal. 116.1. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice, and my supplications. And what was the prayer that he had made? for hearing of which he did so love the Lord? He telleth us ver 3.4. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me, I found trouble and sorrow, then called I upon the name of the Lord. He was in anguish of conscience, and fear of damnation, and God (upon his prayer) spake peace to his heart, and assured him of his favor in Christ, therefore did he so love the Lord. Therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians 3.17—19. that they might be rooted, and grounded in love (to God he meaneth, and to men for his sake) he desireth to that end that God would make them able fully to comprehend, and know in all the dimensions of it, the love of Christ that passeth knowledge. As if he should say, If men did well know this love of God to us in Christ, they could not choose but be so settled, and rooted in love to God, as nothing could be able to draw their hearts from him.
Lecture LXXXI. On Psalm 51.6. Febru. 19. 1627.
LET us now apply this that we have heard to ourselves. And that that I will say for the application of this point shall be by way of exhortation only; even to stir up, and persuade myself, and everyone of you, not to rest contented with the fruits of God's common and general love, be not satisfied in thyself, till thou be assured by faith, that God loveth thee with his special and particular love, that thou art one of the world of God's Elect, whom God so loved, that he gave his only begotten son for thee, that thou believing in him, mightest not perish, but have life everlasting ; as our Savior speaketh, John 3.16. That God so loveth thee, that he spared not his own son, but delivered him up for thee ; as Rom. 8.32. Till thou canst say with Paul, Gal. 2.20. Christ Jesus the Son of God loved me, and gave himself for me. And with John, Revel. 1.5. He loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. Till thou be assured that God loveth thee, with this more then common, with this marvelous love, nothing should content thee, but thou shouldst still cry with David, Psal. 17.7. Shew me thy marvelous loving kindness ; make me able to see and know that thou lovest me with this marvelous love. And 106.4. Remember me ô Lord, with the favor that thou bearest to thy people; o visit me with thy salvation. To be beloved of God with that love that he beareth to strangers, or to his hired servants, should not content us, but that love only that he beareth to his own people, to his dear children. None of his gifts should satisfy us without his salvation, those good things that accompany salvation, but we should still cry, ô visit me with thy salvation ; as if he had said, give me a comfortable sense and assurance of that. It is said of the faithful Bereans, Acts 17.11. that they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 better borne and bred, more noble then others. And as those that are nobly borne, aspire after higher estates, and conditions of life then other men do, they scorn to live upon a base, and mechanical trade. So saith our Savior, Matth. 6.31—33. that all we that are his Disciples should do. After all these things (saith he, that is meat, and drink, and clothes) do the Gentiles (that are borne to no better hope) seek (that is, only or chiefly) but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. And certainly, if we be borne of God, we shall not be so base minded as other men are; but find in ourselves, such high and generous spirits, as nothing but the reward of the inheritance, as the Apostle calleth it, Colos. 3.24. nothing but the kingdom of heaven will content us. And thus are all they that shall be saved described, Rom. 2.7. They seek for glory, and honor, and immortality. And this is that Holy ambition, that I desire to stir up in myself, and in everyone of you, that we would strive to bring our hearts to this; that we may be able to say, life is sweet, and a good blessing of God, and so is health, and so is peace, and so is a plentiful estate, and so is credit, and so is mirth; but all these things are nothing unto me, without the assurance of God's special love unto me in Christ. Rejoice not in this, that the spirits are subject unto you (saith our Savior to his Disciples, Luke 10.20. and yet that was a great and a rare gift of God) but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. That even as Absalom 2 Sam. 14.32. thought it nothing to be restored from his banishment, and to be admitted to live in Jerusalem, unless he might see the Kings face ; so should we esteem all other comforts and contentments whatsoever, as nothing, unless we may see the light of God's countenance, see him look cheerfully upon us, and show himself to be reconciled unto us. This is that, that David preferred before all the World. Psalm 4.6. Many say, who will show us any good (who will show us how we may get wealth, and credit, and pleasure, and such things) but (As if he should say, but I am not of their mind) Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us ; upon me, and upon thy people, this is all in all unto me. This, this is that I desire, to persuade you unto, to get assurance that God loveth you with this special love. Get assurance of it I say unto yourselves, Make your casting and election sure, saith the Apostle, 2 Peter 1.10. Content not yourselves with an uncertain hope in this case, but seek to be sure of this. Yea, he that is most sure of this, let him seek to be more sure still, as the Church doth, Canticles 1.2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth ; as if she had said, Let him still give me more evidences of his love; for thy love is better then wine.
Now for the better enforcing of this exhortation. 1. I will give you some motives that may provoke you to seek this assurance of the special love of God. 2. I will show you the means how you may attain unto it.
We have all need of motives, yea of strong motives, to persuade us (a strange thing to consider of) to seek God's favor, to seek assurance that he loveth us. For, 1. The most men are like the prodigal, of whom we read, Luke 15.16, 17. who so long as he could have enough to fill his belly, though it were but the husks that the swine fed on, never thought of his father, nor sought for his favor. And like profane Esau that despised his birthright. Genesis 25.34. If God will but love them so far, as to let them live in wealth, and peace, and credit, and mirth here, his special love, that reacheth to the forgiveness of their sins, and life everlasting, they care not for, they seek not after. 2. Many that are possessed with the spirit of bondage, and often vexed with terrible doubts and fears, about this matter, yet never seek for this certainty, 3. Many that think they have faith, content themselves with an uncertain opinion, and wavering hope of God's favor and never seek to make this certain unto themselves.
Hearken therefore unto six Motives I will give you out of God's word to stir you up to this.
First. This love of God, is an everlasting love, I have loved thee (saith God to his people, to his elect in Christ, Ier. 31.3) with an everlasting love. And of Christ's love, the Evangelist saith, John. 13.1. Having loved his own (that is, such as his father gave him, such as believed in him) unto the end he loved them, I am persuaded (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.38, 39.) that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Then get once the assurance of this love of God in Christ, and thou mayest be certain thou shalt never loose it. Thy assurance of it, I grant thou mayest loose for a time, through thy own folly, but this love of God canst thou never loose, if ever thou hadst it. The Moon is subject to change, and so are all things that are under it; but the Sun (though through the interposition of somewhat between it and us, it do not always shine upon us) yet doth it never change. So though our sins may raise up a thick cloud (as the Prophet speaketh, Isaiah 44 22.) between the Lord and us, that keepeth the light of his countenance from shining upon us, yet is there in this father of lights (as the Apostle saith, James 1.17.) no variableness at all, nor so much as a shadow of turning, or changing his affection towards us. This is a love therefore worth the having, worth the seeking, even the seeking to be sure of it. This property of God's love, hath made God's people highly to esteem of it. O give thanks to the Lord (saith David, Psalm. 118.1) for he is good; because his mercy endureth forever. Yea, see how the Prophet followeth this, and insisteth upon it, verse 2.4. This special love of God to us in Christ, is called, Esa. 55.3. The sure mercies of David. All the other mercies of God, and fruits of his love without Christ (which yet men so much dote upon) are transitory, and such as we can have no certainty of; these only are sure mercies, this only is an everlasting and unchangeable love.
Secondly. This would free the heart from those fears that do so vex and torment us, if we were once sure of this special love of God to us. That even as when Christ was come into the ship, where his Disciples were, Mark 6 5 • . the wind ceased presently, and there was a • alme; so will it be with thy heart, get Christ once into it, and it will be quiet. So David professeth, that when he had seen the light of God's countenance, and rejoiced in it, Psalm 4 8. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep, saith he. And indeed, what need we to fear, if we have God's favor? If God be for us, (saith Paul, Rom. 8.31.) who can be against us? To hurt us he meaneth. The Lord is my light and my salvation (saith David, Psalm 27.1.) whom shall I fear? And 49.5. Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil: when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about? Why David what maketh thee so secure in the midst of danger? He telleth you verse 15. God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me. On the other side, he that doubteth of God's love to him in Christ, must needs be vexed with continual fears, fear of death, and fear of troubles. It is Christ only (saith the Apostle, Heb. 2.15.) that delivereth them, who through the fear of death, were all their life time subject to bondage.
Thirdly, This bringeth with it unto us all good things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness (saith our Savior, Matth. 6.33. As if he had said, Make your salvation sure, make this sure unto yourselves that God is reconciled unto you, that you are in his favor) and all these things, shall be added unto you. O that men could believe Christ in this, that this is the best way to be certain of all earthly comforts, so far as they shall be good for us. He that spared not his own son (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.32.) but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Yea this sweeteneth all God's blessings to us, and giveth a pleasant relish unto them, when we can taste in them, God's love unto us in Christ. When Job speaketh, Job 29.1—7. of the comfort he took in all God's blessings, in the time of his prosperity, in his children and riches, in that honor and esteem God gave him among all men; he giveth this for the reason of it, verse 3. His candle (his light, the comfortable assurance of his savor) shined upon my head. Yea this will not only sustain and keep us from fainting in times of common trouble and calamity as Job saith there, Job 29.3. By his light I walked through darkness ; While the light of his countenance shined upon me I could walk cheerfully in the darkest, and saddest times; But it will also sweeten the bitterest afflictions that can befall ourselves in particular, when we know they are but the chastisements of our father, that loveth us dearly though he thus correct us. The cup which my father hath given me (saith our Savior, John 18.11.) shall I not drink it? All hope of deliverance and comfort in danger and distress groweth from the assurance of God's favor. Upon this David grounded his hope, Psal. 42.5. Why art thou cast down ô my soul? &c. Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, for the help of his countenance. To this he ascribeth all the deliverances the Church had received from the Lord's right hand, Psalm 44.3. They got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but thy right hand and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them. The sting of death (saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 15.56. and if of death, then of all other afflictions sure) is sin ; and if the sting of them be once gone, certainly there can be no deadly pain in them. And thus Christ comforteth a poor man that was sick of a dead palsy (a disease that dulleth the spirits and maketh the heart as heavy, as any disease can) Matth. 9.2. Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee. On the other side he that doubteth of God's love to him in Christ, what comfort can he have in life or in death, in prosperity or in adversity, specially if God shall be pleased to awaken his conscience? What sweetness can a man find in all his wealth or pleasure, or good cheer when it hath this bitter tang, and loose with it, that his heart shall say to him, I may be a vessel of wrath for all that. Alas Cain had as much as all this cometh to, and Esau and Dives who are all now firebrands in hell. Must not the joy that all such men seem to take in their prosperity be such as the Apostle speaketh of, 2 Cor. 5.12. in the face only, and not in the heart. And if this be their condition in their greatest prosperity, then what comfort can they have in their affliction, and in their death think you? What is the hope of the hypocrite (saith Job 27.8.) though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?
Fourthly, If we were once assured of God's special love to us in Christ this would make us yield obedience unto God, and do his service, not grudgingly or as of necessity, but as out of love and willingly, and cheerfully. For a good man (a bountiful, a kind man, saith the Apostle, Rom. 5.7.) some will even dare to die. And if the goodness and bounty of a man have such force with us, that we think we can never do too much for him; will not the assurance of this marvelous bounty and goodness of God to us in Christ make us to say with David, Psal. 116.12. What shall I render unto the Lord, for all his benefits towards me ; what might I do to please and honor him, that hath so dearly loved me? This will make us pray with boldness and zeal. O God thou art my God (saith David, Psal. 63.1.) early will I seek thee. When our Savior taught his Disciples (and in them us all) to pray, Matth. 6.9. he biddeth us begin thus, Our father which art in heaven ; Till our hearts do thus conceive of God, that he is our father, that he loveth us with a fatherly love, we can never pray aright. We may say a prayer (and that is all that the most of us do) but we can never pray with our hearts, till then. Therefore also the Apostle teacheth us, Rom. 8.15, 16. that the spirit that maketh us able to cry in our prayers unto God; that is, to pray fervently and earnestly is the spirit of adoption, that spirit which witnesseth with our spirits, that we are the sons and daughters of God ; that assureth us God is our father and maketh us able to call him father, yea to cry to him Abba father. And as this will make us able to pray with comfort; so will this also make us able to hear and read and meditate in the Word with cheerefullnesse, and a good appetite. As new borne babes (saith the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2.2, 3.) desire the sincere milk of the Word; if so be that ye have tasted, that the Lord is gracious. This will make us keep the Sabbaths even whole Sabbaths without wearisomenesse. Ye shall keep every man my Sabbaths (saith the Lord, Levite. 19.3.) Why so? What may move us to do this willingly and cheerfully? I am the Lord your God, saith he. In a word this will make us walk cheerfully in every duty of obedience, in every way of God. Thy loving kindness is before mine eyes (saith David, Psal. 26.3.) therefore have I walked in thy truth. If we would set that oftener before our eyes, meditate more seriously of that, certainly it would make all God's ways more easy and pleasant to us, then they are. On the other side he that hath no assurance of God's love in Christ, can never pray, or hear, or receive with any delight or comfort. Wouldst thou know the true cause why it is so irksome a thing for thee to pray, or to read, or to hear, or to keep the Sabbath, that thou sayest of all these duties in thy heart as they did, Mal. 1.13. O what a weariness is it? Certainly thou hast in thee an evil heart of unbelief ; as the Apostle calleth it, Heb. 3.12. Thou art not assured of God's fatherly love to thee in Christ. Nor thou seekest not to be sure of it. Get more faith, and more assurance of God's love, and it will seem no bondage to thee to serve God, thou wilt find ease and pleasure it.
Fifthly, This and this only will cure us of that stone that is in our hearts, and make them soft and fleshy, make us able kindly to mourn for offending God, by our sins. When God once maketh thee able by the spirit of grace, to see that Christ endured so much for thee, that thy sins pierced Christ so, then wilt thou be able to mourn for thy sins (saith the Prophet, Zach. 12.10.) as a man would mourn for the loss of his only son. When Mary was once assured by faith that her sins were forgiven, yea how many sins God had forgiven unto her, Luke 7.38.47. ô how she wept for her sins? If thou wert indeed assured of the forgiveness of thy sins, and of God's favor in Christ, thou couldst never think of thy sins, without grief of heart. And if thou desirest to grow more soft hearted, labor to increase thy faith, and to get more assurance of this special love of God to thee in Christ.
Sixthly and lastly, As no grace can grow in thy heart till thou have faith; so as the measure of thy assurance of God's love shall increase in thee, so shall every saving grace increase and abound in thy soul. Therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians, Ephes. 3.19. that God would make them able to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge ; he giveth this for the reason of it, that ye might be filled (saith he) with all the fullness of God.
And these are Motives strong enough (if God be pleased to work with them) to persuade our hearts to seek to be assured of God's love in Christ, to make our calling and election sure. It followeth now I should show you the Means how this may be attained; but those I must (I see) leave till the next day.
Lecture LXXXII. On Psalm 51.6. February 26. 1627.
NOw then there be five things, principally to be done by them, that would get, and preserve in themselves this assurance of God's favor.
First, If thou desire to get assurance of God's special love to thee in Christ, assurance that Christ is thine, assurance of thy salvation, thou must first settle this persuasion in thy heart, that it is possible to be attained. By harbouring this conceit in thy heart, that it is presumption for any man, to say he is sure of his salvation, I hope well, but it is not possible for me or any man to be sure of this, thou makest thyself uncapable of this comfortable assurance. Know therefore that though 1. It be a very difficult thing to get, and keep this assurance; 2. Few attain unto it; 3. Though this assurance be not perfect in any while they live here, but they that have it best, have it with some mixture of doubting and unbelief; 4. They that have had it in the greatest measure have not had it at all times; Yet every true believer may attain unto it, if the fault be not in himself. • or 1. God hath commanded the faithful to make their calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1.10. 2. God hath promised that he will certify and assure his people of this, Ezek. 34.30. They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. 3. God hath given his people in all ages experience of the truth of this his promise in themselves, Rom. 8.15, 16. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear (as if he should say once ye had it) but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba father. This could not be without assurance of God's favor; and this he saith not of himself only but of all the faithful; of all God's children, Gal. 4.6. Because ye are sons, God hat • sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts. This spirit witnesseth with our spirit • (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.16) that we are the sons of God. We know (saith the Apostle, 1 John 3.2. not of himself but of all God's children) that when Christ shall appear we shall be like him. And again, verse 14. We know we are translated from death to life. And again, Chap 4.16. We have known and believed, the love that God hath to us. Nay I say more, It is not only possible for thee if thou be God's child to have this assurance of God's love in some measure, but it is in some manner necessary thou shouldst have it, thou must get it, & the hope thou talkest of is to little purpose without it. Know ye not your own selves (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 13.5.) how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? that is, except ye be unsound and counterfeit in the profession of the faith. His house we are ( Heb. 3.6.) if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. That hope that hath no confidence nor rejoicing in it is little worth. Hope must be as an anker of the soul both sure, and steadfast; as the Apostle speaketh, Heb. 6.19. Well then, seeing we both may and must get this assurance it standeth us upon to inquire how and by what means we may get it. What is then next to be done?
I answer, Secondly, We must bind ourselves to a diligent, and conscionable use of God's ordinances, which he hath sanctified to be the means whereby he will work and increase all saving grace, and consequently this, in our hearts. I will instance but in three and that briefly too.
[ 1] First, There is great force in the Word to work in our hearts not only faith, Rom. 10.17. Faith cometh by hearing ; but this blessed fruit of faith also, the assurance of God's favor. The Scriptures were written to this end, to breed in us this assurance. These things have I written to you (1 John 5.12.) that ye may know, that ye have eternal life. And 1.4. These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full, that you may have sound consolation in this assurance. And this is the main end, that God ordained preaching for. So Zacharias saith that John the Baptist, was sent to that end, Luke 1.77. To give knowledge of salvation to his people, by the remission of their sins. When God had promised Esa. 57.18▪ that he would restore comfort to his Israel and to his mourners ; he telleth us in the next words, verse 19. the means whereby he will do it, I create the fruit of the lips ; (my word in the speech and ministry of my servants, Mal. 2.7. The priests lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth ) peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. God hath promised to work by the ministry of his servants in the hearts of his people abundance of peace and comfort (which cannot be without assurance of his favor) and to heal them of all that anguish of heart, which the doubting of his favor did breed in them. And no marvel though the Word have this force to breed this assurance, for therein are all the promises of God to be found, which are the ground and evidence upon which all true assurance of God's favor is built. In God will I praise his word (saith David, Psal. 56.4.) in God have I put my trust, I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. All his comfort, all his assurance and confidence was grounded upon the Word.
The second ordinance of God that hath great force in it to breed in our [ 2] hearts this assurance of God's favor and to preserve it in us, and to recover it when it is lost; is the conscionable use of the holy Sacrament. We read of God's people that had received the Passover with good hearts, that had prepared their hearts to seek the Lord in that his ordinance (as Hez • kiah speaketh of them, 2 Chron. 30.19.) that they found marvelous comfort in it, verse 21. They kept the feast with great gladness. And verse 26. There was great joy in Jerusalem. And that Sacrament we know, was the same in substance with our Lord's Supper. Certainly there is not more virtue in any ordinance of God, to confirm us in the comfortable assurance of God's favor, then in this, if it be worthily received. For 1 Christ is nowhere so particularly offered and applied to us as in it, 1 Cor. 11.24. Take, eat, this is my body which was broken for you. 2 He is offered to us as meat and drink to feed upon; and what is so nearly applied to us and made ours, as our food, which is turned into our very substance and made one with us. 3 He is offered to us as bread and wine, which of all food hath most force to strengthen, and make glad our hearts, Psa. 104.15. 4 The Sacraments are ordained to be his seals to assure and confirm his covenant unto us; they are seals of the righteousness which is by faith, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 4.11.
The third and last ordinance of God, that hath great force to breed and preserve [ 3] this assurance of God's favor in our hearts, & to recover it when we have lost it, is prayer. Ask, and you shall receive, (saith our Savior, John 16.14.) that your joy may be full. This is one of the principal fruits of prayer, it breedeth full and sound joy in the heart; which necessarily presupposeth assurance of God's favor. This course David oft took to recover his assurance and comfort and found great success in it. When he made that prayer that is set down, Psal. 6. he was in great anguish of mind, through the loss of the assurance of God's favor, as appeareth verse 1—4. to recover his assurance he falleth to fervent prayer; and before he had ended his prayer, he was so filled with the assurance of God's favor, that he bursteth forth into these pathetical expressions of his joy, verse 8, 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping, the Lord hath heard my supplications, the Lord will receive my prayer. And Psal. 31. when he had lost his assurance so far that he said in his hast (verse 22.) he was cast out of God's sight ; to recover it he betook himself to prayer and prevailed so thereby, that he crieth out, verse 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shown me his marvelous kindness. As though he had said, The Lord hath given me again, a sweet and comfortable assurance of his favor. I do not deny but many (yea many of God's own children) may use all these three ordinances of God, that I have named unto you, and use them often too, read, and hear, and receive, and pray, and yet never attain to this assurance of God's favor by them. Alas; this will never be obtained without great diligence in the use of all means that God hath appointed. Give diligence (saith the Apostle. 2 Pet. 1.10.) to make your calling and election sure ; Yea verse 5. Give even all diligence thereunto. Alas; we do not in our hearing, receiving, praying, seek or aim at this, to get assurance thereby, that we are in God's favor; or if we do seek it, yet use we no diligence in the use of these means, that we might obtain that which we seek in them.
But if we cannot obtain it by these means, there is a third thing to be done. Seek to be more humbled in thyself, in the apprehension of thine own wretchedness. Seek the Lord and his favor, with an humbled soul. When Jeremiah prophesieth of the comfort that God's people should find, upon their earnest seeking of his favor, before the end of their captivity, he speaketh thus of them, Jeremiah 50.4. Going, and weeping, they shall go and seek the Lord their God. When we can lament after the Lord, as Israel did, 1 Sam. 7.2. mourn for the loss of his favor, and go weeping to him to seek the recovery of it, we need not doubt of prevailing with him. God resisteth the proud (saith the Apostle James 4.6.) but he giveth grace to the humble. Specially this grace of a comfortable assurance of his favor, he useth not to give unto any, but unto the humbled soul. And thereupon the Apostle inferreth verse 10. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. The want of sound humiliation, is the chief cause we cannot attain unto sound assurance of God's favor. Never did any attain unto any great measure of assurance of God's favor, that had not first been deeply humbled in themselves. Neither doth God use to give the spirit of adoption to his people, till he have first given them the spirit of bondage, Rom. 8.15. God comforteth those that are cast down, saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 7.6. Therefore the day of humiliation, wherein God's people did afflict their souls, is called the day of atonement, between God and them, Levite. 23.27, 28. Such God hath bound himself by promise, to speak peace unto. Blessed are they that mourn (saith our Savior, Matth. 5.4) for they shall be comforted. I will dwell with him (saith the Lord, Isaiah▪ 57.15.) that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For 1. then, and never till then, we will in our judgments value and prize God's favor in Christ, above all things in the world, and say with David, Psal. 63.3. Thy loving kindness is better then life. Shew us the father (saith Philip to Christ, John 14.8) and it sufficeth us. This he spake indeed out of ignorance and curiosity, but thus speaketh the humbled soul advisedly. Let me but see my heavenly father reconciled to me in Christ, and the light of his countenance shining upon me, and I have enough, though I had nothing else in the world. And on the other side, the humbled soul doth say, that without this, though he had all the world he hath nothing; but is ready to say with Paul, Phil. 3.8. I count all but as dung without Christ. • . Then when we are soundly humbled, and never till then, we will hunger and thirst after Christ, and desire God's favor in him more earnestly and eagerly, then anything in the world. It was the voice of an humbled soul that we read, Psal. 42.1, • . As the Hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, ô God, my soul thirsteth for God. And they that can thus thirst after God's favor, shall be sure to obtain the assurance of it. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness (saith our Savior, Matth. 5.6.) for they shall be satisfied.
And what marvel is it then, that there be so few that attain to this assurance, (alas) there be few that prize it as they ought, few that thirst after it, because few that are soundly humbled in themselves for their sins.
Lecture LXXXIII. on Psalm 51.6. March. 4. 1627.
THE fourth thing that they must do, that desire to get and preserve in themselves a comfortable assurance of God's favor, is this, They must nourish in their hearts a constant care to please God in all their ways, and a fear to offend him in anything. For 1. None but such can possibly get or keep any true assurance of God's favor. 2. All such shall certainly attain unto it.
For the first. You may hear some wicked men glory much in the assurance [ 1] they have of their own salvation, and pronounce peremptorily of many a servant of God, that all their profession is no better then hypocrisy, because they are so full of fears, and so doubtful of their salvation. A wise man feareth (saith Solomon Prov. 14.16,) and departeth from evil (the godly man's doubts and fears keep him from many a sin, that otherwise he should fall into) but the fool rageth▪ and confident, he sinneth outrageously, and yet is confident. But this is but a vain presumption, this can be no true assurance certainly. It is not possible for any man that wittingly liveth in any known sin, to have any true assurance of his salvation, or of the favor of God. Let us draw near • (saith the Apostle, Heb. 10.22. with a true heart in full assurance of faith (But how may a sinful man attain to this high privilege to be able to draw near to God, with that boldness and full assurance of faith, that God beareth a fatherly love unto him? He telleth us that in the next words, alluding in his speech to the manner of such as did draw near to God under the ceremonial law) having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. As if he had said, without a man be both justified and delivered from the guilt of his sins by the blood of Christ, and sanctified and delivered from the dominion of sin by the spirit of Christ, it is not possible for him to draw near unto God, in full assurance of faith. Let the man that hath the strongest faith, and the most comfortable assurance of God's love, once give himself liberty to commit any gross sin, and he must needs loose his comfort and assurance of God's love. Certainly our iniquities (as the Prophet speaketh, Isaiah 59.2) will separate between us and our God, and our sins will cause him to hide his face from us. See the proof of this in David. Who ever had more comfortable assurance of God's favor, then he sometimes had? The Lord is my light and my salvation (saith he, Psal. 27.1.) whom shall I fear? But when he had once given liberty to himself to sin against his conscience in the matter of Uriah, see how all his comfort in the assurance of his salvation and of God's favor was quite lost. Restore to me (saith he, Psal. 51.1 • .) the joy of thy salvation. But what speak I of gross sins? Let a Christian but grow worldly and secure, let him but remit anything of that watchfulness and care that was wont to be in him to take heed to his ways, of that fear to offend God in anything, of his diligence to serve, and please the Lord, and his comfortable assurance of God's favor will be lost. See an example of this in the Church, the spouse of Christ. Cant. 5.2.6. It is said, verse 6. her beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone ; she lost the comfortable assurance of his love. How lost she it? Not by any gross sin, but merely by her laziness, and worldly security, by that answer she gave him, verse 3. I have put off my •• at, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? As if she had said, I am now at ease and quiet, and by opening unto thee, by hearkening and yielding unto thee in everything, I should put myself to a great deal of trouble and labor, that I am now eased of. Thus lost she her sweet assurance of God's love then, and thus doth many a soul loose it at this day. That exhortation therefore that the Apostle giveth to the Hebrews, 6.11. is necessary for everyone of us. We desire that everyone of you (saith he) show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end. As if he had said, ye have good things in you now, & such as accompany salvation, you have now much labor of love, ye have ministered unto the Saints, and yet do minister, but if you would have full assurance of your salvation, be diligent to do so still, even unto the end; if you grow negligent and careless in these duties hereafter, this full assurance of salvation, you will certainly loose? A full and well grounded assurance of our salvation and of the favor of God, will not be gotten in a day or two; without good proof and experience we have had of the work of God's grace in us, it will never be gotten; And when we have gotten it, we may easily loose it again, if either we give liberty to ourselves in known sins, or grow secure and careless in taking heed to our hearts and ways.
[ 2] But secondly. On the other side, A constant care to please God in all our ways, and a fear to offend him, will certainly bring to us a comfortable assurance of God's favor sooner or later, in one measure, and degree or other. See by how many promises the Lord hath bound himself to this. To him that ordereth his conversation aright (saith the Lord, Psalm. 50.13.) I will show the salvation of God. As if the Lord should say, I will cause him to see and know that he shall be saved. So when David had said, Psalm. 85 8. God will speak peace unto his people, and to his Saints ; God will speak peace to the heart of every godly man; he addeth verse 9. Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that fear him. As if he had said, Certainly it will not be long before God give to every soul that truly feareth him, a comfortable assurance of his salvation, though he do delay it for a time, he will not do it long. To you that fear my name (saith the Lord to his people, Matth 4.2) shall the sun of righteousness arise, with healing in his wings. So that to every soul among you, that truly feareth God, I may boldly say; Though it be night with thee yet, thou seest no light nor comfort, thou art continually disquieted with fears and doubts of thy salvation, yet certainly, the sun of righteousness will arise upon thee with healing in his wings, thou shalt see the comfortable light of God's countenance, and have a sweet and full assurance of his favor. Light is sown for the righteous (as the Prophet speaketh, Psalm 97.11) and gladness for the upright in heart. Thou hast in thee the seed of comfort and assurance, and thou shalt surely see it spring, and taste of the fruit of it.
Fifthly, and lastly. If by all these means we cannot get or recover the comfortable assurance of God's favor, there is yet one thing more to be done, one help more to be used, that hath more force to do us good this way then all the rest. We must by faith rest upon Christ, and cleave unto him.
But some may object and say, this is an absurd direction, to bid us rest upon Christ by faith, that so we may get assurance, For if I had faith, I know I should have assurance of God's favor. For what is faith else, but a full persuasion, and steadfast assurance that Christ and all his merits belong to me, and my sins through him are pardoned. But alas, by this I know I have no faith, because I have no assurance of these things.
To such as object thus I answer. That they are much deceived in defining faith thus; and that this is a dangerous mistake, and such as hath bred much needless fear and trouble of mind in many a good soul. For the better understanding therefore of this fifth and last point three things must be distinctly considered. 1. That assurance of God's favor is not of the essence, and being of true faith. 2. Wherein then the nature and essence of true faith consisteth. 3. That though true faith may be without this assurance, yet if it be put forth and exercised, it will certainly breed assurance sooner or later, in one degree or other.
For the first, That there may be true saith where there is no assurance, [ 1] is evident in two examples to omit many more, that might be produced. When David cried out unto God, Psalm 22.1. Why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Doubtless he wanted the assurance of God's love and of his salvation. And yet even at that time, he had true faith, or else he could not have prayed as he did and said My God, my God. So when the Prophet cried, Psalm 88.14. Why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? his assurance was gone; yet if he had not had true faith at that time, he could not have prayed as he did, verse 1. O God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee. So that assurance of God's favor, and of the pardon of our sins is not faith it self, but only a fruit of it, and such a fruit of this tree it is, as is not to be found on it at all seasons. It is I say a fruit of faith, and such as none can attain unto till first he have faith. For 1. It is the spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that we are the sons of God, Romans 8.16. that breedeth this assurance in us; and that spirit we cannot have, till first we have faith, Galatians 4 6. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the spirit of his son, into your hearts. First we must be sons before we can have this spirit; and we must first have faith, before we can be the sons of God, Galatians 3.26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. And John 1.12. So many as received him (even to them that believe on his name) to them he gave power to become the sons of God. So Paul telleth the Ephesians 1.13. that they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise after they had believed in Christ. 2. Assurance of salvation is ever accompanied with peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost. Now neither of these can be in any heart till first it have true faith, they are the fruits and consequents of faith. Being justified by faith (saith the Apostle, Romans 5.1—3.) we have peace towards God, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. And 15.13. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
Secondly, If you would know wherein then the essence and being [ 2] of true justifying faith consisteth, I answer, In four acts of the soul; whereof the former two are acts of the understanding, the other two of the will.
First, I must know Christ aright, and that which the Gospel revealeth to [ 1] us concerning him. And that consisteth in three points principally. 1. That Christ is an all sufficient Savior, both to deliver me from the wrath of God due to my sins, and to bring me to eternal life. For this the Gospel plainly revealeth to us, John 3.16. God so loved the world, &c. 2. That Christ, and all his merits are offered by the Lord to me as well as to any other: For God's servants and Ministers are commanded by him to proclaim in his name a general pardon, and to make this general offer of him unto all, to whom they preach without excluding any, Mar. 16.15. Preach the Gospel to every creature. And what is it to preach the Gospel unto them, but to say unto them as the Angel did to the shepherds, Luke 2.10, 11. I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is borne this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And as Peter to the Jews, Acts 2.39. The promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are a far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Yea that Christ is offered so unto me, as I am commanded to believe that he belongeth unto me. Come unto me (saith our Savior, Matth. 11.28. that is, believe in me for so is that phrase expounded by himself, John 6 35.) all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 3. I must know how and upon what terms and conditions, Christ is offered unto me in the Gospel; that is to say, If I will receive him as in a matrimonial covenant. For so is the covenant of the Gospel oft called in the holy Scripture, Hos. 2.19, 20. I wish betroth thee unto me forever, yea I will betr • th thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies; I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness. In this respect also the preachers of the Gospel are called the friends of the Bridegroom, John 3.29. such as woo for him, and whose whole endeavor is, to make this match between Christ, and his people. I have espoused you (saith the Apostle, 2 Cor. 11.2.) to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Now in the matrimonial covenant we know the spouse. 1. Taketh her husband so, as she bindeth her self to forsake all others, and to keep her self only to him so long as they both shall live; and so must we take and receive Christ, Psal. 45.10. Matth. 10.37. Luke 14.2 • . 2. She taketh him not only to receive protection and wealth and credit by him, but as her head and guide to be governed and ruled by him, and he bindeth her self to serve, honor, and obey him, Gen. 3.16. 1 Cor. 11.3. Ephes. 5.22, 23. And so must Christ be taken and received by us, not only for our Savior, but our Prophet, yea our Lord and King, Psal. 45.11. John 20.28. and 3.35. Heb. 5.9. 3. She taketh him for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, and bindeth her self to cleave to him, in every estate, Gen. 2.24. 1 Cor. 7.10. And so must Christ be taken and received by us, Luke 9 23. This knowledge of the Gospel is (as I told you) the first thing wherein the nature and essence of true faith consisteth. In which respect faith is called the knowledge of Christ, Esa. 53.11. John 17.3. Ephes. 4.13.
[ 2] The second act of the soul wherein the nature of true faith consisteth, is the assent, and credit that the mind giveth unto all this, that the Gospel hath revealed concerning Christ as to an undoubted truth; that Christ is indeed an all sufficient Savior; and that God offereth him u • to me, and commandeth me to receive him; and that in this his gracious offer he meaneth as he saith, and that he and all his merits do certainly belong to me, if I will receive him, upon those terms that the Lord offereth him on. When I can say with Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15. This is a faithful saying. So is the faith of the old fathers described, Heb. 11.13. They saw the promises a far off, and were persuaded of them. In respect of this second property faith is called a believing of Christ, John 3.36. And a believing of God, 1 John. 5.10. Rom 4.3. Till Naaman could thus believe he could not be healed, 2 King. 5.11, 12.
[ 3] The third act of the soul wherein the essence of a true and justifying faith consisteth, is the consent that the will giveth to this blessed offer of Christ, in the Gospel, not only for the undoubted truth, but for the incomparable goodness and excellency of it. When the heart accepteth of, and embraceth it, and saith with Paul, 1 Tim. 1.15. this is not only a faithful saying but worthy of all acceptation. So is the faith of the fathers described, Heb 11.13. At the least (though the believer find in respect of the sense he hath of his own unworthiness, much reluctancy and doubting, which hindereth this act of faith, yet) his soul unfeignedly desireth and longeth to receive and take Christ, in this matrimonial covenant, and saith with the blessed Virgin, Luke 1.38 Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. In respect of this property faith is called sometimes a receiving of Christ, John. 1.12. sometimes a t •• isting after him, Rev. 21.6. Where that promise is made to him that thirsteth, which none can possibly be partakers of but he only that truly believeth.
The fourth and last act of the soul wherein the nature of true faith consisteth, [ 4] is a resting and relying upon Christ and him alone for the obtaining of the favor of God and of eternal life. And indeed this is of all other the chief act of the soul in true faith, and that wherein the being and essence of it doth chiefly consist. In respect of this property it is so oft called a believing in or on Christ, and his name, John 3.16.18 36. 1 John 5.10. a trusting in Christ, Ephes. 1.12. a resting upon God, 2 Chron. 14.11. a resting upon his promise, 2 Chron. 32.8. a relying upon God, 2 Chron 16 8. a staying ourselves upon him, Esa. 50.10. a cleaving and sticking close unto him, Acts 11.23. believing in him and trusting in him are made all one, Psalm 78.22. He that findeth these properties of faith in him hath certainly true faith, though he want yet the assurance of God's favor.
Followeth now the third and last point which I propounded, That though [ 3] there may be true faith, where there is not this assurance, yet certainly true faith if it be exercised, and put forth, will breed this comfortable assurance of God's savor in the end. That man, that with an humbled and penitent soul can cast himself upon Christ, trust unto him alone, and rely upon him for favor with God, for pardon of his sins, and for eternal salvation shall certainly obtain assurance and comfort in the end.
Alas (may some man say) how can I thus trust in Christ, and rely upon him when I have no assurance, but so much doubting in me of the favor of God?
To such I answer, Yes this is very possible. Job did so. Though he slay me, (saith he, Job 13.15.) yet will I trust in him. David did so, Psal 13. For though he thought God had long forgotten him, and hid his face from him, verse 1. yet saith he, verse 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy. So Psal. 143. when he crieth thus, verse 7. My spirit faileth, hide not thy face from me, he addeth, verse 8. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning, for in thee do I trust. He trusted in God and looked for comfort, even then. So did the woman of Canaan, Matth. 15.22—28. For though she had received three fearful repulses from Christ, and therefore could have no assurance of his favor, yet trusted she still in him, for mercy and would not give over, importuning him for it. So must everyone of us, learn to do in the like case; though we have no assurance of God's favor, yet let us trust confidently in Christ through him to obtain it. For this is a thing highly pleasing unto God. The Lord taketh pleasure (saith David, Psal. 147.11.) in them that hope in his mercy. And 1 Chron. 5.20. God was entreated of them, because they put their trust in him. And they that can do so need not doubt but that God will certainly lift up the light of his countenance upon them, and give them comfort in the assurance of his favor. For
First, Thou hast true faith and consequently thou hast Christ, he is thine own [] though thou perceive it not. They that believe on the name of Christ (trust to him, rely upon him) have received him, he is their own as the Holy Ghost speaketh, John 1.12.
Secondly, Having received Christ certainly thou hast God's favor, all thy [ 2] sins are pardoned, thou hast just title to eternal life, though thou perceive it not; yea thou hast in thee the root of comfortable assurance of all this. Ye are all the children of God (saith the Apostle, Gal. 3.26.) By faith in Christ Jesus. He that believeth on the son of God (saith the Apostle, 1 John 5.10.) hath the witness in himself ; He hath that in himself that will witness for him, that he is in God's favor. And John 3.36.
[ 3] Thirdly and lastly, If thou canst wait upon God for assurance and look for it, it will certainly come. Do as David did, when he had lost his assurance of God's favor, Psal. 13.1. How long wilt thou forget me ô Lord forever I how long wilt thou bide thy face from me? What did he then to recover his assurance? That you shall see, verse 5. But I have trusted in thy mercy, my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. As if he had said, My comfortable assurance of thy savor, and of my salvation will return again. And Psal. 42.5. Why art thou cast down ô my soul and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. As if he had said, I shall for all this, see the light of his countenance again, and rejoice in it.
So that (to conclude) I may say to every soul here (1 that desireth assurance of God's favor; and 2 seeketh it in a diligent, and conscionable use of God's ordinance; and 3 with an humbled heart; and 4 by a conscionable care to please God in all his ways; and 5 by faith hath received Christ, and resteth upon him) concerning this promise of restoring a comfortable assurance as the Prophet doth of his vision, Hab. 2.2. The vision is yet for an appointed time (God hath set the time in his own counsel when he will give thee the comfort of this promise) but in the end it shall speak, and not lie, though it • a • ry wait for i • , because it will surely come, and not • arry one moment longer then God shall see it to be for thy good, and advantage. And whereas thou doubtest thine own strength, and fearest thou shalt never be able to hold out, and endure resting and waiting upon God till comfort do come; and criest with David, Psalm 69.3. Mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. Let me say to thee as David doth, Psal. 27 14. Wait on the Lord, • e of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart : (he will keep thee from fainting, and make thee able to hold out) wait I say, on the Lord.
Lecture LXXXIV. On Psalm 51.6. March 18. 1627.
THe third note to try our goodness and righteousness by, is the extent of it. True goodness and grace is of a large extent. 1. In respect of the subject of it, it reacheth unto and goeth thorough the whole man, 2. In respect of the object of it, it showeth it self, in a conscionable respect unto all the commandments of God, 3. In respect of the time, it showeth this conscionable care to please God in all things, at one time as well as at another.
For the first, If that grace and goodness that seemeth to be in any man, be true and unseigned it worketh a total change, a reformation in the whole man; in the inward man and in the outward man too; in the mind and understanding, in the conscience, in the memory, in the will, in the affections, in the outward senses and parts of the body, in the words and in the actions of a man. This was typified by the burnt offerings under the law. The whole sacrifice (as you may read, Levite. 1.8, 9, 13.) not the four quarters only but the head and the fat and the inwards and the legs must be offered unto God, and burnt upon the altar. Which was not only a type of Christ who (as a propitiatory sacrifice) was wholly offered up and endured the fiery wrath of God for us, not in his body only but in his soul too, and in every power and faculty of it; but it was also a type of the obedience of the faithful which are the members of Christ, as appeareth plainly by the allusion that is made unto it both by the Apostle, Rom. 12.1. and by our Savior himself, Mar. 12.33. And thus you see a total obedience and sanctification, of the whole man is required of us; but I say more then so, this total change not only ought to be in every Christian, but it is wrought in everyone that hath any truth of grace in him. In this respect our Savior compareth it Matth. 13.33. unto leaven, which will leaven the whole lump of dough that it is put into. Thus the Apostle describeth true sanctifying grace in that prayer he maketh for the Thessalonians, 1 Thes 5.23. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly (that is true may you say, this is to be desired and prayed for, yea this is to be aimed at, and we should endeavor to attain unto it, but this is not possible to be attained unto in this life; mark therefore what followeth in the next words) and I pray God (saith he) that your whole spirit, and soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. As if he had said, Now your whole spirit and soul, and body is sanctified, you are sanctified throughout, and my prayer is, that this good work that is begun, may be increased, and that you may be preserved in this estate unto the end. Of the soul and spirit men will easily grant that they are capable of grace; yea, that the whole spirit and soul of the regenerate man may be sanctified; but mark that the Apostle a • firmeth this of the body also, yea of the whole body that it is capable of sanctifying grace. And therefore also he calleth the very bodies of the faithful, the members of Christ. 1 Cor. 6.15. And verse 19. the temples of the holy Ghost. And saith of himself & the rest of his brethren, 2 Corinth. 4.10, 11. that the life of the Lord Jesus (that is, his quickening grace) was mad: manifest in their bodies. In this respect also, he calleth the regenerate part Colos. 3.10. (not a new mind, nor a new will, nor a new heart only, but) the new man; Ye have put on (saith he) the new man ; it is a complete man, it hath all the faculties and powers of a perfect man in it. So speaketh he again. 2 Corinth. 5.17. If any man be in Christ (in the state of grace) he is a new creature, old things are past away, behold, all things are become new. Everyone that is in Christ, is become a new man, every faculty, every part of him is renewed. In this respect also every upright-hearted man is called a perfect man ( Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, saith David, Psalm 37.37.) because they have this perfection of parts, they are sanctified throughout, in all their parts. And as the children that we beget, are perfect men and women, so soon as ever they are borne, because they have the souls and bodies, and all the parts of men and women, though in great weakness; so is it with all the children of God much more. Men may beget children that are defective, and want some of their parts, we read of some that have been borne blind, John 9.1. and of some that have been cripples from their mothers womb, Acts 14.8. and of some that have been borne fools. But our heavenly father begets no such children, all his children are perfect, and have no such defect of parts in them.
Now before I make application of this point, I must first give you three cautions to prevent the children of God from taking occasion of much fear▪ and discomfort by the mistaking and misunderstanding of this point.
The first caution is this. As the goodliest child that ever was borne, is defective when it is an infant and new borne; not only in the stature and strength of every member of his body, but even in the measure of his understanding also; even so is it with the new man. They that are sanctified in the best measure, are yet in every part, in every faculty of their soul in every sense and member of their body defective in the measure and degree of grace. Paul telleth those worthy Christians the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 3.10. that he desired to come to them to perfect that that was lacking in their faith. Yea of himself he saith, Phil. 3.12. that he was not perfect. And if that great Apostle could say of himself, and such as he was, 1 Cor. 13.9. we know but in part, then how great cause have the best of everyone of us to complain, alas, how little spiritual light and knowledge have I in my understanding, how little sanctifying grace and goodness have I in my thoughts, in my memory, in my conscience, in my will, in my desires and affections? How little inclination to anything that is good in my eye, or in my ear, or in any other of my senses, or parts of my body?
Secondly. Though they that have truth of grace in them, have every faculty and power of their soul, and every sense and member of their body seasoned in some measure, with the new leaven of sanctifying grace; yet have they also much of the old leaven of their corrupt nature remaining still in every faculty of their soul, and in every sense and member of their body. Purge out therefore the old leaven saith the Apostle, 1 Cor 5.7. As if he had said, This is a work wherein we must always be doing, and which we shall never make an end of while we live here. In which respect the regenerate man may fitly be compared unto the air in the twilight, in which there is no part but it hath some light in it, neither is there any part of it, but it hath some darkness in it also; and unto the water that is luke-warm, there is no part of it, but it hath some heat in it, nor any part but it hath some coldness in it too. Therefore as the spirit, the regenerate part in us is called (as we have heard) the new man, so is the flesh and the unregenerate part in us called the old man likewise, Eph. 4.22. because it goeth through the whole man as the other doth. And this maketh many a good soul think there is no truth of grace in them, because that throughout in their whole spirit and soul, and body, they discern still so much corruption. From the sole of the foot (say they, as Esa. 1.6.) even to the head there is no soundness in me. This maketh them complain with Job 40.4. Behold, I am vile. What a deal of ignorance and blindness have I in my understanding? how vain & wicked are my thoughts for the most part? how hardly can I forget any small wrong that hath been done me, and how apt am I to forget any good thing? how hard a heart have I, and unable to mourn for any of my sins, how apt to be overwhelmed with grief for the smallest cross that befalleth me? With what delight do mine ears listen to any evil I can hear of my neighbor, & how dull of hearing is it towards anything that is good? how apt is mine eye to wander and to steal away my heart, when I should attend to the word, and how hardly can I keep it fixed upon anything that might bring good to my soul? These we know are the complaints of the best souls. And yet all this may be where there is truth of heart.
Thirdly and lastly. Though where truth of grace is, it diffuseth, and sheddeth it self abroad throughout the whole man, every faculty of the soul is sanctified, and every part of the body also, yet is not the work of grace therein so sensible and manifest, as is the corruption of our nature. The works of the flesh are manifest, saith the Apostle, Galatians 5.19. more manifest then the work of grace is. I cannot perceive (saith many a good Christian) any work of God's sanctifying grace at all in my memory, in sundry of my affections in my joy, and my anger, much less in the members of my body; and how can I say then, that there is any truth of grace in me? To such I say, there may be some sanctifying grace in thee, yea in every faculty of thy soul and member of thy body, though thou perceive it not. The little infant hath all the parts of a man's body, though there be sundry of them, thou canst discern no use he hath of them in any action; yea he hath a reasonable soul, and all the faculties of it, though it appear not in any operation at all.
Three things thou hast in thee, that show thou hast sanctifying grace, even there where thou perceivest it least. 1. As thou hast in thy whole man, in every faculty and part, both flesh and spirit, so hast thou in thy whole man, a conflict between them. The flesh lusteth against the spirit (saith the Apostle Gal. 5.17.) and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other. Thou heartily dislikest, and checkest thyself for the corruption thou findest in thy thoughts, in thy memory, in thy affections, in thine eye and ear, and in every other part. And whence cometh this, but from sanctifying grace. 2. Thou mournest and art unfeignedly grieved for any corruption, any untowardness to that that is good which thou findest in any part, and canst say with Paul, Rom. 7.24. O wretched man that I am, who can deliver me from the body of this death? 3. Thou dost unfeignedly desire & endeavor to be rid of that corruption that is in any faculty of thy soul, and part of thy body, to offer thyself unto God as an holocaust, a whole burnt sacrifice to be sanctified throughout, and canst say with David, Psal. 103.1. Bless the Lord, ô my soul, and all that is within me (understanding, memory, conscience, will, affections) bless his holy name. And certainly that man that can thus unfeignedly desire and endeavor to have better thoughts, a better memory, a better conscience, a better will, better affections, a better tongue, a better eye, and a better ear, hath grace in all these parts, and is in some measure sanctified in them all.
Let us now make some application of this point, for the trial of our own hearts, whither they be upright or no, whether there be any truth of saving grace in them, that truth in the inward parts that David here speaketh of, and which the Lord taketh so great delight in. And certainly it will appear by this doctrine, that many that glory much in the uprightness of their own hearts, have no truth of grace in them, because the grace they pretend to have, is not total, but partial, it goeth not through the whole man.
Two sorts there be especially that are discovered to be void of truth in their hearts, by this Doctrine.
First. Many there be that persuade themselves they have good hearts, [ 1] and truth of grace in them, and yet no such thing appeareth in their outward man, such liberty they give to themselves in their speech, and in all their outward behavior, that all men that see them, must needs judge them void of grace. 2. Yea they persuade themselves, it is utterly needless to restrain themselves of any liberty that way, or to regard what they are in the view and judgment of men. Did not the Apostle (say they) profess 1 Corinth. 4.3. he passed very little for the judgment and censure of men? God saith 1. Sam. 16.7. he looketh not to the outward appearance men make, but to the heart. 3. Nay they shun all outward shows of goodness, specially of strictness in religion, and purposely desire to carry themselves so in their company, and speech, and attire, and behavior every way, that they may not be thought to be too religious, because they see that is so odious a thing in the world, Concerning this sect (say the Jews to Paul, Act. 28.22.) we know that everywhere it is spoken against. 4. Yea they hate those that are of any nore, for more forwardness in religion then is in other men, and confidently pronounce of them (as their father the devil did of Job 1.9, 10.) that they are all hypocrites, they cannot abide to make show of more goodness then is in them indeed, they hate hypocrisy with all their hearts.
To these men, I have two things to say.
First. If it were possible for such a one as thou art to have a good heart, yet [ 1] is it not possible that that should save thee. For 1. Thou art bound to reform thy outward man as well as thy inward. To cleanse thyself from all filthiness of the flesh, as well as of the spirit, 2 Cor 7.1. To glorify God in thy body, as well as in thy spirit, for both are the Lord's, and both are bought with a price, as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Cor. 6.20. Yea thou shalt be judged at the last day, not so much according to that that hath been in thy heart, as according to that that thou hast done in thy body. For so the Apostle teacheth plainly, 2 Cor 5.10. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in his body. Yea God hath prepared torments in hell for every member of thy body whereby thou hast dishonored him. The rich gluttons tongue (the member that none abuse more then your drunkards and gluttons, we read Luke 16.24) was tormented in hell fire. And 2. whereas thou gloriest that thou art no hyprocite; I assure thee that as thy sin is greater then the hyprocrites, and God more dishonored by it, so shall thy portion be more deeper in hell then his. They declare their sin as Sodom (saith the Prophet, Isaiah 3 9. they care not who hear them blaspheme and scorn religion, they care not who knoweth they are drunk) they hide it not▪ woe unto their soul. 3. If ever thou wilt be saved, thou must live so, as men may be witnesses of thy goodness. And those places that thou alleadgest out of 1 Sam. 16.7. and 1 Cor 4.3. are not to be understood simply, but comparatively only. Let your light so shine before men (saith our Savior, Matth. 5.16.) that they may see your good works. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness (saith the Apostle, Rom. 10.10.) and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. No hope of salvation, without an open profession of religion. And thus the faithful are brought in by the Prophet, Isaiah 44.5. glorying in the open profession of their religion. One shall say, I am the Lord's, another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel. And he that is ashamed to profess religion, even in the strictest manner (so that the strictness be no other then such as is grounded upon the word of God▪ not upon the fancies of men) certainly can have no hope to be saved. For so saith our blessed Savior (that Amen, that faithful and true witness, Rev. 3.14.) Mar. 8.38. Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous, and sinful generation, of him also shall the son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his father, and of the holy Angels
And this is the first thing I have to say to these kind of men, if it were possible for such as they are to have good hearts, yet were it not possible for them to be saved for all that.
[ 2] But the second thing I have to say to them, is this, that it is not possible there should be any truth of grace, any religion in thy heart, when thy outward man, thy words and works are so unreformed, and irreligious as they be. But for this, I shall need to say no more then I have already said in the proof of the Doctrine.
[ 2] The second sort of men that are by this Doctrine discerned to be void of all truth of heart, are such as contenting themselves with this, that they are reformed in the outward man (thou shalt never hear them swear, or lie, or talk either filthily or maliciously, thou shalt never see them drunk, or haunt evil company, they constantly perform religious duties, both publicly and privately) yet are they careless of the reforming and sanctifying of the inward man; 1. their understanding is blind, and blockish, and full of error; 2. their thoughts are most vain and wicked; 3. their memories are like brass, for the retaining of that that is naught, and like water for that that is good; 4. Their affections are altogether worldly and disordered; yet do these inward corruptions not trouble them at all, neither do they strive against them But to these men the time will not permit me to say anymore then this, remember what you have now heard, if that grace that seemeth to be in us, be true and unfeigned, it will work a total change in us, a reformation of the whole man, at least in the unfeigned desire and endeavor of the heart.
Lecture LXXXV. On Psalm 51.6. March 25. 1628.
THe second respect wherein the universality and large extent of true sanctifying [ 2] grace appeareth, is the object namely the matter wherein our goodness and grace is exercised, it showeth it self in a conscionable respect unto all the commandments of God. He that hath truth of grace in him, maketh conscience of every commandment of God of one as well as of another. And as the sincerity of a Christians love to the brethren, appeareth in this when he loveth all the Saints without respect of persons, poor and rich, weak and strong: as the Apostle, Col. 1.4. and else where oft noteth; and the faithfulness of the governors of the Church, when they observe the rules of Church government which God hath appointed, without preferring one before another and when they do nothing by partiality, as the Apostle speaketh, 1 Tim. 5.21. And on the other side, the unfaithfullnesse of a Minister is chiefly seen in this, when he is partial in the law ; that is, in the application of the law; as the Lord chargeth the Priests to have been, Mal. 2.9. some truths they would teach that were needful and profitable and some they would conceal; some men's sins they would sharply reprove, and some men's faults they would wink at; So doth the sincerity of our love and obedience unto God and his law appear in this, when we love and make conscience of all his commandments without preferring one before another ; and the hypocrisy and falsehood of our hearts is seeene in this, when we are partial in the law, when we will seem to esteem highly of some of the commandments of God with the slighting and neglecting of other some. And this is that which the Apostle teacheth, James 2.10. Whosoever shall keep the whole law, (outwardly he meaneth and in show) and yet offend in one point (that is, wittingly and giving himself liberty to break any one commandment) is guilty of all. So the Lord chargeth the wicked Jews, Ier. 32.23▪ that they had done nothing of all, that he commanded them to do. How could that be? Did they not circumcise their children, and offer sacrifices, and do many other things that he had commanded? Yes verily; but because that in some things they had wittingly transgressed God's commandment (and namely in idolatry, for that is the only particular sin that God chargeth them with in that place; as you may see, verse 29, 34, 35) therefore he saith, they had done nothing of all that he commanded them to do ; and verse 30. that they had done that only that was evil before him. They do nothing with an upright heart, that do give themselves liberty in any one thing to transgress God's law, we must either keep all, or else we keep none at all. Therefore we shall find this oft noted by the Holy Ghost, for the property and mark of an upright hearted man, that he maketh conscience of everything that God hath commanded, of one commandment as well as of another. This you shall see in that speech of the Lord unto Sololomon, 1 King. 9.4. If thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee. He only walketh before God in truth of heart and in uprightness, that doth according to all that God hath commanded. Thus doth David also describe a perfect heart in that prayer he maketh for Solomon, 1 Chron. 29.19. Give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes (thy precepts of every kind) and to do all these things. Lastly, Thus is the uprightness of Zacharias and Elizabeth described, Luk 1.6. They were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments, and ordinances of the Lord blameless. The Apostle James 2.11. giveth two reasons for that which he had said, verse 10. (which to many might seem a strange paradox) that he that keepeth the whole law and yet offendeth in one point, is guilty of all. The first of them is in these words, He that said, do not commit adultery, said also, do not steal. Every commandment (even the least of them, one as well as another) hath God for the author of it. God spake all these words, as it is said in the preface to the law, Exod. 20.1. So that every commandment ought to be of equal authority in our hearts. The second i • like unto the first, saith our Savior, Matth. 22.39. And therefore he that out of love and obedience unto God, keepeth any one commandment must needs be careful also to keep at the rest. Secondly, All the commandments of God, are so coupled together, that they make but one sentence, one copulative proposition, but one law. See this Deut. 5.17—21. Thou shalt not kill, neither shalt thou commit adultery, neither shalt thou steal, &c. So that (as the Apostle inferreth, James 2.11.) if thou do not commit adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
Now because this is a point of manifold and daily use, and one of the principal and most sensible signs of an upright heart, of all those that are given us in the Word, I will insist a little upon it, and 1 give you certain cautions to prevent the mis-understanding of it, by answering two questions and doubts that may be moved concerning this point. 2 I will make some application of it.
The first question is this. Hath no man an upright heart that doth not live according to God's law in all points? That doth not walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless?
I answer, first, Yes verily, for else there were not one upright hearted man upon earth. In many things we offend all, saith the Apostle, James 3.2. Nay I say more the righteousest man upon earth, is so far from keeping all the commandments of God that he breaketh them all, he keepeth none of them, as they ought to be kept. Thus speaketh holy and zealous Nehemiah of all God's people and putteth himself in the number, Neh. 1.7. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. Yea be hath certainly a false heart, no uprightness, no truth of grace in it, that saith in his heart of the commandments of God as that rich young man did, Mat. 19.20. All these things I have kept from my youth up ; or that thinketh himself to be free from the transgression of any one of the commandments of God.
[ 2] Secondly, I answer, Though this be so, no man keepeth all, no man keepeth any legally, that is so as the law requireth, so as to satisfy the law, and to free himself by his obedience from the curse of the law; yet is there never an upright hearted man in the world (not the weakest of them all) but he keepeth all the commandments of God evangelically, that is, so as (in the new covenant of grace) he is in Christ accepted of, and accounted to have kept them all. For this is the new covenant that God hath made with his people, Ezek. 36.27. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my ju • gements and do them. David did so as we have heard; Zacharias and Elizabeth did so; yea the Apostle saith thus of all faithful, 1 John 3.22. Whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. For 1 there is no one commandment but in his mind and judgment he consenteth unto it; and saith of it as Rom. 7.12. The commandment is holy, and just, and good : He can say of himself as David did, Psal. 119.128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right. 2. There is no one commandment of God, that he doth wittingly dispense with himself in, but he maketh conscience of it, and it hath a divine authority in his heart. He can say with David, Psal. 119.6. that he hath respect to all God's commandments. And with Paul, Rom. 7.15. That which I do (when I transgress any commandment) I allow not, for what I would that do I not, but what I hate that do I. As if he had said, I would fain keep every commandment of God, though I do it not; my desire is to do the will of God in all things; I dislike in myself and hate every transgression of the law of God. And he that doth thus approve in his mind, and set his seal unto every commandment of God; he that doth thus make conscience of and unfeignedly desire to do the will of God in all things, is certainly an happy man. Never did any hypocrite or natural man in the world go thus far. He is not thus subject to the law of God (saith the Apostle, Rom. 8.7.) ne • there indeed can be. He cannot esteem (in his mind) all God's precepts concerning all things to be right, but he hath in himself secret reasonings and imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God (as the Apostle speaketh, 2 Cor. 10.5.) against some part of God's will revealed in his Word; neither can he make conscience of, or (in his will) unfeignedly desire to do the will of God in all things, but doth willingly dispence with himself in some things, and say with Naaman, 2 King. 5.18. In this thing the Lord bear with thy servant. No no, never could hypocrite go thus far; Thou that canst thus consent unto God's law and approve of God's will revealed in his Word in all points, and dost unfeignedly desire to do everything the Lord requireth of thee, thou hast certainly (notwithstanding all thy failings) an upright heart, yea thou art a righteous man in God's sight, not only by imputation of Christ's perfect righteousness unto thee, but by an inherent righteousness which the spirit of Christ hath wrought in thee. The righteousness of the law is fulfilled in thee, as the Apostle speaketh, Rom. 8.4. Thou dost keep all the commandments of God though not legally, or so as to be justified thereby, yet Evangelically and so as by the new covenant of grace, through Christ thou art esteemed by God, as a fullfiller of them all. And this made Paul to say, Rom. 7. • 7 It is no more I that do it ; as if he had said▪ I am not a transgressor of the law. And verse 25. I myself serve the law of God ; as if he had said, I do keep and observe God's law. And so much may serve for the answer to the first question.
The second question is this. Hath no man an upright heart that maketh more conscience of some of God's commandments then of other some?
My answer to this question must consist of two parts. 1. I will show you how far forth an upright hearted man may and ought to show more respect to some of God's commandments then to other some. 2. How and wherein he doth and must show an equal respect unto them all.
For the first, A man may have an upright heart and yet be more slack and careless in some duties then in other, in his obedience to some of the commandments of God then in other, more apt to offend in some sins then in other. This may arise; 1. Sometimes from this, that he hath more light and knowledge of his duty in some things then in other. So it was with Jacob and the Patriarchs who being most holy men in other things, yet made no conscience at all of Polygamy, because (though it was ever a sin, yet) it was not known by them to be so. 2. Sometimes from this that their temptations are stronger to some sins then to other, and their pull-backs stronger to with-hold them from some duties, then from other. Of both these cases we have an example in Jehoshaphat. Jehoshaphat was as zealous as any King of Judah for the planting of true religion throughout his kingdom, as you may see, 2 Chron. 17.6—9. and yet in the abolishing of the relics of idolatry he shown nothing so much zeal as Hezekiah and Josiah did. Alas, it was with him as with our good King Edward he did what he could, but was not able to do it, as you shall see, 2 Chron. 20.33. Howbeit the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers. The backwardness of the people did hinder him, he could not do as he would. So in another case he that shown in all his other courses such a deal of piety and zeal; how great want of zeal and piety did he show in that league and affinity that he made with Ahab, and being so ready to help both him and after him his two sons Jehoram and Ahaziah three as gross idolaters and enemies to God, as lived upon the earth. Alas he he being of a soft and flexible disposition, was naturally inclined and had more strong temptations to that then to other sins. But herein the truth of his heart appeared that when God had by his Prophet reproved him for helping Ahab, his heart relented and he became after that more zealous for God then ever he had been before, as you shall, see, 2 Chron. 19.2—11. and being again after that reproved for helping Ahaziah more sharply, 2 Chron. 20.37. he could never be drawn to offe • d that way anymore, 1 King. 22.49. You see then a man may have an upright heart though he do seem to make more conscience of some commandments, some duties and some sins then of others. But I say further, a man cannot have an upright heart if he do not show more care and conscience in some duties commanded, and in some sins that are forbidden, then in other some. Though all the commandments be equal in respect of the authority and sovereignty of the commander, yet in respect of the things commanded or forbidden, and in respect of the strictness of the charge laid upon us, by the Lord for the doing or not doing of them, some are greater then others are. Yea there is no surer note of an upright heart, then this, when we do make more conscience of those things that God hath laid most special charge upon us in, then we do of any others.
If you ask me; Which are those? I answer, They are of three sorts.
[ 1] First, God hath given greater charge to us concerning the substantial points of piety, and charity, then concerning any matters of circumstance and ceremony. Christ calleth the inward worship of God prescribed in the first commandment, The first and the great commandment, Mat. 22.38. greater then any of the nine that follow. God delighteth much more in the inward then in the outward worship we do to him. Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offering and sacrifices, (saith Samuel, 1 Sam. 15, 22.) as in obeying the voice of the Lord? I desire mercy and not sacrifice; (saith the Lord, Hos. 6.6.) and the knowledge of God more then burnt offerings. Yea he calleth mercy, and justice, and fidelity, which are substantial duties of the second table, the weightier matters of the law, Matth. 23.23. weightier then the matters of ceremony, and circumstances of God's own worship, prescribed in the first table. Go ye and learn (saith our Savior, Matth 9.13.) what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice.
It is therefore a certain note of an unsound heart when men; 1. Put all their religion in outward duties and services to God, and regard not those weightier matters of the law that I told you of mercy, and justice, and fidelity; no nor the inward worship of God neither; 2. Stand more upon ceremonies and circumstances of God's worship then upon the substance, would be greatly troubled if they should not receive now at Easter, or not receive with that gesture that they have been accustomed unto; but to come without all knowledge to discern the Lord's body, to come without charity, without all preparation of heart, troubleth them not at all. What is this else but to strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel, as our Savior speaketh, Mat. 23.24?
[ 2] Secondly, God hath given special charge to us concerning the duties of our particular callings that he hath set us in, more then of those that are general duties of Christianity belonging to all men; and every tree must be known by his own fruit, as our Savior saith, Luk. 6.44. This we shall see in that direction John Baptist giveth to the Publicans and Soldiers, Luk. 3.13, 14▪ and in those directions the Apostle giveth in his Epistles, Ephes. 5. & 6. Col. 3. & 4. and by the charge he giveth to Timothy, 1 Tim. 6.2. and to Titus, Tit. 2.15.
It is therefore a great sign of unsoundness, when men seem very forward in the common duties of Christianity but neglect their callings, are bad husbands, and wives, and masters, and servants; bad Magistrates and Ministers; like a blind eye or lame hand in the body, that have life and sense and motion as all the members have, but can do nothing that belongeth to their particular office.
Thirdly and lastly, God hath given us more special charge to look to our [ 3] selves to reform ourselves, then concerning other men. Examine yourselves, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 11.28. and 2 Cor. 13.5, prove your own selves. Gal. 6.4. Let every man prove his own work. Rom. 14.22. Have • aith to thyself, before God. Therefore David professeth this of himself, Psal. 18.23. I was upright before him; and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
It is therefore a great sign of unsoundness when a man busieth himself more with censuring, and seemeth to hate sin more in others, then in himself. This our Savior noteth for the trick of an hypocrite, Mat. 7.3. that he beholdeth the mote that is in his brothers eye, but considereth not the beam that is in his own eye.
Lecture LXXXVI. On Psalm 51.6. April 1 • 1628.
NOw it followeth that we proceed to the second part of my answer, to the Question, and show you, How and wherein the upright hearted man doth, and must show an equal respect unto all the commandments of God. Now this doth appear in three points principally. 1. He desireth to know the whole will of God, in all things that concern him, in one point as well as in another. 2. He maketh conscience of every sin God hath forbidden 3. He maketh conscience of every duty, God hath commanded him. These three points I will speak of in order, and make application of them also as I go over them severally.
For the first, The upright hearted man showeth thus far-forth an equal [ 1] respect to all the commandments of God, that he desireth to know the whole will of God in all things that do concern him to know, in one thing as well as in another. In all things (I say) that concern him to know. For it is no sign of sincerity but of the contrary, 1. When a man desireth to know more of God's will, then he is pleased to reveal, and to pry too far into his secrets. When the Lord was pleased to reveal his glory unto his people at the delivering of the law he set bounds unto them, and charged them upon pain of death (as you shall find, Exod. 19.12.21) not to pass those bounds to gaze and pry too far. 2. When a man is too inquisitive to know that, that concerneth other men. O how perfect are many men in the knowledge of those things that concern the duty of their Ministers and superiors and of their neighbors also? Like Peter, John 21.21. Lord what shall this man do ; whom our Savior reproveth in the next verse for this and saith, What is that to thee? follow thou me. 3. When a man seeketh knowledge in those things most, that are no way useful not fit to edify himself in faith and obedience unto God. For as it is an argument of a vain and unsound heart, in a Minister to teach anything that tendeth not to the edifying of the people in faith and godliness; as the Apostle telleth Timothy some did in his time, 1 Tim. 1.3, 4. This the Apostle saith was the rule that he followed in teaching, Acts 20.20. he taught them not all that he was able to teach, but he kept back nothing that was profitable for them : So it is a sign of a vain and unsound heart, in an hearer, to desire to know more in religion then may be of use unto him for his own practice. The wisdom of the prudent (saith Solomon, Pro. 14.8.) is to understand his way ; how he may walk to please God. This was the knowledge that David desired, Psal. 119.66. Teach me good judgment, and knowledge. As if he had said, such as may do me good and make me better. Now the upright hearted man, to the end he may not offend God in anything, but obey his will in all things, he desireth to know the whole will of God, so far as it concerneth him and may be profitable for him to know it. I opened my mouth, and panted, (saith David, Psal. 119.131.) for I longed for thy commandments ; as if he had said; to know them that I might not break them. And thus he saith, Psal. 18.22, 23. that he approved to his own heart his uprightness and integrity. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes (any of them) from me. I was also upright before him. As we see it is with wise men (specially with justices and officers) they will acquaint themselves well with the statutes, that they may do nothing in their office that is against law and so bring themselves into danger: So is it with the wise and prudent hearted Christian in this case. I am thine, save me (saith David, Psal. 119.94) for I have sought thy precepts. And indeed how is it possible, for him to be afraid to offend God in anything, or desirous to do the will of God in all things, that is not careful to inquire and know what the will of God is in all things? So it is said of Ezra 7.10. that he had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it. Thus David charged his Princes and Nobles and Commons in that great Parliament, and common Council that he summoned not long before his death, 1 Chron. 28.8. Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the Congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of our God, keep, and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God. As if he had said, You cannot keep them unless first you seek to know them.
If this be so; then is there certainly no truth of grace no uprightness of [ 1] heart in many men. First, What truth of grace can there be in them that profess to all men by their despising the means, that they desire not the knowledge of the will of God (of which sort notwithstanding there be many, that are passing well persuaded of the uprightness of their own hearts) Of these men the Holy Ghost hath given sentence long since, Job 21.14. They say unto God, depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. As though he should say, They that do not desire the knowledge of his ways (how honest men soever they seem to be) do certainly in their hearts say unto God, depart from us, they would have nothing to do with him by their good will. And Ps. 119.155. Salvation is far from the wicked; for they seek not thy statutes. As if he should say, They that never seek to know what God hath either forbidden or commanded them in his Word, are far from salvation.
[ 2] Secondly, Such as though they seem to love the means and so to desire knowledge of God's will, yet never seek to know the will of God, in those cases that concern their own practice in particular. It is the ordinance of God ye know, Mat. 2.7. that his people should seek his law at the mouth of his messenger. And John's hearers did so, his ministry wrought fears and doubts in them, and both the people and the Publicans and the soldiers came to him as you may see, Luk. 3.10.12.14. to be resolved in their doubts, and said unto him, What shall we do? But our hearers have no doubts no cases of conscience to be resolved in. No man ever asketh the question whether that that he hath gotten by usury, or by gaming, or by filling in of pots to men till they be drunk, and have made themselves beasts be lawfully gotten or no. No man asketh is God pleased with the gain that I get thus? Will God bless it to me and mine?
[ 3] Thirdly and lastly, Such also have cause to suspect the truth of their own hearts, that wittingly and purposely shun the knowledge of some parts of God's will that concern their own practice, because if they should know them, and not do accordingly, their conscience would be disquieted, and if they should practice them, they must incur danger and trouble; and it is good sleeping (think they) in a whole skin. Let none that are such, flatter themselves in this, that they thank God, they do nothing against their conscience, they do nothing that they know to be evil, and displeasing to God. For if thou willfully close thine own eyes against any part of God's will, that thou mayest not see it, as those Jews did that our Savior condemneth, Matth. 13.15. if there be any truth of God, concerning which it may be said of thee, as the Apostle speaketh of some wicked men in his time, 2 Peter 3.5. this thou art willingly ignorant of ; certainly thy heart is unsound; and the Lord will judge thee as one that hath sinned, not out of ignorance, but willfully. And so much shall serve to be spoken of the first of these three points that I propounded touching the equal respect that the upright-hearted man beareth to all the commandments of God. He desireth to know the whole will of God in all things that concern him, in one point, as well as in another.
Secondly. He maketh conscience of every sin that God hath in his [ 2] law condemned, of one as well as of another. It is no argument of sincerity to make conscience of, and to hate some sins. The Pharisee you know could say, Luke 18.11. God I thank thee I am not as other men are (I am not so bad as such and such are ( I am not extortioner, no unjust man (in my dealings with men) no adulterer. But this is oft made in Scripture, a note of uprightness, to make conscience of every known sin, of one as well as of another. Thus David describeth them that are undefiled in the way, Psal. 119.3. They also do no iniquity. As if he had said. Not wittingly, as giving themselves liberty in any sin. By this David approveth to himself, and to the Lord, the uprightness of his heart. Psalm 119.101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way. And by this property doth the Prophet describe the blessed man Esa, 56.2. He keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Let everyone of us make trial of our hearts by this note. Do we make conscience of every sin? This may best be discerned, in three sorts of sins especially.
First. In the conscience we make of our beloved, and darling sins; [ 1] viz. such as our natural inclination, or custom, or the profit, or pleasure they yield us, have made dearer to us then other sins. Jehu seemed in many things a very zealous, and good man, but there was one sin he could not leave, and the hypocrisy of his heart was discovered by that, 2 Kin. 10.31. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord with all his heart (that is, with an upright heart. How did that appear, that his heart was unsound?) for he departed not from the sin of Jeroboam. Why could he not leave that sin? Oh, that was a sin that the custom of his country had by long use made most familiar, and it was also a very profitable sin; he thought it may seem (and so did the rest of the Kings of Israel, as Jeroboam did, when first he erected that idolatry, 1 Kings 12.26.28.) that if he should have abolished the idols of Dan, and Bethel, and let the people go (according to God's ordinance) to worship at Jerusalem only, it would have cost him his kingdom. Herod's example also is notable to this purpose. How many good things are noted in him. Mar. 6.20. yet was the hypocrisy of his heart discovered in this, he could not leave his incest. Why not that as well as other sins, that John reproved? He was more strongly inclined by nature unto that sin, that sin yielded him more pleasure then other sins did, it was his darling sin. It is not the conscience a man maketh of some sins, that will assure him of the uprightness of his heart; but when thou canst make conscience of▪ hate and strive against the sin thou art most inclined to by nature, the sin thou findest most sweetness in; the sin of which thou canst say as Demetrius said of his, Acts 19.25. by this craft I get my wealth, this will give thee a comfortable assurance of the uprightness of thy heart.
[ 2] Secondly. Try thy heart in the conscience thou makest of secret sins. A man that maketh no conscience of any sin, may yet be able to bridle himself from open sins. If one know them (saith Job 24.17.) they are in the terrors of the shadow of death. The fear of shame, and discredit with men, hath great force to restrain them; but in secret they care not what they do. It is a shame even to speak (saith the Apostle Ephesians 5.12.) of those things which are done of them in secret. But he that maketh conscience sinning even in secret, he is the upright-hearted man, he disliketh sin, because it is sin, even out of conscience towards God. 1. When a man maketh conscience of speaking or doing anything that is evil, even at home in his own family, as well as abroad among strangers; and can say with David, Psalm 101.2. I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 2. When a man maketh conscience of sin; even there, where he may do it so secretly, as no man can know of it; as Joseph did, Gen. 39.11. and David that was greatly troubled, and beggeth pardon for his secret faults, Psalm. 19.12. 3. When a man maketh conscience even of sinful thoughts, which of all secret sins are most secret. The thoughts of the righteous are right, saith Solomon, Prov. 12.5. Thus Job gathering together all the evidences he could, of the uprightness of his heart, doth mention this as one of the first and chiefest of them that he durst not give liberty to himself, no not in unchaste and unclean thoughts. I made a covenant with mine eyes, why then should I think upon a maid ; saith he, Job 31.1. And he that maketh no conscience of the wickedness of his thoughts, the vanity, maliciousness, worldliness of them, certainly hath no truth of grace in him. Evil thoughts are set in the first rank of those things that defile a man, and make him loathsome to God. Mat. 15.19.
[ 3] Thirdly and lastly. He that desireth to know, whether he do indeed make conscience of all sin, let him try his heart by the conscience he maketh of the smallest sins. Of foul, and gross, and palpable sins, there is no civil man nor hypocrite almost, but he seemeth to make great conscience; but they hate preciseness in trifles (as they call them) in matters of circumstance, and ceremony, and gesture, in small oaths, in merry talk, in restraining men of their Christian liberty, in matter of their attire, or diet, or recreations; this they say is gross hypocrisy. And indeed so it were (as I told you the last day) if 1. these things they make such conscience of, be not forbidden of God; 2. or if (though they be so) they make more or as much conscience either, of them as they do of the weightier points of God's law. But be not deceived, it is no sign of an hypocrite to make conscience of the least sin God hath forbidden, nay, he is certainly an hypocrite that doth not so, nay (I say more) it is a surer note of uprightness, to make conscience of the smallest sins, then of the greatest only. For there it will be hard to discern, whether the shame of the world, or the conscience of God's commandment only moved us. In this David's uprightness of heart appeared. 1 Samuel. 24.5. His heart smote him for cutting off Saul's skirt. And Paul in the conscience he made of a private promise he had made to the Corinthians, to see them in his journey towards Macedonia. See what a protestation he maketh. 2 Corinth. 1.18. that he did not use lightness in making that promise, nor when he had made it was careless of his word, As God is true (saith he) our word to you was not yea, and nay ; that is, light and wavering. And mark his reason, verse 19. For the Son of God Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Sylvanus, and Timothy, was not yea and nay, but in him, was yea. As if he should say; as I have made conscience in my preaching to you, to speak nothing but the certain truth, so do I in my private speeches and promise also. If we that are ministers be vain and light persons in our private conversations, it is much to be feared (if the Apostles reason be good) that though we teach the truth, yet we do it not in uprightness of heart, and out of conscience towards God. But I will conclude this point with those two sentences of our blessed Savior, Matthew 5.19. Whosoever shall break one (one I say) of these least commandments (least I say) and shall teach men so (there have been you see formerly as well as now, that have taught men, it is no matter to break God's small commandments) he shall be called least in the kingdom of God (he seeketh applause and credit haply by teaching such things, but he shall certainly miss of his aim) but whosoever shall do and teach them (even these least commandments, loe we must be doers ourselves, before we can preach well) the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of God. As if he had said. He shall in the end loose no credit by it, but (though that be not the thing he may seek, or aim at, yet) he shall be sure to be the better esteemed for it in the Church of God. And thus much of the second point, wherein the upright hearted man's equal respect to all the commandments of God appeareth, he maketh conscience of every sin, of one as well as of another.
Followeth the third, and last of them. He maketh conscience of every duty [ 3] God hath commanded him, of one as well as of another; not of the negative part only of every commandment, of doing anything that God hath forbidden; but of the affirmative also, of doing everything that God hath commanded. As there is no one sin that he doth give himself liberty to live in, so is there no one grace or good thing that God requireth to be in us, but he desireth and striveth to attain unto it. As ye abound (saith the Apostle, 2 Corinthians 8.7.) in every good thing, —see that ye abound in this grace also ; that is to say, in mercifullnesse, and liberality. And he saith in the next verse, that he requireth this of them, to prove the sincerity of their love. As if he had said; There can be no sincerity in him that contenteth himself to have some good things in him, if he desire, and strive not after every grace. And again, Phil. 4.8, 9. Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do. Whatsoever good things they had heard of Paul, or seen in his example, they must strive to attain unto. But the Apostle Peter goeth further, 2 Peter 1. for he is not content to say, that the way to make our calling and election sure, is by doing of those things that he had spoken of before; that is to say, by giving all diligence to add one grace to another (and eight several graces he nameth, verse 5—7. that must be thus combined in us) but he saith plainly, ver. 9. that he that lacketh these things is blind ; that is, hath no truth of grace in him.
Alas then, what assurance can they have of the truth of their hearts, that in the duties God enjoineth them, will take and leave at their own pleasure. 1. They that are just in word and deed, but the other two duties that God enjoineth, Mic. 6.8. (mercy and humility towards God) they cannot, nay they strive not to attain to. 2. They that love preaching, and good preaching well, but there is a grace commended to them in David's example, which they will not imitate, 2 Sam. 24.24. I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God, with that that doth cost me nothing ; and Gal. 6.6. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. They love a life to serve God of free-cost. 3. They that are zealous in frequenting the public worship of God, but have no mind to that that is commended unto them in the example of Joshua 24.15. As for me and mine house, we will serve the Lord ; much less of that that Christ enjoineth, Matth. 6.6. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy father which is in secret. 4. They that are very forward in all other duties almost, and yet in one main duty that Christ enjoineth as strictly as any, and saith, Mat. 6.15. If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses, Yea 5.24. Leave thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift, they must be borne with, they cannot overcome themselves in this. Certainly the best that these can say of themselves with truth, is but that that Agrippa saith of himself, Acts 26.28. they are almost persuaded to be Christians. And as good never a whit, as never the better. If there be any commandment of God that thou canst not (at least in the unfeigned desire, and endeavor of thy heart) yield unto and obey, certainly thou art no true Christian. He that saith I know Christ (saith the Apostle, 1 John 2.4.) and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
Lecture LXXXVII. on Psalm 51.6. April. 15. 1628.
THE third and last respect, wherein the universality and large extent of true saving, and sanctifying grace appeareth, is, In respect of the time, where once it is in truth, it will never die, nor decay utterly. We must therefore know, that among the notes and properties of saving grace, that are given us in the holy Scripture (whereby we may everyone of us try ourselves, whether there be in us that uprightness of heart, and truth in our inward parts, which David saith here the Lord so much delighteth in) this is one principal. That true saving, and sanctifying grace, extendeth it self unto the whole course and time of a man's life that hath it in him. True saving grace is durable and everlasting.
Now because this is a truth, that behooveth all of us to be well settled and grounded in, therefore before I come to the confirmation of it, I must first premise three things which are to be granted concerning this point, which if you mark them well, will both make our meaning in it plain unto you, and take out of the way all the main objections that are made against it.
[ 1] First. Then it cannot be denied, but that a man may seem to himself and to the Church of God to have true grace, and make a good profession of it, and yet fall quite away from that again. A man that is a righteous man (thus in profession, and in the judgment of men) may turn away from his righteousness (as the Prophet speaketh, Ezekiel 18.24) and commit iniquity, and do according to all the abominations of the wicked, and die in that state too. So Hymenaeus and Alexander are said. 1 Tim. 1.19, 20. to have made shipwreck of saith. They had made profession of the true faith and religion of God, and fell quite away from it afterward. And they that thus make profession of true righteousness and holiness, and of the true faith and religion, are called by the holy Ghost (and we may not teach him to speak) righteous men and believers, though there be no true righteousness or faith in them at all. So it is said, John 2.23, 24. Many believed in Christ's name, when they saw the miracles that he did. Had these men true and saving faith? No verily, as appeareth plainly by the next words, But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men. As though the Evangelist had said; He knew there was no truth of faith in their hearts, though they made such a profession of it. So it is said of Simon Magus, Acts 8.13. that he believed. Why had he ever a true justifying faith in him? No verily, for he was even then (though neither Philip, nor Peter perceived it till a little after) in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity ; as Peter testifieth of him verse 23. yet all that are baptized, are said to be regenerated, and borne anew; yea all the infants of the faithful are said by the Apostle, 1 Cor. 7.14. to be holy. Are all infants holy indeed, and truly sanctified? Are all men that are baptized, regenerated indeed? No verily. But by profession and sacramentally, they are so all. But why are they then by the holy Ghost called so, not being so indeed? Surely, because the Church and people of God are bound to judge them believers, and righteous persons, that outwardly profess themselves to be such, till God shall be pleased to reveile and discover them to be otherwise. The secret things belong to the Lord our God (saith Moses, Deutero. 29.29) but those things which are reviled, belong to us, and to our children forever. And therefore Simon Magus (as bad a man as he was inwardly and in heart) was without all scruple admitted by Philip the Evangelist unto baptism, and so accounted a true believer. Acts 8.13. even for this cause, because he professed the true faith. So then the believers, the righteous, and regenerate persons that are such only by profession, and in the judgment of the Church, may quite fall away and loose all that goodness that seemed to be in them.
Secondly. It cannot be denied, but that a man may have in him in truth, sundry [ 2] common gifts of the spirit of God, that are very like unto saving and true grace, and yet loose them again, and fall quite from them. The hearer that is compared to the stony ground that receiveth the word, and believeth it, and findeth joy and comfort in it, yet may fall away, as is plain Luke 8.13. A man that hath been enlightened, and hath tasted of the heavenly gift (of Christ) and hath been made partaker of the holy Ghost, may so fall away (saith the Apostle, Heb. 6 4.6,) as it is impossible for him to be renewed again unto repentance. A man that hath escaped the pollutions of the world (forsaken all foul & gross sins) may be yet so entangled again, and overcome by them (as the Apostle teacheth, 2 Peter 2.20.) that his latter end may become worse with him, then ever his beginning was. And what shall we say of these men, and of the good things that are spoken of them? Were they such in show and profession only? No verily. They were indeed enlightened, they did indeed believe, they did indeed rejoice, and found comfort in the word; they did indeed, forsake the pollutions of the world. Yea these good things in them were the works and effects of the word and spirit of God, and not of nature only; that, that sprung up in them, came from the seed of the word that was sown in their hearts,