a man vvalks in vvayes of vvickedness every step that he takes every nevv commission of sin carries him nearer to a cursed eternity the more he sins the 〈◊〉 he is to hell 4. Because we must be accountable to God in the day of judgement even for We 〈…〉 accouâ—◠〈…〉 every 〈…〉 every work which we do Eccles 12. 13. Fear God and keep his Commandements Ver. 14. for God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil Mark every 〈◊〉 work whether it be good or whether it be evil shall be brought to judgement there is not any one good work which a godly man doth but it shall be brought into judgement and God will recompence and requite it even the giving of a cup of cold water shall not lose its reward And there is not any one evil work which the ungodly man doth but it shall be brought to judgement and he shall be punished for it and God will execute judgement upon all and convince all that are ungodly of all their ungodly deeds Jude ver 15. Therefore it doth exceedingly concern us seriously to walk in Gods statutes seriously to consider what he would have us to do and how we should walk and conscienciously to observe and conform all and every one of our steps and actions of life unto his Word Thirdly We should walk in the statutes of God fully i. e. in all wayes of We must walk in them fully obedience commanded us of God there should be a commensuration t'wixt our walking and Gods commands Deut. 5. 35. Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you Josh 22. 5. Take diligent heed to do the commandements and the Law which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his wayes and to keep his Commandements and to cleave unto him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul Jer. 7. 23. But this thing commanded I them saying obey my voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my people and walk ye in all the wayes that I have commanded you that it may be well with you Psal 119. 6. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements Luke 1. 6. Zechary and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 1 Tim. 2. 12. That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty Object But some will object This is a hard saying what walk up to every statute of God! they are very many and do require so many duties to God and to man it would make our lives grievous unto us to be thus strictly bound in some things we could be content but to walk in all is too strict Sol. I confess it is strict especially to our corrupt hearts nay any one Commandement The carnal heart counts any one command burthensome of God and any one part of obedience thereunto is too grievous and strict for a carnal heart Put the carnal man who thus complaines and excepts against full obedience unto all Gods statutes I say put him upon walking in any one statute or Law of God and he will grumble against that one as much as against all e. g. Put him upon the sanctifying of the Sabbath tell him he must rest upon that day from all his labours and that he must set that day appart for God alone and wholly spend it in holy religious duties publick and private now he cries out O what a burden and wearisomness is this what no recreations and no visitings and no worldly and vain discourse on that day what nothing but praying and hearing and reading of the Word and singing of Psalmes and heavenly meditations and discourses in our families Flesh and blood cannot bear this indeed it cannot nor shall flesh and blood ever inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 15. 50. Again put a man of a carnal heart but to exercise religious duties in his family to pray daily and to read the Word and to instruct those that do belong to him and for whom he must give an account to God the mans heart presently riseth against this and this is grievous and he shuffles it should be done indeed but I have no leasure and I have no gifts or parts to do these works Beloved it is a sure truth that whatsoever a carnal man pretends against universal obedience to all Gods statutes his heart is for no obedience at all but hath an universal enmity unto all and every Commandement of God But now more distinctly to answer the Cavil for partial obedience and to confirm the Truth for full and Uâ—iversal obedience consider these six Particulars First They that are for a partial obedience to Gods Commands and for a Partial obedience breaks the bond of all obedience walking in some of his statutes only they do break asunder the Bond and Reason of all obedience All obedience is to be founded upon the Authority and will of God because God who hath authority over all his creatures doth will and command us to obey his voice to walk in his statutes for this very reason do we stand bound to obey him And if we do obey him upon this reason then must we walk in all his statutes for so hath he commanded us and if we will not come up to this but will walk in what statutes of his we please then do we renounce his will as the obliging reason of our obedience and do set up our own liking and pleasure as the reason thereof Secondly Nay secondly it tends to plain Atheisme For by the same reason It tends to Atheisme that you slight the will of God in any Commandement by the same reason you may despise his will in every Commandement for every Commandement of God is his will and it is holy and spiritual and contrary to our sinful lusts and if this be the reason why such and such Commandements of God will not down with you then by the samereason none of them must be of authority with you Thirdly It is an audacious charge against God himself as to his wisdome or It s an audacious charge against God himself power or goodness those statutes of God which you will not come up unto either they are righteous as the rest and are good as the rest or they are not If they be also righteous and good why should we not walk in them as in the rest If they be not righteous and good O what a blasphemous charge is given against God in prescribing unto him any thing that is not righteous and good and likewise in making his will which is the rule of righteousness and goodness to be partly righteous and partly unrighteous to be partly good and partly bad
Fourthly There is not any one statute of God but it is good and for our All the Commandements are good and for our good good Ergo we should walk in all his statutes Deut. 5. 25. Ye shall walk in all the wayes which the Lord your God hath commanded you that you may live and that it may be well with you What one path hath the Lord commanded us to walk in but as it concerns his own glory so likewise it concerns our good Is it not good for us to love and fear the Lord and to put our trust in him and to worship and serve him after his own mind and will and to honour his glorious Name and to sanctifie his day how many blessings hath God promised unto such and to honour our Parents and forsake all those sinnes mentioned in the Negative Precepts c. Fifthly Our hearts must be perfect with the Lord our God Deut. 18. 13. Our hearts should be perfect with the Lord. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God And Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou perfect Now how can our hearts be said to be perfect with God if we do prevaricate with him if in some things we will obey him and in other things we will not obey him if we walk in some of his statutes but will not walk in all his statutes if in some part we will be his servants and in other parts of our lives we will be the servants of sin Sixthly Lastly Either we must endeavour to walk in all the statutes of God or else we must find some dispensation and toleration from God to free God hath exempted us from none us and excuse us and hold us indemnified though we do not walk in all of them now what one Commandement is there from obedience whereunto God excuseth any man or will not punish him for the neglect of obedience unto it The Apostle saith That whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all Jam. 2. 10. i. e. If he prevaricates with God as to any one particular Commandement of his his heart is naught he is guilty of all he hath really no regard of any of the rest of Gods Laws Therefore for the Lords sake consider of this all of you that hear me this day and let your souls be humbled within you for your loose and unfaithful walking in Gods statutes One will not pray another will swear another will not set up religious duties in his family another will not keep the Sabbath day holy another will cheat and over-reach his neighbor another will lye and speak evil and back-bite c. Is this to walk in all the statutes of God is this fully to walk in all his wayes c. Object But it is impossible for any man on earth to walk in all Gods statutes It s impossible and fully to do his will Sol. I answer there is a twofold walking in all the statutes of God First One is Legal when all is done which God requireth and all is done as God requireth There is not any one path of duty but we do walk in it A Legal obedience is indeed impossible perfectly and continually thus no man on earth doth or can walk in all Gods statutes or fully do what he commandeth for in many things we offend all it was but a proud vain self-delusion in that young man who said All these things have I kept from my youth Secondly Another is Evangelical which is such a walking in all the statutes of God and keeping of them as is in Christ accepted of and accounted of But Evangelical is possible as if we did keep them all this walking in all Gods statutes and keeping of them all and doing of them all it is not only possible but it is also actual in every freely believing and repenting person and it doth consist in these Particulars 1. In the approbation of all the statutes and Commandements of God A believer approves of all Rom. 7. 12. The Commandement is holy and just and good Ver. 16. I consent unto the Law that it is good Psal 119. 128. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all thinhs to be right 2. In a consciencious submission unto the authority of all the statutes of God Every one of them hath an authority within his heart and over his heart he Conscientiously submits to all stands in awe of every one of them and hath a spiritual regard unto them all Psal 119. 6. I have respect unto all thy Commandements 3. In a real delight in all the statutes or Commandements of God Psal Really delights in all 119. 47. I will delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved 4. In a cordial desire to walk in them all Psal 119. 8. I will keep thy statutes and O that my wayes were c. the desire of our soul is to thy Name and Cordially desires to obey all to the remembrance of thee 5. In a sincere endeavour to keep them all a man doth put out himself in all the wayes and parts of obedience he doth not willingly and wittingly slight or Sincerely endeavours it neglect any Commandment but is striving to conform himself thereunto Simile As a dutiful son doth to all his Fathers commands so your right Christian makes conscience c. Quest But here it may be demanded Whether we must shew an equal respect unto all Gods statutes and precepts and do sin if we do shew more respect to some Whether an equal respect must be shewed unto all It must not of Gods Commandements than unto others of them Note Sol. This being granted that we must shew respect unto all Gods statutes I answer that it is not necessary nor are we bound to express the same equal respect to all Gods Commandements For although all the Commandements of God be equal in respect of authority and Soveraignty of the commands yet in respect of the things commanded or forbidden and in respect of the strictness of the charge laid upon us for the doing or not doing of them some are greater than others Matth. 22. 36. Master said the Lawyer to Christ which is the great Commandement in the Law Ver. 37. Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind Ver. 38. This is the first and great Commandement 1 Sam. 15. 22. And Samuel said Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than to sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams Matth. 9. 13. Go ye and learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Quest Which of Gods Commandements should we have most special care to walk Which are principally to be respected Such as most respect Gods glory As as are most necessary to our
a groan and sigh Fourthly That they may walk without offence to God and man tenderness of heart is a ground of circumspection and holy jealousie and that is a ground of unblameable walking not to do any thing willingly by which God may be dishonoured or men justly offended SECT III. Vse 1. DOth God give unto all his people in Covenant a soft and tender Tryal whether we have such a heart heart a heart of flesh Let us then carefully survey and search our hearts whether God hath bestowed on them this heavenly quality this Jewel this Covenant-grace of softness or tenderness of heart This Point is of wonderful consequence and therefore I must carefully dispense it and manage it which shall be in this manner 1. Convictions in a privative way that many persons are utterly destitute of spiritual softness of heart 2. Convictions in a defective way that many persons deceive themselves with a false softness of heart 3. Demonstrations of the manifold miseries incumbent upon and incident unto all persons destitute of softness of heart 4. Testimonies and true Characters of a heart really softned by grace 1. Convictions in a privative way that many persons are utterly Convictions that many are destitute of it By the disposition of their hearts to sin Six things shew this Easiness to sin destitute of spiritual softness of heart First By the disposition of their hearts unto sin by which only God is offended and grieved and dishonoured yet there are six things evidently appearing in in many men about sin which shew that there is no spiritual softness or tenderness of heart in them at all v. g. First Easiness to sin Solomon speaks of some who will transgress for a piece of bread Prov. 28. 21. The Prophet speaking of Ephraim saith that he willingly walked after the commandment Hosea 5. 11. Ahab sold himself to work wickedness 1 Kings 21. 25. Judas goes and offers himself to betray Christ Matth. 26. 15 16. and the chief Priests and Captains were glad Luke 22. 5. When a small temptation is bait and hire enough but a look but a thought but a word and the man is presently ready to sin hath he a soft and tender heart to fear the Lord any temptation will master him nay he will sin without a temptation Secondly Boldness in sinning When a person makes no bones of great transgressions Boldness in sinning but can sin with an high hand and dares to venture on presumptuous sins and yet is not ashamed at all Isa 3. 9. They declare their sin as Sodom they hide it not Jerem. 6. 5. Were they ashamed when they had committed abominations nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush When people can swear and for-swear and curse and blaspheme and commit whoredom and steal and oppress and lye and murder and with the Whore in the Proverbs Wipe their mouths and say What evil have I done doth this shew the least of tenderness of heart which quakes at lesser iniquities Thirdly Joy and delight in sinning Solomon speaks of such who rejoyce to Delight in sinning do evil Prov. 2. 14. and the Prophet in Isa 66. 3. Their soul delighteth in their abominations and the Apostle in Phil. 3. 19. Whose glory is in their shame and the Psalmist Ps 10 3. The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire Who can say that any man hath a tender heart least he should sin and after he hath sinned who makes his very sins the object of his delight and joy and rejoycing and boasting such a time of his filthiness another time of his drunkenness c Fourthly Diffusion or spreading of sin of such Solomon speaks Prov. 4. 16. Spreading of sin They sleep not except they have done mischief and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall like Jeroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin 1 Kings 16. 26. or like Manasseh who made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to erre 2 Chron. 33. 9. or like the Whore in the Proverbs With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him Prov. 7. 21. O where is this softness and tendeâ—ness of heart when it sufficeth us not all alone to offend and anger and dishonour the Lord but we will also cause others to sin against the Lord draw others to drunkenness and uncleanness seduce others to errors and profaness make others to neglect Ordinances and duties to break the Sabbath to steal and purloine to lie and forswear themselves c. Fifthly Progresse in sin to go from evil to worse not only to multiply sins Progresse in sin in several kinds but to heighten and raise sins in further degrees and still to step on further in sinful wayes to be like Ezekiels waters which did rise from the ancle to the feet from the feet to the knees and then into a river Or as the Prophet spake Isa 2. 7. There is no end of their Charets so there is no end of their sinning but they overflow in wickedness and revolt more and more and adde drunkenness to thirst Sixthly Vnalterable resolution to sin when men will not forsake their sins but Unalterable resolution to sin will hold them fast and will not cease from evil though the Lord expresly threatens them and although the Lord punisheth others for the same sins nay although the Lord doth in eminent manner judge them themselves and punish them for their wicked doings as in Amos 4. 6 7 8 c. and made them sick in smiting of them and desolate because of their sins Micah 6. 13. Who can say that these obstinate and perverse sinners who dare thus to contend with God himself and will try to the utmost and provoke him when he inflicts his wrath on them for provoking of him have in them the least degree or pretence of softness and tenderness of heart Secondly By the carriage of their hearts towards the Word of God which is such By their carriage towards the word as palpably proclaimes they have no spiritual softness or tenderness of heart and that appears in four particulars First They care not to know it nor to be taught by it the mind and will of God They care not to know it Job 21. 14. They say unto God depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Hose 8. 12. I have written unto them the great things of my Law but they were accounted aâ— a strange thing Prov. 1. 23. Though the Lord saith I will make known my words unto you yet ver 24. they regarded not but ver 29. they hated knowledge Let him that hath an ear hear what the spirit saith to the Churches Rev. 2. 7. Be swift to hear James 1. 19. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Col 3. 16. Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of
gold of Ophir and seven thousand talents of refined silver to overlay the house withall such a person will exceedingly rejoyce in any way by which God is honoured 2 Joh. ver 4. I rejoyced that I found of thy children walking in truth 3. Joh. ver 3 4. So Paul in Phil. 1. 18. That Christ is preached I do rejoyce yea and I will rejoyce So David Psal 122. 1. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord Such a person will be content to lose his own honour so that God may have honour David will be yet more vile and counted so that he may the more promote Gods honour 2 Sam. 6. 20 21 22. John must decrease that Christ may increase and this was the fulfilling of his joy Joh. 3. 29 30. Such a person will make all his parts his gifts his graces his power and authority yea his very life serviceable to the honour and glory of God yea his very eating and drinking Whether ye eat or drink er whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God c. 2 Cor. 10. 31. Thirdly Now on the contrary there are several wayes of dishonouring of God The wayes of dishonouring God both publick and private as swearing blaspheming looseness of walking pulling down his true worship setting up a false worship forsaking the truth and holding error reproaching the true God the Persons of the Trinity the Gospel the whole Scripture the Ordinances of Christ and the practical wayes of Christ in holinesse and godliness c. Well A soft and tender heart is passionately sensible and working in the apprehension The workings of a tender heart in case of Gods dissionâ—r of any dishonor cast on God a person of such a heart will be troubled and mourn in this case When Hezekiah heard the blasphemies vomited out by Rabshakeh against the Lord he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord this day is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy Isa 63. 1 2 3. Will be stirred in his spirit as Paul when he saw the people of Athens given to idolatry his spirit was stirred in him Act. 17. 16. he could not bear it he could not hold he must testifie against it He will put himself to the utmost of his place and power as Phineas did against Zimri and Cosby and as Josiah did against all the idolatry and wickedness in his dayes Will hazard and expose all his honour and estate and his very life as Elijah did and Daniel did and the three children and those in Rev. 12. who loved not their lives to the death Will bear any reproach and injury done unto themselves more patiently and quietly than those done to God he can sit down under them and weep and makes his moan to God when they tear his own name but when comes to Gods Name now his zeal is kindled c. Fifthly If we have hearts spiritually soft and tender this will appear by By the acquitting of our selves in duties both for matter He makes conscience of duties to God and men the acquitement of our selves in duties both for matter and manner 1. For the matter concerning which observe these conclusions 1. A person of a tender heart makes conscience of duties both to God and to men not only of duties unto God nor only of duties unto men but of the duties which he doth repectively owe unto them both Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Mat. 22. 21. Render therefore to Cesar the things which are Cesars and unto God the things which are Gods Tit. 2. 11 12. The grace of God teacheth us to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world Mar. 12. 29 30. The first of all the Commandments is Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy minde and with all thy strength verse 31. And the second is like namely this Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Many plead a conscienciousness of duty unto men they dare not but deal justly and squarely and honestly and yet they make no conscience of duties unto God no conscience of praying of keeping the Sabbath of fearing an oath of walking holily and many pretend a conscienciousness of duty unto God but yet they make no conscience of duty unto men they dare to revile and to controle and to oppress and rob a man of his right and to slander and reproach Neither of these are persons of soft and tender hearts but of deceitful and hypocritical hearts who fear not God and follow not him but their own lusts A person of a tender heart indeed dares not with-hold from God what is due to God nor from man what God requires to be done in way of duty unto man but as the Apostle speaks of subjection unto powers ordained of God That it must be for conscience sake Rom. 15. 5. so say I of a tender heart it performs duties to God and duties to man even for conscience sake it dares not defraud the one or the other Object But will some say What if God and man be contrary in their commands how can I obey and perform duty to them both Sol. I answer 1. There is no duty which God commands to himself and unto men which admits of contrariety but of subordination 2. If man commands any thing of us contrary to Gods command we must do as the Apostle did obey God rather than man Secondly A person of a tender heart makes conscience of all duties to God and of all duties unto all sorts of men unto whom he ows duty Of all duties unto God He makes conscience of all duties to God and man of fearing of him as of praying and of praises as well as of rejoycing in him of repenting of sinnes as well as of believing the pardon of sinnes of walking uprightly as well as of trusting in the promises of keeping the Sabbath c. Of all duties unto all sorts of men If they be his Superiors to honour and yield obedience to them if they be his Inferiours to regard and condeseend unto them if they be his enemies to love them and to pray for them if they be poor to pity and help them on whatsoever and to whatsoever God is pleased to lay a command there the person of a tender heart hath a readiness and willingness to obey Thirdly The person of a tender heart makes conscience of relative duties There is a Relation twixt He makes conscience of relative duties 1. The Magistrate and the people 2. 'Twixt the Minister and his flock 3. 'Twixt the husband and his wife 4. 'Twixt the Parent and the child 5. 'Twixt the Master and the Servant And many are the duties which reciprocally do concern all these persons in all their
seed and living which shall never be cut off Thirdly In their graduaâ— measures and quick operations herein there may be a decay and quickning Rev. 2. 4. I have somewhat against thee because thou In their gradual measures hast left thy first love Ver. 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and dâ— thy first works Rev. 3. 2. Strengthen the things which remain and are ready to die Fourthly In their sensible and comfortable manifestations and here likewise they may be extinguished at least for a time Psal 51. 12. Restore unto me In their sensible manifestations the joy of thy salvation He had lost it by his sinning c. Now the people of God who have received the spirit they should be careful not to quench him at all no not in the measures no not in any degree of grace not in any one lively operation of grace not in any one comfortable fruit or effect of grace O sirs 1. It is an exceeding soily to weaken may I so express it the hands of the Spirit to shake your foundation to wound your selves so near the heart The Spirit is the Spirit of your life and power 2. It is an exceeding folly to loose any of your precious treasures why a degree or measure of grace one dram of it is more than all the world for value 3. It is an exceeding folly to bereave your selves of your best comforts and only joyes to turn your day into night your peace inâ—o trouble your hope into fear your confidence into doubts 4. It is an exceeding injury unto that good spirit and unto your own happiness c. Secondly Grieve not the Spirit This duty you have from the Apostle Eph. 4. 30 Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God by whom ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Grieve not the spirit Do nothing which may offend and displease him or make his abode in you uncomfortable and undelightful The Spirit hath been the Comforter unto you you have tasted of his comforts and joyes do not grieve and offend and displease him who hath comforted and rejoyced your soul Quest What will grieve the Spirit that so we may take heed of grieving him Sol. There are 〈◊〉 wayes by which the Spirit is grieved First When we do not hearken to his motions and counsels and commands What grieves the spirit Not to hearken to his motions This doth grieve a Father and a friend when his counsels are disregarded and despised So when the Spirit of God puts us upon holy wayes and workes and we regard not his motions and directions this doth grieve and offend him Psal 95. 10. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and what was that which grieved hâ—m they would not hearken unto his voice they erred in their hearts they would not know his wayes 2. Secondly When we do hearken to the voice motions and counsels of Satan or our own corrupt hearts which are contrary to him and his suggestions When we hearken to Satan as Christ spake in Joh 5 43. I am come in my Fathers Name and ye receive me not if another should come in his own name him ye will receive This grieved Jesus Christ that the Jews would not receive him coming in his Fathers Name and yet they would receive another coming in his own name Simile In like manner it cannot but displease and offend the spirit of God to see his holy and heavenly counsels motions commands neglected and at the same time the motions and lusts of of our hearts regarded embraced and followed Why this doth more displease a parent or friend that the enticements and seducemennts of base fellows prevail and take more then his grave and sound and loving advice c. as Esau went and married the daughter of the Hittites against the mind of his Parents Gross sins Thirdly When we do any notorious sinful work which is unworthy of men enjoying the Spirit of God and causeth dishonour and reproach unto him Simile As when a child doth any thing unbecomming his relations and dishonourable unto his Father Ye have troubled me said Jacob to his sons Simeon and Levi to make me to stink amongst the inhabitants of the land amongst the Canaanites and the Perizzites c. Gen. 34. 30. So when men professing the Spirit do yet walk contrary to the nature and rule of the spirit they do now trouble and grieve the Spirit e. g. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth and if we pretending Spirit embrace or countenance doctrines of lyes and falshoods â—he Spirit of God is a Spirit of holiness and if we pretending that Spirit follow and countenance practices of unholiness and profaneness The Spirit of God is a Spirit of love and meekness and peace and if we pretending that Spirit yet live in discord and wrath and contention these things are a grief and trouble unto the Spirit of God 2 Tim. 2. 19. Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity So say I let every one that nameth the Spirit of Christ let every one that pretends to his presence depart from iniquity Fourthly Especiall do we grieve the spirit when we do sin against the present When we sin against the spirits workings works and workings of the spirit As 1. The present illumination of the spirit which at such a time actually shines upon that work we intend to do 〈◊〉 discovers it plainly to be evil and offensive and yet we do it 2. The strange motions and operations of the spirit striving to with-hold us from our purpose by arguing and reasoning with our souls propounding argument upon argument not to do so wickedly As when a man lyes or swears or commits uncleanness or steals against the particular light and present strivings of the spirit sinful actions thus substantiated do not only grieve but do also wound the spirit these are bitter provocations Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly Hose 12. 14. and these are presumptuous sinnings which will cost us bitter desertions and bitter throws in Conscience and bitter lamentations and bitter afflictions perhaps all our dayes and bitter fears and disputes and questionings in our hearts Thirdly Neglect not the spirit As Paul to Timothy neglect not the gift that is in thee 1 Tim. 4. 14. So say I neglect not the Spirit himself that is When we neglect the spirit in thee And there are two things of the Spirit which we should not neglect 1. His movings 2ly His removings First Neglect not the movings or motions of the Spirit but take hold of them observe and follow them You have many times suddain and secret excitations to draw you off more from the world to prepare for death to make sure work for your souls to trust more on God to walk more evenly and profitably to redeem the time to pray and seek the face of God to do more good in your places c. Now do
altogether for sins commands but he devides himself betwixt God and his sinful lusts he will pray but withall he will swear and he will hear the Word but withall he will be drunk he will do many things that are good but withall he will do many things that are wicked Now take heed of this God cannot endure it If God be God follow him 1 King 18. 21. You shall walk in my statutes saith God here i. e. you shall set me up alone and my commands alone and my wayes alone Zeph. 1. 5. I will cut off them that swear by the Lord and that swear by Malcham Rev. 3. 16. Because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth Matth. 4. 10. It is written thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Thirdly You must take heed of partiality in walking in Gods statutes We say Take heed of partiality that Lex est copulativa God doth not say you shall do this or do that you shall fear me or you shall love me you shall keep my Sabbath or you shall not take my Name in vain no such matter but the Law is conjunctive and doth require obedience to every commandement of God Jam. 2. 11. For he that said do not commit adultery said also do not kill now if thou commit no adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a transgresser of the Law We read that Jehu did many things which God commanded in order to the destruction of the house of Ahab but yet he disobeyed God in following the sin of Jeroboam which tended to the destruction of his own soul And so Herod heard John Baptist and did many things but yet he kept Herodias his brother Philips wife Right obedience is impartial obedience and he who regards one Commandement of God out of Conscience he doth likewise regard every Commandement of God for there is the same authority stamped on all the Commandements Therefore it is but hypocrisie to regard some of Gods statutes and to disregard others Some men stand much for obedience or duties to the second Table but they mind not the duties oâ— the first Table they seem to make conscience of lying and stealing and killing and adultery but they make no conscience of swearing and taking the Name of God in vain and breaking the sabbâ—th some seem to make conscience of lesser duties but they make no conscience of greater duties and so others â— contrà But God hath not given unto us such a liberty to pick and chuse our work if the Lord commands us the smallest or the greatest duties we are to yield obedience to the one and to the other not neglecting the least nor laying aside the greatest He that is unfaithful in the least will be unfaithful also in the greatest and he that is faithful in the greatest will be also faithful in the least it is a truth that sins of omission will damn a man as well as sins of commission therefore take heed of partiality in keeping of Gods statutes Fourthly You must take heed of resting or relying upon any of your works or Take heed of resting upon duties duties you must endeavour obedience unto Gods Law but you must beware of placing your confidence upon that obedience You must pray and read and hear and mourn and repent and walk holily and humbly with your God and you must live soberly and righteously and godly and fear the Lord and love the Lord and obey his voice and when you have done so to your utmost and to your best then must you cast your Crowns to the ground and weep that you have served your God no more and no better and cry out with the Publican God be merciful to me a sinner and with David Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143. 2. And with him Domine lava quaesâ— lachrymas meas If you advance your duties or works of obedience unto a condition of life to be the matter and reason of your justification before God and say Lord these are my righteousnesses and for these I look to be justified and saved why now as Peter said to Simon Magus Thou and thy money perish with thee So say I now thou and all thy duties will perish together For 1. God commands not works of duty from his people that they should Gods Commands not duties that we should be justified thereby To set up works puls down Christ and faith in him thereby be justified but that thereby himself might be glorified not as reasons of life but as testimonies of love and thankfulness 2. You pull down Jesus Christ and faith in him if you set up any works of yours for life or justification Christ is no Christ unto you and his righteousness is no righteousness unto you if you seek to set up your own works and put confidence in them Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of nâ—ne effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace 3. It is foolâ—sh and damnable so to do For when you have done all that you can do you are but unprofitable servants The least duties that ever you have performed Iâ—s foolish and damnable have enough in them to damn you There is much sinfulness and much weakness and much shortness in them which if God should mark you could never stand before him Remember this for a certain truth that he who would come to heaven must take heed of his good works as well as of his evil works they will damn him and if he place his confidence upon his good works they will destroy him Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Fifthly You must take heed of performing duties or obeying Gods statutes Take heed of false ends for false ends As 1. To recompence God 2ly To give him satisfaction for the evil that you have done 3ly To offer them up as purchasers of mercies and blessings 4ly To look on them as your propitiation and peace-makers 5ly Only to quiet and still your consciences 6ly Out of vain-glory and to please men First You must not perform duties nor present them to God as compensations Duties must not be performed by way of compensation or recompence unto God for the blessings and benefits which God hath vouchsafed unto you There is a difference between thankfulness for blessings and requitals for blessings we ought to be thankful unto God and to return praises and obedience after the receit of his mercies offer unto God thansgiving Psal 50. 14. And praise is comely for the upright Psal 33. 1. But to recompence God again by any good that we can do for any good that he hath done this may not be and this cannot be Job 35. 7. said Eliphaz to Job If thou be righteous what givest
a door-keeper in the house of my God c. Seventhly The further you proceed in walking in the paths of Gods Commandements The farther we go in these wayes they are the better We shall have the clearer knowledg of them the better you shall finde it to walke in them There are four things which may demonstrate this 1. Because the farther that you proceed in the wayes of God the clearer knowledge you shall attain to both of God and of his wayes the more we do obey him the better we shall know him and love him and be beloved of him Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest my self unto him 2. Because the further we proceed in the wayes of God the further testimony shall we have from conscience that our hearts are upright There is you know And fuller testimony from Conscience much of our happiness or unhappiness in the testimony of conscience and upright walking gives a great advantage unto conscience to speak on our behalfe Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord and ver 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and seek him with the whole heart Now affectionate walking and stedfast walking do shew that our hearts are upright in walking 3 Because the farther we do proceed in walking in Gods statutes the more And the more sweet experiences sweet and heavealy experiences shall our soules meet with Still you meet with promises but if you make farther progress you shall meet with the fruits and effects of those promises Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenants and his testimonies 4. Because the further that you do proceed to walk in Gods Statutes the And the neerer we are to our journeyes end neerer you are to the journies end and to the crown of life It is but one stile more and then I am at my fathers house but a few steps more and then Well done good and faithfull servant enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Math. 25. 21. Object Thus you see the point demonstrated that the people of God are to make progress they are to move on they are to persevere all their dayes in the path of obedience or in walking in Gods Statutes Many of Gods children are sometimes out of the way True will some say thus they should do but who of them ever did thus There are none of them but we finde them some time or other out of the way I Answer Sol. First Although it be so yet it should not be so all their steps should be in the Yet it should not be so All that are sincere do walk on wayes of life But Secondly All that are sincere they do so they are still walking on in the Statutes of God I told you lately that particular actions do not denominate any estate it is the course of actions which doth denominate our walking Though a wicked man doth sometimes a particular good yet this man still walks in his iniquities because the course of his life is spent in the path of sin So though a good man doth some times a particular evil yet this man may be said still to walk on in the Statutes of God because that path takes up his course of life When Similâ— a man is travailing a journey though he doth some times stumble and fall into the dirt yet he is said to be a travailer and to go on in his journey because he lies not in the dirt but gets up and away he goes so c. Infirmities are passed by of God How deviations are the fruits of weakness Thirdly The aberrations of weakness do not nullify or evacuate a continued progress in walking Infirmities God passeth by and puts them not into the account Now therefore things which shew that the deviations of Gods people are the fruits only of weakness 1. One is that they do principally depend upon the subtilty and suddain power of Satans temptations 2. A Second is that they would not do any evil The evil that I would not do I do saith Paul 3. A Third is their cries and tears and complaints They are in this particular like the lost Sheep or a lost Child 4. A Fourth is that they must and do returne into the right way again SECT I. Use 1 SHould the people of God walk in Gods Statutes i. e. make progress in them and move forward and hold on and persevere in the obedience of them all the dayes of their life Against this duty foure sorts of men deeply offend e. g. 1. All Inconstant Professors 2. All Declining Professors 3. All Non-Proficients Who offend against this duty All inconstant Professors 4. Especially all Revolters and Apostates First All Inconstant Professors to whom that may be applied spoken of in Hosea 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away You have many Professors like unto Ephraim and Judah who in their distresses enquired early after God they take up duties and then they will pray and hear and reform and obey the voice of the Lord O how many hollow-hearted Christians are there who in their sickness and troubles of Conscience and outward straits and fears will seek unto the Lord and serve him and walk in his wayes but as soon as fears and straits and sickness and dangers are off they fall presently from God and from his wayes and from walking in his Satutes The Similâ— sun consumes the morning cloud and dries up the early dew So when ease and prosperity and safety appears then an end of praying of mourning of repenting of doing for God and walking in his wayes Secondly All Declining and luke warme Professors Such I mean that have been forward and high and zealous in holy duties but they are fallen low and All lukewarm Professors flat and careless and negligent of them The time was that they were full of cares and desires and of spirituall fervor and vigor O how they have prized the ordinances How did they abound in duties of obedience How much of their time did they lay out in meditation in praying in reading in hearing in reforming themselves in instructing their families in watching over themselves and their wayes O they durst not neglect their duty any opportunity nor come neer any iniquity But now the case is altered with them there is not that fear of God in them nor tenderness of conscience nor forwardness of obedience their wine is turned into water and their fervor into deadness they have no regard nor minde nor heart to walk at all in Gods Statutes and wayes they shut up
run to hell 3. If you would enjoy liberty indeed then become the servants of God and walk in his wayes If the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8. 36. Now your shackles and fetters and prison doores are broken open we are freemen in a spiritual sense when we are freed from sin Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sin we became the servants of Righteousness We are freed from all slavish fears by reason of sinne when we receive the free spirit of liberty we become a voluntary people to serve the Lord with newness of spirit and freeness of spirit Dsal 116. 16. O Lord truly I am thy servant thou hast loosed my bonds 4. Object But men will disesteem us neglect us cast us out of their favour and But then we shall be disesteemed reproach us if c. Sol. 1. It is their sin to do so but it is our duty to walk as God would have us to walk 2. What men will do so none but ungodly men who speak evil of us because 1. we run not with them to the same excess of riot 2. A goodly conversation is a reproach to their ungodly life and shames them 3. Regard not the praises of men but the praise of God this you shall be sure to meet with he will own you and honour you though men do not Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my Mother forsake me then the Lord shall take me up The Pharisees reviled and cast out the blind man cured by Christ but Christ met with him and owned and saved him Joh. 9. 35 36 c. 4. You will give a fair account to God that you feared man more than God Lord I should have walked in thy wayes but c. 5. Object Then I will walk in these statutes hereafter Then I will do it hereafter Sol. 1. Hereafter may be too late Gods command is for all our dayes and for the set time whiles it is called to day c. Secondly Continuance in sinful wayes will harden your hearts in them keep up the love of sinne and render the wayes of God more distastful unto you Thirdly And God may in judgement give you up to your own hearts lusts to walk in the counsels of them because you do not hearken unto him See Psal 81. 11 12. 6. Object But I have assayed aad can make no work of it But I find I cannot do it Sol. First Because you assayed slightly and not with all your heart Secondly And because you assayed in your own strength 7. Object But it is a great work however to walk in Gods statutes and How shall we get power to do it what shall I do for power to enable me to walk in them Sol. God who requires us to walk in his statutes doth promise to give us power I will cause you to walk c. Ezek. 36. 27. And cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them THese words as I have heretofore observed contain in them two parts 1. The work or duty which concerns the people of God viz. to walk in his statutes c. this Subject I finished the last Lords day 2. The help or sufficiencies for all that work and duty I will cause you to walk in my statutes whence observe CHAP. XV. Doctr. TThat the people of God have the promise of God to enable them to God will enable his people to walk in his wayes walk in the statutes of God I will cause you c. Zech. 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord. Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Isa 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us Chap. 45. 24. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength For the opening of this excellent and comfortable Truth I will shew unto you five things 1. The many parallels 'twixt Gods command of our duties and Gods promise of help for these duties 2. The parallels 'twixt promises to and instanceâ— in Gods people 3. The several wayes how God doth cause or enable his people to walk in his statutes and do them 4. How far the Lord doth engage his strength of grace to enable his people to walk in his statutes 5. The Reasons both in respect of God and in respect of his people why he will cause them to walk in his wayes or statutes c. 1. The parallels 'twixt Gods commands and his promises or 'twixt the Parallels betwixt Gods commands and his preceps duties commanded by him and the helps promised to enable his people First The Lord commands his people to know him and his wayes 1 Chron. 28. 9. Know thou the God of thy Father c. And God doth promise to cause them to know him Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. And Jer. 31. 34. They shall all know me from the least of them to the greattest of them saith the Lord. Secondly The Lord commands his people to trust upon him Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever c. And God doth promise to enable his people to trust on him Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. 3ly The Lord commands his people to fear him Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him So Deut. 8. 6. Thou shalt keep his Commandements and walk in his wayes and fear him This likewise hath God promised unto his people Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Fourthly The Lord commands his people to love him Deut. 11. 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints and God doth promise to give them an heart to love him Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise the heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul Fifthly The Lord commands his people to pray unto him and to call upon his Name Call upon me Psal 50. 15. Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17. I will that men pray everywhere 1 Tim. 2. 8. And the Lord hath promised to give unto them a spirit of prayer Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and the Spirit of supplication Sixthly The Lord commands his people to mourn for their sinnes and to loath their sins and to turn from their sins Isa 22. 12. In that day did the Lord call to weeping and to mourning Jam. 4. 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord And
make you strong for any work of God That passage of Paul is observable 2 Cor. 12. 10. Wheâ— I am weak then am I strong this seems to be a contradiction but it is not so It is as if he had said When I find that I am weak in my self then am I made strong by the strength of Christ How so will you say How comes a man to be made strong by Christ who findes himself to be but weak I will sheâ—â—ou how this comes to pass 1. The sense of his own weakness is a means to put him upon much prayer to 〈◊〉 for strength 2. The sense of his own weakness is an occasion to put him upon faith in Christ to rely on him to make Christ his strengâ—h and to draw more grace and strength from him in whose strength he shall be able to do all things Thirdly Because the Lord hath a special compassion and a very tender regard to persons truely sensible of their own weakness The Lord hath a tender regard unto three sorts of men 1. Unto those that are sensible of their sins He bindes up the broken To whom God hath a tender regard in heart 2. Unto those that are sensible of their own unworthiness The poor Publican went home justified 3. And unto those that are sensible of their own weaknesse and insufficiency to do any good Concerning these God gives command Isa 35. 3. Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees And Zech. 12. 8. He that is fâ—eble among them shall be as David And to these especially hath the promise in the Text a respect I will cause c. Secondly Not to despond or cast down their hearts by reason of the greatness or by reason of the multiplicity and by reason of the difficulty of the works and duties which God requires from them depth and breadth and length of mens obedience are nothing as long as there is depth and breadth and length oâ— Gods assistance I confess that these would be strong discouragements were we to traverse the wayes and works of God by our strength but they should not make any discouraging impression seeing our hands shall be made strong by the Almighty arm of God Is any thing too hard for the Lord he is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that wâ— can ask or think Ephes 3. 20. according to the power that worketh in us God is pleased to charge all the essential duties of obedience upon the weakest of his people and there is no severity or injustice in this because as the strongest cannot do the least duty by his own strength so the weakest Christian shall be made able also to do the greatest duty in the strength of God Never say If I were so strong as such or such a one then I could do much but I am weak I tell you that the strong Christian without the help of God is but weak and the weak Christian with the help of his God is strong But to remove all dispondency of heart from weak Christians about their many What weak Christians should remember and great and continual works of obedience I would desire them carefully to remember and lay up four singular Adjuncts or ingredients in that helping and assisting grace which God doâ—h promise unto them 1. Coextention as to all the parts and times of duty 2. Sufficiency as to enabling for these duties 3. Redundancy or exuberancy there is help enough and to spare 4. Infallibility or certainty of enjoying that assisting grace if they look up to God for it First Coextention The helping or assisting grace of God promised unto his people is not limited or restrained to this or that particular duty not to this or that particular time of life but it extends to all our work and for all the dayes of our life First It extends to all the duties which God requires of us what the Apostle Assisting grace extends to all our works and at all times spake in another case 2 Cor. 1. 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ That may be said in this case As our duties and services abound so the help and strength of Gods assisting grace abounds towards us Our duties are sometimes summed up 1. Into the love of God And 2ly Into the love of our neighbour and the promise of assisting grace extends to both these For the one see Deut. 30. 6. I will circumcise c. For the other see Isa 11. 6. The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid c. Ver. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy Mountain Our duties are sometimes summed up into 1. Affirmative 2ly Negative the one is of the good which we are to do the other is of the evil which we are to forsake and you have the promise of assisting grace as to both of them For these see Rom. 6. 14. And Ezek. 18. They shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof Our duties are sometimes summed up 1. Into active And 2ly into passive both these have assisting grace promised for the first Ye shall keep my judgements and do them For the second it is given unto you on the behalf of Christ to suffer for his Name Phil. 1. 39. Secondly It extends unto our duties for all the dayes of our life assisting grace is promised to come in as duties are to go on Isa 40. 31. They shall renew their strength Chap. 41. 1. Let the people renew their strength Chap. 46. 3. Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the belly which are carried from the womb Ver. 4. And even to the old age I am he and even to hoary hairs will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I wiill carry and will deliver you Secondly Sufficiency There is a sufficiency in that assisting grace promised to enable the people of God effectually for the greatest and hardest duties which I shall clear by a few instances Said God to Abraham Gen. 22. 2. Take thy sonne thine only sonne Isaac There is a sufficiency in assisting grace whom thou lovest and get thee into the Land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt burnt-offering c. Was not this a very hard and difficult work to perform against which all the strength of nature might rise yea and grace itself might have disputed the lawfulness of it nevertheless Abraham was enabled to obey this command Heb. 11. 17. Again is it not a great work for a person to leave all that he hath and then to submit himself unto a suffering condition Yet the people of God have been enabled unto this Moses left all his honor and riches and pleasure and enjoyments in Egypt and chose rather to suffer affliction with the